White House Correspondents Insider

Behind the scenes of the most powerful city in the world — Washington, D.C. — and those who cover it.

Ken Burns’ The Vietnam War Premieres at the Kennedy Center

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Photo courtesy Politico.

Tuesday evening, celebrities and veterans alike gathered at the Kennedy Center to view legendary documentarian Ken Burns’ newest masterpiece, “The Vietnam War.”  This latest offering, sponsored with generous support from Bank of America, displays the southeastern Asian conflict in a comprehensive fashion, covering the war and societal tensions from numerous viewpoints both on the battlefield and back home.

Guests were treated to a sneak-peek screening that drew from throughout the series’ 18 hours. Chart-topping Denver-based band The Lumineers also took the stage to perform a song they wrote for the film.

The project was ten years in the making and will surely be a gigantic smash when the first installment premieres Sunday, September 17th at 8PM EST on PBS.  The series will be aired on the network in 10 weekly installments.

Culminating the evening, Burns and co-director Lynn Novick took to the stage in a question-and-answer session along three notable Vietnam veterans — John McCain, John Kerry and Chuck Hagel.  The panel was moderated by ABC News chief global affairs correspondent Martha Raddatz.

Arizona Senator McCain highlighted the importance of remembering the impact of the conflict in today’s global climate.

“It’s the right time, particularly since we are in such turmoil in the world today,” said Senator McCain.  “These young men died because of inadequate or corrupt leadership.  We must have leaders who can lead and be able to give them a path to victory so we will not sacrifice them, ever again, to a lost cause.”

McCain spent more than five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, after being shot down while flying navy ground-attack aircraft over Hanoi in October 1967.

Former defense secretary and senator from Nebraska, Hagel agreed on the importance of both the documentary and the lessons it teaches.

“Yes, it’s difficult to see this, but it’s important for our next set of leaders to understand the consequences of war and the consequences of decisions that we never get all right,” Hagel told the audience.  What also came out of Vietnam was the first real questioning of our government, a questioning of our leaders and a demand for accountable government, honest leadership.”

Hagel received two Purple Hearts while an infantry squad leader in the War.

Former Secretary of State and Massachusetts senator Kerry pointed out the importance of diplomacy and honesty in crisis events.

“Knowing what we’re doing, being honest with our people, making war a last resort, exhausting diplomacy,” said Kerry.  “These are all relevant to every choice we face.”

Kerry was awarded combat medals including the Silver Star Medial, Bronze Star Medal and three Purple Heart Medals for his service in the Naval Reserves serving four months in South Vietnam.

Longtime Ken Burns supporters Bank of America sponsored the film and premiere event. Burns gave a shout out to longtime friend Anne Finucane, Bank of America’s Vice Chairman.

ABOUT THE FILM

Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s ten-part, 18-hour documentary series, THE VIETNAM WAR, tells the epic story of one of the most consequential, divisive, and controversial events in American history as it has never before been told on film. Visceral and immersive, the series explores the human dimensions of the war through revelatory testimony of nearly 80 witnesses from all sides—Americans who fought in the war and others who opposed it, as well as combatants and civilians from North and South Vietnam.

Ten years in the making, the series includes rarely seen and digitally re-mastered archival footage from sources around the globe, photographs taken by some of the most celebrated photojournalists of the 20th Century, historic television broadcasts, evocative home movies, and secret audio recordings from inside the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations. THE VIETNAM WAR features more than 100 iconic musical recordings from greatest artists of the era and haunting original music from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross as well as the Silk Road Ensemble featuring Yo-Yo Ma.

Juleanna Glover: How Trump Can Win in the Middle East

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Christopher Reiter, Juleanna Glover and Sally Quinn. Photo courtesy Haddad Media.

Notable corporate public affairs consultant and former VP Cheney adviser Juleanna Glover writes in Politico Magazine that even as the Trump administration focuses attention on several international threats, “it is poised to blow a rare opportunity in the Middle East.”

“With some smart statecraft over the next month, the United States could at once isolate an adversary, solidify a long-standing alliance and begin to usher a new, friendly democracy into a historically fractious region. Instead, Washington is stubbornly sticking to a years-old policy, even though it has already been made obsolete by events on the ground,” Glover warns.

The regional government of Kurdistan (KRG) will hold a referendum on independence from Iraq September 25th.  While the Kurds are noted as strong U.S. allies — including supporting American efforts in Iraq even back in 1990 — the United States government has been unenthusiastic regarding this current bid for independence.

The reasoning by to the State Department, Glover points out, is “a worn-out phrase: ‘support [for] a unified, stable, democratic, and a federal Iraq.’”  Put another way, the U.S. position is that the Kurdish referendum is an internal Iraqi situation, not one needing to be addressed by the Trump administration.

Glover concludes that now is the time for the United States to support an emerging and unshakably U.S.-allied nation in the Middle East.  “The question is whether it will act to support the KRG—or watch as the Revolutionary Guards subsume the Kurds along with the rest of Iraq.”

You can read Glover’s entire column at Politico Magazine here:  http://politi.co/2wULv9H

Trumps Will Skip Kennedy Center Honors

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Photo courtesy Wikimedia.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will not attend this year’s annual Kennedy Center Honors in December.

According to a White House statement, “The President and First Lady have decided not to participate in this year’s activities to allow the honorees to celebrate without any political distraction.”

Several honorees had said they would boycott the White House reception.  Both dancer Carmen de Lavallade and television producer Norman Lear had announced they would not attend that portion of the celebration.

“In light of the socially decisive and morally caustic narrative that our existing leadership is choosing to engage in, and in keeping with the principles that I and so many others have fought for, I will be declining the invitation to attend the reception at the White House,” de Lavallade said last week, prior to the White House announcement.

In a joint statement, Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein and President Deborah F. Rutter said the center “respects the decision made today by the office of the President of the United States.  In choosing not to participate in this year’s Honors activities, the Administration has graciously signaled its respect for the Kennedy Center and ensures the Honors gala remains a deservingly special moment for the Honorees.  We are grateful for this gesture.”

This will be the fourth time a sitting president is not in attendance at the Honors, following Presidents Jimmy Carter in 1979, George H.W. Bush in 1989 and Bill Clinton in 1994.  All three former presidents had attended the annual celebration other years while in office.

Presidential Aide Hope Hicks Takes On Expanded Communications Role in White House

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James S. Brady Press Briefing Room. Photo courtesy White House.

White House director of strategic communications Hope Hicks is stepping into an expanded role with new responsibilities as the administration searches for its third communications director since January.

Hicks will take on the duties normally assigned to the communications director on an unofficial and temporarily basis.  She will also work with White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on finding a permanent replacement for the communications director role in the administration.

She is one of President Donald Trump’s most trusted aides, having served as press secretary of his presidential campaign in 2015.  Hicks also has close ties to Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, a senior White House adviser.

The communications director role has been vacant since Anthony Scaramucci was fired by newly-appointed White House chief of staff John Kelly only 10 days after joining the administration.  Prior to that, Mike Dubke served in that role for 88 days, with a friend saying he was frustrated with the disorganization within the executive branch.

Boston Mayor’s Top Aide Daniel Koh Running for Open Congressional Seat?

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Photo courtesy City of Boston.

Following Representative Niki Tsongas’ announcement that she is retiring at the end of her term, several public figures have been mentioned as potential replacements for the Boston-area seat.

Many insiders mention Daniel Koh, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh’s chief of staff, as a likely candidate in the upcoming Democratic primary.  The Andover native and Harvard alum has long been suspected of eyeing a congressional run.

The 32-year-old recently commented on his plans to run for federal office:  “I’d be disingenuous if I said I never thought about it.”

Mayor Walsh explained he and Koh have grown close as a team during his term for the better.  “We’ve really learned off each other.  I’m certainly more analytical now… [Koh] has picked up a lot of my passion for politics.”

Real victories in the political arena, according to Koh, are assisting constituents.  He says helping a Roxbury senior citizen fix a ramp was his most gratifying accomplishment of his career.  Koh has also played a critical hand in streamlining city permits, overhauling the Cabinet structure, and helping close the deal on General Electric’s recent decision to relocate to Boston.

Asked to comment on Koh and the open congressional seat, City Hall spokeswoman Laura Oggeri declined to comment.

Huckabee Sanders: Televised White House Briefings to Remain ‘For Now’

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Photo courtesy Pixabay.

Last week, new White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders gave tepid support to returning to the tradition that White House press briefings would likely remain on-camera, potentially defusing an issue of contention with the press corps.

“Yeah, I think for now,” she said in an interview with The New York Times. “We’ll see what happens.”

Sanders was promoted to press secretary after her predecessor, Sean Spicer, resigned following the announcement that Anthony Scaramucci would be appointed White House communications director. Less than two weeks later, Scaramucci was fired by incoming chief of staff John Kelly.

She also recently took over the White House press secretary’s Twitter handle from Spicer, which has been handed down to staffers in that role since the Obama administration.

NPR’s Geoff Bennett Moves to White House Beat

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Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

National Public Radio has added a fourth reporter to its White House beat.  Geoff Bennett will be transferring down Pennsylvania Avenue, leaving his current role as a congressional reporter for the network since March.

Senior NPR Washington editor Beth Donovan said that “[j]ust a few months into his return to NPR, Geoff has demonstrated the substantive reach, solid sourcing, and fluidity in stories and two ways demanded daily on the beat.  And, as those of us lucky enough to work alongside Geoff know, he’s done it with the grace and good humor we so need.”

Before returning to NPR on the congressional beat, Bennett had worked as Washington correspondent for NY1 News.  Prior to that, he served as editor of NPR’s Weekend Edition.

NPR’s White House team also includes national political correspondent Mara Liasson and correspondents Scott Horsley and Tamara Keith.

UPDATED: Former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci Cancels Live Stream Event

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Photo courtesy Pixabay.

UPDATE:  Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci has cancelled his plan for a live stream event on Friday, citing family and work.

Original Story:

After being fired by newly-installed White House chief of staff John Kelly, former communications director Anthony Scaramucci told CNN he will hold an online forum on Friday.

Scaramucci served as White House communications director for only ten days, before being removed by Kelly on Monday.

The event will be available on several public outlets throughout the day, with the help of former Fox News executive Bill Shine.

The former White House staffer told CNN he believes his tenure was a success.  Both former press secretary Sean Spicer and chief of staff Reince Priebus resigned during his time on staff.

After Friday’s event, “the Mooch” expects to step back from the public spotlight until after Labor Day, as he evaluates his next venture.

Scaramucci Removed as White House Communications Director

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SkyBridge Capital founder Anthony Scaramucci speaks at the 2016 SkyBridge Alternatives “SALT” Conference at the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Photo courtesy Wikipedia.

President Donald Trump has removed Anthony Scaramucci from his role as White House communications director, as reported by The New York Times.

The Wall Street financier was brought to Washington just 10 days prior, which resulted in several staff members to leave, including Sean Spicer as press secretary and Reince Priebus as chief of staff.

The decision came as former Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly began his tenure as new chief of staff.  Several people with knowledge about the decision said the president removed Scaramucci at Kelly’s request.  Scaramucci had said he was to report directly to the president, instead of the traditional role answering to the chief of staff.

“Anthony Scaramucci will be leaving his role as White House Communications Director,” said press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders in a release. “Mr. Scaramucci felt it was best to give Chief of Staff John Kelly a clean slate and the ability to build his own team. We wish him all the best.”

There was no clarification as to whether Scaramucci will remain a White House employee in a different position or out of the administration altogether.

Reports: Attorney General Jeff Sessions to Announce Criminal Investigations of Intelligence Leaks

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By U.S. Customs and Border Protection (160120-H-NI589-0103) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Unnamed officials are saying that Attorney General Jeff Sessions will announce in the upcoming few days a number of criminal leak investigations based on news reports containing sensitive intelligence information.

During an interview on Wednesday morning’s “Fox & Friends” program, White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci confirmed plans exist to launch the probe.

“I think he has got a plan that he has put together and at some point, I don’t know if it will be today, tomorrow or next week, he will announce that plan,” he said on the program.

Sessions’ actions come amid a days-long public admonishment of the attorney general by President Donald Trump, primarily on Twitter and in various interviews.  The president has strongly suggested that Sessions will not remain in his cabinet for much longer, but the attorney general has refused to resign his position.