White House Correspondents Insider

Behind the scenes of one of the most powerful clubs in America.

WashPost: Leon Panetta Urges Cooperation with NATO Allies Ahead of Trump’s Europe Visit

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Former CIA Director and Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta sat down for a one-on-one interview with Washington Post columnist David Ignatius as part of the Post’s Worldviews: The Future of Democracy on Wednesday, June 11th. Worldviews takes a look at the state of democracy, both in America and around the world, ahead of President Trump’s weeklong trip to visit with European leaders and NATO allies.

Panetta issued an impassioned plea to all Americans to help preserve democracy saying, “Our democracy is not going to solve its problems from the top down. It will only solve its problems from the bottom up…from the election of new individuals who are willing to give back.”

During the conversation, Leon Panetta expressed dismay at the President’s seemingly comfortable relationship with Vladimir Putin saying, “I worry that this president, for whatever reason, is not operating with the awareness of how much an adversary Russia is to the stability of the United States.”

The ambassadors from Brazil, Israel, and France discussed the global outlook for democracy, while FOX’s Steve Hilton spoke with Amb. John Negroponte about the rise of the populist movement in the wake of President Trump’s election as well as the Trump administration’s foreign policy in a panel moderated by Washington Post Global Opinions editor Karen Attiah. Democracy Fund president Joe Goldman was also on hand to remind the audience of the importance of protecting democracy in a country where 25% of the population think that America should have a strong leader who doesn’t need to bother with Congress or hold elections.

Gary Cohn Talks Life After the White House, Addresses Peter Navarro Comments at Washington Post Live

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Gary Cohn, the former economic advisor to Donald Trump, spoke with Washington Post White House economic policy reporter Damian Paletta on Thursday, June 14th to discuss the legacy of his tax reform bill, Peter Navarro’s explosive comments at the G7, trade, infrastructure, and what’s next for the former Goldman Sachs CEO.

Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan kicked off the discussion saying “Gary Cohn has had a remarkable career and has stepped down from his position at the pinnacle of wall street and government finance to answer the call of government service.”

Gary Cohn says that the chance to serve in the White House was “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” On his signature achievement at the White House, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, he said, “There was a moment every day where we thought this was going to fail.”

When asked by Paletta whether or not he thought the bill will eventually be revenue neutral, Cohn answered, saying “I’m going to make a bit on news here: It won’t be revenue neutral,” and suggesting that it would be either positive or negative depending on how the economy performs.

Paletta asked Cohn for his response to Peter Navarro’s incendiary comments suggesting there was a “special place in hell” for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by saying, “It was inappropriate and uncalled for. And it’s not his job.”

 On his time in the White House alongside fellow advisors Steve Bannon, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, Cohn said, “Last year was the best year of my life.” When asked if the facts always won out in the Oval Office, Cohn replied, “I may not comment on that!”

Paletta asked Cohn if he could see himself coming back to work in this administration in a different role. Cohn said, “I can see myself coming back to Washington,” prompting cheers from the crowd.

Other highlights included Cohn thinking his nickname, “Globalist Gary” was “kind of a flattering name,” and suggesting that he knew of some CEOs that would make for great presidents. He also claimed that Trump’s tweets “100 percent” affect investment markets. As for his plans going forward, Cohn plans to spend more time with his family and also that, “At this stage of my life I’d like to go and do something more unique.”

Affair with Former Senate Intel Aide Compromises Reporting from NYTimes’ Ali Watkins

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NYTimes writer Ali Watkins

The New York Times has reported that federal investigators have seized email and phone records from national security writer Ali Watkins on Thursday, June 7th. Now, press freedom groups and news organizations are condemning the move, calling it an intrusion into the freedom of the press. The Justice Department seized files from Watkins’ office after news broke that she had a three-year-long affair with retired Senate Intelligence Committee staffer James Wolfe, who was arraigned in federal court on Friday for lying to the FBI about his communications with numerous journalists.

According to the New York Times, Ali Watkins had disclosed this relationship to the publication when she was hired and did not use him as a source for her reporting. Questions linger about a Buzzfeed article, penned by Watkins, that revealed Russian operatives tried to recruit Carter Page as part of its efforts to undermine the 2016 US elections. The reporting was supplied with leaked information from the Senate Intelligence Committee. Wolfe maintains that he did lie to the FBI but that he never disclosed information related to his Senate Intelligence Committee work.

The Committee to Protect Journalists released a statement calling the Justice Department’s actions “a fundamental threat to press freedom.” The New York Times called the seizure in its own statement “an outrageous overreach.”

President Donald Trump weighed in on the charges against Wolfe, claiming that he is “a very important leaker” and that his arrest would be “terrific”.

Roseanne Cancelled After Star’s Tweet Storm

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Roseanne Barr’s racist tweets led to the cancellation of her hit ABC show. 

ABC has cancelled its top-rated hit TV show “Roseanne” following a Monday night tweet storm from the show’s creator and lead star, Roseanne Barr.

Channing Dungey, ABC Entertainment president,  confirmed in a statement that the network decided to cancel the hit reboot saying, “Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show.”

On Monday night, Barr attacked former Obama Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, using Jarrett’s initials, tweeting, “muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.”

Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, which owns ABC, reinforced Dungey’s decision on Twitter saying, “There was only one thing to do here, and that was the right thing.”

ICM Partners also dropped Barr as a client following the tweets. In a statement, the agency said, “What she wrote is antithetical to our core values, both as individuals and as an agency. Consequently, we have notified her that we will not represent her. Effective immediately, Roseanne Barr is no longer a client.”

Barr issued an apology on Tuesday morning on Twitter stating, “I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans. I am truly sorry for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks. I should have known better. Forgive me- my joke was in bad taste.”

The highly-rated show was a commercial success for ABC with an average 21.17 million total viewers, making it one of the top viewed shows in 2018.

Uber’s Danielle Burr and DC Tech Leaders Meet Brotopia Author Emily Chang to Discuss Empowering Women Tech Execs

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Danielle Burr & Emily Chang

DC’s tech and media leaders gathered just steps from the Capitol at Charlie Palmer Steak on Tuesday, May 22nd to toast the publication of Bloomberg Technology host Emily Chang’s new book, Brotopia: Breaking Up the Boy’s Club of Silicon Valley, on the eve of her nationwide book tour.

Emily Chang’s book, which Kirkus Reviews calls “an in-depth analysis of the tech-industry brotherhood,” explores how tech became known as a male-dominated industry. Uber’s Head of Federal Affairs Danielle Burr hosted the lunchtime discussion. Chang applauded the steps certain tech companies have taken to expand on diversity and inclusivity initiatives that seek to bring more women and people of color into tech executive roles.

Attending the discussion was Daniel Lippman, Michael LaRosa, Katherine Vargas, Craig Gordon, Juleanna Glover, Meredith Balenske, Jen Stout, Jessica Nigro, Cecilia Kang, Pete Eskew, Heather Childs, Ruth Marcus, Pete Selfridge, Parita Shah, and Patrice Willoughby. Uber executive Amanda Anderson, Rachel Holt, Arathi Mehrotra, and Dave Barmore were also spotted at the gathering.

Washington Celebrates Bret Baier at Three Days in Moscow Book Party

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Bret Baier’s newest book is already creating buzz. On Monday evening, an A-list of Washington politicos descended on the Marriott Marquis at the invitation of co-hosts David & Carrie Marriott and Ande & Mae Grennan for a reception celebrating Fox News Anchor Bret Baier’s new book, Three Days in Moscow: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of the Soviet Union.

Bret and Amy Baier were joined by Kellyanne Conway, Attorney-General Jeff Sessions and Mary Sessions, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and Hilary Ross, and Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao.

Marriott Executive Chairman Bill Marriott and wife Donna entertained guests alongside their son and daughter-in-law in the hotel’s Liberty Ballroom.

Fox News Anchor Chris Wallace mingled with National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow before Baier gave his remarks.  He discussed key moments in the book and told previously unheard stories about the Reagan family, including a humorous account of Nancy Reagan saving longtime White House Correspondent Helen Thomas from a flash mob in Moscow. When Secret Service agents formed a protective circle around the First Lady, she spotted Helen in the crowd, pointed to her, and exclaimed, “She’s with us!”

The reception kicked-off a two-week national book tour, which concludes just before the author heads to Singapore to cover the much-anticipated U.S.-North Korea summit.

Guests included Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Azerbaijani Ambassador Elin & LaLa Suleymanov, Jordanian Ambassador Dina Kawar, Kuwaiti Ambassador Salem & Rima Al-Sabah, Barbara Allbritton, Heather Podesta, Kay Kendall and Jack Davies, Janet Donovan, Willie and Finlay Lewis, and Ryan Williams.

Kellyanne Conway: Expect Staff Shake Up in Wake of Explosive White House Leaks

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Kellyanne Conway at the 2018 Garden Brunch

Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway took to the airwaves to defend the Trump administration against a series of leaks coming out of the White House press shop. One of the leaks has sparked outrage from all sides when communications staffer Kelly Sadler claimed that Senator John McCain’s opposition to Gina Haspel becoming CIA Director “doesn’t matter” and that “he’s dying anyway.”

In an appearance on FOX News Monday morning, May 15th, Conway hinted that there may be personnel changes coming soon. “There are all kinds of leaks. Some leaks exist to hurt, I guess, colleagues, some leaks exist because they disagree with the policies that are being put forth, but none of them are helpful…Something else that’s gone on in this White House but not as badly as it was at the beginning, where it’s not so much leaking as using the media to shiv each other, and that was going on quite a bit at the beginning of this administration and it’s less so now.”

Meanwhile, President Trump took to Twitter to claim the leaks were “fake news”:

The White House has yet to issue an apology to Senator McCain for the staffer’s comments despite calls to do so from Congressmen and women on both sides of the aisle.

Carol Melton Hosts Washington Women for “Life of the Party” Screening

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Carol Melton, Time Warner’s Executive VP of Global Public Policy, Gail MacKinnon, MPAA’s Executive Vice President for Government Affairs, and Chief of Staff to MPAA chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin, Mila Venugopalan

Giving a new meaning to dinner and a movie, Time Warner’s Executive VP of Global Public Policy, Carol Melton, hosted a private reception and screening of New Line Cinema’s Life of the Party starring Melissa McCarthy at National Cable and Television Associates on Tuesday, May 8th.

Melissa McCarthy's Life of the Party Screening and Reception at the National Cable and Television Associates - 5/8/18

Guests of Melton included Rep. Debbie Dingell, Rita Braver, Elena Allbritton, Gail MacKinnon, Genny Ryan, Lee Satterfield, Gloria Dittus, Heather Podesta, Betsy Fischer Martin, Jodie McLean, Susanna Quinn, Kathy O’Hearn, Mary Brady, Lauren Pratapas, Jenny Abramson, and Jacquie Bloom.

Seth Meyers: Trump Demanded I Apologize for WHCD Roast

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Comedian and “Late Night” host Seth Meyers sat down with Edward-Isaac Dovere, chief Washington correspondent for Politico and the host of the “Off Message” podcast, where he claimed that Michael Cohen approached him about Trump appearing on his show as a way of repairing ties after Trump’s comedic roasting at the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

According to Meyers, the “Late Night” host invited Donald Trump to appear on his show. Trump’s fixer Michael Cohen stipulated that he would have to publicly apologize to Trump for the supposed slights during Meyers’ stand up routine at the Correspondents’ Dinner. Meyers refused to the terms and the talks stalled.

You can listen to the full Seth Meyers’ interview here.

Pulitzer Prize-Winner Ronan Farrow at Cafe Milano War on Peace Book Lunch

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Ronan Farrow Book Party 5/3

Franco Nuschese gathered Washington politicos and journalists at Cafe Milano to toast Ronan Farrow on the publication of his new book War on Peace: The End of Diplomacy and the Decline of American Influence on Thursday, May 3rd. Farrow’s new book features interviews with every living former Secretary of State and challenges the rise of the use of military power over the use of diplomacy.

Tammy Haddad interviewed Farrow for the Washington Insider podcast, asking him about his work at the State Department and his reporting on the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations for which he recently won the Pulitzer Prize for public service.

Toasting the author were Washington influencers Wayne Reynolds, Greta Van Susteren and John Coale, Virginia Shore, Sally Quinn, Ryan Williams, Robyn Bash, Kristine Coratti, Juleanna Glover, Jane Mayer, Emily Lenzner, Greta Van Susteren, John Coale, Ann Klenk, Ann Hand, Adrienne Arsht, Mariella Trager, Lynn Sweet, Kevin Latek, Betsy Fischer Martin, Ruth Marcus, Elisabeth Bumiller, Holly Page, Kevin Baron, Jennifer Maguire, Autumn VandeHei, Dan Meyers, Eileen Shields, Samia Farouki, Megan Smith, Courtney Haynes, Lisa Dickey, Helena Andrews, and Kendra Barkoff.