This week, the fifth in the presidency of @realDonaldTrump, was a relatively calm one (by Trumpian standards); but, unfortunately for Republican members of Congress, that calmness did not extend to their winter recess.
Upon returning to their home districts, Republican lawmakers who were brave enough to face their constituents at town halls found themselves confronted by angry crowds demanding answers.
Questions about Trump's ties to Russia (and their reluctance to throughly investigate them), his tax returns and conflicts of interest, and their plan to "repeal and replace" Obamacare proved particularly difficult to escape—try as they might.
Of course, it should be noted that most (if not all) of these so-called protestors were allegedly paid ($1,500/week) by George Soros (a Jew) to cause trouble and make Trump look like a historically unpopular president.
Very unfair!
Morning lineup:
Meet the Press: New DNC Chair Tom Perez; Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR); Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D); Roundtable: Eliana Johnson (Politico), Helene Cooper (New York Times), Gerald Seib (Wall Street Journal) & Ramesh Ponnuru (National Review).
Face The Nation: Former CIA Director John Brennan; Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R); Roundtable: Lanhee Chen (Hoover Institute), Ezra Klein (Vox), Ben Domenech (The Federalist) & Molly Ball (The Atlantic).
This Week: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA); White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders; Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH); New DNC Chair Tom Perez; Roundtable: Democratic Strategist Stephanie Cutter, Amy Holmes (Rasmussen Reports), Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich, David Remnick (New Yorker) & Matt Schlapp (American Conservative Union).
Fox News Sunday: Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D); Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R); Roundtable: Steve Hilton (Crowdpac), Julie Pace (Associated Press), Republican Strategist Lisa Boothe & Juan Williams (Fox News).
State of the Union: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT); New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R); Roundtable: Rep. Mark Sanford (R-SC), Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) & Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA).
Evening lineup:
60 Minutes will feature: the inside story of the hunt for and recapture of drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman (preview); a report on an extended family in Colombia with a genetic mutation causing Alzheimer's which may help scientists prevent the disease someday (preview); and, a report on extreme sportsman using a three-sport technique for the first time to descend the Eiger in the Swiss Alps (preview).
The Academy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will air on ABC beginning at 8pm. Red carpet coverage starts at 7pm.
Late night shows:
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Monday: Actress Connie Britton; Actress Zoey Deutch; Singer-Songwriter Lori McKenna.
Tuesday: Actress Lisa Kudrow; Former White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest; Actor Tony Rock.
Wednesday: Actor Patrick Stewart; Actor Chris Colfer; Actor Roy Wood Jr..
Thursday: Actor Hugh Jackman; Actress Condola Rashad; Rock Band The Flaming Lips.
Friday: Guests TBA.
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Monday: TV Host John Oliver; Tuesday: Hip Hop Duo Run the Jewels; Wednesday: Jake Tapper (CNN); Thursday: Actor Patrick Stewart.
Elsewhere...
Fake newsman Bill O'Reilly hosted a fake security expert on his show.
During the show on Thursday, the network invited Swedish journalist Anne-Sofie Naslund and "Swedish defense and national security advisor" Nils Bildt to talk about the country's immigration policy.
According to the [Washington] Post, the Dagens Nyheter newspaper on Friday reported that Bildt is unknown to the Swedish Foreign Ministry and the armed forces.
The newspaper reported that Bildt came to the U.S. from Sweden in 1994. He is listed as one of the founders of Modus World LLC, a company that provides consulting "and management of possible kidnap and ransom situations.”
"I made clear that I am an independent analyst," Bildt told the Post, noting he did not choose the credentials under which he was introduced.
Fox News defended their decision to book Bildt, stating that the guest was pre-interviewed and was recommended by numerous sources.
And...
Depeche Mode disavowed Neo-Nazi Richard Spencer's claim that that they're the "official band of the alt-right."
When asked by New York Magazine whether he likes rock music while attending CPAC, Spencer answered: "Depeche Mode is the official band of the alt-right".
Spencer later claimed on Twitter that he was joking "obviously", but that he was still "a lifelong Depeche Mode fan"; later telling Rolling Stone, "They aren't a typical rock band, in terms of lyrics and much else. Depeche Mode is a band of existential angst, pain, sadism, horror, darkness and much more. It's not bubblegum pop, with frontmen who sing about 'luuuuv' and sugarplum faries [sic]."
The famously left-leaning band were also swift to respond to Spencer's comments, in a statement which read: "Depeche Mode has no ties to Richard Spencer or the Alt-Right and does not support the Alt-Right movement."
Indeed, singer Dave Gahan only recently compared Donald Trump to Hitler. "The things that he's saying sound very similar to what someone was saying in 1935," he told media last October. "That didn't work out very well. The things that he's saying are cruel and heartless and promoting fear."
Them's fightin' words.
– Trix