White House Says Trump Believes In The First Amendment
Source: Talking Points Memo
By CAITLIN MACNEAL Published JANUARY 4, 2018 2:43 PM
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Thursday afternoon defended the President’s legal threats against the author and publisher of a new book about his campaign and administration and insisted that President Donald Trump does believe in the First Amendment.
“The President absolutely believes in the First Amendment. But as we’ve said before, the President also believes in making sure that information is accurate before pushing it out as fact when it certainly and clearly is not,” Sanders said when asked about the legal threats and whether Trump believes in the First Amendment.
A lawyer for Trump on Thursday morning sent cease and desist letters to author Michael Wolff and publisher Henry Holt, demanding that they stop printing and releasing Wolff’s forthcoming book about the Trump campaign and administration, “Fire and Fury.” Excerpts from the book published this week paint Trump’s campaign and administration in an unflattering light. The book also quotes former White House adviser Steve Bannon criticizing Trump and his campaign.
Trump’s lawyer, Charles Harder, sent a letter to Bannon on Wednesday night, threatening to sue him over his comments to Wolff. Harder was the lawyer who represented former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan in his legal quest against Gawker. Hogan’s lawsuit against Gawker ultimately forced the gossip news website to shutter.
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Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/sanders-trump-believes-first-amendment
White House: Bannon And Trump Were Never ‘Particularly Close’
By NICOLE LAFOND Published JANUARY 4, 2018 2:56 PM
Now that President Trump has effectively cut ties with former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, the White House isn’t sure that the two “were ever particularly close.”
During the White House press briefing on Thursday, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders attempted to dial back on the nature of Bannon and President Trump’s past relationship.
“I’m not aware that they were ever particularly close,” she said. “They’ve spoken a few times since he left the White House, but it’s not like there were regularly scheduled calls and there were certainly no meetings between the two of them.
On Wednesday afternoon, Sanders told reporters that Bannon and Trump last spoke in early December, but on Thursday afternoon Trump told reporters “I don’t talk to him. That’s just a misnomer.”
The honeymoon between Bannon and Trump abruptly ended on Wednesday afternoon, when excerpts from a new book by journalist Michael Wolff were published, revealing critical remarks Bannon had made about Trump’s son and son-in-law and a meeting they had with a Russian lawyer during the campaign. Bannon reportedly said the meeting should be considered “treasonous.”
more
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/white-house-bannon-and-trump-not-ever-particularly-close
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White House: Breitbart ‘Should Look At’ Firing Steve Bannon
By MATT SHUHAM Published JANUARY 4, 2018 2:50 PM
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday that Breitbart News “should look at” getting rid of its executive chairman, Steve Bannon, following explosive comments from him published in a forthcoming book.
According to Michael Wolff’s “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,” Bannon said that a campaign meeting attended by Donald Trump Jr. and others with Kremlin-linked Russians was “treasonous.” President Donald Trump and his administration responded quickly to quotes from the book, even issuing a cease and desist letter to Wolff’s publisher.
“You were eager to call on ESPN to fire one of its sportscasters for criticizing President Trump,” one reporter asked Sanders at a press briefing Thursday, referring to Sanders’ comments about ESPN’s Jemele Hill, who had called Trump a bigot.
“It wasn’t just criticizing, it was a little bit different than that,” Sanders interjected, referring to Hill.
“Should Breitbart part ways with Steve Bannon after the comments in this book?” the reporter asked.
“I certainly think that it’s something they should look at and consider,” Sanders replied.
more
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/white-house-sanders-breitbart-should-look-at-firing-bannon
= new reply since forum marked as read
I know at least two people in the White House who don't have a shred of credibility remaining.
Who knew "pathological lying" was a communicable disease? 
