The Morning Briefing: McConnell, Weinstein, Tapper, Kaepernick and Much, Much More

Good Monday morning.

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

In the morning, President Donald J. Trump will receive his daily intelligence briefing.
The President will then hold a Cabinet Meeting.
In the afternoon, the President will have lunch with Vice President Mike Pence and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Later in the afternoon, the President will depart the White House for Joint Base Andrews, en route to Greer, SC.
In the evening, the President will give remarks at a McMaster for Governor Reception.
The President will then depart Greer, SC, for Washington, D.C., en route to the White House.

McConnell to have a “tense” lunch with Trump

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is on the presidential agenda today along with VP Pence for a working lunch. Trump has previously voiced his disappointment in McConnell, and various conservative groups have threatened to take McConnell “out.”

Senator Lindsey Graham doesn’t think McConnell is the problem.

“Mitch McConnell’s not our problem. Our problem is that we promised to repeal and replace ObamaCare, and we failed. We promised to cut taxes and we have yet to do it.”

The senator added: “If we’re successful, Mitch McConnell’s fine. If we’re not, we’re all in trouble. We lose our majority and I think President Trump will not get reelected.”

“If we don’t cut taxes and we don’t eventually repeal and replace ObamaCare, then we’re going to lose across the board in the House in 2018. And all of my colleagues running in primaries in 2018 will probably get beat. It will be the end of Mitch McConnell as we know it. So this is a symptom of a greater problem,” Graham said.

The latest on Weinstein

More women have come forward alleging Democrat Party patron and degenerate Harvey Weinstein harassed and/or raped them. Over the weekend, Bob Weinstein, brother of Harvey, spoke out. So far four members of the Weinstein Company’s board have resigned and the 150+ employees have not committed to stay with the company, but brother Bob expects the Weinstein Company to come out on the other side.

Here are snippets from the interview:

I find myself in a waking nightmare. My brother has caused unconscionable suffering. As a father of three girls, I say this with every bone in my body — I am heartbroken for the women that he has harmed. I’m a fighter. For my entire adult life, I fought for the films I want to see the light of day. I have fought for my employees, who have dedicated their lives to achieving the vision of this company that me and my brother founded. But I cannot fight what is indefensible.

How could he not know what his brother was doing? Apparently everyone else in Hollywood knew.

First of all, let me tell you something that people don’t know. For the last five years, I’ve probably talked to my brother 10 times on any personal level. That’s the fracture that’s gone on. Since Dimension started, we ran two separate companies. So many of the people that he does business with — actors, actresses — I’ve never even met and they know it. I wanted to lead a separate existence. So we were leading two separate divisions.

I actually was quite aware that Harvey was philandering with every woman he could meet. I was sick and disgusted by his actions. But that’s the extent of what [I knew]. I said, “Harvey, you’re just cheating. Why do you constantly cheat?” I could see it. But I wasn’t in the room with him.

On the provision in Harvey’s contract that prohibited him from being fired for sexual harassment:

That I’m not gonna [discuss]. I’m sorry, I’m not gonna be litigated in this article. There is an investigation going on, let that investigation take its course.

Also over the weekend, Weinstein was kicked out of the Academy. Just remember when you read the stories about the Hollywood businesses bolting from Weinstein that this was the worst-kept secret in Hollywood. Most of these people knew what he was doing and were fine with it until he got caught. How many other people were/are doing the same thing?

Jake Tapper is desperate to know if Rex Tillerson called Trump a moron

NBC News reported that over the summer, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called President Trump a “moron.” Remember NBC refused to report Ronan Farrow’s report on alleged rapist and sexual predator Harvey Weinstein — but on this, they will report. The secretary of State appeared on Jake Tapper’s CNN show and Tapper was eager to get Tillerson to admit to the name calling. Tillerson did not deny calling the president a moron, but neither did he confirm it.

“I am not going to deal with that petty stuff,” Tillerson said. “This is a town that seems to relish gossip, rumor, innuendo, and they feed on it. They feed on one another in a very destructive way.”

“When you don’t answer the question, it makes people think you probably did say it,” Tapper said. “But either way, whatever happened, it is serious. So can you please clear it up?”

“As I said, Jake, I’m not playing,” Tillerson responded.

The CNN host pointed out that Tillerson still hadn’t answered the question.

“I’m willing to move on, but I want to be clear: You still haven’t denied that you called him a moron,” Tapper said. “And you know, a lot of people are going to watch this and think ‘He probably said it.'”

“I’m not dignifying the question with an answer, Jake, and I’m a little surprised you want to spend so much time on it when there are so many important issues around the world to deal with.”

Tillerson also denied being “gelded” by Trump.

Kaepernick files grievance with NFL

Currently unemployed social justice warrior Colin Kaepernick has filed a grievance with the NFL claiming the association colluded to keep him from getting hired by a professional football team.

The suit alleges the NFL owners “colluded to deprive Mr. Kaepernick of employment rights in retaliation for Mr. Kaepernick’s leadership and advocacy for equality and social justice.”

Kaepernick’s lawyer said that the lawsuit came “only after pursuing every possible avenue with all NFL teams and their executives.”

The NFL had no comment. The players’ union released a statement saying, “Our union has a duty to assist Mr. Kaepernick as we do all players and we will support him.”

No one is entitled to a job. Good luck with that lawsuit, Mr. Publicity-seeker.

Historical picture of the day:

Rescue worker Steven Forbes carries 18-month-old Jessica McClure after she was rescued from abandoned water well in Midland, Texas, Oct. 16, 1987. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Other morsels:

Six injured, one missing in Louisiana oil platform explosion

Moscow’s message to Trump on Iran deal: ‘If it’s not broke, don’t fix it’

Whataburger employee refuses to serve police

27-year-old victim of Las Vegas shooting wakes up from coma, fundraiser held

Leftist internet mob forces Arizona restaurant to close over pro-Trump social media post

Austria Shifts Right as Refashioned Conservatives Win in an Upset

Columbia University Pledges $100 Million To Campus Staff ‘Diversity’

Hogwarts Express train rescues stranded family in Scotland

Man wore ‘Make America Great Again’ hat for ‘spiritual’ reasons when he was denied service at Village bar: suit

City to spend $4 million to battle rat infestation at 133 public schools

Leader of California Senate to challenge Sen. Dianne Feinstein