The Morning Briefing: Fusion GPS Unleashed, Shutdown Countdown and Much, Much More

Good Friday morning.

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

The president will receive his daily intelligence briefing in the morning.
In the afternoon, the president will address the March for Life.
Later in the afternoon, the president will meet with his national security team.
The president and Mrs. Trump will depart for Joint Base Andrews en route to Florida.

RUSSIA/Fusion Collusion

The House of Representatives decided to release the testimony of Fusion GPS’s Glenn Simpson before the Intelligence Committee. I’m halfway through it. One part that jumped out at me was when Simpson says Bruce Ohr was simply someone Chris Steele knew. Really? Ohr’s wife was working for Fusion!

Business Insider says that there is a “trail of breadcrumbs” in the testimony. I guess that’s a fair statement. All I’ve seen are a bunch of circumstances, none of which have been verified, that might indicate criminal behavior or might not. Supreme leaker Rep. Adam Schiff “cites” Russian money laundering in Simpson’s testimony but this is completely unproven based on Simpson’s remarks. Simpson and Fusion don’t have the ability to verify these claims, but you know who does? Mueller’s witch hunt posse. They can pull financials, bank accounts and other paperwork. Are you seeing where this is going?

And it gets better.

A four-page document outlining outrageous FISA abuse by the government was released to all members of the House. Congressmen are flipping-out after seeing the document.

“It is so alarming the American people have to see this,” Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan said.

“It’s troubling. It is shocking,” North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows said. “Part of me wishes that I didn’t read it because I don’t want to believe that those kinds of things could be happening in this country that I call home and love so much.”

Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz said he believed people could lose their jobs after the memo is released.

“I believe the consequence of its release will be major changes in people currently working at the FBI and the Department of Justice,” he said, referencing DOJ officials Rod Rosenstein and Bruce Ohr.

“You think about, ‘is this happening in America or is this the KGB?’ That’s how alarming it is,” Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Perry said.

Let’s go. Release that document.

Shutdown countdown

Yesterday, the House voted to pass a stopgap spending bill and now the fate of the government is in the hands of the Senate. Pelosi said the House bill is a bowl of doggy doo. Yes, she actually said this. Over in the Senate, DiFi warns that people DIE in a government shutdown (they also die when the government is open for business, and some might argue that more people die). The Republicans are claiming the Democrats are protecting illegal aliens over the American citizen. But Republican Rand Paul says he won’t be supporting the bill on fiscal principles, saying the spending levels outlined in the bill are too much for him.

Tillerson, who runs the worst, most vile agency in the government, says State is ready for a shutdown. We should just keep essential agencies/offices open, in other words, the legitimate government, and the EPA, Department of Education and others can just shut down.

American hero of the day:

Mulvaney requests no money to run consumer watchdog

Historical picture of the day:

President Ronald Reagan tries out an exercise weight during a White House reception for the Council of Physical Fitness, Jan. 19, 1984 in Washington in the State Dining Room. Man at right is unidentified. (AP Photo)

Other morsels:

Supreme Court blocks court order to redraw North Carolina congressional districts

Justice Dept. asks Supreme Court to rule on Trump’s right to end DACA

Service members punished for bringing women back to Panama hotel during Pence trip

U.S. customs agency is so short-staffed, it’s sending officers from airports to the Mexican border

Police uncover huge shipment of cocaine hidden in ‘pineapples’

Nancy Pelosi to be guest judge on ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’

Law enforcement raids Newsweek and IBT Media offices

Apple, Alphabet employee buses damaged by vandals during commute

Starving California children taunted with pie, beaten by parents: prosecutor

Prosecutors proceed against 59 inauguration rioters, charges against 129 others dropped

‘Pyramid of White Supremacy’ taught in required class for college’s elementary education majors