Joining Mika and Joe today are Willie Geist, Mike Barnicle. Nicolle Wallace, Mark Halperin, Eugene Robinson, Michael Crowley, Congressman Adam Schiff, Steve Schmidt. Karen Tumulty, Craig Shirley, Richard Engel, John Kirby, Stuart Stevens, Dominic Chu, and more!
Donald Trump spoke in Dallas to about 20,000 people at the sold out Mavericks arena and he mentioned non other than Joe Scarborough in that speech. Remember when Mitt Romney went to an arena during that last run for the GOP nod? They had to hire an ROTC organization to make up 3K to 5K people to fill the first 15 rows for the cameras in Detroit that year. Trump is selling out 20K venues in 3 to 4 days of it being prepared and announced.
I am so glad mentioned the fact that Mika mentioned just now how Hugh Hewitt basically (not basically because he did) stated that it was his fault that he asked the question about the Juds to Donald trump. That really turned my head yesterday on the show. Mika said it is what she is against when women act that way after they get popped in the face by a male, and I agree with that. That was the first thing I thought about too. Hewitt said on the show that "I framed question to Trump incorrectly." I was astonished by that comment.
Not Expecting to Be ‘West Coast Answer to Megyn Kelly’ Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, who will be one of the questioners at CNN’s Republican presidential debate in California Wednesday night, does not expect GOP frontrunner Donald Trump to pick a fight with him–despite Trump calling him “third rate” after a contentious radio interview.
On MSNBC’s Morning Joe Monday, Joe Scarborough introduced Hewitt as a guy “described as a third-rate radio host” and asked “how do you stop yourself from being the West Coast answer to Megyn Kelly,” a reference to Trump’s clash with the Fox News host during the first GOP debate in August.
Hewitt, who said he spent time Sunday working through debate questions with moderator Jake Tapper and questioner Dana Bash, said he’s ready. “I don’t think it’ll be Donald Trump looking to score points on me. He’s got 10 other people on that stage. He’s ahead of them right now significantly. I think he’s going to focus on them, not Jake, Dana or me.”
Tapper, however, said Sunday he expects a shot at the media will come his way.
I am so glad mentioned the fact that Mika mentioned just now how Hugh Hewitt basically (not basically because he did) stated that it was his fault that he asked the question about the Juds to Donald trump. That really turned my head yesterday on the show. Mika said it is what she is against when women act that way after they get popped in the face by a male, and I agree with that. That was the first thing I thought about too. Hewitt said on the show that "I framed question to Trump incorrectly." I was astonished by that comment.
Not Expecting to Be ‘West Coast Answer to Megyn Kelly’ Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, who will be one of the questioners at CNN’s Republican presidential debate in California Wednesday night, does not expect GOP frontrunner Donald Trump to pick a fight with him–despite Trump calling him “third rate” after a contentious radio interview.
On MSNBC’s Morning Joe Monday, Joe Scarborough introduced Hewitt as a guy “described as a third-rate radio host” and asked “how do you stop yourself from being the West Coast answer to Megyn Kelly,” a reference to Trump’s clash with the Fox News host during the first GOP debate in August.
Hewitt, who said he spent time Sunday working through debate questions with moderator Jake Tapper and questioner Dana Bash, said he’s ready. “I don’t think it’ll be Donald Trump looking to score points on me. He’s got 10 other people on that stage. He’s ahead of them right now significantly. I think he’s going to focus on them, not Jake, Dana or me.”
Tapper, however, said Sunday he expects a shot at the media will come his way.
'You People Are Suffering': Trump Laments Illegal Immigration in Dallas. His poll numbers soaring, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump brought his campaign to the nation's largest red state Monday for a rally in downtown Dallas.
Trump said the United States is "a dumping ground for the rest of the world" as he lashed out again at immigrants in the country illegally and promised Republican leaders he's just getting started.
An estimated crowd of 15,000 people attended the rally at the American Airlines Center, an arena official told NBC 5's media partners at The Dallas Morning News.
Tickets were free to the Trump event, but once they were all handed out, the only tickets available were going for as much as $100 online.
Protesters Clash Outside Donald Trump RallyProtesters Clash Outside Donald Trump RallyWhile as many as 15,000 people listened to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump Monday in the American Airlines Center in Dallas, several hundred more marched outside in protest.
Meanwhile, more than 1,000 people participated in a march and demonstration organized by the North Texas chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens.
They marched from the Dallas Roman Catholic cathedral to the American Airlines Center, as some marchers carried signs criticizing Trump and at least one carried a Trump pinata.
There were no disturbances and no reports of arrests at what was promoted as a "Dump Trump" rally.
Despite calls from GOP officials to tone down his rhetoric, the GOP front-runner decried "anchor babies" and gang members among the immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, drawing huge ovations from a rowdy audience.
"You people are suffering," Trump told the Dallas crowd. "I'm in New York, but they're in New York, too. They're all over the place."
"It's disgusting what's happening to our country," Trump continued as he called for more legal immigration.
Trump was the third Republican presidential contender to visit North Texas in as many weeks.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker appeared at a Sept. 2 campaign event in Highland Park, and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz rallied Sept. 3 at the Fort Worth Stockyards.
Texas voters head to the polls for the primary election on Super Tuesday, March 1, 2016.
Trump's popularity within his party has kept growing. He holds a commanding lead in early polls.
"This is a movement that's happening," he declared, confronting critics who think he's not running a serious campaign. "Now it's time to really start, because this is going to happen, I'm telling you, I'm not going anywhere."
"Unless I win, it's been a waste of time for me, folks," he continued.
Monday night's crowd ate it up.
"Sometimes he puts his foot in his mouth, just like everybody," said Barbara Tomasino, a 65-year-old retired elementary school librarian from Plano, who donned a dress, shoes and a purse plastered with pictures of Trump's face. "If he gets elected, he might need to tone it down a little bit."
Still, the crowd cheered wildly when Trump bashed immigrants in the country illegally, the media, Republican operatives such as Karl Rove, and the energy levels of his rivals.
"I have tremendous energy," Trump said. "Tremendous. To a point where it's almost ridiculous if you think about it."
NBC 5's Julie Fine, Johnny Archer and Amanda Guerra, and The Associated Press' Steve Peoples contributed to this report.
Bernie Sanders spoke at Liberty University yesterday to 18,000 people. Why Bernie Sanders spoke at conservative Liberty University. Bernie Sanders on Monday became the first Democratic presidential candidate ever to make a stop at Liberty University’s weekly convocations. Bernie Sanders, who’s been electrifying liberal Democrats on the presidential campaign trail, spoke Monday morning in a decidedly unlikely setting: Liberty University, a longtime political bastion for conservative Evangelicals. But even at this conservative stronghold, there are signs of some shifts in how young Evangelicals are viewing hot-button issues.
True, the audience for Senator Sanders’s speech erupted in cheers when, afterward, a college official promoted an antiabortion stance. But this is also a student body that appears to have diversified somewhat in recent years, with some students reportedly supporting causes that aren’t traditionally associated with Republicans.
Sanders’s courting of young and more liberal-minded Evangelicals is not likely to change the race to any significant degree; their numbers just aren’t big enough. But his presence at Liberty shines a light on an evolving voting bloc that is perhaps more open to his message of income inequality and social justice than in the past.
“The evangelical coalition is indeed changing,” says Amy Black, a professor of political science at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill., via e-mail. “Younger evangelicals are interested in a wider range of issues than their elders, and they are not in lockstep with the Republican party. Candidates like Sanders can and should find ways to appeal to them on shared issues of concern.”
Liberty University, located in Lynchburg, Va., was founded in 1971 by the late televangelist Jerry Falwell. It is one of the most conservative Evangelical schools in the United States and has been a frequent stop for many Republican candidates. In 2009, after complaints from trustees, parents, and donors, the university derecognized its campus Democratic club, saying the national party’s platform went against the school’s moral principles.
Against this backdrop, Sanders – a liberal Jewish politician who is not “particularly religious” – became the first Democratic presidential candidate ever to make a stop at the school’s weekly convocations. Not only that, but he made the appearance on Rosh Hashanah, one of the holiest days of the Jewish religious calendar.
A small number of boisterous Sanders supporters were allowed to attend his speech. Still, the audience's reactions were mostly tepid, if polite. From the outset, Sanders made clear his full support for abortion and gay rights, culture war issues that have defined much of the political agenda for Evangelicals for the past few decades.
“I came here today because I believe from the bottom of my heart that it is vitally important for those of us who hold different views to be able to engage in a civil discourse,” the senator told a capacity crowd of nearly 12,000. “It is easy to go out and talk to people who agree with you.”
Yet at Liberty, observers say, the politics of the past are simmering with change. Kevin Roose, a writer who spent a semester at the university, said he had expected to find “a campus full of ballot-punching Republicans.”
“I found those, but I also met Christian feminists, Christian civil libertarians, Christians opposed to the war in Iraq, Christian gay-rights activists, and other Liberty students who challenged the norms of their parents' generation,” he wrote in a 2011 Huffington Post piece, after the school once again revoked recognition of a Democrats club.
Three out of 4 Evangelicals will still probably vote Republican next November, Professor Black notes. But “wise candidates will look at those numbers and see that a not insignificant portion of the evangelical vote is up for grabs, and they will seek ways to reach out to these voters.”
At Liberty on Monday, Sanders invoked the Bible and the nation’s Judeo-Christian moral traditions while focusing on the economic message that has galvanized so many Democrats.
“Are you content – do you think it’s moral that 20 percent of the children in this country, the wealthiest country in the history of the world, are living in poverty?” he asked the Liberty crowd. “Do you think it is acceptable that 40 percent of African-American children are living in poverty?”
“In my view, there is no justice, and morality suffers, when in our wealthy country, millions of children go to bed hungry,” he continued. “That is no morality, and that is not, in my view, what America should be about.”
But the crowd reacted most strongly after Sanders’s speech, when David Nasser, Liberty’s senior vice president for spiritual development, asked the senator to reconcile his concern for children living in poverty with protecting “the child in the womb.” Students and others in the audience responded with a standing ovation.
“It is important to note that Evangelical Millennials are more progressive than older cohorts on some issues, such as the environment and LGBT rights,” says Black via e-mail. “But they are more conservative on the abortion issue. Younger evangelicals are even more pro-life than older evangelicals. Democrats who want to reach out to this group of voters need to be careful not to alienate them.”
According to a YouGov/CBS News poll released on Sunday, Sanders has vaulted ahead of Hillary Clinton, polling 43 percent of likely primary voters in Iowa to Mrs. Clinton’s 33 percent, and 52 percent of New Hampshire primary voters to Clinton’s 30 percent.
Sanders closed his speech with the economic message that has become the focus of his campaign.
“Some of you will conclude, that if we are honest in striving to be a moral and just society, it is imperative that we have the courage to stand with the poor, to stand with working people, and when necessary, take on very powerful and wealthy people whose greed, in my view, is doing this country enormous harm.”
Local Hispanic Leaders Plan Anti-Trump Rally
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump will be in Dallas on Monday for an appearance at the American Airlines Center.
On Sunday morning the billionaire real estate mogul Tweeted his enthusiasm.
"Wow, massive crowd at American Airlines Arena (sic) in Dallas tomorrow. Will be a fantastic evening!"
Last week Trump tweeted that Dallas would be the spot where he would make a "big speech", but he hasn't said what he'll talk about.
However, his comments about Mexico, Mexican immigrants and illegal immigration certainly has local Hispanic leaders talking and upset.
During his June campaign kick-off event in New York, Trump said Mexico was sending it's worst to America, especially criminals.
His comments and subsequent policy announcement about deporting 11 million illegal immigrants has local Dallas leaders leading a rally during Trump's visit called "Dump the Trump."
"If you say nothing when somebody makes these outlandish comments, you're agreeing with them, basically," said Hector Flores, one of the rally's organizers. "If you say nothing, don't stand up and repudiate this whole lexicon of hate."
Trump hasn't backed down from his comments telling NBC News "there's nothing to apologize for" days later.
Trump Will Apologize 'If I'm Ever Wrong,' He Tells Fallon
The goal of the rally is to stand-up to Trump's comments and positions and show him that he doesn't have the Hispanic vote in the primaries or the general election.
"We're hoping it will send a message that Mr. Trump and people like Ted Cruz who follow Mr. Trump's lead there are consequences to that and those consequences will be felt in November 2016," said Domingo Garcia.
There are no more free tickets available for the Trump rally inside the AAC, which can potentially seat as many as 20,000 people. At the anti-Trump rally across the street they expect a large turnout as well.
"We do expect to have (people) in the thousands," Garcia said.
The rally will start with a march at 5 p.m. at the Cathedral de Guadalupe at Ross and Pearl Streets.
The group will then march to the north side of the AAC where the rally will take place at the same time Trump takes the stage at 6 p.m. inside.
Election 2016 GOP Poll: Trump, Carson Lead While Jeb Bush Falls To Fifth In New Hampshire. Political newbies are rising and shining in the New Hampshire Republican presidential primary field, while establishment politician candidates are falling, according to the latest poll. And, they've gone down fast.
Neither of the top two contenders in the latest Monmouth University poll of likely Republican primary voters has ever held office. The leader, Donald Trump, with 28 percent, has spent the majority of his life in the public eye as a billionaire real estate mogul and even as an occasional Democrat. The second-place candidate, Ben Carson, with 17 percent, is a highly successful retired neurosurgeon. And the former governor of Florida who happens to be the brother and son of former presidents? He's dropped to a tie for fifth place, at 7 percent, with former Hewlett-Packard executive Carly Fiorina.
"Once again, the three candidates who have never held political office combine for a majority of support in a GOP primary poll," Patrick Murray, the director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute in New Jersey, said in a release with the polling data. "It appears that GOP voters are using the 2016 nomination contest to air their grievances with party leadership."
Support for the leadership from GOP voters is particularly low, the polling found. Just 33 percent of voters say the party is worried about their concerns. Fifty-five percent of Republican voters in New Hampshire think the party is doing a bad job, too.
The results showed the biggest boost for Carson, who saw an increase of 12 percent between July and September. Former HP CEO Carly Fiorina also saw a significant bump, more than doubling her support from 3 to 7 percent. Ahead of her and Bush are Ohio Gov. John Kasich, with 11 percent, and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, with 8 percent.
The poll was conducted by phone from Sept. 10 through 13 and asked questions of 415 likely Republican primary voters in New Hampshire. There is a margin of error of 4.8 percent.
What's at stake for 2016ers on debate night. No one has more on the line in Wednesday night's Republican presidential debate than Jeb Bush.
The former Florida governor with one of the most recognizable names in politics and $100 million in the bank is facing one of the most crucial moments of his political career at the CNN debate held at the Reagan Library.
In the unpredictable GOP race for president, Bush is struggling to regain his footing in the midst of Hurricane Trump. He first tried to ignore the bellicose billionaire before changing course and punching back hard. He has released detailed tax and immigration reform plans to show he is about substance, not style. He has kept a rigorous pace on the campaign trail, squeezing in Monday meetings with tech leaders in Seattle before heading off to Nevada and Michigan post-debate.
CNN Republican presidential debate
The payoff for all that hard work? A steady slide to the middle of the pack that is giving Bush donors the jitters and an opening to rivals like Ben Carson and Ohio Gov. John Kasich to overtake him in key early-voting states.
Here's a look at some of the hurdles Bush and other GOP presidential contenders face going into debate night.
Bush
The former Florida governor's initial assets -- money, connections and political experience -- have made his downward trajectory all the more striking as he wrestles to regain control of the campaign narrative.
"These debates are increasingly life-and-death moments for candidates who started out as the presumptive frontrunners but have fallen to low single digits," said Republican strategist Steve Schmidt, who listed Bush, Scott Walker and Marco Rubio in that category. "The first step to securing the nomination, is taking control of your destiny, completely within the process. At this point in 1999, George W. Bush had accomplished that. At this moment in time, Donald Trump has accomplished that," said Schmidt, a former aide to the elder Bush who advised John McCain in 2008.
"None of these candidates have any ability to control their own destiny any longer—their capacity to rise from 3-, 4-, 5-, 6% is fundamentally about Donald Trump losing his grip," Schmidt said. "No other candidate, with the possible exception of Ben Carson, is within reach to beat Trump. Only Trump can beat Trump."
Bush is making a noticeable effort to retake control over his campaign narrative. He's dropped his hands-off approach to Trump in favor of direct confrontation. He's letting his personality show more often by, for instance, unbuttoning his shirt over the weekend to reveal a shirt with the 1984 campaign logo of Ronald Reagan and his father.
And he released a campaign video on Monday in which he speaks Spanish -- defying Trump's calls that Bush only speak English on the campaign trail. The video also includes a rare appearance from Bush's wife, Columba, who is an immigrant from Mexico.
"I have lived over half my life here," she says in English in the video. "We all have the same interests, the same feelings."
Still, the moves aren't helping Bush much in the polls. A Monmouth University poll released on Monday found that in New Hampshire, Bush has slipped from second place into a tie for fifth with Carly Fiorina at 7%.
Trump
Given his defiance of the normal rules of political gravity, it's become difficult to predict the kind of error Trump that stunt his momentum.
A stray remark that would offend women? He was quoted in his Rolling Stone cover story last week as saying, "Look at that face," when Fiorina appeared on television. He went head-to-head with Fox News host Megyn Kelly during and after the first debate hosted by Fox News.
Another turn of phrase that would offend Latinos? Trump has stood by comments that some Mexican immigrants are criminals and rapists, proposed ending universal birthright citizenship and advocated building a wall along the Mexican border. Despite all of that, his support has only grown, though he is viewed negatively by a majority of Hispanics.
"I think debates tend to work in his favor because at their core, they're performances," said Republican strategist Kevin Madden, a former Romney adviser. "He's a celebrity who's been performing for the better part of 35 years now, so none of this is new to him."
Trump has shown serious vulnerabilities when it comes to factual matters.
He charged conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt with "gotcha" questions when Hewitt tested his knowledge about the leaders of terror groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, al-Nusra and ISIS. He also has mischaracterized elements of the Iran deal and made difficult-to-substantiate claims that Syrian Christians have a harder time entering the U.S. than Syrian Muslims.
"One of the interesting things to watch will be whether or not the moderators or other campaigns seek to expose Trump as a bit of a fraud or a con when it comes to being able to promote a conservative Republican agenda," Madden said. "If he's exposed as totally unserious on that (foreign policy and national security) issue, it could help some of the other campaigns begin to really draw a favorable contrast on an issue that will be very important in 2016."
Walker
Walker's campaign has been in free-fall over the last several weeks, most notably in Iowa where he was the consistent leader in the polls for much of this spring.
But there's been plenty of bad news for Walker lately in Iowa, which is vital to his campaign's prospects. Walker held the top spot in the pack in polls early this summer, but in a Quinnipiac University poll released last week, Walker had fallen from first place at 18% in July to 10th place in September at 3%.
In CNN/ORC's polling, Walker has fallen from 10% support nationally in July to 8% in August and 5% earlier this month. In Monday's ABC News/Washington Post poll, Walker was at 2% nationally, down from 13% in July.
"Walker needs a debate performance that reverses the trajectory of his campaign," Madden said. "He started out very fast, but didn't match the initial interest in his campaign with a lot of enthusiasm and momentum once voters started to tune in a little bit more."
Fiorina
The debate will offer the first chance for Fiorina to directly square off against Trump.
Another forceful performance could keep her momentum growing, but if she's overshadowed, it's hard to see her building more steam to keep overtaking competitors with much higher name recognition.
Fiorina, the former head of Hewlett-Packard, made it to the main stage on the strength of her first debate performance, raising expectations for her on Wednesday night. Charting the opposite trajectory of Walker, Fiorina has climbed steadily in the polls since the first debate -- a rise that CNN recognized with an amendment to the debate criteria that secured her spot.
Still, Fiorina has hovered in the single digits, according to CNN/ORC's polling. In ABC News/Washington Post's most recent poll, she went from an asterisk in July to 2% this month.
She led the pack in the National Federation of Republican Women's straw poll conducted over the weekend -- notching nearly half of the vote when the first and second choice spots were combined. At that conference, she also garnered attention with an indirect attack on Trump during a well-received speech, where she also directed plenty of attacks against Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.
Carson
The understated style of retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson has served him well in recent months, helping build a loyal following among evangelical voters and a professional campaign organization that has turned out big crowds even in deep blue states like California.
But with the exception of a few memorable lines in the first debate, he is widely viewed as having been too quiet -- and Trump has attacked his energy level. Carson has also seemed skittish about taking on Trump -- at one point questioning the authenticity of his faith but then walking back that criticism and saying he didn't mean it.
He has said he doesn't want to get into a "gladiator fight" with Trump, but, at the same time, he must show Wednesday that he has the mettle to take him on.
The risk for Carson and all the candidates, of course, is being aggressive but not crossing a line where their attacks work to Trump's benefit.
Rubio
Many Republican donors and strategists are still eyeing Rubio as one of the most formidable contenders for the Republican nomination, given his charisma and compelling narrative on the campaign trail. Like the other top-tier candidates, Rubio has faded into the shadow of Trump.
But he was viewed as having a strong debate performance in the first faceoff among the candidates. Given his youth, his challenge is to show that he has the gravitas to serve as the party's standard bearer.
California governor sends Ben Carson a thumbdrive with climate change report. "Please use your considerable intelligence to review this material."
California’s governor has provided presidential hopeful Dr. Ben Carson with “overwhelming evidence” of climate change, something that the Republican candidate claimed does not exist.
Last week, Carson appeared in San Francisco as part of his campaigning schedule. At an event, he addressed why the "climate change debate" remains, in his view, "irrelevant." In a tweet published later in the week, Gov. Jerry Brown (D) posted a picture of this letter sent to the retired neurosurgeon.
The Carson campaign did not immediately respond to Ars’ request for comment. As of publishing, the Carson campaign did not appear to have responded to Gov. Brown, either.
The science is indeed clear about climate change's effects on California's drastic drought, which has gone on for four years now. Groundwater overuse during the drought has reached epic proportions, with the land surface in some locations sinking almost two inches per month as a result.
Hillary Clinton Sounds-Off on Donald Trump, Kim Kardashian & Kanye West.
"Extra's" Mario Lopez sat down with presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who sounded-off on hot topics, such as Republican candidate Donald Trump, Kim Kardashian, and Kanye West.
Of Donald's popularity, she said, "I am watching this with some concern because I think a lot of what he has said has been really inflammatory and destructive… He has not put forward any real policies… He has made a lot of claims, and I think it may reflect on the Republican side some of the pent-up frustration that they have… I'm going to let them deal with however they choose their nominee, but I am certainly looking forward, if he were the nominee, to debating him in the general election because there's a lot to talk about starting with his really outrageous statements about immigration."
Though she faced criticism over using a private e-mail server when she was Secretary of State, she still believes she's a trustworthy candidate. "Well, I think people can trust me to fight for them and to fight for their families. I have a long track record of standing up and really working hard to help people solve their problems to have better lives; I did it as a first lady, I did it as a senator, I did it as Secretary of State, I would do it again as president. I want to be the president, Mario, who solves the big problems, works to keep us safe in the world, deals with terrorism, climate change, but I also want to be the president who helps families figure out what they do about those problems that keep them up at night and everybody has some of those."
To become president, Clinton will need to use social media to her advantage. She explained, "I think it's already proven to be a big factor because that's how people communicate these days… That's where they get their news, that's what they find out what their friends are thinking, so I think as we go forward with the election it's going to be even more and more important."
Switching to a lighter topic, she talked about meeting the queen of social media, Kim Kardashian. Hillary said, "You know, I just met her for the first time. She came to one of my fundraisers in Los Angeles, and I really enjoyed meeting her; I really found her to be warm and very personable. She had a nice way of introducing her husband, as if I didn't know who he was, right, and I enjoy seeing her with her daughter. So I think all of us in our own ways can be inspirational or aspirational for people... and I certainly think many people see her as someone who gets up every day and tries to figure out how to make that day successful."
When asked about Kanye West's announcement that he was running for president in 2020, Hillary offered this advice, "Well, if I'm going for my second term, [I would ask him] to wait four years, but if I'm not... be sure he has comfortable shoes because there's a lot of walking involved."
On whether she has thought of husband Bill Clinton as a running mate, Hillary said, "He would be good, but he's not eligible; under the Constitution, he has served his two terms and I think the argument would be as Vice President it would not be possible for him to ever succeed to the position — at least that's what I've been told… It has crossed my mind."
Hillary also chatted about how beneficial and inspiring it would be for women, like her own granddaughter Charlotte, to see a woman become POTUS. "I think it means that one of the last barriers to imagination, aspiration, is gone, not just for little girls, but for little boys, too, because I think it's important that every child in our country has the feeling that he or she could grow up to be president, or be you, or do whatever they wanted to. If you break that glass ceiling for girls and you have a woman in the White House, it sends a great message here at home and around the world."
Tune-in to "Extra" tonight and tomorrow for the second part of Mario's interview with Hillary.
There are gaps totaling five months in the Hillary Clinton emails released by the State Department, the watchdog group Judicial Watch announced Monday morning.
The revelation emerged after a court ordered the release of State Department documents as part of Judicial Watch’s effort to obtain Clinton emails under the Freedom of Information Act.
Emails sent and received by Clinton on her private server are missing over periods totaling five months, beginning when she took office as secretary of state in 2009.
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said the gaps indicate Clinton lied under oath when she said all her emails had been turned over, and it suggested government officials had not turned over everything they were required to deliver.
Fitton said other State Department officials, including the one in charge of email production, Patrick Kennedy, previously had been informed of the five-month gap.
The gap in emails received by Clinton run from Jan. 21, 2009, when she became secretary of state, to March 17, 2009. The gaps in emails sent by Clinton from from Jan. 21, 2009, to April 12, 2009, and from Dec. 30, 2012, to Feb. 1, 2013.
Judicial Watch said the revelation of the email gap casts doubt on whether Clinton told the truth when she declared under oath last month, “I have directed that all of my emails on clintonemail.com in my custody that were or potentially were federal records be provided to the Department of State.”
Judicial Watch obtained that statement, made in response to a court order, in separate FOIA litigation.
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The announcement of the email gap was made at an event in which many of the best minds in Washington came together to discuss what to do about the many crises plaguing the country during the Obama era.
Judicial Watch is holding a day-long “Leadership Summit on Washington Corruption and the Transparency Crisis.”
Judicial Watch has been in the forefront of the legal battle to obtain Clinton’s emails and State Department documents concerning the former secretary of state’s use of a private server to conduct all of her official business.
Contrary to her denials, government inspectors revealed Clinton did have classified information on her private server, which security experts say was especially vulnerable to hacking by foreign intelligence agencies.
The FBI is investigating Clinton's use of the server and trying to retrieve 30,000 emails she deleted after her own staff deemed them personal correspondence.
The State Department said it had received approximately "60,00-70,000 pages of email correspondence printed to paper and stored in twelve bankers boxes," which are "the only comprehensive set of Secretary Clinton's email correspondence."
But the department was concerned there were other Clinton emails that would not be found.
"However, of the sample examined, many of the emails were from Secretary Clinton's personal email account to official Department email accounts of her staff. Emails originating from Secretary Clinton's personal email account would only be captured by Department systems when they came to an official Department email account, i.e., they would be captured only in the email accounts of those recipients. Secretary Clinton's staff no longer work at the Department, and the status of the email accounts of Secretary Clinton's staff (and other Department recipients) is unknown at this time."
Fitton said one State Department official indicated she did not want a written record of the inquiry into Clinton's emails, noting an email in which she said she preferred to discuss the matter on the phone.
Every email should have been turned over
Fitton also said that among the newly obtained documents is an internal appraisal by the State Department that determined none of Clinton's emails should have been excluded for examination as to whether they were personal or government business.
The document, titled "Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's Email Appraisal Report," dated Feb. 9, 2015, concluded: "As the person holding the highest level job in the Department, any email message maintained by or for the immediate use of the secretary of state is 'appropriate for preservation.' This record series cannot be considered personal papers based on the definition of a record in 44 U.S.C. 3301 or Department policy found in 5 FAM 443."
All of Clinton's emails should have been turned over to the government for review, Fitton said.
That determination by the State Department is significant, because Clinton said she deleted more than 30,000 emails that her own staff had determined were personal.
Fitton emphasized that none of the Clinton emails were made public voluntarily but were disclosed as the result of litigation.
He compared the five-month Clinton email gap to the infamous 18-minute gap in the audio tapes turned over to Watergate investigators by President Nixon.
The email gap was revealed in documents obtained under court order in the FOIA lawsuit against the Department of State originally filed by Judicial Watch on May 6, 2013.
The documents also revealed for the first time the private email account that top Clinton aide Cheryl Mills apparently used to conduct government business, cherylmills@gmail.com
Classified info
The documents also show the State Department had concerns months ago about classified information in Clinton's emails.
A letter on March 3, 2015, to longtime Clinton attorney David Kendall said, "Please note that if Secretary Clinton wishes to release any document or portion thereof, the Department must approve such release and first review the document for information that may be protected from disclosure for privilege, privacy or other reasons."
Just last week, Justice Department lawyers told a federal judge they had no reason to suspect Clinton had failed to produce any emails requested by Congress or watchdog groups.
Monday's revelation of the five-month gaps in emails turned over by Clinton would appear to cast doubt on the Justice Department's assurance.
The State Department appraisal report that said Clinton should have turned over all emails, including the 30,000 she deleted, because they were deemed personal, also seemed to contradict the Justice Department.
Top Justice Department lawyers Benjamin Mizer and Elizabeth Shapiro said in papers filed in federal court Wednesday: "Because personal records are not subject to [the Freedom of Information Act], and State Department employees may delete messages they deem in their own discretion to be personal, plaintiff's preservation argument reduces to an unsupported allegation that former Secretary Clinton might have mistakenly or intentionally deleted responsive agency records rather than personal records."
'Unprecedented assault'
Judicial Watch described the Monday event as a symposium that will "examine how the Obama administration’s corruption and abuse of power have undermined the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution."
The group contended the nation is "in the midst of an unprecedented assault on its open records laws by the corrupt and secretive Obama administration and corrupt politicians like Hillary Clinton, an assault that we believe poses a serious threat to our country’s future."
The event was divided into three sessions, with closing remarks and a question-and-answer period. The first session was "Clinton Corruption Challenge from Benghazi to Clinton Cash."
Panelists:
- Tom Fitton, Judicial Watch president
- John Fund, columnist for National Review Online and senior editor at the American Spectator
- Joe diGenova, diGenova & Toensing
- Steve Bannon, executive chairman of Breitbart News
- David Martosko – U.S. political editor for DailyMail.com
During the first panel, Fund called it ironic that Clinton began her career as a staffer on a House committee investigating the 18-minute gap in the Nixon tapes.
Fund recalled how her supervisor, a Democrat, had said it would only be a matter of time before the Nixonian traits she had learned would come back to haunt her.
The columnist also predicted that investigators would get to the bottom of the email scandal because, he quipped, "I happen to know that President Jarrett is not amused by the scandal" – a reference to Obama's top adviser, Valerie Jarrett.
DiGenova claimed Clinton wanted a private email server only to deny access to everyone who had a legal right to see her emails.
"If not for Judicial Watch, we would not be sitting here today," he said.
DiGenova said Clinton "knew all of her electronic devices were not encrypted," so the suggestions she did not know that she would receive classified information was "ludicrous."
"And she knew if she turned over everything, she'd be dead meat."
He added, "I know who has all of the emails – the NSA."
DiGenova said every one of the emails would have been captured by the spy agency as part of a counter-intelligence program.
"One phone call from the attorney general to the head of the NSA would have produced them all," he said.
Fitton said he "guaranteed" all of Clinton's emails were in the possession of her attorney, Kendall.
The second session was "Illegal Immigration Crisis: National Security, Job Security, Election Integrity and Public Safety."
Panelists:
- Chris Farrell, Judicial Watch director of research and investigations
- Irene Garcia, Judicial Watch investigative reporter
- Rep. Louis Gohmert, U.S. congressman, TX-1
- Andrew C. McCarthy III, senior fellow at National Review Institute
- Robert Popper, Judicial Watch senior attorney and head of Election Integrity Project
- J. Christian Adams – president and general counsel of the Public Interest Legal Foundation
The final session: "The IRS Attack on Free Speech."
Panelists:
- Paul Orfanedes, Judicial Watch director of litigation
- Ramona Cotca, Judicial Watch senior attorney
- Cleta Mitchell, partner and political law attorney, Foley & Lardner LLP
Russia shipping tanks into Syria, in ‘first clear sign of offensive weapons’. Russia's military build-up in Syria has grown to include the shipment of a half-dozen highly sophisticated battle tanks -- and more troops -- a defense official told Fox News, in what the source called the "first clear sign of offensive weapons arriving in Syria."
The Pentagon has now tracked a total of 15 Russian Antonov-124 Condor flights into Syria, reflecting a steady stream of military cargo into Syria. According to the latest intelligence, this also includes the arrival of two more Russian cargo ships, containing the tanks.
Up to this point, the official said, the Russian cargo and weapons that have been delivered to Syria could be viewed as defensive in nature. The arrival of tanks cannot be viewed this way.
The official said that Russian offensive operations could launch from Bassel Al-Assad International Airport "very soon."
The massive Condor flights carrying all kinds of supplies now arrive twice a day through Iran and Iraq into Bassel Al-Assad International Airport outside the port city of Latakia. The cargo is for Russian soldiers, not Syrian government forces, but is seen as a build-up to aid Bashar Assad's embattled regime.
The defense official, briefed on the latest satellite photos of the Syrian coastline, said: "This is the largest deployment of Russian forces outside the former Soviet Union since the collapse of the USSR."
The two additional Russian ships arrived over the weekend in Tartus, a Syrian port used by the Russian Navy since the '70s. The ships offloaded additional troops and armor and, for the first time, a half-dozen third-generation T-90 main battle tanks.
Accompanying the tanks were 15 fresh artillery pieces.
While not publicly confirming the arrival of Russian tanks into Syria, Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters on Monday that the activities "suggest the establishment of a forward air operating base."
In addition to the influx of tanks and artillery, 35 armored personnel carriers, similar to the U.S. Army's Bradley fighting vehicles, have come ashore in Syria on top of dozens that arrived last week.
There are no signs of additional surface-to-air missiles, but as Fox News confirmed Friday, components for the SA-22 surface-to-air missile system have been seen assembled in Syria recently.
Additional housing units also have been seen from overhead by the U.S. military, making it possible for the Russians to house up to 1,500 combat troops. Lucas Tomlinson is the Pentagon and State Department producer for Fox News Channel. You can follow him on Twitter: @LucasFoxNews
Carly Fiorina released a new campaign video, "Faces," hitting back at Donald Trump's comments about her appearance in which he said "Look at that face!" and "Would anyone vote for that?"
New Polls: Hillary's Support Among Women Plunging, Trump Making Gains
Trump Explains 'Look at That Face' Jab at Fiorina: 'I Was Talking About Her Persona'
"Ladies, look at this face, and look at all of your faces — the face of leadership," Fiorina says to open the video, which cuts together Fiorina's speech to the Federation of Republican Women in Arizona on Friday with the faces of several women.
Fiorina ends the video to cheers: "This is the face of a 61-year-old woman. I am proud of every year and every wrinkle."
Watch Fiorina's campaign video above.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Is Replacing Donald Trump on The Celebrity Apprentice.
After Donald Trump was unceremoniously dropped as the host of The Celebrity Apprentice, NBC has appointed a new head of the board: Arnold Schwarzenegger. The former governor of California will make his premiere next year. "I have always been a huge fan of The Celebrity Apprentice and the way it showcases the challenges and triumphs of business and teamwork," Schwarzenegger said in a statement. "I am thrilled to bring my experience to the boardroom and to continue to raise millions for charity.
Migrant crisis: More EU states impose border checks.
More EU countries have said they are imposing border checks to deal with an influx of migrants. Austria, Slovakia and the Netherlands said they would tighten controls, hours after Germany imposed checks on its border with Austria.
Hungary also completed a fence along its border with Serbia, and blocked a railway line used as a crossing point.
Meanwhile in Brussels, EU interior ministers agreed in principle to relocate 120,000 asylum seekers.
Luxembourg, which holds the EU presidency, said the decision was expected to be made law when ministers meet on 8 October.
There were no details on how the asylum seekers would be shared out among EU states. Some countries have opposed plans for mandatory quotas.
European states have been struggling to cope with a record influx of migrants, many aiming for Germany.
Jump media playerMedia player helpOut of media player.
Migrants are being stopped at the Hungary-Serbia border and directed to an official registration point
In Hungary, a container wagon, with one end covered in razor wire, was rolled along the track to plug the gap in the fence near the town of Roszke. Migrants were directed to an official registration point.
Hungary is due to enforce tougher measures from midnight, including arresting illegal immigrants, and Prime Minister Viktor Orban told Hungary's TV2 a state of emergency was "likely" to be introduced in the border area.
The new border checks further north are a challenge to the EU's Schengen agreement on free movement, although the rules do allow for temporary controls in emergencies.
Austrian police said up to 7,000 people had arrived from Hungary on Monday, and 14,000 on Sunday.
Chancellor Werner Faymann said troops were also being deployed, primarily to provide humanitarian help within Austria, but would be sent to the border if necessary.
"If Germany carries out border controls, Austria must put strengthened border controls in place," Vice-Chancellor Reinhold Mitterlehner said.
Jump media playerMedia player helpOut of media player.
Most of the migrants who surged into Hungary in recent weeks fled conflict, oppression and poverty in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Eritrea.
Many have been refusing to register in Greece or Hungary, fearing it will stop them being granted asylum in Germany or other EU states.
On Monday, Germany's new border controls were said to be causing traffic jams as long as 20km (12 miles) on motorways in Austria.
Are you a refugee seeking asylum in Europe?
Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your story or find out about other ways to contact BBC News
How refugee parents explain to children why they have to leave home
German Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said border controls were a signal that Germany "cannot accommodate all of the refugees alone".
It expects to receive one million migrants this year, he said, higher than an interior ministry estimate of 800,000.
The UK has said it will take 20,000 people from refugee camps in the region over five years. UK Prime Minister David Cameron visited a refugee camp in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley on Monday.
Are you a refugee seeking asylum in Europe? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your story.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can contact us in the following ways:
Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
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Or Upload your pictures/video here
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Send an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100
Migrant crisis: More EU states impose border checks.
More EU countries have said they are imposing border checks to deal with an influx of migrants. Austria, Slovakia and the Netherlands said they would tighten controls, hours after Germany imposed checks on its border with Austria.
Hungary also completed a fence along its border with Serbia, and blocked a railway line used as a crossing point.
Meanwhile in Brussels, EU interior ministers agreed in principle to relocate 120,000 asylum seekers.
Luxembourg, which holds the EU presidency, said the decision was expected to be made law when ministers meet on 8 October.
There were no details on how the asylum seekers would be shared out among EU states. Some countries have opposed plans for mandatory quotas.
European states have been struggling to cope with a record influx of migrants, many aiming for Germany.
Jump media playerMedia player helpOut of media player.
Migrants are being stopped at the Hungary-Serbia border and directed to an official registration point
In Hungary, a container wagon, with one end covered in razor wire, was rolled along the track to plug the gap in the fence near the town of Roszke. Migrants were directed to an official registration point.
Hungary is due to enforce tougher measures from midnight, including arresting illegal immigrants, and Prime Minister Viktor Orban told Hungary's TV2 a state of emergency was "likely" to be introduced in the border area.
The new border checks further north are a challenge to the EU's Schengen agreement on free movement, although the rules do allow for temporary controls in emergencies.
Chancellor Werner Faymann said troops were also being deployed, primarily to provide humanitarian help within Austria, but would be sent to the border if necessary.
"If Germany carries out border controls, Austria must put strengthened border controls in place," Vice-Chancellor Reinhold Mitterlehner said.
Jump media playerMedia player helpOut of media player.
Most of the migrants who surged into Hungary in recent weeks fled conflict, oppression and poverty in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Eritrea.
Many have been refusing to register in Greece or Hungary, fearing it will stop them being granted asylum in Germany or other EU states.
On Monday, Germany's new border controls were said to be causing traffic jams as long as 20km (12 miles) on motorways in Austria.
Are you a refugee seeking asylum in Europe?
Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your story or find out about other ways to contact BBC News
How refugee parents explain to children why they have to leave home
It expects to receive one million migrants this year, he said, higher than an interior ministry estimate of 800,000.
The UK has said it will take 20,000 people from refugee camps in the region over five years. UK Prime Minister David Cameron visited a refugee camp in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley on Monday.
Are you a refugee seeking asylum in Europe? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your story.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can contact us in the following ways:
Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
Whatsapp: +44 7525 900971
Send pictures/video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk
Or Upload your pictures/video here
Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay
Send an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100
Regardless of it all today, please stay in touch!
