Latest news with #BidenWhiteHouse
Russia Today
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Americans irritated by Zelensky's top aide
A growing number of American officials – from Capitol Hill to the Trump administration – are expressing deep frustration with Vladimir Zelensky's powerful chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, according to a Politico report. Yermak's repeated visits to Washington since the escalation of the conflict with Moscow in 2022 have been seen as increasingly unproductive and even counterproductive, according to ten people familiar with his interactions, the publication reported on Thursday. US officials describe Yermak as 'abrasive,' prone to pressing unclear demands, and 'uninformed' about the realities of US politics. His most recent trip to DC earlier this month included poorly attended briefings, last-minute meeting cancellations – including with Secretary Rubio – and confusion among aides about his purpose in town. 'We don't know why he's here,' one of the sources said, while another Trump administration source branded him a 'bipartisan irritator.' The Biden White House reportedly tolerated Yermak as an acceptable source of friction during wartime. But with President Donald Trump pressuring Kiev toward diplomacy, he now appears to have become an 'existential liability' for Ukraine, according to another source. Yermak dismissed the criticism, telling Politico through a spokesperson: 'If that means being considered 'challenging' by others — so be it,' stressing that he is focused on championing Ukraine's sovereignty regardless of political niceties. However, Yermak was reportedly 'extremely frustrated' with the results of his visit, according to another Politico source. One person described the trip as 'a disaster from the Ukrainian perspective.' Yermak is a former film producer whom Zelensky – an actor turned politician – brought into government in 2019. The 53-year-old has previously been described as 'Zelensky's right-hand man' and 'Ukraine's real power broker,' with some officials even claiming that he de facto runs the country.
Fox News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off and more top headlines
1. Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off 2. Iran warns it will respond if US gets involved with Israeli strikes 3. President Trump throws TikTok a lifeline as ban deadline approaches VERDICT LOOMS – Karen Read jury zeroes in on lesser charge. Continue reading … TRIAL TWIST – Diddy's defense team signals shift in strategy as prosecutors wrap up. Continue reading … BENCH PRESS – Bryan Kohberger judge could slap contempt charges on leakers. Continue reading … WOKE & ROLL – Rock band frontman declares Trump voters are 'not allowed' at his shows. Continue reading … 1969 – 2025 – Food Network star Anne Burrell dies at 55. Continue reading … -- 'SO BE IT' – Florida AG in contempt after telling officers to ignore judge's immigration ruling. Continue reading … BIOLOGY BATTLE – Biden-appointed judge blocks Trump's move to only allow two genders on U.S. passports. Continue reading … ENEMIES AT THE GATE – Trump's approach to Africa lauded for 'outside the box' thinking. Continue reading … 'DESTRUCTIVE' – FBI Director says man who threatened Trump used same message as Comey's Instagram post. Continue reading … HEALTH SHOWDOWN – Popular YouTube doctor reveals what's really wrong with America's obesity epidemic. Continue reading … EMPTY DESKS – Chicago schools face enrollment crisis with 150 buildings half-empty. Continue reading … NETWORK IN CRISIS – CNN morale 'really grim' as network faces uncertain future with corporate split. Continue reading … WE WILL 'RESIST' – Sanctuary city mayor warns Trump against sending military forces to its streets. Continue reading … SEAN DUFFY – Take a Great American Road Trip and rediscover our amazing country. Continue reading … BEN CARSON – After COVID confusion, how can we rebuild trust in public health leaders? Continue reading … -- BIGGER BUDGET – Social Security recipients could get more money next year than previously thought. Continue reading … HIDDEN WARNINGS – Study finds 'surprising' way to spot cancer three years before diagnosis. Continue reading … AMERICAN CULTURE QUIZ – Test yourself on famous fathers and starry skies. Take the quiz here … RENAISSANCE RELIC – Untouched 16th-century shipwreck discovered at unprecedented depth. Continue reading … IMPRESSIVE – An 80-year-old held a plank for 50 minutes, setting a potential record for his age group. See video … ERICK STAKELBECK – The Iranian regime is teetering on the brink of collapse. See video … SEN. JOHN THUNE – Iran has menaced that region of the world for 50 years. See video … Tune in to the FOX NEWS RUNDOWN PODCAST for today's in-depth reporting on the news that impacts you. Check it out ... What's it looking like in your neighborhood? Continue reading… Thank you for making us your first choice in the morning! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Thursday.
Fox News
05-06-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Biden-era White House reporters express disbelief on Karine Jean-Pierre's sudden party switch
Reporters who covered the Biden White House are in disbelief that former press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre ditched the Democratic Party to pen a new book in a "desperate" attempt to revive her career. The longtime spokesperson for former President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that she switched her affiliation to independent. Jean-Pierre also revealed an upcoming book, "Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines," that quickly raised eyebrows among the journalists who dealt with her in the briefing room. One White House reporter sarcastically called the project "amazing," and suggested Jean-Pierre's book won't carry much weight. "Did she find the manuscript somewhere in that fat binder she toted around? If I were a historian writing about the Biden White House, I wouldn't ignore what Karine has to say, but it's not an account in which much weight will be invested — just like her briefings," the White House reporter told Fox News Digital. A second White House reporter said they wouldn't have even realized Jean-Pierre was in the news if Fox News Digital didn't ask about it. "She left the Democratic Party? I honestly didn't see that story and probably wouldn't have even noticed. I turned off my KJP Google Alert on Inauguration Day," the reporter reacted, before joking, "Has anyone circled back with Jen Psaki?" Psaki, who preceded Jean-Pierre as Biden's press secretary, famously responded to tough questions by declaring she would "circle back" with an answer, but those answers rarely came. A third White House reporter was "shocked" that Jean-Pierre had left the Democratic Party. "I have to pick my jaw up from the floor. It is unbelievable that she, of all people, would choose this path," the reporter told Fox News Digital. "Just take a look at her entire career and identity," they said. "You can't change who you are just because you check a different box on a registration form. It's also disappointing to see that she would turn her back on her party just because it's hit a really rough patch... it speaks to character." The third White House reporter said it was widely assumed that Jean-Pierre would follow in Psaki's footsteps for the second time and take a gig at MSNBC or another news organization. "But these two press secretaries could not be more different, and in a way, when you are in that role you are auditioning for your next job, whatever that is gonna be. I think it was painfully apparent that she would not handle a job like that, so no, I did not think she was going to get her own show or something like that," the reporter told Fox News Digital. "I didn't really know what she was going to do because she did such a bad job as press secretary and that's both in front of the cameras and behind the scenes," the reporter continued. "Many reporters felt like KJP didn't meet the mark." The third anonymous reporter said Jean-Pierre's shortcomings became even more apparent when Trump press secretary Karoline Leavitt took control of the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room. "If you talk to people who covered both administrations back-to-back, Karoline Leavitt is such whiplash because she understands how to build a relationship with reporters across the spectrum, and she is a star on camera," the third White House reporter said. CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson recently went on a wide-ranging media tour to promote their book, "Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again," which details Biden's mental acuity concerns while in office and accuses the Biden White House of lying to reporters and voters. Jean-Pierre routinely dismissed questions about Biden's fitness as White House press secretary as early as 2022. The third White House reporter doesn't anticipate a similar press tour for Jean-Pierre, who will presumably look to avoid questions about whether she played a key role in the "cover-up." "I think she'll probably go to friendly media and that will be a big difference because, and I don't think the buzz will be there," they said. "There is a historical record literally on camera of her, you know, saying all the things she said that turned out to be not true." On Wednesday, the announcement from publisher Legacy Lit, a division of the Hachette Book Group, insisted Jean-Pierre's book will take readers "through the three weeks that led to Biden's abandoning his bid for a second term and the betrayal by the Democratic Party that led to his decision." "She presents clear arguments and provocative evidence as an insider about the importance of dismantling the torrent of disinformation and misinformation that has been rampant in recent elections and provides passionate insight for moving forward," the announcement said. Jean-Pierre also shared the news in a video posted to Instagram, where she explained that the new book was her answer to a way forward for Americans who feel distraught about the current Trump administration. A fourth anonymous reporter who covered the Biden White House said Jean-Pierre appears "desperate" to salvage her career. "I wish Karine had broken from the party line during the last administration. Maybe then her press briefings would have actually been useful every once in a while," the fourth reporter told Fox News Digital. Reagan Reese, White House correspondent for the Daily Caller, mocked the notion that the longtime Democratic Party operative is truly an independent. "Now that she's independent, I can't wait to hear what Republicans KJP will be voting for in upcoming elections," Reese told Fox News Digital. Legacy Lit and Jean-Pierre did not immediately respond to requests for comment. "Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines" hits retailers in October.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Issue Is: Alex Thompson and 'Original Sin'
LOS ANGELES - "Original Sin" by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson is the best-selling book in America this week, according to the New York Times. It's dominated the political conversation more than any other book has in years. Co-author Alex Thompson joins us this week on "The Issue Is:" to talk about what was really going on at the Biden White House, reaction to the book, and changes that are needed in the media going forward. "The Issue Is: with Elex Michaelson" is California's statewide political show. Watch more episodes at
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
FBI reopens investigation into cocaine at White House, leaked Dobbs opinion
The FBI has decided to reopen or push for more resources for three major cases that garnered high-profile interest -- and drew ire from some congressional Republicans, Deputy Director Dan Bongino announced on Monday. The cases include a 2021 pipe bomber, the cocaine found at the Biden White House over the Fourth of July weekend in 2023 and a leaked landmark Supreme Court opinion. "Shortly after swearing in, the Director and I evaluated a number of cases of potential public corruption that, understandably, have garnered public interest," Bongino posted on X. "We made the decision to either re-open, or push additional resources and investigative attention, to these cases. "I receive requested briefings on these cases weekly and we are making progress," he added. "If you have any investigative tips on these matters that may assist us then please contact the FBI." MORE: FBI has opened 250 investigations tied to violent online network '764' that preys on teens, top official says In July 2023, over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, cocaine was found at the White House, but the Secret Service closed the case on July 12, 2023, saying it couldn't identify a suspect. The cocaine was found in an area that the White House said hundreds of people had access to and that there was no security footage of the incident. "Without physical evidence, the investigation will not be able to single out a person of interest from the hundreds of individuals who passed through the vestibule where the cocaine was discovered," the FBI said in a statement that July. "At this time, the Secret Service's investigation is closed due to a lack of physical evidence." House Republicans criticized the closure of the investigation, saying it raised security concerns at the White House. "This alarming development requires the Committee to assess White House security practices and determine whose failures led to an evacuation of the building and finding of the illegal substance," House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., wrote on July 7 to then-Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle. The FBI is also looking into who leaked the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision, which led to the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, sending abortion rights decisions down to the state level. The Supreme Court's investigative authority looked into the leak but couldn't determine who the leaker was. MORE: Photos show cocaine found inside White House complex in July The pipe bombing case occurred when two explosive devices were placed outside the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee offices in Washington, D.C., a day before the Jan. 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol. The case has vexed law enforcement and was a talking point of FBI Director Kash Patel's even before he assumed his post as head of the FBI. Law enforcement has been unable to find out who placed the devices despite video evidence of the incidents. FBI reopens investigation into cocaine at White House, leaked Dobbs opinion originally appeared on
