Today in Trump: March 31, 2017
Today in the Trump Administration News
Trump schedule
President Trump makes announcement with National Association of Manufacturers, 11 a.m.; meets with Condoleezza Rice, 2 p.m.; meets with Submarine Junior Officers of the Year, 3:30 p.m.
White House releases financial disclosures of top staffers
The White House on Friday released financial disclosure forms for more than 100 or its top administration officials - a mix of people far wealthier, and therefore more entangled in businesses that could conflict with their government duties, than people in previous administrations.
Dickerson: Trump trying to make Flynn investigation seem like “political muddle”
By calling the investigation a “witch hunt” and mentioning Democrats, Mr. Trump is attempting to “make the whole thing seem like political muddle -- a Democratic plot,” CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent John Dickerson says.
Sean Spicer downplays Trump’s calls for immunity for Michael Flynn
President Donald Trump may feel that former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn should “ask for” immunity in the Russia probe, but White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Friday that wasn’t a formal recommendation to Congress, and that Mr. Trump simply wants Flynn to testify.
State Department award winner knocks Trump travel ban
When Fadia Najib Thabet, a Yemeni human rights advocate, learned that she had won a State Department International Women of Courage Award she wasn’t sure she should accept it.
Rex Tillerson says U.S. sanctions against Russia to remain in place
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Friday that U.S. sanctions imposed against Russia in response to its aggression in Ukraine will “remain in place” until Russia returns control of Crimea to Ukraine.
Recent Trump Administration News:
Michael Flynn negotiating with intel committees, seeks protection, lawyer says
Michael Flynn, President Trump’s embattled former national security adviser, is in ongoing negotiations with the Senate and House Intelligence Committees about testifying in their investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Senate Intel Russia hearings
“Follow the trail of dead Russians,” Former FBI special agent Clint Watts said at the hearing Thursday. “There’s been more dead Russians in the past three months that are tied to this investigation who have assets in banks all over the world.”
Trump threatens war on House Freedom Caucus in 2018
President Donald Trump declared war against the House Freedom Caucus for 2018 in a Thursday morning tweet, saying they must be fought along with Democrats in the next election cycle. It was a action that drew quick responses from conservatives.
Deputy chief of Staff leaves
Katie Walsh, who served as deputy chief of staff under Reince Priebus, has left the White House for a position with “an outside organization.”
Paul Ryan says he doesn’t want to negotiate with Democrats on health care
House Speaker Paul Ryan says he doesn’t want to negotiate with Democrats on health care reform despite Republicans’ failure to pass a White House-backed measure last week to repeal and replace Obamacare.
“This is a can-do president, who’s a business guy, who wants to get things done, and I know that he wants to get things done with a Republican Congress, but if this Republican Congress allows the perfect to be the enemy of the good, I worry we’ll push the president into, um, working with the Democrats; he’s suggested as much,” he added.
Paul Ryan suggests Congress will delay border wall funding until next year
“We’re not gonna have a government shutdown,” the Wisconsin Republican said in an interview that aired Thursday with“CBS This Morning” host Norah O’Donnell. “The president doesn’t want to have a government shutdown. It’s funding the government from April 28 to September 30.”
Congress must pass a new spending package by April 28 or the government will shut down. Last year, lawmakers twice delayed the passage of 2017 funding in order to give the Trump White House more control over spending levels. The government is currently running on funding from fiscal 2016, which ended last September.
Russian bots still interfering in U.S. politics after election
Russia had the capacity to influence key precincts in swing states with fake news-disseminating bots during the 2016 presidential election, and could still be disrupting American politics, experts said Thursday in the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence’s first public Russia hearing.
Melania Trump Petition
A petition involving the First Lady was posted on the website change.org. It calls for the First Lady to either move to the White House or personally pay for additional security expenses that continue to grow while she resides in New York.