Donald Trump and Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.

 The transcript of Donald Trump’s discussion with Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull obtained by the Washington Post reveals many things, but the most significant may be that Trump in his private negotiations is every bit as mentally limited as he appears to be in public.

 At issue in the conversation is a deal to settle 1,250 refugees who have been detained by Australia in the United States. I did not pay any attention to the details of this agreement before reading the transcript. By the time I was halfway through it, my brain could not stop screaming at Trump for his failure to understand what Turnbull was telling him.

 Australia has a policy of refusing to accept refugees who arrive by boat. The reason, as Turnbull patiently attempts to explain several times, is that it believes giving refuge to people who arrive by boat would encourage smuggling and create unsafe passage with a high risk of deaths at sea. But it had a large number of refugees who had arrived by sea, living in difficult conditions, whom Australia would not resettle (for fear of encouraging more boat trafficking) but whom it did not want to deport, either. The United States government agreed under President Obama to vet 1,250 of these refugees and accept as many of them as it deemed safe.

 In the transcript, Trump is unable to absorb any of these facts. He calls the refugees “prisoners,” and repeatedly brings up the Cuban boatlift (in which Castro dumped criminals onto Florida). He is unable to absorb Turnbull’s explanation that they are economic refugees, not from conflict zones, and that the United States has the ability to turn away any of them it deems dangerous.

 Donald Trump Is His Own Worst Enemy

 Turnbull tries to explain to Trump that refugees have not been detained because they pose a danger to Australian society, but in order to deter ship-based smuggling:

 Trump: Why haven’t you let them out? Why have you not let them into your society?

 Turnbull: Okay, I will explain why. It is not because they are bad people. It is because in order to stop people smugglers, we had to deprive them of the product. So we said if you try to come to Australia by boat, even if we think you are the best person in the world, even if you are a Noble [sic] Prize winning genius, we will not let you in. Because the problem with the people —

 At this point, Trump fails to understand the policy altogether, and proceeds to congratulate Turnbull for what Trump mistakes to be a draconian policy of total exclusion:

 Trump: That is a good idea. We should do that too. You are worse than I am … Because you do not want to destroy your country. Look at what has happened in Germany. Look at what is happening in these countries.

 Trump has completely failed to understand either that the refugees are not considered dangerous, or, again, that they are being held because of a categorical ban on ship-based refugee traffic.

 He also fails to understand the number of refugees in the agreement:

 Trump: I am the world’s greatest person that does not want to let people into the country. And now I am agreeing to take 2,000 people and I agree I can vet them, but that puts me in a bad position. It makes me look so bad and I have only been here a week.

 Turnbull: With great respect, that is not right – It is not 2,000.

 Trump: Well, it is close. I have also heard like 5,000 as well.

 Turnbull: The given number in the agreement is 1,250 and it is entirely a matter of your vetting.

 Then Trump returns to his belief that they are bad, and failing to understand the concept that they have been detained merely because they arrived by sea and not because they committed a crime:

 Trump: I hate taking these people. I guarantee you they are bad. That is why they are in prison right now. They are not going to be wonderful people who go on to work for the local milk people. Turnbull: I would not be so sure about that. They are basically — Trump: Well, maybe you should let them out of prison.

 He still thinks they’re criminals.

 Later, Trump asks what happens if all the refugees fail his vetting process:

 Trump: I hate having to do it, but I am still going to vet them very closely. Suppose I vet them closely and I do not take any? Turnbull: That is the point I have been trying to make.

 After several attempts by Turnbull to explain Australia’s policy, Trump again expresses his total inability to understand what it is:

 Trump: Does anybody know who these people are? Who are they? Where do they come from? Are they going to become the Boston bomber in five years? Or two years? Who are these people?

 Turnbull: Let me explain. We know exactly who they are. They have been on Nauru or Manus for over three years and the only reason we cannot let them into Australia is because of our commitment to not allow people to come by boat. Otherwise we would have let them in. If they had arrived by airplane and with a tourist visa then they would be here.

 Trump: Malcom [sic], but they are arrived on a boat?

 After Turnbull has told Trump several times that the refugees have been detained because they arrived by boat, and only for that reason, Trump’s question is, “But they are arrived on a boat?”

 Soon after, Turnbull again reiterates that Australia’s policy is to detain any refugee who arrives by boat:

 Turnbull: The only people that we do not take are people who come by boa. So we would rather take a not very attractive guy that help you out then to take a Noble [sic] Peace Prize winner that comes by boat. That is the point.”

 Trump: What is the thing with boats? Why do you discriminate against boats? No, I know, they come from certain regions. I get it.

 No, you don’t get it at all! It’s not that they come from certain regions! It’s that they come by boat!

 So Turnbull very patiently tries to explain again that the policy has nothing to do with what region the refugees come from:

 Turnbull: No, let me explain why. The problem with the boats it that you are basically outsourcing your immigration program to people smugglers and also you get thousands of people drowning at sea.

 At this point, Trump gives up asking about the policy and just starts venting about the terribleness of deals in general:

 I do not know what he got out of it. We never get anything out of it — START Treaty, the Iran deal. I do not know where they find these people to make these stupid deals. I am going to get killed on this thing.

 Shortly afterward, the call ends in brusque fashion, and Turnbull presumably begins drinking heavily. ||||| The leak of conversations between the US president and the leaders of Mexico and Australia may well be a cry for help from within the administration

 One of the most significant aspects of the published transcripts of Donald Trump’s conversations with his Mexican and Australian counterparts is the fact they were leaked.

 Trump to Peña Nieto: border wall not so important – just don't say you won't pay Read more

 Private discussions between world leaders are kept secret so they can speak their minds and establish trust. The leaks will make it harder for the US to carry out high-level diplomacy and resolve serious crises, not just under Trump but potentially far beyond his presidency.

 The publication of transcripts by the Washington Post is the latest of many signs that established norms are breaking down inside the administration, with far-reaching and unpredictable implications.

 Such documents should have been very closely held, accessible to only a few senior officials. Their publication reflects the intensity of the war inside the White House between rival factions – and a reminder that, for all his well-advertised toughness, the new chief of staff, John Kelly, is going to find it very hard to impose discipline on an institution that is dysfunctional from the top down.

 It is quite possible that the leaker was motivated by anxiety about the national security implications of Trump’s erratic leadership – that the leak is a cry for help from inside the administration.

 The transcripts of his conversations with Enrique Peña Nieto and Malcolm Turnbull show the president to be no more coherent in private than he is public: ill-informed – even about a major attack on US soil – and narcissistic to the point of absurdity.

 “I am the world’s greatest person,” he tells Turnbull, and boasts to his fellow world leaders about the size of the crowds who turn out to hear him speak. Maintaining his image as a strong leader in the eyes of his supporters emerges, again and again in the course of the conversations, as an overarching priority – over and above the maintenance of strong relations with allied countries.

 The transcripts serve as a reminder that being “nice” to Trump counts for more than long-term strategic alliances. At one point in his castigation of Turnbull, he compared him unfavourably with Vladimir Putin, with whom Trump had recently spoken.

 “Putin was a pleasant call. This is ridiculous,” Trump said shortly before ending the call abruptly. In private as in public, Trump’s praise for the Russian president is an unshakeable constant.

 White House leaks: transcripts show extent of Trump's inconsistencies Read more

 Perhaps the least surprising upshot of the release of the transcripts is the confirmation that the president and his administration deliberately misled the public about them. When the Washington Post published an account of the Turnbull conversation in early February, Trump tweeted that it had been a “very civil conversation that FAKE NEWS media lied about”.

 As has happened repeatedly over the course of the administration, the emergence of the facts has upheld the news reports, and shown the denials to be fake. Trump repeatedly tries to coach Peña Nieto on how to mislead the press, urging him to stop repeating Mexico’s refusal to pay for Trump’s proposed border wall.

 The wall and its supposed Mexican funding was a mainstay of Trump campaign speeches. In private, Trump tells the Mexican leader to stop reminding voters of a promise the new president cannot fulfil. He argues the wall and its financing is “the least important thing that we are talking about” and says he is in a “political bind” because he had “been talking about it for a two-year period”.

 Similar themes recur in the Turnbull conversation. Here, the divisive issue is an agreement that the Obama administration struck with Australia to consider accepting 1,250 refugees, mostly from Muslim countries, being detained by Australia on Pacific islands after trying to enter the country by boat. In return, Australia would host Latin American migrants.

 Trump is furious that abiding by the agreement could harm his image among his voters, just after he had signed his first abortive executive order cutting the acceptance of refugees from Syria and suspending travel from a list of seven mainly Muslim countries.

 “This is going to kill me. I am the world’s greatest person that does not want to let people into the country,” Trump says. “It makes me look so bad, and I have only been here a week.”

 The fact that the refugees in question are from Muslim countries is the key for Trump. “I hate taking these people. I guarantee you they are bad,” he said.

 Turnbull pleads with him to stick to the agreement for the sake of the bilateral relationship and in the end, Trump agrees he does not have much choice, but does so with little grace, aiming a personal slight at the Australian, saying he had “brokered many a stupid deal in business”.

 For all Turnbull’s attempts to smooth over their differences, Trump is clearly in a foul temper by the end of the discussion, and broader bilateral issues are shelved. When Turnbull asks to discuss Syria and North Korea – two global crises in which their two countries are strategic partners – Trump is not interested and ends the call. ||||| The nature of this particular leak suggests just such a national-security establishment origin. It is a very elegantly designed leak. The two transcripts belong to calls whose substance was already widely reported in the media; they give away nothing new.

 Better still from a national-security establishment point of view: both calls make the foreign leader look good at home. Enrique Peña Nieto will be helped, not hurt, by his dignified defense of Mexican national interests; Malcolm Turnbull is shown being simultaneously compassionate to deserving refugees but stern in his defense of Australian law and preexisting agreements with the United States.

 Best of all, from that same national-security point of view, the transcripts reveal Trump as an arrant fool without actually compromising any important U.S. national interest. Speaking to the president of Mexico, Trump claims he won the state of New Hampshire because it is a “drug-infested den.” Trump won the state’s Republican primary, but lost New Hampshire in 2016, and that quote will not help him do better in 2020. The Turnbull transcript confirms the accuracy of early reports that Trump erupted in temper—and exposes Trump’s claims about the call as untrue. "Thank you to Prime Minister of Australia for telling the truth about our very civil conversation that FAKE NEWS media lied about. Very nice!” he tweeted on February 3. But the transcript records him saying: "As far as I am concerned that is enough Malcom. I have had it. I have been making these calls all day and this is the most unpleasant call all day. Putin was a pleasant call. This is ridiculous."

 But if no high national-security secret has been betrayed in these transcripts, the workings of the U.S. government have been gravely compromised, and in ways that will be very difficult to repair even after Trump leaves office. Trump’s violation of basic norms of government has driven people who would otherwise uphold those norms unto death to violate them in their turn. Contempt for Trump’s misconduct inspires counter-misconduct.

 Nor is that the end. The less Trump can trust the regularly constituted government, the more justified he will feel in working irregularly. His irregular actions then justify more counter-irregularity from the rest of the government.

 Donald Trump has launched the executive branch into a cycle of self-destruction for which he bears ultimate blame—but whose ultimate cost will be borne by his successors and the American nation. ||||| ADVERTISEMENT

 President Trump's Jan. 27 phone call with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and Jan. 28 phone call with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull were long rumored to be chaotic. But no one quite realized how wild they were until The Washington Post published transcripts of the conversations on Thursday. Recorded by White House note-takers and circulated among senior administration staff, the transcripts reveal startling insight into the president's approach — and frustrations — when negotiating with other world leaders.

 The first conversation, with Peña Nieto, revolved around Trump trying to get the Mexican leader to stop publicly refusing to pay for Trump's long-promised border wall. Trump's exchange with Turnbull was even more heated, as Trump vented about an Obama-era agreement to take 1,250 refugees from Australia.

 Read the most eye-popping quotes below. And be sure to read the full transcript at The Washington Post. It's worth your time.

 Trump spoke to Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto on Jan. 27. Peña Nieto spoke Spanish during the conversation, but could understand Trump's English.

 1. "We lost a lot of factories in Ohio and Michigan and I won these states — some of these states have not been won in 38 years by a Republican and I won them very easily. So they are dancing in the streets. You probably have the same thing where they are dancing in your streets also, but in reverse." [President Trump, via The Washington Post]

 2. "And we have the drug lords in Mexico that are knocking the hell out of our country. They are sending drugs to Chicago, Los Angeles, and to New York. Up in New Hampshire — I won New Hampshire because New Hampshire is a drug-infested den — is coming from the southern border." [President Trump, via The Washington Post]

 3. "You have some pretty tough hombres in Mexico that you may need help with, and we are willing to help you with that big-league. But they have to be knocked out and you have not done a good job of knocking them out. We have a massive drug problem where kids are becoming addicted to drugs because drugs are being sold for less money than candy because there is so much of it." [President Trump, via The Washington Post]

 4. "I have been given as president tremendous taxation powers for trade and for other reasons — far greater than anybody understands." [President Trump, via The Washington Post]

 5. "They are going to say, 'Who is going to pay for the wall, Mr. President?' to both of us, and we should both say, 'We will work it out.' It will work out in the formula somehow. As opposed to you saying, 'We will not pay' and me saying, 'We will not pay.'" [President Trump, via The Washington Post]

 6. "But you cannot say anymore that the United States is going to pay for the wall. I am just going to say that we are working it out. Believe it or not, this is the least important thing that we are talking about, but politically this might be the most important talk about. But in terms of dollars — or pesos — it is the least important thing. I know how to build very inexpensively, so it will be much lower than these numbers I am being presented with, and it will be a better wall and it will look nice. And it will do the job." [President Trump, via The Washington Post]

 7. "Your citizens are being killed all over the place, your police officers are being shot in the head, and your children are being killed." [President Trump, via The Washington Post]

 8. "It is you and I against the world, Enrique, do not forget." [President Trump, via The Washington Post]

 9. "I want you to be so popular that your people will call for a constitutional amendment in Mexico so that you can run again for another six years." [President Trump, via The Washington Post]

 10. "Your words are so beautiful. Those are beautiful words and I do not think I can speak that beautifully, okay? It would be great to put those words at the end of the statement. Really nice though." [President Trump, via The Washington Post]

 The next day, President Trump spoke to Australian Prime Minister Turnbull on the phone. The conversation turned tense when Trump and Turnbull begin to discuss an Obama-era agreement that the United States take 1,250 refugees from Australia who reached the country by boat. Australia refuses to accept any refugees who come to its shores this way.

 11. "Really, it looks like 2,000 people that Australia does not want and I do not blame you by the way, but the United States has become like a dumping ground." [President Trump, via The Washington Post]

 12. "I heard about this — I have to say I love Australia; I love the people of Australia. I have so many friends from Australia, but I said — geez that is a big ask, especially in light of the fact that we are so heavily in favor, not in favor, but we have no choice but to stop things. We have to stop. We have allowed so many people into our country that should not be here. We have our San Bernardinos, we have had the World Trade Center come down because of people that should not have been in our country, and now we are supposed to take 2,000. It sends such a bad signal. You have no idea. It is such a bad thing." [President Trump, via The Washington Post]

 13. "You are worse than I am." [President Trump, via The Washington Post]

 14. "This is going to kill me. I am the world's greatest person that does not want to let people into the country. And now I am agreeing to take 2,000 people and I agree I can vet them, but that puts me in a bad position. It makes me look so bad and I have only been here a week. [Turnbull replies, "With great respect, that is not right — It is not 2,000."] Well, it is close. I have also heard like 5,000 as well." [President Trump, via The Washington Post]

 15. "I hate taking these people. I guarantee you they are bad. That is why they are in prison right now. They are not going to be wonderful people who go on to work for the local milk people." [President Trump, via The Washington Post]

 16. "Look, I do not know how you got them to sign a deal like this, but that is how they lost the election. They said I had no way to 270 and I got 306. That is why they lost the election, because of stupid deals like this." [President Trump, via The Washington Post]

 17. "I look like a dope." [President Trump, via The Washington Post]

 18. "Can Australia give me a guarantee that if we have any problems — you know that is what they said about the Boston bombers. They said they were wonderful young men. [Turnbull: "They were Russians. They were not from any of these countries."] They were from wherever they were." [President Trump, via The Washington Post]

 19. "What is the thing with boats? Why do you discriminate against boats?" [President Trump, via The Washington Post]

 20. "I will be seen as a weak and ineffective leader in my first week by these people. This is a killer." [President Trump, via The Washington Post]

 21. "I have had it. I have been making these calls all day and this is the most unpleasant call all day. Putin was a pleasant call. This is ridiculous." [President Trump, via The Washington Post] ||||| The Washington Post on Thursday published portions of classified transcripts of combative phone calls President Trump had earlier this year with the leaders of Mexico and Australia.

 The transcripts portray acrimonious conversations between Trump and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, largely on the issues of immigration, border wall funding and refugees.

 The release of the transcripts is likely to anger Trump for two reasons. First, the transcript of the phone call with Peña Nieto shows that Trump views construction of the border wall more as a political necessity than as a security issue. Trump has also fumed about sensitive leaks coming from his administration, which he sees as an attempt to undermine his presidency. Last week, Trump publicly criticized Attorney General Jeff Sessions for not doing enough to find and punish the leakers.

 There is no indication in the Post report of who leaked the call transcripts. But the newspaper notes that read-outs, which are compiled from notes taken during the phone calls, are often shared among White House staff and policymakers.

 In his Jan. 27 call with Peña Nieto, Trump pressured the Mexican president to stop contradicting him about funding for the wall that Trump says he wants to build at the U.S.-Mexico border.

 Trump suggested that both he and Peña Nieto should issue vague remarks about who will pay for the wall.

 “We should both say, ‘We will work it out.’ It will work out in the formula somehow,” Trump said, according to the classified transcript. “As opposed to you saying, ‘We will not pay,’ and me saying, ‘We will not pay.'”

 Peña Nieto rebuffed Trump, saying that “my position has been and will continue to be very firm, saying that Mexico cannot pay for the wall.”

 “But you cannot say that to the press. The press is going to go with that, and I cannot live with that,” Trump responded.

 Trump also indicated that his talk of the border wall was a political ploy.

 Noting that construction of the wall had been a major campaign theme for two years, Trump called the wall “the least important thing we are talking about, but politically this might be the most important.”

 Trump’s conversation with Turnbull was even more combative, the call transcript shows.

 Trump and Turnbull disagreed over an agreement made by President Obama to accept refugees from Australian detention centers operating in Papua New Guinea.

 The Obama administration had agreed to take in 1,250 refugees as part of a humanitarian aid deal with the UN. But Trump said he opposed the deal, and expressed concerns that some of the refugees would become terrorists down the road.

 “This is going to kill me,” Trump told Turnbull, according to The Post. “I am the world’s greatest person that does not want to let people into the country. And now I am agreeing to take 2,000 people,” he added, inflating the number of refugees being allowed into the U.S.

 “I hate taking these people,” Trump said later in the 24-minute conversation. “I guarantee you they are bad. That is why they are in prison right now. They are not going to be wonderful people who go on to work for the local milk people.”

 Turnbull attempted to appeal to Trump’s experience as a businessman.

 “There is nothing more important in business or politics than a deal is a deal,” Turnbull told Trump. “You can certainly say that it was not a deal that you would have done, but you are going to stick with it.”

 Trump said that he was concerned that one of the refugees would “become the Boston bomber in five years.”

 “I think it is a horrible deal, a disgusting deal that I would have never made,” Trump added. “As far as I am concerned, that is enough, Malcolm. I have had it.”

 Turnbull attempted to salvage the conversation, but Trump ended the call in frustration.

 Follow Chuck on Twitter ||||| Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.

 / Updated By Corky Siemaszko

 President Donald Trump’s trashing of New Hampshire as a "drug-infested den" in a telephone conversation with the president of Mexico did not go over well in the Granite State.

 Outraged by the jab, Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., took to Trump’s favorite social media platform Thursday and called his remark “disgusting.”

 "Instead of insulting people in the throes of addiction, @POTUS needs to work across party lines to actually stem the tide of this crisis," Hassan tweeted.

 New Hampshire's other Democratic senator, Jeanne Shaheen, called Trump's reported remarks "absolutely unacceptable" and said he owes her state "an apology."

 The state's Republican governor, Chris Sununu, slammed Trump as well.

 "The President is wrong," the governor said in a statement. "It's disappointing his mischaracterization of this epidemic ignores the great things this state has to offer."

 Grant Bosse, the editorial page editor of the conservative and influential Manchester-based New Hampshire Union Leader newspaper, said the paper was also preparing a response to Trump’s reported remark. In a statement to NBC News, he wrote:

 "Campaigning in New Hampshire's First in the Nation primary, Donald Trump was impressed by the severity of the festering drug crisis, and he shared the frustration of New Hampshire voters. Trump being Trump, he's using exaggerated and crude language, which is hardly useful. He should also know that New Hampshire is at the forefront of dealing with this crisis, which has hit us as hard as anywhere."

 On his Twitter page, Bosse also took aim at Trump's Democratic critics.

 The president made the disparaging remark about New Hampshire in a Jan. 27 conversation with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, the transcript of which was obtained by The Washington Post and published Thursday.

 As seen in the transcript, Trump raised the issue of New Hampshire as he pressed a reluctant Peña Nieto to pay for his border wall.

 "We have a massive drug problem where kids are becoming addicted to drugs because the drugs are being sold for less money than candy," he said. "I won New Hampshire because New Hampshire is a drug-infested den."

 In reality, Hillary Clinton won New Hampshire by about 3,000 votes in the presidential election. But Trump handily won the Republican primary.

 So far the White House has declined to comment on the leaked transcripts of Trump’s calls with Peña Nieto or his Jan. 28 telephone conversation with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

 But New Hampshire does have a serious drug problem and has been hit hard by the deadly opioid epidemic. In 2015, it was the state with the second-highest rate of drug overdose deaths (after West Virginia) with 34.3 per 100,000 people, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

 Both Hassan and Shaheen have been pressing the Trump administration to make good on its promises to "combat the opioid epidemic."

 So far, Hassan tweeted, Trump has not made good on his promises. ||||| Photo: AP

 To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. — C.S. Lewis

 My dearest,

 So you put me back on the hook. To be very honest with you, I did not want to have a meeting. Your words are so beautiful. Those are beautiful words and I do not think I can speak that beautifully, okay? I look so foolish doing this.

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 I am not like this but, if I have to do it, I will do it but I do not like this at all. I will be honest with you. I met you the one time and I studied you. You are a very hard person to study. It is incredible.

 But we cannot do this and we cannot sustain like this. Totally true—and you have seen the same thing. No, I do not want say that. I am just going to say that we are working it out.

 And certainly, as to the relationship and friendship, I consider you a friend. I would love to continue talking. I want a great relationship. Far greater than anybody understands. You have to see what I am doing. And I want to reiterate, you and I will always be friends do not worry.

 Okay, this shows me to be a dope. It will never be the same.

 Yours always,

 Donald ||||| The Post obtained transcripts of President Trump's January 2017 phone conversations with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. (The Washington Post)

 President Trump is obsessed with this election win, thinks New Hampshire is a “drug-infested den,” worries about looking like “a dope” and doesn't want to talk publicly about who is going to pay for the wall.

 These are among the themes and standout moments from Trump's January telephone conversations with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. The Washington Post's Greg Miller obtained transcripts of the calls and published them Thursday.

 You can read the full, annotated transcripts here. The Fix has pulled out eight of the most jaw-dropping passages and added context:

 1. TRUMP TO PEÑA NIETO: We have the drug lords in Mexico that are knocking the hell out of our country. They are sending drugs to Chicago, Los Angeles and to New York. Up in New Hampshire — I won New Hampshire because New Hampshire is a drug-infested den — is coming from the southern border. So we have a lot of problems with Mexico farther than the economic problem. We are becoming a drug-addicted nation and most of the drugs are coming from Mexico or certainly from the southern border. But I will say this — you have that problem, too. You have some pretty tough hombres in Mexico that you may need help with, and we are willing to help you with that big league.

 Recall that Trump's critics hit him hard for using the phrase “bad hombres” during a presidential debate in October, so it is striking that he would repeat a variation in a call with the president of Mexico. Trump's dim appraisal of New Hampshire recalls his description of “American carnage” in his inauguration speech seven days earlier. It's not clear what win Trump was referencing. He lost the state by less than half a percentage point to Hillary Clinton but won the Republican primary there.

 The Washington Post released the full transcripts of President Trump's calls with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull from January. Here's what the White House said about the conversations at the time. (Elyse Samuels/The Washington Post)

 2. TRUMP TO TURNBULL: Look, I spoke to Putin, Merkel, Abe of Japan, to France today, and this was my most unpleasant call.

 This is extraordinary language for the leader of one friendly country to say to another. The whole point of these phone calls, days after Trump was inaugurated, was for the two leaders to get to know each other and start things off on the best possible note. Trump steamrolled that objective when he compared his conversation with the Australian prime minister, leader of one of America's staunchest allies, to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had just meddled in the U.S. election, and deemed Putin more pleasant. The Post published a summary of this conversation in February, reporting that "25 minutes into what was expected to be an hour-long call, Trump abruptly ended it.” Now the full transcript is public.

 3. PEÑA NIETO: To tell you the truth, Mr. President, I feel quite surprised about this new proposal that you are making because it is different from the discussion that both of our teams have been holding.

 TRUMP: Enrique, if I can interrupt — this is not a new proposal. This is what I have been saying for a year and a half on the campaign trail. I have been telling this to every group of 50,000 people or 25,000 people — because no one got the people in their rallies as big as I did. But I have been saying I wanted to tax people that treated us unfairly at the border, and Mexico is treating us unfairly.

 The proposal that caught Peña Nieto by surprise was a tariff on goods imported from Mexico to the United States. Trump agreed that a tariff had not been discussed in talks between White House adviser Jared Kushner and Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray but said Peña Nieto should have expected it, based on Trump's campaign rhetoric. Note the way Trumps slips in a boast about his crowd size.

 4. TRUMP TO TURNBULL: I hate taking these people. I guarantee you they are bad. That is why they are in prison right now. They are not going to be wonderful people who go on to work for the local milk people.

 In both phone calls, Trump seems singularly focused on bad people getting into the U.S. and how bad it will make him look. He had just signed an executive order banning travelers from seven majority-Muslim nations (which courts would later block). His logic is that if he agrees to take in 1,250 immigrants who landed in Australia, per a deal the Obama administration made, he'll look like a hypocrite. Especially if Trump's greatest fear is realized and one of these people turns into the “Boston bomber” (his words) or the next “San Bernardino or World Trade Centers” (also his words). Nevermind that Turnbull explains to Trump, several times, that these immigrants were vetted both by Australian and U.S. security officials.

 5. TRUMP TO PEÑA NIETO: In the latest election, I won with a large percentage of Hispanic voters. I do not know if you heard, but with Cuba, I had 84 percent with the Cuban American vote. But overall generally, I had well over 30 percent, and everyone was shocked to see this. I understand the community, and they understand me, and I have a great respect for the Mexican people.

 Trump loves to brag about his victory, but it is not clear where he came up with his statistic about Cuban American voters. According to the Pew Research Center, Trump did win 54 percent of the Cuban American vote in Florida, but the White House has not been able to back up Trump's claim to have won 84 percent of the Cuban American vote nationally. On the overall Latino vote, Trump is in the ballpark. He got 28 percent of the vote, according to exit polling.

 6. TRUMP TO TURNBULL: What is the thing with boats? Why do you discriminate against boats?

 In these phone calls, Trump also displays a very shallow understanding of foreign policy. Here, he seems baffled by Australia's policy of rejecting refugees who arrive by boat, despite the fact that Turnbull had also explained several times that it's a deterrent policy: Anyone who tries to migrate to Australia by water will automatically get kicked out. “So we said if you try to come to Australia by boat, even if we think you are the best person in the world, even if you are a Nobel Prize winning genius, we will not let you in,” Turnbull finally says.

 7. TRUMP TO PEÑA NIETO: In Ohio, they are having rallies for Trump right now because Trump has taken a hard stance on Mexico. We lost a lot of factories in Ohio and Michigan, and I won these states — some of these states have not been won in 38 years by a Republican, and I won them very easily. So they are dancing in the streets. You probably have the same thing where they are dancing in your streets also but in reverse.

 Trump's habit of talking about himself in the third person is on display here — as is his sense of humor. His line about Mexicans dancing in the streets “in reverse” appears to be a joke about protests against his election.

 8. TRUMP TO TURNBULL: I look like a dope. |||||

Write a summary.

– The transcripts of President Trump's conversations with the leaders of Mexico and Australia leaked to the Washington Post are giving Americans insight into Trump's negotiating style and how he's relating to America's allies, but David Frum at the Atlantic writes the leak of the transcripts is "unprecedented, shocking, and dangerous." Frum says it's vital foreign leaders know they can speak freely with Trump without their words getting out. "No leader will again speak candidly on the phone to Washington, DC—at least for the duration of this presidency, and perhaps for longer," Frum writes. He says the leaks are evidence of the "cycle of self-destruction" Trump has started in which his misconduct spurs misconduct from the opposition. Here's what else you need to know about the leaked transcripts: The transcripts show Trump continues to lie to the public, the Guardian reports. For example, he accused accounts of his contentious phone call with Australia's Malcolm Turnbull of being "FAKE NEWS," claiming the conversation was "very civil." The transcripts show it was anything but. Meanwhile, Splinter has used bits and pieces of the transcripts to compose a "beautiful, agonizing love letter": "Your words are so beautiful. Those are beautiful words and I do not think I can speak that beautifully." In addition to being angry over the leak itself, Trump is certain to be upset the transcript of his conversation with Mexico's Enrique Peña Nieto shows him admitting the border wall is about politics, not security, the Daily Caller reports. Trump asks Peña Nieto to stop saying Mexico won't pay for the wall—even if it's true—because it's making Trump look bad. The Washington Post lists eight "jaw-dropping" lines from the transcripts, including Trump claiming refugees in Australia are criminals who won't "go on to work for the local milk people" and telling Turnbull theirs was the "most unpleasant call." Need more? The Week has 21 "eye-popping" lines, including telling Peña Nieto, "It is you and I against the world, Enrique, do not forget." Trump also tells Peña Nieto "Your citizens are being killed all over the place, your police officers are being shot in the head, and your children are being killed." During his conversation with Peña Nieto, Trump called New Hampshire a "drug-infested den." NBC News reports this didn't go over well in New Hampshire, where the state's Democratic senators called the comment "disgusting" and "unacceptable" and its Republican governor said Trump was "wrong." Finally, Trump's conversation with Turnbull shows he's either unwilling or unable to comprehend the facts around the 1,250 refugees the US agreed to accept from Australia, Jonathan Chait writes for New York. Trump misstates the number of refugees multiple times, repeatedly and incorrectly calls them criminals, and eventually gets frustrated, asking Turnbull, "What is the thing with the boats?"


Article:

Madonna‘s teenage son may be rebelling over his headstrong mom’s controlling ways, RadarOnline.com can exclusively reveal.

 Rocco, who refused to leave his father Guy Ritchie‘s home in London to celebrate Christmas with Madonna in New York, has always lived under his mother’s strict rules.

 “Madonna is a very good mother, but she’s mega controlling,” a source close to the pop icon, 57, told Radar. “She actively tells him what he can and can’t do, who he can and can’t talk to.”

 PHOTOS: Madonna Disses Drake After He Cringed Over Coachella Kiss

 Though Guy’s lawyer told Page Six that the 15-year-old “expressed very clearly” that he does not want to return to New York, friends of the singer insisted that the mother/son duo share a “very close” relationship.

 He especially took to his mom’s chosen religion, Kabbalah, a church insider claimed.

 Rocco was “actively involved” with Kabbalah’s New York Centre, where Madonna is a frequent attendee.

 PHOTOS: Madonna’s More Interesting Looks

 However, “some days, he acted like a typical teen— aloof,” the insider said.

 No matter Rocco’s feelings, a New York judge ruled that the disgruntled teenager must return home to his mother before school begins in January.

 “Madonna pulls the strings, calls the shots,” the source explained. “She’s a hawk in leather leggings.”

 PHOTOS: Long Lost Photos Of Madonna

 As Radar previously reported, Rocco “ran away” from his mother’s Rebel Heart tour stop in Stockholm last month following “shouting matches” between them.

 “Rocco doesn’t want to be with her,” an insider said. “He wants to be with this dad.” ||||| Madonna Guy Ritchie Trash Talked Me to Rocco

 Madonna: Guy Ritchie Trash Talked Me to Rocco

 EXCLUSIVE

 Guy Ritchie got in Rocco's ear and drove a wedge between Madonna and the 15-year-old ... sources close to Madonna tell TMZ.

 We're told Guy and Madonna have had a "volatile" relationship for years, and Rocco has been a source of conflict. Madonna, we're told, is a strict disciplinarian and "very controlling" ... something that doesn't sit well with Rocco and for that matter most 15 year olds.

 Our Madonna sources say Guy was angry at Madonna and used his visit with Rocco to stoke the coals, and it worked.

 We're told Madonna isn't worried ... she's confident Rocco's coming back home for good, and this is just part of the co-parenting hand she's been dealt. ||||| The Material Girl likes to control her own image but has no problems posting embarrassing snaps of her rebellious son for her millions of followers.

 Whether it’s a picture of 15-year-old Rocco Ritchie in pigtails or a video of him doing a back flip into a pool with the caption, “Rocco’s preferred profile #nosausage,” some speculate that Madge’s oversharing has sparked the rift that landed in Manhattan Supreme Court last week.

 The teen spent the summer on his mom’s Rebel Heart Tour before running away this month to his director dad’s London home.

 The singer, who has 5.5 million Instagram followers, convinced a judge to force Rocco to spend Christmas in New York with her, but Rocco refused the order.

 Rocco"s preferred profile #nosausage A post shared by Madonna (@madonna) on May 25, 2015 at 7:41pm PDT

 The two both made waves on Instagram Friday, with Madonna posting a picture of herself and Rocco with the message “Merry X-mas to the Sun-shine of my Life!” and Rocco telling a friend he was staying in London before blocking his account from public view.

 In September the mother of four put a picture on Instagram of Rocco with his long blond hair up in buns and with sunglasses on. The #nosausage shot was in May, with the teen wearing an orange swimsuit.

 True to form, Madonna posted pictures of her kids on Instagram on Christmas — but not Rocco.

 Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Deborah Kaplan ruled that Rocco — who spent Christmas with dad Guy Ritchie, Ritchie’s new wife, Jacqui Ainsley, and the couple’s three young kids — must return to New York to face his mom.

 There is also a pending court proceeding in the United Kingdom, where Rocco has his own lawyer. Madonna and Ritchie split in 2008.

 Merry X-mas to the Sun-shine of my Life! ⭕❌⭕⭕❌⭕❌⭕❤❤ A post shared by Madonna (@madonna) on Dec 25, 2015 at 7:24am PST ||||| Madonna was unable to hold back tears during her first concert of the Rebel Heart Tour following Friday's terror attacks in Paris, France.

 While performing in Sweden on Saturday, the 57-year-old singer shared a moving message to the packed Tele 2 Arena in Stockholm, asking them to observe a moment of silence for the victims of the heartbreaking attacks.

 NEWS: Foo Fighters Cancel Remainder of European Tour in Wake of Paris Attacks

 "It's been very hard for me to get through this show up to this point and not forget about what happened last night," she said in a video that was posted to YouTube by her manager on Saturday. "I need to take this moment to acknowledge the tragedy, the tragic killings, assassinations and the senseless endings of precious life that occurred last night in Paris."

 "It's been really hard, actually, to get through the show, because in many ways, I feel torn. Like, why am I up here dancing and having fun when people are crying over the loss of their loved ones," she continued. "However, that is exactly what these people want to do. They want to shut us up. They want to silence us. And we won't let them. We will never let them, because there is power in unity, and I do believe that as much chaos and pain and senseless violence and terrorism that occurs around this world, not just in Paris, as much as that that does occur, there is more goodness in this world. We are here to prove it."

 Audience members clapped and cheered in support of Madonna's statements, clearly moved by her words.

 U2 Visits Memorial Site Near Paris Concert Hall, Bono Speaks Out: 'These Are Our People'

 Madonna, who visibly teared up during her speech, went on to say that she felt conflicted about performing on Saturday and considered cancelling her show.

 "I was gonna cancel my show tonight but then I thought to myself, 'Why should I give that to them? Why should I allow them to stop me and to stop us from enjoying freedom?" she told the audience. "All of the places where people were killed were places where people were having fun, people were enjoying themselves, eating in restaurants, dancing, singing, watching a soccer match."

 "These are freedoms that we take for granted of course and we must not but they're freedoms that we deserve. We work hard, and we deserve to have fun, and there is no one in this world that should have the right to stop us from doing what we love!" she added.

 Madonna then asked the audience to join her in a minute of silence for the victims in Paris before she sang an emotional version of "Like a Prayer."

 NEWS: Stephen Colbert Delivers Emotional Monologue Following Paris Attacks

 Watch her entire speech below.

 After the concert, Madonna later took to Instagram to thank the crowd for their love.

 "Thank you Stockholm! Tonight's show was difficult but there was so much love in this arena it made me feel like we were turning darkness into light," she wrote. "And that is our jobs as human beings!"

 Thank you Stockholm! Tonight's show was difficult but there was so much love in this arena it made me feel like we were turning darkness into light. And that is our jobs as human beings! ❤#rebelhearttour A photo posted by Madonna (@madonna) on Nov 14, 2015 at 9:05pm PST

 More than 100 people have been killed in the city-wide attacks on Paris, with hundreds more hospitalized. President Francois Hollande called the tragedy -- which ISIS has since claimed responsibility for -- "an act of war."

 U2 was originally supposed to perform two shows in Paris on Saturday. After cancelling the sold-out concerts, the band visited the makeshift memorial site near the Bataclan concert venue, where many were injured and killed during an Eagles of Death Metal concert, on Saturday to pay their respects. ||||| Madonna Rocco Says Mom Treated Me Like a Trophy ... Not a Son

 Madonna: Rocco Says Mom Treated Me Like a Trophy ... Not a Son

 EXCLUSIVE

 Madonna's son didn't have to be sold by Guy Ritchie when the 15-year-old made the decision to stay in London ... we're told Rocco was fed up with the singer, her lifestyle and her parenting skills.

 Sources who were on Madonna's tour tell us, Rocco was "miserable" being carted around the world by his mom. As one source put it, "There were horrible, full-blown fights with screaming and crying."

 We're told during the Stockholm leg of the tour, Rocco was a no-show when the charter plane was ready to take off ... he had made an escape run, but it appears he eventually came back.

 Things deteriorated during the London shows in December. Rocco told his dad he couldn't handle it anymore ... he couldn't take the traveling and the fights. Our sources say Rocco told Guy he felt like Madonna treated him more like a trophy than a son.

 Rocco now thinks his mom is jealous of his dad's "stable life" and his desire to live with his dad.

 Rocco has been ordered to return to NYC for a court hearing. It will be interesting to hear if his bad feelings dissipate and how much the judge considers his living preference. ||||| Madonna‘s son Rocco Ritchie will be home for Christmas — at least if the pop diva has her way! She went to court in New York Wednesday to get a judge’s order forcing him to fly back to New York for the holidays, and now, only RadarOnline.com has all the inside details about their explosive family feud.

 According to an insider, the trouble started when Rocco, 15, “ran away in Stockholm.” Madonna’s Rebel Heart Tour, with son Rocco in tow, stopped there in mid-November.

 “M and Rocco were having bad shouting matches,” the insider explained. “She’d be crying and yelling at him.”

 PHOTOS: Custody War! Jenelle Evans Flies To L.A. Without Infant Kaiser — But Won’t Let ‘Furious’ Nathan Babysit Their Son

 Despite traveling with his mom on the tour for months, Rocco, “doesn’t want to be with her. He wants to be with this dad,” Guy Ritchie, the source said.

 So when the tour stopped in London the first week in December, Rocco took the opportunity to make a break for it.

 “He took off for his dad’s house and hasn’t seen her since,” the source said.

 Swinging into action, Madonna, 57, fired his “manny” over it, according to the source, and had emergency meetings with her attorneys in London, to no avail.

 PHOTOS: Abuse, Neglect, & ‘Inappropriate’ Behavior! The 15 Most Shocking Allegations Against ‘RHOC’ Star Tamra Judge In Her Custody Case

 “She couldn’t get an order that would require Rocco to return to her house,” the source said.

 Wednesday, a Manhattan judge finally issued an order demanding Rocco “face his mother” in the U.S., but it remains to be seen if he’ll show up in time for the holidays.

 “He has expressed very clearly that he does not want to return to New York,” Ritchie’s attorney Eric Buckley told Page Six.

 And a source close to the case claimed that Rocco might go against Judge Kaplan‘s orders.

 Story developing. |||||
What is a summary?

– Madonna's 15-year-old son has been ordered by a judge to return to his famous mom in New York, though it's not clear whether Rocco Ritchie—who, his lawyers have said, would much rather stay with dad Guy Ritchie—has actually complied with said order. Sources have been saying Rocco had no plans to return to his mom; he's not pictured in any of the Christmas Day snaps of her kids that Madonna shared on Instagram (though she did also share an older picture of Rocco with the caption, "Merry X-mas to the Sun-shine of my Life!"); and Page Six reports that he spent the holiday with his dad and told a friend, via Instagram, that he was staying in London. So what's the problem? As TMZ reports, it sounds like pretty typical teenage stuff. Sources say Rocco is "miserable" having to be on tour with his mom, and that many "horrible, full-blown fights with screaming and crying" have taken place. Radar also reports the teen was fed up with how "controlling" his mom is. Rocco has also reportedly said that his mom treats him like a trophy, not a son. And Page Six notes that Madonna's oversharing may be part of the problem: Among other things, she's posted things like a picture of Rocco in pigtails and a snap of him in a bathing suit with the hashtag, "#nosausage." Of course, there are also the sources telling TMZ that, per Madonna, this is all Guy Ritchie's fault and that he's trying to come between mother and son by trash-talking Madonna to Rocco. (Click to see why Madonna was crying last month.)


Article:
A set of talking points the White House offered as a guide for President Donald Trump's supporters had a singular message on the fallout from a violent white nationalist rally in Charlottesville: "The president was entirely correct."

 The memo echoed Trump's previous remarks on the rally — comments he made at a heated press conference on Tuesday and his statements in the days since the Saturday rally that erupted in northern Virginia.

 Here's a sampling of the talking points the White House offered:

 "The President was entirely correct — both sides of the violence in Charlottesville acted inappropriately, and bear some responsibility."

 "... the President reaffirmed some of our most important Founding principles: We are equal in the eyes of our Creator, equal under the law, and equal under the Constitution.'"

 "He has been a voice for unity and calm, encouraging the country to 'rediscover the bonds of love and loyalty that brings us together as Americans.'"

 "The President condemned — with no ambiguity — the hate groups fueled by bigotry and racism over the weekend ..."

 "Even a New York Times reporter tweeted that she saw club-wielding antifa beating 'white nationalists' being led out of the park."

 "The President is taking swift action to hold violent hate groups accountable."

 While the talking points leaned heavily on praise for Trump's handling of the Charlottesville fallout and criticism of the media, observers noted that the memo did not include further rebukes of white nationalists, white supremacists, and neo-Nazis who organized and led the rally that left a 32-year-old woman and two policemen dead.

 Trump is hearing it from all sides for his repeated equivocations about who is responsible for the violence that unfolded in Charlottesville. Though he specifically called out hate groups by name on Monday, he appeared to revert back to his original claim on Tuesday that "many sides" were to blame. ||||| “We must be clear,” House Speaker Paul Ryan said Tuesday after Trump’s remarks. “White supremacy is repulsive. This bigotry is counter to all this country stands for. There can be no moral ambiguity.” | Mark Wilson/Getty Images Ryan, House and Senate GOP outraged by Trump news conference

 President Donald Trump sparked a barrage of Republican outrage on Tuesday after he blamed “both sides” for the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia — including from House Speaker Paul Ryan.

 “We must be clear,” Ryan said after Trump’s remarks. “White supremacy is repulsive. This bigotry is counter to all this country stands for. There can be no moral ambiguity.”

 Story Continued Below

 Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said on Twitter, “Mr. President, you can't allow #WhiteSupremacists to share only part of blame.” Added Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.): “This is simple: we must condemn and marginalize white supremacist groups, not encourage and embolden them.”

 Many other Republicans also slammed the remarks Trump made at a news conference in New York in which he doubled down on his initial reaction to the violence that broke out over the weekend at a white supremacist rally where one woman was killed when a car rammed into counter-protesters.

 “I think there’s blame on both sides,” Trump told reporters Tuesday at Trump Tower. “I have no doubt about it.”

 Republicans have often been critical of Trump in the past, but the rebuke from members of his own party to his Charlottesville response was swifter and more widespread than perhaps at any point in his presidency.

 The most reliable politics newsletter. Sign up for POLITICO Playbook and get the latest news, every morning — in your inbox. Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time.

 House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), now in rehabilitation after being shot during a June congressional baseball practice, responded on Twitter: “I was clear about this bigotry & violence over the weekend and I'll repeat it today: We must defeat white supremacy and all forms of hatred.”

 Also on Twitter, Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) said: “@POTUS must stop the moral equivalency! AGAIN, white supremacists were to blame for the violence in #Charlottesville.”

 And Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) added: “We are Americans from all walks of life, working towards the American Dream. Nowhere in that dream is there room for racism.”

 A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Kentucky Republican had no new comment in response to Trump’s remarks Tuesday.

 Democrats also responded with outrage.

 In a statement, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said that by not taking sides, Trump had clearly shown what side he’s on.

 “When David Duke and white supremacists cheer your remarks, you’re doing it very, very wrong,” Schumer said. “Great and good American presidents seek to unite, not divide. Donald Trump’s remarks clearly show he is not one of them.”

 Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) said on Twitter that Trump is “not my president.”

 “As a Jew, as an American, as a human,” he wrote, “words cannot express my disgust and disappointment.”

 Seung Min Kim and Rachael Bade contributed to this report. ||||| The White House sent a memo of talking points to Republicans on Capitol Hill and other allies telling them to say President Trump was "entirely correct" in his controversial assessment of the violence in Charlottesville, CBS News chief White House correspondent Major Garrett reports.

 CBS News obtained a copy of the memo, which has the subject line "President's Presser."

 "Despite the criticism, the President reaffirmed some of our most important Founding principles: We are equal in the eyes of our Creator, equal under the law, and equal under our Constitution," reads one bullet point.

 Although the press conference was scheduled to discuss American infrastructure, the president mainly spoke about the violence in Charlottesville, insisting "both sides" were responsible for the violence, and citing the "alt-left," who he said came "charging with clubs in their hands."

 Other bullet points the White House wants discussed:

 He has been a voice for unity and calm, encouraging the country to "rediscover the bonds of love and loyalty that brings us together as Americans."

 He called for the end of violence on all sides so that no more innocent lives would be lost.

 The President condemned the hate groups fueled by bigotry and racism over the weekend, and did so by name yesterday, but for the media that will never be enough.

 The media reacted with hysteria to the notion that counter-protesters showed up with clubs spoiling for a fight, a fact that reporters on the ground have repeatedly stated.

 Even a New York Times reporter tweeted that she "saw club-wielding "antifa" beating white nationalists being led out of the park."

 The local ACLU chapter also tweeted: "Not sure who provoked first. Both sides were hitting each other at Justice Park before police arrived."

 We should not overlook the facts just because the media finds them inconvenient.

 From cop killing and violence at political rallies, to shooting at Congressmen at a practice baseball game, extremists on the left have engaged in terrible acts of violence.

 The President is taking swift action to hold violent hate groups accountable.

 The DOJ has opened a civil rights investigation into this weekend's deadly car attack.

 Last Thursday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced it had completed the largest prosecution of white supremacists in the nation's history.

 Leaders and the media in our country should join the president in trying to unite and heal our country rather than incite more division.

 At least prominent Republican, U.S. Sen. John McCain, didn't repeat the talking points outlined in the memo. McCain tweeted late Tuesday "there's no moral equivalency between racists & Americans standing up to defy hate & bigotry. The President of the United States should say so."

 There's no moral equivalency between racists & Americans standing up to defy hate& bigotry. The President of the United States should say so — John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) August 16, 2017

 Mr. Trump was asked at his Tuesday news conference about McCain's earlier comments that Mr. Trump should defend his National Security Adviser, H.R. McMaster, against attacks by the alt-right. Mr. Trump said "you mean Sen. McCain who voted against us getting good healthcare?"

 The reporter pressed on, saying McCain says the "alt-right is behind these attacks, and he linked that same group to those who perpetrated the attack in Charlottesville."

 "Well, I don't know," Mr. Trump responded. "I can't tell you. I'm sure Sen. McCain must know what he's talking about. But when you say the alt-right, define alt-right to me. You define it. Go ahead."

 Mr. Trump then spun off, describing the "alt-left."

 Mr. Trump had been criticized Saturday by Democrats and Republicans alike for his response to the violence in Charlottesville, which left one person dead when a white nationalist allegedly rammed his car into a group of counter-protesters. The president said at the time many sides were at fault. Many prominent Republicans, including Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, had called on Mr. Trump to condemn the rally as domestic terrorism.

 On Monday, the president did specifically decry white supremacists, but then re-lit the firestorm with his Tuesday remarks. ||||| The White House told allies Tuesday that President Trump was “entirely correct” to blame “both sides” for the protest violence in Charlottesville, fighting back at critics of his response, Fox News has learned.

 A memo of talking points obtained by Fox News stated that during his remarks in the lobby of Trump Tower on Tuesday, the president was “entirely correct – both sides of the violence in Charlottesville acted inappropriately, and bear some responsibility.”

 The memo also stated that Trump “with no ambiguity” condemned the hate groups that descended upon Charlottesville for the “Unite the Right” rally, and added the president has been “a voice for unity and calm,” and that he’s “taking swift action to hold violent hate groups accountable.”

 TRUMP DECRIES 'ALT-LEFT' IN CHARLOTTESVILLE: 'DO THEY HAVE ANY SEMBLANCE OF GUILT?'

 It ended by saying both leaders and the media “should join the president in trying to unite and heal our country rather than incite more division.” The memo was distributed to allies of the White House in an effort to try to get conservatives on board to defend Trump.

 While speaking to the media Tuesday during what were supposed to be brief remarks without questions from the press, Trump declared that “there is blame on both sides” for the deadly violence that took place on Saturday. He also said “there are two sides to a story.”

 Placing blame “on many sides” was Trump’s initial response to Saturday’s events, but two days later, the president specifically condemned the KKK, neo-Nazis and white supremacists.

 ANN COULTER CHEERS TRUMP: 'TODAY WE GOT OUR LEADER BACK'

 After Trump’s reiteration Tuesday that both protesters on the far left and far right were to blame, former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke tweeted, “Thank you President Trump for your honesty & courage to tell the truth.”

 White House officials apparently were caught off guard by his remarks Tuesday. Trump had signed off on a plan to not answer questions from journalists during an event touting infrastructure policies, according to a White House official speaking to The Associated Press. Once behind the lectern and facing the cameras, Trump overruled the decision.

 Trump's advisers had hoped Tuesday’s remarks might quell a crush of criticism from Republicans, Democrats and business leaders. But the president's retorts Tuesday suggested he had been a reluctant participant in that cleanup effort and renewed questions about why he seemed to struggle to unequivocally condemn white nationalists.

 LAWMAKERS, NATIONAL FIGURES REACT TO TRUMP'S CHARLOTTEVILLE COMMENTS

 Members of his own Republican Party have pressured him to be more vigorous in criticizing bigoted groups, and business leaders have begun abandoning a White House jobs panel in response to his comments.

 When asked to explain his Saturday comments about Charlottesville, Trump looked down at his notes and again read a section of his initial statement that denounced bigotry but did not single out white supremacists. He then tucked the paper back into his jacket pocket.

 Fox News' Ed Henry and The Associated Press contributed to this report. |||||Summary:

– Republicans including Paul Ryan and Marco Rubio were quick to speak out against President Trump's comments Tuesday that "both sides" were to blame for the violence in Charlottesville, Va., over the weekend. But that wasn't at all what the White House had planned. A memo of talking points sent to Republicans and other allies Tuesday called on them to declare Trump was "entirely correct," report CBS News and Fox News, which both obtained a copy. "Both sides of the violence in Charlottesville acted inappropriately, and bear some responsibility," the memo continued, noting Trump's comments reaffirmed that "we are equal in the eyes of our Creator, equal under the law, and equal under our Constitution." The memo stressed that Trump "condemned—with no ambiguity—the hate groups fueled by bigotry and racism" and is "taking swift action to hold violent hate groups accountable," per Business Insider. After referring to Trump as "a voice for unity and calm," it called on leaders and the media to "join the president in trying to unite and heal our country rather than incite more division." Censure followed, however, from almost all sides. From Republicans, it was "swifter and more widespread than perhaps at any point in his presidency," reports Politico. A standout tweet from Rubio: "Mr. President, you can't allow #WhiteSupremacists to share only part of blame. They support idea which cost nation & world so much pain."


Article:

The End Is Nigh: Burger King Is Testing Something Called The Whopperito

 Following the introduction of the Whopper Dog, which took all the fixings of Burger King’s iconic Whopper and put them on a hot dog, the fast food company is doing the same with a tortilla, creating the Whopperito. You know, for when the calories in a bun are just too much.

 Grub Grade, which first spotted a sign advertising the new concoction, reports that several Burger King locations in Pennsylvania are serving as test ground for the Whopperito.

 As one might expect, the Whopper-burrito hybrid is just the contents of the burger — flame-grilled beef, American cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, mayo, ketchup, pickles, and white onions — shoved into a tortilla.

 We’ve reached out to Burger King to see if the new menu item is the brain child of rogue franchisees or if the mash-up came from the company.

 It’s unclear if the Whopperito will hit stores in other cities or states, but that hasn’t stopped potential customers from discussing the item on Twitter.

 Brb, now vomiting at the thought of the "Whopperito" 😷😷😷 — Bobby (@RWAcuna138) June 6, 2016

 A Whopperito? — Cristian Guerra (@CrisCalGuerra) June 6, 2016

 What the HELL is a whopperito????Y'all getting out of hand @BurgerKing — Kenzie Williams (@kenzie_kae12) June 6, 2016

 Hey. I'd eat the hell out of the Whopperito, I'm sorry — ⭐Zeph!⭐ (@defunctzone) June 6, 2016

 The Whopperito looks like a terrible idea. — ¯ am duck (@Quenk) June 5, 2016

 "Whopperito" smh don't put my burger on a tortilla fam — connoisseur of cool. (@CrysROCSurworld) June 5, 2016

 @BurgerKing The Whopperito is awful. Thought it was a whopper minus bun plus tortilla. Very disappointed. — #SignYak (@Guentzelvania) June 2, 2016

 Burger King's attempt to make the Whopper a tad more healthy? The Whopperito. — Kate Amatuzzo (@KateAmatuzzo) May 30, 2016

 The Whopperito might be new to Burger King’s actual menu, but it appears the combination has been a favorite for some diners for a while. However, that combination actually involved going to both Burger King and Taco Bell.

 There's a burger king at the gate, but no taco bell, so I can't make myself a Whopperito for the flight. #damn — Ethan Geller (@pragmatism) July 21, 2012

 @davidcarl Then you have to drive to taco bell, get a burrito grande, and fold the whopper into the burrito. Whopperito. — Ethan Geller (@pragmatism) July 24, 2012

 New Whopperrito from Burger King [Grub Grade] ||||| Tweet with a location

 You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more ||||| New Whopperrito from Burger King

 Posted June 4th, 2016 | 5:23pm by Ryan

 Burger King recently came out with a Whopper Dog, so why not a Whopper burrito? Here’s a first look at the Whopperrito which is currently available at a Burger King in Hermitage, PA. If you’re not familiar with the BK Whopper (with cheese), it’s flame-grilled beef, American cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, mayo, ketchup, pickles, and white onions… now imagine all those ingredients wrapped in a flour tortilla and you’ve got yourself a Whopperrito. We’ll keep an eye out for this one to see when it gets a wide release. ||||| Add a location to your Tweets

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What is a summary?

– Today under the heading of "Why, God, why?": Burger King has introduced a new menu item called the Whopperito. As you might expect, it's made up of the Whopper ingredients (beef, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, mayonnaise, ketchup, pickles, onions) but inside a tortilla instead of on a bun. Grub Grade spotted an ad for the Whopperito at a Pennsylvania Burger King, and it's not yet clear whether the product will get a wider release. Some reactions: Consumerist's headline: "The End Is Nigh: Burger King Is Testing Something Called The Whopperito" Most reactions on Twitter are along the lines of "WTF?!" Sample: "There's nothing in the world I want less than a 'Whopperito.'" But one Twitter user points out: "dont act like yall are too good to eat a whopperito yall would f---in do it ironically and enjoy it but never admit it." How does it actually taste? A Grub Grade commenter writes, "It has spicy cheese sauce instead of actual cheese. The whole thing is too 'wet'—the cheese sauce mixed with the vegetables ... is a lot of moisture. The proportion of burger to the rest of the ingredients is way off and the cheese sauce is too spicy. And it’s hard to get all of the ingredients in one bite. I won’t order it again." As Consumerist points out, a Twitter user actually described something he called a "Whopperito" back in 2012: It involved getting a Whopper from Burger King and a Burrito Grande from Taco Bell, "and fold the whopper into the burrito. Whopperito."


Article:
(CNN) -- A Pennsylvania woman was charged Monday with criminal homicide after forensic tests showed her to be the mother of four infants whose remains were found in her home in July, according to Berks County, Pennsylvania, District Attorney John Adams.

 Authorities also linked her to a fifth set of infant remains found in a nearby landfill.

 Michele Kalina, who has been in jail since she was arrested August 9 on charges relating to the discovery of the infants' remains at her home in Reading, was charged Monday with criminal homicide and five counts of "abuse of corpse" and is being held without bail, Adams said in a statement released by his office.

 Kalina's teenage daughter first contacted authorities on July 29, unsure of what she had discovered in the living room closet, Adams told CNN.

 Later that day, officers recovered the suspected remains of three infants from Kalina's apartment.

 "These remains were stored in a living room closet and each infant was recovered from an individual plastic container," according to the district attorney's statement. "One of the containers contained an amount of cured cement, which was later determined to have encased the remains of one of the infants."

 Detectives later recovered a fourth set of infant remains at the house, and found a bone believed to be from a fifth set of infant remains in a landfill.

 Adams said DNA testing matched her positively to four of the five remains and a man Adams described as her boyfriend to three.

 Adams said both the boyfriend and Kalina's husband denied knowledge of any pregnancies.

 Kalina, a nurse's aide, "always sort of wore those scrubs and hid [her pregnancies] well," Adams told CNN.

 According to the statement from Adams' office, the pathology report indicated four of the deaths were, "consistent with asphyxia, poisoning, or neglect."

 "We may make the determination that we will charge her with four separate counts," Adams said. "However, this is a very unusual case and frankly we're going to have to discuss this with our forensic pathologist."

 Kalina's attorney, public defender Holly Feeney, had no comment. ||||| City woman charged in deaths of 5 infants; DA calls case bizarre 4 Friends Hair Center

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 Reading Eagle: Ryan McFadden Michele G.M. Kalina is led into District Judge Wally Scott's office Monday by Berks County Detectives Ramon J. Caraballo, behind Kalina, and Robert P. Heiden, right.

 Kalina, 44, was married to Jeffrey E. Kalina, 54, while she was having an affair with another man for 14 years, officials said.

 Kalina also gave birth on Oct. 22, 2003, to a girl she had with the boyfriend, whom authorities declined to identify.

 The boyfriend has denied to police knowing of that birth or that Kalina had put the infant up for adoption, officials said.

 Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams said Kalina did not let her husband or their daughter, Elizabeth, 19, know about the pregnancies.

 "Nobody knew she was pregnant," Adams said. "I've been involved in the criminal justice system for 25 years and this is the most bizarre thing I've heard."

 Chief County Detective Michael J. Gombar said that some women can hide pregnancies.

 "We have not spoken to anyone who came forward and said they have seen her pregnant," Gombar said.

 Kalina initially was charged on Aug. 9 with abuse of a corpse, following the discovery of remains in a closet of the family's Court Street apartment.

 Following a 21/2 month investigation, Kalina was charged additionally with a blanket charge of criminal homicide in the five deaths.

 Adams said that prosecutors will determine before trial the number of homicide counts. Homicide could include murder or manslaughter.

 Kalina was arraigned Monday before District Judge Wally Scott on the homicide and related charges. She was returned to Berks County Prison without bail.

 Kalina's lawyer, Assistant Public Defender Holly Feeney, declined to comment on the case.

 "We are not going to try this case in the press," she said.

 Following her Aug. 9 arrest, Kalina was linked to the deaths by DNA evidence conducted at National Medical Services, Willow Grove, Montgomery County, Adams said.

 Dr. Neil A. Hoffman, a forensic pathologist, reported that the deaths were violent, caused by asphyxia, poisoning or neglect.

 In addition to the two children she had with her husband, Kalina gave birth to three boys, one girl and another infant whose gender could not be determined, investigators said.

 Police found the remains of four infants in her apartment in the 700 block of Court Street during searches in late July and early August, investigators said.

 Remains of a fifth infant were found Aug. 6 in the Conestoga Landfill, New Morgan, authorities said.

 DNA testing linked three infants to Kalina as the mother and the boyfriend as the father.

 The evidence linked a fourth baby to Kalina as the mother, with the boyfriend as the possible father.

 The DNA evidence on the fifth infant was inconclusive as to the identity of the parents.

 Adams said the babies were born between 1996 and 2010, the period when Kalina was seeing the boyfriend.

 According to court records:

 The boyfriend told police the relationship was intermittent.

 He noticed Kalina's stomach was growing when they started seeing each other in 1996.

 The boyfriend said Kalina told him that she had a cyst on her fallopian tubes.

 The boyfriend said the cyst appeared as many as four times over the years they carried on the affair. Kalina, however, denied to police that she had cysts.

 Coroner Dennis J. Hess said medical officials could not determine the specific dates of the births.

 "I don't have a clue why she would do this," Hess said. "This is one of the strangest cases we've ever had."

 In an interview with police on Aug. 9, Kalina said the family moved in April 2008 to Court Street from a house on Raymond Street in Muhlenberg Township.

 At the time of the move, Kalina told police, three containers of human remains were moved from the Raymond Street house and placed in a closet in the Court Street apartment.

 She said they lived in Muhlenberg Township from 1997 to 2003.

 Kalina admitted that she is an alcoholic.

 Kalina told police that she was upset the night they found the remains in the apartment closet.

 Jeffrey Kalina quoted his wife as saying: "I don't know where to go. I can't find peace there. I can't find peace anymore.

 "I'm concerned I'm being framed."

 The investigation began July 29, when Elizabeth Kalina called Reading police at 5 a.m. to report that she found human remains in a red cooler in a storage closet.

 Patrol officers responded and looked at the remains. They told Elizabeth and her father the remains were not human.

 The father and daughter then threw them in the trash.

 At 9 that night, Jeffrey Kalina notified police again, saying he and his daughter had found two more plastic containers.

 During a search of the Court Street apartment, police found three containers, including one filled to the top with cement.

 The following day, police searched the trash bin outside the building for the remains that had been in the first container. The remains had already been taken to the landfill.

 On Aug. 5, police searched the apartment again and recovered another set of bones in a plastic bag.

 Police also found a letter that Kalina had written to her boyfriend informing him that she gave birth to a girl on Oct. 22, 2003, in St. Joseph Medical Center, then gave the baby to the Diocese of Allentown Catholic Social Agency for adoption.

 Hospital records showed that Kalina had a normal delivery.

 On Aug. 6, police went to the Conestoga Landfill in New Morgan and found the red cooler and one human bone.

 After locating the five sets of remains, police interviewed Jeffrey Kalina.

 He said his wife had been employed for 14 years as a home-care aide for the elderly by Interim Healthcare, Wyomissing.

 Employment records did not indicate that Kalina was pregnant or had taken time off to have children.

 Jeffrey Kalina said the remains were in a closet since the family moved to the Court Street apartment in 2008. He said his wife told him and his daughter never to go into the closet.

 Kalina and her husband also had a son, Andrew, who died June 9, 2000, at age 13 of positional asphyxiation, Hess said.

 The son suffered from cerebral palsy, a debilitating disease that rendered Andrew bed-bound.

 Contact Holly Herman: 610-478-6291 or hherman@readingeagle.com.

 No one knew that Michele G.M. Kalina was pregnant five times with the infants she was charged Monday with killing - not even the father of the babies.Kalina, 44, was married to Jeffrey E. Kalina, 54, while she was having an affair with another man for 14 years, officials said.Kalina also gave birth on Oct. 22, 2003, to a girl she had with the boyfriend, whom authorities declined to identify.The boyfriend has denied to police knowing of that birth or that Kalina had put the infant up for adoption, officials said.Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams said Kalina did not let her husband or their daughter, Elizabeth, 19, know about the pregnancies."Nobody knew she was pregnant," Adams said. "I've been involved in the criminal justice system for 25 years and this is the most bizarre thing I've heard."Chief County Detective Michael J. Gombar said that some women can hide pregnancies."We have not spoken to anyone who came forward and said they have seen her pregnant," Gombar said.Kalina initially was charged on Aug. 9 with abuse of a corpse, following the discovery of remains in a closet of the family's Court Street apartment.Following a 21/2 month investigation, Kalina was charged additionally with a blanket charge of criminal homicide in the five deaths.Adams said that prosecutors will determine before trial the number of homicide counts. Homicide could include murder or manslaughter.Kalina was arraigned Monday before District Judge Wally Scott on the homicide and related charges. She was returned to Berks County Prison without bail.Kalina's lawyer, Assistant Public Defender Holly Feeney, declined to comment on the case."We are not going to try this case in the press," she said.Following her Aug. 9 arrest, Kalina was linked to the deaths by DNA evidence conducted at National Medical Services, Willow Grove, Montgomery County, Adams said.Dr. Neil A. Hoffman, a forensic pathologist, reported that the deaths were violent, caused by asphyxia, poisoning or neglect.In addition to the two children she had with her husband, Kalina gave birth to three boys, one girl and another infant whose gender could not be determined, investigators said.Police found the remains of four infants in her apartment in the 700 block of Court Street during searches in late July and early August, investigators said.Remains of a fifth infant were found Aug. 6 in the Conestoga Landfill, New Morgan, authorities said.DNA testing linked three infants to Kalina as the mother and the boyfriend as the father.The evidence linked a fourth baby to Kalina as the mother, with the boyfriend as the possible father.The DNA evidence on the fifth infant was inconclusive as to the identity of the parents.Adams said the babies were born between 1996 and 2010, the period when Kalina was seeing the boyfriend.According to court records:The boyfriend told police the relationship was intermittent.He noticed Kalina's stomach was growing when they started seeing each other in 1996.The boyfriend said Kalina told him that she had a cyst on her fallopian tubes.The boyfriend said the cyst appeared as many as four times over the years they carried on the affair. Kalina, however, denied to police that she had cysts.Coroner Dennis J. Hess said medical officials could not determine the specific dates of the births."I don't have a clue why she would do this," Hess said. "This is one of the strangest cases we've ever had."In an interview with police on Aug. 9, Kalina said the family moved in April 2008 to Court Street from a house on Raymond Street in Muhlenberg Township.At the time of the move, Kalina told police, three containers of human remains were moved from the Raymond Street house and placed in a closet in the Court Street apartment.She said they lived in Muhlenberg Township from 1997 to 2003.Kalina admitted that she is an alcoholic.Kalina told police that she was upset the night they found the remains in the apartment closet.Jeffrey Kalina quoted his wife as saying: "I don't know where to go. I can't find peace there. I can't find peace anymore."I'm concerned I'm being framed."The investigation began July 29, when Elizabeth Kalina called Reading police at 5 a.m. to report that she found human remains in a red cooler in a storage closet.Patrol officers responded and looked at the remains. They told Elizabeth and her father the remains were not human.The father and daughter then threw them in the trash.At 9 that night, Jeffrey Kalina notified police again, saying he and his daughter had found two more plastic containers.During a search of the Court Street apartment, police found three containers, including one filled to the top with cement.The following day, police searched the trash bin outside the building for the remains that had been in the first container. The remains had already been taken to the landfill.On Aug. 5, police searched the apartment again and recovered another set of bones in a plastic bag.Police also found a letter that Kalina had written to her boyfriend informing him that she gave birth to a girl on Oct. 22, 2003, in St. Joseph Medical Center, then gave the baby to the Diocese of Allentown Catholic Social Agency for adoption.Hospital records showed that Kalina had a normal delivery.On Aug. 6, police went to the Conestoga Landfill in New Morgan and found the red cooler and one human bone.After locating the five sets of remains, police interviewed Jeffrey Kalina.He said his wife had been employed for 14 years as a home-care aide for the elderly by Interim Healthcare, Wyomissing.Employment records did not indicate that Kalina was pregnant or had taken time off to have children.Jeffrey Kalina said the remains were in a closet since the family moved to the Court Street apartment in 2008. He said his wife told him and his daughter never to go into the closet.Kalina and her husband also had a son, Andrew, who died June 9, 2000, at age 13 of positional asphyxiation, Hess said.The son suffered from cerebral palsy, a debilitating disease that rendered Andrew bed-bound.Contact Holly Herman: 610-478-6291 or hherman@readingeagle.com.

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– A Pennsylvania woman successfully concealed five pregnancies from both her husband and the man she was having an affair with before killing the infants and hiding their bodies, say prosecutors. Nurse's aide Michele Kalina has been charged with criminal homicide in the deaths of the babies, whose remains were found in her home and in a landfill site, CNN reports. DNA testing has established that she is the mother of at least four of the infants, and her boyfriend is the father of at least three. All five of the babies were born during the 14 years Kalina was having an affair. She was arrested in August after her teenage daughter found the remains of an infant in a closet in the family's home. "Nobody knew she was pregnant," the district attorney told the Reading Eagle. "I've been involved in the criminal justice system for 25 years and this is the most bizarre thing I've heard." He says pathology reports show that four of the deaths are "consistent with asphyxia, poisoning, or neglect."