White House adviser Stephen Bannon is apparently registered to vote in two places, New York City and Sarasota County, Florida, according to the Sarasota Herald Tribune.
Trump Poised to Reopen ‘Black Site’ Prisons
“The Trump administration is preparing a sweeping executive order that would clear the way for the C.I.A. to reopen overseas ‘black site’ prisons, like those where it detained and tortured terrorism suspects before former President Obama shut them down,” the New York Times reports.
“President Trump’s three-page draft order… would also undo many of the other restrictions on handling detainees that Mr. Obama put in place in response to policies of the Bush administration.”
“If Mr. Trump signs the draft order, he would also revoke Mr. Obama’s directive to give the International Committee of the Red Cross access to all detainees in American custody. That would be another step toward reopening secret prisons outside of the normal wartime rules established by the Geneva Conventions, although statutory obstacles would remain.”
Nebraska Lawmaker Resigns Before Being Booted
Embattled Nebraska state Sen. Bill Kintner (R) resigned from the legislature following months of criticism from lawmakers, constituents and Gov. Pete Ricketts, the Omaha World Herald reports.
“Kintner, who admitted last year to using a state laptop to engage in cybersex with a woman he met online, became the target of a barrage of criticism during legislative floor debate this week after he retweeted a Twitter post that appeared to make light of sexual assault.”
The Lincoln Journal Star reports Kintner made the announcement “shortly before his fellow senators were scheduled to consider resolutions to expel him.”
Trump is Getting More Negative on Twitter
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Trump Orders EPA to Delete Climate Change Page
Reuters: “The employees were notified by EPA officials on Tuesday that the administration had instructed EPA’s communications team to remove the website’s climate change page, which contains links to scientific global warming research, as well as detailed data on emissions.”
Trump Adviser Gets $100 Million Exit Package
Gary Cohn will receive more than $100 million of stock and cash that would otherwise have been locked up for years as he leaves Goldman Sachs for a role in the Trump administration, the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Mr. Cohn received $65 million in cash to cover his potential future bonuses at the bank … Those payouts would otherwise have been determined by how Goldman fared over the next several years. He also received $45 million worth of stock that was locked up or remained subject to clawback. He must now sell those shares to comply with government ethics rules. Mr. Cohn will be able to defer taxes on the profits from the sale of his Goldman stock, though he will owe taxes on some of the shares delivered.”
Poll Finds Trump’s Message Is Resonating
A new Politico/Morning Consult poll finds President Trump’s inaugural message “is resonating with voters, refuting the idea that Trump bungled his first speech as commander in chief. Trump got relatively high marks on his Friday address, with 49% of those who watched or heard about the speech saying it was excellent or good, and just 39% rating it as only fair or poor.”
“Sixty-five percent of those surveyed reacted positively to the ‘America First’ message, the cornerstone of the Trump campaign and governing posture. Americans are looking for Trump to put his slogan into action: 61% said they agreed with Trump’s plan that the federal government should ‘buy American and hire American.’”
Trump Is Attacking Our Democracy
Dan Balz: “There is no benign explanation for President Trump’s false assertion that millions of people voted illegally in the last election. It is either a deliberate attempt to undermine faith in the democratic process, an exhortation to those who favor new restrictions on access to the ballot box or the worrisome trait of someone with immense power willing to make wild statements without any credible evidence. By repeating as president what he had said as a candidate, for whatever purpose, Trump is now striking at the foundation of a democratic society.”
Trump Calls for ‘Major Investigation’ Into Voter Fraud
President Trump tweets this morning: “I will be asking for a major investigation into VOTER FRAUD, including those registered to vote in two states, those who are illegal and even, those registered to vote who are dead (and many for a long time). Depending on results, we will strengthen up voting procedures!”
Schumer Says It’s Not Clear GOP Can Repeal Obamacare
Senate Minority Leaders Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told USA Today that the odds were “50-50” that Senate Republicans won’t be able to repeal the Affordable Care Act, a signature promise by Trump and other GOP candidates.
“Republicans insist they want to keep the most popular provisions of the law known as Obamacare, including provisions that ensure people with pre-existing medical conditions can buy insurance. But he notes they are divided on how to achieve that and pay for it.”
Campaign Managers Hit the Lecture Circuit
BuzzFeed: “In joint appearances across the country, Robby Mook and Corey Lewandowski will offer a ‘future-focused look at why Trump won’ in what their speaking agency, Leading Authorities, promises will be an ‘entertaining pair sure to keep any audience engaged,’ according to the Washington-based firm’s website.”
Quote of the Day
“No, the national liberal media won’t print that or air it or post it. Better to get your news directly from the President. In fact, it might be the only way to get the unvarnished truth.”
— Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), on the House floor criticizing the media for not reporting President Trump’s positive attributes.
Hewitt Warns Trump Could Face Impeachment
Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt told Yahoo News that President Trump begins his term on “thin ice” with Democrats, who could move to impeach the new president if they retake the House in 2018.
Said Hewitt: “If you abuse power, if you do anything — you don’t have a lot of goodwill in the reservoir. He’s beginning his presidency successfully in my view with a few very bold initiatives but with the highest negatives of any incoming president since Gallup kept track. That says to me: thin ice, move carefully.”
Disregard for Truth Threatens Trump’s Ability to Govern
“Donald Trump, having propelled his presidential campaign to victory while often disregarding the truth, now is testing the proposition that he can govern the country that way,” the Washington Post reports.
“In the first five days of his presidency, Trump has put the enormous power of the nation’s highest office behind spurious — and easily disproved — claims… Trump’s attraction to conspiracy theories and his contempt for facts that tarnish his pride may have serious implications for his ability to govern.”
Trump Threatens to ‘Send In the Feds’ to Chicago
President Donald Trump tweeted that he would dispatch federal authorities to Chicago if they didn’t address violence in the city, Politico reports.
Said Trump: “If Chicago doesn’t fix the horrible ‘carnage’ going on, 228 shootings in 2017 with 42 killings (up 24% from 2016), I will send in the Feds!”
According to Michael Calderone, Trump got his statistics from Fox News an hour earlier.
Trump Not Enjoying White House as He Feels He Deserves
“Donald Trump holds the most powerful office in the world. But he’s dogged by insecurity over his loss of the popular vote in the election and a persistent frustration that the legitimacy of his presidency is being challenged by Democrats and the media, aides and associates say,” the AP reports.
“Trump’s fixation has been a drag on the momentum of his opening days in office, with his exaggerations about inauguration crowds and false assertions about illegal balloting intruding on advisers’ plans to launch his presidency with a flurry of actions on the economy.”
“The bad press over the weekend has not allowed Trump to ‘enjoy’ the White House as he feels he deserves, according to one person who has spoken with him.”
Trump Will Sign Orders Restricting Immigration
President Trump “is expected to sign several executive orders on Wednesday restricting immigration from Syria and six other Middle Eastern or African countries,” Reuters reports.
“In addition to Syria, Trump’s orders are expected to temporarily restrict access to the United States for most refugees. Another order will block visas from being issued to those from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen… The restrictions on refugees are likely to include a multi-month ban on admissions from all countries until the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security can make the vetting process more rigorous.”
The New York Times says Trump “will order the construction of a Mexican border wall” through an executive order.
CNN Slams Trump Over Voter Fraud Claims
Jake Tapper slammed President Trump and his administration for peddling the “fiction” of massive voter fraud.
