President Trump's antipathy for the news media was on full display at his 75-minute solo press conference on Thursday, and as he usually does, Trump singled out one news organization for special abuse: CNN. But Trump is doing more than throwing the phrase "fake news" at the network that pays Jeffrey Lord to defend him on the air; he has also sent his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner to complain to executives at CNN and its parent company, Time Warner, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday night, citing "a White House official and other people familiar with the matter."
In a recent White House meeting with Time Warner executive vice president Gary Ginsberg, for example, Kushner reportedly argued that CNN was unfairly critical of Trump. Kushner "has taken issue with specific CNN contributors including Van Jones, a Democrat who served in the Obama administration, and Ana Navarro, a Republican strategist, who have each criticized Mr. Trump in harsh terms," The Wall Street Journal reports. Navarro did not seem particularly concerned:
Really, Little Jared complaining about me cuz I get under President Daddy-in-Law's skin? Oh, baby boy, I'm so sorry. https://t.co/4W8Sh9sHxy
— Ana Navarro (@ananavarro) February 17, 2017
As it turns out, Time Warner is awaiting federal approval for an $85.4 billion sale to AT&T — though "people familiar with the matter" told WSJ that Kushner and Ginsberg, longtime friends, did not discuss the merger in the White House meeting. Trump opposed the merger in the final weeks of the presidential campaign, specifically citing CNN, which isn't normal, according to University of Maryland journalism historian Mark Feldstein. "Lord knows that every president has been angered by their news coverage, going back to George Washington," he said. "But to engage in that kind of bare-knuckled tactics is extraordinary."
The unidentified White House official suggested that CNN be more like Fox News, saying "it's obvious" that CNN's "ratings have suffered as a result" of it's "dishonest coverage of the president," while Fox News' "ratings have never been better," thanks to their "mostly fair" Trump coverage. According to Nielsen, CNN's daytime ratings are up 51 percent this year in the key 25-to-54 demographic, while Fox News' ratings are up 55 percent among the same groups. You can read more at The Wall Street Journal. Peter Weber
"We have made a lot of progress as far as denuclearization is concerned and we are talking about a lot of different things. Things are going very well with North Korea," President Trump told reporters Saturday of his Friday conversation with North Korean negotiator Kim Yong Chol.
"That was an incredible meeting," Trump said. "We've agreed to [another summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un], probably the end of February. We've picked a country, but we'll be announcing it in the future. Kim Jong Un is looking very forward to it and so am I."
Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore are thought to be under consideration for the summit's location. Read a "plausible roadmap to peace with North Korea" from The Week's Harry J. Kazianis here. Bonnie Kristian
At least 66 people were killed and dozens more injured Friday when a fuel pipeline in Mexico exploded after being ruptured by fuel thieves. Some 85 people not included in the current death toll are listed as missing as of Saturday morning.
A crowd of people had gathered to collect the spilling fuel in plastic containers when the fireball occurred. Local authorities said the death toll could continue to rise given the severity of the injuries and the number of people whose whereabouts remain unknown.
Illegal pipeline taps like this one, which occurred near the town of Tlahuelilpan about 60 miles north of Mexico City, are a chronic problem in Mexico; an average of 42 taps were drilled daily in the first 10 months of 2018. "Far from stopping the fight ... against fuel theft, it's going to become stronger," said Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Saturday. "We'll continue until we've eradicated these practices." Bonnie Kristian
Jason Van Dyke, the Chicago police officer convicted of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery for his fatal shooting of a black teenager named Laquan McDonald in 2014, was sentenced Friday to six years and nine months in prison.
With good behavior, Van Dyke could be out of custody in three years or less, his lawyer said. The special prosecutor who handled the case had requested a sentence of 18 to 20 years, and the sentence Van Dyke received is for the murder charge alone, not the battery. Each of the battery convictions had a mandatory minimum sentence of six years, and the judge could have ordered them to be served sequentially.
On Thursday, three other officers accused of falsifying reports to justify the shooting were acquitted. Bonnie Kristian
Saturday's third annual Women's March is expected to draw smaller crowds than in previous years thanks to accusations of anti-Semitism among national organizers.
Former Democratic National Committee chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-Fla.) formally withdrew her participation Friday, saying she "cannot associate with the national march's leaders and principles, which refuse to completely repudiate anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry."
Other prominent speakers and sponsors from past years — including Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), the Democratic National Committee, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and NARAL — have cut ties as well. Most did not issue specific statements explaining their decision.
For those who do participate, events are organized in Washington, D.C., as well as hundreds of other cities nationwide and around the world. Policy focuses this year include the minimum wage, health care, and opposition to President Trump.
Read The Week's Shikha Dalmia here on the controversy and divisions within the march's ranks. Bonnie Kristian
