The Morning Briefing: Budget Passes, Phonecall-Gate, Vegas Update and Much, Much More

TGIF!

Here is what’s on the President’s agenda today:

In the morning, President Donald J. Trump will receive his daily intelligence briefing.
Later in the morning, the President will meet with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Senate Republicans pass a budget

The Republicans in the Senate passed a budget late last night which set the stage for tax reform. The bill passed mostly along party lines with 51 Republicans voting for it and all the Democrats voting against. Senator Rand Paul voted against the bill. “I could not in good conscience vote for a budget that ignores spending caps that have been the law of the land for years and simply pretend it didn’t matter,” Paul said in a statement.

President Trump released a statement following the passage:

President Donald J. Trump applauds the Senate for passing its FY 2018 Budget Resolution today and taking an important step in advancing the Administration’s pro-growth and pro-jobs legislative agenda. This resolution creates a pathway to unleash the potential of the American economy through tax reform and tax cuts, simplifying the overcomplicated tax code, providing financial relief for families across the country, and making American businesses globally competitive. President Trump looks forward to final enactment of the Fiscal Year 2018 budget resolution so we can bring jobs back to our country.

ABC News reports: “The resolution is a nonbinding budget framework, and is a legislative vehicle that will allow Republicans to pass a tax plan under the rules of reconciliation. This means the GOP tax bill could pass without a single Democratic vote. It also avoids a filibuster attempt by Democrats.”

Let’s get some tax reform!

Weinstein update

Degenerate and Democrat Party underwriter Harvey Weinstein continues to make headlines. Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o has come forward with a tale similar to other accusers: dinner, massage, and some posturing: “If I wanted to be an actress, then I had to be willing to do this sort of thing,” she said of her encounter with Weinstein.

News broke yesterday that Los Angeles police are investigating Weinstein for rape. (He being investigated by New York police as well.) An Italian actress alleges: “He grabbed me by the hair and forced me to do something I did not want to do. He then dragged me to the bathroom and forcibly raped me.” This is the sixth woman to allege that Weinstein had raped her.

So, how is that rehab going for Harvey? Not well, according to Page Six. A source told the publication, “In one group therapy session, Harvey arrived 15 minutes late. Then, when it was his turn to speak, he launched into a speech about how this is all a conspiracy against him.” And: “Harvey fell asleep in his chair. He was only woken up by the ringing of his smuggled mobile phone [which is banned at the facility] . . . Harvey jolted awake, jumped up, immediately took the call and then ran out of the room.”

“He insists he never raped or assaulted anyone, and that all the encounters were consensual. He realizes he has acted like an a – – hole, but he still insists he’s not a rapist. He does have his phone, but when he is in therapy he has to give it to someone else,” the source said, adding, “The characterization of what he said and what happened at the group session isn’t true.”

Meanwhile in other war on women fronts: Nickelodeon Fires ‘Loud House’ Creator After Sexual Harassment Allegations

Phone call-gate escalates

The legacy media continues to be obsessed with the phone call President Trump made to a Gold Star widow. For some reason, a deranged congresswoman saw fit to listen in on that phone call. Congresswoman Frederica Wilson has a well- established anti-Trump disposition which unequivocally calls into question her motives for immediately running to the media to paint Trump as an insensitive monster. Let’s take a step back. President Trump has never disrespected the military (in contrast to, say, the Clintons who “loathed” the military). In fact, he seems to hold the military in higher regard than the Obama administration did. Why would he call a Gold Star widow and insult her? Does that even make any sense? It does not, but it sure fits the preferred media narrative.

Yesterday, Chief of Staff John Kelly, a Gold Star father himself, came to the defense of the president at a White House press conference, explaining he was “stunned” and “brokenhearted” by the conduct of ghoulish Rep. Wilson. Here’s the video of Kelly, it’s quite moving.

Former Hillary Clinton spokesperson Brian Fallon sh!t out his thoughts about COS John Kelly on Twitter:

Kelly isnt just an enabler of Trump. He's a believer in him. That makes him as odious as the rest. Dont be distracted by the uniform.

— Brian Fallon (@brianefallon) October 19, 2017

I have no words for this garbage human being. Along similar lines, Rep. Frederica Wilson has designated herself a “rock star” following the controversy she needlessly ginned up. What a bunch of selfish, hateful people.

Vegas update

The details and circumstances surrounding the Las Vegas massacre remain vague and confusing. Jesus Campos, the Mandalay Bay security guard who took fire from the maniac who murdered 58 people and wounded almost 500 people, was pressured to give his only interview to Ellen DeGeneres “because the giant company that owns the Las Vegas casino feared he would spill the beans about the shooting timeline if he was grilled by real journalists, DailyMail.com has learned exclusively.”

The company is worried about lawsuits if the timeline reveals the hotel did not call for police backup in an expedient manner after the shots were reported by Campos. “‘MGM was behind the decision to call off all the interviews and did a deal with Ellen, knowing she would not play hardball on the timeline as long as she had the exclusive,’ a TV insider told DailyMail.com.” Campos’ union representative appeared to confirm what the Daily Mail’s source says. “I was in a meeting with MGM’s upper management and they were definitely concerned about how tough someone like Hannity would be on him and they voiced their opinions,” David Hickey, president of the Michigan-based International Union, Security Police and Fire Professionals of America, said. According to the Daily Mail, “He [Hickey] said all sides had agreed on parameters for the interviews. ‘Everyone knew he wasn’t to talk about security protocols, staffing or training or give out names of employees.”

What is the actual timeline?

The Mandalay Bay also said it will not rent out the suite used by the shooter.

Historical picture of the day:

2 Live Crew leader Luther Campbell, right, jumps from the defense table after a not guilty verdict was returned in the group’s highly publicized obscenity trial in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Oct. 20, 1990. Celebrating with Campbell is attorney Bruce Rogow. (AP Photo/Bill Cooke)

Other morsels:

‘Underwear bomber’ sues U.S. Justice Department over rights

Bernie Sanders won’t be speaking at the Women’s Convention after all

Report: North Korean generals’ favorite American show is … “Morning Joe”

UK single-payer health system’s new policy targeting obese people, smokers is horrifying

Does Eating Right Protect You From Air Pollution?

Ivy League Teaching Assistant Says She Calls On Black Women First, White Men Last

John McCain Denies Being BuzzFeed’s Trump Dossier Source

Utah woman caught rifling through wallet of man having seizure at 7-Eleven

Playboy features model Ines Rau as first transgender playmate

Man in Halloween mask attacks neighbor with hatchet, police say

Paul Ryan Pokes Fun at Trump At Charity Dinner