Good morning, Her Campus! With a break-neck news cycle, there is no possible way for you to stay on top of every story that comes across your feeds—we’re all only human, after all.
But, life comes at you fast. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in for this quick and dirty guide to stories you might’ve been sleeping on (like, literally. It’s early.)
President Trump Blasts AG Sessions Over Indictments of Two Republican Congressmen
President Donald Trump blast Attorney General Jeff Sessions in a fresh round of sharp criticism, accusing Sessions of hurting the Republicans’ chances in the upcoming midterm elections by obtaining indictments against two GOP lawmakers that are currently up for re-election.
“Two long running, Obama era, investigations of two very popular Republican Congressmen were brought to a well publicized charge, just ahead of the Mid-Terms, by the Jeff Sessions Justice Department,” Trump tweeted Monday, appeared to be referring to Reps. Duncan Hunter Chris Collins. Both Congressmen were recently indicted by federal juries in corruption cases.
“Two easy wins now in doubt because there is not enough time. Good job Jeff,” Trump wrote.
Two long running, Obama era, investigations of two very popular Republican Congressmen were brought to a well publicized charge, just ahead of the Mid-Terms, by the Jeff Sessions Justice Department. Two easy wins now in doubt because there is not enough time. Good job Jeff……
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 3, 2018
Hunter, along with his wife, were indicted by the Justice Department last month on charges of improperly using campaign funds for personal use. According to ABC News, Collins was indicted early this summer on insider trading charges. He later ceased his bid for re-election and announced that he would resign from Congress at the end of his term. The two congressmen have denied the allegations against them.
Hunter and Collins were the first congressmen to endorse Trump in the 2016 presidential election, ABC News reports.
It’s not clear if the president feels that the charges are misguided, or the timing of them, or both.
“The Democrats, none of whom voted for Jeff Sessions, must love him now,” Trump continued in his series of tweets. “Same thing with Lyin’ James Comey. The Dems all hated him, wanted him out, thought he was disgusting – UNTIL I FIRED HIM! Immediately he became a wonderful man, a saint like figure in fact. Really sick!”
….The Democrats, none of whom voted for Jeff Sessions, must love him now. Same thing with Lyin’ James Comey. The Dems all hated him, wanted him out, thought he was disgusting – UNTIL I FIRED HIM! Immediately he became a wonderful man, a saint like figure in fact. Really sick!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 3, 2018
For months, Trump has launched attacks on Sessions, accusing him of disloyalty, and blaming him for not doing enough as far as investigating the alleged crimes of Democrats and Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election and for recusing himself from the Russia investigation.
In a recent interview, Trump accused Sessions of not having “control” of the Justice Department. In a rare rebuke, Sessions said, “I took control of the Department of Justice the day I was sworn in. While I am Attorney General, the actions of the Department of Justice will not be improperly influenced by political considerations.”
During an interview with Bloomberg News, Trump gave an indication that he might be looking to shake things up in the Justice Department, refusing to say whether Sessions job was safe through midterm elections on November 6. Numerous GOP lawmakers have urged Trump to not make any major changes to the Justice Department until after the Russia investigation is complete, or until, at the very least, the midterm elections.
The New Yorker Disinvites Steve Bannon From Festival
The New Yorker has cancelled an appearance by Steve Bannon at its October festival, which is known for giving a platform to prominent figures across the political, literary and art worlds after becoming bombarded with criticism.
In an interview with The New York Times on Monday, David Remnick, the magazine’s editor, defended the decision to include the former chief White House strategist at The New Yorker Festival. The Times reported that Bannon would not only make an appearance, but would be headlining the festival.
The New Yorker’s readers and writers accused Remnick of giving Bannon’s white nationalist agenda a platform after the Times article. While Bannon was not the only political event on the festival’s schedule, critics argued that his politics were hateful and harmful.
Kathyrn Schulz, a Pulitzer Prize–winning columnist with The New Yorker, said she was “beyond appalled” by her The New Yorker’s decision on Twitter.
Other notable speakers, such as John Mulaney and Judd Apatow, threatened to pull out of the festival if Bannon was headlining it, The Huffington Post reports.
“I don’t want well-meaning readers and staff members to think I’ve ignored their concerns,” Remnick said in a statement Monday evening. “I’ve thought this through and talked to colleagues — and I’ve re-considered. I’ve changed my mind.”
A statement from David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker, explaining his decision to no longer include Steve Bannon in the 2018 New Yorker Festival. pic.twitter.com/opayiw5GQ2
— The New Yorker (@NewYorker) September 3, 2018
Bannon condemned Remnick’s decision on Monday night.
“After being contacted several months ago and with seven weeks of continual requests for this event, I accepted The New Yorker’s invitation with no thought of an honorarium,” Bannon told CNBC in a statement. “The reason for my acceptance was simple: I would be facing one of the most fearless journalists of his generation. In what I would call a defining moment, David Remnick showed he was gutless when confronted by the howling online mob.”
Remnick had previously told the Times he had “every intention of asking [Bannon] difficult questions and engaging in a serious and even combative conversation.” Remnick reaffirmed in his statement that the decision to include Bannon in the festival was to “put pressure on the views being questioned.”
“It’s obvious no matter how tough the questioning, Bannon is not going to burst into tears and change his view on the world,” Remnick said in his statement. “He believes he is right and his opponents are mere ‘snowflakes.’ The question is whether an interview has value in terms of fact, argument, or even exposure, whether it has value to a reader or an audience.”
Remnick said he would still interview Bannon for an article, which would be done without payment, unlike the festival where the magazine would have paid Bannon an honorarium, as well as for lodging and travel.
David Hogg Helps Fund Billboard Displaying Anti-Ted Cruz Tweets From Trump
David Hogg, a survivor of the Parkland, Florida shooting, along with other activists, have reached their fundraising goal to create a mobile billboard that will take aim at President Donald Trump’s support of Sen. Ted Cruz’s re-election campaign.
The billboard, according to USA Today, will feature tweets from the 2016 presidential campaign in which Trump was critical of Cruz. Cruz, at the time, was considered Trump’s political rival, but now the two appear to be allies with Trump planning to campaign in Texas for Cruz.
The tweets are from when Trump dubbed Cruz “Lyin’ Ted,” and organizers hope to feature multiple tweets from Trump on the billboard, which will be driven around a yet-to-be-determined route in Texas, The Washington Post reports.
One tweet that was featured in a mockup billboard read: “Why would the people of Texas support Ted Cruz when he has accomplished absolutely nothing for them. He is another all talk, no action pol!”
Antonio Arellano, a Houston activist, organized the crowd-funding campaign for the billboard, and had to cut it off after it had collected more than $10,000, well above its $6,000 goal, The Post reports.
“We are planning to display the presidents own words about Cruz from 2016 on a mobile billboard, to remind Texans of the truth,” the fundraising page says.
Hogg, who is listed as a co-organizer, thanked the campaign’s donors on Twitter on Saturday.
We did it!!!!! Thank you to everyone who contributed. https://t.co/e5WykhREsG
— David Hogg (@davidhogg111) September 2, 2018
Cruz is currently facing a competitive race for his seat against Democrat Beto O’Rourke.
What to look out for…
Donald Glover, AKA Childish Gambino, dropped an animated music video on Saturday, September 2nd, for his single “Feels Like Summer,” and it’s full of iconic cartoon cameos.