AMI issued a statement categorically denying that the payments it was involved in had anything to do with Trump or Cohen or that there was any sort of partnership between Pecker, the company and the campaign. "These claims are reckless, unsubstantiated, and false," according to the statement.

But it doesn't take a genius to see the similarities here. In all three instances, Trump allies (Cohen in the case of Stormy Daniels; and AMI, which is run by his friend David Pecker, in the case of McDougal and the doorman) sought to snuff out a story that painted Trump's personal life in a negative manner.

What we don't know is what role -- if any -- Trump himself played in these specific instances or any other episodes we don't yet know about.

Trump has denied knowing about the Daniels' payment. He has said nothing -- at least as far as I can find -- about the payment to McDougal and the alleged payment to the doorman. Trump has denied he engaged in any affair with McDougal.

Here is the original post:

There's a very disturbing pattern of silencing Donald Trump's ...

President Donald Trump is still weighing options for U.S. military action against Syria as Western powers rallied against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over an apparent chemical weapons attack near Damascus.

The escalating tensions weighed on investors already concerned about war, with crude prices holding high levels while the lira in Turkey, which has troops in Syria, weakened for the fourth day.

Pentagon chief Jim Mattis and other members of Trumps national security team met Wednesday, after the president warned Russia on Twitter to expect a missile barrage toward its ally, Syria, saying You shouldnt be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

Despite the rhetoric, the U.S. administration hasnt decided how to retaliate against Assad, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters Wednesday, adding that the president has been in talks with a number of key allies in recent days.

Were maintaining that we have a number of options and all of those options are still on the table, Sanders said when asked about the possibility of military action. Final decisions havent been made yet on that front.

The White House said that Trump would coordinate his response with French President Emmanuel Macron, while U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May called an emergency Cabinet meeting for Thursday to discuss the British response to the apparent chemical weapons attack in Douma, a town controlled by Syrian rebels. May said she had little doubt despite Syrian and Russian protests to the contrary that Assads government was to blame for what happened in Douma.

All the indications are that the Syrian regime was responsible, she told reporters on Wednesday. We will be working with our closest allies on how we can ensure that those who are responsible are held to account. The continued use of chemical weapons cannot go unchallenged.

Amid the threat of conflict, oil prices hovered near the highest level since 2014. Turkeys currency weakened, while the Borsa Istanbul 100 Index for stocks was little changed at open in Istanbul after it fell below its 200-day moving average. Oil producer and insurance shares led gainers on the Stoxx Europe 600 Index.

This is the second time in a year that Washington is gearing to respond militarily in Syria. This time, Trump is under pressure to hit harder and take bigger risks than the attack in April 2017, which was limited to a single Syrian base and left little lasting damage.

Assads media and political adviser reiterated the governments rejection of accusations the country used chemical weapons, telling Al-Mayadeen TV in an interview in Damascus late Wednesday that Syria and its allies Russia, Iran and Hezbollah will prevail in any upcoming conflict. They will not win in anything they do, Bouthaina Shaaban said. We will be the winners.

The prospect of direct participation by France and possibly other allies such as the U.K. and Saudi Arabia would provide greater legitimacy for a large operation that otherwise would risk criticism as violating international law, said Andrew Bell, an assistant professor at Indiana University who focuses on international security and the law of armed conflict. A broader coalition helps build the case for a humanitarian mandate, he said.

Trump made his views clear on Wednesday, saying on Twitter that relations with Russia have never been worse and warning Moscow about an incoming fusillade. Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and smart!, Trump wrote.

Mattis, who was spotted alongside CIA Director Mike Pompeo at the White House on Wednesday, said he stands ready to provide military options if appropriate.

A strike that hits Russian assets in Syria even if unintentionally could result in a dangerous game of one-upmanship, potentially dragging the U.S. further into a conflict the president wants to leave. Russia has strengthened Syrias air-defense capabilities, deploying S-400 missile batteries.

There must be a consistent Syria policy, that is the key thing, Norbert Roettgen, an ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and chairman of the foreign policy committee in the countrys parliament, said on Deutschlandfunk radio on Thursday. There is no real U.S. policy on Syria. Assad and Russia have been given a free hand militarily.

Amid the rising tensions, Syrian government forces were vacating airports and some key military positions in anticipation of an American-led strike, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a U.K.-based organization. An unidentified Syrian Foreign Ministry official cited by state-run TV accused the Americans of sponsoring the lies of terrorists as a pretext to attack Syria.

Eurocontrol, a European air traffic agency, asked airlines to apply caution on flights to the eastern Mediterranean region because of possible air strikes in Syria. Kuwait Airways said late Wednesday it was suspending flights to Beirut starting April 12 and until further notice.

The risk of military conflict between Russia and the U.S. in Syria is very high, said Elena Suponina, a Mideast analyst at the Russian Institute of Strategic Studies, which counsels the Kremlin. If Trump takes this step and Russian citizens are harmed, the reaction will be very harsh.

Here is the original post:

What Is Stopping Donald Trump From Striking Syria | Time

Illegal immigration was a signature issue of U.S. President Donald Trump's presidential campaign, and his proposed reforms and remarks about this issue generated much publicity.[1] A hallmark promise of his campaign was to build a substantial wall on the United States-Mexico border. Official estimates of the number of undocumented immigrants in the United States range from 11 and 12 million, while Trump has falsely insisted the number is between 30 and 34 million.

Trump has also expressed support for a variety of "limits on legal immigration and guest-worker visas",[1][2] including a "pause" on granting green cards, which Trump says will "allow record immigration levels to subside to more moderate historical averages".[3][4][5] Trump's proposals regarding H-1B visas frequently changed throughout his presidential campaign, but as of late July 2016, he appeared to oppose the H-1B visa program.[6]

After Mitt Romney lost the 2012 U.S. presidential election, Trump criticized Romney's immigration policy, saying, "He had a crazy policy of self deportation which was maniacal. It sounded as bad as it was, and he lost all of the Latino vote. He lost the Asian vote. He lost everybody who is inspired to come into this country."[7] At the 2014 Conservative Political Action Conference, Trump urged Republican politicians not to pass immigration reform, saying immigrants would vote for the Democratic party and steal American jobs.[8]

During the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Trump questioned official estimates of the number of undocumented immigrants in the United States asserting that the number is actually between 30 and 34 million.[9] PolitiFact ruled that his statement was "Pants on Fire", citing experts who noted that no evidence supported an estimate in that range.[9] For example, the Pew Research Center reported in March 2015 that the number of undocumented immigrants overall declined from 12.2 million in 2007 to 11.2 million in 2012. The number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. labor force ranged from 8.1 million to 8.3 million between 2007 and 2012, approximately 5% of the U.S. labor force.[10]

In 2015, prior to being elected president, Trump proposed rolling back birthright citizenship for U.S.born children of undocumented immigrants (whom he refers to as "anchor babies"). Under the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, all persons born on U.S. soil and subject to its jurisdiction are citizens. The mainstream view of the Fourteenth Amendment among legal experts is that everyone born on U.S. soil, regardless of parents' citizenship, is automatically an American citizen, so long as the parents are not foreign diplomats.[11][12]

The Trump administration embraced the Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy (RAISE) Act in August 2017.[13][14] The RAISE Act seeks to reduce levels of legal immigration to the United States by 50% by halving the number of green cards issued. The bill would also impose a cap of 50,000 refugee admissions a year and would end the visa diversity lottery. A study by Penn Wharton economists found that the legislation would by 2027 "reduce GDP by 0.7 percent relative to current law, and reduce jobs by 1.3 million. By 2040, GDP will be about 2 percent lower and jobs will fall by 4.6 million. Despite changes to population size, jobs and GDP, there is very little change to per capita GDP, increasing slightly in the short run and then eventually falling."[13][14]

Kathryn Steinle was killed in July 2015 by an illegal immigrant, Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, who had multiple convictions and had been previously deported on five occasions.[15] During the election campaign, Trump promised to ask Congress to pass Kate's Law, named after her, to ensure that criminal aliens convicted of illegal reentry received strong, mandatory minimum sentences. A Senate version of the bill was previously introduced by Ted Cruz in July 2016, but it failed to pass a cloture motion.[16][17][18][19]

Trump has emphasized U.S. border security and illegal immigration to the United States as a campaign issue.[20][21] During his announcement speech he stated in part, "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best. They're not sending you. They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems.... They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."[22] On July 6, 2015, Trump issued a written statement[23] to clarify his position on illegal immigration, which drew a reaction from critics. It read in part:

"The Mexican Government is forcing their most unwanted people into the United States. They are, in many cases, criminals, drug dealers, rapists, etc. This was evident just this week when, as an example, a young woman in San Francisco was viciously killed by a 5-time deported Mexican with a long criminal record, who was forced back into the United States because they didn't want him in Mexico. This is merely one of thousands of similar incidents throughout the United States. In other words, the worst elements in Mexico are being pushed into the United States by the Mexican government. The largest suppliers of heroin, cocaine and other illicit drugs are Mexican cartels that arrange to have Mexican immigrants trying to cross the borders and smuggle in the drugs. The Border Patrol knows this. Likewise, tremendous infectious disease is pouring across the border. The United States has become a dumping ground for Mexico and, in fact, for many other parts of the world. On the other hand, many fabulous people come in from Mexico and our country is better for it. But these people are here legally, and are severely hurt by those coming in illegally. I am proud to say that I know many hard working Mexicansmany of them are working for and with me ... and, just like our country, my organization is better for it."[24]

A study published in Social Science Quarterly in May 2016 tested Trump's claim that immigrants are responsible for higher levels of violent and drug-related crime in the United States.[25] It found no evidence that links Mexican or illegal Mexican immigrants specifically to violent or drug-related crime.[25] It did however find a small but significant association between undocumented immigrant populations (including non-Mexican undocumented immigrants) and drug-related arrests.[25]

In addition to his proposals to construct a border wall (see below), Trump has called for tripling the number of Border Patrol agents.[26]

Trump has repeatedly pledged to build a wall along the U.S.'s southern border, and has said that Mexico would pay for its construction through increased border-crossing fees and NAFTA tariffs.[27] In his speech announcing his candidacy, Trump pledged to "build a great, great wall on our southern border. And I will have Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words."[28][29] Trump also said "nobody builds walls better than me, believe me, and I'll build them very inexpensively."[29] The concept for building a barrier to keep undocumented immigrants out of the U.S. is not new; 670 miles of fencing (about one-third of the border) was erected under the Secure Fence Act of 2006, at a cost of $2.4 billion.[29] Trump said later that his proposed wall would be "a real wall. Not a toy wall like we have now."[30] In his 2015 book, Trump cites the Israeli West Bank barrier as a successful example of a border wall.[31] "Trump has at times suggested building a wall across the nearly 2,000-mile border and at other times indicated more selective placement."[32] After a meeting with Mexican President Enrique Pea Nieto on August 31, 2016, Trump said that they "didn't discuss" who would pay for the border wall that Trump has made a centerpiece of his presidential campaign.[33] Nieto contradicted that later that day, saying that he at the start of the meeting "made it clear that Mexico will not pay for the wall".[34] Later that day, Trump reiterated his position that Mexico will pay to build an "impenetrable" wall on the Southern border.[35]

John Cassidy of The New Yorker wrote that Trump is "the latest representative of an anti-immigrant, nativist American tradition that dates back at least to the Know-Nothings" of the 1840s and 1850s.[36] Trump says "it was legal immigrants who made America great,"[37] that the Latinos who have worked for him have been "unbelievable people", and that he wants a wall between the U.S. and Mexico to have a "big, beautiful door" for people to come legally and feel welcomed in the United States.[38]

According to experts and analyses, the actual cost to construct a wall along the remaining 1,300 miles of the border could be as high as $16 million per mile, with a total cost of up to $25 billion, with the cost of private land acquisitions and fence maintenance pushing up the total cost further.[32] Maintenance of the wall could cost up to $750 million a year, and if the Border Patrol agents were to patrol the wall, additional funds would have to be expended.[32] Rough and remote terrain on many parts of the border, such as deserts and mountains, would make construction and maintenance of a wall expensive, and such terrain may be a greater deterrent than a wall in any case.[32] Experts also note that on federally protected wilderness areas and Native American reservations, the Department of Homeland Security may have only limited construction authority, and a wall could cause environmental damage.[32]

Despite campaign promises to build a full wall, Trump later stated that he favors putting up some fences.[39]

In February 2017, Reuters reported that an internal report by the Department of Homeland Security estimated that Trump's proposed border wall would cost $21.6 billion and take 3.5 years to build. This estimate is far higher than estimates by Trump during the campaign ($12 billion) and the $15-billion estimate from Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.[40]

In August 2017, the transcript of the January 2017 phone call between President Trump and Mexican President Enrique Pea Nieto was leaked; in the phone call, Trump conceded that he would fund the border wall, not by charging Mexico as he promised during the campaign, but through other ways.[41] But Trump implored the Mexican President to stop saying publicly that the Mexican Government would not pay for the border wall.[41]

Critics of Trump's plan question whether a wall would be effective at stopping unauthorized crossings, noting that walls are of limited use unless they are patrolled by agents and to intercept those climbing over or tunneling under the wall.[32] Experts also note that approximately half of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. did not surreptitiously enter, but rather "entered through official crossing points, either by overstaying visas, using fraudulent documents, or being smuggled past the border".[32]

On September 12, 2017, the United States Department of Homeland Security issued a notice that Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke would be waiving "certain laws, regulations and other legal requirements" to begin construction of the new wall near Calexico, California.[42] The waiver allows the Department of Homeland Security to bypass the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Migratory Bird Conservation Act, the Archaeological Resources Protection Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Noise Control Act, the Solid Waste Disposal Act, the Antiquities Act, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and the American Indian Religious Freedom Act.[43] The state of California, some environmental groups, and Rep. Ral M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) filed suit challenging the waivers granted to permit the building of a border wall.[44][45] On February 27, 2018, Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel ruled that under federal law the administration has the authority to waive multiple environmental laws and regulations in order to expedite the construction of border walls and other infrastructure, so that wall construction can proceed.[46]

In August 2015, during his campaign, Trump proposed the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants as part of his immigration policy.[47][48][49] During his first town hall campaign meeting in Derry, New Hampshire, Trump said that if he were to win the election, then on "[d]ay 1 of my presidency, they're getting out and getting out fast".[50]

Trump has proposed a "Deportation Force" to carry out this plan, modeled after the 1950s-era "Operation Wetback" program during the Eisenhower administration that ended following a congressional investigation.[48][49][51] Historian Mae Ngai of Columbia University, who has studied the program, has said that the military-style operation was both inhumane and ineffective.[49][51]

According to analysts, Trump's mass-deportation plan would encounter legal and logistical difficulties, since U.S. immigration courts already face large backlogs.[48] Such a program would also impose a fiscal cost; the fiscally conservative American Action Forum policy group estimates that deporting every undocumented immigrant would cause a slump of $381.5 billion to $623.2 billion in private sector output, amounting to roughly a loss of 2% of U.S. GDP.[52] Doug Holtz-Eakin, the group's president, has said that the mass deportation of 11 million people would "harm the economy in ways it would normally not be harmed".[48]

In June 2016, Trump stated on Twitter that "I have never liked the media term 'mass deportation'but we must enforce the laws of the land!"[53][54] Later in June, Trump stated that he would not characterize his immigration policies as including "mass deportations".[55] However, on August 31, 2016, contrary to earlier reports of a "softening" in his stance,[27][56][57] Trump laid out a 10-step plan reaffirming his hardline positions. He reiterated that "anyone who has entered the United States illegally is subject to deportation" with priority given to those who have committed significant crimes and those who have overstayed visas. He noted that all those seeking legalization would have to go home and re-enter the country legally.[35][58]

Trump frequently revised proposals to ban Muslim immigration to the United States in the course of his presidential campaign.[6] In late July 2016, NBC News characterized his position as: "Ban all Muslims, and maybe other people from countries with a history of terrorism, but just don't say 'Muslims'."[6] (Rudy Giuliani said on Fox News that Trump tasked him to craft a "Muslim ban" and asked Giuliani to form a committee to show him "the right way to do it legally".[59][60] The committee, which included former U.S. Attorney General and Chief Judge of the Southern District of New York Michael Mukasey, and Reps. Mike McCaul and Peter T. King, decided to drop the religious basis and instead focused on regions where Giuliani says that there is "substantial evidence that people are sending terrorists" to the United States.[60])

In December 2015, Trump proposed a temporary ban on foreign Muslims entering the United States (the U.S. admits approximately 100,000 Muslim immigrants each year)[61] "until we can figure out what's going on".[62][63][64][65] In response to the 2015 San Bernardino shooting, Trump released a statement on "Preventing Muslim Immigration" and called for "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on".[66] In a December 2015 interview, the host Willie Geist repeatedly questioned Trump if airline representatives, customs agents or border guards would ask a person's religion. Trump responded that they would and if the person said they were Muslim, they will be denied entry into the country.[67]

Trump cited President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's use during World War II of the Alien and Sedition Acts to issue presidential proclamations for rounding up, holding, and deporting German, Japanese, and Italian alien immigrants, and noted that Roosevelt was highly respected and had highways named after him.[68][69][70][71] Trump stated that he did not agree with Roosevelt's internment of Japanese Americans, and clarified that the proposal would not apply to Muslims who were U.S. citizens or to Muslims who were serving in the U.S. military.[72][73]

In May 2016, Trump retreated slightly from his call for a Muslim ban, calling it "merely an idea, not a proposal".[74] On June 13, 2016, he reformulated the ban so that it would be geographical, not religious, applying to "areas of the world where there is a proven history of terrorism against the United States, Europe or our allies".[74][75] Two hours later, he claimed that ban was only for nations "tied to Islamic terror".[74] In June 2016, he also stated that he would allow Muslims from allies like the United Kingdom to enter the United States.[74] In May 2016, Trump said "There will always be exceptions" to the ban, when asked how the ban would apply to London's newly elected mayor Sadiq Khan.[76] A spokesman for Sadiq Khan said in response that Trump's views were "ignorant, divisive and dangerous" and play into the hands of extremists.[77]

In June 2016, Trump expanded his proposed ban on Muslim immigration to the United States to cover immigration from areas with a history of terrorism.[78] Specifically, Trump stated, "When I am elected, I will suspend immigration from areas of the world when there is a proven history of terrorism against the United States, Europe, or our allies, until we understand how to end these threats."[78] According to lawyers and legal scholars cited in a New York Times report, the president has the power to carry out the plan but it would take an ambitious and likely time-consuming bureaucratic effort, and make sweeping use of executive authority.[79] Immigration analysts also noted that the implementation of Trump's plan could "prompt a wave of retaliation against American citizens traveling and living abroad".[79] In July 2016, Trump described his proposal as encompassing "any nation that has been compromised by terrorism".[80] Trump later referred to the reformulation as "extreme vetting".[81]

When asked in July 2016 about his proposal to restrict immigration from areas with high levels of terrorism, Trump insisted that it was not a "rollback" of his initial proposal to ban all Muslim immigrants.[82] He said, "In fact, you could say it's an expansion. I'm looking now at territory."[82] When asked if his new proposal meant that there would be greater checks on immigration from countries that have been compromised by terrorism, such as France, Germany and Spain, Trump answered, "It's their own fault, because they've allowed people over years to come into their territory."[83][84]

On August 15, 2016, Trump suggested that "extreme views" would be grounds to be thrown out of the U.S., saying he would deport Seddique Mateen, the father of Omar Mateen (the gunman in the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting), who has expressed support for the Taliban.[85][86][87] On 31 August, during a speech in Phoenix, Trump said he would form a commission to study which regions or countries he would suspend immigration from, noting that Syria and Libya would be high on that list.[88][89][90] Jeff Sessions an advisor to Trump's campaign on immigration at the time said the Trump campaigns plan was the best laid out law enforcement plan to fix this countrys immigration system thats been stated in this country maybe forever.[91] During confirmation-hearing testimony, he acknowledged supporting vetting based on areas where we have an unusually high risk of terrorists coming in; Sessions acknowledged the DOJ would need to evaluate such a plan if it were outside the Constitutional order.[92]

Trump has on several occasions expressed opposition to allowing Syrian refugees into the U.S.saying they could be the "ultimate Trojan horse"[93]and has proposed deporting back to Syria refugees settled in the U.S.[94][95] By September 2015, Trump had expressed support for taking in some Syrian refugees[94][96] and praised Germany's decision to take in Syrian refugees.[97]

On a number of occasions in 2015, Trump asserted that "If you're from Syria and you're a Christian, you cannot come into this country, and they're the ones that are being decimated. If you are Islamic ... it's hard to believe, you can come in so easily." PolitiFact rated Trump's claim as "false" and found it to be "wrong on its face", citing the fact that 3 percent of the refugees from Syria have been Christian (although they represent 10 percent of the Syrian population) and finding that the U.S. government is not discriminating against Christians as a matter of official policy.[98]

In a May 2016 interview with Bill O'Reilly, Trump stated "Look, we are at war with these people and they don't wear uniforms..... This is a war against people that are vicious, violent people, that we have no idea who they are, where they come from. We are allowing tens of thousands of them into our country now." Politifact ruled this statement "pants on fire", stating that the U.S. is on track to accept 100,000 refugees in 2017, but there is no evidence that tens of thousands of them are terrorists.[99]

Trump has proposed making it more difficult for asylum-seekers and refugees to enter the United States, and making the e-Verify system mandatory for employers.[26]

On January 27, 2017, Trump signed an executive order (Number 13769), titled "Protecting the Nation From Terrorist Attacks by Foreign Nationals", that suspended entry for citizens of seven countries for 90 days: Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, totaling more than 134 million people.[100] The order also stopped the admission of refugees of the Syrian Civil War indefinitely, and the entry of all refugees to the United States for 120 days.[101] Refugees who were on their way to the United States when the order was signed were stopped and detained at airports.[102]

Implicated by this order is 8 U.S.C. Sec. 1182 Whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate. 8 U.S. Code 1182 (Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952).

Critics argue that Congress later restricted this power in 1965, stating plainly that no person could be discriminated against in the issuance of an immigrant visa because of the persons race, sex, nationality, place of birth or place of residence. (8 U.S. Code 1152) The only exceptions are those provided for by Congress (such as the preference for Cuban asylum seekers).[103]

Many legal challenges to the order were brought immediately after its issuance: from January 28 to January 31, almost 50 cases were filed in federal courts.[104] Some courts, in turn, granted temporary relief, including a nationwide temporary restraining order (TRO) that barred the enforcement of major parts of the executive order.[105][106] The Trump administration is appealing the TRO.[106]

On March 6, 2017, Trump signed a revised executive order, that, among other differences with the original order, excluded Iraq, visa-holders, and permanent residents from the temporary suspension and did not differentiate Syrian refugees from refugees from other countries.[107]

On June 26, the Supreme Court partially permitted the executive order to come into effect and invalidated certain injunctions that were put on the order by two federal appeals courts earlier. Final oral hearings concerning the legality of the order will be held in October 2017 at the Supreme Court.[108]

In late October of 2017, Trump ended a ban on refugee admissions while adding new rules for "tougher vetting of applicants" and essentially halting entry of refugees from 11 high risk nations. This has led to a 40% drop in entrants.[109]

On January 25, 2017, Trump signed Executive Order 13768 which, among other things, significantly increased the number of immigrants considered a priority for deportation. Previously, under Obama, an immigrant ruled removable would only be considered a priority to actually be physically deported if they, in addition to being removable, were convicted of serious crimes such as felonies or multiple misdemeanors. Under the Trump administration, such an immigrant can be considered a priority to be removed even if convicted only of minor crimes, or even if merely accused of such criminal activity.[110] Guadalupe Garcia de Rayos, who came illegally to the United States when she was 14, may have become the first person deported under the terms of this order on February 9, 2017. Garcia de Rayos had previously been convicted of felony criminal impersonation related to her use of a falsified Social Security card to work at an Arizona water park. This conviction had not been considered serious enough, under Obama, to actually remove her from the country, although she was required to check in regularly with ICE officials, which she had done regularly since 2008. The first time she checked in with ICE officials after the new executive order took effect, however, led to her detention and physical removal from the country. Greg Stanton, the Mayor of Phoenix commented that "Rather than tracking down violent criminals and drug dealers, ICE is spending its energy deporting a woman with two American children who has lived here for more than two decades and poses a threat to nobody."[111] ICE officials said that her case went through multiple reviews in the immigration court system and that the "judges held she did not have a legal basis to remain in the US".[112]

The Washington Post reported on 10 February 2017 that federal agents had begun to conduct sweeping immigration enforcement raids in at least six states.[113]

Federal Reserve officials have warned that Trump's immigration restrictions will likely have an adverse impact on the economy. Immigration is a core component of economic growth, they have said.[114]

Ilya Somin, Professor of Law at George Mason University, argued that Trump's withholding of federal funding would be unconstitutional: "Trump and future presidents could use [the executive order] to seriously undermine constitutional federalism by forcing dissenting cities and states to obey presidential dictates, even without authorization from Congress. The circumvention of Congress makes the order a threat to separation of powers, as well."[115] On April 25, 2017, U.S. District Judge William Orrick issued a nationwide preliminary injunction halting the executive order.[116][117] Subsequently, Judge Orrick issued a nationwide permanent injunction on November 20, 2017, declaring that section 9(a) of Executive Order 13768 was "unconstitutional on its face"[118][119] and violates "the separation of powers doctrine and deprives [the plaintiffs] of their Tenth and Fifth Amendment rights."[120]

President Obama's "Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals" (DACA) Executive Order from 2012 enabled an estimated 800,000 young adults ("Dreamers") brought illegally into the U.S. as children to work legally without fear of deportation. President Trump announced in September 2017 that he was cancelling this Executive Order with effect from six months and he called for legislation to be enacted before the protection phased out in March 2018, stating I have a love for these people, and hopefully now Congress will be able to help them and do it properly. Trump's action was widely protested across the country. Business leaders argued it was unfair and could harm the economy.[121]

Original post:

Immigration policy of Donald Trump - Wikipedia

President Trump said Thursday that he did not forewarn the Russians and Syrians of an upcoming missile strike in his Wednesday tweet.

Never said when an attack on Syria would take place. Could be very soon or not so soon at all! In any event, the United States, under my Administration, has done a great job of ridding the region of ISIS. Where is our Thank you America? Mr. Trumptweeted.

On Wednesday, the president sent another tweet warning Russia that missiles will be coming earning him much criticism for tipping off the Russian-backed Assad regime.

After new reports of chemical weapons by Syrian President Bashar Assad, the U.S. and other world leaders are trying to decide what to do next about the situation in Syria. Last spring, Mr. Trump ordered missile strikes after photos of children killed or severely injured by gas agents surfaced.

The Assad regime and Russians both deny any use of chemical weapons.

The rest is here:

Donald Trump denies forewarning of missile strike in Syria ...

Washington: An interview of U.S. President Donald Trump by special counsel Robert Mueller was less likely after this week's FBI raids on Trump's personal lawyer, two people familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

Trump was infuriated by Federal Bureau of Investigation raids on Monday on the New York law office and home of Michael Cohen, which followed a referral by Mueller.

Further suggesting that tensions could blow over, a third source familiar with the matter said the relationship with Mueller remained strong and constructive and discussions were expected to recommence soon.

Russia has denied U.S. intelligence agencies' findings that it interfered in the 2016 campaign to try to tilt the vote in Trump's favour. Trump has denied any collusion and has repeatedly attacked Mueller's investigation as a politically motivated "witch hunt."

Trump's outburst after the FBI searches raised concerns among critics and lawmakers, including some in Trump's own Republican Party, that he might try to have Mueller removed.

The president denied a New York Times report on Tuesday that he had sought to fire Mueller in December. "If I wanted to fire Robert Mueller in December, as reported by the Failing New York Times, I would have fired him," he said on Twitter early on Thursday.

White House lawyers Ty Cobb and Donald McGahn have told Trump that firing Mueller would leave him vulnerable to charges of obstruction of justice, two officials told Reuters on Tuesday. They said Trump must have "good cause" to order the Justice Department official overseeing the Russia probe, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, to oust Mueller.

Advice from Former AideOne of the sources familiar with the matter and another person said on Thursday that Rosenstein is on shaky ground. The second person said the feeling among White House and Justice Department officials was that Rosenstein was abdicating authority and not putting constraints on the investigation.

Rosenstein was at the White House on Thursday discussing the status of congressional requests, another of the sources said.

Steve Bannon, a former senior adviser to Trump, has encouraged White House aides to advise Trump to fire Rosenstein, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing unidentified sources. It also said Bannon wanted the White House to stop cooperating with the Mueller investigation and fire Cobb.

Cobb, the lawyer in charge of the White House response to the Russia investigation, has stressed cooperation with Mueller. The White House has said it has turned over tens of thousands of pages of documents to the special counsel's team.

Trump said in one of his Twitter messages on Thursday that he had full confidence in Cobb.

A bipartisan group of senators put forward legislation on Wednesday to protect Mueller and his investigation, which the Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to consider next week.

If passed, the legislation would allow the special counsel to be fired only for good cause by a senior Justice Department official, with a reason given in writing; provide recourse if the special counsel was fired without good cause; and preserve the staffing and materials of a pending investigation.

"Anyone advising the President - in public or over the airwaves - to fire Bob Mueller does not have the President or the nations best interest at heart. Full stop," Republican Senator Orrin Hatch wrote on Twitter on Thursday.

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Donald Trump Now Less Likely to Sit for Robert Mueller ...

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

In his blockbuster 2016 campaign for president, Donald Trump made a lot of big proposals to fix our countrys problems that he said could be accomplished relatively quickly.

His biggest proposal was to build a big, beautiful wall along our 2,000-mile border with Mexico. But one year and three months into his presidency that wall is still a figment of his imagination, and most likely will never be built.

But thats just one half of his proposal. To build a wall of that size and length would cost about $80 billion and very probably a great deal more. The other half of his pledge to voters was that Mexico would pay for it. And millions of his supporters believed him.

Throughout his whirlwind campaign, Mr. Trump would ask the legions of voters who packed his rallies, Who is going to pay for the wall? And his supporters would roar back, Mexico!

Yet, from the very beginning, the president of Mexico repeatedly said his country would never pay for the wall, and told Mr. Trump that at a meeting late in the campaign. (More on that in a minute.)

But Mr. Trump continued to insist he would make Mexico cough up the money, though never detailed how he would do that.

Throughout the campaign he described a wall that would be made of thick precast concrete slabs and soar 35 to 40 feet into the air.

Its going to be a high wall; its going to be beautiful, he said, adding that it was going to be so easy to make Mexico to pay for it.

But it wasnt long before cracks began to appear in his vision of a wall along a border that in many places, experts said, it could not be constructed because of its impassable terrain. At best, the wall would be about 1,000 miles long.

Then, when the time came to pass this years deficit-filled, $1.3 trillion budget, Congress began to have second thoughts about President Trumps wall, which many considered to be a huge boondoggle. And, by this time, the administration had reduced its request to $25 billion.

But Congress balked on giving the president even that much money, eventually offering him a measly $1.3 billion that was to be used only for primary pedestrian fencing and secondary fencing to back up existing fencing.

Before the budget bill arrived at the White House for his signature, it was unclear Mr. Trump would sign it. Yet sign it he did, arguing that if he vetoed the bill, it would jeopardize the huge increase in new defense spending.

Yet, soon after he signed the bill, Mr. Trump told a group of Baltic leaders at a White House meeting last week (April 3) that Weve started building the wall.

Incredibly, despite budget language prohibiting the wall, Mr. Trump began telling others that the wall was being built anyway, The Washington Posts fact checker, Glenn Kessler, reported this week.

On March 28, he even tweeted photographs and declared: Great briefing this afternoon on the start of our Southern Border WALL! Mr. Kessler writes.

On March 30, he told a rally in Ohio that you saw those beautiful pictures We started building our wall. Im so proud of it. We started. We started. We have $1.6 billion, and weve already started.

In fact, what Mr. Trump had seen during a tour in California in March were mere prototypes of a concrete wall, not an actual wall along the border.

Indeed, the language in the appropriations bill he signed into law specifically makes clear that None of the $1.57 billion appropriated for border protection may be used for those prototypes, Mr. Kessler reported.

Is this a case of Mr. Trump inventing his own reality, or a failure on the part of his senior advisers to thoroughly brief him on the budget bills contents?

When Mr. Trump met with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in 2016 during a campaign trip to Mexico City to discuss the wall, Mr. Trump told reporters their discussion was substantive, direct and constructive.

We discussed the wall, he said after meeting privately with Mr. Pena Nieto. We didnt discuss payment of the wall.

But in a tweet following the event, Mr. Pena Nieto said that he made it clear to Mr. Trump that Mexico will not pay for the wall and that the two went on to other topics afterward, according to a report filed by CBS News.

In a famous remark about political chicanery, Abraham Lincoln once said you can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people some of the time, but you cant fool all the people all the time.

Donald Lambro is a syndicated columnist and contributor to The Washington Times.

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Donald Trump's wall is getting push-back from Congress ...

A former Trump building doorman confirmed Thursday that he told the National Enquirer the real estate baron turned President sired a love child with his housekeeper.

Dino Sajudin's stunning admission came hours after it was reported that the supermarket tabloid's publisher paid $30,000 to silence him.

Today I awoke to learn that a confidential agreement that I had with (National Enquirer publisher American Media Inc.) with regard to a story about President Trump was leaked to the press, Dino Sajudin said.

I can confirm that while working at Trump World Tower I was instructed not to criticize President Trump's former housekeeper due to a prior relationship she had with President Trump which produced a child.

National Inquirer publisher probed for helping Trump campaign

Sajudin told an Enquirer reporter that he heard two Trump employees including longtime security chief Matt Calamari say the real estate baron sired a daughter with an ex-staffer in the 1980s, according to reports in the Associated Press and the New Yorker

Sajudin even passed a lie detector test.

But the magazine deep-sixed the story as part of its catch-and-kill strategy, paying for and then burying stories about Trump and other friends of magazine owner David Pecker, the reports say.

Neither the AP nor the New Yorker confirmed Sajudin's claims and the Trump organization sharply denied them Thursday.

FBI raided Michael Cohen's place for docs on two Trump affairs

Mr. Sajudins claims are completely false, the Trump Organization said in a statement.

A spokesman added that Calamari never uttered such a statement and accused Sajudin of having a history of peddling bogus stories.

The alleged love child declined comment. But the former housekeeper also sharply denied the tawdry tale.

This is all fake, she told the AP. I think they lost their money.

Sajudins ex-wife told the Daily News she didnt buy the story either. Nikki Benfatto described her former husband as a pathological liar.

Hes infamous for making up stories, Nikki Benfatto said of her husband of 14 years.

Hes seen the chupacabra. Hes seen bigfoot. One of our friends who passed away, he saw him too, walking down the street.

Benfatto said she stopped communicating with her ex in 2014 after he threatened her and spread false rumors about her online. A source close to Sajudin claimed that his former wife is bitter because she lost custody of their two children.

After the polygraph results came in, one AMI source told the New Yorker, the decision was made at a high level to pay this source those funds and to put this thing to rest without an investigation taking place.

But a reporter on the story recalled there was a great deal of doubt over Sajudins accusations.

I believed from the beginning it was not true, Sharon Churcher told the New Yorker.

Sajudin told both the AP and New Yorker hed only speak for money, and a website accuses him of being a scam artist.

The shaken ex-doorman declined to go into detail Thursday from behind the door of his Poconos home.

Donald Trump in the White House

Its a bit much, you know? It wasnt supposed to be out there anyway though, he told the Daily News. Its bit much. Its a little stressful on the kids.

When asked if he got the $30,000 payout from AMI, Sajudin replied: You saw the article, so what it says there.

Employees at the company were more concerned with a cover-up than an actual love child.

The revelation comes days after FBI agents raided longtime Trump fixer Michael Cohens office and residence, reportedly looking for a slew of files tied to AMI.

Among the records sought were documents about Karen McDougal, the ex-Playboy model who sued AMI for silencing her with a $150,000 payment for a story on her claimed affair with Trump in 2006.

Cohen has also admitted to paying adult entertainment star Stormy Daniels $130,000 weeks before the election to keep quiet about her claimed tryst with Trump.

AMI employees speculated to the New Yorker that company executives had him the loop about Sajudins story.

Cohen was kept up to date on a regular basis, one unnamed source told the magazine.

AMI emphatically denied Trump or Cohen had anything to do with its decision not to pursue a story about a love child that it determined was not credible. The suggestion that David Pecker has ever used company funds to shut down this or any investigation is not true.

Radar Online, a sister publication to the Enquirer, published a story Wednesday saying that editors at the Enquirer believe Sajudins tale was not true.

When we realized we would be unable to publish, and other media outlets approached the source about his tale, we released Sajudin from the exclusivity clause that had accompanies his $30,000 payment, freeing him to tell his story to whomever he wanted, AMI Chief Content Officer Dylan Howard told Radar.

Unnamed staffers at the Enquirer said that the magazine didnt show its usual aggressiveness in confirming the story.

We didnt pay thousands of dollars for non-stories, let alone tens of thousands, an AMI employee told the New Yorker. It was a highly curious and questionable situation.

Sajudin was reportedly subject to a $1 million penalty if he broke his agreement, which a source told the AP was larger than any other amount hed seen.

With Edgar Sandoval

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Trump doorman says National Enquirer paid for 'love child ...

President Trump signed three presidential directives, including withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a 13-nation trade deal signed by the Obama administration. USA TODAY

President Trump(Photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais, AP)

WASHINGTON President Trump told aides to look again at re-entering negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership a massive Asia-heavy trade deal that Trump repeatedly denounced on the 2016 campaign trail and had killed just last year, Republican lawmakers said Thursday.

GOP senators and governors from the Midwest, who met with Trump to argue that a looming trade war with China would hurt U.S. agriculture,said they told the president that partnering with other Asian countries would put pressure on the Chinese to end unfair trade practices.

Lawmakers did not know how seriously Trump was about seeking to rejoin the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP),a proposal he attacked as the kind of trade deal that helped ship jobs overseas.

Trump withdrew the U.S. from the TPP negotiations shortly after taking office in early 2017, and has bragged during political rallies about killing the deal.

"Clearly, it's a deliberative process," said Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., one of the Republicans who met with Trump.

The White House, meanwhile, said Trump has not changed his position on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and there would have to be significant changes to the trade deal as proposed.

"Last year, the president kept his promise to end the TPP deal negotiated by the Obama Administration because it was unfair to American workers and farmers," said White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters. "The president has consistently said he would be open to a substantially better deal, including in his speech in Davos earlier this year."

She said U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Larry Kudlow, the new director of the National Economic Council, have been assigned "to take another look at whether or not a better deal could be negotiated.

Thursday night, Trump said in a tweet he wouldjoin TPP only if the deal were substantially better than the one developed by President Barack Obamas administration. He particularly called out Japan, "who has hit us hard on trade for years!"

Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are set to meet next week at Mar-a-Lago.

Delegations from Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, Montana, Kansasand South Dakota visited Trump at the White House Thursday to express concern about trade conflict with China.

The Trump administration's threats to put tariffs onChinese goods has led to counterthreats by China on U.S. goods moves that agriculture leaders say will lead to higher prices for everybody.

Trump is also threatening to withdraw from another major trade deal, the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico. The president told reporters at the lawmakers' meeting that the sides are still negotiating a better NAFTA agreement, and there is "no timeline" for final decisions.

Trump told his guest hewould take steps to help farmers, including new ethanol support.

Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said the group told Trump they would "prefer trade as opposed to aid," and urged him to take another look at the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Roberts and other attendees said Trump asked Kudlow and Lighthizer to take another look at TPP.

He looked Larry Kudlow right in the eye and said, Go get it done,'" Sasse said.

Delegation members said they shared concerns about Chinese trade practices "China cheats in lots and lots of ways," Sasse saidbut a tariff war might not be the best way to get them to change.

The other TPP members Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam are negotiating their own trade agreement, without the United States.

Joining that group would expand U.S. markets, and "that puts pressure on China," said Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., who also met with Trump.

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Trump ordered staff to revisit the Trans-Pacific Partnership

4/12/2018 4:26 PM PDT

Breaking News

When it rains it pours ... Donald Trumpworried there was a small chance his wife,Melania, might believe Russian hookers peed on a hotel bed where Trump was staying ... this according to former FBI director James Comey.

The hook to Comey's new book -- "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership" -- is that Trump was extremely upset over the so called Christopher Steele dossier, in which he claimed Trump watched prostitutes urinate on a hotel mattress "as a way of soiling the bed."

Trump called BS on the dossier, but privately met with Comey during a dinner a week after he was sworn in as President, and started ranting it was untrue. In the book, Comey says Trump wanted him to shoot down the story, because it was bothering him that there was "even a one percent chance ... Melania thought it was true."

Comey muses in the book why Melania might ever entertain the idea her husband was into golden showers. The former FBI chief added there was "zero chance" his own wife would believe such a claim.

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James Comey Trump Came to Me To Talk Golden Showers - tmz.com

In late 2015, Dino Sajudin, a former doorman at Trump Tower, told a reporter for American Media Inc. (or AMI for short, which publishes the National Enquirer among other gossip outlets) that Donald Trump had possibly fathered a child out of wedlock with an ex-employee in the late 1980s. He passed a lie detector test, AMI paid him $30,000 for the exclusive rights to his account, and then the company, whose president is good friends with President Trump, buried it.

Sajudins allegation of a $30,000 payoff to kill the story, reported first by the New Yorkers Ronan Farrow on Thursday, April 12, has since been corroborated in whole or in part by the Associated Press and the Washington Post. The Posts Carol Leonnig spoke to Sajudin, who stood by his story and told her it had to come out.

In a statement, he elaborated, I was instructed not to criticize President Trumps former housekeeper due to a prior relationship she had with President Trump which produced a child.

No outlet has confirmed that the underlying story here that Trump had an affair with a housekeeper, and that this affair produced a child is true. The woman in question emphatically denied the affair to the AP, telling them, This is all fake. I think [AMI] lost their money. Sajudins ex-wife called his credibility into question as well, telling the New York Daily News, Hes infamous for making up stories. Hes seen the chupacabra. Hes seen bigfoot. One of our friends who passed away, he saw him too, walking down the street.

Still, the story matters because it fits into a broader pattern of payoffs, including from AMI, being used to cover up stories about Trump sex scandals. Trumps personal attorney Michael Cohen says he paid porn actress Stormy Daniels $130,000 to not tell the story of a tryst she says she had with Trump back in 2006; Trump denies knowledge of the payment, but the question of whose money was used remains open and now potentially under federal investigation.

AMI also, in August 2016, paid $150,000 to Karen McDougal, who also says she had an affair with Trump, in exchange for her story, which it also buried. AMI itself appears to have made that payment, but when the FBI raided Cohens law offices, reports emerged suggesting that agents were specifically looking for records on the Daniels and McDougal payoffs. That raises obvious questions about who actually funded those payments.

Dino Sajudins story of an out-of-wedlock Trump child raises even more of those questions, as well as the question of just how many payoff deals Trump or allied institutions like AMI have made. In Michael Wolffs explosive book on the Trump White House, Fire and Fury, former campaign chair turned White House chief strategist Steve Bannon is quoted as saying of Trumps personal lawyer Marc Kasowitz, Kasowitz on the campaign what did we have, a hundred women? Kasowitz took care of all of them.

We dont have 100 names of women Trump allegedly paid off, and Bannon has been known to speak hyperbolically. But we do have the names of McDougal and Daniels, and, with Sajudins story, the possibility of a third woman.

American Media Inc.s disinclination to pursue these Trump stories is, at first glance, puzzling. This is a company that, on Thursday, April 12, was running pieces speculating that Michael Jackson might still be alive. Yet its also a publication that has broken important and accurate stories of affairs in the past, most notably the story of John Edwardss affair and child with Rielle Hunter. (AMIs willingness to pay sources is one reason it can sometimes break stories that more traditional media outlets cant.)

Yet the New Yorkers Ronan Farrow has reported that the company was known to sometimes use a tabloid industry practice called catch and kill on major celebrity scandal stories. That is: It would pay for exclusive rights to a sources story about a scandal, and deliberately never publish it. Farrow writes that, per one company sources, AMIs CEO and chair David Pecker used the unpublished stories as leverage over some celebrities in order to pressure them to pose for his magazines or feed him stories.

With Trump, there was an added personal element. Pecker told the New Yorkers Jeffrey Toobin last year that Trump is a personal friend of mine they met in the 1990s, he joined Mar-a-Lago in 2003, and he attended Trumps wedding to Melania. Trump would frequently be a source for Enquirer stories, and in return, the magazine would avoid covering him negatively. (Pecker claims that the National Enquirers readers are white working people who support Trump.)

This came in handy for Trump during the presidential campaign. Since the early stages of his campaign in 2015, the New York Timess Jim Rutenberg, Emily Steel, and Mike McIntire report, Mr. Trump, his lawyer Michael D. Cohen and Mr. Pecker have strategized about protecting him and lashing out at his political enemies.

In one early interaction, the Times report continues, Mr. Cohen helped arrange an ultimately abandoned attempt to buy and bury a potentially damaging photograph of Mr. Trump at an event with a topless woman what is known in the tabloid world as a catch and kill operation. In February 2015, the Times reports, Pecker and Trump met to strategize about how to release damaging information about the Clintons in a then-hypothetical general election between Hillary Clinton and Trump.

Then there was the $30,000 payment to Sajudin so he wouldnt come forward with the love child story, in November 2015.

But the Enquirer also stepped in a few months later, as the primary contest between Trump and Ted Cruz got increasingly nasty. First, in early March 2016, the magazine officially endorsed Trump. Weeks later, they ran a story headlined A hooker, A teacher, & coworkers: 5 romps that will destroy Ted Cruz! In it, the Enquirer made vague claims about supposed Cruz affairs with several vaguely described women (none of whom were named) and quoted longtime Trump associate Roger Stone saying, These stories have been swirling around Cruz for some time. I believe where there is smoke there is fire.

Cruz responded with fury, calling the story garbage and utter lies spread by Donald Trump and his henchmen. Trump, meanwhile, released a statement saying he had nothing to do with the National Enquirer that also stressed that they were right about O.J. Simpson, John Edwards, and many others.

In April, the Enquirer published a photo it claimed showed Cruzs father with Lee Harvey Oswald, the man who killed John F. Kennedy, a story that Trump seized on and used to attack Cruz, insinuating that Cruzs father might have had something to do with the assassination as well. The Enquirer took a number of smaller shots at Cruz as the primary wrapped up, including describing Carly Fiorina as a homewrecker after Cruz announced she would be his pick for vice president if he were nominated.

The Enquirer also brought toxically negative and largely fictional coverage of Hillary Clinton to checkout lines around the country. The magazine routinely depicted Clinton as crazed, diseased, near death, an ISIS-supporting traitor, a liar, a blackmailer, corrupt and a member of a crime family, Jack Shafer wrote for Politico Magazine.

And then in August 2016, AMI did an even more expensive favor for Trump behind the scenes, when it paid $150,000 for exclusive rights to Karen McDougals story of her affair with Trump and didnt run it. McDougal claims that Cohen, the Trump lawyer, was involved in her talks with the company about the hush money. AMI told the New York Times that it did, indeed, discuss McDougals story with Cohen during the summer of 2016, though it claimed it only did so as part of the reporting process. McDougals lawyer, Keith Davidson, who would go on to represent Stormy Daniels when she made her own hush money deal with Cohen, got in touch via email and phone with Cohen to tell him the deal had been completed.

The Enquirers extremely close relationship with Trump and his team reportedly continued after he entered the White House. The New York Times reported that in July of last year, Pecker visited Trump at the White House and brought along French businessman Kacy Grine, who sometimes acts as an intermediary between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Western businesses. Pecker pursued business with the Saudis soon afterward, and AMI published a special propaganda magazine promoting the crown prince.

There were also some suggestions that AMI was continuing to target Trumps enemies. MSNBC hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough wrote last June, This year, top White House staff members warned that the National Enquirer was planning to publish a negative article about us unless we begged the president to have the story spiked. We ignored their desperate pleas. (The article eventually revealed the widely rumored fact that they had had an affair and left their spouses for each other.)

Gabe Sherman provided more details in a New York magazine piece. The background, as he tells it, was that Brzezinski and Scarborough had been harshly critical of Trumps new administration. Then in April, Sherman writes, Scarborough texted with Jared Kushner about the forthcoming story, and Kushner told Scarborough that he would need to personally apologize to Trump in exchange for getting Enquirer owner David Pecker to stop the story. (He did not do so, and the Enquirer published the story in June.)

On Monday, April 9, the FBI raided Cohens office and a hotel room where he had been staying. Per later reports describing their warrant, agents were looking for information on Cohens $130,000 payment to Daniels shortly before Election Day 2016.

But thats not all they wanted the New York Times reports that they also wanted all communications Cohen had had with AMIs David Pecker, as well as National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard (whos embroiled in his own sexual harassment scandal). Agents were also looking for any information Cohen might have on AMIs $150,000 payment to Karen McDougal. And they sought Cohens communications with Trump himself, and other Trump associates, about potential sources of negative publicity before the election. (However, theres no evidence that they specifically named the payment to Sajudin.)

The idea that a tabloid magazine editor might slant his coverage to help a friend may not sound so outrageous. But the fact that such large sums of money were involved seems to have caught investigators interest. Was this a major, off-the-books spending operation aimed at making problems for Trumps presidential campaign go away? And since weve just learned of a new AMI Trump hush money payment this week, how many other payments dont we know about?

Finally, theres the question of whether this money truly did come from American Media Inc., as claimed or whether it traces back to Trump himself, companies controlled by him, or some other wealthy figure. If the money didnt come from Trump, what did the generous spender want in return for it? And even if it did turn out to be Trumps funds in the end, this would still give Pecker and AMI massive leverage over him theyd know all about his sex scandal hush money, so hed be very motivated to keep them happy.

Regardless of where the money ultimately came from, if AMI was making payments with a goal of helping the Trump campaign, it could have run afoul of campaign finance law. Under federal law, individuals can donate a maximum of $5,400 to a presidential campaign, and corporations are barred from making direct donations. Payments of $30,000 and $150,000 from AMI, to Sajudin and McDougal respectively, are clearly above the individual limit, and since they came from a company, they could run afoul of the corporate direct donation ban as well.

As UC Irvine law professor Rick Hasen told the New Yorkers Farrow, press organizations are often subject to lower levels of scrutiny in these kinds of cases. The First Amendments guarantee of freedom of the press gives press outlets latitude to endorse or condemn candidates without being prosecuted. But, he told Farrow, If a corporation that has a press function is being used for non-press purposes to help a candidate win an election, then the press exemption would not apply to that activity.

Common Cause, the left-leaning watchdog group, strongly believes that the McDougal payment was not a legitimate press function, and has filed a Federal Election Commission complaint against both Trump and American Media Inc. over the payment, calling it an illegal corporate in-kind contribution to the 2016 Trump campaign.

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Trumps National Enquirer love child payoff scandal: the ...

NEW YORK -- Eight months before the company that owns the National Enquirer paid $150,000 to Karen McDougal, a former Playboy Playmate who claimed she'd had an affair with Donald Trump, the tabloid's parent made a $30,000 payment to a less famous individual: Dino Sajudin,a former doorman at one of the real estate mogul's New York City buildings. As it did with the ex-Playmate, the Enquirer signed the ex-doorman to a contract that effectively prevented him from going public with a juicy tale that might hurt Trump's campaign for president.

The payout to the former Playmate, Karen McDougal, stayed a secret until the Wall Street Journal published a story about it days before Election Day. Since then curiosity about that deal has spawned intense media coverage and, this week, helped prompt the FBI to raid the hotel room and offices of Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen.

The story of ex-doorman Dino Sajudin, hasn't been told until now.

The Associated Press confirmed the details of the Enquirer's payment through a review of a confidential contract and interviews with dozens of current and former employees of the Enquirer and its parent company, American Media Inc. Sajudin got $30,000 in exchange for signing over the rights, "in perpetuity," to a rumor he'd heard about Trump's sex life -- that the president had fathered an illegitimate child with an employee at Trump World Tower, a skyscraper he owns near the United Nations. The contract subjected Sajudin to a $1 million penalty if he disclosed either the rumor or the terms of the deal to anyone.

Cohen, the longtime Trump attorney, acknowledged to the AP that he had discussed Sajudin's story with the magazine when the tabloid was working on it. He said he was acting as a Trump spokesman when he did so and denied knowing anything beforehand about the Enquirer payment to the ex-doorman.

Sajudin's attorney spokesperson issued the following statement to CBS News:

"Today I awoke to learn that a confidential agreement that I had with AMI (The National Enquirer) with regard to a story about President Trump was leaked to the press. I can confirm that while working at Trump World Tower I was instructed not to criticize President Trump's former housekeeper due to a prior relationship she had with President Trump which produced a child."

The parallel between the ex-Playmate's and the ex-doorman's dealings with the Enquirer raises new questions about the roles that the Enquirer and Cohen may have played in protecting Trump's image during a hard-fought presidential election. Prosecutors are probing whether Cohen broke banking or campaign laws in connection with AMI's payment to McDougal and a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels that Cohen said he paid out of his own pocket.

Federal investigators have sought communications between Cohen, American Media's chief executive and the Enquirer's top editor, the New York Times reported.

Cohen's lawyer has called the raids "inappropriate and unnecessary." American Media hasn't said whether federal authorities have sought information from it, but said this week that it would "comply with any and all requests that do not jeopardize or violate its protected sources or materials pursuant to our First Amendment rights." The White House didn't respond to questions seeking comment.

On Wednesday, an Enquirer sister publication, RadarOnline, published details of the payment and the rumor that Sajudin was peddling. The website wrote that the Enquirer spent four weeks reporting the story but ultimately decided it wasn't true. The company only released Sajudin from his contract after the 2016 election amid inquiries from the Journal about the payment. The site noted that the AP was among a group of publications that had been investigating the ex-doorman's tip.

During AP's reporting, AMI threatened legal action over reporters' efforts to interview current and former employees and hired the New York law firm Boies Schiller Flexner, which challenged the accuracy of the AP's reporting.

Asked about the payment last summer, Dylan Howard, the Enquirer's top editor and an AMI executive, said he made the payment to secure the former Trump doorman's exclusive cooperation because the tip, if true, would have sold "hundreds of thousands" of magazines. Ultimately, he said the information "lacked any credibility," so he spiked the story on those merits.

"Unfortunately...Dino Sajudin is one fish that swam away," Howard told RadarOnline on Wednesday.

But four longtime Enquirer staffers directly familiar with the episode challenged Howard's version of events. They said they were ordered by top editors to stop pursuing the story before completing potentially promising reporting threads.

They said the publication didn't pursue standard Enquirer reporting practices, such as exhaustive stake-outs or tabloid tactics designed to prove paternity. In 2008, the Enquirer helped bring down presidential hopeful John Edwards in part by digging through a dumpster and retrieving material to do a DNA test that indicated he had fathered a child with a mistress, according to a former staffer.

The woman at the center of the rumor about Trump denied emphatically to the AP last August that she'd ever had an affair with Trump, saying she had no idea the Enquirer had paid Sajudin and pursued his tip.

The AP has not been able to determine if the rumor is true and is not naming the woman.

"This is all fake," she said. "I think they lost their money."

The Enquirer staffers, all with years of experience negotiating source contracts, said the abrupt end to reporting combined with a binding, seven-figure penalty to stop the tipster from talking to anyone led them to conclude that this was a so-called "catch and kill" - a tabloid practice in which a publication pays for a story to never run, either as a favor to the celebrity subject of the tip or as leverage over that person.

One former Enquirer reporter, who was not involved in the Sajudin reporting effort, expressed skepticism that the company would pay for the tip and not publish.

"AMI doesn't go around cutting checks for $30,000 and then not using the information," said Jerry George, a reporter and senior editor for nearly three decades at AMI before his layoff in 2013.

The company said that AMI's publisher, David Pecker, an unabashed Trump supporter, had not coordinated its coverage with Trump associates or taken direction from Trump. It acknowledged discussing the former doorman's tip with Trump's representatives, which it described as "standard operating procedure in stories of this nature."

The Enquirer staffers, like many of the dozens of other current and former AMI employees interviewed by the AP in the past year, spoke on condition of anonymity. All said AMI required them to sign nondisclosure agreements barring them from discussing internal editorial policy and decision-making.

Though sometimes dismissed by mainstream publications, the Enquirer's history of breaking legitimate scoops about politicians' personal lives - including its months-long Pulitzer Prize-contending coverage of presidential candidate Edwards' affair - is a point of pride in its newsroom.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, the Enquirer published a string of allegations against Trump's rivals, such as stories claiming Democratic rival Hillary Clinton was a bisexual "secret sex freak" and was kept alive only by a "narcotics cocktail."

Stories attacking Trump rivals or promoting Trump's campaign often bypassed the paper's normal fact-checking process, according to two people familiar with campaign-era copy.

The tabloid made its first-ever endorsement by officially backing Trump for the White House. With just over a week before Election Day, Howard, the top editor, appeared on Alex Jones' InfoWars program by phone, telling listeners that the choice at the ballot box was between "the Clinton crime family" or someone who will "break down the borders of the establishment." Howard said the paper's coverage was bipartisan, citing negative stories it published about Ben Carson during the Republican presidential primaries.

In a statement last summer, Howard said the company doesn't take editorial direction "from anyone outside AMI," and said Trump has never been an Enquirer source. The company has said reader surveys dictate its coverage and that many of its customers are Trump supporters.

The company has said it paid McDougal, the former Playboy Playmate, to be a columnist for an AMI-published fitness magazine, not to stay silent. McDougal has since said that she regrets signing the non-disclosure agreement and is currently suing to get out of it.

Pecker has denied burying negative stories about Trump, but acknowledged to the New Yorker last summer that McDougal's contract had effectively silenced her.

"Once she's part of the company, then on the outside she can't be bashing Trump and American Media," Pecker said.

In the tabloid world purchasing information is not uncommon, and the Enquirer routinely pays sources. As a general practice, however, sources agree to be paid for their tips only upon publication.

George, the longtime former reporter and editor, said the $1 million penalty in Sajudin's agreement was larger than anything he had seen in his Enquirer career.

"If your intent is to get a story from the source, there's no upside to paying upfront," said George, who sometimes handled catch-and-kill contracts related to other celebrities. Paying upfront was not the Enquirer's usual practice because it would have been costly and endangered the source's incentive to cooperate, he said.

After initially calling the Enquirer's tip line, Sajudin signed a boilerplate contract with the Enquirer, agreeing to be an anonymous source and be paid upon publication. The Enquirer dispatched reporters to pursue the story both in New York and in California. The tabloid also sent a polygraph expert to administer a lie detection test to Sajudin in a hotel near his Pennsylvania home.

Sajudin passed the polygraph, which tested how he learned of the rumor. One week later, Sajudin signed an amended agreement, this one paying him $30,000 immediately and subjecting him to the $1 million penalty if he shopped around his information.

The Enquirer immediately then stopped reporting, said the former staffers.

Cohen, last year, characterized the Enquirer's payment to Sajudin as wasted money for a baseless story.

For his part, Sajudin confirmed he'd been paid to be the tabloid's anonymous source but insisted he would sue the Enquirer if his name appeared in print. Pressed for more details about his tip and experience with the paper, Sajudin said he would talk only for in exchange for payment.

"If there's no money involved with it," he said, "I'm not getting involved."

See the original post:

Trump tower doorman Dino Sajudin paid by National Enquirer ...

Instead, when Trump won, Ryan folded the speech back into his jacket pocketwhere it has receded deeper ever since . . .

But after Trump took office, Ryan blinked at confronting the presidents appeals to white racial resentments. Pressed for reaction to comments like Trumps reported description of African nations as shithole countries, Ryanmanaged to mumblethe bare minimum of plausible criticism: The first thing that came to my mind was very unfortunate, unhelpful. For most people genuinely distressed by Trumps remarks, unfortunate and unhelpful were probably not the first words that came to mind; racist and xenophobic were.

Even more consequential was Ryans refusal to challenge Trump on behalf of the young undocumented immigrants included in former President Barack Obamas Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Though the speaker repeatedly promised the Dreamers that Congress would protect them, he has allowed the legislation that would have preserved their legal status to wither, after Trump and House Republican hardliners insisted on linking it to poison-pill provisions that would slash legal immigration.

See the original post here:

Pundits agree: Paul Ryan is retiring because he sold his soul ...

Image: mashable composite: time

A storm's a brewin' in the White House, and Time Magazine has found a way to perfectly illustrate the chaos on its latest cover.

In a rare callback cover, Time asked longtime collaborator Tim OBrien to depict the absolute chaos that is Donald Trump as president of the United States.

The "Stormy" cover for the April 23 issue reimagines OBrien's "Nothing to See Here" cover from Feb. 27, 2017. This time Trump's being heavily rained on and he's nearly drowning in a rising tide.

Time tweeted an animation of the cover, along with the words, "Donald Trump relied on Michael Cohen to weather the storm. Now the president is on his own."

Cohen, who served as Trump's personal attorney, recently had his office raided by the FBI in search of evidence that he paid two women who claim they had affairs with Trump to keep quiet. One of the women is porn star Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, which makes the "Stormy" caption on the cover even more pointed.

In an article detailing how the cover came about, OBrien explained, When I painted the Nothing to See Here cover art, like many, I assumed the level of chaos could not last, that patriots on both sides of the aisle would step forward to control much of what transpired in the past year."

As the never-ending flood of breaking news washed over the White House, and the firings, the scandals and the general mayhem filled each news cycle, I felt the storm metaphor was as relevant as ever," OBrien went on to say. "I mostly thought about how water would fill the space, how it would be transparent in some areas and reflective in others."

According to Time, O'Brien's Trump cover is one of less than ten times in the magazine's 95-year history when covers were re-designed and re-published.

Congrats, Trump, on another Time cover to display on your wall. One can only imagine what this visual chaos will look like in another year.

Read more here:

'Time' allows rare cover redesign to illustrate the chaos ...

3/15/2018 2:21 PM PDT

Exclusive Details

Donald Trump Jr.'s wife is filing to divorce him after nearly 13 years of marriage.

Vanessa Trump filed docs Thursday in the Manhattan courts, and she's seeking an uncontested proceeding. That's a strong sign the couple has already hammered out details of their split, such as child custody and property.

Sources connected to the family tell TMZ the divorce has been a long time coming, and the relationship has been "bad for a while." Among the issues, Vanessa "hates politics and Don Jr. is gone all the time."

One source says contrary to being upset, Don Jr. is "relieved."

They have 5 children together -- between the ages of 3 and 10, and got married in 2005.

According to the NY Post, which first reported the split, Vanessa's been upset about some of his controversial tweets ... most of which defendPresident Trump and his policies.

Vanessa got a major scare just last month, when she received an envelope with white powder, and a hate letter for Don Jr. that read, in part, "You the family idiot. This is the reason why people hate you. You are getting what you deserve." The powder turned out to be corn starch, and the sender was eventually arrested.

Our sources say that incident absolutely "freaked her out."

Original post:

Donald Trump Jr.'s Wife Vanessa Files for Divorce ... - tmz.com

3/15/2018 2:21 PM PDT

Exclusive Details

Donald Trump Jr.'s wife is filing to divorce him after nearly 13 years of marriage.

Vanessa Trump filed docs Thursday in the Manhattan courts, and she's seeking an uncontested proceeding. That's a strong sign the couple has already hammered out details of their split, such as child custody and property.

Sources connected to the family tell TMZ the divorce has been a long time coming, and the relationship has been "bad for a while." Among the issues, Vanessa "hates politics and Don Jr. is gone all the time."

One source says contrary to being upset, Don Jr. is "relieved."

They have 5 children together -- between the ages of 3 and 10, and got married in 2005.

According to the NY Post, which first reported the split, Vanessa's been upset about some of his controversial tweets ... most of which defendPresident Trump and his policies.

Vanessa got a major scare just last month, when she received an envelope with white powder, and a hate letter for Don Jr. that read, in part, "You the family idiot. This is the reason why people hate you. You are getting what you deserve." The powder turned out to be corn starch, and the sender was eventually arrested.

Our sources say that incident absolutely "freaked her out."

Continue reading here:

Donald Trump Jr.'s Wife Vanessa Files for Divorce, 'Long ...

Donald J. Trump was elected the 45th President of the United States of America as the Republic nominee in the 2016 Race for the White House by taking victory over Democratic candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton on November 8, 2016. Trump ran on the campaign promise to Make America Great Again. He was sworn into office at his Inauguration on January 20, 2017. Prior to entering politics, Trump made his fortune in real estate as a developer of office and residential buildings, hotels, and golf courses. He previously hosted and executive produced the NBC reality competition shows The Apprentice and The Celebrity Apprentice, becoming known for the phrase, Youre fired! Trump formerly owned the Miss Universe organization, but it was sold to WME/IMG in 2015. He has written over 14 best selling books, including The Art of the Deal, and has turned his name into a brand, putting his moniker on products such as clothing, water, and fragrances. Trump was born June 14, 1946 to parents Mary and Fred Trump in Queens, NY. He graduated from the prestigious Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and went on to follow in his fathers footsteps as a real estate mogul. Trump has been married three times. He has three children with first wife, Ivana Trump (1979-1992) Donald, Jr., Ivanka, and Eric one daughter with second wife, Marla Maples (1993-1999) Tiffany and one son with current wife, First Lady Melania Trump (2005-present) Barron. Trump also has eight grandchildren.

Excerpt from:

Donald Trump News, Pictures, and Videos | TMZ.com

Trump flashes a thumbs up before boarding Marine One, destined for Florida where he will meet with victims and first responders after a school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

Image: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

On Friday, President Donald Trump visited Parkland, Florida in the wake of a school shooting in a high school that left 17 people dead. But Trump has faced criticism over the way he carried himself during that visit.

After an awkward meeting with first responders, the president and first lady Melania Trump stood together for a friendly photo op, which in itself seems insensitive. Trump had a huge smile on his face in the photo, and flashed his now signature thumbs up.

Trump updated his Twitter cover photo with the picture from the meeting Friday evening.

Image: Twitter/Realdonaldtrump

Trump also visited Broward Health North hospital in Pompano Beach, where many of the victims received care after the shooting. On his official Instagram, a series of images posted in an album featured Trump wearing a large smile on his face, flashing a thumbs up in a photo with hospital staff.

The press asked Trump if he met with any victims at the hospital. Instead of speaking about the impact those meetings may have had on him as a president, as a human, Trump decided to fluff up the hospital.

"Fantastic hospital, and they have done an incredible job," Trump boasted. "The doctor was amazing, we saw numerous people and incredible recovery. And first responders everybody the job they've done was in incredible."

Trump then congratulated a doctor he was standing next to.

While yes, first responders and hospital staff should be thanked and praised for their hard work in wake of the shooting, congratulations here are completely tone deaf considering 17 people lost their lives in the attack.

In any other presidency, this would be a time for mourning. But Trump is using it to boast and brag.

Many were quick to criticize Trump for his demeanor on social media, with some pointing to Barack Obama's reaction to the Sandy Hook massacre in December of 2012. In 2016, Obama also delivered a powerful and emotional speech on gun violence, in which he broke down crying.

Obama's official White House photographer, Pete Souza, who has made it his duty to criticize the Trump administration by way of his photography from the Obama era, uploaded a photo of Obama sitting alone in a classroom in Sandy Hook Elementary School. It captures the former president in a quiet moment after he met with families for hours, and before he attended a prayer vigil.

Dec. 16, 2012. Newtown. After meeting with families for hours, he sat alone in a classroom before attending a prayer vigil: ....This is our first task caring for our children. It's our first job. If we don't get that right, we don't get anything right. That's how, as a society, we will be judged. And by that measure, can we truly say, as a nation, that we are meeting our obligations? Can we honestly say that we're doing enough to keep our children all of them safe from harm? Can we claim, as a nation, that we're all together there, letting them know that they are loved, and teaching them to love in return? Can we say that we're truly doing enough to give all the children of this country the chance they deserve to live out their lives in happiness and with purpose? I've been reflecting on this the last few days, and if we're honest with ourselves, the answer is no. We're not doing enough. And we will have to change.

A post shared by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on Feb 17, 2018 at 6:09am PST

While it often seems like President Trump's actions couldn't be more shocking, this type of behavior is disgusting, and the heavy criticism is merited. There's a time for photo ops, and then there is time for mourning. This was not the moment for Trump to show off how great he's making America.

America has a real problem, and Trump isn't even trying to fake it.

More here:

Donald Trump criticized for his happy demeanor after school ...

There has been some discussion about the president being good at golf, which I find annoying. I cant have him play my favorite sport and also be good at it. But when you watch him play, as you can on YouTube, you see that he has what youd call a terrible swing and a very bad putting stroke.

Its possible he is good compared with bad golfers, but he is certainly bad compared with good golfers. Yet he speaks about his game very confidently, saying things like, For me, the golf swing is clearing the hips, getting them out of the way. I played golf in college and hip clearance never once came up. Its kind of like if Tom Brady said he throws the football well because he flicks his wrist right at the end.

The most confusing aspect of President Trump as golfer is that golf is the ultimate test of integrity and humility. There are no referees, so its on you to count your own strokes. Golfers develop a very strict honor code and a moral obligation to themselves and their playing partners to be 100 percent honest. And if golf is nothing else, it is humbling when you hit your ball into a lake, there is simply no denying it (fake water!) and no one to blame but yourself (liberal wind!).

But the president appears to have skipped those lessons, and he tends to behave like the one guy at the course who is hand-wedging the ball out of the trees. Golfers like this do exist, but no one wants to play with them. People like this get asked to play once and then never get invited back: Remember that guy who parked his golf cart on the greens? Yeah, the guy who left his Aerosmith ringtone on full blast and picked up every putt inside 10 feet? You dont have to be invited to play, though, when you own the course.

You can get an idea of the way the president manipulates truth by looking at how he talks about golf. In 2013, he tweeted, Just won The Club Championship at Trump International Golf Club in Palm Beach lots of very good golfers, never easy to win a C.C. But he didnt win that year; Tom Roush did. Apparently, Mr. Trump won the senior division that year. No golfer in their right mind would confuse the club champion with the senior division winner.

Golf can be very addictive. There are so many different areas within the game, you almost have to obsess to be good. Addicted golfers often take two forms those who love to play the game, and those who love the escape.

I grew up playing in West Virginia, usually on public courses for $8 to $10 for 18 holes. There was always that one guy who was out there clearly avoiding a bad marriage or an unrewarding job. Playing with that guy, I would think, Doesnt he have four kids to raise? Golfs biggest strength is also its greatest weakness: You disappear into a different world for five hours a magical forest world where you drive your own buggy and send a tiny sphere at the sky.

On the campaign trail, Mr. Trump said, Im going to be working for you; Im not going to have time to play golf. But in his first year, he spent more than 90 days at a golf club. Its pretty clear to me hes turning to golf as an escape from a job he finds unrewarding. Which might not be the worst thing for him, or us.

Original post:

Donald Trump Makes Golf Look Bad - The New York Times

Instagram/Sean Bianca

After visiting with those who were wounded in one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history, the president attended a Studio 54 themed party at his private resort. According to Instagrammer Sean Bianca, Trump and Melania can be seen on chairs on the left side of the above photo. The caption reads, Fun at Mar-a-lagos Studio 54. Look whos in the background! #FLOTUS #POTUS #Maralago. On her Instagram bio, Bianca writes, Im anything but politically correct and goes by the moniker @GOPGirlSeanBianca.

CNNs Kevin Liptak also reported, President Trump and the First Lady stopped by a Studio 54-themed disco party in the ballroom at Mar-a-Lago last night after returning from the Broward sheriffs department.

A few hours before the February 16 party, prominent Florida bankruptcy attorney David Merrill wrote on his Facebook page that he was attending the party and that our President is expected to attend.

It was widely reported that Trump had visited victims of the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School Valentines Day attack on February 16 at Broward County Sheriffs Office. Trump told the gathered press that he had met some of those who had been wounded, I did indeed. Its very sad that something like that could happen.

Reuters reports that Trump is scheduled to meet Speaker of the House Paul Ryan at Mar-a-Lago. The topic of discussion, according to the agency will be legislative priorities. The Reuters report adds that Trump is spending the Presidents Day weekend at his resort.

Speaking to Bloomberg News Jennifer Jacobs, a White House aide said that Trump had foregone his traditional round of golf at Mar-a-Lago out of respect to the victims.

Trump has a long history with Studio 54. Slate reported in April 2016 that Trump was a fixture at the famous New York City nightclub, partying with mob-lawyer Roy Cohn. The article goes on to say that it was Cohn who introduced Trump to his now-disgraced campaign manager Paul Manafort.

Follow this link:

PHOTO: Donald Trump & Melania at Party in Mar-A-Lago | Heavy.com

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, has a history of making racially-charged remarks and pursuing racially-motivated actions and policies that have led observers across the political spectrum to conclude that he is racist.[1][2][3][4] In 1973, he was sued by the U.S. Department of Justice for housing discrimination against black renters.[5][6][7] In 2011, Trump became the leading proponent of the already discredited "Birtherism" conspiracy theory that President Barack Obama was not born in the US, and he repeated the claim for the following five years.[8][9] In 2016, he was accused of racism for insisting in 1989, and maintaining as late as 2016, that a group of black and Latino teenagers were guilty of raping a white woman in the 1989 Central Park jogger case even after, in 2002, Matias Reyes, a serial rapist in prison, confessed to raping the jogger alone, and DNA evidence confirmed his guilt.[10][11][12]

Trump launched his 2016 presidential campaign with a speech in which he said that Mexican immigrants included criminals and rapists.[13][14] Later, his comments about a Mexican-American judge were criticized as racist. He tweeted fake statistics claiming that black Americans are responsible for the majority of murders of whites, and in speeches he continually linked blacks with violent crime.[15] During his presidency, comments he made following a Charlottesville, Virginia rally were seen by many as implying a moral equivalence between violence used by white supremacist marchers and violence used by those who protested against them. In 2018, comments he made during an Oval Office meeting about immigration in which he referred to African countries, El Salvador and Haiti as "shithole countries" were internationally condemned as racist.[16][17][18] Trump has repeatedly denied that he is racist; he has said that he is the "least racist person there is".[19]

Trump's racially insensitive statements[20] have been condemned by many observers in the U.S. and around the world,[21][22] but excused by his supporters either as a rejection of political correctness[23][24] or because they harbor similar racial sentiments.[25][26] Numerous studies and surveys have shown that since Trump's ascendance in the Republican Party, racist attitudes and racial resentment have become more significant than economic factors in determining voters' party allegiance.[26][27] According to an October 2017 Politico/Morning Consult poll, 45% of American voters think Trump is racist and 40% don't.[28]

In 1973 Donald Trump, his father Fred, and Trump Management were sued by the U.S. Department of Justice for housing discrimination against black people.[5] The impetus for the suit was Trump's refusal to "rent apartments in one of his developments to African-Americans", violating the Fair Housing Act. A settlement was reached in 1975 with no admission of wrongdoing.[29] The Trump Organization was sued again in 1978 for violating terms of the 1975 settlement; Trump denied the charges.[30][31][32]

The Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino was fined $200,000 in 1991 by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission for removing black and female employees from craps tables in order to accommodate high roller Robert LiButti, a mob figure and alleged John Gotti associate, who was said to fly into fits of racist rage when he was on losing streaks.[33] There is no indication that Trump was questioned in that investigation, he was not held personally liable, and he denies even knowing what LiButti looked like.[33] In 1992 Trump Plaza lost its appeal of the decision.[34]

On the night of April 19, 1989, Trisha Meili was assaulted, raped, and sodomized in Manhattan's Central Park. On the night of the attack, five juvenile malesfour African Americans and one of Hispanic descentwere apprehended in connection with a number of attacks in Central Park committed by around 30 teenage perpetrators. The defendants were tried variously for assault, robbery, riot, rape, sexual abuse, and attempted murder relating to Meili's attack and the other attacks in the park. Based solely on confessions that they said were coerced and false, and despite the fact that DNA tests on the rape kit excluded them as the source, they were convicted in 1990 by juries in two separate trials. Known as the Central Park Five, they received sentences ranging from 5 to 15 years. The attacks were highly publicised in the media.[35]

On May 1, 1989, Trump called for the return of the death penalty by taking out a full-page advertisement in all four of the city's major newspapers. He said he wanted the "criminals of every age" who were accused of beating and raping a jogger in Central Park "to be afraid".[36] Trump told Larry King on CNN: "The problem with our society is the victim has absolutely no rights and the criminal has unbelievable rights" and "maybe hate is what we need if we're gonna get something done."[37]

In 2002, Matias Reyes, a serial rapist already in prison, confessed to the jogger's rape, which was confirmed by DNA evidence,[38] and the convictions of the five men were vacated. They sued New York City in 2003 for malicious prosecution, racial discrimination, and emotional distress. Lawyers for the five defendants said that Trump's advertisement had inflamed public opinion.[36] Protests were held outside Trump Tower in October 2002. Trump was unapologetic, saying, "I don't mind if they picket. I like pickets."[36] The city settled the case for $41million in 2014. In June of that year, Trump called the settlement "a disgrace" and said that the group's guilt was still likely: "Settling doesn't mean innocence. [...] These young men do not exactly have the pasts of angels."[39][40]

In October 2016, when Trump campaigned to be president, he said that Central Park Five were guilty and that their convictions should never have been vacated,[41] attracting criticism from the Central Park Five themselves[42] and others. Republican Senator John McCain retracted his endorsement of Trump, citing in part "outrageous statements about the innocent men in the Central Park Five case".[43] Yusuf Salaam, one of the five defendants, said that he had falsely confessed out of coercion, after having been mistreated by police while in custody.[44] Filmmaker Ken Burns, who directed the documentary The Central Park Five, called Trump's comments "the height of vulgarity" and racist.[10]

In his 1991 book Trumped! John O'Donnell quoted Trump as saying:

"Black guys counting my money! I hate it. The only kind of people I want counting my money are short guys wearing yarmulkes.... Those are the only kind of people I want counting my money. Nobody else... Besides that, I tell you something else. I think that's guy's lazy. And it's probably not his fault because laziness is a trait in blacks."

At the time, Trump did not contest the veracity of the quote, and in an interview in 1997 admitted that the information in the book was "probably true". Two years later, when seeking the nomination of the Reform Party for president, he denied making the statement.[45]

Trump played a leading role in "birther" conspiracy theories that had been circulating since President Obama's 2008 presidential campaign.[46][47] Beginning in March 2011, Trump publicly questioned Obama's citizenship and eligibility to serve as president.[48][49][50] Even after Obama released his long-form birth certificate in 2011, Trump claimed the certificate was a fraud in 2012, and later in 2013 and 2015 he said he did not know where Obama was born. In September 2016 Trump acknowledged that Obama was born in the United States; at the same time claiming it was Hillary Clinton who originally raised questions about Obama's place of birth.[51]

In 2013, the State of New York filed a $40million civil suit against Trump University alleging that the company had made false statements and defrauded consumers.[52][53] Two class-action civil lawsuits were also filed naming Trump personally as well as his companies.[54] During the presidential campaign, Trump criticized Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel who oversaw those two cases, alleging bias in his rulings because of his Mexican heritage.[55][56] Trump said that Curiel would have "an absolute conflict" due to his Mexican heritage which led to accusations of racism.[57] Speaker of the House and a Trump supporter, Republican Paul Ryan commented, "I disavow these comments. Claiming a person can't do the job because of their race is sort of like the textbook definition of a racist comment. I think that should be absolutely disavowed. It's absolutely unacceptable."[58]

In August 2016 Trump campaigned in Maine, which has a large immigrant Somali population. At a rally he said, "We've just seen many, many crimes getting worse all the time, and as Maine knows a major destination for Somali refugees right, am I right?" Implying terrorism, Trump said, "Well, they're all talking about it, Maine. Somali refugees. [...] You see it, and you can be smart, and you can be cunning and tough, or you can be very, very dumb and not want to see what's going on, folks."[59]

In Lewiston, home to the largest population of Maine Somalis, the police chief said Somalis have integrated into the city and they have not caused an increase in crime; crime is actually going down, not up. The mayor said Lewiston is safe and they all get along. At a Somali support rally following Trump's comments the Portland mayor welcomed the city's Somali residents, saying, "We need you here." Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins commented, "Mr. Trump's statements disparaging immigrants who have come to this country legally are particularly unhelpful. Maine has benefited from people from Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and, increasingly, Africa including our friends from Somalia."[59][60]

On Friday, January 27, 2017, via executive order, President Trump ordered the U.S border indefinitely closed to Syrian refugee families fleeing the bloody Syrian war. He also abruptly ceased immigration from six other Muslim nations - the order was for 90 days. A religious test was also implemented for Muslim refugees, which gave immigration priority to Christians over Muslims. Besides Syria, admission into the U.S. was halted for refugees from Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. Human rights activists described these actions as government approved religious persecution.[61][62]

The New York Times reported that in a June 2017 Oval Office meeting, President Trump reacted angrily to the number of immigrants who were allowed visas to enter the United States since January and that he made some derogatory comments. President Trump reportedly said 2,500 visa holders from Afghanistan were from a terrorist sanctuary. According to two anonymous officials at the meeting Trump stated that 15,000 from Haiti "all have AIDS", and forty thousand from Nigeria will decide to never "go back to their huts" after seeing the United States. Senior staff members repoprtedly told the president most of these were one time visitors but that this did not quell his indignation. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, denied that Trump had made such remarks stating, "General Kelly, General McMaster, Secretary Tillerson, Secretary Nielsen and all other senior staff actually in the meeting deny these outrageous claims."[63][64]

In a February 2017 presidential press conference, White House press correspondent April Ryan asked Trump if he would involve the Congressional Black Caucus when making plans for executive orders affecting inner city areas. Trump replied, "Well, I would. I tell you what. Do you want to set up the meeting?" When Ryan said she was just a reporter, Trump pursued, "Are they friends of yours?" The New York Times wrote that Trump was "apparently oblivious to the racial undertones of posing such a query to a black journalist". Journalist Jonathan Capehart commented, "Does he think that all black people know each other and she's going to go run off and set up a meeting for him?"[65]

In March 2017, six members of the Congressional Black Caucus met with President Trump to discuss the caucus's reply to Trump's campaign-rally question to African Americans, "What do you have to lose?" (by voting for him). The question was part of Trump's campaign rhetoric that was seen as characterizing all African Americans in terms of helpless poverty and inner-city violence.[66] According to two people who attended the March meeting, Trump asked caucus members if they personally knew new cabinet member Ben Carson and appeared surprised when no one said they knew him. Also, when a caucus member told Trump that cuts to welfare programs would hurt her constituents, "not all of whom are black", [67] the president replied, "Really? Then what are they?", although most welfare recipients are white.[67] The caucus chairman, Rep. Cedric Richmond, later said the meeting was productive and that the goals of the caucus and the administration were more similar than different: "The route to get there is where you may see differences. Part of that is just education and life experiences."[68]

The U.S. Department of Justice concluded that Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio oversaw the worst pattern of racial profiling in U.S. history.[69] The illegal tactics that he was using included "extreme racial profiling and sadistic punishments that involved the torture, humiliation, and degradation of Latino inmates".[70] The DoJ filed suit against him for unlawful discriminatory police conduct. He ignored their orders and was subsequently convicted of contempt of court for continuing to racially profile Hispanics. Calling him "a great American patriot", President Trump pardoned him soon afterwards, even before sentencing took place.[71][72][73] House Speaker Paul Ryan, and both Arizona Senators, John McCain and Jeff Flake, were critical of Trump's decision.[74][75][76] Constitutional scholars also opposed the decision to grant the pardon, which according to Harvard law professor Noah Feldman was "an assault on the federal judiciary, the constitution and the rule of law itself". The American Civil Liberties Union, which was involved in the case resulting in Arpaio's conviction, tweeted: "By pardoning Joe Arpaio, Donald Trump has sent another disturbing signal to an emboldened white nationalist movement that this White House supports racism and bigotry." According to ACLU deputy legal director Cecilia Wang, the pardon was "a presidential endorsement of racism".[77]

The Unite the Right rally (also known as the Charlottesville rally) was a far-right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, from August 1112, 2017.[78][79] Its stated goal was to oppose the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee from Emancipation Park.[80][81] Protesters included white supremacists, white nationalists, neo-Confederates, Klansmen, neo-Nazis, and various militias. Some of the marchers chanted racist and antisemitic slogans, carried semi-automatic rifles, swastikas, Confederate battle flags, anti-Muslim and antisemitic banners, and "Trump/Pence" signs.[81][82][83] Many of the protesters and counterprotestors carried shields and sticks, and both protesters and counterprotesters were "swinging sticks, punching and spraying chemicals", forcing police to declare 'unlawful assembly' and disperse the crowds.[84] Two hours after the dispersal order, a woman was killed and 35 other people injured when a self-professed neo-Nazi drove his car into a group of people gathered at a nearby mall who had been protesting against the rally.[85]

In his initial statement on the rally, Trump did not denounce white nationalists but instead condemned "hatred, bigotry, and violence on many sides". His statement and his subsequent defenses of it, in which he also referred to "very fine people on both sides", suggested a moral equivalence between the white supremacist marchers and those who protested against them, buoying white nationalists leading some observers to state that he was sympathetic to white supremacy.[82]

Ten days after the rally, in prepared remarks at an American Legion conference, Trump called for the country to unite. He said: "We are not defined by the color of our skin, the figure on our paycheck or the party of our politics. Rather, we are defined by our shared humanity, our citizenship in this magnificent nation and by the love that fills our hearts."[86]

In 2012, controversy arose when it was charged that Senator Elizabeth Warren had used a claim of Native American ancestry early in her career to gain hiring preference.[87] Warren denies that she ever claimed to be a minority to secure employment, and a review of her employment history and interviews of her past employers has been unable to find anything that supports the charge.[88] However, picking up on the controversy Trump has frequently referred to her as "Pocahontas", including at a White House event where he addressed Native American veterans who served in the US military during World War II.[89] Warren responded saying, "It was deeply unfortunate that the President of the United States cannot even make it through a ceremony honoring these heroes without throwing out a racial slur."[90] Speaking on the PBS Newshour, Mark Shields commented, "When Donald Trump uses Pocahontas to attack or taunt one senator, Elizabeth Warren. This, quite frankly, is beyond that. I mean, this is racial. It's racist. It is."[91]The General Secretary of the Alliance of Colonial Era Tribes, John Norwood, said Trump's Pocahontas nickname for Warren "smacks of racism." The president of the National Congress of American Indians, the largest umbrella group for Native American tribes, also criticized Trump's remarks at the event, saying, "We regret that the presidents use of the name Pocahontas as a slur to insult a political adversary is overshadowing the true purpose of todays White House ceremony."[92] White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said "What most people find offensive is Senator Warren lying about her heritage to advance her career."[93][94]

In an intelligence briefing on hostages held by a terrorist group in Pakistan, Trump repeatedly interrupted the briefing to ask an Asian-American intelligence analyst who specializes in hostage situations "where are you from?" After she told him she was from New York he asked again and she clarified that she was from Manhattan. He pressed with the question until she finally told him that her parents were Korean. Trump then asked one of his advisers why "the pretty Korean lady" was not negotiating for him with North Korea.[95][96][97] NBC News characterized this exchange as Trump having "seemed to suggest her ethnicity should determine her career path".[98] Vox suggested that when Trump refused to accept New York as an answer he is "saying that children of Asian immigrants can never truly be 'from' America. This isn't just simple bigotry; it feels like a rejection of the classic American 'melting pot' ideal altogether."[16]

In January 2018, Trump received widespread domestic and international condemnation for comments he made during a January 11 Oval Office meeting about immigration in which he referred to African countries, El Salvador, and Haiti as "shithole countries". Saying, "Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?", he suggested that instead the US increase immigration from Norway.[99][100][17]

In a statement issued on January 11, the White House did not deny that the president made the remarks, but on the following day Trump did tweet out a partial denial, saying that he "never said anything derogatory about Haitians", and denied using "shithole" specifically to refer to those countries but did admit to using "tough language".[101][99]

Senate minority whip Dick Durbin, the only Democrat present at the Oval Office meeting, stated that Trump did use racist language and referred to African countries as "shitholes" and that "he said these hate-filled things, and he said them repeatedly."[102]

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen testified under oath to the Senate regarding the incident. She said she did not "specifically remember a categorization of countries from Africa." Asked about the President's language, Neilsen said, "I don't remember specific words", while remembering "the general profanity that was used in the room by almost everyone" but not Dick Durbin. Later on during the questioning, Nielsen said, "I remember specific cuss words being used by a variety of members," without elaborating on what was said and by whom.[103]

Republican Senators Tom Cotton of Arkansas and David Perdue of Georgia, also present at the meeting, initially issued a joint statement stating that they "do not recall the President saying those comments specifically".[104] Later, both senators denied that Trump had said "shithole". Purdue said Trump "did not use that word ... The gross misrepresentation was that language was used in there that was not used,"[105] and Cotton said, "I didn't hear it, and I was sitting no further away from Donald Trump than Dick Durbin". Cotton elaborated that he "did not hear derogatory comments about individuals or persons", and went on to affirm with the interviewer that the "sentiment [attributed to Trump] is totally phony".[106] Meanwhile, The Washington Post reported that Cotton and Purdue told the White House they heard "shithouse" rather than "shithole".[107]

Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) stated that Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), present at the meeting, had confirmed that Trump indeed called El Salvador, Haiti and "some African nations" "shithole countries".[108] Graham refused to confirm or deny hearing Trump's words, but rather released a statement in which he said, "[I] said my piece directly to [Trump]."[109] In what was interpreted as a response to Cotton and Purdue, Graham later said, "My memory hasn't evolved. I know what was said and I know what I said," while also asserting "It's not where you come from that matters, it's what you're willing to do once you get here."[110] Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) said that the meeting participants had told him about Trump making those remarks before the account went public.[111]

Conservative columnist Erick Erickson said Trump had privately bragged to friends about making the remarks, thinking "it would play well with the base."[112] The Washington Post quoted Trump's aides as saying Trump had called friends to ask how his political supporters would react the coverage of the incident, and that he was 'not particularly upset' by the publication of the incident.[107]

There was "muted" response to these comments from Republican lawmakers.[8] Some of these lawmakers denounced the comments, calling them "unfortunate" and "indefensible", while others sidestepped or did not respond to them.[113] Some of the president's defenders, such as Vice President Mike Pence, remained silent on the issue. Senator Orrin Hatch said he was waiting for a "more detailed explanation regarding the president's comments".[114] House Speaker Paul Ryan said, "So, first thing that came to my mind was very unfortunate, unhelpful." Senator Susan Collins, who did not vote for Trump and has been very critical of him said, "These comments are highly inappropriate and out of bounds and could hurt efforts for a bipartisan immigration agreement. The president should not denigrate other countries." Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, the only Republican African-American in the Senate, called the comments "disappointing".[115] Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma used the word "disappointing" to describe the comments.[115] Representative Mia Love of Utah, who is of Haitian descent, tweeted that the comments were "unkind, divisive, elitist, and fly in the face of our nation's values", and later said they were "really difficult to hear, especially because my [Haitian immigrant] parents were such big supporters of the president.... there are countries that struggle out there but ... their people are good people and they're part of us."[116][117] Senator Jeff Flake wrote "The words used by the President, as related to me directly following the meeting by those in attendance were not 'tough', they were abhorrent and repulsive". Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Erik Paulsen also denounced the comments.[114]

When asked if he believed Senator Durbin's reporting of the incident, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer replied, "I have no doubts. First, Donald Trump has lied so many times, it's hard to believe him on anything, let alone this. I've known Dick Durbin for 35 years, [...] he is one of the most honorable people I've met." [118] Both House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer and civil rights leader Representative John Lewis said Trump's remarks confirm his racism.[119][120][121] Representative Jim McGovern, said, "America's president is a racist and this is the proof. His hateful rhetoric has no place in the White House."[115] Representative Tim Walz said, "This is racism, plain and simple, and we need to call it that. My Republican colleagues need to call it that too." Senator Richard Blumenthal said that Trump's comments "smack of blatant racism odious and insidious racism masquerading poorly as immigration policy".[122] Representative Karen Bass of California said "You (Donald Trump) would never call a predominantly white country a 'shithole' because you are unable to see people of color, American or otherwise, as equals."[115] Representative Bill Pascrell wrote on Twitter, "[Donald Trump is] showing his bigoted tendencies in ways that would make Archie Bunker blush" and called Trump a "national disgrace".[115]

A great deal of international response was generated in January 2018 following the allegations that Trump used vulgar and disparaging language when speaking about immigration from Africa, Haiti, and El Salvador.

Rupert Colville, a spokesman for the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said at a news briefing, "There is no other word one can use but racist. You cannot dismiss entire countries and continents as 'shitholes', whose entire populations, who are not white, are therefore not welcome."[123]

The African Union issued a statement strongly condemning the remarks and demanding a retraction and apology; an AU spokeswoman said, "Given the historical reality of how many Africans arrived in the United States as slaves, [Trump's statement] flies in the face of all accepted behavior and practice. This is particularly surprising as the United States of America remains a global example of how migration gave birth to a nation built on strong values of diversity and opportunity."[124]

The Ministry of International Affairs of Botswana summoned the US ambassador, and said in a statement "We view the utterances by the current American President as highly irresponsible, reprehensible, and racist."[124] The African National Congress, the ruling party in South Africa, tweeted "its offensive for President Trump to make derogatory statements about countries that do not share policy positions with the US. Developing countries experience difficulties. The US also faces difficulties."[125] Mmusi Maimane, the leader of South Africa's opposition party, said "The hatred of Obama's roots now extends to an entire continent."[114]

Haiti's ambassador to the US said Haiti "vehemently condemn[ed]" Trump's comments, saying they were "based on stereotypes". Haiti's former Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe said, "It shows a lack of respect and ignorance never seen before in the recent history of the US by any President."[124]

It has been reported that the political rise of Donald Trump has inflamed racial, ethnic and religious tensions across the United States.[126] The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) recorded 867 "hate incidents" in the 10 days after the US election, a phenomenon it partly blamed on Trump's rhetoric. They consider the actual number of incidents to be much higher because most hate crimes go unreported. SPLC president Richard Cohen blamed the recent surge on the divisive language used by Trump throughout his campaign. In a statement he said:

In 2016, US Attorney General Loretta Lynch said FBI statistics for 2015 showed a 67% increase in hate crimes against Muslim Americans; hate crimes against Jewish people, African Americans and LGBT individuals increased as well. Lynch reported a 6% overall increase, though she said the number could be higher because many incidents go unreported. In New York City the number of hate crimes increased 31.5% in the year from 2015 to 2016. Mayor Bill de Blasio commented, "A lot of us are very concerned that a lot of divisive speech was used during the campaign by the President-elect, and we do not yet know what the impact of that will be on our country."[128]

The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) has reacted to what has been seen by many as Trump's repeated stirring of racial controversies. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, former head of the CBC, voiced concerns when Trump began raising doubts about President's Obama's birthplace: "I don't know if the people around the country understand that he has launched ... an assault against African-American people starting with his refusal to accept the first African-American president, by continuing to declare that he was from Kenya. No other president in history has had to face that kind of criticism. We've come to conclude that this is a part of his belief system."[129]

To show their protest, some lawmakers chose to not attend Trump's State of the Union message given on January 30, 2018. John Lewis did not attend saying, "I've got to be moved by my conscience," and Representative Barbara Lee, also not attending, said, "This president does not respect the office, he dishonors it." Representative Frederica Wilson, whom Trump called "wacky" after she supported the wife of a soldier killed in Niger, also did not attend.[130] Maxine Waters released a video response wherein she said, "He claims that he's bringing people together but make no mistake, he is a dangerous, unprincipled, divisive, and shameful racist.[131] Other black lawmakers attended wearing kente stoles as a show of support following Trump's "shithole" comments about African and other countries.[132]

Almost two-thirds of the CBC have backed efforts to impeach Donald Trump in House floor votes forced by Representative Al Green. The articles of impeachment put forth by Green assert that Trump has "brought the high office of president of the United States in contempt, ridicule, disgrace and disrepute" and "has sown discord among the people of the United States".[133]

Trump has repeatedly denied claims that he is racist, often stating that he is "the least racist person".[134][135] During the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Trump defended himself and his campaign from Hillary Clinton's accusations of racism, arguing that his immigration policies were not racist and stating "I will never apologize for pledging to enforce and uphold every single law of the United States, and to make my immigration priority defending and protecting American citizens above every other single consideration."[136]

Trump, responding to reporters' questions about racism said, "I am not a racist. I'm the least racist person you will ever interview".[137] Trump's son, Eric Trump, defended his father against allegations of racism, remarking that his father is concerned with the economy, citing improved economic conditions for African Americans. Eric Trump called his father "the least racist person" he has ever met.[138][139]

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended Trump from accusations of racism, by referring to his time as host of The Apprentice and saying, "Frankly, if the critics of the president were who he said he was, why did NBC give him a show for a decade on TV?"[140][141]

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich has stated that Trump's marriage to Slovenian model Melania Trump proves he is not "anti-immigrant", adding "He's just for legal immigrants".[142]

Following reports that Trump had reportedly called African countries "shitholes", speaking at the opening of the East African Legislative Assembly President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, said, "I love Trump because he tells Africans frankly. The Africans need to solve their problems, the Africans are weak."[143]

CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta said the Washington Post report combined with statements made in 2016 and 2017 shows "the president seems to harbor racist feelings about people of color from other parts of the world."[144][145]

Following the incident in which Trump referred to several nations as "shithole countries", David Brooks, speaking on the PBS Newshour, called the president's statements "clearly racist" and said, "It fits into a pattern that we have seen since the beginning of his career, maybe through his father's career, frankly. There's been a consistency, pattern of harsh judgment against black and brown people."[146]

Trump has been called a racist by a number of New York Times columnists including Nicholas Kristof ("I don't see what else we can call him but a racist"),[147] Charles M. Blow ("Trump Is a Racist. Period."),[148] and David Leonhardt ("Donald Trump is a racist").[149] Additionally, John Cassidy of The New Yorker concluded, "we have a racist in the Oval Office."[150]

Conservative pundit and former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele, when asked in an interview if he thought Trump was a racist replied, "Yeah, I do. At this point the evidence is incontrovertible."[151] Speaking on MSNBC, Steele said, "There are a whole lot of folks like Donald Trump. White folks in this country who have a problem with the browning of America. When they talk about [wanting] their country back, they are talking about a country that was very safely white, less brown and less committed to that browning process."[152]

Australian political commentator John Hewson writes that he believes the recent global movements against traditional politics and politicians are based on racism and prejudice. He comments: "There should be little doubt about US President Donald Trump's views on race, despite his occasional 'denials', assertions of 'fake news', and/or his semantic distinctions. His election campaign theme was effectively a promise to 'Make America Great Again; America First and Only' and nod, nod, wink, wink to Make America White Again."[153]

Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley said "What Trump is doing has popped up periodically, but in modern times, no president has been so racially insensitive and shown outright disdain for people who aren't white."[19]

George Yancy, a professor at Emory University known for his work on racial issues, concluded that Trump is racist, describing his outlook as "a case of unabashed white supremacist ideas."[1]

Speaking shortly after Trump's election, John Mcwhorter discussed the fact that 8% of black voters and around 25% of Latinos voted for Donald Trump, saying "many would see it as 'conservative' for a person of color to vote for a racist, as if it were still a time when racism was socially acceptable." In his view, people of color who voted for Trump were willing to look beyond Trump's racism to the promise of economic improvement.[154]

According to an August 2016 Suffolk University poll, 7% of those planning to vote for Trump thought he was racist. A November 2016 Post-ABC poll found that 50% of Americans thought Trump was biased against black people; the figure was 75% among black Americans.[155] According to an October 2017 Politico/Morning Consult poll, 45% of voters think Trump is racist, a plurality.[156]

A Quinnipiac poll asking the question, "Since the election of Donald Trump, do you believe the level of hatred and prejudice in the U.S. has increased, the level of hatred and prejudice has decreased, or hasn't it changed either way" was conducted in December 2017. Of the respondents, 62% believed that the level had increased, 4% felt that it had decreased, and 31% felt it was without change.[157]

A Quinnipiac poll conducted in January 2018 after Trump's Oval Office comments about immigration showed that 58 percent of American voters found the comments to be racist, while 59 percent said that he does not respect people of color as much as he respects white people.[158][159]

Analysis of pre- and post-election surveys from the American National Election Studies, as well as numerous other surveys and studies, show that since the rise of Trump in the Republican Party, attitudes towards racism have become a more significant factor than economic issues in determining voters' party allegiance.[26][27]

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Racial views of Donald Trump - Wikipedia