Latest news with #OutsidethePartyLines
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - How deep does loyalty run in Washington?
President Harry S. Truman is often credited for saying: 'If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.' He never said that, though. And he was once given a dog (Feller), but his wife, Bess, would not let him keep it at the White House. His physician became its keeper. There is a popular notion abroad in the land that politicians have few real friends, and that what friendships there are in the nation's capital are fleeting and unreliable. The very noisy, nasty feud that broke out last week between Elon Musk and President Trump only reinforced that stereotype. Musk may have once referred to his relationship with Trump as 'first buddy,' but it became clear with the breakup that this was no Butch and Sundance buddy flick. It was more like an Incredible Hulk-Terminator faceoff. What purportedly set Musk off was his belated discovery that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act didn't actually reduce the deficit, it increases it by $2.5 trillion over the next decade. His new mantra became, 'Kill the bill,' and he vowed to defeat anyone who voted for it, to form a new independent party, hinted at Trump's impeachment, and suggested that Trump appears in the files on convicted sex-offender Jeffrey Epstein. The first set of government files were partially released by Attorney General Pam Bondi on Feb. 27. Musk has subsequently deleted his X-posts on impeachment and Epstein, perhaps signaling a thaw. Trump responded in their exchange of vicious social media blasts by threatening to defund Musk's lucrative government space contracts and suggesting Musk had 'lost his mind.' He said what really set Musk off was the loss of government subsidies for electric vehicles like Tesla. Is their swift falling-out proof that there are no real friendships or loyalty forged in Washington? Probably not. Their case is atypical. It is more an example of two very rich, powerful, and highly competitive egos thrashing it out for attention and primacy. That's hardly sound grounding for the growth of genuine friendships, let alone lasting loyalty, whether in Washington or anywhere else. The Trump-Musk fissure does raise the issue of whether loyalty is less possible and more volatile in a political environment where winning is often described as everything. Think of the parade of officials who fell-out with the White House in Trump's first administration, like Michael Flynn, Rex Tillerson, John Kelly, James Mattis, H.R. McMaster, John Bolton, Nikki Haley and others. Or take former President Biden's crowd that either kept mum, covered-up, or remained in denial over his decline in mental acuity. Biden's former press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre is the most recent example, declaring her party switch to Independent with the publication of her book, 'Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines.' No party or president has a monopoly on the disillusioned who either resign or are fired. It happens frequently to those whose first loyalty is to the Constitution and not their president. This phenomenon is most visible at the White House or Cabinet levels where the stakes are the highest and the struggles for power are often the most vicious. Members of Congress come and go with election defeats, retirements and aspirations for higher office. But their former top staffers usually stay on and move to work for other members. When Hill staff wear out, they sometimes move on to jobs as lobbyists, with think tanks, or in academia, again, all the time widening their circle of close friends. Those who want to exploit their past glories and positions of power for fame and fortune as media stars or sensational book authors have very short half-lives, and their circle of former friends often shrinks. What does all this have to do with the Trump-Musk super feud? Not a whole lot. They go their separate ways, continuing to amass power, with any allusions to past friendships and loyalty losing any relevance. There's not much there that average citizens can identify with or even care about, other than for its pure entertainment value. Trump is the only president in a century who has not had a dog while in office. An August 2018 Newsweek story, 'Trump doesn't like dogs and dogs don't like him,' quotes his first ex-wife Ivana from her memoir, 'Donald was not a dog fan.' He certainly didn't take to her pet poodle, Chappie, and vice versa. We don't know how many actual friends he has, but one thing that remains constant over time is that the presidency is probably still the loneliest job in town. Don Wolfensberger is a 28-year congressional staff veteran culminating as chief-of-staff of the House Rules Committee in 1995. He is author of, 'Congress and the People: Deliberative Democracy on Trial' (2000), and, 'Changing Cultures in Congress: From Fair Play to Power Plays' (2018). Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Toronto Sun
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
EDITORIAL: Was there a whitewash at the White House?
The White House in Washington DC with american flag on sunset sky at summer sunset. Photo by Getty Images While much of the world was consumed last week by the high-profile bromance bust-up between U.S. President Donald Trump and Tesla billionaire Elon Musk, more consequential questions are being raised about the former White House resident. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Increasingly, questions are being asked about what went on in former president Joe Biden's White House, how far his cognitive health had declined and who was running his administration? His former press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, announced last week she's leaving the Democratic Party to become an Independent. Some former colleagues say this may all be a self-serving move by Jean-Pierre, seeking publicity as she is set to release her book, Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines. It's expected that the book will concentrate on the three weeks around Biden's disastrous 2024 debate outing. Meanwhile, a book by Jake Tapper of CNN and Alex Thompson of Axios has been damning of the Biden family for not allowing the former president to retire after one term, considering his age and deteriorating health. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Biden, his family and his team let their self-interest and fear of another Trump term justify trying to put an at times addled old man in the Oval Office for four more years,' Tapper and Thompson said. 'What was the extent of it? Was it a cover-up? Was it a conspiracy?' Biden was recently diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer. While that is a tragedy and we have nothing but concern for the former president, when one is the leader of the free world, one's health becomes everyone's concern. When questions were raised about Biden's mental capacity, they were dismissed as fearmongering. His office now says his last known screening for prostate cancer was in 2014 and he had not been diagnosed with the disease before a recent test. The world became a chaotic and dangerous place during Biden's tenure, with wars in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Rightly or wrongly, the world looks to the U.S. for leadership. Who was in charge? Biden himself said he would be a 'transitional' president and only serve one term. Why did that change? And how can we avoid such a crisis in the future? Sports World Canada Sunshine Girls Columnists
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'The View' co-host slams 'blind loyalty' to parties after Karine Jean-Pierre leaves Democrats
The co-hosts of "The View" discussed Karine Jean-Pierre's exit from the Democratic Party on Thursday and questioned what it means for Democrats moving forward, with one slamming "blind loyalty" to parties. The longtime spokesperson for former President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that she has left the Democratic Party and become an 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. Co-host Sara Haines railed against the tribal "jersey-wearing" politics of the two-party system and praised Jean-Pierre's decision to come out as an independent as "honest." Karine Jean-pierre Hoped To Be A Co-host On 'The View' After Exiting Biden White House: Report "I think it's a more honest political take," she said. "I feel like maybe I'm biased as an independent, that everyone should be independent, but the largest group of voters we have are independents, and I think it's because our system is so simplistic by having two parties and assuming anyone fits in those boxes at all." Haines then addressed a counterpoint to her argument — not being able to vote in primary elections — and noted that 35 of the 50 states hold either open or semi-open primary elections, which benefits independent voters. Read On The Fox News App "I think it's time for politicians to sell themselves completely to someone consuming what they have to offer, and not worrying about jersey-wearing partisan politics and tribalism," Haines argued. Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture Co-host Joy Behar took issue with Jean-Pierre labeling herself as an independent, doubting that she would ever vote for a Republican. Haines clarified her position, explaining that independents tend to lean to one side or the other of the political aisle, and even though she has voted Democratic for 25 years, she feels the party does not fully represent her values. Still, Behar challenged her, saying, "Yeah, but you keep voting for them." "I wait to see the candidates. And if the Republicans ever put up a candidate that I was like, 'That's my person,' in a heartbeat, I would vote for them," she said. Fellow co-host Sunny Hostin chimed in, saying that Haines' take only makes sense for "what the Republican Party used to be," but the "Trump-lican party" makes it a much different situation now. She also argued that most self-identified independents vote exclusively for one party, so when it comes down to it, they're not truly independents, and cited her father's voting record as an example. Hostin recalled that although her father identified as an independent, he voted exclusively for Democrats for 40 years — until she encouraged him to formally register as a Democrat to vote in primaries. Haines contended that Hostin had a "narrow view" of the issue and recalled the negative reaction she received from Democrats when she called for Biden to step down. "My point here is that there's blind loyalty," she said. "The second I sat here at this desk and said I felt President Biden should step down, the hate I got was not from the right. It was from the left. To me, the reason I'm an independent is to say, 'I call 'em like I see 'em. And I hope you do, too,' because that's the way the system should work." Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this article source: 'The View' co-host slams 'blind loyalty' to parties after Karine Jean-Pierre leaves Democrats
New York Post
06-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
MSNBC silent on fallout from Karine Jean-Pierre's White House memoir
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre's upcoming memoir in which she reportedly calls the Democratic Party 'broken' is making waves across major news networks — except at MSNBC. The left-leaning network has remained silent since Jean-Pierre announced on Wednesday that she is ditching the party and becoming a registered independent, Former President Joe Biden's mouthpiece touted the party switch while plugging the release of her book, 'Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines.' 4 MSNBC has not devoted coverage to the fallout from an upcoming memoir by former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. REUTERS In the book, due out in October, she distances herself from the Democratic Party and reportedly paints a damning portrait of her former workplace, describing the Biden administration as 'broken.' Jean-Pierre spent two years as the public face of the Biden White House and was the first black, openly gay woman to hold the role. Her abrupt political shift, combined with criticism of the president she once loyally defended, has triggered a flurry of reaction — especially among Biden allies. Former colleagues have not held back. Several have dismissed the book as a 'grift' and criticized her performance as press secretary, echoing complaints that have appeared in anonymous leaks to outlets like Politico and Axios. One former staffer reportedly told Axios: 'Nobody took her seriously in the building.' While harsh, the wave of criticism arguably reinforces the core claim of her book: that dysfunction inside the administration runs deep. The media response has been swift — at least on some networks. 4 Jean-Pierre revealed in her new memoir due out this fall that she is no longer a member of the Democratic Party. AP According to transcript data, Fox News mentioned Jean-Pierre by name 72 times between Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, according to Mediaite. CNN, despite its closer proximity to the Biden administration, referenced her 44 times. But MSNBC, where Jean-Pierre once worked as a contributor and was a regular on-air presence, has not mentioned her once, said Mediate, which first reported on the network's odd silence. 'The fact that MSNBC is still ignoring the story (as of 1:15 p.m. Thursday) reveals that the editorial direction at the left-leaning network is not yet ready to cover political news that may not align with their past comments and positions,' one media analyst told Mediaite. 4 Former Biden officials have anonymously criticized Jean-Pierre in several news reports. Getty Images The Post has sought comment from MSNBC and Jean-Pierre. Before joining the White House, Jean-Pierre was a frequent progressive voice on the network, where she appeared on panels to support Democratic messaging and criticize the first Trump administration. Her visibility on the network played a key role in raising her public profile and likely aided her appointment to the White House podium following the departure of Jen Psaki. This isn't the first time MSNBC has avoided uncomfortable stories involving the Biden administration. Earlier this year, the network largely sidestepped coverage of 'Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,' the book co-authored by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson that revealed new details about Biden's cognitive decline and internal efforts to shield him from scrutiny. At the time, CNN and Fox News featured wall-to-wall coverage. MSNBC, by contrast, barely acknowledged the book at all. 4 Jean-Pierre was a frequent contributor to MSNBC before she joined the Biden administration. Shutterstock Critics say this selective editorial approach reflects a broader hesitance by MSNBC to air narratives that contradict its on-air talent's previous claims — especially about Biden's fitness for office or the strength of his administration. That discomfort, they argue, translates into silence.
New York Post
06-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Charlamagne slams Jean-Pierre's book, claims ‘nobody wants to hear' from someone who ‘lied' for Biden
Radio host Charlamagne Tha God on Thursday said while he would gladly read former White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre's new book, her credibility is dubious. Former Biden White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday revealed she was registering as an independent and announced a forthcoming book about her time in the tumultuous administration. The longtime Democratic Party operative is urging Americans to step outside harsh party lines in her new book, 'Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines.' Advertisement 'Until January 20, I was responsible for speaking on behalf of the President of the United States,' she said in a statement, according to The Associated Press. 'At noon on that day, I became a private citizen who, like all Americans and many of our allies around the world, had to contend with what was to come next for our country. I determined that the danger we face as a country requires freeing ourselves of boxes. We need to be willing to exercise the ability to think creatively and plan strategically.' Charlamagne, who hasn't been shy about criticizing either party, offered mixed praise for Jean-Pierre's move during his radio show. 'I respect her being independent because I feel like if you Black in this country, you shouldn't be loyal to any party,' he said on Thursday's episode. 'You should only be voting your interest. You should only be voting for politicians who are implementing legislation and policies for your communities and your people. And if you ask me, none of these parties have done enough for us to be screaming, 'We Republican or Democrat,' so independent is the way to go.' 3 Former Biden White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday revealed she was registering as an independent. Getty Images Advertisement Jean-Pierre's reputation is still questionable in his eyes, however. 'When it comes to her in particular, I'm probably going to read the book, but nobody wants to hear from anyone who got up there and lied for the Biden administration,' he said. 3 Karine Jean-Pierre is urging Americans to step outside harsh party lines in her new book. AP 3 Charlamagne, who hasn't been shy about criticizing either party, offered mixed praise for Jean-Pierre's move during his radio show. Youtube/Breakfast Club Power 105.1 FM Advertisement He argued such proclamations from people like Jean-Pierre are too little, too late, even if he approves of her general points. 'It's like a lot of these folks are having a come to Jesus moment way too late,' he said. 'They should have been talking like this two or three years ago, and she had a very interesting quote in her press release. The quote was, 'We need to be willing to exercise the ability to think creatively and plan strategically. We need to be clear-eyed and questioning rather than blindly loyal and obedient as we may have been in the past.' And that right there is the problem with Democrat supporters, especially Black ones, just blindly loyal and obedient for no damn reason.' When asked by a co-host about whether such loyalty is referring to Biden or to the presidency as an institution, Charlamagne argued it ultimately resulted in betraying the American people. Fox News' Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.
