The Vince Coglianese Show

INTERVIEW -- SAAGAR ENJETI -- Host of THE HILL TV SHOW "Rising w/ Krystal and Saagar" – discussed the U.S. military killing a top Iranian military leader and 2020 candidate fundraising.

2020 DEM FUNDRAISING: President Trump’s campaign has announced it raised $46 million in the final quarter of 2019.  Trump’s total in the final three months of 2019 is far bigger than any quarterly total announced so far by any Democratic candidate. The Republican National Committee has seven times the amount of cash on hand as its Democratic counterpart and the president’s quarterly figure tops Bernie Sanders, who brought in $34.5 million, Pete Buttigieg, who raised nearly $25 million and Joe Biden, who raised $22.7 million.

Julian Castro, former Housing and Urban Development secretary in the Obama administration, has ended his presidential bid.

INTERVIEW - MICHAEL PREGENT - Former Intelligence Officer and senior fellow at Hudson Institute – analyzed the death of Qassem Soleimani.

Iran vows vengeance after US airstrike kills top Iranian general. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday warned that a "harsh retaliation is waiting" for the U.S. after an airstrike on an airport in Baghdad killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force.

The Pentagon confirmed that President Trump ordered the attack that killed Soleimani, a military mastermind whom Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had deemed equally as dangerous as ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who killed himself in October during a U.S. raid on a compound in northwest Syria. Khamenei declared three days of public mourning for the general's death.

INTERVIEW - REP. SCOTT TAYLOR - former VA congressman, Navy SEAL and Iraq War veteran – shared his analysis of the pro-Iranian militia attack on the US Embassy in Baghdad.

INTERVIEW – CAROL MALONEY – host of The Carol Maloney Show on ESPN 630 (in studio) – discussed leadership changes at the Redskins and DC’s phenomenal sports year in 2019.

Redskins have announced Ron Rivera as the team’s new head coach

Discuss changes in leadership at the Skins:  It was a season of change in Washington. The Washington Redskins have made a few major changes this season: After an 0-5 start, head coach Jay Gruden was fired after five years at the helm. And after a 3-13 finish, team president Bruce Allen was fired by owner Daniel Snyder after 10 years with the organization. With the season over the players were left to clean out their lockers and adjust to the new reality. The Washington Redskins named Ron Rivera their new head coach Wednesday, and he promptly hired a defensive coordinator. Washington also reached agreement on a deal with former NFL head coach Jack Del Rio to be the defensive coordinator, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The Redskins will introduce Rivera, who coached the Carolina Panthers for nine years, at a news conference scheduled for Thursday at 2 p.m. ET.

D.C. SPORTS: DC had a phenomenal sports year in 2019. Perhaps do a look back and look ahead to DC sports in 2020

INTERVIEW - MATT WALSH - columnist for The Daily Wire and author of new book, "THE UNHOLY TRINITY: BLOCKING THE LEFT’S ASSAULT ON LIFE, MARRIAGE, AND GENDER" -- discussed whether it was right for the Pope to swat away the woman who grabbed him.

Pope apologizes for setting 'bad example' by swatting handshaker who yanked him. Pope Francis apologized for slapping a woman's hand after she yanked him toward her at the nativity scene in Vatican City on New Year's Eve. The encounter, which went viral, shows the pope, 83, greeting people and shaking hands on Tuesday when a woman grabbed his hand and pulled him to her as he was walking the other direction. He proceeded to scold her and swatted her hand away before moving on. It's unclear who the woman is or what she said to him when she had his attention. Before beginning his traditional New Year's Day address on Wednesday, the pope made some impromptu remarks and apologized "for the poor example yesterday." "So many times, we lose patience. Me, too," he said. “I say, ‘Excuse me,’ for the bad example." He went on to denounce violence against women in his address, telling worshipers gathered at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, "Women are sources of life. Yet they are continually insulted, beaten, raped, forced to prostitute themselves and to suppress the life they bear in the womb."

Matt Walsh @MattWalshBlog 18h18 hours ago If you grab someone and yank them towards you like that, you deserve to get your hand smacked away. The people scolding Pope Francis for this are being ridiculous.

NY TIMES: Pope Francis Apologizes After Slapping Away a Clinging Pilgrim. As the pontiff greeted members of the public on New Year’s Eve, one woman grabbed his hand with both of hers. A video of the incident was shared widely online.

INTERVIEW – James Carafano – vice president of foreign and defense policy studies, The Heritage Foundation – discussed the Baghdad embassy attack.

US-Iran tension remains high after militiamen's withdrawal from US Embassy compound in Baghdad. The tension between the United States and Iran remains high as both sides brace for a potential renewal of violence after Iran-backed militiamen withdrew from the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad on Wednesday after two days of clashes with American security forces. Stunning photos released by The Associated Press revealed scenes of destruction inside the U.S. Embassy in Iraq's capital after Tuesday's attack by militants protesting recent airstrikes. The storming of the embassy led President Trump to call for an immediate response that included a surge of U.S. Marines to quell the unrest. The Pentagon sent hundreds of additional troops to the Middle East and prompted U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to delay a European and Central Asian trip. In an interview on "Special Report" on Tuesday, Pompeo said Tehran will always be held accountable for any "malign activity.

Carafano: Top 5 World Headlines to Watch For in 2020 (Fox News) -- As we head into the new decade, Lt. Col. James Carafano highlights what headlines we should watch for on the world stage – and some might surprise you. There will be “bargaining with North Korea, bumping heads with China and tussling with Tehran. There could also well be headlines some may not be expecting.”

US and UK seal the deal on a free trade agreement: “Bank on Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivering Brexit. Trade deal negotiations will follow at a speed-dating clip. It’s not beyond the pale to believe that the deal will be done and Congress will pass enabling legislation by the end of the year.”

Adios, Maduro: “Could this be the year, despite the flagging internal opposition, that Venezuelan strong man Nicolas Maduro finally gives up the ghost and flees the country? It could be. The U.S. continues to ratchet up the pressure and hold together an international coalition against the illegitimate regime.”

The Middle East gets its NATO: “The security cooperation framework that the U.S. knits together in the region won’t look like the transatlantic alliance, but it will signal the end of the worst of the squabbling among the Gulf Cooperation Council; mark the end of Israel’s strategic isolation from the Arab world; and present a united front blocking Iran.”

Mornings on the Mall

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Hosts: Vince Coglianese and guest co-host Beverly Hallberg of Independent Women’s Forum

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

James Carafano, Matt Walsh, Carol Maloney, Rep. Scott Taylor, and Beverly Hallberg joined WMAL on Thursday!

 

5am – A/B/CIMPEACHMENT UPDATE:

CHIEF JUSTICE Preps For Impeachment Trial... NYT: Impeachment Trial Looming, Chief Justice Reflects on Judicial Independence.     WASHINGTON — As Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. prepares to preside over the impeachment trial of President Trump, he issued pointed remarks on Tuesday in his year-end report on the state of the federal judiciary that seemed to be addressed, at least in part, to the president himself. [...]   “We should reflect on our duty to judge without fear or favor, deciding each matter with humility, integrity and dispatch,” he wrote in the report. “As the new year begins, and we turn to the tasks before us, we should each resolve to do our best to maintain the public’s trust that we are faithfully discharging our solemn obligation to equal justice under law.” [...]   The report seemed to continue a conversation with Mr. Trump about the role of the courts.  In 2018, the two men had a sharp exchange, with Mr. Trump suggesting that federal judges carry out the wishes of the presidents who appointed them and Chief Justice Roberts defending the independence and integrity of the judicial branch.  The exchange started when Mr. Trump called a judge who had ruled against his administration’s asylum policy “an Obama judge.” In response, the chief justice said the president had misunderstood the role of the federal courts in the constitutional system.    “We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges,” Chief Justice Roberts said in a statement. “What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them. That independent judiciary is something we should all be thankful for.”   Mr. Trump took issue with the chief justice’s statement on Twitter. “Sorry Chief Justice John Roberts, but you do indeed have ‘Obama judges,’” Mr. Trump wrote, “and they have a much different point of view than the people who are charged with the safety of our country.”

Democrat LAWRENCE TRIBE: When the Chief Justice administers the oath of impartiality to a Senator who has said he will not be impartial, he will need to decide what his own oath demands — and whether he has jurisdiction to rule on a motion to recuse that Senator for cause.

GOP Senator: We’ll Be Done With Impeachment By Early February.     On Tuesday, one of the GOP’s leaders in the Senate, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) said he thinks President Trump’s impeachment trial will be over by the time Trump delivers the State of the Union speech on February 4. Blunt told KSSZ  the Senate trial would be “pretty predictable” and happen “quickly,” adding, “My guess is we’ll be done with this by the time the president comes.”

Rudy Giuliani says he is willing to testify at Trump impeachment trial.   Rudy Giuliani, President Trump's personal attorney, said Tuesday he would be willing to testify at Trump’s Senate impeachment trial, telling reporters that he would “love to try the case” and that he has learned of “vast” corruption involving Democrats and Ukraine.    “I would testify, I would do demonstrations, I'd give lectures, I'd give summations or I do what I do best. I try the case,” he told reporters in Mar-a-Lago. “I’d love to try the case.” [...]  “What I learned is that the corruption in Ukraine is vast. It's extensive. It highly involves the Democratic Party, not just in 2016, but for many years,” he said, describing what he called “American Ukrainian corruption.”     He said he is still meeting with witnesses, has just returned from Ukraine, and is looking for the “right forum” to air what he has gathered. “It will turn out to be a series of criminal acts that will involve the highest levels of the Obama administration,” he said. “And it's the reason why the Democratic Party is in panic.”

 

5am – D         Vox Editor Rings In New Year By Spreading Fake News In Viral Tweet:    Vox founder and editor-at-large Ezra Klein capped off his year by spreading misleading information in a viral tweet Tuesday. Klein tweeted out a nine-month-old Washington Post article stating counties that hosted Trump rallies saw massive spikes in hate crimes compared to counties that didn’t host Trump rallies. Klein’s tweet garnered more than 7,000 retweets and more than 14,000 likes by Wednesday afternoon.

Ezra Klein @ezraklein "We found that counties that had hosted a 2016 Trump campaign rally saw a 226 percent increase in reported hate crimes over comparable counties that did not host such a rally."

But what Klein didn’t tell his 2.5 million followers was that the article was based on a study that was thoroughly debunked months prior by researchers at Harvard University. “The study is wrong, and yet journalists ran with it anyway,” Harvard researchers Matthew Lilley and Brian Wheaton wrote in a September article published in Reason magazine.

...KLEIN is releasing a new book in January called "WHY WE'RE POLARIZED"... "...he traces the feedback loops between polarized political identities and polarized political institutions that are driving our system toward crisis. A revelatory book that will change how you look at politics, and perhaps at yourself."

 

5am – E         Nudist Resort Burns Down In Major Fire During ‘Nude Year’s Eve’ Party.     Firefighters from three states responded to a nudist resort as a major blaze broke out during its “Nude Year’s Eve” party.  Avalon Resort’s lodge, located on 140 acres of woods in Paw Paw, West Virginia, was a total loss, but the pool and bar were spared, firefighters told the Cumberland Times-News. [...]   “On New Years Eve we had a fire in the lodge. Thankfully no one (including pets) was injured. The aquatic center was not affected at all. The Nudsinoneeds some work and clean-up, but can be back up and running. The Bare Barn was untouched,” according to the resort’s Facebook page. “We are temporarily closed but are already working on plans to reopen.”

 

6am – A/B/C BAGHDAD EMABSSY ATTACK:

US-Iran tension remains high after militiamen's withdrawal from US Embassy compound in Baghdad. The tension between the United States and Iran remains high as both sides brace for a potential renewal of violence after Iran-backed militiamen withdrew from the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad on Wednesday after two days of clashes with American security forces. Stunning photos released by The Associated Press revealed scenes of destruction inside the U.S. Embassy in Iraq's capital after Tuesday's attack by militants protesting recent airstrikes. The storming of the embassy led President Trump to call for an immediate response that included a surge of U.S. Marines to quell the unrest. The Pentagon sent hundreds of additional troops to the Middle East and prompted U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to delay a European and Central Asian trip. In an interview on "Special Report" on Tuesday, Pompeo said Tehran will always be held accountable for any "malign activity.

TRUMP'S BENGHAZI IN IRAQ?

Progressive group under fire for taunting Trump by calling violent Baghdad protests his 'Benghazi'    VoteVets, a veterans group that helps progressive candidates seek public office, used the violent demonstrations on Tuesday to knock the president. "Hey @POTUS remember [your] Benghazi rants during 2016? You're about to have your own one unfortunately in Iraq," VoteVets wrote in the now-deleted tweet.

Joy Reid‏ @JoyAnnReid: As Trump's Benghazi unfolds in Iraq...

POMPEO’S UKRAINE TRIP POSTPONED BC OF BAGHDAD: The breach of the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad has prompted Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to delay his trip to Ukraine and four other countries. Pompeo was to arrive in Ukraine late today in his first visit to the country at the center of President Trump's impeachment. State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus says Pompeo is postponing the trip "to continue monitoring the ongoing situation in Iraq and ensure the safety and security of Americans in the Middle East." She says he intends to reschedule soon. In Kyiv, Pompeo was to meet Ukraine's president and reaffirm U.S. support for Ukrainian sovereignty.

 

6am – D         Pope apologizes for setting 'bad example' by swatting handshaker who yanked him. (Washington Examiner) - Pope Francis apologized for slapping a woman's hand after she yanked him toward her at the nativity scene in Vatican City on New Year's Eve. The encounter, which went viral, shows the pope, 83, greeting people and shaking hands on Tuesday when a woman grabbed his hand and pulled him to her as he was walking the other direction. He proceeded to scold her and swatted her hand away before moving on. It's unclear who the woman is or what she said to him when she had his attention. Before beginning his traditional New Year's Day address on Wednesday, the pope made some impromptu remarks and apologized "for the poor example yesterday." "So many times, we lose patience. Me, too," he said. “I say, ‘Excuse me,’ for the bad example." He went on to denounce violence against women in his address, telling worshipers gathered at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, "Women are sources of life. Yet they are continually insulted, beaten, raped, forced to prostitute themselves and to suppress the life they bear in the womb."

 

6am – E         USA TODAY'S AWFUL HOT TAKE ON TX CHURCH SHOOTING: Media Continues With Awful Hot Takes About the 'Terrifying' Armed Churchgoers in Texas Shooting:

USA TODAY @USATODAY: Opinion: Jack Wilson is exactly the type of person you want around with a gun because he's a firearms instructor. But we know nothing about the at least six other parishioners who also appeared to draw their handguns. And that's terrifying.

6am – F         Madonna brings 25-year-old boyfriend on family vacation. (PageSix) --

Weeks after being spotted sharing an embrace in Miami, Madonna, 61, has all but confirmed her relationship with 25-year-old Ahlamalik Williams, bringing the background dancer along on a family vacation the pop icon took with her children just after Christmas. Williams joined the singer, her eldest daughter Lourdes, 25, son David Banda, 14, daughter Mercy James, 13, and twins Esther and Stella. “Saying Good-bye to 2019!

INTERVIEW - GORDON CHANG - author of "Nuclear Showdown: North Korea Takes On the World" and "Losing South Korea" / Twitter handle: @GordonGChang

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has expressed frustration over stalled nuclear negotiations and warned that his country will soon show to the world a new strategic weapon. Kim also says North Korea is no longer obligated to maintain a self-imposed suspension on the testing of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles. President Donald Trump has touted North Korea's moratorium as a major diplomatic accomplishment. Kim gave no clear indication that a resumption of such tests was impending.

INTERVIEW – LT. COL. TONY SHAFFER – a CIA trained former senior intelligence officer and president of the London Center for Policy Research

U.S. troops fired tear gas on Wednesday to disperse pro-Iran protesters who were gathered outside the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad for a second day. Dozens of pro-Iranian militiamen and their supporters had camped out at the gates of the embassy in Baghdad where they stayed the night, a day after they broke into the compound, trashing a reception area and smashing windows in one of the worst attacks on the embassy in recent memory. The U.S. Marines guarding the embassy fired tear gas as more crowds arrived and after the protesters lit a fire on the roof of the reception area. Smoke rose from the building. The protesters are angered by deadly US airstrikes that targeted an Iran-backed militia over the weekend, killing 25 fighters. On Tuesday, dozens of Iraqi Shiite militiamen and their supporters broke into the U.S. Embassy compound in , smashing a main door and setting fire to a reception area in one of the worst attacks on the embassy in recent memory. President Donald Trump blamed Iran for the attack and Defense Secretary Mark Esper later announced the immediate deployment of an infantry battalion of about 750 soldiers from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to the Middle East. He did not specify their destination, but a U.S. official familiar with the decision said they will go to Kuwait.

KERRY'S WASHINGTON EXAMINER STORY ABOUT GUNS IN VIRGINIA -- SEEING A RISE IN GUN SALES AND CASH SALES: (Washington Examiner) -- As incoming Virginia state lawmakers prepare to debate and pass new gun control bills, one local Northern Virginia firearms store owner says sales of guns, magazines, and ammunition have skyrocketed 200 percent and more of his customers are paying in cash.

“This is the largest Christmas and November, December that we've had, basically, since Trump has come on board. The only other person that was a better salesman right now is when we had President Obama,” Jerry Rapp, owner of SpecDive Tactical, told the Washington Examiner. He explained, “And every time he turned around, he was going to ban something or make something illegal. But even that isn't even close to the amount of sales we're selling right now of magazines, of guns, of every kind of gun from pistol rifle shotguns to AR platforms… ammo--we can't keep it in stock.” Since Democrats took the majorities of both chambers in Virginia’s state legislature last month, gun control proposals that include bans on “assault style” weapons, restrictions on magazine capacity, universal background checks, and restrictions to one gun a month purchases have all been brought forth. Virginia freshman Democratic Rep. Jennifer Wexton, who previously served in the state legislature in the upper chamber, has proposed legislation in Congress to use credit card data to track gun purchases. While the bill will likely not get past the House on Capitol Hill, news about her idea appears to have made it to Virginia firearms customers. According to Rapp, more of his clients, who say they are concerned about privacy issues, are purchasing with cash as opposed to using their credit cards since the election in November. “There is an upswing on buying by cash right now. We’re depositing a lot of cash.”