Dec 31, 2017

Scaramucci: Trump's not a climate denier

Anthony Scaramucci. Photo: Mark Wilson / Getty

Anthony Scaramucci told CNN's Dana Bush on Sunday that Trump is not a climate denier, but simply opposes the Paris climate accord. The Mooch predicted that Americans would see the common sense in Trump's decision to withdraw from the deal at some point in 2018.

I think you guys should ask him directly if he's a climate change denier or not. I think you will find you will be surprised by that answer.
  • "My prediction is, is that some time at the end of 2018, people will look back at him and say, wow, he had a lot of common sense by getting out of that climate accord."

Why it matters: On Thursday, President Trump tweeted: "In the East, it could be the COLDEST New Year's Eve on record. Perhaps we could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming that our Country, but not other countries, was going to pay TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS to protect against. Bundle up!"

Go deeper

Mike Allen, author of AM
Updated 1 min ago - Politics & Policy

The first Trump v. Biden presidential debate was a hot mess

Photos: Jim Watson and Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

This debate was like the country: Everybody’s talking. Nobody’s listening. Nothing is learned. It’s a mess.

  • We were told President Trump would be savage. Turned out, that was a gross understatement. Even the moderator, Fox News' Chris Wallace, got bulldozed.

Why it matters: Honestly, who the hell knows?

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Fadel Allassan
45 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Pundits react to a chaotic debate: “What a dark event we just witnessed”

The first presidential debate between President Trump and Joe Biden in Cleveland on Tuesday night was a shouting match, punctuated by interruptions and hallmarked by name-calling.

Why it matters: If Trump aimed to make the debate as chaotic as possible with a torrent of disruptions, he succeeded. Pundits struggled to make sense of what they saw, and it's tough to imagine that the American people were able to either.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Axios
2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Trump to far-right Proud Boys: "Stand back and stand by"

Asked to condemn white supremacist violence at the first presidential debate on Tuesday, President Trump said the far-right Proud Boys group should "stand back and stand by," before immediately arguing that violence in the U.S. "is not a right-wing problem. This is a left-wing problem."

Why it matters: Trump has repeatedly been accused of failing to condemn white nationalism and right-wing violence, despite the FBI's assessment that it's the most significant domestic terrorism threat that the country faces. The president has frequently associated antifa and the left-wing violence that has afflicted some U.S. cities with Biden, despite his condemnation of violent protests.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow