The Morning Briefing: Rudy Talks about Daniels Pay Off and Much, Much More

Good Thursday morning.

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

The president attends the National Day of Prayer
President Trump receives his intelligence briefing

Giuliani says Trump paid Cohen back for Stormy Daniels “expense”

The media and the left are going berserk over this interview. Last night Rudy appeared on Sean Hannity’s show for a lengthy chat and, as you know, Rudy is now part of Trump’s legal team for the Mueller witch hunt. During the interview, this bombshell was dropped:

“That money was not campaign money,” said Giuliani, a recent addition to Trump’s legal team who is also a former mayor of New York City and Republican presidential candidate. “It’s not campaign money. No campaign finance violation.”

“They funneled the payment through [Cohen’s] law firm,” Hannity said.

“Funneled it through the law firm and the president repaid it,” Giuliani said.

Trump has denied knowing about the Daniels financial arrangement so this seems problematic. Rudy qualified:

But Giuliani later clarified for Fox News that the money Trump paid to Cohen was for unspecified “expenses,” and that the president was unaware that money would be going to Daniels.

“I said, ‘That’s how he’s repaying it, with a little profit and a little margin for paying taxes,'” said Giuliani, who added that Trump “didn’t know about the specifics of [the payment], as far as I know, but he did know about the general arrangement that Michael would take care of things like this. Like I take care of things like this for my clients. I don’t burden them with every single thing that comes along.”

I am guessing that Rudy chose to talk about this because he wants to remove any questions about campaign funds being used to pay Ms. Daniels, which is a serious allegation. Paying off a hooker or a porn star or anyone, actually, is not a crime so there’s no jeopardy there for the President.

1/2. We predicted months ago that it would be proven that the American people had been lied to as to the $130k payment and what Mr. Trump knew, when he knew it and what he did in connection with it. Every American, regardless of their politics, should be outraged…

— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) May 3, 2018

2/2. …by what we have now learned. Mr. Trump stood on AF1 and blatantly lied. This followed the lies told by others close to him, including Mr. Cohen. This should never be acceptable in our America. We will not rest until justice is served. #basta

— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) May 3, 2018

Who is paying Ms. Daniels’ lawyer? Are you curious about that? I sure am.

THIS GUY Ex-Trump aide to Senate intel panel: ‘God damn you to hell’

Cobb out, Clinton impeachment lawyer in amid more lawyer changes

Were Strzok-Page texts deleted? Sources say IG flagged gaps in record

Cambridge Analytica is shutting down according to the Wall Street Journal

The NorKs to release US prisoners?

RESIST, RESIST.

Three Americans who have been detained in North Korea reportedly have been relocated ahead of the upcoming planned summit between President Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

President Trump seemed to hint the prisoners might be released:

As everybody is aware, the past Administration has long been asking for three hostages to be released from a North Korean Labor camp, but to no avail. Stay tuned!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2018

Korean-Americans Kim Hak Song, Kim Dong Chul and Tony Kim were moved in early April from a labor camp to a hotel near Pyongyang, South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported, citing an activist. The move reportedly came following direction from top authorities.

According to Fox News, Pompeo discussed the prisoners with Kim Jong-un during their secret Easter meeting. Let’s hope these hostages are in better shape than Otto Warmbier.

Students walk out of class in support of the 2A

Here’s a secret: yesterday students at more than 400 schools walked out of class in support of the Second Amendment. You didn’t see that in the news because the mainstream media supports gun control.

“Stand for the Second” organizer and high school senior Will Reilly orchestrated a protest in which students across the country walked out of classrooms in support of the second amendment. According to the website of the movement, “The suggested time for the walkout is 10 AM on 5.2.18”

The Daily Caller writes:

The only national outlets to cover this so far are National Review, Fox News, and USA Today. Other major outlets seem to have completely ignored the story.

“I’m watching the news and I see they’re saying, ‘Well we have to do something about this. We have to enact some sort of gun control legislation because this is what the kids are asking for.’ And I’m thinking, ‘I’m not asking for that,'” Riley said. “I look at my friends and I think ‘They’re not asking for that.’

“I wanted to give a voice to all of the people who feel that they’re being misrepresented by the media.”

Good for you, Will Riley. The mainstream media will make sure no one hears your voice.

Historical picture of the day:

Squads of Polish riot police were moved into the vicinity of Warsaw’s Castle Square, Poland, May 3, 1982, as thousands of Solidarity protesters take to the streets. Disturbances in the capital were said to be the worst there since the imposition of martial law. (AP Photo)

Other morsels:

Explosion rocks Connecticut neighborhood; multiple injuries

Boy Scouts of America will change an iconic name as girls enter older youth program

Republican lawmakers nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

Trump to meet with automakers to discuss U.S. fuel rules: sources

Teacher of the Year gave Trump letters from refugee, immigrant students

Muslims can sue over No-Fly list designation

Texas teen charged with plotting IS-inspired shooting at mall

Did Ukraine stop cooperating with Mueller in order to get missiles from Trump?

New California bill would allow illegal immigrants to serve in government — and may be paid

College to host ‘healing’ retreat for ‘social justice advocates.’ Aromatherapy is on the agenda

Facebook Finally Conducting Political Bias Audit After Accusations Of Censoring Conservatives