Category: Trump Administration

Trump vows to ‘totally destroy’ restrictions on churches’ support of candidates

The following article by John Wagner and Julie Zauzmer was posted on the Washington Post website February 2, 2017:

President Trump speaks during the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington on Thursday. (Win Mcnamee/Bloomberg News)

President Trump vowed Thursday to “totally destroy” a law passed more than 60 years ago that bans tax-exempt churches from supporting political candidates, a nod to the religious right that helped sweep him into office.

Speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, Trump said he would seek to overturn the Johnson Amendment, which prohibits tax-exempt nonprofits — including churches and other houses of worship — from “directly or indirectly” participating in a political candidate’s campaign. Continue reading “Trump vows to ‘totally destroy’ restrictions on churches’ support of candidates”

Betsy DeVos’ Threat to Children with Disabilities

The following article by Meg Benner and Rebecca Ullrich was posted on the Center for American Progress website February 2, 2017:

Introduction and summary

There is something that supporters of school vouchers—such as Betsy DeVos, President Donald Trump’s nominee for education secretary—will not admit: Children with disabilities can and will be harmed under voucher programs.

Consider Trinity Fitzer: In the spring of 2012 when Trinity was a 6-year-old kindergartener, she was kicked out of the private school she attended using a voucher provided by the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program.1 Over the course of the year, Trinity’s mother had been called several times to pick her up early because of behavioral problems, with school officials calling Trinity “out of control.” According to the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, Trinity suffered from gastrointestinal problems and anxiety, which led to challenging behaviors that her private school was not prepared—or required—to manage. Continue reading “Betsy DeVos’ Threat to Children with Disabilities”

The leaks coming out of the Trump White House right now are totally bananas

The following article by Chris Cilliza was posted on the Washington Post website February 2, 2017:

If the suspense building ahead of President Trump’s Supreme Court announcement seemed familiar, then you might be a fan of reality television.(Gillian Brockell/The Washington Post)

Here are a few leaks that have come out of the Trump administration in just the last 24 hours:

* President Trump abruptly ended a phone call with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull after condemning a refugee deal with the country and telling Turnbull “this was the worst call by far” he has had with a world leader.

* Trump threatened — his administration insisted it was “light-hearted” — Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto with sending American troops into his country. Continue reading “The leaks coming out of the Trump White House right now are totally bananas”

21 Women Respond To Trump Telling Female Staff To ‘Dress Like Women’

The following article by Alanna Vaglanos was posted on the Huffington Post website February 3 2017:

According to a recent report from Axios, a new media company created by the co-founder of Politico, President Donald Trump wants the women who work for him to “dress like women.”

Axios’ Mike Allen and Jonathan Swan spoke to a source who worked on Trump’s campaign who reported that the president is very particular about what his staffers wear. This goes for both women and men.

“If you’re going to be a public person for him, whether it’s a lawyer or representing him in meetings, then you need to have a certain look,” one source told Axios. “That look ― at least for any male ― you have to be sharply dressed.”

Continue reading “21 Women Respond To Trump Telling Female Staff To ‘Dress Like Women’”

Kellyanne Conway cites ‘Bowling Green massacre’ that never happened to defend travel ban

The following article by Samantha Schmidt and Lindsey Bever was posted on the Washington Post website February 3, 2017:

Kellyanne Conway has taken “alternative facts” to a new level.

During a Thursday interview with MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, the counselor to the president defended President Trump’s travel ban related to seven majority-Muslim countries. At one point, Conway made a reference to two Iraqi refugees whom she described as the masterminds behind “the Bowling Green massacre.”

“Most people don’t know that because it didn’t get covered,” Conway said. Continue reading “Kellyanne Conway cites ‘Bowling Green massacre’ that never happened to defend travel ban”

Donald Trump gave a doozy of a speech at the National Prayer Breakfast

The following article by Chris Cillizza was posted on the Washington Post website February 2, 2017:

Donald Trump spoke at the annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington on Thursday. It was, um, unorthodox. Using Genius, I annotated it. You can too! Sign up for Genius and annotate alongside me! To see an annotation, click or tap the highlighted part of the transcript.

TRUMP: Thank you, Mark. So nice.

(APPLAUSE)

Thank you very much, thank you. (APPLAUSE)

Thank you very much, it’s a great honor to be here this morning. And so many faith leaders — very, very important people to me — from across our magnificent nation, and so many leaders from all across the globe. Today we continue a tradition begun by President Eisenhower some 64 years ago. Continue reading “Donald Trump gave a doozy of a speech at the National Prayer Breakfast”

Many Americans support Trump’s immigration order. Many Americans backed Japanese internment camps, too.

The following article by Steven White was posted on the Washington Post website February 2, 2017:

On Jan. 27, President Trump signed an executive order temporarily prohibiting visa holders and immigrants from seven majority-Muslim countries from entering the United States, as well as halting the admission of refugees. Many critics describe the order as effectively a partial Muslim ban, and the American Civil Liberties Union argues it is likely unconstitutional.

Recent polling, however, indicates that at least a plurality of Americans see no problem with it. A Reuters/Ipsos survey found that 49 percent of Americans agreed with Trump’s executive order, while 41 percent disagreed and 10 percent offered no opinion. Continue reading “Many Americans support Trump’s immigration order. Many Americans backed Japanese internment camps, too.”

Free speech targeted in bills nationwide, critics say

In North Dakota, motorists who run down demonstrators on public streets could be exempt from prosecution, even if someone is injured or killed, as long as the motorist did not purposely hit the victim.

In Minnesota, demonstrators who break the law could be billed for the cost of law enforcement.

And in Iowa, blocking traffic on a highway could be a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Continue reading “Free speech targeted in bills nationwide, critics say”

In which Trump discovers some guy named Frederick Douglass

The following column by Dana Milbank was posted on the Washington Post website February 1, 2017:

President Trump is capable of many a miracle. On Wednesday, after just 12 days on the job, he raised the dead.

Addressing a small group of African American aides and supporters to kick off Black History Month, the new president not only offered pro forma praise for the usual suspects — Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr. — but also singled out somebody who recently caught his attention. Continue reading “In which Trump discovers some guy named Frederick Douglass”

Tensions erupt on campuses around the country over Trump immigration order

The following article by Ryan Brooks was posted on the USA Today website January 31, 2017:

Students at colleges and universities around the country are protesting against President Donald Trump’s executive order temporarily banning citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States.

With a few strokes of his pen on Friday Trump barred citizens from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen from entering the United States. The executive order also suspended the refugee resettlement program for 120 days and indefinitely barred Syrian refugees from entering the country. Continue reading “Tensions erupt on campuses around the country over Trump immigration order”