Trump Watch: Day 128 Wrap-Up
Hello, Trump watchers! My apologies for a very belated wrap-up. I was in New York all day Friday and didn’t take my laptop. Then my train was massively delayed leaving the city and I got home very late and didn’t have any time to write. Here are the biggest stories in Trump-world as of Saturday, May 27, 2017:
— Remember in another wrap-up from last week when it was reported that a member of Trump’s White House team was being investigated for ties to Russia? It turns out that person is Trump’s son-in-law and close adviser, Jared Kushner. According to the Associated Press, Kushner “proposed a secret back channel between the Kremlin and the Trump transition team during a December meeting with a leading Russian diplomat.” The purpose of the back-channel was to discuss a strategy for Syria and other sensitive policy issues, but it never ended up happening. Once Rex Tillerson was appointed Secretary of State, the Trump team dropped the idea of a back-channel and decided to communicate through official channels. The Trump team has refused to comment on the situation involving Kushner thus far.
— In yet another Trump administration-Russia situation, “Attorney General Jeff Sessions did not disclose meetings he had last year with Russian officials when he applied for his security clearance,” according to CNN. Justice Department officials said that Sessions met with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak at least two times last year, but did not disclose these meetings on his security clearance forms.
— Trump refused to endorse the Paris Climate Agreement, saying that he will make a decision in the next few days about whether the U.S. will stay in or pull out of the agreement. The Paris Agreement is a global action plan involving 195 nations with the goal of avoiding dangerous climate change. The international reaction to Trump’s decision, or lack thereof, was decidedly negative, with the leaders of Germany and France speaking out against it. Angela Merkel of Germany said, “The whole discussion about climate was very difficult not to say unsatisfactory. There’s a situation where it’s six, if you count the European Union, seven, against one.” She was referring to the G-7 countries of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
— At a NATO meeting in Brussels on Thursday, Trump scolded NATO allies, saying they were not spending enough on defense and that they owed “massive amounts of money” to both the U.S. and NATO. This accusation came despite the fact that NATO contributions are made on a voluntary basis. The reception to Trump’s scolding were mixed, with some feeling that it was warranted, and others feeling that it did nothing constructive.
— Also on Thursday, a Federal appeals court refused to reinstate Trump’s travel ban, saying that it used “vague words of national security, but in context drips with religious intolerance, animus, and discrimination.” What’s the next step for Trump in trying to get it enacted? Take it to the Supreme Court. Stay tuned.
That’s all for today. Stay tuned for the next update on Monday before I go on a three-week hiatus! Enjoy your holiday weekend!
