Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Here Are The 11 Most WTF Things Trump Actually Said In A Wall Street Journal Interview

“Number one, they should go after the leakers in intelligence. I don’t mean the White House stuff where they’re fighting over who loves me the most, OK? It’s just stupid people doing that.”

Last week, the Wall Street Journal interviewed President Donald Trump in the Oval Office for 45 minutes, but only published some excerpts from the conversation.

Last week, the Wall Street Journal interviewed President Donald Trump in the Oval Office for 45 minutes, but only published some excerpts from the conversation.

Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP

However, Politico got a hold of the transcript and on Tuesday published the entire 45-minute conversation, which was led primarily by the Journal's editor-in-chief, Gerard Baker. The remarks had circulated around the Journal's newsroom and others in New York and Washington, according to Politico.

When asked why the paper did not print the interview in full, a spokesperson told Politico that they "published the noteworthy excerpts from the interview. We saw no reason to publish the crosstalk that inevitably accompanies any conversation."

In it, the president called his son-in-law a "good boy," said the Boy Scouts called and told him his speech was the greatest "ever made to them," and that he was amazed when he found out how many people live in other countries like Indonesia and Malaysia.

There was a lot going on in the interview, so we highlighted the most ~interesting~ parts.

On his politicized Boy Scouts speech:

On his politicized Boy Scouts speech:

Steve Helber / AP

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Biggest crowd they’ve ever had. What did you think?

WSJ: I thought it was an interesting speech in the context of the Boy Scouts.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Right.

WSJ: They seemed to get a lot of feedback from former scouts and –

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Did they like it?

WSJ: It seemed mixed.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: They loved it. (Laughter.) It wasn’t – it was no mix. That was a standing –

WSJ: In the – you got a good – you got a good reaction in –

PRESIDENT TRUMP: I mean, you know, he writes mostly negative stuff. But that was a standing ovation –

WSJ: You got a good reaction inside the arena, that’s right.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: – from the time I walked out on the stage – because I know. And by the way, I’d be the first to admit mixed. I’m a guy that will tell you mixed. There was no mix there. That was a standing ovation from the time I walked out to the time I left, and for five minutes after I had already gone. There was no mix.

And I got a call from the head of the Boy Scouts saying it was the greatest speech that was ever made to them, and they were very thankful. So there was – there was no mix.

In fact, an official with the organization told BuzzFeed News they were unaware of any such phone call to the president.

Not long after the speech, the chief of the Boy Scouts of America apologized to the scouts for the president's "political rhetoric" that spurred backlash from some the scouting community.

In a statement to BuzzFeed News on Tuesday, Boy Scouts of America said that "the Chief Scout Executive’s message to the Scouting community speaks for itself."


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President Trump Reportedly Called The White House "A Real Dump"

Carlos Barria / Reuters

President Trump reportedly trash-talked the White House to members of his ritzy private golf club in New Jersey, calling the presidential mansion "a real dump."

The quote was included in a Sports Illustrated profile of the president and his deep connection to golf, from his putting style to his interaction with club members of his private clubs who pony-up around $250,000 in initiation fees.

"That White House is a real dump," he reportedly told members during a recent round of golf, explaining his frequent appearances.

From the border wall to his real estate deals, President Trump has never been shy about demanding or boasting that the structures associated with him are the best. But his reported remarks on the White House could be seen as an out-of-touch critique of the presidential mansion from a president who has touted himself as the advocate for middle-class America.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the comment.

In the article, which is expected to run in the magazine's Aug. 7 issue, writer Alan Shipnuck does not mention exactly when, or to who, the comment was made to.

Sports Illustrated spoke with several people who have teed up with Trump over the years for the golf-oriented profile of a president who not only loves the sport, but owns several courses.

Carolyn Kaster / AP

According to NBC News, which has been keeping track of the president's golf play and frequent stays at his clubs, Trump has spent 58 days of his almost 200 days as president at Trump properties, frequently traveling there on the weekends.

Mar-a-Lago, the president's Florida resort, appears to be Trump's favorite, spending 25 days there since the beginning of his administration. But the president has also spent 14 days at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, according to the NBC count.

Trump was at his Bedminster club during the US Women's Open Golf tournament in July, and according to the Sports Illustrated article, the Secret Service has also established a perimeter around a cottage near the pool of the property where president often stays during his visits.

It was there that, according to Sports Illustrated, he told members of the club why he often still visits his golf course properties.



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Another Police Body Camera Video Allegedly Shows Officers Planting Drugs

A Baltimore police officer wears a body camera.

Juliet Linderman / AP

New video appears to show Baltimore police officers planting drugs inside a person's car, the local public defender's office said Monday, the second time in just weeks that police body camera footage has resulted in criminal charges being dropped.

In video released last month, an officer can be seen placing a bag of pills under garbage in an alley. He walks out to the street and activates his camera, then returns to find the drugs.

View Video ›

video-cdn.buzzfeed.com

On Monday, the Baltimore Office of the Public Defender said a series of other body camera videos from another incident appeared to show similar actions.

Videos from multiple officers show the search of a car, including the driver's side. The officers then turned their body cameras off and reactivated them, the public defender's office said.

"When the cameras come back on one officer is seen squatting by the driver’s seat area. The group of officers then wait approximately 30 seconds," the public defender's office said. "Shortly thereafter, another officer asks if the area by that compartment has been searched. Nobody responds, and the officer reaches in and locates a bag that appears to contain drugs right by where the prior officer was, and where the car had been thoroughly searched about a half an hour prior with absolutely no results."

In the first case, a feature of the camera tripped up the officer's apparent scheme to plant evidence. Cameras capture silent footage from 30 seconds before officers turn them on — a feature aimed at showing what led up to a critical incident or use of force.

Videos of the second incident have not been publicly released, but the Baltimore Sun reported that criminal charges were dropped Monday in the case. An attorney representing the person apparently targeted did not immediately return a request for comment.

The Baltimore Police Department has launched internal affairs investigations into the two separate incidents. Police spokesman T.J. Smith said the department takes allegations of misconduct seriously, and the officers are under investigation.

"The police department works closely with the Office of the Public Defender and the State's Attorney's Office," he said. "Anytime an allegation of misconduct is made, we take it seriously and investigate it fully."

Baltimore police outfitted 500 of its officers with body-worn cameras in response to Freddie Gray, a black man who died after being arrested and transported by officers. Local officials hoped to bring more accountability to the department, which protesters accused of using excessive force and unfairly targeting people because of race.

LINK: This Shocking Video Appears To Show Baltimore Police Planting Drugs At A Crime Scene



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All The Misleading Statements Made So Far About Trump Jr.'s Meeting With The Russians

As investigations into Russian interference in the presidential election continue, the revelation that Donald Trump Jr. and other senior members of the Trump campaign met with a Kremlin-affiliated lawyer last year has plagued the White House in recent weeks.

Here’s how the story from Trump Jr., White House officials, and the president’s lawyer has repeatedly shifted as further details of the meeting have emerged.

The (Shifting) Initial Explanations

David Becker / Getty Images

In his initial July 8 statement to the New York Times, which first broke the news of the meeting, Trump Jr. said only that the issue of adopting Russian children was "primarily discussed" in the "short introductory meeting."

The following day, after another Times story, Trump Jr. offered a different explanation, conceding that he was told prior to the meeting the woman "might have information helpful to the campaign" but not elaborating further.

On July 11, after being contacted by the Times for comment, Trump Jr. finally released emails that clearly showed he had met with the lawyer after being explicitly told she was part of a Russian government attempt to support his father and oppose Hillary Clinton.

"So as far as you know, as far as this incident is concerned, this is all of it?" Fox News host Sean Hannity asked him that evening.

"This is everything. This is everything," he said.

In the days that followed, it emerged there were multiple other people in the room that Trump Jr. had not mentioned, including a lobbyist/former Soviet military officer and a Russian property developer.

The (Shifting) Explanations For That First Explanation

Mark Wilson / Getty Images

During Tuesday's press briefing, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders claimed that Trump Jr.'s initial statement had been accurate.

"The statement that Don Jr. issued is true," she said. "There’s no inaccuracy in the statement."

However, this is highly misleading.

While Trump Jr.'s initial statement said Russian adoption was "primarily discussed" in the meeting, he did not specify that he thought the meeting would be about getting dirt on Clinton from Moscow.

The administration has also shifted its story on who was involved in authoring that first statement.

On Monday, the Washington Post reported, citing several sources, that President Trump himself had dictated the statement his oldest son initially released.

Sanders on Tuesday confirmed to reporters the president had been involved in drafting the statement—but, she said, he didn't "dictate" the statement as the Washington Post had reported; instead, he had "weighed in" on it, she said. She did not elaborate when asked to what extent the president "weighed in."

"The president weighed in as any father would, based on the limited information that he had," she said. "This is all discussion, frankly, of no consequence."

That admission from Sanders contradicts what she and Trump's lawyer, Jay Sekulow, have been saying for weeks: that Trump had nothing to do with Trump Jr.'s statements about his meeting.

"The president wasn't involved in that," Sekulow said on Good Morning America on July 12, the day after Trump Jr. released the emails.

Sekulow told Chris Cuomo on CNN the same thing. "I wasn't involved in the statement drafting at all. Nor was the president," he said.

On July 16's episode of Meet The Press, Sekulow again said, "I do want to be clear, the president was not involved in the drafting of the statement and did not issue the statement."

At a July 12 press briefing, Sanders also told reporters who asked if the president had helped craft Trump Jr.'s statement, "Not that I'm aware of, but I just don't know the answer to that."

Sekulow did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

LINK: Trump's Inner Circle Met With A Kremlin-Linked Russian Lawyer During The Election

LINK: Donald Trump Jr. Released The Emails Setting Up His Meeting With The Russian Lawyer



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A Man Allegedly Hid His Ex-Girlfriend's Body In A Freezer While His New Girlfriend Took Over The Victim's Life

Arturo Novoa and Katrina Layton

Mahoning County Sheriff's Department

An Ohio man and his live-in girlfriend were arrested Saturday, after the remains of his missing ex-girlfriend's body were found in his freezer, authorities said.

Arturo Novoa aka Anthony Gonzalez, 31, and Katrina Layton, 34, were charged with abuse of a corpse — a felony that carries a maximum sentence of 12 months in prison. They are currently being held in jail with their bond set at $1 million each.

Authorities believe the body is that of Shannon Graves, a 28-year-old woman who was reported missing on June 22. She is presumed to be dead and the victim of foul play, according to the criminal complaint provided to BuzzFeed News.

Katrina Layton

Facebook

Layton, who became Novoa's live-in girlfriend, "started living the life of the victim," Youngstown City Prosecutor Dana Lantz told BuzzFeed News.

Layton moved into the Graves' home with Novoa, drove her car, used her cell phone and her food card, according to Lantz. She even looked after Graves' dog, authorities said.

"She was the new girlfriend," Lantz said, adding that while it was not a case of identity theft, Layton "basically took over [Graves'] place in Mr. Novoa's life."

Police on Saturday recovered the body from a freezer at the home of one of Novoa's friends, Kenny Eshenbaugh, according to the complaint.

Novoa had asked for his freezer to be put in Eshenbaugh's basement. He told Eshenbaugh that his power had been cut and he didn't want "his freezer full of meat to spoil," the complaint said.

Eshenbaugh agreed but noticed there was a padlock on the freezer. On Saturday, Eshenbaugh called police after his wife opened the freezer and discovered human remains kept in "more than one bag" inside the freezer, according to the complaint.

Facebook: missingshannongraves

Novoa was described by authorities as Graves' "live-in boyfriend." Graves' last known contact with anyone was on Feb. 24, Lantz said.

Graves' sister, Debbie Depaul, reported her missing last month after she became concerned about Graves' prolonged disappearance, according to a police incident report.

Shannon Graves / Via Facebook: missingshannongraves

Depaul told police that Graves abused heroin and other drugs so it was common for her to go long periods of time without communicating, but that "she had never gone this long without speaking to anyone," the report said.

She said she was concerned for her sister's safety due to Graves' lifestyle and her disappearance.

Lantz told BuzzFeed News that she believes the victim in Novoa's freezer is Graves but that authorities are awaiting official confirmation from the medical examiner's office.

Authorities have not yet established a clear motive and have not charged Novoa and Layton with Graves' death. However, Lantz suggested that the two suspects could face additional charges as the investigation continued. It was also unclear how long Novoa had allegedly hidden Graves' body in his freezer.



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This Newspaper Says The Newest Reason To Hate Millennials Is They Have Never Seen A Real-Life Cow

“After a quick image search I’m ashamed to say that it seems what I’ve always thought was a cow was actually a tractor.”

Are you a older person who hasn't gotten your fill of millennial-hating this week? Well the Telegraph in the UK has a new reason for you to hate them. It claims a study shows one in eight youngsters have never seen a real-life cow.

Are you a older person who hasn't gotten your fill of millennial-hating this week? Well the Telegraph in the UK has a new reason for you to hate them. It claims a study shows one in eight youngsters have never seen a real-life cow.

Yuri Kadobnov / AFP / Getty Images

The study says young people are so losing touch with the countryside that some only see farm animals on TV. It also says there is "substantial lack of knowledge among young adults when it comes to basic fruit and vegetables."

The study says young people are so losing touch with the countryside that some only see farm animals on TV. It also says there is "substantial lack of knowledge among young adults when it comes to basic fruit and vegetables."

"More than half of those polled did not know strawberries are a summer fruit (54%) and nine in ten do not know turnips are best grown in the winter," the newspaper reported.

Stringer / AFP / Getty Images


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The Private Detective Who Ignited A Clinton Conspiracy Theory Has Sued Fox News

Fox News

The private detective who ignited a false conspiracy theory about a murdered Democratic National Committee staffer sued Fox News and others on Tuesday, saying the network "created fake news to advance President Trump’s agenda."

Rod Wheeler — a former DC Metropolitan Police Department homicide detective, who, per his LinkedIn, has been a contributor to Fox News since 2002 — said in the lawsuit that a quote was attributed to him that he never said.

In a Fox News article, Wheeler said in May that the murdered staffer, Seth Rich, was in communication with Wikileaks and leaked DNC emails during the 2016 presidential campaign — not Russia, as major US intelligence agencies concluded. President Trump's campaign is under multiple investigations to determine if it colluded with Russia to tip the election in his favor.

Fox News — specifically personality Sean Hannity — was a chief peddler of the Rich conspiracy theory, and had to retract the story. Hannity also said he would stop pushing the theory.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates and follow BuzzFeed News on Twitter.

Here's more reading on the fake conspiracy theory:

Meet The Private Detective Who Ignited A Clinton Conspiracy Theory

The Private Detective Who Ignited A Clinton Conspiracy Theory Says He Was Misquoted

The Man Behind The Seth Rich Private Investigation Has A White House Connection

The Family Of A Murdered DNC Staffer Has Rejected A Report Linking His Death To WikiLeaks

Fox News Has Retracted Its Seth Rich Story

Sean Hannity Says That, For Now, He'll Stop Spreading Conspiracy Theories About Seth Rich On Fox News

Here's the lawsuit




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