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CNN Pundit Says ‘We Were Lied To' About Trump's Far-Right Ties

CNN Pundit Says ‘We Were Lied To' About Trump's Far-Right Ties

Yahoo06-04-2025

A political pundit on CNN has accused the president of 'lying' to the American people about his ties to the far-right.
'This is the worst fear of a lot of people, who just to be honest with you, were gaslit and told that there was no connection between Donald Trump and white nationalism,' Van Lathan said during a Saturday appearance of Table for Five.
'We were lied to,' he went on. 'They're in the White House, they're talking to the president, and he's listening.'
Lathan's comments come just days after Trump is alleged to have fired several National Security Council officials on the advice of far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer.
A 9/11 truther, self-described 'pro-white nationalist,' and 'proud Islamophobe,' Loomer reportedly singled out several of the now-fired aides for perceived disloyalty to Trump during an Oval Office discussion during which National Security Adviser Mike Waltz was also present.
Waltz has taken 'full responsibility' for last week's Signal chat fiasco, in which The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg was added to a Signal messaging group in which senior Trump cabinet officials discussed highly sensitive details about attacks on Yemen.
Since then, Loomer had repeatedly pushed tenuous links between Waltz's aides and Trump's adversaries, including former President Joe Biden and the Chinese Communist Party, in particular suggesting those aides, rather than Waltz, might have been responsible for adding Goldberg to the chat.
'There's nothing off limits anymore,' CNN host Abby Phillip said in response to Lathan's comments on Saturday.
She further reflected that during Trump's presidency, high-ranking GOP figures had been unnerved by the White House presence of advisors and confidants like Sidney Powell and Rudy Guliani 'because of how loony they were in that time.'
'Now, it seems like nobody is saying anything at all,' she added.

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Curtis Sliwa vows to stay in NYC mayoral race as donors plot to stop Mamdani
Curtis Sliwa vows to stay in NYC mayoral race as donors plot to stop Mamdani

Yahoo

time36 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Curtis Sliwa vows to stay in NYC mayoral race as donors plot to stop Mamdani

EXCLUSIVE: New York City Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa slammed the door on any talk of him dropping out of the race, and blamed incumbent Eric Adams for the rise of socialist Zohran Mamdani. Prominent donors are exploring ways to get Sliwa to drop out of the race to open up the GOP nomination – with Adams being touted to replace him, according to a New York Post report. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who lost the Democratic primary to Mamdani last week, could also be on the ticket in November. But Sliwa, a lifelong New Yorker and founder of the Guardian Angels crime-prevention group, insisted to Fox News Digital that he is the man for the job. He also spoke about his fractured relationship with President Donald Trump and said he would welcome the president's endorsement, should it come. 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Mamdani's campaign did not respond to a request for comment. Sliwa said his campaign is focused on public safety and housing affordability, embracing the slogan "improve, don't move," which taps into disgruntled voters who may seek to join the exodus of people fleeing the city in recent years. He also thinks his no-kill policy for the city's animal shelters will bring in moderate Democrats, women voters, younger generations and animal advocates who might not typically support a Republican candidate. Sliwa is known for his deep love of cats, often highlighting his devotion to rescuing and caring for strays. Sliwa scoffed at the notion that Mamdani's social media influence could be a deciding factor, arguing the race will be won by connecting with people on the ground. The assemblyman has nearly 2 million followers on Instagram, compared to Sliwa's 66,000, while the socialist candidate has more than 910,000 followers on TikTok compared to Sliwa's 183,000. 'Delusional' Nyc Politicians Called Out By Guardian Angels Founder Over Subway Violence: 'Slap In The Face' "I already know how to appeal to young people," Sliwa said, noting he's been recruiting young people for decades to lead the Guardian Angels. "My Baby Boomer generation talks about Gen Z like they're lazy or stupid… They couldn't be more wrong. That just pushes them into Mamdani's camp." A Trump endorsement could also shift momentum in Sliwa's favor. Though he called his relationship with the president a "love-hate" one, Trump's rallies in the Bronx and at Madison Square Garden last year suggest a shifting political tide in the city – and a joint appearance with Sliwa could prove a game-changer. "I don't talk to President Trump on the phone. I haven't been to Mar-a-Lago or gone to Washington," Sliwa said. "He seems to talk to Eric Adams. Look, he saved him from going to prison, I understand that. In the last election, I voted for him and I encouraged people to vote for him." But Sliwa said he is open to receiving Trump's backing, even if the race is not on the president's radar. "Well, if it comes, that's fine. If it doesn't come, remember I ran the last time, I was not endorsed by President Trump," Sliwa said. "[Trump] did not endorse Eric Adams. He basically stayed out of the race. He's got enough issues to deal with – Ukraine, Russia, Iran, obviously his beautiful bill and everything else that he's got on his plate that has geopolitical significance. Who's the next mayor of New York City should be last on his priority list." Sliwa's campaign thus far has lacked much visibility, given in part to him winning the GOP nomination uncontested. But he said the win unlocks vital matching funds that will turbocharge his campaign in the general election. "So now I have the resources. I'm in the streets and the one place that Zohan Mamdani is not, nor any of the other candidates. I live in the subways and that is the melting pot for all people in New York City." "The blue-collar working class, the hipsters, the millennials, Gen Z and people who are baby boomers. And if you're not in the subway, which is a great focus group, you're not dealing with regular average everyday people, because as goes the subways, so goes New York City." "It's our veins and arteries."Original article source: Curtis Sliwa vows to stay in NYC mayoral race as donors plot to stop Mamdani

EPA employees put names to 'declaration of dissent' over agency moves under Trump

time37 minutes ago

EPA employees put names to 'declaration of dissent' over agency moves under Trump

A group of Environmental Protection Agency employees on Monday published a declaration of dissent from the agency's policies under the Trump administration, saying they 'undermine the EPA mission of protecting human health and the environment.' More than 170 EPA employees put their names to the document, with about 100 more signing anonymously out of fear of retaliation, according to Jeremy Berg, a former editor-in-chief of Science magazine who is not an EPA employee but was among non-EPA scientists or academics to also sign. The latter figure includes over 70 Nobel laureates. The letter represents rare public criticism from agency employees who could face blowback for speaking out against a weakening of funding and federal support for climate, environmental and health science. Scientists at the National Institutes of Health made a similar move earlier in June. "Since the Agency's founding in 1970, EPA has accomplished (its) mission by leveraging science, funding, and expert staff in service to the American people. Today, we stand together in dissent against the current administration's focus on harmful deregulation, mischaracterization of previous EPA actions, and disregard for scientific expertise," the letter read. Agency spokespeople did not immediately respond Monday to messages seeking comment. 'I'm really sad. This agency, that was a superhero for me in my youth, we're not living up to our ideals under this administration. And I really want us to,' said Amelia Hertzberg, an environmental protection specialist at the EPA who has been on administrative leave since February from the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights, while the administration works to close down her department. Hertzberg's work focused on the most vulnerable groups impacted by pollution: pregnant and nursing people, young children and babies, the elderly, people with preexisting and chronic health conditions and people living in communities exposed to higher levels of pollution. That wasn't supposed to be controversial, but it's become so in this political climate, she said. 'Americans should be able to drink their water and breathe their air without being poisoned. And if they aren't, then our government is failing,' she said. Berg, who also directed the National Institute of General Medical Sciences at NIH from 2003-2011, said the dissent isn't motivated by partisan criticism. He said the employees hope it will help the EPA get back to the mission for which it was established — which 'only matters if you breathe air and drink water." The letter outlines what the EPA employees see as five main concerns: undermining public trust; ignoring scientific consensus to benefit polluters; reversing EPA's progress in America's most vulnerable communities; dismantling the Office of Research and Development; and promoting a culture of fear, forcing staff to choose between their livelihood and well-being. Under Administrator Lee Zeldin, EPA has cut funding for environmental improvements in minority communities, vowed to roll back federal regulations that lower air pollution in national parks and tribal reservations, wants to undo a ban on a type of asbestos and proposed repealing rules that limit planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from power plants fueled by coal and natural gas. Zeldin began reorganizing the EPA's research and development office as part of his push to slash their budget and gut their study of climate change and environmental justice. And he's seeking to roll back pollution rules that an Associated Press examination found were estimated to save 30,000 lives and $275 billion every year. 'People are going to die,' said Carol Greider, a Nobel laureate and professor of molecular and cellular biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who also signed the letter. She described last week's East Coast heat wave as evidence of the ways people are feeling the effects of climate change. 'And if we don't have scientists at the EPA to understand how what we do that goes into the air affects our health, more people are going to die,' she added. Berg said the declarations of dissent from both the NIH and EPA employees are noteworthy because they represent scientists speaking out as their careers are on the line. Even non-agency employees have to consider whether the government will withdraw research funding. Greider, asked about fears of repercussions or retaliation, said she's 'living the repercussions of everything.' She regularly meets with graduate students who are worried about pursuing scientific careers as labs lose funding. It's a long-term problem if we aren't supporting the next generation of scientists, she said: "That's decades worth of loss.' ___

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