CUOMO EASILY DEFEATS CYNTHIA NIXON; WON’T RUN AGAINST TRUMP IN 2020

ANDREW CUOMO EASILY DEFEATS CYNTHIA NIXON; WON’T RUN AGAINST TRUMP IN 2020:

CUOMO IS A POWERFUL POLITICIAN WHO RECOGNIZES THAT TIMING IS EVERYTHING.

CUOMO KNOWS TRUMP REMAINS A FORMIDABLE BUSINESS LEADER TO CAMPAIGN AGAINST.


Post Sources: Democrat and Chronicle, Fox News, USA Today, Youtube


***** How New York Gov. Cuomo was able to crush Cynthia Nixon in the Democratic primary


Gov. Andrew Cuomo left little to chance in his Democratic primary fight against Cynthia Nixon, a race that drew national attention.

Cuomo, a master at using the levers of power in government, turned all the resources of his campaign and office to his advantage.

He was able to use more than $21 million in campaign spending to tout his record over the past eight years and beat back attacks on scandals that have rocked his administration to land a blowout victory Thursday over the neophyte Nixon.

"We have provided real-life progressive solutions. You cannot have the word 'progressive' without the word 'progress.' It doesn’t work," Cuomo said at a news conference Friday.

Cuomo beat Nixon 66 percent to 34 percent in the primary, on par with his primary victory over Zephyr Teachout in 2014.

Turnout up

The margin of victory came amid a surge in voter turnout: 24 percent of total enrolled Democrats cast a ballot on Thursday compared to 10 percent in 2014.

Cuomo was able to galvanize union support that eluded him in 2014 and that aided turnout along with a Democratic base that is more engaged following President Donald Trump's election.

Turnout was also boosted by heavily contested primaries in the New York City area, in particular, that led to seven Democratic incumbents in the Senate to lose their seats — a remarkable result in a state where incumbents rarely lose.

The Democrats' ire was directed mainly at the former eight-member Democratic Independent Conference, who had aligned with Republicans over much of the past seven years in the Senate, drawing criticism that they blocked progressive legislation.

Six of the eight ex-IDC members lost in primaries, including its former leader Jeff Klein, D-Bronx, who spent $2 million on his race but still fell to Alessandra Biaggi in a race that stretched into Westchester.

“Voters again made it clear that this is a new day and politics as usual are no longer acceptable," said Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, who heads the mainline Democratic Conference and brokered a unity deal with Klein in April that didn't stave off IDC challengers.

Cuomo's power

It wasn't just that Cuomo blanketed the airwaves with television ads and ads on social media.

He used the power of his office to boost his standing, which drew criticism from his foes, but nonetheless helped him.

"When others were underestimating us, he did not — and he spent accordingly," Nixon said at the opening of her concession speech.

Nearly 1 million property-tax rebate checks were sent out before the primary, when they typically don't go out until late fall and through the winter.

Cuomo's office said the process became more efficient, so the checks went out earlier this year.

Others saw it different.

"The Senate was complaining most loudly about delays in the checks in previous years, and this year’s earlier posting could be seen as a response to those complaints that conveniently serves the governor’s interests as well," said E.J. McMahon, who heads the fiscally conservative Empire Center for Public Policy.

Cuomo will face Republican candidate Marc Molinaro on the November ballot, as well as several third-party candidates, including Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins, Libertarian candidate Larry Sharpe and Serve America Movement candidate Stephanie Miner.

Cuomo's aggressiveness also came with peril.
He held a huge ceremony the Friday before the primary to tout the opening of the second span of the Gov. Mario Cuomo Bridge in the Hudson Valley, only for the span's opening to be delayed several days.

And in the days leading up to the primary, Cuomo's campaign was embroiled in controversy over an anti-Semitic mailer it sent out about Nixon -- which the campaign later admitted was inappropriate.

Winning voters

Cuomo used the massive power of his office to his benefit.

Cuomo has the disposal of a state fleet of aircraft, allowing him to make multiple stops per day to discuss policy, make announcements and in recent months bash the Trump administration — which played well with Democrats in the primary.

Cuomo took 195 trips in state planes and helicopters in 2017, the New York Times reported earlier this month, which was significantly more than other big-state governors.

State agencies also put out a series of mailers ahead of the primary, including one from the Department of Motor Vehicles that encouraged residents to vote with the line.

"Governor Andrew M. Cuomo is expanding access and opportunity to New Yorkers to register to vote,” one read, according to the New York Post.

Cuomo, though, credited his strong record and apathy toward Trump as the reason for his success on Primary Day.

uomo targeted Trump more than Nixonduring the campaign, touting his experience in office compared to Nixon.

He said Friday he understands the sentiment of voters, pointing to his record that includes a higher minimum wage, paid-family leave, free SUNY tuition for income-eligible students and a property-tax cap.

His primary ticket all won: Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul beat New York City Councilman Jumaane Williams; and Tish James, the New York City public advocate, won a four-candidate race for attorney general.
"A progressive Democrat, a Democrat in New York state. These are not ivory tower academics. These are not pontificators," Cuomo said Friday.

"New York Democrats, these are hard-working men and women. They are middle class; they are working families. They have real problems, and they need real help in life."

DC METRO REFORM BILL SHOWDOWN - DEMS vs GOP (METRO NEEDS MORE WHITE RIDERSHIP)

DC METRO REFORM BILL SHOWDOWN - DEMS vs GOP:

DEMS ARE OPPOSING REP BARBARA COMSTOCK'S (R) METRO REFORM BILL BECAUSE IT CALLS FOR REAL REFORM AND A BADLY NEEDED NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

WASHINGTON DC'S METRO SYSTEM NEEDS MORE WHITE RIDERSHIP.

IF MOST OF THE RIDERSHIP WERE WHITE, MAYOR BOWSER & DEMOCRAT LEADERS WOULD CARE MORE ABOUT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMIC REFORM.

HOWEVER SINCE MOST OF THE RIDERS ARE BLACK, DC'S POLITICAL LEADERS COULD CARE LESS.

YET THEY STILL WANT THE BLACK VOTE IN 2018 & 2020.


Sources: Washington Post, Youtube


****** D.C.-area Democrats offer federal Metro bill to counter that of GOP’s Rep. Comstock


A partisan split in the Washington area’s congressional delegation over how to increase federal funding for Metro has raised concerns that the lack of unity will lead Congress to balk at giving the transit system critically needed support.

The division emerged Tuesday when Democratic House members from the area filed a Metro funding bill that would double the federal subsidy to the transit agency and be more friendly to its unions than legislation proposed by Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock (Va.).

The House bill, a copy of which was obtained in advance by The Washington Post, would raise the federal contribution to the transit agency from $150 million a year to $300 million a year for 10 years. Comstock’s bill would increase it by 50 percent, to $225 million annually.

The Democrats’ legislation also would provide a federal subsidy for Metro’s operating costs. That would be a significant change. The grants Metro receives — such as other direct federal subsidies for public transit — pay only for capital investments.

In perhaps the most important difference from Comstock’s bill, the Democrats’ legislation would not require the creation of a five-member reform board with power to revise existing union contracts and take other steps to restrain labor costs.

Instead, it addresses concerns about Metro’s performance by requiring that the agency to strengthen its Office of the Inspector General and meet targets for safety, reliability and cost efficiency as conditions for receiving the extra money.

“The other bill almost reads punitive when it comes to labor unions and the workforce,” said Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (Va.), the lead sponsor of the Democratic legislation. “We don’t tell Metro they have to vitiate existing labor contracts,” or weaken pension guarantees or limit overtime, as Comstock’s bill does, he said.

Connolly said his bill has support throughout the Washington region. Co-sponsors, all Democrats, include Reps. Anthony G. Brown, Steny H. Hoyer, Jamie Raskin and John Sarbanes, all of Maryland; Rep. Don Beyer (Va.); and D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton.

But Comstock’s bill, which she filed in December, has the advantage of being sponsored by a member of the party that controls both the House and the Senate. Her bill, which was drafted in consultation with regional business leaders, including some Democrats, also reflects their support for replacing the 16-member Metro board with a reform board designed to improve the agency’s governance.

Comstock defended her bill in a statement Tuesday and faulted the Democrats’ legislation for not requiring specific management reforms on pensions and overtime supported by Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld.

“Throwing billions more at Metro without defined reforms is a dead-on-arrival strategy,” Comstock said. “It’s unfortunate that in the nine years it took Gerry Connolly to write an eight-page bill, he failed to include any of the substantial management, financial or pension reforms advocated on a bipartisan basis by numerous transportation experts and Metro advocates who have been working for years to seriously improve and reform the system.”

The differences between the parties’ bills aggravated concerns among Metro supporters that Congress will be reluctant to endorse a package that lacks unified support from the region.

“What’s so discouraging about this is, it really undercuts the bipartisan necessity of getting a federal funding source for Metro,” said Gus Bauman, a former chairman of the Maryland Blue Ribbon Transportation Funding Commission. “To have an all-Democratic bill and an all-Republican one does no one any good.”

The Democrats’ decision to take on Comstock appears aimed in part at hurting her chances of positioning herself as an effective champion of Metro when she seeks reelection in November. Comstock, whose Northern Virginia district has been trending Democratic, is viewed as vulnerable.

“I don’t know their true motivations, but they must be intensely aware that giving a major victory on Metro funding to Barbara Comstock would be an enormous benefit to her reelection chances this year,” said Mark J. Rozell, dean of the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University.

MetroNow, a coalition of leading business groups and nonprofit organizations, issued a statement applauding Connolly’s leadership, but warned that the region’s politicians need to work together on Metro.

“This is a critical time when our leaders must collaborate instead of compete against one another,” the group said.

While the region’s federal representatives trade jabs, there have been signs recently of a narrowing of partisan differences in Maryland and Virginia, where state lawmakers are considering bills to provide Metro with dedicated funding.

Numerous political obstacles remain to the legislation in both states, but many Metro supporters and political veterans say there is unprecedented momentum for change. The federal bickering adds another hurdle.

The Democrats’ position partly reflects their desire to represent the interests of labor, an important part of their political base.

Brown noted that his congressional district, which includes portions of Prince George’s County, is home to more Metro workers than any other, and said “they deserve a voice” in the debate about the agency.

“It’s mistaken to believe that Metro’s problems are excessive labor costs,” Brown said. “I don’t think you need to mess around with their pensions and arbitration, or somehow blow up or reform the board, and think that’s going to solve it.”

The Connolly and Comstock bills have one thing in common: They call for extending and increasing a $150 million annual federal subsidy for Metro that is scheduled to expire after the fiscal year ending in 2019.

Connolly’s bill would do so in two steps.

First, it would extend the program, part of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (PRIIA), for 10 years and increase the subsidy to $200 million a year. Of that, $150 million would continue to be for capital investment. The District, Maryland and Virginia would continue making a matching contribution totaling $150 million.

The additional $50 million in the Connolly bill would go to operations. Of the latter, $10 million would be for Metro’s inspector general. This money would not require a local match.

Obtaining federal money for operating expenses — such as wages, fuel and electricity — would be a breakthrough long sought by many Metro supporters. They have complained for years that the District, Maryland and Virginia pay for all of Metro’s operating subsidies even though the federal government depends on the system to get its workers in the Washington area to their jobs.

“I have always believed that the federal government gets a free ride,” Connolly said. “The largest single user of Metro every day is the federal government.”

The condition for extending and increasing PRIIA money would be to strengthen the Office of the Inspector General by giving it new powers, including independent budget, procurement and hiring authority. Congress and others have pressed for a more robust IG to hold Metro accountable.

The second part of the funding plan in Connolly’s bill would give Metro an additional $100 million a year in grants for capital investment for 20 years. These federal grants also would have to be matched by a total of $100 million annually contributed by the three jurisdictions.

For the first five years, the additional money would be subject to the condition of Metro meeting performance bench marks set by the U.S. transportation secretary together with the District, Maryland and Virginia.

The secretary would grant the money each year only after certifying that Metro was “making progress toward goals and metrics for system performance established by the Secretary in collaboration with the signatories to the [Metro] Compact on safety, reliability and operations costs as measured by vehicle revenue miles,” the bill says.

For the remaining 15 years, the $100 million a year in additional grants would be conditioned on continued progress toward the goals and metrics, plus the establishment of a dedicated funding source by the District, Maryland and Virginia of at least $300 million a year.

GOV CUOMO UNVEILS GUN BILL TO CURB DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOMICIDES (HILLARY 2020)

GOV ANDREW CUOMO (NY) UNVEILS GUN BILL TO CURB DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOMICIDES:

HILLARY CLINTON NEEDS TO RUN AGAIN IN 2020 TO FIGHT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN.

ALL GOVERNORS SHOULD ADOPT GOV CUOMO'S INITIATIVE TO PREVENT MORE WOMEN FROM BEING BEATEN & MURDERED.

THE CYCLE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & SEXUAL HARASSMENT AGAINST WOMEN MUST BE STOPPED.


Sources: The Hill, YouTube


****** NY gov unveiling bill to remove firearms from those with domestic violence convictions


New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said he will announce legislation Wednesday to remove firearms from people who commit domestic violence crimes.

"Today I am announcing legislation to remove all firearms from those who commit any domestic violence crimes," Cuomo tweeted.

"Given the inextricable link between domestic violence and lethal gun violence, this legislation will require all domestic violence crime convictions, including misdemeanors, to result in the immediate removal of all firearms."

Cuomo said this year will be remembered as "the year of reckoning, when both the tragedy of mass shootings and cultural and institutional harassment of women became impossible to ignore."

"Let's make New York a safer state for all," he said.

Democratic lawmakers have pushed for new gun control measures after a series of mass shootings over the past year, including recent ones in Las Vegas and Texas.

More than 50 people were killed and more than 500 others wounded when a gunman opened fire at a country music festival in Las Vegas in early October. The following month, 26 people were killed after a gunman opened fire on churchgoers attending a Sunday service at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.

Police identified the suspect in the Texas shooting as Devin Kelley, who was discharged from the Air Force in 2014 for bad conduct after a domestic violence conviction. But the Air Force came under fire for failing to enter Kelley's domestic violence court-martial into a federal database used for background checks on gun sales.

Last month, a Democratic lawmaker introduced a billthat would require the Justice Department to conduct a study examining whether there is a correlation between individuals who have a history of domestic violence and mass shooters.

"If we look at the recent mass shootings in Sutherland Springs, Orlando, and the Congressional Baseball Game practice, we see a noticeable trend: all these shooters acted alone and had prior history of domestic violence," Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) said in a statement in November.

"Studies on the link between domestic violence at the early stages and mass shootings may help us prevent individuals from carrying out these horrific crimes in the future," he added.

HILLARY CLINTON SLAMS GOP TAX REFORM BILL (2020)

HILLARY CLINTON SLAMS GOP TAX REFORM BILL (2020):

I UNDERSTAND HILLARY'S ANGER ABOUT THIS LEGISLATION BECAUSE SHE REALLY CARES.

BUT WHAT IS HILLARY'S POSITION ON MEN SEXUALLY HARASSING WOMEN & ABUSING WOMEN??

AND YES SHE SHOULD RUN AGAIN IN 2020.


Sources: HuffPost, CBS News, Fox News, Youtube


***** Hillary Clinton Calls Senate Tax Bill 'Insulting Attack' On Americans


Hillary Clinton condemned the Republican tax bill that passed the Senate early Saturday morning during her appearance at a conference for young political activists later in the day.

“This could not be a more blatant and insulting attack on working Americans,” she reportedly told the audience at the Teen Vogue Summit in Playa Vista, California, where she was interviewed by “Black-ish” actress Yara Shahidi.

Clinton also criticized the bill for benefitting billionaires while eliminating cuts for teachers who buy school supplies for their students, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Shortly afterward, the former Democratic presidential candidate urged her social media followers to take an active role in the 2018 midterm election.

“This tax bill is only going to get worse as people learn more about it,” she said over Twitter. “There are 6 GOP Senators that have to run on it & 2 open seats in 2018.

We all need to get to work..”

Although President Donald Trump campaigned in part on a platform of tax cuts for the middle class, the GOP bill reserves its biggest benefits for the wealthiest Americans.

Republicans approved adding $1.5 trillion in national debt over 10 years on the belief it would be offset by economic growth. While many Americans will see some tax cuts, according to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, the richest 20 percent of households will reap 90 percent of the benefit of the tax cuts over those 10 years.

Senators voted 51-49 to narrowly pass the measure, with just one Republican, Bob Corker of Tennessee, joining Democrats to oppose it. The Senate legislation will likely be combined with the tax bill passed by the House last month; both chambers would need to approve the new version before it crossed Trump’s desk.

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said the bill’s passage marked “a great day for the country,” while Trump thanked Republicans for their “hard work and commitment.”

------------------------------------------



****** Tax bill: Senate passes sweeping tax overhaul in early morning vote


The Senate narrowly passed Republicans' tax reform legislation early Saturday morning with no Democratic support, following a marathon voting session overnight.

The bill, approved just before 2 a.m. in a 51-49 vote, next heads to conference, where House and Senate negotiators will work out the differences in their bills. Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) was the only Republican to vote no on the measure. The House bill also passed with no Democratic support last month.

The legislation was officially released shortly before the vote, giving the public little time to examine the final details. Democrats were outraged, asking for more time to review the measure. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) claimed she was handed the amendments to be included in the bill not by any of her colleagues, but by a lobbyist. Lobbyists, her comment implied, saw the bill before Democratic members.

"Not a single member of this chamber has read the bill," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on the Senate floor before the bill passed. "It would be impossible."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who held a press conference after the bill's passage, suggested Democrats were only concerned about the legislative process because they were losing.

"You complain about process when you're losing," McConnell said. "And that's what you heard on the floor tonight."

McConnell also said he believes the bill will be revenue neutral, despite analyses suggesting it will add to the deficit.

"This is a great day for the country, it's been 31 years since we've done comprehensive tax reform," McConnell said.

President Trump hailed the bill's passage in a tweet Saturday morning, thanking Republicans for approving the measure.

Biggest Tax Bill and Tax Cuts in history just passed in the Senate. Now these great Republicans will be going for final passage. Thank you to House and Senate Republicans for your hard work and commitment!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 2, 2017
The Senate bill permanently lowers the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent. Tax rates will also be cut for individuals, though their tax cuts will expire after a decade. The Senate bill keeps the same number of individual tax brackets, although it changes what those brackets are.

The Senate bill also repeals the individual mandate under Obamacare, something conservatives in Congress have long wanted. The House version does not touch the individual mandate.

The Senate bill, like the House bill, limits state and local income tax deductions to property taxes, with a cap of $10,000. The Senate bill increases the child tax credit from $1,000 to $2,000.

Republicans -- with the help of a tie-breaking vote from Vice President Mike Pence -- approved a provision from Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, that expands a tax break for 529 contributions to K-12 schools. The Senate shot down an amendment From Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, and Mike Lee, R-Utah, to further expand the child tax credit in exchange for a corporate tax rate increase from 20 percent to just under 21 percent.

The Senate bill is expected to add more than $1 trillion to the deficit over the next 10 years, according to a Joint Committee on Taxation analysis. Republicans had hoped the bill would pay for itself, and there was some concern late Thursday the bill would be held up for fiscal reasons.

The bill's passage is a major accomplishment for Republicans, who have been unable to pass significant or complex legislation since they took control of the House, Senate and White House in January.

KATHLEEN RICE vs NANCY PELOSI - CONYERS & DEMS' FUTURE (CIVIL WAR)

KATHLEEN RICE vs NANCY PELOSI - CONYERS & DEMS' FUTURE (CIVIL WAR):

RICE REPRESENTS DEMOCRATS' FUTURE (2018, 2020).

PELOSI REPRESENTS DEMOCRATS' PAST (2008, 2012, 1990s).

JOHN CONYERS SHOULD RESIGN BUT PELOSI & OTHER OLDER LEADERS APPEAR TO BE PROTECTING HIM.

IS PELOSI AFRAID OF TERM LIMITS ON THE HORIZON??


Sources: CNN, Daily Beast, Politico, Business Insider, The Hill, Youtube


****** Dem lawmaker: Pelosi harassment response set women back 'decades'


Her defense of John Conyers as 'an icon' squandered the party's moral authority, Rep. Kathleen Rice says.

A Democratic congresswoman laced into Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday, suggesting the top House Democrat “set women back and — quite frankly, our party back — decades” by failing to more forcefully confront allegations of sexual harassment by veteran Democratic Rep. John Conyers.

Speaking to reporters at the Capitol, Rep. Kathleen Rice of New York said Pelosi’s appearance on “Meet the Press” on Sunday — when she raised questions about the accounts of Conyers’ accusers and described the Michigan Democrat as an “icon” — ceded the party’s moral high ground on sexual harassment issues, especially because one of Conyers’ accusers is bound by a nondisclosure agreement.

“I think that her comments on Sunday set women back and — quite frankly, our party back — decades,” said Rice, who is advocating for legislation that would expose a slew of hidden, taxpayer-funded settlements for sexual harassment by lawmakers and aides.

Rice said Pelosi’s comments were particularly egregious in light of President Donald Trump’s tacit embrace of Roy Moore, the Alabama GOP Senate candidate accused of molesting a minor.

“I think that we ceded the moral high ground on Sunday when our leader said on ‘Meet the Press’ that John Conyers was an icon and we don’t even know who these women are, when she was fully aware that the woman in question was bound by a nondisclosure agreement,” Rice said. “I think we had an opportunity to stake that moral high ground when you have a president who is supporting a man for Senate who — all credible allegations that have not been refuted — showed him to be a predator of teenage girls.”

A Pelosi spokesman said Rice’s comments were not an accurate portrayal of the minority leader’s sentiment.

“The leader was very clear on Sunday that no matter how great an individual’s legacy, it’s not a license for harassment,” said the spokesman, Drew Hammill.

Hammill also noted that Pelosi, in her “Meet the Press” interview, said she favored eliminating nondisclosure agreements that silenced victims from speaking out.

“[A]ll of these nondisclosure agreements have to go,” she told NBC’s Chuck Todd in the interview. Since that interview, Hammill added, Pelosi has said she believes Conyers’ accusers and subsequently spoke to one of them about her story. She also has signaled support for legislation from Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) that would reform the system of harassment reporting in Congress to protect victims.

Rice was among of a group of Democrats who vocally opposed Pelosi’s reelection as Democratic leader when the caucus voted after the November election to give Pelosi another term.

Rice’s comments escalate her already pointed criticism of Pelosi’s leadership — and of her Democratic colleagues, who she said earlier Wednesday were not confronting sexual harassment issues within their own ranks seriously enough. She’s one of three Democratic lawmakers, along with Reps. Pramila Jayapal of Washington and Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, who have called for Conyers to resign immediately.

Rice left early Wednesday from a closed-door Democratic Caucus meeting and told reporters she bailed because she didn't think her colleagues were approaching the harassment issue seriously. A Democratic aide said Rice exited after Pelosi spoke about the issue and also missed at least a portion of the comments from eight Democratic lawmakers who addressed harassment issues.

"There was a lengthy discussion of sexual harassment policies and reforms needed," the aide said.

CNN vs TRUMP (MORE DISTRACTION MEDIA BIAS DRAMA)

CNN vs TRUMP (MORE DISTRACTION MEDIA BIAS):

CNN INTENSIFIES ATTACKS AGAINST TRUMP AS DIRECTED BY OBAMA & SOROS TO UNDERMINE HIM.

TRUMP STRIKES BACK; WARNS WH LEAKERS; DEFEATS ELIZABETH WARREN IN 2020 POLLS.


Sources: Fox News, Boston.com, CNN


******* Trump blasts ‘out of control’ media, defends agenda at heated press conference



President Trump’s feud with the media turned into an all-out war Thursday afternoon.

His early presidency beset by damaging leaks and a burst of staff turmoil, Trump used a hastily called press conference to blast the media’s coverage of his administration in his strongest terms yet. He claimed the press is “out of control,” reports on his team’s ties to Russia are “fake,” and news outlets are attacking him because they oppose his agenda.

"The media’s trying to attack our administration because they know we are following through on the pledges that we made, and they’re not happy about it," Trump declared at the White House.

The president spoke and took questions for more than an hour and 15 minutes, even joking with some reporters toward the end and saying he was having fun. In a bid to preempt negative coverage of his remarks, Trump insisted he was not "ranting and raving." But he lamented that the "tone" of coverage of his administration is one of "such hatred."

"The public doesn't believe you people anymore," he said.

Trump, who is dealing with the roughest stretch of his nascent presidency so far, unleashed the battery of accusations after first announcing his newest pick for labor secretary. After his original nominee withdrew, Trump nominated law school dean and former federal prosecutor Alexander Acosta for the post Thursday.

has had a tremendous career," Trump said, noting he's been through Senate confirmation three times for past positions.

But Trump pivoted to tout his administration's record so far and to blast the media for allegedly underplaying progress made.

"The press honestly is out of control," Trump said, vowing to take his message "straight to the people."

Amid a court fight over his controversial immigration executive order, which he maintained is “lawful,” Trump said he would announce a "new and very comprehensive order to protect our people."

He also staunchly defended his administration’s work on everything from the economy to energy to security. "This administration is running like a fine-tuned machine,” he said.

The press conference was held days after Michael Flynn resigned as national security adviser over a controversy regarding his past contacts with Russia’s ambassador. Those contacts emerged in news reports. Fast food chain CEO Andrew Puzder also withdrew from consideration for labor secretary on Wednesday amid deepening scrutiny of his personal and professional past.

Trump on Thursday personally denied having any contact or connections with Russia, saying: "I have nothing to do with Russia. I have no deals there. I don't know anything."

While acknowledging he sought Flynn’s resignation, he also said Flynn was just doing his job by contacting Russia. He said Flynn was asked to resign because he was dishonest about the details of the call with Vice President Mike Pence.

And he dismissed recent reports that campaign aides had been in contact with Russian officials before his election. Trump called the reports a "ruse" and said he had "nothing to do with Russia." Trump added, "Russia is fake news. This is fake news put out by the media."

In a free-wheeling event that, before Trump, would have been unprecedented in a modern presidential news conference, the president by turns teased and lambasted members of the press corps.

Toward the end of the press conference, Trump summed up his complaints by suggesting he was being blamed for problems that have existed for years: “I didn’t come along and divide this country. This country was seriously divided before I got here.”

He also blasted Senate Democrats for holding up his Cabinet nominees.

His latest pick for Labor Department might have an easier time. If confirmed, Acosta would be Trump’s first Latino Cabinet member. According to top GOP sources, Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and other Hispanic leaders are enthused about the pick.

Acosta currently is dean of Florida International University College of Law. He previously served as the first Hispanic assistant attorney general and as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida, as well as on the National Labor Relations Board.

In the wake of the Flynn reports and other damaging stories, Trump also has vowed to root out those leaking sensitive information.

“We’re going to find the leakers. ... They’re going to pay a big price for leaking,” Trump said at a meeting ahead of the press conference.