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Tag: trump

  • My love for Trump will never die – Owei Lakemfa

    By Owei Lakemf

    President Donald Trump, the Commander-in-Chief of the United States Armed Forces is quite strategic in his wars. He is an exceptionally likeable President who undoubtedly has changed the way many of us perceive world leaders. He is more audacious than President Richard Nixon, but adds charisma to his audacity and gets away with anything.

    When polls showed he was lagging behind the leading Democratic Party aspirants in key states, he disbelieved it and got his own pollsters to carry out a survey in seventeen states. The problem was that the results were similar to the poll results he had rejected; he trailed the democrats in key states like Michigan and Wisconsin. Trump reacted on June 14 labelling his own polls a fake: “It’s incorrect polling. Yes, it’s incorrect.”

    To show his anger, charismatic Trump fired three of his pollsters; Michael Baselice, President of Baselice & Associates Inc, Adam Geller and Brett Lloyd, President of The Polling Company.

    Their purge could be for allegedly leaking the poll results. But it could also be because of the outcome. I do not put it past Trump to deny reality and wish his true reflection away simply by smashing the mirror.

    Two days later during an interview with ABC News host George Stephanopoulos on the annoying poll results and his refusal to release his tax papers, his acting Chief of Staff, Mick Mulvaney coughed. An angry Trump responded: “Let’s do that over, he’s coughing in the middle of my answer. I don’t like that, you know, I don’t like that …If you’re going to cough, please leave the room. You just can’t, you just can’t cough. Boy oh boy.”

    I am sure Trump knows that a cough can be involuntary, but he might not be sure if Mulvaney coughed as a cynical response to the yarn his boss was weaving.

    During the interview, Trump defended his powers to fire top American officials, and when it was pointed out that he might have no such powers, he hinted that the American President is so powerful that he can do whatever he wants. Trump, God bless him for presiding over God’s Own Country, implies that even if what an American President does is against the law, that becomes the law.

    This Tuesday in the morning of his June 18 re-election campaign launch, he shot up the adrenaline of his countrymen and millions across the world by tweeting that he would start expelling “millions” of illegal migrants next week. With his followers so primed, at the rally in Orlando, Florida, he launched missile attacks against his opponents and perceived enemies. Not forgetting Hilary Clinton had in 2016 defeated him by 2,864,974 votes in the popular ballot and that he became President only through the Electoral College, Trump expended a lot of energy demonizing her. Calling her “crooked” he mentioned her eight times in his 80-minute speech.

    On leading democrats like Joe Bidden whom he called “Sleepy Joe” and Bernie Sanders, whom he called “crazy” both of who are leading him in opinion polls, he told Americans: “Our radical Democrat opponents are driven by hatred, prejudice, and rage and want to destroy you, and they want to destroy our country as we know it.” “They would shut down your free speech and use the power of the law to punish their opponents.” “They would strip Americans of their constitutional rights while flooding the country with illegal immigrants.” Then he turned to the media section, throwing a jab: “By the way, that is a lot of fake news back there.”

    Trump is a phenomenon. He came into politics with a lot of baggage including controversial business deals, launching charity while refusing to pay many who labour for him, and tax dogging. He was quite loud on his programmes such as building a wall across the Mexico border and making the latter pay for it. He has not done so, but is bullying Mexico to use its troops against Latin American migrants headed for the US. He had to retreat from a controversial travel ban on Muslims coming from major Islamic countries. While his foreign policy engagements with North Korea hangs in the balance and he is embroiled in a bruising trade war with China, the Great Trump has thrown spanner in the Climate Change works and virtually wrecked the international Nuclear Deal with Iran. He has interfered in British politics by backing Boris Johnson to be Prime Minister while sustaining incomprehensible attacks on London Mayor Sadiq Aman Khan. He called Africa “shit hole”

    It is impossible for a man as great as Trump not to have copycat leaders across the world. One of his sheepish followers is Brazilian President Jair Bolsario who in fact thinks himself as Trump’s political son. But the trophy for the most faithful disciple of Trump must go to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Like his mentor, he is infallible. One great Trump attitude Netanyahu has, is audacity. Being indicted for corruption and his wife, Sara convicted for the lesser crime of fraudulently using state funds, has not dampened his enthusiasm. While the world was still trying to work out a solution to the crisis in Palestine by suggesting a two-state solution in which Israel and Palestine can live in peace within secured borders, Netanyahu tears the plan down by simply designating Jerusalem including the Palestinians indigenous East Jerusalem, as Israel’s new capital. He did it with the full backing and imperial power of President Trump.

    This week, Netanyahu who has been leading the continuous theft of indigenous Palestinian lands for illegal Jewish sentiments, unveiled a sign in Syria’s Golan Heights revealing that he had named part of the stolen Syrian territory, ‘Trump Heights’ As a Christian who should not be associated with stolen property, many expected Trump to decline the offer. But not Trump; he tweeted that it was a “great honour!” I am sure Trump might be dreaming about the type of profitable property development that can be built in the Golan Heights. He might also eye a post-retirement golf course. As we say in Nigeria, ‘Trump no send’ propriety, morality, sense of fairness are not his strong points. Like Netanyahu, he has implicit and abiding trust in chariots and violence. For them, morality does not exist; the word, peace, has been ripped out of their dictionary. Might is right; it is everyman for himself, and god for us all.

    I want Trump re-elected so he can continue his great job of turning the world upside down. But what is he doing with Michael Pompeo; a Secretary of State that is incapable of telling decent lies against Iran on oil tanker attacks in the Gulf? We, lovers of Trump hereby demand: Pompeo Must Go!

  • We are ready to resolve trade issues with US – China

    We are ready to resolve trade issues with US – China

    The Government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on Thursday said that it was prepared to resolve, through dialogue, its lingering trade disputes with the United States.

    The State Council Information Office of the People’s Republic of China said in a statement that China was committed to resolving issues with the U.S. with patience and sincerity.

    “It is only natural for China and the U.S., the two largest economies and trading nations in the world, to experience some differences over trade and economic cooperation.

    “What truly matters is how to enhance trust, promote cooperation and manage the differences.

    “China remains committed to resolving issues through dialogue and consultation, responding to US concerns with the greatest patience and sincerity, properly handling differences, while seeking common grounds, and overcoming obstacles to practical solutions.

    “The Chinese Government believes that economic and trade consultation is an effective way to solving issues. Negotiation will get nowhere if one side tries to coerce the other or if only one party will benefit from the outcomes,’’ it said.

    The Chinese Government also said that it would act rationally in the interest of the Chinese people, the American people,and other peoples around the world, adding that China was open to negotiations.

    According to it, striking a mutually beneficial and win-win agreement serves the interests of China and the US, as well as meet the expectations of the world.

    “As to where the China-US economic and trade consultations are heading, China is looking forward, not backward.

    “It is hoped that the US can pull in the same direction with China and, in a spirit of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, manage economic and trade differences, strengthen trade and economic cooperation,’’ it said.

    US and China will resume trade talks ahead of a meeting between their leaders at a G20 summit next week, US President Donald Trump has said.

    Mr Trump said on Twitter he had a “very good” call with Chinese President Xi Jinping and their teams would start talks before they met in Japan.

    The US escalated tensions with tariff hikes in May, derailing months of talks between the economic powerhouses.

    The two countries have been fighting a damaging trade war over the past year.

    The Chinese president said he was prepared to meet with Mr Trump at the G20 meeting next week, according to state media Xinhua.

    Mr Trump said he would have an “extended meeting” with his Chinese counterpart at the summit in Japan.

  • Trump orders deportation of millions of ‘illegal aliens’

    Trump orders deportation of millions of ‘illegal aliens’

    US President Donald Trump tweeted Monday night that Immigration and Customs Enforcement will begin removing “millions” of undocumented immigrants next week.

    “Next week ICE will begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States,” Trump tweeted.

    “They will be removed as fast as they come in.”

    The president’s reference to mass arrests is an apparent nod to a long-planned operation to arrest migrant families in a “blitz operation” across the U.S., The Washington Post reported.

    Such operations by ICE are usually kept under wraps.

    The U.S. and Mexico reached an agreement this month in which Mexico has agreed to take in Central American immigrants seeking asylum until their cases are heard in the U.S.

    There are approximately 12 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., with the majority from Mexico and Central American countries.

  • US President Trump backs Boris Johnson as next British prime minister

    US President Trump backs Boris Johnson as next British prime minister

    US President Donald Trump has again waded into British domestic politics, giving his opinion on who he thinks would be a good successor to current Prime Minister Theresa May, who is set to resign on June 7.

    “I have actually studied it very hard. I know the different players,” he told The Sun tabloid in an interview published late on Friday.

    “But I think Boris would do a good job,” he said, referring to New York-born former London Mayor Boris Johnson, who also served as British foreign secretary. “I think he would be excellent.”

    Trump told the newspaper that his endorsement had also been sought by other candidates for the position and that his good opinion would vastly raise any candidate’s chance of being chosen.

    “I don’t want to say who but other people have asked me for endorsements, yes,” he said. “I could help anybody if I endorse them. I mean, we’ve had endorsements where they have gone up for forty, fifty points at a shot.”

    As in an interview before his first official visit to Britain last year, the US leader once more criticized the present prime minister, saying May had failed to assert British interests enough in negotiations to leave the European Union.

  • Trump rejects UN arms trade treaty approved by Obama

    Trump rejects UN arms trade treaty approved by Obama

    U.S. President Donald Trump has rejected a UN arms trade treaty that was approved by his predecessor Barack Obama and is currently waiting in the Senate for ratification.

    “The UN will soon receive a formal notice that America is rejecting this treaty,” Trump said on Friday, addressing the National Rifle Association (NRA), a pro-gun group, denouncing the “badly misguided” agreement.

    On stage in Indianapolis, Trump then signed a formal message to the Senate asking lawmakers to “discontinue the treaty ratification process.

    “And to return the now rejected treaty right back to me in the Oval Office, where I will dispose of it,” he said to applause.

    Trump signed the letter and then threw the pen to the crowd, which was chanting “U-S-A.”

    ““We are reaffirming that American liberty is sacred and that American citizens live by American laws, not the laws of foreign countries,” said Trump.

    In the final weeks of his presidency, Obama had sent the treaty to the Senate, which must approve international treaties under the U.S. Constitution.

    The Arms Trade Treaty regulates the international trade in conventional arms. According to the UN, 101 states joined the ATT. It entered into force in 2014.

    Obama pledged it would not infringe on the U.S. constitutional right to gun ownership.

    Trump also used his speech to hail U.S. states that have allowed trained teachers to carry guns in the classroom “to protect themselves and their students who they love.”

    The U.S. has seen a spate of school shootings over the past two decades.

  • Trump tax showdown: U.S. Democrats set April 23 deadline for IRS

    U.S. congressional Democrats on Saturday headed for a showdown with the Internal Revenue Service over President Donald Trump’s tax returns, setting a new hard deadline of April 23 for the federal tax agency to hand the documents over to lawmakers.

    In an April 13 letter that appeared to move Democrats closer to a federal court battle against the Trump administration, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal warned the IRS that failure to comply with his request for six years of Trump’s individual and business returns by April 23 would be interpreted as a denial.

    The Trump administration has already missed an initial April 10 deadline for providing the tax records, which Neal first set when he made his request on April 3. Democrats based their request on the panel’s jurisdiction over IRS enforcement of the tax laws regarding U.S. presidents.

    But Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Saturday that Neal was “just picking arbitrary dates” in setting deadlines and said it was more important to get the decision “right” to ensure the IRS would not be “weaponized” in a political dispute.

    “I do intend to follow the law. But I think these raise very, very complicated legal issues. I don’t think these are simple issues. There are constitutional issues,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings in Washington.

    He could not say whether the Treasury, which oversees the IRS, would complete its review of Neal’s request by April 23.

    Mnuchin, who has consulted with the White House and Department of Justice about Trump’s tax returns, said earlier this week that Neal’s request raised concerns about the scope of the committee’s authority, privacy protections for U.S. taxpayers and the legislative purpose of lawmakers in seeking the documents. He said he has not spoken personally to Attorney General William Barr about the request.

    “Those concerns lack merit. Moreover, judicial precedent commands that none of the concerns raised can legitimately be used to deny the committee’s request,” Neal told IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig in his letter.

    “It is not the proper function of the IRS, Treasury or Justice to question or second guess the motivations of the committee or its reasonable determinations regarding its need for the requested tax returns and return information.

    “Please know that, if you fail to comply, your failure will be interpreted as a denial of my request,” Neal wrote.

    As Ways and Means chairman, Neal is the only lawmaker in the House of Representatives authorised to request individual tax information under a federal law that says that the Treasury secretary “shall furnish” the data.

    Despite the law’s clarity, Democrats have long acknowledged that the request, if denied, would mean a federal court battle that could ultimately be settled by the U.S. Supreme Court.

    Legal experts say lawmakers could vote to hold administration officials in contempt of Congress, which would provide a basis for the House to ask a federal judge to order the Treasury Department to comply.

    Congressional Republicans have condemned Neal’s request as a political fishing expedition by Democrats, while the White House has said the documents will “never” be turned over.

    But Congress would likely win a court fight, though it could take months or even years to unfold, experts say. Neal’s request for the returns of a sitting president is unprecedented, and legal experts say its success or failure may depend on a court ruling about the committee’s legislative purpose for seeking the documents.

    Neal said in his letter that the request is needed to further “legislative proposals and oversight related to our Federal tax laws, including but not limited to, the extent to which the IRS audits and enforces the Federal tax laws against a President.”

    Democrats want Trump’s tax returns as part of their investigations of possible conflicts of interest posed by his continued ownership of extensive business interests, even as he serves the public as president.

    Trump broke with a decades-old precedent by refusing to release his returns as a presidential candidate in 2016 and continues to do so as president, saying his tax returns are under IRS.

  • Trump orders firing of U.S. Secret Service Director – CNN

    President Donald Trump has ordered firing of the U.S. Secret Service Director, CNN reported on Monday, a day after the resignation of another top national security official, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.

    The Secret Service is an agency that provides protection for President Trump and other top U.S. officials.

    Trump instructed his Acting Chief of Staff, Mick Mulvaney, to fire Secret Service Director, Randolph Alles, CNN reported, citing multiple administration officials.

    The White House, Department of Homeland Security and Secret Service did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters.

    One official described the firings to CNN as “a near-systematic purge” at the Department of Homeland Security.

    The Secret Service director reports to the director of Homeland Security.

    Nielsen, who oversaw Trump’s bitterly contested immigration policies during her tumultuous 16-month tenure, resigned on Sunday amid a surge in the number of migrants at the border with Mexico.

    Trump, seeking re-election in 2020, has taken a hard line toward immigration since becoming president in January 2017, and the issue may be a central theme in next year’s election.

  • Trump fires Homeland Security Chief, announces replacement

    Trump fires Homeland Security Chief, announces replacement

    U.S. President Donald Trump has fired his Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen and has replaced her with Kevin McAleenan, the current U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner.

    Her sack has brought to an end her turbulent tenure in charge of the border security agency that had at times made her the target of the president’s criticism.

    Trump wrote on his twitter handle: “Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen will be leaving her position, and I would like to thank her for her service….

    “….I am pleased to announce that Kevin McAleenan, the current U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner, will become Acting Secretary for @DHSgov. I have confidence that Kevin will do a great job!”.

    The move comes just two days after Mr. Trump, who has repeatedly expressed anger at a rise in migrants at the southwestern border, withdrew his nominee to run Immigration and Customs Enforcement because he wanted the agency to go in a “tougher” direction.

    The president said in a tweet that Kevin McAleenan, the commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, will take over as the acting replacement for Ms. Nielsen, who took over the agency in late 2017.

    The decision to replace Ms. Nielsen comes as little surprise.

    She was long expected to be fired as Mr. Trump’s dissatisfaction grew over an increase of migrants illegally entering the United States at the southwestern border.

    Last May — six months after taking over at the department — The New York Times reported that Ms. Nielsen had drafted a resignation letter after being berated for what the president called her failure to help stop illegal immigration.

    Mr. Trump and Stephen Miller, his top immigration adviser, have privately but regularly complained about Ms. Nielsen. They blamed her for a rise in migrants entering the United States and not finding more creative ways to secure the border.

     

     

  • ISIS defeated 100 per cent – Trump

    The United States President, Mr Donald Trump on Saturday announced the total defeat of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group in Iraq and Syria territories.

    Trump, in a statement issued by the White House Office of the Press Secretary, said ISIS had been defeated 100 per cent in its former controlled territories of Iraq and Syria.

    “I am pleased to announce that, together with our partners in the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, including the Iraqi Security Forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces, the United States has liberated all ISIS-controlled territory in Syria and Iraq – 100 Percent of the ‘caliphate’.

    “Just two years ago, ISIS controlled a vast amount of territory in both Iraq and Syria.

    “Since then, we have retaken more than 20,000 square miles of land and liberated millions of Syrians and Iraqis from ISIS’s ‘caliphate’.

    “ISIS’s loss of territory is further evidence of its false narrative, which tries to legitimise a record of savagery that includes brutal executions, the exploitation of children as soldiers, and the sexual abuse and murder of women and children.

    “To all of the young people on the internet believing in ISIS’s Propaganda, you will be dead if you join. Think instead about having a great life,” Trump announced.

    The United States leader noted that “while on occasion these cowards will resurface, they have lost all prestige and power”.

    The president added that ISIS terrorists “are losers and will always be losers”.

    He went further that “We will remain vigilant against ISIS by aligning global counterterrorism efforts to fight ISIS until it is finally defeated wherever it operates.

    “The United States will defend American interests whenever and wherever necessary. We will continue to work with our partners and allies to totally crush Radical Islamic Terrorists”.

    Trump had declared that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) would be eliminated from its last territory in Syria by Wednesday night.

    While holding maps of ISIS’ territory in Iraq and Syria before and after his election, Trump pointed to a very small portion of the map that was currently being held by the terrorist group.

    The U.S. leader declared that by the end of Wednesday, “the mission will be complete”.

    “I brought this out for you because – this is a map of everything in the red, this was on election night in 2016.

    “Everything red is ISIS. When I took over, it was a mess.

    “Now, on the bottom, that’s the exact same: There is no red. In fact, there is actually a tiny spot, which will be gone by tonight,” Trump had declared at a press conference at the White House.

  • U.S. congratulates Buhari, Nigeria

    The U. S. has congratulated Nigeria on its successful presidential election and President Muhammadu Buhari on his re-election.

    U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, in a statement, noted the assessments of international and domestic observer missions affirming the overall credibility of the election.

    Pompeo said the United States’ assessment was “in spite of localised violence and irregularities”.

    He called on all Nigerians to ensure successful Gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections on March 9.

    Pompeo said: “The United States congratulates the people of Nigeria on a successful presidential election, and President Muhammadu Buhari on his re-election.

    “We commend all those Nigerians who participated peacefully in the election and condemn those whose acts of violence harmed Nigerians and the electoral process.

    “We note the assessments of international and domestic observer missions affirming the overall credibility of the election, despite localised violence and irregularities.

    “We also congratulate all the other candidates for their peaceful participation in the electoral process.

    “We call on all Nigerians to ensure successful state elections next week.

    “Going forward, the United States remains committed to working together with Nigeria to achieve greater peace and prosperity for both our nations”.

    The presidential election, held on February 23 saw Buhari poll 15,191,847 votes and his closest challenger, People’s Democratic Party’s candidate and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar polled 11,255,978 votes to emerge a runner-up.

    Buhari, who was declared re-elected by the Independent National Electoral Commission, also won in 19 states, to defeat other 72 candidates including Atiku, who won 17 states and the Federal Capital Territory, to occupy the second position.