For decades, Arkansas punched above its weight in politics and business.

In the 1990s, it was home to the president and the world’s wealthiest family. In the 2000s, three one-time Arkansans ran for president. A decade later, the state claimed its sixth company on the Fortune 500 list.

But Arkansas may be entering its most consequential period yet, as a test case for the future of the Republican Party.

Having undergone a lightning-quick transformation in the last decade from Democratic dominance to Republican rule, how closely the state clings to former President Donald Trump and his style of politics will offer insights about the party he still dominates.

Arkansas represents the full spectrum of today’s GOP.

There are Trump devotees fully behind his false claims of a stolen election and his brand of grievance-oriented politics. That faction is now led by former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the daughter of Mike Huckabee, the state’s onetime governor. More ideological, and less Trump-centric, conservatives include Sen. Tom Cotton.

And then there are pre-Trump Republicans, like Gov. Asa Hutchinson, hoping against hope the moment will pass and they can return the party to its Reaganite roots. Finally, some Republicans are so appalled by Trumpism, they have left or are considering leaving the party.

Perhaps most significant, each of these factions are bunched together in a state powered by a handful of corporations that are increasingly uneasy with the culture-war politics that define Trump Republicanism. In a meeting of Walmart’s Arkansas-based executives last month, a number of officials cited state measures limiting transgender rights to express concern about how such bills could hamper their ability to recruit a diverse workforce, according to a business leader familiar with the discussion.

“They’ve got to recruit people to this state, and this makes it harder for them,” said Hutchinson, alluding to transgender measures that he opposed in this year’s legislative session. “And there’s many in the base of the party that just don’t care,” he said. “They would rather fight the cultural war and pay the price in terms of growth.”

In the next year and a half, Sanders will road-test Trumpism in state politics as she runs for governor in a state the former president carried by 27 points last year. She will initially face a longtime friend and former aide to her father, the state’s Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, who unsuccessfully pleaded with Trump not to endorse Sanders.

Then, if Sanders prevails, she may prompt a long-shot challenge in the general election from a Republican-turned-independent who left the party in disgust with Trump, and just happens to be Hutchinson’s nephew.

At the same time, Cotton and Hutchinson will be circling one another, perhaps in Iowa as often as in Arkansas, as they both eye 2024 presidential bids with very different bets about the future of the party.

“There will be a lot of complicated relationships,” state Sen. Jonathan Dismang, an influential lawmaker, said with maximum delicacy.

For many veterans of Arkansas politics, the intra-Republican competition is a full-circle moment, reflecting the state’s rapid shift from an overwhelmingly Democratic state to an overwhelmingly Republican one. This period is also eerily familiar to an earlier era when it was Democrats like then-Gov. Bill Clinton and former Sens. Dale Bumpers and David Pryor who were vying for supremacy. What’s different about today is how much politics in a small, mostly rural state at the intersection of the Deep South, Midwest and Southwest is shaped by a figure who has almost certainly never let the phrase “Woo Pig Sooie” slip from his lips.

“Arkansas Republicanism is defined by President Trump right now,” said Trent Garner, a south Arkansas state lawmaker who defeated one of the remaining rural white Democrats when Trump was first elected.

If there was any doubt about that after Trump’s romp in the state last year, it was erased in February when Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin abruptly pulled out of the 2022 governor’s race. A longtime political operative and former House member, Griffin had been collecting chits for what many here assumed was an inevitable run for the state’s top job after returning home from Congress in 2014 to serve as lieutenant governor.

Then Sanders, who has never served in elective office, made clear she would run for governor, and Trump quickly endorsed his former spokeswoman.

The combination of her connection to Trump, her father’s legacy and her own celebrity from being a Fox News regular made her seemingly unbeatable, according to a private survey Griffin took, Republicans familiar with the findings said.

Now running for attorney general, Griffin, an Army Reserve colonel, sought to put the best face on his climb-down. “If bio and resume was key to politics, then George H.W. Bush would’ve been reelected, Bob Dole would’ve won and John McCain would’ve won,” he said.

Hutchinson put a finer point on how Sanders had derailed Griffin. “It shows you the power of media and personality,” he said.

Sanders does still have competition for governor, particularly from Rutledge, a conservative who, in the friends-and-neighbors world of Arkansas politics, served as Huckabee’s general counsel as governor and in the same capacity when he ran for president in 2008.

“She’s never made decisions,” Rutledge said of Sanders. “It’s a big difference answering questions behind a podium versus making decisions behind a desk.”

She insisted primary voters would ultimately value her experience, and dismissed state Capitol speculation that she would eventually follow Griffin to the exits, perhaps to run for lieutenant governor or the state Supreme Court.

Asked about Rutledge’s criticism, Sanders ignored her rival and trumpeted her own record-setting early fundraising. “I take nothing for granted,” she said via text message.

Should Sanders emerge as the Republican standard-bearer, she may face a third-party opponent from well outside the pro-Trump orbit. State Sen. Jim Hendren, who left the GOP after the Jan. 6 riot, and Davy Carter, a former state House speaker, are both considering bids.

In separate interviews, they said they would not compete with one another in the same race. “I’m convinced that even in Arkansas, Trump and Trumpism is a slow-sinking ship,” said Carter, who as speaker helped push through Medicaid expansion. He said that a successful challenge to Trumpism would not happen unless liberals, moderates and anti-Trump Republicans “organize in one lane.”

Asked who he’d ultimately back in the governor’s race, Hutchinson said, “I expect to support the Republican nominee.”

But he acknowledged talking extensively with his nephew, Hendren, saying they share “the same frustrations” about the party, except that Hutchinson is determined to fight from within the tent. Offering some barely veiled advice for Sanders, he said: “Leadership is about bringing people along and not giving in to a lie.”

The governor, and most observers, are deeply skeptical that an independent could win statewide. Indeed, more than a year and a half before Sanders would even take office, many insiders have moved on to discussing what sort of governor she would be.

Would she repurpose Trump’s media-bashing and grievance-oriented politics to stay in the national headlines, and perhaps propel a presidential run of her own, or would she mirror her father’s more pragmatic approach to the office? While he is now known for his own Fox News and social media profile, Huckabee governed in the political center, even incurring the wrath of the far right, whom he labeled “Shiite conservatives.”

“I think she’s going to be very eager to prove that she’s a competent executive who cares about the state,” said John Burris, a state legislator-turned-lobbyist.

While shunning the state media and declining an interview for this story, Sanders has quietly reached out to state Republican lawmakers to discuss state policy and convey her desire to work with them, according to Garner.

Few in the state will be watching as closely as the business titans at companies like Walmart, Tyson Foods and J.B. Hunt, the transportation and logistics giant, which are headquartered in the northwest corner of the state. Once the only Republican region of Arkansas — even Bill Clinton couldn’t win a House seat there in the aftermath of Watergate — it is now the state’s economic engine.

The area is booming, will gain about a half-dozen new state legislative seats in redistricting, and is becoming more diverse. As the local business alliance, the Northwest Arkansas Council, notes, from 1990 and 2019, the nonwhite population of the region grew from less than 5% to over 28%.

To lure more transplants, the business giants have showered the region with money, helping develop local attractions like the Crystal Bridges art museum, which was founded by Alice Walton, daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton.

But this transformation is coming into conflict with the state’s shift right.

At the height of the transgender legislation debate this spring, Tom Walton, a grandson of Sam Walton, issued a statement decrying “policy targeting LGBTQ people in Arkansas” and spoke directly to what he saw as the threat presented. “This trend is harmful and sends the wrong message to those willing to invest in or visit our state.”

Hendren, who represents a swath of the region in the state Senate, said the business community would have to do far more to slow Arkansas’ sprint right.

“Continuing to do the same thing is going to lead to the same results,” he said, dismissing the companies’ strategy of sending the maximum allowable donations to candidates “and thinking that’s going buy you any loyalty.”

As for the Arkansans eying 2024, neither is willing to expound on their ambitions before the midterm elections. But both are attempting to carve out space for their potential bids.

Cotton is quick to jump on issues he knows will animate core Republicans — from introducing legislation to address anti-Semitic hate crimes, to lambasting what he calls “woke corporations” — while Hutchinson has become a frequent presence on the national television circuit.

“I don’t want to sit back idly and let the division grow greater and let our party just become more angry,” Hutchinson said.

For decades, Arkansas punched above its weight in politics and business. In the 1990s, it was home to the president and the world’s wealthiest family. In the 2000s, three one-time Arkansans ran for president.

For decades, Arkansas punched above its weight in politics and business. In the 1990s, it was home to the president and the world’s wealthiest family. In the 2000s, three one-time Arkansans ran for president. A decade later, the state claimed its sixth company on the Fortune 500 list. But Arkansas may be entering its most consequential period yet, as a test case for the future of the Republican Party. Having undergone a lightning-quick transformation in the last decade from Democratic dominance to Republican rule, how closely the state clings to former President Donald Trump and his style of politics will offer insights about the party he still dominates. Arkansas represents the full spectrum of today’s GOP. There are Trump devotees fully behind his false claims of a stolen election and his brand of grievance-oriented politics. That faction is now led by former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the daughter of Mike Huckabee, the state’s onetime governor. More ideological, and less Trump-centric, conservatives include Sen. Tom Cotton. And then there are pre-Trump Republicans, like Gov. Asa Hutchinson, hoping against hope the moment will pass and they can return the party to its Reaganite roots. Finally, some Republicans are so appalled by Trumpism, they have left or are considering leaving the party. Perhaps most significant, each of these factions are bunched together in a state powered by a handful of corporations that are increasingly uneasy with the culture-war politics that define Trump Republicanism. In a meeting of Walmart’s Arkansas-based executives last month, a number of officials cited state measures limiting transgender rights to express concern about how such bills could hamper their ability to recruit a diverse workforce, according to a business leader familiar with the discussion. “They’ve got to recruit people to this state, and this makes it harder for them,” said Hutchinson, alluding to transgender measures that he opposed in this year’s legislative session. “And there’s many in the base of the party that just don’t care,” he said. “They would rather fight the cultural war and pay the price in terms of growth.” In the next year and a half, Sanders will road-test Trumpism in state politics as she runs for governor in a state the former president carried by 27 points last year. She will initially face a longtime friend and former aide to her father, the state’s Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, who unsuccessfully pleaded with Trump not to endorse Sanders. Then, if Sanders prevails, she may prompt a long-shot challenge in the general election from a Republican-turned-independent who left the party in disgust with Trump, and just happens to be Hutchinson’s nephew. At the same time, Cotton and Hutchinson will be circling one another, perhaps in Iowa as often as in Arkansas, as they both eye 2024 presidential bids with very different bets about the future of the party. “There will be a lot of complicated relationships,” state Sen. Jonathan Dismang, an influential lawmaker, said with maximum delicacy. For many veterans of Arkansas politics, the intra-Republican competition is a full-circle moment, reflecting the state’s rapid shift from an overwhelmingly Democratic state to an overwhelmingly Republican one. This period is also eerily familiar to an earlier era when it was Democrats like then-Gov. Bill Clinton and former Sens. Dale Bumpers and David Pryor who were vying for supremacy. What’s different about today is how much politics in a small, mostly rural state at the intersection of the Deep South, Midwest and Southwest is shaped by a figure who has almost certainly never let the phrase “Woo Pig Sooie” slip from his lips. “Arkansas Republicanism is defined by President Trump right now,” said Trent Garner, a south Arkansas state lawmaker who defeated one of the remaining rural white Democrats when Trump was first elected. If there was any doubt about that after Trump’s romp in the state last year, it was erased in February when Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin abruptly pulled out of the 2022 governor’s race. A longtime political operative and former House member, Griffin had been collecting chits for what many here assumed was an inevitable run for the state’s top job after returning home from Congress in 2014 to serve as lieutenant governor. Then Sanders, who has never served in elective office, made clear she would run for governor, and Trump quickly endorsed his former spokeswoman. The combination of her connection to Trump, her father’s legacy and her own celebrity from being a Fox News regular made her seemingly unbeatable, according to a private survey Griffin took, Republicans familiar with the findings said. Now running for attorney general, Griffin, an Army Reserve colonel, sought to put the best face on his climb-down. “If bio and resume was key to politics, then George H.W. Bush would’ve been reelected, Bob Dole would’ve won and John McCain would’ve won,” he said. Hutchinson put a finer point on how Sanders had derailed Griffin. “It shows you the power of media and personality,” he said. Sanders does still have competition for governor, particularly from Rutledge, a conservative who, in the friends-and-neighbors world of Arkansas politics, served as Huckabee’s general counsel as governor and in the same capacity when he ran for president in 2008. “She’s never made decisions,” Rutledge said of Sanders. “It’s a big difference answering questions behind a podium versus making decisions behind a desk.” She insisted primary voters would ultimately value her experience, and dismissed state Capitol speculation that she would eventually follow Griffin to the exits, perhaps to run for lieutenant governor or the state Supreme Court. Asked about Rutledge’s criticism, Sanders ignored her rival and trumpeted her own record-setting early fundraising. “I take nothing for granted,” she said via text message. Should Sanders emerge as the Republican standard-bearer, she may face a third-party opponent from well outside the pro-Trump orbit. State Sen. Jim Hendren, who left the GOP after the Jan. 6 riot, and Davy Carter, a former state House speaker, are both considering bids. In separate interviews, they said they would not compete with one another in the same race. “I’m convinced that even in Arkansas, Trump and Trumpism is a slow-sinking ship,” said Carter, who as speaker helped push through Medicaid expansion. He said that a successful challenge to Trumpism would not happen unless liberals, moderates and anti-Trump Republicans “organize in one lane.” Asked who he’d ultimately back in the governor’s race, Hutchinson said, “I expect to support the Republican nominee.” But he acknowledged talking extensively with his nephew, Hendren, saying they share “the same frustrations” about the party, except that Hutchinson is determined to fight from within the tent. Offering some barely veiled advice for Sanders, he said: “Leadership is about bringing people along and not giving in to a lie.” The governor, and most observers, are deeply skeptical that an independent could win statewide. Indeed, more than a year and a half before Sanders would even take office, many insiders have moved on to discussing what sort of governor she would be. Would she repurpose Trump’s media-bashing and grievance-oriented politics to stay in the national headlines, and perhaps propel a presidential run of her own, or would she mirror her father’s more pragmatic approach to the office? While he is now known for his own Fox News and social media profile, Huckabee governed in the political center, even incurring the wrath of the far right, whom he labeled “Shiite conservatives.” “I think she’s going to be very eager to prove that she’s a competent executive who cares about the state,” said John Burris, a state legislator-turned-lobbyist. While shunning the state media and declining an interview for this story, Sanders has quietly reached out to state Republican lawmakers to discuss state policy and convey her desire to work with them, according to Garner. Few in the state will be watching as closely as the business titans at companies like Walmart, Tyson Foods and J.B. Hunt, the transportation and logistics giant, which are headquartered in the northwest corner of the state. Once the only Republican region of Arkansas — even Bill Clinton couldn’t win a House seat there in the aftermath of Watergate — it is now the state’s economic engine. The area is booming, will gain about a half-dozen new state legislative seats in redistricting, and is becoming more diverse. As the local business alliance, the Northwest Arkansas Council, notes, from 1990 and 2019, the nonwhite population of the region grew from less than 5% to over 28%. To lure more transplants, the business giants have showered the region with money, helping develop local attractions like the Crystal Bridges art museum, which was founded by Alice Walton, daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton. But this transformation is coming into conflict with the state’s shift right. At the height of the transgender legislation debate this spring, Tom Walton, a grandson of Sam Walton, issued a statement decrying “policy targeting LGBTQ people in Arkansas” and spoke directly to what he saw as the threat presented. “This trend is harmful and sends the wrong message to those willing to invest in or visit our state.” Hendren, who represents a swath of the region in the state Senate, said the business community would have to do far more to slow Arkansas’ sprint right. “Continuing to do the same thing is going to lead to the same results,” he said, dismissing the companies’ strategy of sending the maximum allowable donations to candidates “and thinking that’s going buy you any loyalty.” As for the Arkansans eying 2024, neither is willing to expound on their ambitions before the midterm elections. But both are attempting to carve out space for their potential bids. Cotton is quick to jump on issues he knows will animate core Republicans — from introducing legislation to address anti-Semitic hate crimes, to lambasting what he calls “woke corporations” — while Hutchinson has become a frequent presence on the national television circuit. “I don’t want to sit back idly and let the division grow greater and let our party just become more angry,” Hutchinson said.

Why Arkansas is a test case for a post-Trump Republican Party

President Donald Trump's administration on Tuesday took a step back from its threat to close the southern US border, saying Mexico had been taking a greater responsibility for dealing with the immigration problem.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the Trump administration had seen Mexico "stepping up and taking a greater sense of responsibility" for dealing with the immigration flows that US&nbsp;officials say are overwhelming ports of entry along the border.

"They have started to do a significant amount more. We’ve seen them take a larger number of individuals" and hold those who have asylum claims in Mexico while they are being processed in the United States, Sanders told reporters at the White House.

"We’ve also seen them stop more people from coming across the border so that they aren’t even entering into the United States. So those two things are certainly helpful and we’d like to see them continue," Sanders said.

Trump threatened on Friday to close the border with this week unless Mexico took steps to stop immigrants from reaching the United States illegally. Closing the border with Mexico could potentially disrupt millions of legal border crossings and billions of dollars in trade.

Sanders said the administration was "looking at all options when it comes to closing the different ports of entry, what that looks like and what the impacts would be."

She told Fox News the administration wanted Mexico to continue working to address the issue so "we aren't forced to take drastic action like closing the ports of entry at our border." 
&nbsp;

President Donald Trump's administration on Tuesday took a step back from its threat to close the southern US border, saying Mexico had been taking a greater responsibility for dealing with the immigration problem.

President Donald Trump's administration on Tuesday took a step back from its threat to close the southern US border, saying Mexico had been taking a greater responsibility for dealing with the immigration problem. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the Trump administration had seen Mexico "stepping up and taking a greater sense of responsibility" for dealing with the immigration flows that US officials say are overwhelming ports of entry along the border. "They have started to do a significant amount more. We’ve seen them take a larger number of individuals" and hold those who have asylum claims in Mexico while they are being processed in the United States, Sanders told reporters at the White House. "We’ve also seen them stop more people from coming across the border so that they aren’t even entering into the United States. So those two things are certainly helpful and we’d like to see them continue," Sanders said. Trump threatened on Friday to close the border with this week unless Mexico took steps to stop immigrants from reaching the United States illegally. Closing the border with Mexico could potentially disrupt millions of legal border crossings and billions of dollars in trade. Sanders said the administration was "looking at all options when it comes to closing the different ports of entry, what that looks like and what the impacts would be." She told Fox News the administration wanted Mexico to continue working to address the issue so "we aren't forced to take drastic action like closing the ports of entry at our border."

White House backs down after threatening to close border with Mexico

Donald Trump's inner circle piled in Monday on the US news media, which was plunged into soul-searching over coverage of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-declares-complete-exoneration-after-mueller-report-finds-no-collusion-205408">a two-year probe that failed to show collusion</a> between the president's 2016 campaign and Russia.

With America's political landscape reset by the bombshell findings, some continued to defend aggressive reporting of a story still unfolding — but other observers warned a "reckoning" was in store over potentially biased coverage.

The White House wasted little time in sharpening its attacks.

"I think Democrats and the liberal media owe the president, and they owe the American people an apology," Trump's spokeswoman Sarah Sanders charged on NBC, echoing similar demands from the president's sons, Donald Jr and Eric.

But well beyond the Trump camp, there was an acknowledgement that the summary of Robert Mueller's conclusions released Sunday risked badly damaging the credibility of many news outlets in the eyes of the public.

"It's official: Russiagate is this generation's WMD," ran the headline of a damning analysis by Rolling Stone editor and author Matt Taibbi — alluding to flawed coverage of Saddam Hussein's alleged weapons of mass destruction arsenal in the run-up to the Iraq war.

Taibbi called the special counsel's findings a "death-blow for the reputation of the American news media."

"Nothing Trump is accused of from now on by the press will be believed by huge chunks of the population," he wrote.

Glenn Greenwald, co-founder of The Intercept, argued cable news outlets in particular need to face up to errors of judgment.

"Check every MSNBC personality, CNN law 'expert,' liberal-centrist outlets and #Resistance scam artist and see if you see even an iota of self-reflection, humility or admission of massive error," Greenwald said on Twitter.

"If there's no media reckoning for what they did, don't ever complain again when people attack the media as 'Fake News.'"

'No time to retreat' 
Many media analysts were more nuanced, arguing it was too soon to make judgments on coverage of the Russia probe based on Attorney General Bill Barr's letter to Congress summarizing Mueller's still-secret report.

"I don't think the media can be charged with being unfair to Donald Trump," said Stephen Ward, a media ethicist and former director of the University of Wisconsin's Center for Journalism Ethics.

"With a president so aggressive and so challenging the constitution, the media had to report on him."

Instead of being cowed, Ward argued media outlets should do their job to get the full report to the public.

"They've got to get their hands on a copy and publish it immediately," he said.

Washington Post media writer Margaret Sullivan said media "should be proud" of its coverage, arguing "this is no time to retreat."

"American citizens would have been far worse off if skilled reporters hadn't dug into the connections between Trump's associates -- up to and including his son Don Jr — and Russians," Sullivan wrote.

"I don't see how anyone could say this was overhyped," echoed Northeastern University journalism professor Dan Kennedy.

But Kennedy conceded there were legitimate questions over the coverage of outlets such as CNN and MSNBC.

"I think when we look to what's bad in the media, it's natural to look to cable news, which has to sell hours of air time with talk and speculation," Kennedy said.

"There was speculation that Donald Trump Jr would be indicted, that (Trump son-in-law) Jared Kushner would be indicted."

Donald Trump Jr set the tone for the counterattack, assailing "more than 2 years of non-stop conspiracy theories from CNN, MSNBC, BuzzFeed and the rest of the mainstream media."

His brother Eric chimed in, tweeting: "How about a simple apology from the #MSM for the hell everyone has been put through for the past two + years?"

Visibly emboldened by the turn of the events, the White House sent a memo out to television producers urging them to "employ basic journalistic standards" when booking six high-profile Trump critics who, it said, had "made outlandish, false claims" on air.

The figures singled out included Democrats Adam Schiff, Jerry Nadler, Richard Blumenthal, Tom Perez and Eric Swalwell, as well as former CIA director John Brennan.

Partisan divide 
Deborah Potter, a former CBS News correspondent who now runs media and ethics training programs, said much cable coverage was "based on speculation, because there were zero leaks from Mueller."

She also stressed that "many responsible news organizations were giving the correct impression" of where the probe was headed.

But Potter warned the heightened scrutiny triggered by Mueller's findings would make it harder for the sector to regain the public's trust, badly eroded in recent years.

"We've seen a rebound in general trust in the media, but the partisan divide is as deep as ever," Potter said.

"Republicans distrust the media by a wide margin and that is a symbol of where things stand, and troubling for democracy."

Donald Trump's inner circle piled in Monday on the US news media, which was plunged into soul-searching over coverage of a two-year probe that failed to show collusion between the president's 2016 campaign and Russia.

Donald Trump's inner circle piled in Monday on the US news media, which was plunged into soul-searching over coverage of a two-year probe that failed to show collusion between the president's 2016 campaign and Russia. With America's political landscape reset by the bombshell findings, some continued to defend aggressive reporting of a story still unfolding — but other observers warned a "reckoning" was in store over potentially biased coverage. The White House wasted little time in sharpening its attacks. "I think Democrats and the liberal media owe the president, and they owe the American people an apology," Trump's spokeswoman Sarah Sanders charged on NBC, echoing similar demands from the president's sons, Donald Jr and Eric. But well beyond the Trump camp, there was an acknowledgement that the summary of Robert Mueller's conclusions released Sunday risked badly damaging the credibility of many news outlets in the eyes of the public. "It's official: Russiagate is this generation's WMD," ran the headline of a damning analysis by Rolling Stone editor and author Matt Taibbi — alluding to flawed coverage of Saddam Hussein's alleged weapons of mass destruction arsenal in the run-up to the Iraq war. Taibbi called the special counsel's findings a "death-blow for the reputation of the American news media." "Nothing Trump is accused of from now on by the press will be believed by huge chunks of the population," he wrote. Glenn Greenwald, co-founder of The Intercept, argued cable news outlets in particular need to face up to errors of judgment. "Check every MSNBC personality, CNN law 'expert,' liberal-centrist outlets and #Resistance scam artist and see if you see even an iota of self-reflection, humility or admission of massive error," Greenwald said on Twitter. "If there's no media reckoning for what they did, don't ever complain again when people attack the media as 'Fake News.'" 'No time to retreat' Many media analysts were more nuanced, arguing it was too soon to make judgments on coverage of the Russia probe based on Attorney General Bill Barr's letter to Congress summarizing Mueller's still-secret report. "I don't think the media can be charged with being unfair to Donald Trump," said Stephen Ward, a media ethicist and former director of the University of Wisconsin's Center for Journalism Ethics. "With a president so aggressive and so challenging the constitution, the media had to report on him." Instead of being cowed, Ward argued media outlets should do their job to get the full report to the public. "They've got to get their hands on a copy and publish it immediately," he said. Washington Post media writer Margaret Sullivan said media "should be proud" of its coverage, arguing "this is no time to retreat." "American citizens would have been far worse off if skilled reporters hadn't dug into the connections between Trump's associates -- up to and including his son Don Jr — and Russians," Sullivan wrote. "I don't see how anyone could say this was overhyped," echoed Northeastern University journalism professor Dan Kennedy. But Kennedy conceded there were legitimate questions over the coverage of outlets such as CNN and MSNBC. "I think when we look to what's bad in the media, it's natural to look to cable news, which has to sell hours of air time with talk and speculation," Kennedy said. "There was speculation that Donald Trump Jr would be indicted, that (Trump son-in-law) Jared Kushner would be indicted." Donald Trump Jr set the tone for the counterattack, assailing "more than 2 years of non-stop conspiracy theories from CNN, MSNBC, BuzzFeed and the rest of the mainstream media." His brother Eric chimed in, tweeting: "How about a simple apology from the #MSM for the hell everyone has been put through for the past two + years?" Visibly emboldened by the turn of the events, the White House sent a memo out to television producers urging them to "employ basic journalistic standards" when booking six high-profile Trump critics who, it said, had "made outlandish, false claims" on air. The figures singled out included Democrats Adam Schiff, Jerry Nadler, Richard Blumenthal, Tom Perez and Eric Swalwell, as well as former CIA director John Brennan. Partisan divide Deborah Potter, a former CBS News correspondent who now runs media and ethics training programs, said much cable coverage was "based on speculation, because there were zero leaks from Mueller." She also stressed that "many responsible news organizations were giving the correct impression" of where the probe was headed. But Potter warned the heightened scrutiny triggered by Mueller's findings would make it harder for the sector to regain the public's trust, badly eroded in recent years. "We've seen a rebound in general trust in the media, but the partisan divide is as deep as ever," Potter said. "Republicans distrust the media by a wide margin and that is a symbol of where things stand, and troubling for democracy."

After Russia probe clears Trump, 'reckoning' looms for US media

The White House said on Wednesday it was not clear whether President Donald Trump would sign a government funding deal <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-not-happy-with-budget-deal-but-shutdown-unlikely-197021">to avoid a partial shutdown</a> of federal agencies, even as a source familiar with the situation said he likely would.

"We want to see what the final piece of legislation looks like," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters. "It's hard to say definitively whether or not the president is going to sign it until we know everything that's in it."

Congress, which faces a tight deadline to pass legislation to avert another US&nbsp;government shutdown, is considering a compromise measure that does not deliver all the funds Trump had demanded to build a wall along the US&nbsp;border with Mexico.

On Tuesday, the Republican president said he was not happy with the deal and he did not rule out a possible veto of the legislation.

The Democratic-controlled US&nbsp;House of Representatives could vote as soon as Wednesday evening, a senior aide said, despite not yet having produced a written copy of the agreement reached by congressional negotiators on Monday night.

The accord must also be passed by the Republican-controlled Senate and signed by Trump by the midnight Friday expiration of a stopgap measure that ended the longest federal shutdown in US&nbsp;history.

The measure's fate in the House was far from certain given the risk that conservatives and liberals will oppose the compromise for different reasons.

Congressional sources said the deal includes $1.37 billion for new border fencing, about the same as last year — along 55 miles (90 km) of the border — but not the $5.7 billion Trump has demanded to help build his promised border wall.

Senior congressional Republicans, showing little appetite for another shutdown after being heavily criticized for the previous one, urged Trump to support the agreement.

"I think the president will sign it. I think he will do so reluctantly, and then obviously, have to use executive actions to secure our borders," US&nbsp;Representative Mark Meadows, head of the Republicans' conservative caucus in the House, told reporters on Tuesday.

The Washington Post, citing a White House official, said Trump was likely to explore using his executive power to reallocate other federal funds for barrier projects along the southern border. CNN, citing the White House, also said Trump was weighing the use of an executive order, among other options

"There are some positives in this bill, but it's certainly not enough," Sanders said in an interview with Fox News Channel. "The president and his team have been looking at every option possible to get the full funding they need in order to complete the wall."

Trump surprised lawmakers when he withdrew support for a previous deal in December and demanded $5.7 billion in wall funding, which was opposed by Democrats in Congress. That triggered a 35-day shutdown of about a fourth of the federal government that left 800,000 federal workers furloughed or working without pay.

The president previously threatened to declare a "national emergency" if Congress did not provide money specifically for the wall -- a move that would almost certainly draw opposition in Congress and in the courts.

Trump made the wall a central 2016 campaign promise, calling it necessary to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking. He said Mexico would pay for it, but Mexican officials rejected that. Democrats have called a wall expensive, ineffective and immoral.

The White House said on Wednesday it was not clear whether President Donald Trump would sign a government funding deal to avoid a partial shutdown of federal agencies, even as a source familiar with the situation said he likely would.

The White House said on Wednesday it was not clear whether President Donald Trump would sign a government funding deal to avoid a partial shutdown of federal agencies, even as a source familiar with the situation said he likely would. "We want to see what the final piece of legislation looks like," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters. "It's hard to say definitively whether or not the president is going to sign it until we know everything that's in it." Congress, which faces a tight deadline to pass legislation to avert another US government shutdown, is considering a compromise measure that does not deliver all the funds Trump had demanded to build a wall along the US border with Mexico. On Tuesday, the Republican president said he was not happy with the deal and he did not rule out a possible veto of the legislation. The Democratic-controlled US House of Representatives could vote as soon as Wednesday evening, a senior aide said, despite not yet having produced a written copy of the agreement reached by congressional negotiators on Monday night. The accord must also be passed by the Republican-controlled Senate and signed by Trump by the midnight Friday expiration of a stopgap measure that ended the longest federal shutdown in US history. The measure's fate in the House was far from certain given the risk that conservatives and liberals will oppose the compromise for different reasons. Congressional sources said the deal includes $1.37 billion for new border fencing, about the same as last year — along 55 miles (90 km) of the border — but not the $5.7 billion Trump has demanded to help build his promised border wall. Senior congressional Republicans, showing little appetite for another shutdown after being heavily criticized for the previous one, urged Trump to support the agreement. "I think the president will sign it. I think he will do so reluctantly, and then obviously, have to use executive actions to secure our borders," US Representative Mark Meadows, head of the Republicans' conservative caucus in the House, told reporters on Tuesday. The Washington Post, citing a White House official, said Trump was likely to explore using his executive power to reallocate other federal funds for barrier projects along the southern border. CNN, citing the White House, also said Trump was weighing the use of an executive order, among other options "There are some positives in this bill, but it's certainly not enough," Sanders said in an interview with Fox News Channel. "The president and his team have been looking at every option possible to get the full funding they need in order to complete the wall." Trump surprised lawmakers when he withdrew support for a previous deal in December and demanded $5.7 billion in wall funding, which was opposed by Democrats in Congress. That triggered a 35-day shutdown of about a fourth of the federal government that left 800,000 federal workers furloughed or working without pay. The president previously threatened to declare a "national emergency" if Congress did not provide money specifically for the wall -- a move that would almost certainly draw opposition in Congress and in the courts. Trump made the wall a central 2016 campaign promise, calling it necessary to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking. He said Mexico would pay for it, but Mexican officials rejected that. Democrats have called a wall expensive, ineffective and immoral.

Not clear if Trump will sign border wall funding deal: White House

Donald Trump will visit the US-Mexico border on Thursday, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Monday.&nbsp;

"President @realDonaldTrump will travel to the Southern border on Thursday to meet with those on the frontlines of the national security and humanitarian crisis, " Sanders tweeted.&nbsp;

"More details will be announced soon," she added.&nbsp;

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President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> will travel to the Southern border on Thursday to meet with those on the frontlines of the national security and humanitarian crisis. More details will be announced soon.
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The visit is being seen as an effort by Trump to pressure Congress to fund his border wall, one of the US president's central campaign promises.&nbsp;

Trump has pushed the US federal government into a partial shutdown — <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/government-will-not-reopen-until-we-have-the-mexican-border-wall-trump-to-us-troops-186467">the shutdown is now in its third week</a> — demanding that Congress fund the wall.&nbsp;The Democrats have rejected the idea outright, bringing about the shutdown.&nbsp;

Trump had earlier sent some 6,000 troops to defend the border against what is says is an "<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/troops-will-not-fire-on-migrant-caravan-trump-175260">immigrant invasion</a>".&nbsp;

Donald Trump will visit the US-Mexico border on Thursday, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Monday. "President @realDonaldTrump will travel to the Southern border on Thursday to meet with those on the frontlines of the national security and humanitarian crisis, " Sanders tweeted.

Donald Trump will visit the US-Mexico border on Thursday, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Monday. "President @realDonaldTrump will travel to the Southern border on Thursday to meet with those on the frontlines of the national security and humanitarian crisis, " Sanders tweeted. "More details will be announced soon," she added. President @realDonaldTrump will travel to the Southern border on Thursday to meet with those on the frontlines of the national security and humanitarian crisis. More details will be announced soon. — Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) January 7, 2019 × The visit is being seen as an effort by Trump to pressure Congress to fund his border wall, one of the US president's central campaign promises. Trump has pushed the US federal government into a partial shutdown — the shutdown is now in its third week — demanding that Congress fund the wall. The Democrats have rejected the idea outright, bringing about the shutdown. Trump had earlier sent some 6,000 troops to defend the border against what is says is an "immigrant invasion".

Trump will visit US-Mexico border on Thursday: Spokeswoman

CNN has sued <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-faces-a-blitz-of-investigations-from-democratic-run-house-176101">US President Donald Trump</a> and top White House aides over the revocation of CNN reporter Jim Acosta's White House press pass.&nbsp;

The suit was filed in the US District Court in Washington Tuesday morning.

CNN reported on its website that both CNN and Acosta are plaintiffs in the lawsuit.&nbsp;

And that there are six defendants — Trump, White House chief of staff John Kelly, press secretary Sarah Sanders, deputy chief of staff for communications Bill Shine, Secret Service director Joseph Clancy, and the Secret Service officer who took Acosta's press pass away.&nbsp;

CNN added that "the six defendants are all named because of their roles in enforcing and announcing Acosta's suspension".&nbsp;

"The wrongful revocation of these credentials violates CNN and Acosta's First Amendment rights of freedom of the press, and their Fifth Amendment rights to due process," the network said in a statement.

"We have asked this court for an immediate restraining order requiring the pass be returned to Jim, and will seek permanent relief as part of this process," CNN said, warning that Acosta's credential suspension could set a precedent for future attacks on other outlets.

"If left unchallenged, the actions of the White House would create a dangerous chilling effect for any journalist who covers our elected officials."

Acosta and Trump had got into a spat last Wednesday during a press conference. Acosta had asked Trump why he had described the central American migrant caravan marching towards the US as an "invasion".&nbsp;

Acosta told Trump that they were a "group of migrants", and still several hundred kilometres away from the border — not an "invasion".&nbsp;

Trump said he thought of them as an invasion and that they (Trump and Acosta) had differing views on the subject.&nbsp;

When Acosta persisted, Trump finally told him to put the mike down.&nbsp;

"You are a rude and terrible person, and CNN should be ashamed of itself for having you working for them," Trump told Acosta.&nbsp;

Hours later, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders announced Acosta's hard pass had been suspended, a rare if not unprecedented move that she justified by claiming the reporter was inappropriately "placing his hands" on the intern.

Sanders then tweeted a video that she said backed up her narrative of the incident -- but analysts said the footage was sped up to make it appear that Acosta struck the intern.

The press secretary on Tuesday dismissed the CNN legal complaint as "grandstanding," vowing that the White House would "vigorously defend against this lawsuit."&nbsp;

(With inputs from AFP) 
&nbsp;

CNN has sued US President Donald Trump and top White House aides over the revocation of CNN reporter Jim Acosta's White House press pass. The suit was filed in the US District Court in Washington Tuesday morning.

CNN has sued US President Donald Trump and top White House aides over the revocation of CNN reporter Jim Acosta's White House press pass. The suit was filed in the US District Court in Washington Tuesday morning. CNN reported on its website that both CNN and Acosta are plaintiffs in the lawsuit. And that there are six defendants — Trump, White House chief of staff John Kelly, press secretary Sarah Sanders, deputy chief of staff for communications Bill Shine, Secret Service director Joseph Clancy, and the Secret Service officer who took Acosta's press pass away. CNN added that "the six defendants are all named because of their roles in enforcing and announcing Acosta's suspension". "The wrongful revocation of these credentials violates CNN and Acosta's First Amendment rights of freedom of the press, and their Fifth Amendment rights to due process," the network said in a statement. "We have asked this court for an immediate restraining order requiring the pass be returned to Jim, and will seek permanent relief as part of this process," CNN said, warning that Acosta's credential suspension could set a precedent for future attacks on other outlets. "If left unchallenged, the actions of the White House would create a dangerous chilling effect for any journalist who covers our elected officials." Acosta and Trump had got into a spat last Wednesday during a press conference. Acosta had asked Trump why he had described the central American migrant caravan marching towards the US as an "invasion". Acosta told Trump that they were a "group of migrants", and still several hundred kilometres away from the border — not an "invasion". Trump said he thought of them as an invasion and that they (Trump and Acosta) had differing views on the subject. When Acosta persisted, Trump finally told him to put the mike down. "You are a rude and terrible person, and CNN should be ashamed of itself for having you working for them," Trump told Acosta. Hours later, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders announced Acosta's hard pass had been suspended, a rare if not unprecedented move that she justified by claiming the reporter was inappropriately "placing his hands" on the intern. Sanders then tweeted a video that she said backed up her narrative of the incident -- but analysts said the footage was sped up to make it appear that Acosta struck the intern. The press secretary on Tuesday dismissed the CNN legal complaint as "grandstanding," vowing that the White House would "vigorously defend against this lawsuit." (With inputs from AFP)

CNN sues US President Donald Trump, White House vows 'vigorous' defence

Sean Spicer resigned from his job as the White House press secretary on Friday reportedly because he was unhappy with the choice of Anthony Scaramucci as the new the director of communications.

Spicer&rsquo;s term at the White House was turbulent for part -- to be fair, being Donald Trump&#39;s spokesman is arguably the toughest job in the world -- provoking the ire of reporters.&nbsp;

He lasted six months.&nbsp;

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This is how I&#39;ll always remember <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec">@PressSec</a> Sean Spicer. <a href="https://t.co/KdrP5sTgGa">https://t.co/KdrP5sTgGa</a> <a href="https://t.co/BhlBhKB9Eh">pic.twitter.com/BhlBhKB9Eh</a>
&mdash; Matt Wilstein (@mattwilstein) <a href="https://twitter.com/mattwilstein/status/888430237117054976">July 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Spicer burst on to the scene in January 2017 with a rant at reporters, in which he scolded them for deliberately under-reporting the size of President Trump&rsquo;s Inauguration Day crowd.&nbsp;

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There were 1.5 million people at the inauguration. Just 1.25 million of them had their invisibility cloaks on.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/spicerfacts?src=hash">#spicerfacts</a> <a href="https://t.co/MxsRRXhcY2">pic.twitter.com/MxsRRXhcY2</a>
&mdash; Ben (@BenPatz) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenPatz/status/823075222463057920">January 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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His friction with the media prompted NBC&rsquo;s Saturday Night Live to caricature him.

Melissa McCarthy played &quot;Spicey&quot;, a character who swallowed gum and drove a motorised lectern into reporters who asked hard questions.

Two months into his term at the White House, Spicer was accused of racism by an Indian-origin woman.&nbsp;

&ldquo;How does it feel to work for a fascist?&rdquo; Shree Chauhan had asked him at an Apple store in Washington.

&ldquo;&ldquo;Such a great country that allows you to be here,&rdquo; Spicer replied.&nbsp;

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White House press secretary Sean Spicer has been accused of racism by an Indian-American woman. Here&#39;s more to this story (WION)
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Then there was the comparison of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to Hitler in April.&nbsp;

&quot;You had someone as despicable as Hitler who didn&#39;t even sink to using chemical weapons,&quot; Spicer said.&nbsp;

Obviously, considering the Nazis gas chambers, a furore ensued.&nbsp;

Spicer&#39;s live televised briefings drew big audiences, and he found himself the butt of social media jokes and memes,&nbsp;

Here are a few:&nbsp;

When he refused to take questions from the press and reporters kept calling his name in unison:&nbsp;

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SEAAAAAAAAN <a href="https://t.co/LZ1iTPg4x7">pic.twitter.com/LZ1iTPg4x7</a>
&mdash; Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) <a href="https://twitter.com/lachlan/status/859478879320383489">May 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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When Twitterati couldn&#39;t get over&nbsp;his past as an Easter bunny:&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/neverforget?src=hash">#neverforget</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhiteHousebunny?src=hash">#WhiteHousebunny</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/seanspicer">@seanspicer</a> <a href="https://t.co/Fi134UjYYJ">pic.twitter.com/Fi134UjYYJ</a>
&mdash; Olivier Knox (@OKnox) <a href="https://twitter.com/OKnox/status/714454998952910848">March 28, 2016</a></blockquote>
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The memes did not stop after his resignation.

Like this one inspired by the time he and his staff huddled behind bushes on the White House complex trying to come up answers to reporters&#39; questions on former FBI director James Comey&#39;s firing:&nbsp;

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SEAN SPICER OUT <a href="https://t.co/vCG58VVjV7">pic.twitter.com/vCG58VVjV7</a>
&mdash; Margaret Cho (@margaretcho) <a href="https://twitter.com/margaretcho/status/888430888396046336">July 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Reuters reported Spicer was spotted around the White House complex after his resignation. He was described by colleagues as being in a good mood and feeling he had made the right decision.

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Sean Spicer seen leaving The White House after resignation 
<a href="https://t.co/iGEnf9POyV">pic.twitter.com/iGEnf9POyV</a>
&mdash; Chris Smith (@Lilyachttty) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lilyachttty/status/888448664229756929">July 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Sarah Huckabee Sanders has taken up Spicer&#39;s job. She is the new White House press secretary.&nbsp;

Sanders is former Arkansas governor Mick Huckabee&#39;s daughter.&nbsp;

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In picture: Sarah Sanders and Anthony Scaramucci arrive at the White House. (Reuters)
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There had been reports earlier that Trump had not been happy with Spicer. That he thought Spicer wasn&#39;t doing a good enough job of speaking for (read protecting) him.&nbsp;

The reports speculated that a change was in the offing.&nbsp;

Now, some people are asking why it took so long to come.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Spicer, who resigned his job Friday, lasted six months as White House press secretary

Sean Spicer resigned from his job as the White House press secretary on Friday reportedly because he was unhappy with the choice of Anthony Scaramucci as the new the director of communications. Spicer’s term at the White House was turbulent for part -- to be fair, being Donald Trump's spokesman is arguably the toughest job in the world -- provoking the ire of reporters. He lasted six months. This is how I'll always remember @PressSec Sean Spicer. https://t.co/KdrP5sTgGa pic.twitter.com/BhlBhKB9Eh — Matt Wilstein (@mattwilstein) July 21, 2017 × Spicer burst on to the scene in January 2017 with a rant at reporters, in which he scolded them for deliberately under-reporting the size of President Trump’s Inauguration Day crowd. × There were 1.5 million people at the inauguration. Just 1.25 million of them had their invisibility cloaks on.#spicerfacts pic.twitter.com/MxsRRXhcY2 — Ben (@BenPatz) January 22, 2017 × His friction with the media prompted NBC’s Saturday Night Live to caricature him. Melissa McCarthy played "Spicey", a character who swallowed gum and drove a motorised lectern into reporters who asked hard questions. Two months into his term at the White House, Spicer was accused of racism by an Indian-origin woman. “How does it feel to work for a fascist?” Shree Chauhan had asked him at an Apple store in Washington. ““Such a great country that allows you to be here,” Spicer replied. White House press secretary Sean Spicer has been accused of racism by an Indian-American woman. Here's more to this story (WION) × Then there was the comparison of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to Hitler in April. "You had someone as despicable as Hitler who didn't even sink to using chemical weapons," Spicer said. Obviously, considering the Nazis gas chambers, a furore ensued. Spicer's live televised briefings drew big audiences, and he found himself the butt of social media jokes and memes, Here are a few: When he refused to take questions from the press and reporters kept calling his name in unison: SEAAAAAAAAN pic.twitter.com/LZ1iTPg4x7 — Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) May 2, 2017 × When Twitterati couldn't get over his past as an Easter bunny: #neverforget #WhiteHousebunny @seanspicer pic.twitter.com/Fi134UjYYJ — Olivier Knox (@OKnox) March 28, 2016 × The memes did not stop after his resignation. Like this one inspired by the time he and his staff huddled behind bushes on the White House complex trying to come up answers to reporters' questions on former FBI director James Comey's firing: SEAN SPICER OUT pic.twitter.com/vCG58VVjV7 — Margaret Cho (@margaretcho) July 21, 2017 × Reuters reported Spicer was spotted around the White House complex after his resignation. He was described by colleagues as being in a good mood and feeling he had made the right decision. Sean Spicer seen leaving The White House after resignation pic.twitter.com/iGEnf9POyV — Chris Smith (@Lilyachttty) July 21, 2017 × Sarah Huckabee Sanders has taken up Spicer's job. She is the new White House press secretary. Sanders is former Arkansas governor Mick Huckabee's daughter. In picture: Sarah Sanders and Anthony Scaramucci arrive at the White House. (Reuters) × There had been reports earlier that Trump had not been happy with Spicer. That he thought Spicer wasn't doing a good enough job of speaking for (read protecting) him. The reports speculated that a change was in the offing. Now, some people are asking why it took so long to come.

A brief history of Sean Spicer