NEWS AND OPINION:
President Trump remains faithful to the faith-minded, values-attuned voters who showed up by the millions to elect him in 2016 — a 60 million-member voting bloc, according to some studies. They are loyal. Multiple surveys from the Pew Research Center and other pollsters reveal that up to 81 percent of values voters staunchly stand by the president and continue to pray for him.
Mr. Trump, in turn, has cleared his crowded schedule to spend some time with them.
“Last year, he spoke to the Values Voter Summit as a candidate. This year, it will be as the 45th president of the United States. We have confirmation from the White House that President Trump will speak to the Values Voters Summit this Friday morning,” says Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, which organizes this significant annual event with the American Family Association and six other groups.
“Values voters have waited eight years for a leader who puts America’s mission first and respects the values that made America into a great nation. Values voters are coming to our nation’s capital thankful to hear from a president who is fulfilling the promises that he campaigned on,” says Mr. Perkins, who says Mr. Trump ended the “relentless assault” on the First Amendment by the previous administration.
“President Trump’s executive order on religious liberty and the follow up actions last week by Health and Human Services and the Justice Department demonstrate that he is committed to undoing the anti-faith policies of the previous administration and restoring true religious freedom,” Mr. Perkins observes.
The appearance marks Mr. Trump’s third visit to the summit, staged this year at a historic hotel in the nation’s capital and set to draw some 2,500 attendees. The three-day event features 60 speakers, including Republican Reps. Vicky Hartzler, Mark Meadows, Chris Smith and Mark Walker; White House adviser Kellyanne Conway; radio hosts Bill Bennett and Laura Ingraham; former Rep. Michele Bachmann; and Gary Bauer. Find the event here.
KELLYANNE TO HILLARY: ‘CALL ME’
The aforementioned Kellyanne Conway has carefully considered the fleeting, minimal interest Hillary Clinton appeared to take in the sexual harassment allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein — a topic that has mesmerized the media and inspired numerous female stars to break their silence and speak out. Mrs. Clinton issued a brief statement on the revelations.
“She needs to not be a hypocrite about women’s empowerment and what it means to be pro-women,” Mrs. Conway told Fox News on Wednesday.
“What has Hillary Clinton done privately in her private life? She is on a book tour talking about herself and the campaign she lost. She is not talking about women’s empowerment. She is not trying to help victims of sexual assault,” Mrs. Conway said. “She can call me in the White House today — she knows the number, she was the first lady for eight years — and we can work in a bipartisan fashion on sexual assault. I welcome that.”
BLOOMBERG’S MILLIONS
Reviews of President Trump‘s decision to rescind the Obama-era Clean Power Plan are rolling in.
“Numerous constitutional scholars have argued the plan was unconstitutional because it violates the division of authority between the states and the federal government and the Fifth Amendment’s property rights protections and due process provisions,” says H. Sterling Burnett, an environment and energy policy research fellow with the Chicago-based Heartland Institute.
“Even if it weren’t unconstitutional, it’s still terrible policy, because it imposes huge costs on individuals and businesses and makes the nation’s electric power supply less reliable — all while doing nothing to prevent climate change or to protect human health or the environment. Good riddance to a bad regulation,” says Mr. Burnett.
Philanthropist and former presidential hopeful Mike Bloomberg, meanwhile, is concerned about the turn of events — so much so that on Wednesday, he donated $64 million to support the Sierra Club’s ongoing “Beyond Coal” advocacy program, which has helped “secure the retirement of 259 dirty power plants” thanks to a previous multimillion dollar donation by the former New York City mayor.
“The Trump administration has yet to realize that the war on coal was never led by Washington — and Washington cannot end it,” declares Mr. Bloomberg.
THEN THERE’S NORTH KOREA
Despite a huge range of distractions in recent days, some have not forgotten North Korea, which was the centerpiece of much media coverage not so long ago. The continued threat will be addressed Thursday by the House Homeland Security Committee at an event appropriately titled “Empty Threat or Serious Danger: Assessing North Korea’s Risk to the Homeland,” overseen by Rep. Scott Perry, Pennsylvania Republican and chairman of the oversight and management efficiency subcommittee.
This is serious fare. The five witnesses include Patrick R. Terrell, senior research fellow at the Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction at National Defense University; and Peter Vincent Pry, chief of staff of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States From Electromagnetic Pulse Attack. C-SPAN will cover the event live at 2 p.m. EDT; it also will be live-streamed at Homeland.house.gov.
FROM THE FURRED WORLD
“More often than not, homeowners are left sacrificing their interior aesthetic to incorporate pet-friendly furniture, which is why IKEA recently launched ‘LURVIG‘ — a new line of gorgeous pet products for cats and dogs that homeowners can display with pride,” reports Ellen Smith, an analyst for Trend Hunter, a marketing research group.
“The line ranges from beautifully minimalist cat scratching posts to relaxing pet abodes that can be hidden in cabinets. The collection demonstrates a thorough understanding of pet ownership, retailing stylish feeding bowls, traveling cases and even wall hooks designed to hold multiple leashes and accessories one might have laying around.”
POLL DU JOUR
• 74 percent of Americans report they fear “corruption of government officials.”
• 50 percent fear not having enough money for the future.
• 48 percent fear the U.S. will be involved in a world war.
• 47 percent fear North Korea’s threat to use nuclear weapons.
• 43 percent fear a terrorist attack, 28 percent a mass shooting.
Source: A Chapman University poll of 1,207 U.S. adults conducted throughout May and released Wednesday.
• Murmurs and asides to jharper@washingtontimes.com
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.