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Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Hollywood legend reveals Trump phoned him and accused him of 'wussing out' over 2020 stolen election claims
Playwright David Mamet revealed that President Donald Trump called him and complained that he 'wussed out' over those 2020 stolen election claims. Mamet was the guest on this week's episode of comedian Bill Maher's Club Random podcast. The Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, screenwriter and author - known for Glengarry Glen Ross, Wag the Dog and The Untouchables - ditched liberalism in 2008 and is a supporter of Trump. Maher, a liberal who's taken swipes at the left for being too 'woke,' commented to Mamet that 'man, each book you get more right-wing,' and recalled how Mamet had come on his HBO show Real Time to publicize the last one. The comedian said that at the time, he thought Mamet was 'hedging' on the so-called 'big lie,' Trump's false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him. 'You know, you don't know what happened to me the next morning,' Mamet said. Mamet recalled that on Maher's show, he was 'kind of iffy on it, right?' 'Next morning, eight o'clock, the phone rings. Woman on the phone says, "Mr. Mamet, will you hold for the president?"' Mamet recalled. 'I said wait a second, is Biden calling?' 'Is Trump! During the Biden administration. He says, "David, it's Donald Trump." I say, "Oh, Mr. President, thank you for calling to what do I owe the honor?"' the author described. 'He said, "I saw you on Bill Maher yesterday, you were great." He said, "But you wussed out on the question of the stolen election,"' Mamet said. 'And then he talked to me for like 20 minutes about how the election was stolen.' Maher interjected, 'It wasn't!' But this time Mamet took Trump's side. 'Well, I think it was,' the playwright pushed. Maher pointed out that 'they've adjudicated this.' 'They've looked at this. Republicans have looked at it,' Maher said. 'It was tested in court like 60 times. It was thrown out every time. Trump's own commission appointed by his own commissioners to look at the election ...They all said the same thing. It was the most fair, honest election we've ever had.' Christopher Krebs, who served as Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, had called the 2020 election 'the most secure in American history.' In April, Trump revoked Krebs' security clearance via a presidential memorandum and directed Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to review Krebs' activities during his time working in government. 'I'm not talking about the votes. I'm not talking about counting the votes,' Mamet pressed. 'That the Hunter Biden laptop was suppressed, the COVID information was suppressed. Zuckerberg said himself that the White House pressured him not to bring forward the information on the laptop,' Mamet argued. 'And Rasmussen said, had that come out, there would have been a 17 point spread,' the playwright added. The New York Post broke the Hunter Biden laptop story on October 14, 2020, just weeks before the presidential election. The Biden campaign had officials in the intelligence community sign a letter saying that the information in the laptop being shopped by Trump allies had marks of a Russian disinformation campaign. Since then the Daily Mail and other outlets have authenticated the laptop. Maher wasn't buying Mamet's explanation.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Trump insiders are tired of Laura Loomer's sway - but admit her political influence keeps rising from the dead
Those close to President Donald Trump have reportedly grown irritated with Laura Loomer, the ultra-loyal Trump supporter whose apparent influence has led to the ousting of several administration officials. Loomer, 32, has made a name for herself in Trumpworld as an unofficial, yet devoted, patron to the president – willing to publicly call out any person she believes has any ties to Trump criticisms. In April, Loomer reportedly gave Trump a list of disloyal National Security Council staffers who were subsequently fired. In May, Loomer appeared to take some credit for pushing Trump to axe former National Security Adviser Mike Waltz after the Signal chat blunder. 'Trump likes Laura, and she obviously has some influence, but she runs the risk of overestimating her influence and blowing herself up if she's not more careful,' an unnamed source close to the White House told WIRED. 'I think she jumped the shark by going out and taking credit for stabbing the national security adviser and a number of people, as if it happened in a vacuum, as if there weren't deep considerations and conversations about all of this,' the unnamed administration source said. While her loyalty to the president may be appreciated by Trump himself, Loomer's history of making headline-grabbing, controversial comments and bolstering conspiracy theories, such as those related to 9/11, already made some of Trump's official staff uneasy about her presence. That has led her to move in and out of his orbit over the years. Insiders painted a picture of thinking she is away for good only to have her return again. Those close to the president's campaign reportedly attempted to keep Loomer, a far-right activist, at a distance the election, not giving her an official job. Despite that, Trump brought Loomer along for the ride when he debated former vice president Kamala Harris. Even after winning the election, Loomer's presence in Trump's orbit has not been diminished. She's managed to maintain communications with the president and some White House staffers, according to WIRED. Loomer is not an official member of the administration – though she's asserted she was nearly hired on several occasions. She's reportedly pitched her opposition research firm as a potential contract for the White House and expressed her desire to 'work for President Trump.' While not having an official role, she's still used her social media to highlight Trump's agenda and 'vet' members of the administration she believes are unworthy of their role. 'You have to ask yourself: If Trump wanted her in, do you think his staff had some ability to prevent that, apparently?' an administration source told WIRED. 'Like, what?' Suspicions about Loomer have grown recently as the conservative activist has dabbled more in criticizing some of Trump's recent decisions, according to WIRED. In May, Loomer ran an op-ed on her blog, called 'Loomered,' critiquing Trump's decision to remove oil company Chevron's operations in Venezuela. She also deviated from her typical praise of Trump to criticize his decision to accept a jet from Qatar. 'It's one thing to attack random government employees who Trump doesn't give a s*** about, but when she's attacking him and his policies directly, that could end badly for her,' the unnamed White House source told WIRED. Trump insiders have questioned whether Loomer can remain in the president's good graces while wadding into those waters. Then, just weeks after Walz was ousted and days after criticizing the Qatari jet gift, Loomer took to X to apologize to Trump for making comments that 'made anyone feel betrayed.' 'I am sorry if my comments made anyone feel betrayed or were used by the media as ammunition to sow division during an important trip for the President,' she continued. I want to apologize to President Trump more than anyone because I am a loyal person, I love President Trump, and I know I could have probably just had a private conversation about the plane instead,' Loomer wrote.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Populist Karol Nawrocki wins Polish presidential election, setting stage for more clashes with PM Tusk
A historian and populist firebrand who boasted about his brawls with soccer hooligans has narrowly won Poland's presidential election, in a political upset that could torpedo the centrist government's efforts to unspool the legacy of authoritarianism in the country. Karol Nawrocki, the candidate aligned with Poland's right-wing populist Law and Justice (PiS) party, won 50.89% of the vote, defeating the liberal mayor of Warsaw Rafał Trzaskowski – long the favorite to win – in a head-to-head run-off. The result extends PiS' 10-year occupancy of the presidential palace and could spell disaster for Prime Minister Donald Tusk, whose pledge to erase PiS' fingerprints from Poland's embattled institutions saw him clash repeatedly with the outgoing President Andrzej Duda. Nawrocki is a champion of US President Donald Trump and visited the White House in the weeks before the election. He was the underdog throughout the campaign, but came a close second to Trzaskowski in the first round of voting two weeks ago, having survived a series of damaging stories about his past. He picked up a late endorsement from the third-placed, far-right candidate. The 42-year-old historian will now yield the hugely powerful presidential veto, which Duda used frequently to thwart Tusk's agenda. The European Union has looked to Tusk for a blueprint on undoing the effects of populism on a democracy – but a victory for Nawrocki was not part of the plan. Though Polish presidential candidates often stand as individuals, rather than representatives of a party, there is little hiding their affiliations, and each major party historically endorses and campaigns for a candidate. Tusk ousted PiS from government in a heated parliamentary election in 2023, but Nawrocki's victory denies him an open road to fully undo the transformation of the Polish state overseen by PiS during an eight-year stint in government. On Monday, Tusk said he will 'soon' call for a parliamentary vote of confidence in his coalition government, according to Reuters. He added in a televised speech that his party wants to show the world they 'understand the gravity of the moment, but that we do not intend to take a single step back.' Nawrocki is a first-time politician who has led two influential cultural bodies in Poland – the Museum of the Second World War in Gdansk, and then the Institute of National Remembrance, a state-funded research facility whose purpose became increasingly politicized as PiS took a nationalist approach to the telling of Polish history. He ran a campaign that was seemingly stuck in defensive mode. Scandals about his alleged use of a Gdansk apartment as a second home and his supposed ties to the northern port city's underworld dogged his run. In March it even emerged that he had appeared on a television show, in disguise and with his face blurred, to praise his own book. And when confronted with claims that he took part in organized fights between rival soccer fans – known in Poland as an ustawka, or 'set up' – Nawrocki sought to use the revelations to his advantage, describing the clashes as 'noble,' according to CNN affiliate TVN24. On the campaign trail, he emphasized his Catholic faith, pledged to reduce migration, and was relentlessly critical of Brussels and of Tusk. He received a late flurry of support from attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), which held its first-ever gathering in Poland earlier this week, cementing a years-long convergence between the populist right movements in Poland and the US. His victory looked unlikely until the first round of voting two weeks ago, which showed him narrowly behind Trzaskowski and revealed greater levels of support than expected for a smattering of far-right and extreme-right figures, some of whom subsequently said they would vote for Nawrocki. The result is the worst-case scenario for Tusk's government, which was elected after eight toxic years in Polish politics but which has labored in recent months to deliver on its ambitious agenda. Tusk had hoped that a Trzaskowski presidency would remove the last major roadblock to his efforts to renew the independence of Poland's judiciary, media and cultural bodies. Instead, the result sets the stage for a new round of confrontations between Poland's president and prime minister. Nawrocki will be expected to follow the blueprint set by Duda, who blocked several attempts by Tusk to undo the PiS' judicial reforms and stalled progress on bills relating to hate crime and contraception access, either by vetoing them or sending them into legal gridlock. 'I'm sorry that I didn't manage to convince the majority of citizens of my vision of Poland,' Trzaskowski wrote on X. And it essentially snuffs out any prospect that Poland's near-total abortion ban and its prohibition of same-sex civil partnerships will be undone. Tusk had promised to relax both bans, but they are supported by some of the more socially conservative lawmakers propping up his government, and the threat of a presidential veto likely renders any efforts at persuasion futile.
Associated Press
7 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Puerto Rico's governor pledges to improve island's power grid and economy
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Puerto Rico's governor pledged Thursday to improve the island's crumbling electric grid and boost the economy in her first address after being elected last year as anger intensifies over chronic power outages and an increase in cost-of-living expenses. Gov. Jenniffer González Colón, of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party, spoke for nearly two hours as she listed her accomplishments since taking office in January and announced multimillion-dollar investments to improve Puerto Rico's health, education and public safety. 'Without a doubt, the road has been difficult and full of lessons that we must ensure we don't repeat,' she said. González Colón said the upcoming budget includes funds to hire 800 new police officers, $12 million to hire new firefighters and $24 million to recruit resident doctors as health professionals continue to move to the U.S. mainland, leaving Puerto Rico with few or no specialists in certain areas. She noted that more than 60%, or roughly $8 billion, of the upcoming general fund budget is slated for health, education and public safety. The budget has not yet been approved. María de Lourdes Santiago, vice president of Puerto Rico's Independence Party, said after the governor's address that the numbers announced are not sufficient given that thousands of certain government employees, including police officers, are needed. González Colón, a supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump, decried federal bureaucracy during her address, noting her administration would keep pushing to free some $18 billion in federal funds set aside to improve Puerto Rico's power grid, which Hurricane Maria razed in September 2017 as a Category 4 storm. She also renewed her pledge to cancel the government's contract with Luma Energy, a private company that oversees the transmission and distribution of power in Puerto Rico. 'The termination of this contract will be a reality,' she said as supporters stood up and applauded. González Colón said reliable power is essential to attract investment as she promised to keep attracting more manufacturing to Puerto Rico. In upcoming months, she said she would announce the expansion of five industries on the island. The length of her address and the speed at which she sometimes delivered it surprised some. Political analyst and university professor Jorge Schmidt Nieto said it seemed like a ploy to distract those who have criticized her administration of inaction and the government of so far not approving many laws. 'She tried to bring an optimistic tone because she knows she has received a lot of criticism,' Schmidt Nieto said. Another who criticized González was Pablo José Hernández, Puerto Rico's representative in Congress and president of the opposition Popular Democratic Party: 'If one word describes the start of this government, that word is disorder.' He noted that in the past five months, González has presented three candidates for Puerto Rico's secretary of state, two candidates for its justice department and another two candidates for its labor department. None of those positions have been filled as González's party has failed so far to approve her nominees.
Fox News
29-05-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Trump ally announces record-shattering fundraising haul in bid for Alabama governor
Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville is showcasing his fundraising prowess as he launches his bid for Alabama governor. Tuberville's gubernatorial campaign on Thursday announced that it raked in $2,064,723 in fundraising during the first 24 hours after the senator declared his candidacy, "far surpassing its initial goal and shattering the previous Alabama record." The senator, a strong supporter and ally of President Donald Trump, is considered the frontrunner in the 2026 race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Kay Ivey in the Republican-dominated state. "There are two universal truths in the Yellowhammer state right now: Alabamians love President Trump and they want Coach Tuberville to be their next governor," Jackie Curtiss Cox, fundraiser for Tuberville's campaign, said. "I've never seen momentum like this in my more than 10 years in Alabama politics." And Cox spotlighted that "these were not from PAC donations — every dollar came from small business owners, entrepreneurs, workers, and retirees." This week's announcement from Tuberville, a former longtime college football coach who spent 10 years as head coach at Auburn University in Alabama, ended months of speculation about his ambitions to run for governor in his home state. Tuberville, launched a campaign website that touts his "conservative Alabama values." And in his first interview after launching his campaign, Tuberville said on Fox News' "The Will Cain Show" that "I'm doing this to help this country and the great state of Alabama. I'm a football coach. I'm a leader. I'm a builder. I'm a recruiter, and we're going to grow Alabama." A source familiar told Fox News a couple of weeks ago that an endorsement from Trump would be a "done deal" if Tuberville decided to run for governor. And Tuberville, in his Fox News interview, said Trump was "fully supportive" of his gubernatorial run. He is also backed by the politically influential and deep-pocketed Club for Growth, a fiscal conservative group that takes sides in GOP primaries. Alabama Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, who had been expected to run to succeed Ivey, last week announced that he would not seek the office. Tuberville was first elected to the Senate in 2020, running as an outsider who was closely aligned with Trump. In the Republican primary, he topped former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a longtime senator from Alabama, before resigning in 2017 to serve as Trump's attorney general. Tuberville went on to defeat incumbent Sen. Doug Jones, who was the first Democrat elected to the Senate in Alabama in decades. Tuberville's move to run for governor sets up an open Senate seat in Alabama in next year's midterm elections.
