Melania Trump threatens to sue over video suggesting that her son has autism. Update!

Courtesy of TMZ: 

Melania Trump has hired a famous lawyer who is now threatening a lawsuit over a video suggesting her 10-year-old son, Barron, is autistic, and the letter calls out Rosie O'Donnell as a bully. 

According to the letter, obtained by TMZ, the YouTube video falsely insinuates Barron is autistic. The letter, and our sources familiar with the situation, say Barron absolutely is not autistic. 

This is the Rosie O'Donnell tweet that has angered Frau Trump.

Barron Trump Autistic? if so - what an amazing opportunity to bring attention to the AUTISM epidemic https://t.co/Acgy1Qxyqi via @YouTube

— Rosie (@Rosie) November 22, 2016

The letter says, "The video allegedly seeks to 'stop the bullying' of Barron Trump. Not true ... The video did instigate further bullying by Rosie O'Donnell and others." 

The video lists a number of signs it claims points to autism, including Barron clapping without slapping his hands together. Melania's attorney, Charles J. Harder, says Barron did this once -- at the end of a long day at the RNC -- but the "vast majority of the time, he claps normally." 

The "vast majority of the time, he claps normally?" Seriously?

Okay well here's the thing.

I also came out and stated that you cannot diagnose autism from a video, because you know what, you can't.  And to make these accusations without real proof is fairly nasty.

However by coming out like this publicly, and actually threatening to sue, Melania kind of gives it extra credibility.

Now I am not saying that the little Trump padawan is actually autistic or has any other mental development issues (Though with The Donald as his dad it is hard to think otherwise.), I am simply suggesting that by addressing this, and then threatening legal action, Melania is pushing this into a more public sphere and ensuring that this video is seen by many, many more people.

What is more, if the makers of the video call her bluff, and force her to take them to court, that might further embarrass the Trump family and this innocent child.

Oh and I almost forgot. This is going to be the First Family, and this is NOT how the First Family solves their problems.

Well, at least it didn't use to be.

Update: Well it looks like Melania won this one:

Melania Trump just got what she was after ... the man who posted the YouTube video suggesting Barron had autism is taking the video down. 

The guy who posted the video says, "TMZ just contacted me to tell me Melania Trump is threatening a lawsuit over this video ... I never ever meant this as a bullying video."

It appears that Rosie O'Donnell also took down her tweet which is why it will not display properly above. 

However if Melania thinks this video is gone forever, she really does not understand the internet.

Well Rosie O'Donnell might have just started another Twitter war with Donald Trump.

Barron Trump Autistic? if so - what an amazing opportunity to bring attention to the AUTISM epidemic https://t.co/Acgy1Qxyqi via @YouTube

— Rosie (@Rosie) November 22, 2016

Courtesy of Raw Story:  

Comedian and voluble critic of President-elect Donald Trump Rosie O’Donnell kicked off a heated online controversy when she suggested on Twitter that Trump’s youngest son Barron might be autistic. 

On Tuesday, she wrote, “Barron Trump Autistic? if so – what an amazing opportunity to bring attention to the AUTISM epidemic.” The tweet contained a link to a video exploring the idea that Barron Trump might be on the autism spectrum. 

Okay first off let me just say that the Autism spectrum is so broad these days that 1 in every 68 people are considered to be included in that diagnosis.

This means that you definitely know at least one person who if properly diagnosed would be identified as Autistic to some degree.

Having said that then yes it is quite possible that not only does Donald Trump's son possibly have Autistic attributes, but so might his father.

There are plenty of people who live quite productive lives who are included in the Autism spectrum.

However there is NO mental health professional who would presume to make a diagnosis simply by watching a video.

There are a number of tests given to the person and a comprehensive questionnaire provided to his caregivers and family members to help determine if they fit the requirements to be included in the Autism spectrum.

Is Barron Trump a strange kid?

Sure, but aren't ALL of Trump's children a little off?

What do we expect from children who are parented by that orange tinted asshole?

Does he have Autism? There is no way to positively identify that without a proper diagnosis from a trained mental health professional

What Rosie O'Donnell has done here is to poke at Donald Trump knowing full well that he is itching to go after her on Twitter. I doubt this is accidental.

I also think that it is probably working, and that if Trump does not respond soon it is only because his advisers have locked him out of this Twitter account or have his tiny hands tied behind his back. 

This may be what finally costs Donald Trump almost all of the female vote in November.

Donald Trump called her "Miss Piggy" and "Miss Housekeeping."

Her name is Alicia Machado. #DebateNight pic.twitter.com/0wrISjJe6z

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 27, 2016

Courtesy of The Daily Beast:

In the final moments of the first presidential debate Monday night, Hillary Clinton brought up Alicia Machado, a former winner of Trump’s Miss Universe pageant, who told Inside Edition earlier this year that Donald Trump referred to her as “Miss Housekeeping” and “Miss Piggy” after she gained weight following her victory in 1996. “After that episode, I was sick, anorexia and bulimia for five years,” Machado said of the ridicule from Trump. “Over the past 20 years, I’ve gone to a lot of psychologists to combat this.”

As Clinton mentioned during the debate, Machado became a U.S. citizen earlier this year and “you can bet she’s going to vote this November.” In response, Trump repeated the question, “Where did you find this?” and later defended the derogatory comments he has made in the past about Rosie O’Donnell. Tweeting in Spanish following the debate, Machado thanked Clinton for respecting women, adding, “I’m with you!”

This morning on Fox and Friends Trump essentially doubled down on his comments about Macahdo.

"She gained a massive amount of weight, and it was a real problem." —Trump just defended his attacks on Fmr. Miss Universe Alicia Machado. pic.twitter.com/HbVtaBpK3R

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) September 27, 2016

Oh yeah, I am sure the women are just DYING to vote for this misogynist  asshole.

Trump also doubled down on his attacks against Rosie O'Donnell last night:

"I said very tough things to her,” Trump admitted. “And I think everybody would agree that she deserves it, and nobody feels sorry for her.” 

There are still going to be some women who vote for Trump, probably the same ones who consistently vote for Republicans working hard to strip them of their rights and reducing them to breeding stock, but I think the majority of women are going to have a very visceral and negative view of Donald Trump after learning about his harsh words to this Miss universe contestant and Rosie O'Donnell.

The man's a pig. And I think women know a pig when they see one.

Just seeing Sarah Palin still gives Nicolle Wallace PTSD. Tell me about it.

Courtesy of Mediaite:  

As O’Donnell explained, Palin found herself on the wrong side of PETA after she posted a photo of her young son Trig standing on top of the family dog to reach the sink. 

When Wallace started to defend Palin by saying “her kids are beautiful,” Griffin shot back, “Don’t play the kid card!” To that, Wallace admitted, “I’ve got nothing else except the kid card!” 

After playing a clip of Palin trying to turn the whole thing around on President Barack Obama during an interview with the Today Show, O’Donnell asked Wallace, “Do you have PTSD when you see her?” 

“A little bit,” Wallace said, laughing. “I start to sweat out.” O’Donnell said she could see the color “drain” from Wallace’s face. “Who do I get to try to kill me today. PETA or Palin?” Wallace wondered aloud.

I like the fact that Wallace points out that using the kids to defend Sarah Palin is the only card that she has in her deck.  (Clearly she and Palin are playing from the same one.)

However that statement about who to get to try and kill her today was really stupid.

And that last remark about Palin's looks MIGHT have been true in 2008, but not anymore.

Today The View featured two Nicolle Wallaces. And a look back at our favorite scene from Game Change.

Loved seeing my friend @MsSarahPaulson today pic.twitter.com/PNL2CAovCD
— Nicolle Wallace (@NicolleDWallace) October 7, 2014

Just wish I were as tall as my beautiful pal @MsSarahPaulson !! pic.twitter.com/BtxusziK6B
— Nicolle Wallace (@NicolleDWallace) October 7, 2014

So as you can see Sarah Paulson was on The View this morning, which allowed her the rather unique opportunity to be interviewed by the woman she played in a movie on cable television.

I actually found the exchange quite interesting, especially when they showed the iconic moment in the stairwell where Paulson's Wallace is trying to reason with a hysterical Sarah Palin ("I am not your puppet!") played by the wonderful Julianne Moore.

I also loved it when Wallace said "That was not a dramatic interpretation of events." And that Palin thought when she said sarcastically "Because you're just like Hillary Clinton" Palin took it seriously and agreed that she was.

You can watch the clip for yourself by clicking here.  (It's the fifth clip down.)

P.S. By the way I am a huge fan of American Horror Story and have watched every season, and Paulson is magnificent in it every single time.

"Comedy is hard." The ladies of The View mock Palin for her Values Voters speech.

Courtesy of Mediaite:  

The co-hosts of ABC’s The View on Monday mocked former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin‘s weekend speech at the Values Voter Summit, wherein the former Republican vice presidential candidate mistakenly referred to the White House address as “1400 Pennsylvania Avenue.” 

During the speech, Palin cracked a joke about President Barack Obama‘s now-infamous “latte salute” and, when talking about the president’s current home, gave the wrong address. 

“She’s proving once again that comedy is difficult,” said Rosie O’Donnell after the show aired a clip from Palin’s speech.

As you see it is left to poor Nicolle Wallace to come to Palin's defense. Which I think we all  know must really burn her ass.

You know I predicted way back in 2009 that someday Palin's name would only turn up as a question on Jeopardy or the punch line to a joke.

Nice to see how close we are to those predictions coming true. 

Today hosts of The View discussed the Palin family brawl. Nicolle Wallace could not be less surprised. Update!

So this morning Whoopi brings up the Throwdown at the Hoedown:

"Sarah Palin has broken her silence about her family's recent brawl at a party supporting her children in a gushing Facebook post that reads 'I have to say this as a proud mama: right up there with their ethic and heart for those less fortunate, my kids' defense of family makes my heart soar.'"

Then Whoopi turns to Nicolle Wallace, who of course handled Sarah Palin during the 2008 campaign, for her thoughts.

Wallace: "I worked with Sarah Palin, I have political staffer version of PTSD. So whenever I hear that she is breaking her silence I sort of, my heart stops."

Whoopi then asks Wallace to share what she has heard:

"This was a brawl of some sort?"

Wallace: "Yeah sometimes with the Palins it's exactly what it looks like right? This was a family night out it would appear. And um one of the kids, one of the sons, got into a fight and the family rushed to their defense. Which is admirable I think up to the point when you know every one is punching other kids in the face. And it has been reported, though she has denied, that she screamed out 'Do you know who I am?', which I think they did and I think therein lay part of the problem for them. Right? Maybe?"

I think that Wallace certainly has Palin's number, in that no matter how crazy the story you hear about her and her family there is often a kernel of truth to it.

However I was a little surprised that she seemed unsure which son might have been in the fight.

Because unless little Trig is known to toss aside his juice box and throw down at the slightest provocation, clearly it had to be he PTSD counselor himself, Track Menard Palin.

Personally I am just happy that here we are a two weeks out, and this drunken brawl is STILL getting national coverage.

(P.S. Here is the site that had the video, but let me warn you that it is the conservative site Newsbusters. So it is up to you to decide if you want to give them a click to here the above conversation for yourself.)

Update: Okay Mediaite has the video. So if you want to see it click here instead.

The premiere of The View, featuring the new cast, was the best premiere in eight years and the second best of all time.

Courtesy of USA Today:  

The revamping and reinvigorating of The View worked. 

For a day, anyway. 

ABC has happily announced that The View's Season 18 premiere on Monday, showcasing newcomers Rosie Perez and Nicolle Wallace with returning Rosie O'Donnell and veteran moderator Whoopi Goldberg, was the best premiere in eight years. 

The show drew 3.9 million total viewers, making it the best since O'Donnell joined the cast in 2006.

Well I'm still not going to watch, but congratulations ABC.

Of course the first thing that came to mind is that ABC really dodged a bullet by refusing to even consider hiring Sarah Palin. Because that would have undoubtedly driven the show's ratings into the cellar.

And of course the second thing that occurred to me is that this must also just drive the Wasilla Wendigo crazy, and only adds to her worst week ever.

Yes we do. We know that you are NOT a host on The View.

By the way if you missed the episode and really want to see it just click right here.

So the season premiere of The View happened today, featuring their new cast, and guess whose name came up? Update!

Courtesy of Mediaite:  

Whoopi Goldberg couldn’t get through asking about Palin with a straight face, and Rosie Perez jumped in with a few questions of her own. She asked Wallace, “One, what was it like when you first met her? Two, did the winking get on your nerves? And three, when did you want to just pop her?” 

Wallace laughed a bit before explaining that the first time she met Palin, she was on Vicodin and had absolutely no idea who she was. And while Palin was “cool” at first, Wallace said, “Our relationship really erupted and exploded, and it was irreparably damaged after the Katie Couric interview when she thought I set her up for failure and I felt like the questions were pretty fair.”

Here is the video:

You know all I can think when I look at this lineup is "Could you just imagine how quickly these women would destroy Sarah Palin if she had the cojones to sit on that couch?"

But of course she doesn't.

For some reason it does not seem that the ladies of The View brought up the drunken brawl, which I find inexcusable, but that does not mean it is not still receiving plenty of attention.

Famous award winning TV news anchor Deborah Norville talked about it briefly on a South Florida radio show:  

Norville’s appearance started out by her asking the hosts, Paul Castronovo and Young Ron, if she could play their trademark Q&A games. 

Of course, the hosts obliged here request to play the game, and to limit it to one “easy” question. 

Castronovo: What northern redneck thing was Sarah Palin’s family involved in? 

A) A drunken fight at a snowmobile party 
B) Midnight moose hunting 
C) Eskimo hunting 

Norville: It should be all of the above, but the actual answer is ‘A’ 

(Palin’s son Track and daughter Bristol, were both involved in a fist fight a few days ago) 

Norville: Ok, let me ask you that, just as a follow up, wouldn’t you want to ask John McCain if he is sorry now? 

Castronovo: Of course he is. 

Of course he is, the only question is when will he admit it?

Perhaps my favorite mention of the drunken brawl comes to us courtesy of that defunct website Breitbart, which of course ignores all of the sourced reporting by various blogs and news sites, and instead uses that Real Clear Politic's schmoe as their primary source:

By now you've all heard about the infamous drunken brawl the Palin family was supposedly involved in last week. While Sarah Palin screamed "Do you know who I am!" (which she didn't), the Governor's 20 year-old son Track (a Veteran), 50 year-old husband Todd, and 23 year-old daughter Bristol, were all bloodied up in a beer-soaked melee they started (which they didn't). Fun fact: according to the media, the left-handed Bristol rains down blows with her right.

Then to drive home their point they bring up the IRS "scandal" and Benghazi as more important stories that the left leaning media is simply ignoring.

Yeah go figure.

To help out the Washington Post's Jonathon Capehart even offers two graphics to keep the stories straight.

First the Palin's version:

Then, you know, every other person's version:

Well you know what, that does kind of help.

Thanks Jonathon!

P.S. By the way apparently Palin did not get the memo that she is now a national laughingstock and politically poisonous because she actually went and endorsed another candidate today.

You know what they say, denial is not just a river in Egypt.

Update: Check out Palin's newest Facebook post:

Feel bad for the poor paparazzi hounding outside my truck this morning hoping to capture a tabloid "exclusive" of me coming out of Bikram Hot Yoga. How about we take away their "exclusive" and I'll give you the photos first, for free! Yup, here's what I looked like sans makeup, drowning in sweat when the camera rolled; looking much like a sheepdog, I'd say. No one said workouts were glamorous!

Hmm, so there is a tabloid up here taking pictures of Palin? That is VERY unusual.

I wonder if they asked her any questions as well?

Update 2: Mystery solved it was Radar Online that snapped the pics.

Update 3: Oops the Daily Mail has the pics too, as well as a longer article.

By the way both articles mentioned Palin's missing wedding ring.

Nicolle Wallace will officially join The View on September 15th. Because everybody hates Sarah Palin.

Courtesy of Deadline:

The search is over. Final details are still being worked out but I’ve learned that actress Rosie Perez and political commentator Nicolle Wallace are expected to take the vacant seats on The View when the ABC daytime talk show returns for a new season September 15. 

They would join Rosie O’Donnell and Whoopi Goldberg. Perez and Wallace would succeed co-hosts Sherri Shepherd and Jenny McCarthy, who exited last month.

My headline is sort of tongue in cheek but you have to admit that the new lineup of this show has got to work as extra strength Palin repellant. 

I mean can you imagine ANY scenario that would have Palin voluntarily sharing the couch with Whoopi Goldberg, Rosie O'Donnell, AND Nicolle Wallace?

Oh hell to the no!

Not only that but Perez is not exactly a huge fan of the conservative point of view either, so all in all it would be an incredibly uncomfortable visit for a woman so prickly that she literally started her own blog where she can choose the questions she answers, and NEVER has to worry about any "gotcha questions," like "what do you read" ever again.

Did Sarah Palin launch her website in the hopes of using it as leverage in order to get a gig on The View?

Courtesy of Radar Online:  

Tea Party darling Sarah Palin‘s recently launched video channel is not just a place where she can express her controversial conservative views: RadarOnline.com has learned that it’s an audition tape of sorts because the former Alaska governor is openly competing for a spot on The View! 

“Sarah has been in talks with The View to become a part of the cast as the voice of the far right,” an insider revealed. “During talks, it was brought to Sarah’s attention that mainstream Americans haven’t heard from her in a while, despite her appearances on Fox News. Being very media savvy, Governor Palin decided to launch a video channel as a way to engage with more Americans, and prove to network executives that she can create buzz.” 

“The one sticking point in the talks is how much time she will have to spend in New York City and away from her native Alaska,” the source continued. “She has proposed that she work three weeks a month in NYC, and then go back to Alaska. During sweeps, she would of course not take time off.”

I have already expressed my doubts that Palin would seriously consider taking an actual  job on network TV, and especially the View. And after it was revealed that Rosie O'Donnell was coming back I thought that pretty much drove a stake through any idea that Palin would be on the show.

Not to mention that Rachel Maddow's executive producer is taking over The View.

However if Radar Online's sources are to be believed, it would appear that Palin is actively pursuing the idea, and that ABC is seriously considering it.   

“Whoopi Goldberg has given her seal of approval for the hire, but Rosie O’Donnell isn’t sold on it,” the source continued. “She is concerned that Palin is just too controversial, and the show will become all about her.”

Yeah I can imagine that Whoopi would be all over the idea of having Palin to  verbally bitchslap every morning, but why Palin would put herself in that situation is somewhat harder to imagine.

Unless of course that her money situation is even worse off then we have previously reported.

Still after watching how Elizabeth Hasselbeck was ridiculed and shut down over and over on the show, it would be hard to imagine that Palin would put herself on that panel.

Especially since she has spent her time since 2008 isolating herself as much as possible from any possible embarrassing questions, and making sure that she is surrounded by like minded people who will not judge her on her stupidity.

I mean going so far as to charge sycophants for the right to see you respond to current events and answer questions from the safety of a vanity website is just about as far removed as one can get from seeking public scrutiny.

All I can say is that if ABC is serious they better put a clause in her contract saying that if she quits halfway through she will have to pay them a truckload of money for their troubles.

Rosie O'Donnell to return to The View. Sarah Palin's head to explode in 3..2..1

Courtesy of ABC News:  

It's official -- Rosie O'Donnell is returning as a host for "The View." 

The show tweeted out the news today saying, "ABC confirms Rosie O'Donnell returns as co-host of #TheView w/ moderator Whoopi Goldberg for Season 18." 

The host is back after being on the show before from 2006 to 2007. While on the show, she famously clashed with Donald Trump and even some former "View" co-hosts like Elisabeth Hasselbeck.

I don't usually cover this kind of thing on IM, however since Palin set tongues a wagging about the possibility that SHE might like to join the show it made this news just too delicious not to share.

Not only is Rosie back on for sure, there is also talk that Meghan McCain might be offered a slot.

Now there is a truly evil side of me that wants desperately for Sarah Palin to feel the need to promote something that convinces her to be a guest on The View.

Simply the idea of Palin being interviewed by the likes of Rosie O'Donnell, Whoopi Goldberg, and Meghan McCain is the kind of thing that liberal bloggers can only dream of having the opportunity to watch.

Lawrence O'Donnell tears into one time NRA spokesman, and current board member, Tom Selleck.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Courtesy of MSNBC:  

Actor Tom Selleck became the poster boy for the National Rifle Association–and the subject of controversial publicity–14 years ago, after two high students at Columbine High School murdered 13 people and injured 21 students. The Columbine massacre occurred a month after Tom Selleck appeared on the NRA ad with a rifle across his shoulder. 

In addition to acting as the public spokesman, Tom Selleck is now a member of the Board of Directors of the NRA. And so, “the time has come to do what Rosie O’Donnell refused to do 14 years ago–question Tom Selleck’s humanity,” according to MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell. 

In the past 14 years, a shooter killed 32 people and wounded 17 on the campus of Virginia Tech, setting the record for American gun massacres. Then on January 8, 2011, a shooter killed six and wounded 13, including Congressman Gabby Giffords. On July 20, 2012, a man using a hundred-round ammunition drum killed 12 people and wounded 58, setting another record for the highest number of people shot in an American gun massacre. Finally on December 14, 2012, a man killed 20 children and six teachers in a Connecticut elementary school. O’Donnell states that Selleck remained silent after those shootings.

You know I watched that original broadcast of the Rosie O'Donnell Show and I have to say at the time I kind of felt bad for Tom Selleck.  Today I do not have a shred of sympathy for him left.

Lawrence is right, he needs to speak out and take responsibility for the organization that he represents.

NBC Chief says he will do something if Donald Trump "crosses a line." I'm sorry, is there a line he DIDN'T step over?

Courtesy of Deadline:

The Apprentice star Donald Trump was a constant lighting rod for controversy during the recent presidential campaign with his birther obsession and outrageous comments and Twitter rants against everyone from President Obama and the GOP to Rosie O’Donnell. With all that baggage, is NBC sticking with Trump and has the net asked him to tone his rhetoric down? “We live in this country where you can say anything you want as long as you are not harming other people,” NBC chief Bob Greenblatt said during the NBC TCA executive session. “He has his political belief system but I really don’t think what he’s doing in his personal life is going to corrupt what he’s doing on the show.” However, “if he becomes somehow hurtful and says or does things that cross a line, we would figure out what to do with that.” Added NBC’s head of reality Paul Telegdy, who oversees The Apprentice, “It just comes with the Donald Trump territory, he keeps a lot of publicists very very busy.” NBC already played a role in protecting America from even more Trump in the public space. “We talked him out of running for president, wasn’t’ that good enough?,” Greenblatt said.

 “If he becomes somehow hurtful and says or does things that cross a line, we would figure out what to do with that.”

IF he becomes somehow hurtful? IF he crosses a line?

Is there actually a line that Donald Trump has NOT crossed?

He called Rosie O'Donnell a "slob" and suggested that the producers of "The View"s (This is when O'Donnell was still on that show) get in "her fat ugly face" and tell her she was fired.

He aggressively accused the President of not being an America citizen and has done virtually everything in his power to insult the man, his family, and the American people who voted for him.

There was even a documentary made that exposed Trump's bullying tactics and arrogance during a battle to get the land owned by a Scottish local that he needed to complete a gold course. The things he did to that poor gentleman fall under the very definition of movie villain.

So I guess I am wondering exactly WHERE this line that Donald Trump should not cross is located?

Does he have to rob a gas station and get caught after a lengthy car chase with a dead hooker in his trunk? Because every line before that one I think Donald Trump has already managed to stomp all over.

P.S. Oh and before I forget, this Bob Greenblatt guy did NOT talk "The Donald" out of running for President. The windbag NEVER had any intention of putting his name up for the nomination.

He is nothing more than a loud mouth coward, and does not have the balls to actually run for office.

Much like Sarah Palin he is nothing more than an attention whore who will say provocative things, and tease the low hanging fruit with the prospect of a presidential run, but NEVER follow through because he knows he will be humiliated. 

Two people whose overriding hatred of President Obama has proven to be be their downfall.