Andy Borowitz: Kari Lake Declares Herself New Leader of the Wagner Group

The situation in Russia descended into further uncertainty after Kari Lake stunned geopolitical experts by declaring herself the new leader of the Wagner Group.
Speaking from the mercenary force’s new headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona, the former anchorwoman claimed that she won the leadership of Wagner by a landslide.

She warned Russian state media against questioning her claim to the Wagner helm. “I will be your worst frickin’ nightmare,” she said.

Wagner troops expressed surprise at Lake’s sudden elevation and reservations about whether she would be an improvement over their former leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin.

“She seems really mean,” one said. https://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report 

Inside Trump World’s Fury at McCarthy

Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s comments about Donald Trump’s electability — and his subsequent attempt to walk them back — haven’t calmed the “fury” in Trump’s inner circle. McCarthy, they feel, has taken advantage of the former president when it benefits him and failed to show unflinching loyalty in return.

They don’t understand how he could ‘misspeak’ — as McCarthy, we’re told, put it to Trump — on something so critical. Said one GOP consultant: “If Donald Trump wanted… he could have him out as speaker by the end of the week.” https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/28/politics/trump-e-jean-carroll-defamation/index.html

Cranky Congress: House GOP hopes a holiday can ease its factional warfare

The friction growing among House Republicans since Speaker Kevin McCarthy‘s debt deal with President Joe Biden has ushered in a new era of factional warfare within his conference. Even as they start a two-week recess, many GOP lawmakers worry that tensions in their midst could make for a summer of hell, with internal battles raging ahead of September’s government shutdown deadline.

Those tensions have worsened thanks to the House’s marathon springtime session, which has seen lawmakers in Washington every week since early May. https://www.politico.com/news/2023/06/23/cranky-congress-00103407

Democrats warn party: The threat of Trump winning in 2024 is 'very real'

A new NBC News poll released Sunday showed Biden with a relatively narrow 49% to 45% lead over Trump — which falls within the survey’s margin of error and is far lower than the 10 percentage point edge Biden held in NBC’s last poll before the 2020 election. The new survey shows DeSantis, who is less known than Trump, tied with Biden at 47% each.”

Despite an air of confidence from Biden and his team, some Democrats say they believe Trump has a very serious shot at winning back the Oval Office.”

Said former Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH): “If you think otherwise, you have literally had your head buried in the sand. You’re living in a world of delusion. And it’s dangerous.” https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/democrats-warn-party-threat-trump-winning-real-rcna90486

Did Hunter Biden Get a Sweetheart Deal?

The Wall Street Journal reviewed more than a hundred federal court dockets and interviewed almost a dozen former federal prosecutors to see whether the deal struck with Hunter Biden was different than it would have been for anyone else.

On the gun charge: In looking at a sample of more than 100 federal cases involving the same charge, few had facts directly analogous to Hunter Biden’s case. Most of the time prosecutors seek to use the charge in situations where they have other concerns about the defendant.

On the tax charge: Former tax prosecutors said the Hunter Biden case likely presented the Justice Department with several challenges that cut in favor of negotiating a plea deal rather than taking the case to trial. https://www.wsj.com/articles/did-hunter-biden-get-a-sweetheart-deal-prosecutors-weigh-in-2dc8656e
 

Top Trump Adviser Pushed for Drone Strikes on Migrants

Stephen Miller, one of Donald Trump’s top immigration advisers, advocated using U.S. predator drones in 2018 to blow up migrant boats full of unarmed civilians, according to an upcoming book by a former administration official.

In a passage reviewed by Rolling Stone, former Trump Department of Homeland Security appointee Miles Taylor writes about an April 2018 conversation in which Miller allegedly advocated an attack on a migrant ship headed for the United States. Miller, Taylor writes, argued for the potential mass killing of civilians by suggesting they were not protected under the U.S. Constitution because they were in international waters.

Rolling Stone has reviewed written documentation from during the Trump administration that supports Taylor’s claim. Taylor’s account, however, is contested, both by Miller and by another person present. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/stephen-miller-donald-trump-immigrants-1234778491/

Gov. Greg Abbott vetoes bill that would give people with disabilities new option to vote by mail

Gov. Greg Abbott on Saturday vetoed a bipartisan bill that would have expanded vote-by-mail access for people with disabilities — specifically people who are blind or paralyzed and need assistance marking their ballot.

Advocates say Abbott’s veto of House Bill 3159 is a blow for voters with disabilities who have for years called for the Legislature to grant them a way to mark their mail-in ballots without having to rely on anyone else. https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/20/texas-voting-mail-ballot-disabilities-abbott-veto/

At 43%, Biden's Job Approval Rating Highest Since Last August

Two months after receiving the lowest approval rating of his presidency, President Joe Biden has seen his job rating rebound four percentage points in the past month to 43%, the highest point since last August. https://news.gallup.com/poll/507863/biden-job-approval-rating-highest-august.aspx

DeSantis Vows to End Birthright Citizenship

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday unveiled a sweeping plan to overhaul the nation’s immigration system and ramp up border enforcement, vowing to end birthright citizenship, ‘repel the invasion’ at the U.S. southern border and use the ‘levers at our disposal’ to ensure cooperation from Mexico. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article276758641.html
 

Greg Abbott Duped by Fake News Story Mocking Garth Brooks

On Sunday afternoon, Texas Governor Greg Abbott tweeted Good job Texas with the link to the article, which claimed that patriots had booed Brooks during his performance at the 123rd annual Texas County Jamboree in Hambriston. However, the story was completely made up and the city of Hambriston doesn't even exist in Texas. While Abbott quickly deleted the post, which was shared on his personal Twitter account with more than a million followers, Newsweek captured a screenshot before it was removed.

Brooks recently came under fire from right-wing critics over his refusal to ban Bud Light from his new bar in Nashville, Tennessee, amid mounting calls to boycott the beer brand. Bud Light first faced backlash in April over the company's partnership with transgender influencer and activist Dylan Mulvaney. Over the past few months, the outcry over Bud Light's association with Mulvaney has sparked scrutiny of an escalating number of companies over their LGBTQ+ marketing campaigns. https://www.newsweek.com/greg-abbott-duped-fake-news-story-mocking-garth-brooks-1808909

Newsmax Staffers Hit With Subpoenas in 2020 Election Defamation Suit

Voting-technology company Smartmatic has subpoenaed several of the right-wing cable network’s current and former employees for work and personal correspondence.

Several Newsmax insiders, who spoke with Rolling Stone under a condition of anonymity due to a fear of reprisal, said that roughly three weeks ago they were told to hand over mirror images of their personal cellphone, personal email, and iCloud, as Smartmatic’s lawsuit against the network moves forward.

Smartmaric’s attorney J. Erik Connolly, managing chair of the litigation practice group at Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan, & Aronoff, LLC, tells Rolling Stone: Smartmatic intends to pursue discovery from the current and former Newsmax employees who participated in the egregious disinformation campaign against the company. Some of the discovery has come, and will come, from the company.  Smartmatic is pursuing these individuals to get the rest.  Our complaint does not numerically specify the amount of damages we have suffered.

Smartmatic claims in its lawsuit that Newsmax knowingly pushed falsehoods about the company following the 2020 presidential election. Newsmax published and/or republished false statements and implications during news broadcasts, in online reports, and on social media that ‘Smartmatic participated in a criminal conspiracy’ to fix, rig, and steal the Election, the defamation suit alleges. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/newsmax-subpoena-2020-election-defamation-lawsuit-1234777288/

Marines Face No Confirmed Commandant for First Time in 164 Years

The Marine Corps is on track to be led by an acting commandant for the first time in 164 years as senators leave town for two weeks with no end in sight to a standoff over military confirmations.

The failure to confirm Gen. Eric Smith to be the next Marine Corps chief is due to a single-handed hold on confirmations by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., over Pentagon abortion leave policy which allows service members to take nonchargeable leave and have their travel expenses paid for if they need to go far from their base to receive an abortion or other reproductive health care not offered by the department. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2023/06/23/marines-face-no-confirmed-commandant-first-time-164-years.html

Trump’s GOP lead grows after latest indictment, poll finds

Donald Trump has expanded his lead over Gov. Ron DeSantis and the rest of the Republican presidential field since Trump’s latest indictment on federal criminal charges, according to a new national NBC News poll. https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/first-read/trumps-gop-lead-grows-latest-indictment-poll-finds-rcna90420

Trump Sues E. Jean Carroll for Defamation

Donald Trump has sued E. Jean Carroll for defamation after a jury found he sexually abused the former magazine columnist and defamed her. In a counter claim filed Tuesday night, Trump alleges that Carroll defamed him when she appeared on CNN the morning after the jury awarded her $5 million in damages. Carroll was asked about the verdict finding Trump sexually abused Carroll but did not rape her as she alleged. Carroll said, “Oh, yes he did.” https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/28/politics/trump-e-jean-carroll-defamation/index.html

Fox Host Claims Biden Admin Is ‘Drumming Up the Drama’ in Russia to Distract from Hunter Biden

As if [Russia and the Wagner group] matters to the U.S. right now, Maria Bartiromo said

According to Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo, both the Biden administration and mainstream media are working to distract from the Hunter Biden story by drumming up the drama happening in Russia by using some kind of wag the dog strategy.

Because apparently an attempted coup in a nuclear superpower is not worthy of as much attention as an unverified WhatsApp message from the president’s son, allegedly sent months after his father’s term as vice president had ended.

Appearing on Fox & Friends Sunday, Bartiromo claimed that not only is the administration shifting the focus to Russia, thanks to a fortuitously-timed coup attempt by the Wagner mercenary group, but the mainstream media is helping them do it. And all of this is to distract from unconfirmed allegations made by Republicans on Friday that Hunter Biden sent a text message to a Chinese businessman in July 2017, citing two IRS whistleblowers whose claims the Justice Department had already dismissed. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/maria-bartiromo-fox-russia-distract-hunter-biden-1234777793/
 

Pro-RFK Jr. Super PAC Has Deep Ties to Marjorie Taylor Greene, George Santos

Last month, supporters of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential bid created a super PAC titled ‘Heal the Divide.’ On its website, the group — whose name is borrowed from Kennedy’s own campaign slogan — advises voters that “Only Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. can unite the Nation to start healing America” and allows visitors to donate both in dollars and cryptocurrency.

There’s nothing abnormal about a candidate getting a super PAC, even a candidate making a longshot bid like Kennedy’s. What is abnormal, however, is that Kennedy is running as a Democrat in the Democratic primary, while the creators of the super PAC have a deeply pro-Donald Trump bent — including ties to arch-MAGA officials such as Marjorie Taylor Greene, George Santos, and Herschel Walker. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/rfk-kennedy-trump-maga-biden-2024-election-1234777035/

An Aggressive Supreme Court Reshapes the US as Its Standing Erodes

A conservative supermajority is remaking US laws on the environment, health and firearms, even as public confidence declines and ethical questions grow

The Supreme Court, in the midst of a run of decisions that have stress-tested the core principles of US democracy, has rarely been so aggressive in using its powers — or been viewed with more skepticism by Americans.

With its 6-3 conservative majority, the court has issued a series of recent decisions enhancing its own role, in many cases by overriding regulatory agencies, the White House, Congress and state and local governments. Rulings have curtailed environmental protections, restricted efforts to regulate firearms and limited public-health initiatives. The court is set to decide on university affirmative action, student-loan relief and the rules for federal elections before the scheduled end of its term next week. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-06-20/supreme-court-power-expands-as-epa-abortion-decisions-reshape-us-law
   

Former Trump Campaign Official in Talks to Cooperate in Jan. 6 Inquiry

Michael Roman, a top official in former President Donald J. Trump’s 2020 campaign, is in discussions with the office of the special counsel Jack Smith that could soon lead to Mr. Roman voluntarily answering questions about a plan to create slates of pro-Trump electors in key swing states that were won by Joseph Biden.

If Mr. Roman ends up giving the interview — known as a proffer — to prosecutors working for Mr. Smith, it would be the first known instance of cooperation by someone with direct knowledge of the so-called fake elector plan. That plan has long been at the center of Mr. Smith’s investigation into Mr. Trump’s wide-ranging efforts to overturn the 2020 election.”rearms, even as public confidence declines and ethical questions grow. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/23/us/politics/michael-roman-trump-jan-6-jack-smith.html

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Says Russia Acted In 'Good Faith' In Ukraine Invasion

RFK Jr. said he believes Russia acted in “good faith” amid the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine, adding the U.S., in fact, bore heavy responsibility for the ongoing war. “It was us who forced Zelensky to sabotage that agreement. It was already signed. So, you know, the Russians were acting in good faith. … So, no, I think we’re the ones who have not been acting in good faith.” https://www.huffpost.com/entry/robert-f-kennedy-jr-ukraine-russia_n_6493ae9be4b095a2925b0b35

Biden to Sign Order Expanding Access to Contraception

President Joe Biden on Friday will sign an executive order designed to protect and expand access to contraception, after a Supreme Court ruling last year overturning the constitutional right to abortion raised fears that birth control could also face restrictions. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/biden-sign-executive-order-expanding-access-contraception-2023-06-23/.

Trump spoke at a fundraiser for Jan. 6 defendants

Former President Trump spoke on Thursday at a fundraiser on behalf of people charged in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol — even as he faces scrutiny from national and state prosecutors for his own actions surrounding the attempt to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election win.

“I’m going to make a contribution,” Trump told the gathering hosted at his own private golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. The group, Patriot Freedom Project, included at least one actual defendant along with multiple family members of those charged in the attack.  https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-spoke-fundraiser-jan-6-defendants-rcna90806

Far Right Pushes a Through-the-Looking-Glass Narrative on Jan. 6

Six months since the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol completed its work, a far-right ecosystem of true believers has embraced “J6” as the animating force of their lives.

They attend the criminal trials of the more prominent rioters charged in the attack. They gather to pray and sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” on the outer perimeter of the District of Columbia jail, where some two dozen defendants are held. Last week, dozens showed up at an unofficial House hearing convened by a handful of Republican lawmakers to challenge “the fake narrative that an insurrection had occurred on Jan. 6,” as set forth by Jeffrey Clark, a witness at the hearing and a former Justice Department official who worked to undo the results of the 2020 election.

The 90-minute event was a through-the-looking-glass alternative to the damning case against former President Donald J. Trump presented last year by the Jan. 6 committee. In the version advanced by five House Republicans who attended the hearing — Matt Gaetz, Paul Gosar, Ralph Norman, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Troy Nehls — as well as conservative lawyers and Capitol riot defendants, Jan. 6 was an elaborate setup to entrap peaceful Trump supporters, followed by a continuing Biden administration campaign to imprison and torment innocent conservatives.. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/23/us/politics/jan-6-trump.html
 

The Drug Industry Just Launched An Attack On Biden's Prescription Drug Reforms

Pharmaceutical companies and House Republicans have aligned to launch a full-scale attack on the new Medicare drug reforms, which represent one of President Joe Biden’s signature accomplishments and have already started to lower prescription costs for seniors.

The pharmaceutical industry is challenging one key component of the new prescription drugs initiative in court, while a caucus representing most House Republicans is calling to repeal the entire program through legislation. They argue that the reforms will reduce investment in research and development and ultimately lead to fewer breakthrough cures.

The legal challenge officially got a new and powerful champion on Wednesday when the industry trade group PhRMA filed a lawsuit claiming that the new law’s best-known feature violates the Constitution in multiple ways. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/drug-industry-lawsuit-against-prescription-drugs_n_64937593e4b02f808ab34cab

Republicans are talking entitlement cuts again, despite Trump’s warnings

A new budget proposal from the largest House GOP faction is reigniting a battle over the future of Social Security and Medicare, leaving them at odds with former President Trump and prompting attacks from the White House.

Last week, the 176-member Republican Study Committee detailed changes it would make to entitlement programs in an effort to extend their lifespan. For Medicare, it would begin offering seniors assistance to help buy private health coverage that competes against government insurance plans; it would also gradually raise the Social Security eligibility age to 69 for those who aren’t close to retiring. https://www.semafor.com/article/06/22/2023/republicans-are-talking-entitlement-cuts-again-despite-trumps-warnings

Kari Lake Appears at Mar-a-Lago More than Melania Trump and 'Practically Lives' in a Suite

Kari Lake, who is reportedly on former President Donald Trump’s shortlist for 2024 running mate, “practically lives” at his Mar-a-Lago resort and “is there every night.” https://people.com/kari-lake-mar-a-lago-appearances-exclusive-source-7550484

New criminal probe into deleted Secret Service texts

The Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General has launched a criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the destruction of Secret Service text messages that may have been relevant to inquiries about the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

The results of the investigation could be referred to federal prosecutors, the sources said, depending on the results.

The DHS Inspector General informed the Secret Service on Wednesday evening that the investigation is now criminal and that it should halt all internal investigations on the missing text messages, according to a letter detailed to NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/dhs-launched-criminal-probe-destruction-jan-6-secret-service-text-mess-rcna39392

Florida Abortion Rights Plan Polls at 70 Percent But Passage Is Far From Assured

The Florida effort to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution is launching a non-partisan group to ensure that the amendment gets on the Nov. 5, 2024, ballot and that it passes by the required 60 percent threshold — if they can keep enough Republican support.

The proposed amendment will be one of the most closely watched in the nation if it shares the ballot with one of two anti-abortion Florida Republicans running to take on President Joe Biden: former President Donald Trump or Gov. Ron DeSantis, who signed a six-week abortion ban – one of the strictest nationwide – earlier this year that triggered this amendment. https://themessenger.com/politics/florida-abortion-rights-plan-polls-at-70-percent-but-passage-is-far-from-assured

Dobbs Turned Abortion Into A Huge Liability For Republicans

When the Supreme Court overturned the federal right to abortion, between 50 and 60 percent of Americans wanted the right to stay in place. But while abortion was legal throughout the country up to a certain point in pregnancy, Americans had the luxury of not having strong or cohesive views on the topic, or thinking much about abortion at all. Their views were messy and sometimes contradictory, and there was little evidence suggesting that the issue was a political priority for anyone except Christian conservatives. In the fall of 2021, with the Dobbs case looming on the horizon, many Americans thought that Roe wasn’t in real danger.-

Now, a FiveThirtyEight analysis finds that after one of the most disruptive Supreme Court decisions in generations, many Americans — including women, young people, and Democrats — are reporting more liberal views on abortion than major pollsters have seen in years. Even conservatives, although the changes are slight, are increasingly supportive of abortion rights.

There are other signs that longstanding views are shifting: For instance, Americans are more open to the idea of unrestricted third-trimester abortion than they were even a year ago. And although it’s hard to predict what will shape upcoming elections, there are indications that abortion has the potential to be a major motivator for some Americans when they go to vote in 2024. https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/dobbs-abortion-opinion-liability-republicans/
 

John Durham Made False Statements to Congress

John Durham—the special counsel who was appointed by then-Attorney General Bill Barr to investigate the FBI’s investigation of the Trump-Russia scandal and who utterly failed to produce evidence it was a hoax—testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

When Durham came before the committee, House Republicans eagerly picked over the scraps in his final report, which has been much criticized, and they treated him as a hero. But under questioning from Democratic and Republican members, Durham misrepresented key aspects of the Russia scandal, suggesting he was either unfamiliar with basic facts or was purposefully trying to mislead the committee and the American public. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/06/john-durham-just-made-false-statements-to-congress/

Hispanics officially make up the biggest share of Texas’ population, new census numbers show

In new U.S. Census Bureau figures released Thursday, the bureau confirmed Latinos have made up the largest share of the state’s population since at least July 2022. The new population figures show Hispanic Texans made up 40.2% of the state’s population last summer, barely edging out non-Hispanic white Texans, who made up 39.8%. https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/21/census-texas-hispanic-population-demographics/

GOP state legislatures seek greater control over state and local election offices

Attempts by Republican legislatures to expand their power over how elections are run have soared since the 2020 presidential election, spurred by former President Donald Trump’s false claims of widespread fraud.

Republican lawmakers in Texas recently approved legislation that not only eliminates the top election official in the Democratic stronghold of Harris County, which includes Houston, but also permits the state’s chief election official — the secretary of state — to take over the county’s election office. The secretary is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate, both now in Republican hands. https://apnews.com/article/republicans-election-offices-control-democrats-power-grab-d62c69dd4f695b241f84ef2dc331ee8c

A.I.’s Use in Elections Sets Off a Scramble for Guardrails

What began a few months ago as a slow drip of fund-raising emails and promotional images composed by A.I. for political campaigns has turned into a steady stream of campaign materials created by the technology, rewriting the political playbook for democratic elections around the world.

Increasingly, political consultants, election researchers and lawmakers say setting up new guardrails, such as legislation reining in synthetically generated ads, should be an urgent priority. Existing defenses, such as social media rules and services that claim to detect A.I. content, have failed to do much to slow the tide.

As the 2024 U.S. presidential race starts to heat up, some of the campaigns are already testing the technology. The Republican National Committee released a video with artificially generated images of doomsday scenarios after President Biden announced his re-election bid, while Gov. Ron DeSantis posted fake images of former President Donald J. Trump with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former health official. The Democratic Party experimented with fund-raising messages drafted by artificial intelligence in the spring — and found that they were often more effective at encouraging engagement and donations than copy written entirely by humans. https://apnews.com/article/republicans-election-offices-control-democrats-power-grab-d62c69dd4f695b241f84ef2dc331ee8c

As Legal Fees Mount, Trump Steers Donations Into PAC That Has Covered Them

Facing multiple intensifying investigations, former President Donald J. Trump has quietly begun diverting more of the money he is raising away from his 2024 presidential campaign and into a political action committee that he has used to pay his personal legal fees.

The change, which went unannounced except in the fine print of his online disclosures, raises fresh questions about how Mr. Trump is paying for his mounting legal bills — which could run into millions of dollars — as he prepares for at least two criminal trials, and whether his PAC, Save America, is facing a financial crunch. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/25/us/politics/trump-donations-legal-fees.html

THE DAILY GRILL

"Hey, John Wayne Mullin..First off, my name’s O’Brien not O’Malley. Secondly, you should get your facts straight because every time you speak in these hearings you’re full of sh*t. The more you run your mouth, the more you show the American public what a moron you are." https://twitter.com/TeamsterSOB/status/1671556278626205696

VERSUS

"An attention-seeking union Teamster boss is trying to be punchy after our Senate hearing. Okay, I accept your challenge. MMA fight for charity of our choice. Sept 30th in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I’ll give you 3 days to accept." — Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) https://twitter.com/SenMullin/status/1673328467964837891


In an audio of former President Trump discussing a classified document in 2021 , Trump can be heard shuffling through papers that he says include “secret” and “highly confidential” information. He then says “these are the papers” — referring to what he claims was a plan from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, about a potential attack on Iran. https://www.nbcnews.com/video/audio-trump-discusses-a-classified-document-in-2021-185268293646

VERSUS

“Did I use the word plans? What I’m referring to is magazines, newspapers, plans of buildings. I had plans of buildings. You know, building plans? I had plans of a golf course.” — Donald Trump giving what may be his most boldfaced lie to date when  asked about his earlier comments. https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/trump-audio-tape-classified-documents-lie-rcna91546