After beginning the year with a long and ambitious list of priorities, the GOP is lagging far behind its expectations for its policy agenda, NBC News reported. Republicans are pushing to get the American Health Care Act passed in the Senate, which they say is what will allow them to switch focus to tax reform. They also need to address infrastructure, which was a top agenda item for the president. What has dragged on the party’s momentum was the slower-than-anticipated confirmations of President Donald Trump’s nominees, as well as the ongoing controversy over investigations into Russia meddling in last year’s election. Congress has just seven weeks left before the beginning of August, when lawmakers take five weeks off. Then the fall agenda will be filled wth funding the government before the new fiscal year on Oct. 1.
A tearful Jenna Bush Hager apologized Monday for a gaffe that was broadcast live from the Golden Globes red carpet when she referred to the non-existent movie "Hidden Fences."
Bush Hager, an NBC News correspondent, said on the "Today" show that she made a "mistake" while interviewing Pharrell Williams about his best original score nomination for his work in "Hidden Figures."
Williams didn't correct her at the time, though plenty on social media took notice that Bush Hager appeared to have conflated the film's title with another Globes-nominated film, "Fences." Both movies feature a black cast.
Bush Hager said Monday on "Today" that she had seen both movies and "thought they were both brilliant."
"If I offended people, I am deeply sorry," she said. She said she was "not perfect" and hoped "we can all move on."
NBC's Al Roker came to her defense, saying that Twitter has a culture of people who are "waiting to pounce."
"It has to stop. This is ridiculous," Roker said.
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Presenter Michael Keaton made the same mistake during the awards show when announcing Octavia Spencer as the nominee for "Hidden Fences." It wasn't clear whether his comment was also a gaffe or if he had heard about the viral red carpet moment.
Later on Monday, Williams and Spencer tweeted messages of support for Bush Hager.
Williams said that "everyone makes mistakes. Hidden Fences does sound like an intriguing movie though."
Spencer thanked her for the apology, writing that "we all make mistakes."
