Note:

Because it's such a large topic, information regarding the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is posted here.

Apr 30, 2017:

On the CBS news program Face the Nation Trump spoke with host John Dickerson. Read a transcript of the interview here.

Instead of attending the annual White House correspondents' dinner in Washington, D.C., Trump held a rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. At the rally, Trump read the lyrics of a song written by Al Wilson entitled "The Snake", something he did repeatedly during his presidential campaign. The lyrics tell a story of woman who takes in an injured snake, cares for the snake, and in the end is bitten by the snake. Trump uses this story as an analogy for the way he sees the United States (the woman) taking in undocumented immigrants (snakes), and he uses it to rev up his supporters at rallies.

Trump rallies supporters in Pennsylvania on night of correspondents' dinner | CNN

That Trump read 'The Snake' at his 100-day rally tells you all you need to know about his next 100 days | CNN

Trump held four major rallies during his first 100 days in office. Trump's reelection campaign filed paperwork on January 20 (the day he was inaugurated) which allowed Trump to start taking advantage of federal election laws right from the get-go. According to an article on the USA Today website, those laws allow him to "rally his supporters, openly denounce his political enemies and pressure recalcitrant [uncooperative] lawmakers in Congress — all without running afoul of rules that bar using taxpayer money for politics." In the past three months, Trump's reelection campaign brought in $13.2 million through three committees — Donald J. Trump for President, Trump Victory, and Trump Make America Great Again Committee — most of which came from small donors.

Source:

Schouten, Fredrekan. (May 7, 2017). "President Trump seizes on election rules to push his agenda in new ways". USA Today. Retrieved 2017-05-07.

Trump's reelection campaign raised $13.2 million in first quarter | Politico

Apr 29, 2017:

According to an article on The Washington Post website:

The Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday [yesterday] evening that its website would be "undergoing changes" to better represent the new direction the agency is taking, triggering the removal of several agency websites containing detailed climate data and scientific information.

Source:

Mooney, Chris; Eilperin, Juliet. (April 29, 2017). "EPA website removes climate science site from public view after two decades". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2017-05-01.

Today, on Trump's 100th day in office, thousands of demonstrators participated in a climate march in Washington, D.C.

People's Climate March Spurs Thousands to Descend on the White House | NBC News

The Latest: Trump Attacks News Media on Night of Dinner | U.S. News & World Report

100 Days: The Trump White House | The New York Times

TRUMP'S FIRST 100 DAYS: Here's how they compare with Obama's, Bush's, and Clinton's | Business Insider

Apr 28, 2017:

Trump signed an executive order entitled "Presidential Executive Order Implementing an America-First Offshore Energy Strategy" which opens up areas that have been previously designated as off-limits to offshore oil and gas drilling.

Read a transcript of Trump's statement regarding the executive order here.

Trump aims to expand US offshore drilling, despite low industry demand | Reuters

Trump Signs Executive Order On Offshore Drilling And Marine Sanctuaries | NPR

Trump order could open California coast to oil and gas drilling—but state leaders unveil a plan to thwart that | CALmatters

Trump spoke at the National Rifle Association (NRA) Leadership Forum. Read his entire speech here.

Trump in campaign mode at NRA convention | The Hill

The U.S. Congress passed a one-week funding bill to prevent a government shutdown.

Senate passes stopgap funding bill to avert shutdown | The Hill

Speaking at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the following:

Our goal is not regime change. Nor do we desire to threaten the North Korean people or destabilize the Asia Pacific region. Over the years, we have withdrawn our own nuclear weapons from South Korea and offered aid to North Korea as proof of our intent to de-escalate the situation and normalize relations. Since 1995, the United States has provided over $1.3 billion dollars in aid to North Korea, and we look forward to resuming our contributions once the D.P.R.K. begins to dismantle its nuclear weapons and missile technology programs.

I propose all nations take these three actions beginning today:

First, we call on UN member-states to fully implement the commitments they have made regarding North Korea. This includes all measures required in Resolutions 2321 and 2270.

Second, we call on countries to suspend or downgrade diplomatic relations with North Korea.

Third, we must increase North Korea's financial isolation. We must levy new sanctions on D.P.R.K. entities and individuals supporting its weapons and missile programs, and tighten those that are already in place...We must bring maximum economic pressure by severing trade relationships that directly fund the D.P.R.K.'s nuclear and missile program. I call on the international community to suspend the flow of North Korean guest workers and to impose bans on North Korean imports, especially coal.

Lastly, as we have said before, all options for responding to future provocation must remain on the table. Diplomatic and financial levers of power will be backed up by a willingness to counteract North Korean aggression with military action if necessary. We much prefer a negotiated solution to this problem. But we are committed to defending ourselves and our allies against North Korean aggression.

Source:

Tillerson, Rex. (April 28, 2017). "Remarks at the United Nations Security Council Ministerial Session on D.P.R.K.". state.gov. Retrieved 2017-05-01.

Tillerson on North Korea: 'Our goal is not regime change' | The Hill

Apr 27, 2017:

Trump said he will wait on withdrawing the U.S. from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) after he received phone calls from both Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking to renegotiate the agreement.

Watch a short video entitled "NAFTA explained" here.

Trump Says He Will Renegotiate Nafta or Terminate It | The New York Times

Trump plans to renegotiate NAFTA but may scrap it if 'fair deal' not reached | ABC News

Trump: I was 'psyched to terminate' NAFTA | The Hill

Apr 26, 2017:

Trump signed an executive order entitled "Presidential Executive Order on the Review of Designations Under the Antiquities Act" which allows national monument designations to be rescinded or reduced in size. The order instructs the U.S. Department of the Interior, currently headed by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, to review about 30 national monuments created over the past 20 years and make recommendations on which should be rescinded or changed.

Trump orders review of national monuments to allow development | Reuters

Trump's executive order puts 4 national monuments in Arizona in jeopardy | The Arizona Republic

At a White House press briefing, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn announced a broad tax plan/proposal that would cut corporate taxes, tweak personal tax rates, and eliminate most deductions used by the wealthy. Here's a summary of the plan:

• cuts the corporate tax rate from 35% to 15%
• income from self-owned businesses are taxed at the 15% rather than the personal income tax rate
• no border-adjustment tax on imported goods
• seven existing personal tax brackets are reduced to just three brackets at 10%, 25%, and 35%
• standard deduction for personal filers is doubled from existing $6,350/individual ($12,700/joint) to $12,700/individual ($25,400/joint)
• estate tax eliminated
• eliminates itemized tax deductions other than charitable donations and mortgage payments
• repeals a 3.8% tax on net investment income
• repeals the alternative minimum tax
• eliminates itemized tax deductions other than charitable donations and mortgage payments

Source:

Bryan, Bob. (April 26, 2017). "UNVEILED: TRUMP'S TAX PLAN". Business Insider. Retrieved 2017-04-27.

Republicans could be the biggest obstacle to Trump's massive planned tax cut for businesses | Business Insider

Trump Is Said to Abandon Contentious Border Tax on Imports | The New York Times

Apr 25, 2017:

In San Francisco, U.S. District Court Judge William Orrick issued a preliminary injunction blocking Trump's January 25 executive order seeking to withhold federal funds from sanctuary cities.

Judge Orrick said that the president does not have the authority to set new conditions on spending approved by Congress. He also said the following:

Federal funding that bears no meaningful relationship to immigration enforcement cannot be threatened merely because a jurisdiction chooses an immigration enforcement strategy of which the president disapproves.

Source:

Thanawala, Sudhin. (April 25, 2017). "Ruling against sanctuary city order lauded in San Francisco". Associated Press. Retrieved 2017-04-25.

Regarding Judge Orrick's ruling, the White House issued a statement entitled "Statement on Sanctuary Cities Ruling". Here are a few excerpts from the statement:

Today, the rule of law suffered another blow, as an unelected judge unilaterally rewrote immigration policy for our Nation.

Sanctuary cities, like San Francisco, block their jails from turning over criminal aliens to Federal authorities for deportation. These cities are engaged in the dangerous and unlawful nullification of Federal law in an attempt to erase our borders.

Once again, a single district judge -- this time in San Francisco -- has ignored Federal immigration law to set a new immigration policy for the entire country.

San Francisco, and cities like it, are putting the well-being of criminal aliens before the safety of our citizens, and those city officials who authored these policies have the blood of dead Americans on their hands.

This case is yet one more example of egregious overreach by a single, unelected district judge.

Ultimately, this is a fight between sovereignty and open borders, between the rule of law and lawlessness, and between hardworking Americans and those who would undermine their safety and freedom.

The U.S. military moved more elements of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile defense system to a deployment site in South Korea. The first elements of THAAD were deployed early last month.

U.S. moves THAAD to South Korean site as North Korea boasts fire power | Reuters

U.S. starts deploying anti-missile system in South Korea after defiant North's latest test | Reuters

Trump signed an executive order entitled "Presidential Executive Order on Promoting Agriculture and Rural Prosperity in America".

New Trump Executive Order Seeks To Boost Agriculture And Rural America | Forbes

Yesterday, the Trump administration announced new tariffs (duties) on Canadian lumber companies, effective immediately and retroactive for 90 days. The tariffs range from 3% to 24% on five specific Canadian lumber companies, and approximately 20% for all other Canadian lumber companies.

According to an article on CNN:

• The duties were imposed to create a level playing field for American lumber companies.
• U.S. lumber companies allege that Canadian firms are provided with unfair subsidies by the Canadian government.
• Canada has consistently denied it subsidizes its lumber companies. The World Trade Organization sided with Canada in 2004 and the two sides came to a temporary agreement in 2006, which expired last October. Despite the agreement, U.S. lumber firms continued to allege that their Canadian counterparts had an unfair advantage which allowed them to sell their lumber in the U.S. market at prices American firms couldn't sell at.

The Canadian government and Canadian lumber companies denounced and criticized the tariffs.

Source:

Gillespie, Patrick. (April 25, 2017). "Trump slaps first tariffs on Canadian lumber". CNN. Retrieved 2017-04-27.

Here's Why Trump Is Having a Cow Over Canadian Milk | Mother Jones

Apr 22, 2017:

Trump released an Earth Day statement entitled "Statement from President Donald J. Trump on Earth Day".

Apr 21, 2017:

The U.S. Department of Justice sent warning letters to nine different sanctuary jurisdictions in the U.S. The letters state those jurisdictions may have laws in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1373, and asks the jurisdictions to provide proof of complance so they might continue to receive federal grants from the U.S. Department of Justice.

The nine jurisdictions are New York City, Chicago and surrounding Cook County, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, Milwaukee, Miami-Dade County in Florida, and the state of California.

Trump admin warns 9 'sanctuary' jurisdictions they may lose funds | The Hill

De Blasio, NYPD chief slam Justice Dept. for 'outrageous' crime claim | The Hill

Why Trump's executive order on sanctuary cities is unconstitutional | The Washington Post

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, commenting on the nationwide block on Trump's revised travel ban issued by U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson in Hawaii, said the following:

I really am amazed that a judge sitting on an island in the Pacific can issue an order that stops the President of the United States from what appears to be clearly his statutory and Constitutional power.

Source:

Kaczynski, Andrew. (April 21, 2017). "AG Sessions says he's 'amazed' a judge 'on an island in the Pacific' can block Trump's immigration order". CNN. Retrieved 2017-04-25.

HAWAIIAN ATTORNEY GENERAL HITS BACK AT U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF SESSIONS | Newsweek

Apr 18, 2017:

Trump and his administration highlighted the dangers posed to Americans by MS-13, a gang based in El Salvador with estimates of 6,000-10,000 members in the United States.

Trump tweeted the following:

Weak illegal immigration policies of the Obama Admin. allowed bad MS 13 gangs to form in cities across U.S.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions held a meeting with the Attorney General's Organized Crime Council (AGOCC) to discuss a strategy to deal with MS-13. The AGOCC consists of the Organized Crime and Gang Section (OCGS, a "specialized group of prosecutors charged with developing and implementing strategies to disrupt and dismantle the most significant regional, national and international gangs and organized crime groups", within the U.S. Department of Justice), the U.S. Deputy Attorney General, and seniors from all of the major U.S. law enforcement agencies.

Speaking at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John Kelly referred to MS-13 as "utterly without laws, conscience or respect for human life." Kelly also said the following:

Make no mistake — we are a nation under attack. We are under attack from people who hate us, hate our freedoms, hate our laws, hate our values, hate the way we simply live our lives. And we are under attack every single day," he warned. The threats are relentless.

Regarding lawmakers for criticizing agency personnel responsible for carrying out U.S. policies Kelly said the following:

If lawmakers do not like the laws they've passed and we are charged to enforce — then they should have the courage and skill to change the laws. Otherwise they should shut up and support the men and women on the front lines.

Source:

Bo Williams, Katie; Bernal, Rafael. (April 18, 2017). "Trump puts spotlight on MS-13". The Hill. Retrieved 2017-04-18.

Bo Williams, Katie. (April 18, 2017). "Homeland Security chief: Critical lawmakers should change policies or 'shut up'". The Hill. Retrieved 2017-04-18.

Trump Blames Obama for MS-13's Growth, but the Gang's Roots Are Older | NBC News

Trump's MS-13 Miss | factcheck.org

Trump signed an executive order entitled "Presidential Executive Order on Buy American and Hire American" which targets the existing U.S. H-1B visa program.

In summary, the order does the following:

• directs federal agencies to review the current H-1B visa program
• tightens enforcement of federal contracting rules mandating that American-made products are used on certain projects
• directs the U.S. departments of State, Justice, Labor, and Homeland Security to propose changes to the current H-1B visa program to ensure that visas "are awarded to the most-skilled or highest-paid" applicants, and it mandates those agencies propose rules to root out fraud and abuse in the broader worker visa system

Trump described the current H-1B visa program as a "totally random" lottery system used to allot H-1B visas to employers to hire workers allowing companies to hire lower-paid non-American workers, ultimately driving down wages.

Source:

Fabian, Jordan. (April 18, 2017). "Trump signs order taking aim at controversial visa program". The Hill. Retrieved 2017-04-21.

Trump Signs Order That Could Lead to Curbs on Foreign Workers | The New York Times

There's a Clear Way to Fix the H-1B Visa Program | The Atlantic

Apr 17, 2017:

At a joint news conference with acting South Korean President Hwang Kyo-Ahn in Seoul, South Korea, Vice President Pence said that the U.S. "era of strategic patience is over" regarding North Korea and its nuclear and ballistic missile program. Pence also said the following:

Since 1992, the United States and our allies have stood together for a denuclearized Korean Peninsula. We hope to achieve this objective through peaceable means. But all options are on the table.

North Korea would do well not to test his [Trump's] resolve — or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region.

Source:

Kennedy, Merrit. (April 17, 2017). "Pence Tells North Korea: 'The Era Of Strategic Patience Is Over'". NPR. Retrieved 2017-04-17.

North Korea Accuses US of Creating Situation for Nuclear War | The New York Times

What's at stake in North Korea? | ABC News

Trump tweeted the following:

"The first 90 days of my presidency has exposed the total failure of the last eight years of foreign policy!" So true. @foxandfriends

A great book for your reading enjoyment: "REASONS TO VOTE FOR DEMOCRATS" by Michael J. Knowles.

The Fake Media (not Real Media) has gotten even worse since the election. Every story is badly slanted. We have to hold them to the truth!

The book Trump references has nothing but blank pages.

Trump also touted, via Twitter, a recent Rasumssen Reports poll which shows 50% of likely U.S. voters approve of Trump's job performance.

Source:

Jackson, David M. (April 17, 2017). "Trump tweet attacks media, Democrats, and Obama foreign policy". USA Today. Retrieved 2017-04-17.

Apr 16, 2017:

National Economic Council (NEC) Director Gary Cohn, a Democrat and top economic aide to Trump, is emerging as a powerful, more moderate, player in the Trump administration, possibly gaining the upper hand over Steve Bannon.

Wall Street banker Cohn moving Trump toward moderate policies | Reuters

Regarding protests for Trump to release his tax returns, Trump tweeted the following:

I did what was an almost an impossible thing to do for a Republican-easily won the Electoral College! Now Tax Returns are brought up again?

Someone should look into who paid for the small organized rallies yesterday. The election is over!

Source:

Beavers, Olivia. (April 16, 2017). "Trump goes after tax returns protests: 'The election is over!'". The Hill. Retrieved 2017-04-16.

Apr 14, 2017:

White House Communications Director Michael Dubke said the White House will not release visitor logs citing "grave national security risks and privacy concerns of the hundreds of thousands of visitors annually."

Source:

Rascoe, Ayesha. (April 14, 2017). "Trump White House will not make visitor logs public, break from Obama policy". Reuters. Retrieved 2017-04-14.

In the U.S. District Court for Northern California, the city of San Francisco and Santa Clara county presented arguments to Judge William Orrick attempting to get a preliminary injunction against Trump's executive order issued on January 25 that strips sanctuary cities of federal funds, claiming the order is unconstitutional.

California Lawyers Say President Trump's Sanctuary City Order Is a 'Gun to Your Head' | Time

Apr 13, 2017:

The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its final rule which contains important changes to the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) effective in 2018. The proposed rules were announced on February 15.

In summary, the changes do the following:

• decrease the open enrollment period from 12 weeks to six weeks
• require people enrolling outside of the open enrollment period to provide more identification and documentation (to limit the number of people that drop coverage and only enroll when they need it)
• require people to pay back past due premiums when they enroll with the same insurer the next year (to address gaming and encourage individuals to maintain continuous coverage throughout the year)
• give insurers more flexibility in setting health plan "actuarial values" (the percent of medical costs a plan would cover)

Source:

Bryan, Bob. (April 13, 2017). "The Trump administration just rolled out big changes to Obamacare". Business Insider. Retrieved 2017-04-13.

(April 13, 2017). "CMS issues final rule to increase choices and encourage stability in health insurance market for 2018". CMS. Retrieved 2017-04-13.

The Trump administration just proposed big changes to Obamacare | Business Insider

Trump faces risky ObamaCare choice | The Hill

Trump signed the legislation passed in the U.S. Senate on March 30 which cancels the rule enacted by the Obama administration on January 18 regarding Title X funding.

Trump signs bill targeting funding for abortion providers | The Hill

Trump Signs Law Taking Aim at Planned Parenthood Funding | The New York Times

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Democrat-California) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (Democrat-New York) agree that cost-sharing reductions (CSRs) must be included in the upcoming federal budget spending bill due April 28. CSRs are payments (subsidies) paid to health care insurers for low-income Obamacare enrollees.

Dems link ObamaCare payments to shutdown fight | The Hill

Will Congress celebrate Trump's 100th day in office with a government shutdown? | CNN

Apr 12, 2017:

At a meeting of the United Nations Security Council in New York City, Russia blocked a draft resolution supported by the United States, France and Britain to denounce the April 4 attack in the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun. China abstained from the vote. This is the eighth time since the start of the Syrian civil war that Russia has used its veto power to shield the Assad regime.

Russia blocks U.N. Security Council condemnation of Syria attack | Reuters

Trump: 'I'd like to think' Russia didn't know about Syrian chemical attack | The Hill

Trump: 'I'd like to think' Russia didn't know about Syrian chemical attack | The Hill

At a joint press conference at the White House with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Trump said that NATO is "no longer obsolete". Trump often criticized NATO during the 2016 presidential campaign.

NATO is "no longer obsolete," President Trump declares | CBS News

Trump flips on four policies in one day | The Hill

Trump won't label China a currency manipulator | The Hill

Apr 11, 2017:

An intelligence assessment released by the White House states it is "confident" that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is responsible for the sarin gas attack in Syria on April 4. The assessment also blames Russia for spreading "disinformation" about the responsibility for the attack in an attempt to shield Assad from culpability.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia has information which says the U.S. is planning more air strikes in Syria, and that the U.S. is planning to plant chemical weapons in an effort to make it look like the Assad regime is responsible. Putin also said he will push for an official United Nations investigation into the April 4 attack, as well as an investigation by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Putin compared the U.S. justification for its Syria air strike and confidence that Assad is responsible for the attack to the weapons of mass destruction justification for the 2003 Iraq war, saying the following:

It reminds me of the events in 2003 when U.S. envoys to the Security Council were demonstrating what they said were chemical weapons found in Iraq. We have seen it all already.

Source:

(April 12, 2017). "Putin says U.S. preparing more strikes on Syria". CBS News; Associated Press. Retrieved 2017-04-12.

White House: Russia trying to 'cover up' gas attack | The Hill

Putin: US plans to fake chemical weapons in Syria | The Hill

Putin says expects 'fake' gas attacks to discredit Syria's Assad | Reuters

Mattis warns Syria that chemical weapons could draw another US response | The Hill

According to CNN, after reviewing the same intelligence reports seen by House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes on March 21, both Democratic and Republican representatives say they have not yet found that Obama administration officials did anything unusual or illegal.

CNN Exclusive: Classified docs contradict Nunes surveillance claims, GOP and Dem sources say | CNN

At a press conference, Press Secretary Sean Spicer, speaking about Trump's decision to order a missile strike on Syria and the Assad regime, made the following statements:

We didn't use chemical weapons in World War II. You know you had a, someone as despicable as Hitler who didn't even sink to using chemical weapons. So you have to, if you are Russia, ask yourself is this a country that you, and a regime that you want to align yourself with?

I think when you come to sarin gas, there was no, he was not using the gas on his own people the same way that Assad is doing.

Responding to questions after the briefing, in an e-mail to reporters Spicer said the following:

In no way was I trying to lessen the horrendous nature of the Holocaust. I was trying to draw a distinction of the tactic of using airplanes to drop chemical weapons on population centers. Any attack on innocent people is reprehensible and inexcusable.

Later in the day, in an interview with CNN Spicer said:

It was a mistake. I shouldn't have done it and I won't do it again. It was inappropriate and insensitive.

Source:

Savransky, Rebecca. (April 11, 2017). "Trump spokesman sparks outcry by comparing Assad to Hitler". Reuters. Retrieved 2017-04-12.

Hill Dems call for Spicer's termination after Hitler reference | CNN

Nancy Pelosi: 'Sean Spicer must be fired' | CNN

Sean Spicer Raises Outcry With Talk of Hitler, Assad and Poison Gas | The New York Times

Yes, Sean Spicer, facts do matter, especially when you mention Hitler | The Washington Post

What Sean Spicer's Hitler gaffe reveals | The Week

Apr 10, 2017:

Three organizations, the National Security Archive, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, filed a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) asking that visitor logs for the White House, Trump Tower, and Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate be made public.

Trump sued for not releasing White House visitor logs | The Hill

Apr 8, 2017:

Complying with the War Powers Resolution, Trump submitted a letter to the U.S. Congress explaining his reason for ordering the April 6 missile strike in Syria.

Trump sends Congress letter explaining Syria strike | The Hill

McMaster shows clout in Trump's first crisis | The Hill

Apr 7, 2017:

In the U.S. Senate, by a vote of 54-45, Neil Gorsuch was confirmed to serve on the Supreme Court. Except for three Democrats, the vote was on party lines. Senator Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Senator Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, and Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia all voted to confirm.

Neil Gorsuch Confirmed to Supreme Court After Senate Uses 'Nuclear Option' | NBC News

Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded their two-day meeting at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Trade relations and North Korea's nuclear program were major topics of discussion, and both parties pledged to make progress on trade negotiations within the next 100 days.

Trump, Xi have 'candid,' 'positive' talks in Florida | CNN

Apr 6, 2017:

In response to the suspected chemical weapons attack in Khan Sheikhoun on April 4, Trump ordered a cruise missile attack on the government-controlled Syrian air base of Shayrat.

Suspected Chemical Weapons Attack in Syrian Town of Khan Sheikhoun Kills at Least 70 People and Injures 350 | Health and Wellness Resource

In the U.S. Senate, Republicans invoked the "nuclear option", voting 52-48 (100% along party lines) to change Senate rules to allow a simple majority vote on Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch. Immediately afterwards, by a vote of 55-45, the Senate voted to conduct a final confirmation vote tomorrow.

Senate goes 'nuclear' to advance Trump Supreme Court pick | The Hill

GOP triggers 'nuclear option,' gutting filibuster in Gorsuch fight | The Hill

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes announced he will temporarily step aside from the committee's investigation into Russian interference with the 2016 presidential election. Nunes will remain as Chairman but will not be involved in the Russian investigation.

The House Ethics Committee confirmed it is conducting an investigation into Nunes.

The Committee is aware of public allegations that Representative Devin Nunes may have made unauthorized disclosures of classified information, in violation of House Rules, law, regulations, or other standards of conduct.

Source:

Savransky, Rebecca. (April 6, 2017). "Nunes steps aside from Russia investigation". The Hill. Retrieved 2017-04-08.

The House ethics committee is investigating Devin Nunes. What does that mean? | CNN

Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at his Mar-a-Lago getaway in Florida.

At Trump And Xi's Meetings, Uncomfortable Talks Are The Order Of The Day | NPR

Trump offers Xi steak, not a Big Mac, at Mar-a-Lago | Politico

WH: 'Positive and productive' talks between Trump and Chinese president | The Hill

Apr 5, 2017:

Trump removed Steve Bannon from the National Security Council.

Trump drops Steve Bannon from National Security Council | Reuters

Trump removes Bannon from National Security Council | The Hill

According to a Fox News article, when asked directly by Fox News if Susan Rice may have committed a crime, Trump responded "It certainly looks like she may have."

Source:

Gómez, Serafin; Roberts, John. (April 5, 2017). "Trump says Rice may have committed crime with unmasking requests". Fox News. Retrieved 2017-04-05.

A related article in The New York Times said the following:

President Trump said on Wednesday that Susan E. Rice, the former national security adviser, may have committed a crime by seeking to learn the identities of Trump associates swept up in surveillance of foreign officials by United States spy agencies, repeating an assertion his allies in the news media have been making since last week.

Wednesday's interview revealed how Mr. Trump seizes on claims made by the conservative news media, from fringe outlets to Fox News, and gives them a presidential stamp of approval and also increases their reach.

Source:

Haberman, Maggie; Rosenberg, Matthew; Thrush, Glenn. (April 5, 2017). "Trump, Citing No Evidence, Suggests Susan Rice Committed Crime". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-04-05.

Apr 4, 2017:

Susan Rice denied that the Obama administration inappropriately spied on President Trump or members of his transition team.

It was not uncommon, it was necessary at times to make those requests. I don't have a particular recollection of doing that more frequently after the election.

The notion, which some people are trying to suggest, that by asking for the identity of the American person is the same is leaking it — that's completely false. There is no equivalence between so-called unmasking and leaking.

Source:

Bo Williams, Katie. (April 4, 2017). "Rice denies Obama administration inappropriately unmasked Trump team". The Hill. Retrieved 2017-04-04.

The Susan Rice 'smoking gun,' and why it matters | The Hill

What Is Unmasking, and Did Susan Rice Do Anything Wrong? | NBC News

Apr 3, 2017:

A Bloomberg News article reported that on "dozens of occasions" Susan Rice (former national security adviser in the Obama administration) requested the identities of masked U.S. persons in raw U.S. intelligence reports related to the Trump transition and campaign.

According to the article, Rice's requests were discovered during a review of the U.S. government's policy on unmasking being conducted by U.S. National Security Council Senior Director for Intelligence Ezra Cohen-Watnick.

Although not explicitly stating it, the article suggests that the masked intelligence reports related to Rice's requests are the same ones viewed on March 21 by Devin Nunes.

The article states its sources as "two U.S. officials who spoke with Bloomberg View on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly".

Source:

Lake, Eli. (April 3, 2017). "Top Obama Adviser Sought Names of Trump Associates in Intel". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 2017-04-04.

At a press conference, Press Secretary Sean Spicer delivered a check to the U.S. National Park Service for $78,333. Standing near the podium with Spicer were Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Harpers Ferry Park Superintendent Tyrone Brandyburg. The check was a donation made by Trump in the amount of his first 10 weeks in office salary.

On March 16 Trump released his proposed 2018 budget which includes a 12 percent, $1.5 billion cut to the Department of the Interior budget.

Conservationists labeled the move a publicity stunt.

Trump Donates Salary To National Parks Even As He Tries To Cut Interior Department | NPR

The U.S. Department of State announced it will no longer fund the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) because the UNFPA "supports, or participates in the management of, a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization."

A statement on the UNFPA website entitled "Statement by UNFPA on U.S. Decision to Withhold Funding" said the U.S. stated reason for dropping funding is an "erroneous claim".

U.S. withdraws funding for U.N. Population Fund | Reuters

Trump signed into law "S.J.Res.34 - A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Federal Communications Commission relating to 'Protecting the Privacy of Customers of Broadband and Other Telecommunications Services'.".

The law cancels a rule drafted by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FTC) in December of 2016 which was scheduled to go into effect in December of this year. That rule would have required internet service providers (ISP's) to get permission from consumers before using and sharing certain types of personal online data (for example, web browsing history).

President Trump Signs Bill Overturning Internet Privacy Protections | Time

What Really Happens When the FCC's Online Privacy Rules Are Cancelled | Fortune

The FCC Just Approved New Broadband Service Privacy Rules | Fortune

Mar 31, 2017:

Adam Schiff viewed the same documents that Nunes saw on March 21. In a statement, Schiff said the following:

If the White House had any concern over these materials, they should have been shared with the full committees in the first place as a part of our ordinary oversight responsibilities. Nothing I could see today warranted a departure from the normal review procedures.

Source:

Arkin, Daniel; Dilanian, Ken. (March 31, 2017). "Adam Schiff Views Intel Docs Shown to Devin Nunes Last Week". NBC News. Retrieved 2017-04-04.

Mar 30, 2017:

According to a report in The New York Times that claims its source as "four American officials", Devin Nunes was informed by two White House officials that intelligence reports indicated that Trump was incidentally targeted in foreign surveillance by U.S. intelligence agencies. The two officials are Ezra Cohen-Watnick (senior director for intelligence at the National Security Council) and Michael Ellis (a lawyer who works on national security issues at the White House Counsel's Office and previous counsel to Nunes's House Intelligence Committee).

On March 22, the day after Nunes supposedly met with his sources, Nunes held a press conference where he said Trump may have been incidentally caught up in foreign surveillance by U.S. intelligence agencies, giving Trump some relief from his contested claim of being wiretapped by Obama.

The concern and uproar is that 1) the House Intelligence Committee that Nunes chairs is investigating Russian interference with the 2016 U.S. election and possible links with or wiretapping of Trump and his associates, 2) Nunes shared the information with Trump (Trump is one of the entities being investigated), 3) Nunes did not share the information with the House Intelligence Committee or Adam Schiff, and 4) Nunes has not divulged his sources.

Source:

Rosenberg, Matthew; Haberman, Maggie; Goldman, Adam. (March 30, 2017). "2 White House Officials Helped Give Nunes Intelligence Reports". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-03-30.

Monitoring May Have 'Incidentally' Picked Up Trump Aides, House Member Says | The New York Times

Regarding The New York Times, Trump tweeted the following along with a link to a New York Post article written by John Crudele entitled "The New York Times' ongoing dishonesty only helps Trump":

The failing @nytimes has disgraced the media world. Gotten me wrong for two solid years. Change libel laws?

Source:

Lorenz, Taylor. (March 30, 2017). "Trump threatens to 'change libel laws' to go after NY Times". The Hill. Retrieved 2017-03-30.

To Our Readers, From the Publisher and Executive Editor | The New York Times

Regarding the House Freedom Caucus, Trump tweeted the following:

The Freedom Caucus will hurt the entire Republican agenda if they don't get on the team, & fast. We must fight them, & Dems, in 2018!

Source:

Fabian, Jordan. (March 30, 2017). "Trump threatens to 'fight' Freedom Caucus in midterms". The Hill. Retrieved 2017-03-30.

In the U.S. Senate, Vice-President Pence cast a tie-breaking vote to pass legislation which targets Title X money, allowing states to withhold funds from Planned Parenthood and other health care providers that offer abortions. Susan Collins (Republican-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Republican-Alaska) both voted against the bill along with all 48 Democrats. The legislation was passed in the U.S. House of Representatives on February 16, 2017 by a vote of 230-188 (mostly along party lines) via the Congressional Review Act (which only requires a simple majority vote to pass). The bill cancels a rule which went into effect on January 18, 2017 which prohibits states from defunding health care providers that offer abortions.

With Vice President Pence breaking tie, Senate passes anti-Planned Parenthood bill | USA Today

House votes to undo Obama rule protecting Planned Parenthood grants | USA Today

Obama Administration Moves to Protect Planned Parenthood Funding | U.S. News & World Report

Mar 29, 2017:

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt denied a petition received from environmental groups seeking a ban on the pesticide chlorpyrifos.

EPA denies petition to ban pesticide used on crops | ABC News

EPA Administrator Pruitt Denies Petition to Ban Widely Used Pesticide | epa.gov

UPDATED: Trump's EPA Just Greenlighted a Pesticide Known to Damage Kids' Brains | Mother Jones

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke issued Order 3348 which cancels the moratorium on coal-mining leases on federal land ordered by Obama on January 15, 2016.

Interior secretary reopens federal coal mining | The Hill

Obama announces moratorium on new federal coal leases | The Washington Post

In Hawaii, U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson issued a preliminary injunction on Trump's revised travel ban which extends the temporary restraining order he issued on March 15.

Federal judge extends order blocking Trump's revised travel ban | The Hill

Mar 28, 2017:

Trump signed an executive order entitled "Presidential Executive Order on Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth".

In summary, the order does the following:

• targets the Clean Power Plan rule introduced by the EPA during the Obama administration
• reverses a ban on coal leasing on federal lands
• undoes rules to curb methane emissions from oil and gas production
• reduces the weight of climate change and carbon emissions in policy and infrastructure permitting decisions

Speaking at EPA headquarters Trump said the following:

I am taking historic steps to lift restrictions on American energy, to reverse government intrusion and to cancel job-killing regulations.

Source:

Volcovici, Valerie; Mason, Jeff. (March 28, 2017). "Trump signs order dismantling Obama-era climate policies". Reuters. Retrieved 2017-04-12.

Trump Takes Aim At A Centerpiece Of Obama's Environmental Legacy | NPR

Pollution and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Power Plants | Health and Wellness Resource

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/difficult-slog-ahead-undo-obama-climate-legacy-says-former-epa-chief/
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/barrasso-trump-climate-rollback-helps-u-s-energy-superpower/
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/trumps-order-on-energy-promises-coal-jobs-and-a-clean-environment-what-does-that-look-like/
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/28/climate/trump-executive-order-climate-change.html
http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/27/politics/trump-climate-change-executive-order/
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/03/28/trump-signs-executive-order-rolling-back-obama-era-energy-regs.html
http://www.healthandwellnessresource.com/pollution-and-greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-power-plants/

Mar 27, 2017:

At a White House press briefing, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said that sanctuary cities (cites that protect illegal immigrants) may lose grants from the U.S. Department of Justice.

U.S. attorney general says sanctuary cities may lose federal grants | Reuters

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called on House Speaker Paul Ryan to replace Devin Nunes as House Intel Committee Chairman:

You cannot have the person in charge of an impartial investigation be partial to one side - it's an inherent contradiction - and it undermines decades of bi-partisan cooperation on the Intelligence Committee which handles such sensitive information paramount to national security.

It undermines Congress as a co-equal branch of government meant to hold the executive branch accountable for its actions. And it corrodes the American people's confidence in our government.

Source:

(March 27, 2017). "Schumer calls on Paul Ryan to replace Nunes". CNN. Retrieved 2017-03-27.

Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, made a statement calling for House Intel Committee Chairman Devin Nunes to recuse himself from "any investigation" into Trump's campaign and transition team:

I believe the public cannot have the necessary confidence that matters involving the President's campaign or transition team can be objectively investigated or overseen by the Chairman.

Source:

Timm, Jane C. (March 27, 2017). "Schiff Calls on GOP Intel Chair Nunes to Recuse Himself From Russia Probe". NBC News. Retrieved 2017-03-27.

Nunes Had Secret White House Meeting Before Trump Monitoring Claim | NBC News

Nunes stated that he is not stepping down, claiming the Democratic request for his replacement is just political.

Nunes will not step down from Russia probe | The Hill

Mar 25, 2017:

Early this morning, Trump tweeted the following:

Watch @JudgeJeanine on @FoxNews tonight at 9:00 P.M.

This evening, in her opening statement, Jeanine Pirro, host of the Fox News program Justice with Judge Jeanine said the following:

Paul Ryan needs to step down as speaker of the house.The reason? He failed to deliver the votes on his healthcare bill.

You know, Americans elected the one man they believed could do it. A complete outsider. Someone beholding to no one but them. And Speaker Ryan, you come in with all your swagger and experience, and you sell 'em a bill of goods which ends up a complete and total failure. And you allow our president, in his first 100 days, to come out of the box like that?

Folks, I want to be clear - this is not on President Trump. No one expected a business man to completely understand the nuances, the complicated ins and outs of Washington and its legislative process.

How could you possibly misjudge this?

The Freedom Caucus, feeling emboldened by their win with this health care failure, will now dig their heels in on the tax cuts.

Ryan has hurt you going forward and he's got to go.

Source:

Herreria, Carla. (March 25, 2017). "Judge Jeanine Calls For Paul Ryan To Quit — Hours After Trump Plugged Her Show!". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2017-03-25.

Mar 24, 2017:

Trump approved the Keystone XL Pipeline.

Trump greenlights Keystone XL pipeline, but obstacles loom | Reuters

Mar 23, 2017:

Today was the final day of Senate Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Judge Neil Gorsuch.

House Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (Democrat-New York) said it will take 60 votes to confirm Gorsuch, which means Democrats will filibuster, if necessary, in an attempt to block the confirmation.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has already said he will "go nuclear" if necessary and change the Senate rules to allow a simple majority to confirm Gorsuch, which means that Gorsuch will, barring any unforeseen events, be confirmed.

Schumer Says He'll Oppose Gorsuch Nomination, Sets Up Filibuster Showdown With GOP | NPR

Gorsuch Confirmation Hearings End And The Political Games Begin | NPR

The Democratic Filibuster of Neil Gorsuch Is On | The Nation

Reuters reported that over the past two weeks U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has sent four cables/memos to various U.S embassies around the world instructing them to identify "populations warranting increased scrutiny" and to toughen screening for visa applicants in those groups. The cables/memos also instruct the embassies to conduct a "mandatory social media check" for all applicants who have ever been present in territory controlled by the Islamic State.

Source:

Torbati, Yeganeh; Rosenberg, Mica; Mohammed, Arshad. (March 23, 2017). "Exclusive: U.S. embassies ordered to identify population groups for tougher visa screening". Reuters. Retrieved 2017-06-05.

Trump Administration Orders Tougher Screening of Visa Applicants | The New York Times

Mar 22, 2017:

Trump was interviewed by Time Washington Bureau Chief Michael Scherer for a cover story about how Trump has handled truth and falsehood.

Read a transcript of the interview here.

Read Michael Scherer's cover story here.

Who Can Tell the Emperor When He Has No Clothes? | The Atlantic

The Wall Street Journal published an op-ed article entitled "A President's Credibility".

Wall Street Journal editorial attacks Trump's credibility | USA Today

WSJ editorial: Most Americans may conclude Trump 'fake president' | CNN

Mar 21, 2017:

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a carry-on electronic device "security enhancement" (ban) affecting ten airports in eight different Middle East and North African countries.

The ban requires that only smartphones can be carried on-board and that all other types of electronic devices (laptops, tablets, e-readers, cameras, portable DVD players, electronic game units larger than a smartphone, and travel printers/scanners) must be stored in checked luggage.

The ban affects flights at airports that serve as last points of departure to the U.S. in eight countries (Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates). The ban affects nine airlines, none of which are American or European.

Source:

Department of Homeland Security, Office of Public Affairs. (March 21, 2017). "Fact Sheet: Aviation Security Enhancements for Select Last Point of Departure Airports with Commercial Flights to the United States". dhs.gov. Retrieved 2017-03-23.

What's Really Behind Trump's Laptop Ban | Politico

Abu Dhabi to Los Angeles: 17 Hours Without a Laptop | The Atlantic

Devices Banned on Flights From 10 Countries Over ISIS Fears | The New York Times

Mar 20, 2017:

FBI Director James Comey and National Security Agency Director Michael Rogers testified before a hearing of the House Intelligence Committee. At the outset of the hearing, Devin Nunes, chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, stated the following three questions and focus points for the hearing:

First, what actions did Russia undertake against the United States during the 2016 election campaign and did anyone from...a political campaign conspire in these activities?

Number two, were the communications of officials or associates of any campaign subject to any kind of improper surveillance?

Number three, who has leak classified information?

At the hearing, Comey said the following:

I have been authorized by the Department of Justice to confirm that the FBI, as part of our counterintelligence mission, is investigating the Russian government's efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election and that includes investigating the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia's efforts. As with any counterintelligence investigation, this will also include an assessment of whether any crimes were committed.

With respect to the president's tweets about alleged wiretapping directed at him by the prior administration, I have no information that supports those tweets and we have looked carefully inside the FBI. The Department of Justice has asked me to share with you that the answer is the same for the Department of Justice and all its components. The department has no information that supports those tweets.

I can tell you in general, as -- as Admiral Rogers and I were just saying, there is a statutory framework in the United States under which courts grant permission for electronic surveillance either in a criminal case or a national security case based on a showing of probable cause, carefully overseen. It's a rigorous, rigorous process that involves all three branches of government, and it's one we've lived with since the late 1970s. That's how it works. So no individual in the United States can direct electronic surveillance of anyone, it has to go through an application process, ask a judge, the judge can I make the order.

When asked if President Obama could unilaterally order a wiretap of anyone, Comey responded:

No president could.

Source:

Washington Post Staff. (March 20, 2017). "Full transcript: FBI Director James Comey testifies on Russian interference in 2016 election". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2017-03-20.

According to Comey's testimony, no one, including the U.S. President, can initiate electronic surveillance without a court order, and there must be probable cause. This testimony directly refutes what was said by Fox News Judge Andrew Napolitano on March 14.

The Fox News Channel has pulled legal analyst Andrew Napolitano from the air. It's worth noting that just last Friday in a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Trump referred to Napolitano as a "very talented legal mind".

Comey: 'No Information' To Back Trump's Claim Obama Wiretapped Him | NBC News

Comey: FBI probing Trump-Russia links, wiretap claims bogus | ABC News

Comey confirms Russia probe, but 'no information' supporting Trump wiretap claim | PBS

White House on Comey Testimony Countering Trump's Wiretap Claim: 'Nothing Has Changed' | NBC News

Comey rejects tweet by President Trump that Russia did not influence outcome of election | Los Angeles Times

Fox pulls Napolitano from air after Trump report | Associated Press

Trump: Napolitano 'a very talented legal mind' | The Hill

Today was the first day of Senate Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Judge Neil Gorsuch.

Republicans Praise Gorsuch, Democrats Decry Garland Treatment On Day 1 Of Hearings | NPR

Mar 18, 2017:

Regarding his meeting with Angela Merkel at the Whitehouse yesterday, Trump tweeted the following:

Despite what you have heard from the FAKE NEWS, I had a GREAT meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Nevertheless, Germany owes ... vast sums of money to NATO & the United States must be paid more for the powerful, and very expensive, defense it provides to Germany!

Source:

Thomas, Ken; Colvin, Jill. (March 18, 2017). "Trump says US 'must be paid more' to defend Germany". The Washington Post (Associated Press). Retrieved 2017-03-18.

Trump says NATO is obsolete but still 'very important to me' | Reuters

Mar 17, 2017:

The U.S. Justice Department sent documents containing information possibly related to Trump's claim of wiretapping to the House and Senate intelligence and judiciary committees.

Justice Dept. delivers documents on wiretap claim to Congress | Reuters

THE MEMO: GOP breaks from Trump in 'wiretap' furor | The Hill

THE MEMO: Trump wiretapping controversy goes global | The Hill

At the Whitehouse, Trump met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. At a joint press conference, Trump said the following about NATO:

I reiterated to Chancellor Merkel my strong support for NATO as well as the need for our NATO allies to pay their fair share for the cost of defense. Many nations owe vast sums of money from past years, and it is very unfair to the United States. These nations must pay what they owe.

Source:

Mason, Jeff; Rinke, Andreas. (March 17, 2017). "In first Trump-Merkel meeting, awkward body language and a quip". Reuters. Retrieved 2017-03-18.

Five Reasons Why NATO Nations Don't Always Pay Their Fair Share | NBC News

Defense Secretary Mattis issues new ultimatum to NATO allies on defense spending | The Washington Post

Fox News Channel daytime host Shep Smith reported the following regarding Andrew Napolitano:

Fox News cannot confirm Judge Napolitano's commentary. Fox News knows of no evidence of any kind that the now president of the United States was surveilled at any time in any way, full stop[period].

Source:

Hains, Tim. (March 17, 2017). "Shep Smith: Fox News Can Not Confirm Napolitano's 'GCHQ Spying On Trump' Story". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved 2017-03-20.

Mar 16, 2017:

Trump released his proposed 2018 budget which includes:

• 10% increase in defense/military spending
• 28% cut in State Department spending
• 31% cut in EPA spending
• the elimination of 62 specific programs and agencies

In addition to funding for 2018, Trump asked for additional funds for the current year, including $25 billion for core Defense Department programs, $5 billion for combat operations, and $3 billion for the Department of Homeland Security.

Source:

Cowan, Richard; Rampton, Roberta. (March 16, 2017). "Trump's budget cuts to domestic, aid programs draw Republican scorn". Reuters. Retrieved 2017-03-16.

Korte, Gregory. (March 16, 2017). "The 62 agencies and programs Trump wants to eliminate". USA Today. Retrieved 2017-03-16.

Five takeaways from Trump's budget request | The Hill

GOP leaders want details before funding Trump's border wall | The Hill

View a detailed breakdown of Trump's budget proposal here.

The budget text says that hundreds of programs and agencies would be eliminated, with at least 50 of those in the EPA. View a list of the 62 specific programs and agencies mentioned in the budget proposal that would be eliminated here.

One of the 62 programs is the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) which helps fund about 1,500 locally owned public radio and television stations. In 2014, then Indiana Governor Mike Pence said the following about public television:

I believe the state has the primary responsibility for educating our children and I will say from my heart through all of my life, one thing has been clear: Public television plays a vital role in educating all of the public, but most especially, our children.

At a press briefing today, Office of Management and Budget Drector Mick Mulvaney said keeping funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a "hard sell":

Can I really go to those folks [referring to steelworkers in Ohio, coal-mining families in West Virginia, and a mother of two in Detroit], look them in the eye and say, 'Look, I want to take money from you, and I want to give it to the Corporation (for) Public Broadcasting.' That is a really hard sell, and in fact, it's something we don't think we can defend anymore.

Source:

Klein, Betsy. (March 16, 2017). "Trump's budget kills public television; Pence's Indiana budget saved it". CNN. Retrieved 2017-03-17.

At a press conference, Press Secretary Sean Spicer gave a long and exhaustive defense of Trump's wiretapping claim. Among other things, Spicer mentioned a March 14, 2017 Fox & Friends segment where Judge Andrew Napolitano (senior judicial analyst for Fox News) spoke about information provided to Fox News from "three intelligence sources". Here's what Napolitano said:

The statutes authorize the President of the United States to order the surveillance of any person in the United States of America, without suspicion, without probable cause, and without a warrant, meaning he doesn't have to go to a court to do it.

So he can order the NSA, which already has the digital version of our phone calls, to, transcribe the digital version into a transcript and give it to him [the President].

But if he does that there's a record of the order. So, three intelligence sources have informed Fox News that President Obama went outside the chain of command - he didn't use the NSA, he didn't use the CIA, he didn't use the FBI, and he didn't use the Department of Justice - he used GCHQ[UK Government Communications Headquarters]. What the heck is GCHQ? That's the initials for the British spying agency. They have 24/7 access to the NSA database. So by simply having two people go to them saying "President Obama needs transcripts of conversations involving candidate Trump, conversations involving President-elect Trump", he's able to get it, and there's no American fingerprints on this.

The NSA has 24/7/365 access to every mainframe computer of every telecom and every computer service provider that does business in the United States, and they share that with various intelligence agencies, including the Brits. So the British intelligence agency had this. What happened to the guy who ordered this? Resigned, three days after Donald Trump was inaugurated.

GCHQ responded to Napolitano's claims saying:

Recent allegations made by media commentator judge Andrew Napolitano about GCHQ being asked to conduct 'wiretapping' against the then president-elect are nonsense.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said it had been made clear to U.S. officials that the claims were "ridiculous and should have been ignored".

Source:

Fox News. (March 17, 2017). "Why there may never be proof even if Obama spied on Trump". Fox News. Retrieved 2017-03-17.

BBC. (March 14, 2017). "Trump distances White House from GCHQ wiretap claim". BBC. Retrieved 2017-03-17.

Sean Spicer's angry, lonely defense of Trump's wiretapping claim, annotated | The Washington Post

Sean Spicer continues to defend President Trump's wiretapping claims | ABC News

Andrew Napolitano: Did Obama spy on Trump? | Fox News

After being confirmed yesterday by the Senate by a vote of 85-12, Dan Coats was sworn in as the new Director of National Intelligence. Coats will oversee all 16 U.S. intelligence agencies.

U.S. Army Lieutenant General H.R. (Herbert Raymond) McMaster was officially appointed as National Security Advisor.

Senate votes to approve Trump's picks for key security posts | USA Today

Mar 15, 2017:

In Hawaii, U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson issued a nationwide block on Trump's revised travel ban.

Judge blocks Trump's revised travel ban | The Hill

Federal judge in Hawaii halts Trump travel ban | Fox News

Trump blasts court ruling blocking revised travel order | The Hill

President Trump's new travel ban is not a true national security order | The Hill

Trump ordered a review of auto fuel efficiency standards issued by the Obama administration. Read Trump's speech at the American Center for Mobility in Detroit, Michigan here.

Big win for automakers as Trump orders fuel economy standards review | Reuters

Trump Starts Review of Obama-Era Fuel-Economy Rules, Putting Electric Cars in Doubt | Fox News

California ready to pursue clean car standards as Trump brakes | Reuters

Trump discussed his recent wiretapping accusations with host Tucker Carlson on the Fox News program Tucker Carlson Tonight. Trump said his administration "will be submitting things" to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence "very soon." Trump said his definition of wiretapping "covers a lot of different things." "Nobody ever talks about the fact that [the words 'wires tapped'] was in quotes [in the tweet], but that's a very important thing."

Source:

Fox News. (March 10, 2017). "Trump says he will submit evidence of wiretapping to House committee 'very soon'". Fox News. Retrieved 2017-03-16.

Mar 10, 2017:

The U.S. Department of Justice announced that Attorney General Jeff Sessions has asked the remaining 46 federal prosecutors who served under the Obama administration (and who are at present still working in the Justice Department) to resign.

While it's customary for a new incoming administration to appoint new U.S. attorneys, some Democrats have expressed concern over the request for immediate resignation when replacements have not yet been nominated or confirmed. Under the Obama administration, attorneys appointed by George W. Bush remained in office until their successors were confirmed.

Sessions asks 46 Obama-era US attorneys to resign | The Hill

AG Sessions asks remaining 46 US attorneys to resign | Fox News

Justice Department Fires U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara | NPR

In a document entitled "THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION — FEBRUARY 2017" the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released its monthly report. The report states that 235,000 jobs were added last month and that the unemployment rate remained steady at 4.7%.

In a press conference Press Secretary Sean Spicer was asked about Trump's past criticism of Bureau of Labor Statistic's reports:

I talked to the president prior to this, and he said to quote him very clearly: 'They may have been phony in the past, but it's very real now.'

Spicer and reporters laughed in response, but it was unclear if Trump was joking or sincere.

Source:

Greenwood, Max. (March 10, 2017). "Spicer quotes Trump: Jobs reports 'may have been phony in the past, but it's very real now'". The Hill. Retrieved 2017-03-13.

White House welcomes strong jobs data in potentially rule-violating tweets | Reuters

The White House Is Celebrating Jobs Numbers President Trump Used to Call 'Phony' | Fortune

In Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. District Court Judge William Conley issued a temporary retraining order against Trump's revised travel ban. The order applies to just one Syrian man trying to bring his daughter and wife from Syria to the U.S.

Revised Trump travel ban suffers first legal blow | Politico

Mar 9, 2017:

On CNBC's "Squawk Box", host Joe Kernen asked U.S. EPA Director Scott Pruitt about climate change.

Kernan:

Do you believe that it's been proven that CO2 is the primary control knob for climate - do you believe that?

Pruitt:

No, no I think that measuring with precision human activity on the climate is something very challenging to do and there's tremendous disagreement about the degree of impact, so no, I would not agree that it's a primary contributor to the global warming that we see. But we don't know that yet. We need to continue the debate and continue the review and the analysis.

Source:

DiChristopher, Tom. (March 9, 2017). "EPA chief Scott Pruitt says carbon dioxide is not a primary contributor to global warming". CNBC. Retrieved 2017-03-09.

EPA chief: Carbon dioxide not primary cause of warming | ABC News

In break with Trump, EPA pick says climate change isn't hoax | Associated Press

3 Things Scott Pruitt Has Actually Said About Climate Change | Greenpeace

The Climate-Change Gang | National Review

Scientific consensus: Earth's climate is warming | nasa.gov

Speaking to Politico, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was asked "Do you believe that Mexico will pay for it [a wall]?", to which McConnell replied, "Uh, no."

Source:

Conway, Madeline. (March 9, 2017). "McConnell on Mexico paying for the border wall: 'Uh, no'". Politico. Retrieved 2017-03-09.

Mitch McConnell's refreshingly honest answer about Mexico paying for the border wall | The Washington Post

Mar 8, 2017:

Senator Lindsey Graham (Republican-South Carolina) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat-Rhode Island) sent a letter to FBI director James Comey and acting Deputy Attorney General Dana Boente asking for copies of any warrant applications and court orders related to wiretaps of Trump, the Trump Campaign, or Trump Tower.

Sens. Graham and Whitehouse demand proof of Trump's claim that Obama wiretapped him | USA Today

McCain, Graham ask Trump for evidence of wiretapping claims | CBS News

Mar 7, 2017:

At a press conference, when asked about Trump's wiretap tweet on March 4, House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes (Republican-California) said the following:

The president is a neophyte to politics. He's been doing this a little over a year. And I think a lot of the things he says, I think you guys sometimes take literally.

Source:

LoBianco, Tom. (March 7, 2017). "GOP Hill leaders back away from Trump on wiretap allegations". CNN. Retrieved 2017-03-13.

Mar 6, 2017:

Trump signed a revised executive order entitled "Executive Order Protecting The Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into The United States". Here's a summary of how this order differs from Trump's first order on refugees issued January 27:

• excludes Iraq from the travel ban (Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen are still included in the 90-day ban)
• legal permanent U.S. residents, people who are dual citizens of another country that isn't banned, foreign nationals traveling for diplomatic purposes, and those who already have a valid visa to come to the U.S. are explicity exempt from the ban
• Syrian refugees are banned from entry to the U.S. for four months (previously the ban was indefinite)
• provisions favoring religious minorities were removed
• the list of who might qualify for a ban waiver has been significantly increased

Also, the order has a 10-day "grace period" and does not take affect until March 16.

Source:

Zanona, Melanie. (March 6, 2017). "What's changed in Trump's travel ban". The Hill. Retrieved 2017-03-07.

Trump signs revised travel ban in bid to overcome legal challenges | Reuters

Trump signs new immigration order, narrows scope of travel ban | Fox News

Mar 5, 2017:

Appearing on NBC's Meet the Press with host Chuck Todd, Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper was asked by Todd about Trump's claim of wiretaps.

Todd:

Well, James Clapper, a career intelligence officer, was the Director of National Intelligence for more than six years under President Obama, he spearheaded the report that was released in January that concluded that Russians hacked the Democrat National Committee e-mails and interfered with the 2016 election.

Let me start with the President's tweets yesterday, this idea that maybe President Obama ordered an illegal wiretap of his offices. If something like that happened, would this be something you would be aware of?

Clapper:

I would certainly hope so. I can't say-- obviously, I'm not, I can't speak officially anymore. But I will say that, for the part of the national security apparatus that I oversaw as DNI, there was no such wiretap activity mounted against-- the president elect at the time, or as a candidate, or against his campaign. I can't speak for other Title Three authorized entities in the government or a state or local entity.

When asked by Todd if Clapper would have been notified and would have known if other intelligence agencies had issued a FISA court wiretap order, Clapper responded "absolutely". Clapper also said that "to his knowledge" there is no FISA court order.

Read a transcript of the entire interview here.

FBI asked Justice Department to reject Trump claim: report | The Hill

Mar 4, 2017:

Via Twitter, Trump claimed that Obama had wire tapped Trump Tower just before the November election. Trump gave no evidence to support his claim.

Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my "wires tapped" in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!

Is it legal for a sitting President to be "wire tapping" a race for president prior to an election? Turned down by court earlier. A NEW LOW!

I'd bet a good lawyer could make a great case out of the fact that President Obama was tapping my phones in October, just prior to Election!

How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!

Source:

Scott, Eugene; Prokupecz , Shimon. (March 4, 2017). "Trump accuses Obama of wiretapping him". CNN. Retrieved 2017-03-04.

Suggesting a possible source for Trump's tweets, a news article in The Hill entitled "Trump ratchets up Obama attack with wiretapping allegation" references an article published yesterday by Breitbart entitled "Mark Levin to Congress: Investigate Obama's 'Silent Coup' vs. Trump" which reports on statements made by conservative talk radio host Mark Levin on March 2:

The bigger scandal here is that we've had Obama administration holdovers within intelligence agencies surveilling the Trump campaign and leaking information to the public, in hopes of getting Hillary Clinton elected. Those are police state tactics!

Source:

Levin, Mark. (March 2, 2017). "March 2, 2017". The Mark Levin Show. Retrieved 2017-03-04.

The Breitbart article also references an article on the HeatStreet website dated November 7, 2016 which states the following:

Two separate sources with links to the counter-intelligence community have confirmed to Heat Street that the FBI sought, and was granted, a FISA court warrant in October, giving counter-intelligence permission to examine the activities of 'U.S. persons' in Donald Trump's campaign with ties to Russia.

Source:

Mensch, Louise. (November 7, 2016). "March 2, 2017". Heatstreet. Retrieved 2017-03-04.

Listen to Mark Levin interviewed on Fox & Friends on March 5 here.

Conservative media pushed wiretapping claims before Trump did | CBS News

Mar 2, 2017:

At a press conference, Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from any further involvement in the investigations into Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Sessions recuses himself from Russia probe | The Hill

Sessions met with Russian envoy twice last year, encounters he later did not disclose | The Washington Post

Feb 28, 2017:

Trump issued an executive order entitled "Presidential Executive Order on Restoring the Rule of Law, Federalism, and Economic Growth by Reviewing the 'Waters of the United States' Rule".

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers Finalize Clean Water Rule | Health and Wellness Resource

Trump delivered a speech to a joint session of the U.S. Congress. Read a transcript of his speech here.

Trump softens immigration stance, takes measured tone in speech | Reuters

In speech, Trump tries to turn from divisive to deal-maker | Reuters

Factbox: Main themes of Trump's speech to Congress | Reuters

Trump highlights victims of crimes by immigrants, new office in joint address | CNN

Trump, in speech to Congress, calls to 'restart the engine' of US economy | Fox News

Speaking to the National Association of Attorneys General, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the following:

One of the big things out there that's, I think, causing trouble, and where you see the greatest increase in violence and murders in cities is somehow, some way, we undermined the respect for our police and made, oftentimes, their job more difficult, and it's not been well-received by them, and we're not seeing the kind of effective, community-based, street-based policing that we found to be so effective in reducing crime.

But we need, so far as we can, in my view, help police departments get better, not diminish their effectiveness. And I'm afraid we've done some of that. So we're gonna try to pull back on this . And I don't think it's wrong, or mean, or insensitive to civil rights or human rights. I think it's out of a concern to make the lives of people, in particular the poor communities, minority communities, live a safer, happier life.

Source:

Berman, Mark. (February 28, 2017). "Jeff Sessions ties increase in violent crime to 'undermined' respect for police". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2017-03-02.

According to an NBC News article entitled "AG Sessions Says DOJ to 'Pull Back' on Police Department Civil Rights Suits":

Under the Obama Administration, the Justice Department opened 25 investigations into police departments and sheriff's offices and was enforcing 19 agreements at the end of 2016, resolving civil rights lawsuits filed against police departments in Ferguson, Missouri; Baltimore, New Orleans, Cleveland and 15 other cities.

Concerns mount over Chicago cop reform as Sessions vows to 'pull back' | Chicago Tribune

Feb 24, 2017:

Trump signed an executive order entitled "Presidential Executive Order on Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda".

The order requires federal agency heads to appoint regulatory reform officers and it creates regulatory task forces, both intended to reduce government regulations and make it easier for U.S. businesses.

Trump signs another executive order aimed at regulations | The Hill

Remarks by President Trump at Signing of Executive Order on Regulatory Reform | whitehouse.gov

At the White House a group of media outlets were excluded from an off-camera question-and-answer session (referred to as a "gaggle") led by Press Secretary Sean Spicer.

ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, Reuters, Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal, McClatchy, Breitbart, the Washington Times, and One America News Network were allowed to attend.

The New York Times, The Hill, Politico, BuzzFeed, the Daily Mail, BBC, the Los Angeles Times, and the New York Daily News were not allowed to attend. The Associated Press and Time magazine were allowed but refused to attend.

Source:

Fabian, Jordan. (February 24, 2017). "White House hand-picks select media outlets for briefing". The Hill. Retrieved 2017-02-25.

Speaking at the American Conservative Union's annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, here's what Trump had to say about the media:

And I want you all to know that we are fighting the fake news. It's fake -- phony, fake. A few days ago, I called the fake news "the enemy of the people" -- and they are. They are the enemy of the people. Because they have no sources, they just make them up when there are none.

I'm against the people that make up stories and make up sources. They shouldn't be allowed to use sources unless they use somebody's name. Let their name be put out there. Let their name be put out. A source says that Donald Trump is a horrible, horrible human being. Let them say it to my face. Let there be no more sources.

And I love the First Amendment. Nobody loves it better than me. Nobody. I mean, who uses it more than I do?

But the First Amendment gives all of us -- it gives it to me, it gives it to you, it gives all Americans -- the right to speak our minds freely. It gives you the right and me the right to criticize fake news, and criticize it strongly.

And many of these groups are part of the large media corporations that have their own agenda, and it's not your agenda, and it's not the country's agenda. It's their own agenda. They have a professional obligation as members of the press to report honestly. But as you saw throughout the entire campaign, and even now, the fake news doesn't tell the truth. Doesn't tell the truth.

So just in finishing, I say it doesn't represent the people. It never will represent the people. And we're going to do something about it, because we have to go out and we have to speak our minds, and we have to be honest. Our victory was a win like nobody has ever seen before.

Source:

Trump, Donald. (February 24, 2017). "Remarks by President Trump at the Conservative Political Action Conference". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved 2017-02-25.

At conservative gathering, Trump blasts purveyors of 'fake news' | Reuters

Even though he bashes anonymous sources, Trump uses them himself | ABC News

Why punishing the media will backfire on Trump | CNN

Media outlets accuse White House of blocking certain press from covering event | Fox News

Media Outrage over White House 'Exclusion' is Fake News | Breibart

'Chilling, Undemocratic, Totalitarian': White House Bars Critical News Outlets | CommonDreams

Experts on authoritarianism say Trump's presidency 'has gotten scarier' | ThinkProgress

White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus did a joint interview at CPAC.

Read a transcript of the interview here.

Regarding the recent leaks of information from the FBI, Trump tweeted the following:

The FBI is totally unable to stop the national security 'leakers' that have permeated our government for a long time.

They can't even find the leakers within the FBI itself. Classified information is being given to media that could have a devastating effect on U.S. FIND NOW.

Source:

Nussbaum , Matthew; Nelson, Lewis. (February 24, 2017). "Trump tweets anger at FBI while White House scrambles to contain fallout". Politico. Retrieved 2017-02-25.

White House Asked FBI To Publicly Refute Reports Trump Associates Had Russia Contacts | NPR

Feb 23, 2017:

In Mexico with Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly said there will be no "mass deportations" or use of military force in immigration operations.

Homeland Security chief John Kelly: There will be 'no mass deportations' | ABC News

Trump on deportations: 'It's a military operation' | CNN

More e-mails between Scott Pruitt and fossil fuel companies were provided to the Center for Media and Democracy. The e-mails show a close and friendly relationship between the two parties.

Emails reveal Pruitt's behind-the-scenes collaboration with oil and natural gas giant | CNN

Emails reveal EPA chief Pruitt's work with oil, gas companies | Fox News

Oklahoma AG looks to delay release of more Pruitt emails | The Hill

Feb 22, 2017:

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued a statement entitled "Statement by Attorney General Jeff Sessions on the Withdrawal of Title IX Guidance" which rolls back the transgender directive issued by President Obama on May 12, 2016. In that directive, Obama stated that transgender students must be permitted to use bathrooms that align with their gender identity, and that their gender identity will be used when enforcing laws. Today's statement by Sessions, approved by Trump, cancels Obama's directive.

The controversy over the directive and it's cancellation by the Trump administration revolves around the definition of the word "sex" in the Title IX law which states:

No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

Source:

"Title IX". Wikipedia. Retrieved 2017-02-24.

Trump administration withdraws protections for transgender students | The Hill

Dems rip Trump administration for revoking Obama's transgender directive | The Hill

Betsy DeVos calls Obama's transgender bathroom rules an 'overreach' | USA Today

Obama administration releases directive on transgender rights to school bathrooms | Politico

Feb 21, 2017:

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), now headed by DHS Secretary John Kelly, issued two memos which implement and define specifics of the two executive orders issued on January 25 regarding immigration.

The first memo entitled "Implementing the President's Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements" addresses the executive order entitled "Executive Order: Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements".

The second memo entitled "Enforcement of the Immigration Laws to Serve the National Interest" addresses the executive order entitled "Executive Order: Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States".

In summary, the memos do the following:

• greatly increase the number of immigrants who are prioritized for deportation, including those here illegally who may have committed a crime but have not been charged, those who have "abused any program related to receipt of public benefits," or those an immigration officer deems a risk to public safety or national security
• end the "Catch and release (U.S. immigration policy)"
• provide for the hiring of thousands of additional customs enforcement agents and officers, and border patrol agents
• expand a federal program that enlists state and local police to enforce immigration laws
• create a new "Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) office responsible for communications between ICE and victims of crimes committed by illegal aliens
• do not affect Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA, also known as "dreamers")

Here's more detail regarding VOICE:

Criminal aliens routinely victimize Americans and other legal residents. Often, these victims are not provided adequate information about the offender, the offender's immigration status, or any enforcement action taken by ICE against the offender. Efforts by ICE to engage these victims have been hampered by prior Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policy extending certain Privacy Act protections to persons other than U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, leaving victims feeling marginalized and without a voice.

Accordingly, I am establishing the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) Office within the Office of the Director of ICE, which will create a programmatic liaison between ICE and the known victims of crimes committed by removable aliens. The liaison will facilitate engagement with the victims and their families to ensure, to the extent permitted by law, that they are provided information about the offender, including the offender's immigration status and custody status, and that their questions and concerns regarding immigration enforcement efforts are addressed.

To that end, I direct the Director of ICE to immediately reallocate any and all resources that are currently used to advocate on behalf of illegal aliens (except as necessary to comply with a judicial order) to the new VOICE Office, and to immediately terminate the provision of such outreach or advocacy services to illegal aliens.

DHS Outlines Crackdown on Illegal Immigration | NBC News

Homeland Security Outlines New Rules Tightening Enforcement Of Immigration Law | NPR

DHS secretary orders immigration agent hiring surge, end to 'catch-and-release' | Fox News

Department of Homeland Security officially spreading lies about immigrant crime | Think Progress

Trump Administration Signals Shift In Policy On DACA | NPR

Regarding DACA, in his news conference last Thursday Trump expressed concern and empathy for DACA recipients:

We're gonna show great heart, DACA is a very, very difficult subject for me, I will tell you. To me, it's one of the most difficult subjects I have because you have these incredible kids.

In many cases, not in all cases. And some of the cases, having DACA and they're gang members and they're drug dealers, too. But you have some absolutely, incredible kids, I would say mostly. They were brought here in such a way — it's a very — it's a very, very tough subject.

Source:

Federal News Service. (February 16, 2017). "Full Transcript and Video: Trump News Conference". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-02-22.

However, there are three ways in which the DACA program could be ended without Trump issuing an executive order:

• Attorney General Jeff Sessions could instruct the U.S. Department of Justice to review the DACA program. If the Justice Department concludes that DACA is not legal or is no longer "a responsible use of prosecutorial discretion", the Justice Department would instruct the Department of Homeland Security to stop issuing and renewing DACA work permits.
• Several states are considering filing a lawsuit similar to lawsuits filed after Obama's executive actions on immigration in 2014. Attorney General Jeff Sessions could instruct the U.S. Department of Justice to not defend the case.
• Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly could instruct U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to stop issuing DACA work permits.

Any of these ways would deflect some of the political consequences away from Trump if he instead issued an executive order, but given what Trump has said about DACA, it seems unlikely that anyone in his administration would do anything contradictory to what he has said.

The White House has found ways to end protection for 'Dreamers' while shielding Trump from blowback | Los Angeles Times

According to an article on the CBS News website entitled "Trump's Mar-a-Lago trips cost taxpayers about $10M so far", the cost of Trump's three weekends spent at his Mar-a-Lago seaside estate in Palm Beach, Florida has cost taxpayers $10 million. That estimate is based on a comparative trip made by President Obama in 2013.

The article notes that in January of 2012, Trump tweeted the following regarding a vacation by Obama:

President @BarackObama's vacation is costing taxpayers millions of dollars----Unbelievable!

Trump's first month of travel expenses cost taxpayers just less than what Obama spent in a year | Think Progress

Feb 20, 2017:

Trump named Lieutenant General Herbert Raymond McMaster as his new national security adviser.

Outspoken general named Trump's top security adviser | Reuters

Feb 19, 2017:

Appearing on NBC's Meet the Press with host Chuck Todd, Senator John McCain (Republican-Arizona) said the following:

If you want to preserve — I'm very serious now — if you want to preserve democracy as we know it, you have to have a free and many times adversarial press...And without it, I am afraid that we would lose so much of our individual liberties over time. That's how dictators get started.

They [dictators] get started by suppressing free press...In other words, a consolidation of power when you look at history, the first thing that dictators do is shut down the press. And I'm not saying that President Trump is trying to be a dictator. I'm just saying we need to learn the lessons of history.

Read a transcript of the entire interview here.

Source:

Todd, Chuck; Helsel, Phil; Rivera, Matt. (February 19, 2017). "McCain Warns Suppressing Press 'Is How Dictators Get Started'". NBC News. Retrieved 2017-02-20.

Feb 18, 2017:

Trump held a campaign event in Melbourne, Florida to an estimated 9,000 in attendance.

Trump gets what he wants in Florida: Campaign-level adulation | CNN

During Florida Rally, Trump Referenced a Terror Attack in Sweden That Never Happened | NBC News

Trump returns to Florida for campaign rally, hoping to reignite voters with unfiltered message | Fox News

Senator Bernie Sanders (Democrat-Vermont) tweeted the following:

In Trump's view people should ignore all the news except what comes directly from him. That is what totalitarianism is all about.

Good thing we have Donald Trump, a pathological liar, to tell us the "truth."

Source:

Seipel, Brooke. (February 18, 2017). "Sanders: Trump a 'pathological liar'". The Hill. Retrieved 2017-02-19.

Feb 17, 2017:

By a vote of 52-46, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt as the new administrator of the EPA.

Two Democrats (Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota) voted for confirmation, and one Republican (Susan Collins of Maine) voted against.

Yesterday, Oklahoma County District Judge Aletia Haynes Timmons ordered Pruitt to give thousands of e-mails between his office and fossil fuel companies like Koch Industries and the National Coal Council to the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD), which had requested the e-mails two years ago. As of last night, only 411 of the over 3,000 e-mails requested by CMD had been provided.

Democrats tried to delay proceedings pending the receipt of all e-mails requested, but Republicans proceeded with the vote anyway.

Pruitt has previously sued the EPA 14 times attempting to block federal air and water pollution regulations.

In his official biography, Pruit is described as "a leading advocate against the EPA's activist agenda."

During his confirmation hearings Pruitt said that environmental quality standards are better left to enforcement at the state level.

Source:

Detrow, Scott. (February 17, 2017). "Scott Pruitt Confirmed To Lead Environmental Protection Agency". NPR. Retrieved 2017-02-17.

Chakraborty, Barnini. (February 17, 2017). "Pruitt narrowly confirmed to head EPA over Democratic objections". Fox News. Retrieved 2017-02-17.

Davenport, Coral. (January 18, 2017). "Scott Pruitt, Testifying to Lead E.P.A., Criticizes Environmental Rules". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-02-17.

Senate Confirms Scott Pruitt as E.P.A. Head | The New York Times

Read Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune's response to Pruitt's confirmation here.

Trump tweeted the following:

The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!

"One of the most effective press conferences I've ever seen!" says Rush Limbaugh. Many agree.Yet FAKE MEDIA calls it differently! Dishonest

Source:

Greenwood, Max. (February 17, 2017). "Trump tweets: The media is the 'enemy of the American people'". The Hill. Retrieved 2017-02-18.

Nadler: Labeling media 'enemy' is 'a totalitarian tool of dictators' | CNN

Feb 16, 2017:

Trump held a long, one-hour and fifteen minute news conference at the White House.

Read a transcript or watch video of the entire news conference here.

FactChecking Trump's News Conference | factcheck.org

The 16 most memorable quotes from Trump's press conference | The Hill

An amazing moment in history: Donald Trump's press conference | CNN

ANALYSIS: Trump revels in battle with press | ABC News

'I Inherited a Mess,' Trump Says, Defending His Performance | The New York Times

Trump blasts 'out of control' media, defends agenda at heated press conference | Fox News

Fox News' Shep Smith Blasts Trump For Lashing Out At Reporters | The Huffington Post

During the press conference Trump announced Alexander Acosta as his new pick for secretary of labor.

Trump unveils new pick to head Labor Department | The Hill

By a vote of 51-47, the U.S. Senate confirmed Representative Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina to be Trump's Office of Management and Budget director.

Senate Narrowly Confirms Mulvaney As Trump's OMB Director | NPR

Mick Mulvaney, Trump's Pick for Budget Director, Is Confirmed | The New York Times

Trump announced he asked Stephen Feinberg, co-founder of Cerberus Capital Management, to conduct a review of the U.S. intelligence community and to make recommendations on improvements to efficiency and coordination between the various intelligence agencies. Fienberg needs to be cleared by the Office of Government Ethics before he can begin his review.

White House taps billionaire to head intelligence review | Fox News

Trump Asks Billionaire Steve Feinberg To Review Intel Agencies | NBC News

Aides at the U.S. State Department, under the new leadership of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, layed off a good portion of the staff at the State Department's Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources and the Counselor offices.

State Dept. carries out layoffs under Rex Tillerson | CBS News

Feb 15, 2017:

Amid past personal and professional controversy, Andrew Puzder, Trump's pick for secretary of labor withdrew his nomination.

Senate Republicans told the White House that at least four and possibly up to twelve Republicans might not vote to confirm Puzder.

Read about Puzder's controversial past here.

Labor pick Puzder withdraws from consideration amid controversy | Fox News

Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. Here are some key Trump quotes from their joint press conference:

[regarding a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict] I'm looking at two states and one state, and I like the one both parties like...I can live with either one.

[speaking to Netanyahu] I'd like to see you hold back on settlements for a little bit.

Netanyahu said that Jewish settlements were "not the core of the conflict" and made no commitment during the press conference to reduce settlement building in the occupied West Bank.

Source:

Baker, Luke; Spetalnick, Matt. (February 16, 2017). "Meeting Israel's Netanyahu, Trump backs away from commitment to Palestinian state". Reuters. Retrieved 2017-02-16.

Transcript And Analysis: Trump And Netanyahu Hold Joint Press Conference | NPR

Feb 14, 2017:

In a letter to White House legal counselor Stefan Passantino, Office of Government Ethics (OGE) director Walter Shaub recommended that the White House discipline Kellyanne Conway for promoting Ivanka Trump's products on February 9.

Ethics office calls on White House to discipline Conway | The Hill

In a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said that Trump asked Michael Flynn to resign as national security adviser because of eroding trust.

White House: Trump asked Flynn to resign over eroding trust | The Hill

Feb 13, 2017:

Michael Flynn, Trump's national security advisor, resigned amid controversy that he may have spoken to Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak about sanctions before Trump's inauguration.

The Latest: Flynn resigns amid Russia controversy | ABC News

What Flynn may have said to Kislyak matters because:

Flynn's communications with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak were interpreted by some senior U.S. officials as an inappropriate and potentially illegal signal to the Kremlin that it could expect a reprieve from sanctions that were being imposed by the Obama administration in late December to punish Russia for its alleged interference in the 2016 election.

Source:

Frum, David. (February 10, 2017). "Michael Flynn's Debacle". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2017-02-13.

In Seattle, Judge James Robart issued a preliminary injunction on Trump's immigration order which indefinitely extends the temporary restraining order he issued on February 3.

Court blocks Trump's immigration order indefinitely | ABC News

In Washington, D.C., Trump met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Trump-Trudeau meeting strengthened US-Canada ties | The Hill

President Trump and Justin Trudeau Emphasize Enduring U.S.-Canada Partnership | Time

Feb 11, 2017:

Regarding the decision by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Trump tweeted the following:

Our legal system is broken! "77% of refugees allowed into U.S. since travel reprieve hail from seven suspect countries." (WT) SO DANGEROUS!

Source:

Smilowitz, Elliot. (February 11, 2017). "Michael Flynn's Debacle ". The Hill. Retrieved 2017-02-13.

Feb 10, 2017:

Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held a joint press conference at the White House.

In Joint Conference, Trump And Abe Laud Alliance As 'Cornerstone Of Peace' | NPR

Feb 9, 2017:

In San Francisco, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 3-0 against reinstatement of Trump's executive order on immigration banning people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States.

In it's ruling the court said the following:

The government has pointed to no evidence that any alien from any of the countries named in the order has perpetrated a terrorist attack in the United States...Rather than present evidence to explain the need for the Executive Order, the government has taken the position that we must not review its decision at all.

...the public has a powerful interest in national security and in the ability of an elected president to enact policies...the public also has an interest in free flow of travel, in avoiding separation of families, and in freedom from discrimination.

Read the full text of the court's ruling here.

At the White House Trump told reporters:

It's a political decision, we're going to see them in court, and I look forward to doing that...It's a decision that we'll win, in my opinion, very easily.

Trump responded via Twitter with:

SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!

Source:

de Vogue, Ariane; Jarrett, Laura. (February 9, 2017). "9th Circuit rules against reinstating travel ban". CNN. Retrieved 2017-02-09.

At a joint conference of the Major County Sheriffs' Association and the Major Cities Chiefs Association Trump commented on the judges and courts regarding his executive order on immigration.

I don't want to call a court biased, but courts seem to be so political.

I listened to a bunch of stuff last night that was disgraceful...It was disgraceful.

Earlier in the day Trump tweeted this:

If the U.S. does not win this case as it so obviously should, we can never have the security and safety to which we are entitled. Politics!

Source:

Ortiz, Eric. (February 8, 2017). "Trump Dismisses Arguments Against Travel Ban as 'Disgraceful' During Sheriffs Conference". NBC News. Retrieved 2017-02-09.

During a news conference British Prime Minister Theresa May said the following about Trump's executive order on immigration:

We thought that was wrong, that was divisive.

It is not a policy that the United Kingdom would adopt.

Source:

Savransky, Rebecca. (February 8, 2017). "British PM Theresa May says Trump immigration order was 'wrong'". The Hill. Retrieved 2017-02-09.

Appearing on Fox & Friends, Kelleyanne Conway promoted Ivanka Trump's line of clothing and accessories saying the following:

Go buy Ivanka's stuff, is what I would tell you.

I'm going to give it a free commercial here, go buy it today.

Chris Lu, former deputy secretary of labor, said Conway may have violated a federal ethics law which states:

An employee shall not use his public office for his own private gain, for the endorsement of any product, service or enterprise, or for the private gain of friends, relatives.

Source:

Concha, Joe. (February 9, 2017). "Conway promotes Trump daughter's merchandise: 'Go buy Ivanka's stuff'". The Hill. Retrieved 2017-02-10.

Feb 8, 2017:

By a vote of 52-47 in the U.S. Senate, Senator Jeff Sessions (Republican-Alabama) was confirmed to be Trump's attorney general.

Jeff Sessions Confirmed as Attorney General, Capping Bitter Battle | The New York Times

'Nevertheless, She Persisted': How Senate's Silencing of Warren Became a Meme | The New York Times

Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) met privately with Trump's Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch. After the meeting, Blumenthal said this to reporters:

He [Gorsuch] certainly expressed to me that he is disheartened by the demoralizing and abhorrent comments made by President Trump about the judiciary.

A member of Gorsuch's Supreme Court nomination team confirmed the comments made by Gorsuch.

Trump responded via twitter with this:

Sen.Richard Blumenthal, who never fought in Vietnam when he said for years he had (major lie),now misrepresents what Judge Gorsuch told him?

Source:

Seipl, Arnie; Robbins, Ted. (February 8, 2017). "Trump Slams Senator Who Revealed Gorsuch's Criticism Of Remarks On Judges". NPR. Retrieved 2017-02-09.

Roberts, John; The Associated Press. (February 8, 2017). "Gorsuch calls Trump comments about judges 'disheartening and demoralizing'". Fox News. Retrieved 2017-02-09.

Public Citizen, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Communications Workers of America filed a lawsuit against Donald J. Trump (and other government officials in his administration) in an attempt to block Trump's January 30 executive order which requires that for every new government rule/regulation two existing rules/regulations must be eliminated, and the accompanying "interim guidance" memorandum.

Public Citizen, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Communications Workers of America File Lawsuit Against Donald J. Trump | Health and Wellness Resource

Feb 7, 2017:

By a vote of 51-50 in the U.S. Senate, Betsy DeVos was confirmed as secretary of education.

All senate Democrats voted against confirmation along with two Republicans (Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska). Vice President Mike Pence cast the deciding vote to break the 50-50 tie - the first time in U.S. history that a vice president needed to cast a deciding vote.

Betsy DeVos Confirmed as Education Secretary; Pence Breaks Tie | The New York Times

Betsy DeVos Confirmed As Education Secretary | NPR

DeVos confirmed as education secretary, Pence casts historic tie-breaking vote | Fox News

Feb 6, 2017:

In the United Kingdom, Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow said he would refuse to invite Trump to speak at Westminster because of parliament's long held opposition "to racism and to sexism".

Donald Trump should not be allowed to speak in UK parliament, says Speaker | The Guardian

Feb 5, 2017:

In San Francisco, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied the U.S. Department of Justice appeal. Both sides will now file legal briefs and the Court will make a decision.

Setback for Trump: Appeals court rejects demand to resume travel ban -- for now | CNN

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was interviewed by Jake Tapper on CNN's State of the Union.

Regarding Trump's plan to investigate significant voter fraud:

TAPPER:

Do you want to spend taxpayer money to hunt for these apparently nonexistent three to five million illegal votes?

MCCONNELL:

Well, you know, this sort of thing is handled at the state level. And the Democrats always claim there is no election fraud at all. That is, of course, not true. Election fraud does occur. There is no evidence that it occurred in such a significant number that would have changed the presidential election. And I don't think we ought to spend any federal money investigating that. I think the states can take a look at this issue.

Regarding Trump's executive order on immigration:

MCCONNELL:

Let me just say, I think proper vetting is important to the American people. But there is a fine line here between proper vetting and interfering with the kind of travel or suggesting some kind of religious test. And we need to avoid doing that kind of thing.

Regarding Trump's tweet calling Judge Robart a "so-called judge":

TAPPER:

Do you have any concerns about the comments the president is making about the judiciary?

MCCONNELL:

Yes, I think it is best not to single out judges for criticism.

Regarding the upcoming Senate confirmation hearings for Trump's pick for the Supreme Court Neil Gorsuch:

TAPPER:

You just asserted, basically, that if Democrats attempt a filibuster, you will change the rules and use the nuclear option, correct?

MCCONNELL:

No. No, I have not said what will happen at that point. I'm confident that we will get 60 votes.

Look, this justice -- this nominee ought to be treated just like President Clinton and President Obama were treated. In the first term of President Clinton, two Supreme Court nominees, no filibuster, no filibuster.

What we're arguing here for is equivalency. They're having a very, very difficult time, Jake, trying to come up with arguments against Judge Gorsuch. This is an outstanding nomination, you could argue the most outstanding judge in the current appellate court system.

Source:

(February 5, 2017). "Federal Judge Halts Trump Immigration Ban; Interview With Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell; Interview With Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders; Trump Attacks Judge Who Ruled Against Travel Ban; Town Hall Protest In California; Political Football In "State of the Cartoonion"". CNN. Retrieved 2017-02-06.

Skeptical McConnell distances from Trump on Russia, travel ban | The Hill

Feb 4, 2017:

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security complied with Judge Robart's order and has reverted back to immigration inspection procedures prior to Trump's executive order.

Homeland Security suspends travel ban | CNN

In response to Robart's order, Trump tweeted the following:

The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!

Source:

Brunner, Jim; Lee, Jessica; Gutman, David. (February 4, 2017). "Judge in Seattle halts Trump's immigration order nationwide; White House vows fight". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2017-02-05.

The U.S. Department of Justice filed an appeal asking for a stay to Robart's order pending resolution of the appeal. The appeal says:

• it's the "sovereign prerogative" of a president to admit or exclude aliens
• the order "conflicts with the basic principle that an alien seeking initial admission to the United States requests a privilege and has no constitutional rights regarding his application"
• "Judicial second-guessing of the President's national security determination in itself imposes substantial harm on the federal government and the nation at large"
• the order imposes harm on U.S. citizens "by thwarting the legal effect of the public's chosen representative"
• the order is a broad overreach of judicial authority

Source:

Fox News. (February 5, 2017). "Justice Department appeals judge's order temporarily blocking Trump's travel ban". Fox News. Retrieved 2017-02-05.

Feb 3, 2017:

In Seattle, Washington, Judge James Robart of the Federal District Court for the Western District of Washington ordered a temporary nationwide ban on Trump's recent immigration executive order.

Robart's order is in response to a lawsuit filed by Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson on January 30, 2017.

Robart said that Trump's executive order is "arguing that we have to protect the U.S. from individuals from these countries, and there's no support for that".

The White House called the temporary ban "outrageous" and referred to Trump's executive order as "lawful and appropriate".

Source:

Kulish, Nicholas; Dickerson, Caitlin; Savage, Charlie. (February 3, 2017). "Court Temporarily Blocks Trump's Travel Ban, and Airlines Are Told to Allow Passengers". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-02-05.

A new CNN/ORC poll showed that 53% of Americans polled oppose Trump's executive order on immigration and 47% favor it. According to the poll, 55% think it's an attempt to ban Muslims from entering the U.S., and 60% oppose Trump's plan to build a wall on the U.S. southern border with Mexico.

Trump responded via Twitter with this:

Any negative polls are fake news, just like the CNN, ABC, NBC polls in the election. Sorry, people want border security and extreme vetting.

Source:

Agiesta, Jennifer. (February 3, 2017). "CNN/ORC poll: Majority oppose Trump's travel ban". CNN. Retrieved 2017-02-06.

Shear, Michael D; Nixon, Ron; Savage, Charlie. (January 1, 2017). "Donald Trump Says 'Negative Polls Are Fake News'". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-02-06.

Feb 1, 2017:

At a White House meeting with conservative activists who support the nomination of Neil Gorsuch, Trump said that if Gorsuch's Senate nomination ends up in gridlock, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell should "go nuclear".

President Trump To Senate Leader: 'Go Nuclear' To Confirm Gorsuch | NPR

Trump: Go 'nuclear' and abolish filibuster on Gorsuch vote if needed | USA Today

Jan 31, 2017:

At the White House, Trump met with pharmaceutical executives from Merck & Co Inc, Johnson & Johnson, Celgene Corp, Eli Lilly & Co, Amgen Inc, Novartis AG. Also at the meeting was the head of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) (a major lobbying group for the drug industry).

Trump said he wants drug companies to make more of their drugs in the United States and to reduce their drug prices. He also said he would "streamline the FDA" to speed up the approval of new drugs, and reduce government regulations.

Trump pushes drugmakers for lower prices, more U.S. production | Reuters

Trump tells drug companies to 'get prices down' | The Hill

Trump vows to bring down 'astronomical' drug prices | Stat News

Trump nominated Neil Gorsuch for the U.S. Supreme Court. Gorsuch is currently a judge on the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, Colorado.

Trump picks conservative judge Gorsuch for U.S. Supreme Court | Reuters

The city of San Francisco filed a lawsuit in response to Trump's executive order issued on January 25 which strips sanctuary cities of federal grant funding. The lawsuit claims that the order violates the Tenth Amendment (which states that powers not explicitly given to the federal government are reserved for the states), "is a severe invasion of San Francisco's sovereignty", and attempts to turn local law enforcement officials into federal immigration officers which breeds distrust of local government.

Source:

Greenwood, Max. (January 31, 2017). "San Francisco sues Trump admin. over sanctuary cities order". The Hill. Retrieved 2017-04-21.

In a U.S. District Court in Detroit, Michigan, the American Arab Civil Rights League filed a lawsuit against the immigration executive order issued by Trump on January 27.

Lawsuit in Detroit challenges Trump's order | The Detroit News

Jan 30, 2017:

Yesterday, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and 15 other state attorneys general released a joint statement entitled "A.G. Schneiderman and 15 Other State A.G.'s Condemn President Trump's Un-American Executive Order, Vow Action".

Joint Statement Issued By A.G.'s Of NY, CA, PA, WA, MA, HI, VA, OR, DC, CT, VT, IL, NM, IA, ME & MD

As the chief legal officers for over 130 million Americans and foreign residents of our states, we condemn President Trump's unconstitutional, un-American and unlawful Executive Order and will work together to ensure the federal government obeys the Constitution, respects our history as a nation of immigrants, and does not unlawfully target anyone because of their national origin or faith.

Religious liberty has been, and always will be, a bedrock principle of our country and no president can change that truth.

Yesterday, multiple federal courts ordered a stay of the Administration's dangerous Executive Order. We applaud those decisions and will use all of the tools of our offices to fight this unconstitutional order and preserve our nation's national security and core values.

We are confident that the Executive Order will ultimately be struck down by the courts. In the meantime, we are committed to working to ensure that as few people as possible suffer from the chaotic situation that it has created.

16 attorneys general to fight Trump's immigration and travel ban | CBS News

Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced he is filing a federal lawsuit against Trump, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and high-ranking Trump administration officials. The lawsuit asks that key provisions of Trump's executive order on immigration be declared unconstitutional, and for a temporary restraining order against enforcement of the order.

Washington State Suing Trump Over Immigration Order | ABC News

AG Bob Ferguson to file lawsuit seeking to invalidate Trump's immigration order | The Seattle Times

Trump faces new federal lawsuits over immigration executive order | Fox News

Trump fired acting Attorney General Sally Q. Yates when she refused to defend his executive order on immigration. In a letter to U.S. Justice Department lawyers, Yates said "At present, I am not convinced that the defense of the executive order is consistent with these responsibilities, nor am I convinced that the executive order is lawful." Trump's order was previously approved by the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel.

Yates was fulfilling the duties of attorney general until Congress acts to confirm a new attorney general (most likely, Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama).

Trump appointed Dana J. Boente, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, as temporary attorney general.

Source:

Landler, Mark; Shear, Michael D.; Apuzzo, Matt; Lichtblau, Eric. (January 30, 2017). "Trump Fires Acting Attorney General Who Defied Him". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-01-30.

Republicans who oppose, support Trump refugee order | The Hill

Trump blames airport chaos on 'tears of Senator Schumer' | The Hill

Trump signed an executive order entitled "Presidential Executive Order on Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs". Here's a summary of the order:

• requires that for every new government rule/regulation two existing rules/regulations must be eliminated (but the implementation of a new rule/regulation does not have to happen at the same time as the repeal of two others)
• sets an annual cap on the cost of all new government rules/regulations
• for the remainder of fiscal year 2017, the cost of new government rules/regulations must be completely offset by the elimination of existing rules/regulations
• the order "does not cover independent agencies that crafted many of the rules required by the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law, including the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission" nor does it apply to "rules mandated by statutes [laws]"

Trump said the order will provide "normalized control". He also described the Dodd-Frank law as "a disaster" and that it was "almost impossible now to start a small business and it's virtually impossible to expand your existing business because of regulations."

Sean Spicer said that the Trump administration will be working with Congress to makes changes to Dodd-Frank.

Source:

Rascoe, Ayesha; Becker, Amanada. (January 30, 2017). "Trump order targeting business rules leaves key regulations untouched". Reuters. Retrieved 2017-02-02.

U.S. Senators John McCain (R-Arizona) and Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) released a "STATEMENT BY SENATORS McCAIN & GRAHAM ON EXECUTIVE ORDER ON IMMIGRATION".

Our government has a responsibility to defend our borders, but we must do so in a way that makes us safer and upholds all that is decent and exceptional about our nation.

It is clear from the confusion at our airports across the nation that President Trump's executive order was not properly vetted. We are particularly concerned by reports that this order went into effect with little to no consultation with the Departments of State, Defense, Justice, and Homeland Security.

Such a hasty process risks harmful results. We should not stop green-card holders from returning to the country they call home. We should not stop those who have served as interpreters for our military and diplomats from seeking refuge in the country they risked their lives to help. And we should not turn our backs on those refugees who have been shown through extensive vetting to pose no demonstrable threat to our nation, and who have suffered unspeakable horrors, most of them women and children.

Ultimately, we fear this executive order will become a self-inflicted wound in the fight against terrorism. At this very moment, American troops are fighting side-by-side with our Iraqi partners to defeat ISIL. But this executive order bans Iraqi pilots from coming to military bases in Arizona to fight our common enemies. Our most important allies in the fight against ISIL are the vast majority of Muslims who reject its apocalyptic ideology of hatred. This executive order sends a signal, intended or not, that America does not want Muslims coming into our country. That is why we fear this executive order may do more to help terrorist recruitment than improve our security.

Some Top Republicans in Congress Criticize Trump's Refugee Policy | The New York Times

Trump tweeted the following in response to the McCain and Graham statement:

The joint statement of former presidential candidates John McCain & Lindsey Graham is wrong - they are sadly weak on immigration. The two Senators should focus their energies on ISIS, illegal immigration and border security instead of always looking to start World War III.

Source:

Master, Cyra. (January 29, 2017). "Trump warns senators 'looking to start World War III'". The Hill. Retrieved 2017-01-29.

Jan 28, 2017:

In New York, U.S. District Court Judge Ann M. Donnelly ruled to block the deportation of people detained at some U.S. airports as a result of Trump's executive order banning the entry of refugees and people from seven Muslim countries. The ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other groups on behalf of two Iraqis who were detained at John F. Kennedy Airport.

In her ruling Donnelly said:

The petitioners have a strong likelihood of success in establishing that the removal of the petitioner and other similarly situated violates their due process and equal protection guaranteed by the United States Constitution

Clarifying which individuals are affect by her ruling, Donnelly said:

...individuals with refugee applications approved by US Citizenship and Immigration Services as part of the US Refugee Admissions Program, holders of valid immigrant and non-immigrant visas, and other individuals from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen legally authorized to enter the United States.

Donnelly's ruling is only an emergency stay and does not rule that people cannot be detained.

Source:

Diamond, Jeremy; Almasy, Steve. (January 29, 2017). "Trump's immigration ban sends shockwaves". CNN. Retrieved 2017-01-29.

Jordan, Miriam. (January 28, 2017). "Airport Detentions Spark Lawsuit, Protest". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2017-01-29.

White House Official, in Reversal, Says Green Card Holders Won't Be Barred | The New York Times

Christian Leaders Denounce Trump's Plan to Favor Christian Immigrants | The New York Times

Tears and detention for US visitors as Trump travel ban hits | Fox News

Group gathers at Sky Harbor to protest Trump entrance ban | The Arizona Republic

The alt-right Breitbart website has an article entitled "Terror-Tied Group CAIR Causing Chaos, Promoting Protests & Lawsuits as Trump Protects Nation".

CAIR has been declared a terrorist organization by the United Arab Emirates and was named by federal prosecutors as an unindicted co-conspirator in a Hamas-funding operation.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations is also increasingly a part of America's institutional left infrastructure and was one of the partners behind the recent Women's March in Washington that drew hundreds of thousands, along with feminist groups like Planned Parenthood.

Here's a link to a related Breitbart article entitled "Seven Inconvenient Facts About Trump's Refugee Actions".

Trump issued a memorandum entitled "Presidential Memorandum Organization of the National Security Council and the Homeland Security Council".

The memorandum states that White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon will be included in National Security Council Principals Committee meetings. It also states that the director of National Intelligence (if confirmed by the Senate, former U.S. Senator Dan Coats) and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will attend those meetings "only when 'issues pertaining to their responsibilities and expertise are to be discussed'".

There is concern among some that having a member of the White House team (Bannon), which often has a political agenda, as part of the National Security Council (NSC), which is supposedly non-partisan, will introduce a partisan element into the NSC's discussions and decision-making. Arizona Senator John McCain, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said "The appointment of Mr. Bannon is something which is a radical departure from any National Security Council in history."

Source:

Kennedy, Merrit. (January 28, 2017). "With National Security Council Shakeup, Steve Bannon Gets A Seat At The Table". NPR. Retrieved 2017-01-30.

Jan 27, 2017:

Trump signed an executive order entitled "Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States". Here's a summary of the order:

• bars all refugees from entry to the U.S. for four months
• directs U.S. government agencies to develop a more robust vetting system for refugees ("extreme vetting")
• bars all Syrian refugees from entry to the U.S. indefinitely
• bars entry to the U.S. of anyone living in the countries of Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen (primarily Muslim countries) for 90 days
• reduces the maximum number of refugees allowed into the U.S. for the current budget year from 110,000 (previously set by the Obama administration) to 50,000

In addition:

The U.S. may admit refugees on a case-by-case basis during the freeze, and the government will continue to process requests from people claiming religious persecution, "provided that the religion of the individual is a minority religion in the individual's country."

In an interview with CBN News ("Brody File Exclusive: President Trump Says Persecuted Christians Will Be Given Priority As Refugees"), Trump said persecuted Christians would be given priority in applying for refugee status.

EXECUTIVE ORDER: PROTECTING THE NATION FROM FOREIGN TERRORIST ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES | whitehouse.gov

Also:

Additionally, Mr. Trump signed a memorandum on Friday ["Presidential Memorandum on Rebuilding the U.S. Armed Forces"] directing what he called "a great rebuilding of the armed services," saying it would call for budget negotiations to acquire new planes, new ships and new resources for the nation's military.

Source:

Associated Press. (January 27, 2017). "Trump orders strict new refugee screening, citing terrorists". Fox News. Retrieved 2017-01-28.

Shear, Michael D.; Cooper, Helene. (January 27, 2017). "Trump Bars Refugees and Citizens of 7 Muslim Countries". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-01-28.

According to a CBS News article, here are the arguments against Trump's executive order:

• the U.S. has always been a nation who welcomes immigrants and to turn them away is just "callous" and "shameful"
• immigrants are already subjected to an intense screening and vetting process before being allowed entry into the U.S.
• it might be unconstitutional because one religious denomination cannot be officially preferred over another
• it might be a threat to U.S. national security because it gives the impression that the U.S. (primarily Christian) is in a religious war with Islam, which gives radical terrorists another recruiting tool

Source:

Miler, Jake; Shaffir, Kimberlee. (January 28, 2017). "The refugee ban: Why does it matter?". CBS News. Retrieved 2017-01-29.

Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May held a joint press conference at the White House. Read an annotated transcript of the press conference on the NPR website here.

Trump and Mexican President Nieto had an hour-long phone conversation. Both the Trump and Nieto administrations released statements regarding the conversation.

"With regard to the payment of the border wall, both Presidents acknowledged their clear and very public differences in position on this sensitive issue," the Mexican statement said. "The Presidents also agreed at this point not to speak publicly about this controversial issue."

The White House statement included near identical language on the border wall, but didn't mention a pledge not to speak publicly about the issue.

Source:

Acosta, Jim; Merica, Dan. (January 28, 2017). "Trump, Mexican President talk on phone after canceled meeting". CNN. Retrieved 2017-01-28.

Jan 26, 2017:

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto canceled a meeting scheduled for next week with Trump.

Here's what Nieto said yesterday regarding Trump's directives:

Today the President of the United States signed two directives related to our country: one to implement immigration measures and the other to extend the wall on the border.

In response I've asked the Foreign Affairs Ministry to strengthen measures to protect our nationals.

The 50 Mexican consulates in the United States will become real defenders of migrants' rights. Our communities are not alone.

The Mexican government will give legal advice and guarantee the needed protection. I call on legislators and civil societies to join our efforts, to strengthen and support them (migrants). When there is a Mexican migrant at risk that requires our help, that is where we should be, that is where the country should be.

I regret and disapprove of the decision by the United States to continue with the construction of the wall, which has for years, far from uniting us, divided us.

Mexico does not believe in walls. I have said time and time again, Mexico will not pay for any wall.

Source:

Fabian, Jordan. (January 26, 2017). "Mexican president scraps visit with Trump". The Hill. Retrieved 2017-01-27.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said that a 20 percent tax on Mexican imports (border adjustment tax) is one way to pay for a southern border wall.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the cost of the wall will be $12-$15 billion.

Mexican president cancels meeting with Trump | CNN

U.S.-Mexico crisis deepens as Trump aide floats border tax idea | Reuters

McConnell: Border wall will cost $12B-$15B | CNN

Lawmakers: Trump Mexico tax plan would hurt Texas | USA Today

Yesterday, chief White House strategist Steve Bannon spoke with The New York Times via telephone. Here are a few of Bannon's quotes from the interview:

The media should be embarrassed and humiliated and keep its mouth shut and just listen for a while.

The media here is the opposition party. They don't understand this country. They still do not understand why Donald Trump is the president of the United States.

You're the opposition party...Not the Democratic Party. You're the opposition party. The media's the opposition party.

Source:

Grynbaum, Michael K., Margot. (January 26, 2017). "Trump Strategist Stephen Bannon Says Media Should 'Keep Its Mouth Shut'". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-01-26.

Jan 25, 2017:

Trump signed two executive orders:

• "Executive Order: Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements" which directs the construction of a wall on the US-Mexico border
• "Executive Order: Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States" which calls for 5,000 additional U.S. Border Patrol agents, for 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to carry out deportations (increases subject to Congressional appropriation of sufficient funds), strips sanctuary cities of federal grant funding, and defines more strict criteria for determining which undocumented immigrants should be prioritized for deportation

Trump orders construction of border wall, boosts deportation force | CNN

Trump Moves to Build Border Wall, Cut Sanctuary City Funds | ABC News

Via Twitter, Trump announced he would be asking for a "major investigation" into voter fraud.

Trump to ask for 'major investigation into voter fraud' | The Hill

After His Claim of Voter Fraud, Trump Vows 'Major Investigation' | The New York Times

Trump spoke with David Muir of ABC News in his first interview as U.S. President. Read an annotated transcript of the interview on The Washington Post website here.

Jan 24, 2017:

Trump issued two memorandums to help expedite the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline and the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Trump Revives Keystone Pipeline Rejected by Obama | The New York Times

Trump takes action to move forward with Keystone, Dakota Access pipelines | The Hill

Trump issued a related memorandum, addressed the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, entitled "Presidential Memorandum Regarding Construction of American Pipelines".

The Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with all relevant executive departments and agencies, shall develop a plan under which all new pipelines, as well as retrofitted, repaired, or expanded pipelines, inside the borders of the United States, including portions of pipelines, use materials and equipment produced in the United States, to the maximum extent possible and to the extent permitted by law. The Secretary shall submit the plan to the President within 180 days of the date of this memorandum.

Trump issued another memorandum entitled "Presidential Memorandum Streamlining Permitting and Reducing Regulatory Burdens for Domestic Manufacturing" which directs executive departments and agencies to conduct "expedited reviews of and approvals for proposals to construct or expand manufacturing facilities and through reductions in regulatory burdens affecting domestic manufacturing."

Trump clamps down on federal agencies | The Hill

Trump issued an executive order entitled "Executive Order Expediting Environmental Reviews and Approvals For High Priority Infrastructure Projects".

To that end, it is the policy of the executive branch to streamline and expedite, in a manner consistent with law, environmental reviews and approvals for all infrastructure projects, especially projects that are a high priority for the Nation, such as improving the U.S. electric grid and telecommunications systems and repairing and upgrading critical port facilities, airports, pipelines, bridges, and highways.

House Speaker Paul Ryan said that he's seen "no evidence" of rampant voter fraud during the 2016 election.

Ryan: 'No evidence' of mass voter fraud as Trump claimed | The Hill

Jan 23, 2017:

Trump signed three executive actions:

• "Presidential Memorandum Regarding Withdrawal of the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Negotiations and Agreement" announces his plan to withdraw the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)
• "Presidential Memorandum Regarding the Mexico City Policy" reinstates the ban on foreign aid or federal funding for international nongovernmental organizations that provide or "promote" abortions (referred to as the "global gag rule")
• "Presidential Memorandum Regarding the Hiring Freeze" implements a hiring freeze on non-military federal workers

Trump signs executive actions on TPP, abortion, federal hiring freeze | The Hill

Trump reinstates ban on US funds promoting abortion overseas | The Hill

Trump imposes freeze on federal hiring | The Hill

Why Trump Killed TPP — And Why It Matters To You | NBC News

Regarding Trumps's speech at CIA headquarters two days ago, an article on the CBS News website reported the following:

"There is nobody that feels stronger about the intelligence community and the CIA than Donald Trump," Mr. Trump said.

Despite that pledge of support, U.S. intelligence officials tell CBS News Mr. Trump's visit to CIA headquarters was "uncomfortable," and that he "made relations with the intelligence community worse."

Source:

CBS News. (January 23, 2017). "Intel officials say Trump's visit to CIA headquarters was 'uncomfortable'". CBS News. Retrieved 2017-01-23.

Another article on the CBS News website reported the following:

U.S. government sources tell CBS News that there is a sense of unease in the intelligence community after President Trump's visit to CIA headquarters on Saturday.

Authorities are also pushing back against the perception that the CIA workforce was cheering for the president. They say the first three rows in front of the president were largely made up of supporters of Mr. Trump's campaign.

Intelligence sources say many in the workforce were stunned and at times offended by the president's tone which seemed to evolve into a version of speeches he'd used on the campaign trail.

Source:

CBS News. (January 23, 2017). "Sources say Trump's CIA visit made relations with intel community worse". CBS News. Retrieved 2017-01-23.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer held his first official press briefing. Here's Spicer talking about how media coverage is "demoralizing":

It's about a constant theme. It's about sitting here every time and being told no. "Well, we don't think he can do that, he'll never accomplish that, he can't win that, it won't be the biggest, it's not gonna be that good. The crowds aren't that big, he's not that successful."

The narrative -- and the default narrative is always negative and it's demoralizing. And I think that when you sit here and you realize the sacrifice the guy made, leaving a very, very successful business because he really cares about this country and he wants -- despite your partisan differences, he cares about making this country better for everybody. He wants to make it safer for everybody. And so when you wake up everyday and that's what you're seeing over and over again and you're not seeing stories about the Cabinet folks that he's appointing or the success that he's having trying to keep American jobs here. Yes, it is a little disappointing.

Read a transcript of the entire briefing here.

In Trump's first White House meeting with congressional leaders, once again he insisted that he had won the popular vote if you factor in the millions that voted illegally.

Trump told leaders 'illegals' cost him popular vote | The Hill

Jan 22, 2017:

Chuck Todd, the host of NBC's Meet the Press spoke with Kellyanne Conway about Sean Spicer's press briefing yesterday. So you can get the full impact of what Conway said during this interview, I strongly suggest you read the entire transcript or watch the interview here on the NBC News website.

Here are the highlights of the interview:

Todd:

So I'm curious why President Trump chose yesterday to send out his press secretary to essentially litigate a provable falsehood when it comes to a small and petty thing like inaugural crowd size. I guess my question to you is why do that?

Conway responded, but did not answer Todd's question, so Todd interrupted her:

Then explain, you did not answer the question, why did the president send out his press secretary, who's not just the spokesperson for Donald Trump. He could be -- He also serves as the spokesperson for all of America at times. He speaks for all of the country at times. Why put him out there for the very first time in front of that podium to utter a provable falsehood? It's a small thing. But the first time he confronts the public it's a falsehood?

Conway:

Chuck, I mean, if we're going to keep referring to our press secretary in those types of terms I think that we're going to have to rethink our relationship here. I want to have a great open relationship with our press. But look what happened the day before talking about falsehoods. We allowed the press -- the press to come into the Oval Office and witness President Trump signing executive orders...And what happens almost immediately? A falsehood is told about removing the bust of Martin Luther King Junior from the Oval Office. No, that's just flat out false.

Todd:

And it was corrected immediately.

After a series of back and forth "bickering", Todd asks, a third time:

Answer the question of why the president asked the White House press secretary to come out in front of the podium for the first time and utter a falsehood? Why did he do that? It undermines the credibility of the entire White House press office.

Conway:

No it doesn't...Don't be so overly dramatic about it, Chuck. What -- You're saying it's a falsehood. And they're giving Sean Spicer, our press secretary, gave alternative facts to that. But the point remains...

Todd interrupts Conway asking:

Wait a minute -- Alternative facts?...Four of the five facts he uttered, the one thing he got right...was Zeke Miller. Four of the five facts he uttered were just not true. Look, alternative facts are not facts. They're falsehoods.

After more back and forth, Todd says:

I'm not laughing. I'm just...befuddled.

Conway:

Well, but you are. And I think it's actually symbolic of the way we're treated by the press. The way that you just laughed at me is actually symbolic of the way -- very representative of the way we're treated by the press.

After more back and forth, Todd asks, a fourth time:

I want to go back to a question that you continue to deflect. Why was it necessary to send out the press secretary on his first day in office to utter a provable falsehood that now calls into question everything the press secretary say -- will say from [interrupted by Conway who said "No it doesn't."] here on out? It will [interrupted again by Conway who said "No it doesn't."] for many Americans.

Conway:

No it doesn't. You want them to hear that. You want them to hear that I'm not answering your questions, which I'm doing. You want them to hear that they can't trust our press secretary. I think that it is a very...dangerous statement to make.

Todd:

What was the motive to have this ridiculous litigation of crowd size?

Conway:

Chuck. Respectfully, your job is not to call things ridiculous that are said by our press secretary and our president. That's not your job. You're supposed to be a news person. You're not an opinion columnist.

Todd asks again, for the fifth time:

Can you please answer the question? Why did he do this? You have not answered it.

Conway:

I'll answer [Todd says, "It's only one question." ] it this way. I'll answer it this way. Think about what you just said to your viewers. That's why we feel compelled to go out and clear the air and put alternative [Todd says, "So it's a political tactic?" ] facts out there.

Todd asks:

It's a political tactic to come up with alternative facts and try to set up the press as your enemy?

Conway:

No I didn't say that at all.

Source:

NBC News. (January 22, 2017). "Meet The Press 01/22/17". NBC News. Retrieved 2017-01-22.

Jan 21, 2017:

At least 200,000 people participated in the anti-Trump Women's March on Washington in Washington, D.C.

Hundreds of thousands more marched in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Boston, as well as other "sister" marches around the world in places like Sydney, London, Tokyo, and other cities in Europe and Asia.

In challenge to Trump, women protesters swarm streets across U.S. | Reuters

Women protest against Trump on streets of Europe's capitals | Reuters

At 2.5 million strong, Women's Marches crush expectations | USA Today

'We're Not Going Away': Huge Crowds for Women's Marches Against Trump | The New York Times

At least 36,000 attend women's marches across Arizona | The Arizona Republic

Trump takes to Twitter to weigh in on Women's March, TV ratings for inauguration

Women's March on Washington

At CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, Trump addressed the CIA standing in front of a wall honoring the 117 operatives who were killed in the line of duty. Regarding the media, Trump said:

I have a running war with the media...They are among the most dishonest human beings on earth...

Source:

Hirschfeld Davis, Julie; Rosenberg, Matthew. (January 21, 2017). "With False Claims, Trump Attacks Media on Turnout and Intelligence Rift". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-01-23.

During his speech at CIA headquarters, Trump claimed that the media misreported the size of the crowd at his inauguration ceremony yesterday.

Trump's Press Secretary Sean Spicer held a press briefing where he continued the claim of false media reporting. Watch video of Trump and Spicer here.

Here's what a Fox News article (written by the Associated Press) said:

THE FACTS: Trump is wrong. Photos of the National Mall from his inauguration make clear that the crowd did not extend to the Washington Monument. Large swaths of empty space are visible on the Mall.

Thin crowds and partially empty bleachers also dotted the inaugural parade route. Hotels across the District of Columbia reported vacancies, a rarity for an event as large as a presidential inauguration.

And ridership on the Washington's Metro system didn't match that of recent inaugurations. As of 11 a.m. that day, there were 193,000 trips taken, according to the transit service's Twitter account. At the same hour eight years ago, there had been 513,000 trips. Four years later, there were 317,000 for Obama's second inauguration.

There were 197,000 at 11 a.m. in 2005 for President George W. Bush's second inauguration. The Metro system also posted that only two parking lots at stations were more than 60 percent full.

But the exact size of the crowd may never be known since the National Park Service, which used to provide those estimates, stopped doing it in the 1990s.

Source:

Associated Press. (January 21, 2017). "FACT CHECK: Trump overstates crowd size at inaugural". Fox News. Retrieved 2017-01-21.

Here's what a Fox News article (written by Fox News) said regarding Spicer's briefing:

He [Spicer] went on to say inauguration photos were framed to minimize their "enormous" support on the National Mall, while suggesting the reason crowds looked smaller was because floor covering used to protect the grass highlighted where people weren't standing – and fences kept supporters from quickly accessing the scene.

Spicer also pushed back on what he called inaccurate crowd estimates, stressing, "No one had numbers," since the National Park Service, which oversees the National Mall where spectators stand, no longer makes public an official crowd count.

Yet Spicer went on to put out their own estimate based on the capacity of certain spaces stretching from the Capitol to the Washington Monument and declared: "This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period, both in person and around the globe."

Source:

Fox News. (January 21, 2017). "Spicer accuses media of 'false reporting' in fiery briefing". Fox News. Retrieved 2017-01-22.

Trump wages war against the media as demonstrators protest his presidency | The Washington Post

Media swing back at Trump in fight over inauguration crowd size | The Washington Examiner

White House accuses media of playing down inauguration crowds | Reuters

At CIA headquarters, Trump boasts about himself, denies feud | Politico

Trump moves to ease intel community tensions with CIA visit | Fox News

In an op-ed on The Hill website entitled "Why Trump's CIA speech was simply inappropriate" Ira Winkler says:

While Trump's speech would otherwise be perceived as just one of his typical rambling and patronizing talks that attempt to make a crowd believe what his administration is now referring to as "alternative facts," it is the location of the speech that makes his nobody-treats-me-fairly speech utterly despicable.

The CIA has several auditoriums that can hold more people, if Trump actually wanted to address the CIA staff. Instead, it is clear he wanted a photo op.

Trump's actual speech was rambling, and while he spent a trivial amount of time acknowledging the service of the CIA employees, he never acknowledged the sacrifice the wall represented. Instead, he chose to try to convince a group of highly intelligent people that he didn't say what he is on camera as saying. He talked about how unfairly the press treated him. He complained about underreporting of the inauguration attendance.

It is morally reprehensible for Trump to stand in front of The Memorial Wall and complain that he isn't being treated fairly by the press.

Jan 20, 2017:

Trump signed his first executive order entitled Minimizing the Economic Burden of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Pending Repeal | whitehouse.gov.

The order says that until the Affordable Care Act is repealed, the executive branch must take actions to "minimize the unwarranted and regulatory burdens of the Act, and prepare to afford the States more flexibility and control to create a more free and open healthcare market."

The order also calls for the leaders of all federal agencies to prevent any Obamacare actions that would cause any regulatory or fiscal burden.

Source:

McGraw, Meridith. (January 20, 2017). "President Trump Signs Executive Order 'Minimizing the Economic Burden' of Obamacare". ABC News. Retrieved 2017-01-20.

Trump signs executive order that could effectively gut Affordable Care Act's individual mandate | The Washington Post

The Trump administration issued a memorandum entitled "Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies" to all executive departments and agencies which freezes new or pending regulations so the new administration has time to review them.

Trump also signed into law a bill (passed by Congress this month) which allows for an exception to the standing "7-year" rule for eligibility for serving as secretary of defense. By signing this bill, retired General James Mattis (Trump's pick for defense secretary) is now eligible.

Trump's Defense Pick Challenges Rules Regarding Civilian Control Of The Military | NPR

S.84 - A bill to provide for an exception to a limitation against appointment of persons as Secretary of Defense within seven years of relief from active duty as a regular commissioned officer of the Armed Forces. | congress.gov

H.Res.48 - Providing for consideration of the concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 3) setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2017 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2018 through 2026, and providing for consideration of the bill (S. 84) to provide for an exception to a limitation against appointment of persons as Secretary of Defense within seven years of relief from active duty as a regular commissioned officer of the Armed Forces. | congress.gov

As Trump takes over, U.S. ends plan to cut mortgage premiums | Reuters

Trump takes away FHA mortgage insurance premium cut not long after being sworn into office | The Washington Post