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Tag: josh earnest
White House Says Trump’s Muslim Comments Disqualify Him For President

White House Says Trump’s Muslim Comments Disqualify Him For President

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The White House on Tuesday said Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump’s call for the United States to ban Muslims from entering the country disqualified him from becoming president and called on Republicans to reject him immediately.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Trump’s campaign had a “dustbin of history” quality to it and said his comments were offensive and toxic.

Earnest said other Republican presidential candidates, who have pledged to support the person who eventually wins their party’s nomination, should disavow Trump “right now.”

(Reporting by Jeff Mason and Roberta Rampton; Editing by James Dalgleish)

Photo: U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump answers questions from the media ahead of a campaign stop in Spencer, Iowa December 5, 2015. REUTERS/Mark Kauzlarich

Endorse This: Siri, Did The Iran Deal Win?

Endorse This: Siri, Did The Iran Deal Win?

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White House press secretary Josh Earnest got some unexpected backup at Thursday’s news conference — from Siri.

“Sorry, I’m not sure what you want me to change,” the iPhone’s virtual assistant said, from some unidentified reporter’s phone. Watch the video of the reporter’s question about the politics of the Iran nuclear deal — and you’ll realize that Siri is smarter than we give her credit for.

Video via C-SPAN.

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White House Says Confident Iran Deal Will Survive In Congress

White House Says Confident Iran Deal Will Survive In Congress

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The White House on Friday expressed confidence that it has the support in Congress necessary to sustain a veto of a resolution to reject the Iran nuclear agreement.

“We’ve got some momentum built up on our side,” said White House spokesman Josh Earnest at a briefing, referring to the 30 Senators who have publicly announced support for the deal.

Deal supporters need 34 of the 100 senators or 146 members of the 435-seat House to sustain a veto.

(Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Editing by Lisa Lambert)

Photo: Iranians celebrate on the streets following a nuclear deal with major powers, in Tehran July 14, 2015. REUTERS/TIMA

Obama Endorsement Possible As Biden Considers Clinton Challenge

Obama Endorsement Possible As Biden Considers Clinton Challenge

By Angela Greiling Keane, Bloomberg News (TNS)

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama may issue an endorsement in the Democratic primary, his press secretary said Monday, as Vice President Joe Biden considers whether to challenge former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

While Obama considers his selection of the former Delaware senator as his running mate the best political decision he’s ever made, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said, the president so far has remained neutral in the Democratic contest to succeed him.

“I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of an endorsement,” Earnest told reporters at a White House briefing, after he was asked if Obama would express his preference in the race.

Biden is considering a late entry into the Democratic primary, after revelations about Clinton’s use of a private email server as secretary of State have hurt her standing in polls. Her top challenger at the moment is Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

Earnest said he expects a decision by the vice president within a month. He said nothing to discourage a run by Biden, who is 72.

“There’s so much that has been accomplished over the last six or seven years that President Obama is enormously proud of,” Earnest said. “A large portion of it would not have been possible without the wisdom, counsel and leadership of Vice President Biden.”

Clinton, Obama’s first secretary of state and, like Biden, a former U.S. senator, continues to lead polls against Sanders and lesser-known candidates including former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley.

Biden returned to Washington on Saturday for a meeting with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat who is popular with liberals and who has not endorsed Clinton. The meeting heightened speculation about Biden’s intentions.

Earnest said the president will vote in the Democratic primary election in Illinois, regardless of whether he issues an endorsement.

(With assistance from Mike Dorning in Washington.)

Photo: U.S. Vice President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the U.S.-Ukraine Business Forum in Washington July 13, 2015. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas