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Tag: U.S. President

  • Trump defends alleged hush money payments as ‘simple private transaction’

    U.S. President, Donald Trump, on Monday defended hush money payments reported by his former lawyer a day after Democrats said the U.S. president could face impeachment and jail time.

    Trump, in early morning tweets, said Democrats were wrongly targeting “a simple private transaction”.

    The tweet came after court filings last week drew renewed attention to six-figure payments by his personal lawyer to two women during the 2016 campaign so they would not discuss affairs with Trump.

    On Sunday, U.S. Representative Jerrold Nadler, who will lead the Judiciary Committee when Democrats take control of the House of Representatives next month, said if the payments were found to violate campaign finance laws it would be an impeachable offense.

    His Democratic counterpart on the Intelligence Committee, Representative Adam Schiff, said Trump could be indicted and could “face the real prospect of jail time.”

    Under U.S. law, campaign contributions, defined as things of value given to a campaign to influence an election, must be disclosed. Such payments are also limited to $2,700 per person.

    Trump earlier this year acknowledged repaying his former lawyer Michael Cohen for the $130,000 paid to porn star Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels.

    He previously disputed knowing anything about the payments.

    On Monday, the president again denied wrongdoing and shifted any blame on Cohen.

    “There was NO COLLUSION. So now the Dems go to a simple private transaction, wrongly call it a campaign contribution, which it was not,” Trump tweeted.

    “But even if it was, it is only a CIVIL CASE, like Obama’s – but it was done correctly by a lawyer and there would not even be a fine. Lawyer’s liability if he made a mistake, not me.”

    U.S. prosecutors on Friday sought prison time for Cohen, Trump’s self-proclaimed “fixer,” for the payments directed by Trump as well as on charges of evading taxes and lying to Congress.

    The case stemmed from a federal investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion with Trump’s campaign.

    Russia has denied interfering and Trump said his campaign did not cooperate with Moscow. (Reuters/NAN)

  • Trump requests additional $4bn for missile defence programmes

    Trump requests additional $4bn for missile defence programmes

    U.S. President Donald Trump has requested for another four billion dollars for missile defence programmes to counter a threat from North Korea, the White House said on Tuesday.

    Trump, who is on an extended tour of Asia, made the request in a letter to Congress, saying the additional money, is urgently needed.

    “This request supports additional efforts to detect, defeat, and defend against any North Korean use of ballistic missiles against the United States, its deployed forces, allies or partners,’’ Trump’s letter read.

    Nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches by North Korea have intensified this year, resulting in international condemnation; a tightening of economic sanctions issued by the UN and heightened rhetoric between Washington and Pyongyang.

    “The funding would go toward construction of an additional interceptor field in Alaska and provide initial funding to buy 20 new interceptors for the system,’’ The Hill reported.

    Trump also requested about 1.2 billion for the administration’s new Afghanistan and South Asia strategy.

    He said that these funds were needed to enable the deployment of an additional 3,500 troops in Afghanistan, Special Forces and other expenses associated with the strategy.

    Report says the letter also asks for almost 700 million dollars to repair two Navy ships badly damaged in collisions in June and August.

    Both are in the Japan-based U.S. Seventh Fleet.

    Trump also asked Congress to act on the 2018 budget request for 1.6 billion dollars to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

    It described the funds as a down payment on what the Department of Homeland Security needs to secure the border.

  • Trump defends daughter Ivanka’s seat at G20 table

    Trump defends daughter Ivanka’s seat at G20 table

    U.S. President Donald Trump defended his daughter, White House adviser Ivanka Trump, on Monday after she raised some eyebrows over the weekend by taking his place at a table with world leaders at a G20 meeting.

    She briefly sat in her father’s chair at the global gathering in Hamburg during a closed-door session on African development as the World Bank president spoke.

    Her appearance prompted a string of reactions on Twitter and caught the attention of the German media and other outlets.

    Early on Monday, Trump called the arrangement “very standard” in a tweet where he also noted that German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was hosting the G20 summit, agreed.

    Merkel had dismissed the move at a news conference after the G20 ended.

    “Ivanka belongs to the U.S. delegation,” Merkel, who has worked with her on various issues, said on Friday.

    Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, also defended Ivanka, saying on Sunday that the president’s daughter had often sat in on meetings with her and Trump, especially those regarding women and business.

    Ivanka Trump ran a clothing and jewellery business before taking a formal job at the White House after her father took office in January.

    She has made women’s issues one of her signature policy areas.

    At the G20, she also took the spotlight at a separate event alongside World Bank President Jim Yong Kim and other world leaders to launch a public-private loan programme aimed at boosting female entrepreneurs in developing countries.

    Lawrence Summers, a former World Bank official and economic adviser under former Democratic President Barack Obama, said it was rare for government heads to leave during major summits and that, when they must, foreign ministers or other very senior government officials normally fill in.

    “There is no precedent for a head of government’s adult child taking a seat,” he wrote in the Washington Post on Sunday.

    “There is no precedent for good reason.

    It was insulting to the others present and sent a signal of disempowerment regarding senior government officials.”

  • ‘Terrorists do not worship God’

    ‘Terrorists do not worship God’

    U.S. President Donald Trump has said that it was imperative for young Muslim boys and girls to know that terrorists were not worshipping God, but worshipping death. Trump, who made the appeal at the Arab Islamic American Summit in Saudi Arabia, enjoined young Muslims to grow up free from fear, safe from violence, and innocent of hatred. The U.S. President admonished them that rather than allow themselves
    to become terrorists, they should build a new era of prosperity for themselves and their people. According to him, some estimates hold that more than 95 per cent of the victims of terrorism are themselves Muslim.

    “Every time a terrorist murders an innocent person, and falsely invokes the name of God, it should be an insult to every person of
    faith. “Terrorists do not worship God, they worship death. “Therefore, young Muslim boys and girls should be able to grow up
    free from fear, safe from violence, and innocent of hatred,’’ he said.

    The U.S. President said that there was currently a humanitarian and security disaster in the Middle East that was spreading across the planet. Trump, who disclosed that few nations were currently being spared of terrorism, said that America had suffered attacks of Sept. 11, the Boston Bombing and killings in San Bernardino and Orlando.

    He also said that nations of Europe, Africa, South America, India, Russia, China and Australia, had at one time or the
    other, experienced “unspeakable horror’’ from terrorist attacks. Trump described the spate of terrorist attacks across the globe, as “a
    battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life,
    and decent people who seek to protect it’’.

    The U.S. President urged Muslim nations to close ranks in putting an
    end to activities of terrorists in their countries.

    “Terrorism has spread across the world. But the path to peace begins right here, on this ancient soil, in this sacred land. “America is prepared to stand with you, in pursuit of shared interests and common security. But the nations of the Middle East cannot wait for American power to crush this enemy for them.

    “The nations of the Middle East will have to decide what kind of future they want for themselves, for their countries, and for their
    children,’’ he added.

  • Trump blasts FBI over leaks

    Trump blasts FBI over leaks

    U.S President Donald Trump on Friday criticised the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for failing to stop leaks of security information to the media.

    “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,” Trump wrote on Twitter

    The tweet follows a CNN report that the agency had turned down a White House request to dismiss reports of contact between the Trump presidential campaign and Russia.

  • U.S. withdrawal: Japan invites China into TPP

    U.S. withdrawal: Japan invites China into TPP

    Japan will invite China to join a pan-Pacific trade pact abandoned by U.S. President Donald Trump, fearing such a step would boost Beijing’s clout and water down what was meant to be the ‘gold standard’ for rules of trade.

    Report says government officials are eager to begin two-way trade talks with Washington, despite Trump’s stated preference for bilateral deals as part of his “America First” economic plans.

    Although some said such negotiations could not be ruled out.

    For now, that has left Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, in the unenviable position of pledging yet again to persuade Trump that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is in the interests of both the United States and the global economy.

    Trump signed an executive order withdrawing U.S. from the TPP on Monday.

    The free trade system based on free and fair common rules is the source of growth for the world economy,” Abe told parliament’s upper house on Wednesday.

    “I think President Trump also understands the importance of free and fair trade, and I want to steadfastly seek his understanding of the strategic and economic significance of the TPP agreement.’’

    Asked about talks on a U.S.-Japan trade deal, Abe said he would refrain from speculating about Trump’s trade policy until his cabinet line-up was approved and policies became clearer.

    Australia and New Zealand said on Tuesday they hoped to salvage the TPP by encouraging China and other Asian countries to join.

    Chile had invited ministers from other TPP countries with China and South Korea to a summit in March to discuss how to proceed.

    The TPP cannot take effect without U.S. participation unless rules are changed, so the deal is now in a deep freeze.

    Japan had hoped the TPP would help anchor security ally Washington in Asia and create a rule-based regime that would eventually draw in China.

    Abe also touted the 12-nation pact as an engine of domestic economic reform and growth.

    But inviting China to the TPP table now risks boosting Beijing’s clout while weakening the partnership’s rules of trade on matters from intellectual property protection and principles for currency management to support for state-owned enterprises.

    China has not made clear whether it would be interested in joining the TPP.

    But Beijing is pushing a proposed 16-nation Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) that has less ambitious goals on trade rules.
    Progress so far has been slow.

    “If TPP is diluted by bringing in China, it will not be worthwhile investing energy to achieve that,” a Japanese source familiar with government thinking, said.

    “Negotiating with China with the possibility of changing what was signed is not wise.

    “It will take years and the result may be watering down of ambitions,” the source said.

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  • Trump revokes pro-abortion law

    Trump revokes pro-abortion law

    U.S. President Donald Trump has revoked the Presidential Memorandum on Mexico City Policy and Assistance for Voluntary Population Planning, which allowed voluntary abortion in the U.S.

    Trump, who has made anti-abortion policy one of his campaign promises, announced the revocation, according to the President’s statement issued by the White House.

    “I hereby revoke the Presidential Memorandum of January 23, 2009, for the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (Mexico City Policy and Assistance for Voluntary Population Planning), and reinstate the Presidential Memorandum of January 22, 2001, for the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (Restoration of the Mexico City Policy).

    “I direct the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to the extent allowable by law, to implement a plan to extend the requirements of the reinstated Memorandum to global health assistance furnished by all departments or agencies.

    “I further direct the Secretary of State to take all necessary actions, to the extent permitted by law, to ensure that U.S. taxpayer dollars do not fund organisations or programmes that support or participate in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilisation.”

    Trump said: “the memorandum was not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person”.

    “The Secretary of State is authorised and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register,” Trump’s statement read.

    With the revocation, Trump has barred U.S  federal funding for foreign NGOs that support abortion, relaunching a battle that has long divided Americans.

    The abrogation came just two days after women led a massive protest march in Washington to defend their rights, including to abortion.

    The decision to ban foreign aid to groups that lobby in support of abortion rights is certain to deepen concern among already apprehensive U.S. family planning and women’s rights organisations, according to observers.

    Stenny Hoyer, a Democratic leader in the House of Representatives, sharply criticised Trump for using his first week in office “to attack women’s health”.

    “It should be no surprise to the millions of women and men who gathered in protest this weekend across the country and around the world that Republicans are focused more on making it harder for women to access health care than on the serious economic and security challenges we face.”

    The restrictions imposed on Monday prohibit foreign nongovernmental organisations that receive U.S. family planning assistance from using a non-U.S. funding to provide abortion services, information, counselling or referrals and from engaging in advocacy to promote abortion.

    They were first put in place in 1984 by Republican president Ronald Reagan.

    Later eliminated by Democratic president Bill Clinton, they were reinstalled by his Republican successor George W. Bush, and annulled again after Barack Obama took office.

    Galvanised by Trump’s November 8, 2016 election, abortion opponents in states where Republicans held power moved swiftly in December 2016 to adopt draconian anti-abortion measures that in some cases pose challenges to constitutional liberties.

    Trump, meanwhile, has pledged to nominate an anti-abortion justice to the Supreme Court, which could lead to overturning Roe Wade, the emblematic ruling that legalised abortion in the U.S. in 1973.

  • How next U.S. president will emerge

    How next U.S. president will emerge

    Many democracies across the world are fashioned to reflect the United States (U.S.) presidential model. How many of those democracies have constitutional technicalities that almost made the U.S. presidential system a flawless model?

    Presidents and Vice Presidents are elected by popular votes in a presidential system. But, the U.S. model is complex. According to the U.S. Constitution, America’s presidents and vice presidents are not elected by citizens’ votes alone. After the popular votes, the contenders for the U.S. presidency will need to go for another election at the Electoral College.

    Electoral College, as the name may have implied, is not an institution, but a group of representatives (electorals) from all the federating states. America’s founding fathers ostensibly foresaw a situation where an unpopular candidate may find his way into the White House. “American founding fathers feared the rule of the mob and feared about democracy,” John Zogby, a renowned pollster, said of the Electoral College.

    Zogby, senior partner at John Zogby Strategies, said the purpose behind Electoral College as is to give every constituency an opportunity to have input in the selection of who becomes occupant of the White House. He said it is a form of check and balance in the electoral process to prevent election of a “dangerous candidate”.

    In the U.S., there is a total 538 Electoral College votes. This number is determined according to constituencies represented in the Congress. The representatives of these constituencies may automatically become the electorals or each party may nominate loyal members as electorals.

    Each state has two senators. Membership of the House of Representatives is varied, because it is based on population and size of a constituency.

    For any candidate to be elected president or vice president, he must garner 270 majority out of 538 Electoral College vote.

    Does that mean the popular vote is meaningless?

    Winning popular votes during the presidential election is not enough to declare a candidate as winner, but it puts such candidate in a position to win the Electoral College votes of the state. For a candidate to win electoral votes in a state, he has to win the state during presidential election.

    In his analysis, Zogby said: “New York State, for instance has 29 Electoral College votes. A candidate does not have to win the majority of the popular votes to win New York; if that person just wins the total votes cast, that person gets the full 29 electoral votes. It is the same way in almost every state. There are couples of states that are different, such as Nebraska and Maine. It is because they are very small states.”

    How Electoral College works

    Traditionally, Republican and Democratic parties put together a slate of electorals in each state. These are loyal members and people that could be counted on to support their candidates. According to the U.S. Constitution, one month after the presidential election is held, the electorals of the winning party in each state go to the state capital to cast their Electoral College votes for the president and vice president.

    Each electorals will cast ballots for the president and do the same for the vice president. This is regarded as the official election to the U.S. presidency.

    Can any electoral change his mind?

    There is possibility an electoral may change his mind and vote against the party’s directive. Although, the electorals are chosen on the basis of long time loyalty to the party and trust, but America’s founding fathers wanted in the system to run a final check and ensure Americans did not elect somebody too dangerous.

    The electorals are deemed as responsible people and can ultimately make the decision on behalf of their constituencies.

    Zogby said: “It is impossible that electorals may go to the state capital to cancel out that state’s votes. This has not happened, but individual electorals vote according to their conscience. When people cast popular votes on election day, they vote for candidates in each party as a single ticket.

    “But, electorals, technically, will cast two different ballots. It is technically possible to elect the president from one party and vice president from another party. It depends on who each party chooses as electorals in the first place.”

  • U.S. wants more trade deals with Africa

    U.S. wants more trade deals with Africa

    The U.S. President, Barack Obama, on Thursday expressed his government’s commitment to increasing broad-based trade with African countries.

    Obama, who made the announcement at the U.S.-Africa Business Forum in New York, said that it was currently on the move as home to some fastest-growing economies in the world.

    According to him, the U.S. is determined to be that partner, on a long term, to accelerate the next era of Africa’s growth for all Africans.

    “Africa is essential to our progress. Africa’s rise is not just
    important to Africa, it’s important to the entire world.

    “Africa is on the move and now home to some of the fastest-growing economies in the world and a middle class projected to grow to more than a billion customers.

    ‘’We have to keep increasing the trade that creates broad-based growth.

    “So, we need to keep working to integrate African economies, diversify African exports, and bring down barriers at the borders,’’ he said.

    Obama said that his government’s new trade hubs in East Africa alone, had so far supported about 29,000 jobs as well as helped increasing exports to the U.S.

    According to him, the deals and commitments being announced at the forum will add up to more than N2.8 trillion (about 9 billion dollars) in trade and investment with Africa.

    Obama said that his government had renewed the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) for another decade, giving African nations “unprecedented access’’ to American markets.

    “We have launched Trade Africa so that African countries can sell goods and services more easily across borders within Africa and with the U.S.

    “We have also created Doing Business in Africa campaign to help American businesses including small businesses to pursue opportunities across Africa.

    “And under Penny’s leadership, nearly 300 American companies have taken trade missions to Africa with more than 8,000 African buyers attending U.S. trade shows.

    “We want Africa as a booming, growing and thriving market where we can do business,’’ he said.

  • Obama woos Americans to vote Clinton

    Obama woos Americans to vote Clinton

    President Barack Obama, in a rousing speech on Wednesday offered full-hearted support to Hillary Clinton in her campaign to defeat Republican Donald Trump and become the first woman elected U.S. president

    “There has never been a man or woman, not me, not Bill (Clinton) – nobody more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as president of the United States,” Obama said to cheers at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

    “Tonight, I ask you to do for Hillary Clinton what you did for me. I ask you to carry her the same way you carried me.”

    After Obama’s speech, Clinton joined him on stage where they hugged, clasped hands and waved to the crowd.

    Obama and Clinton were rivals in the hard-fought campaign for the 2008 Democratic nomination. After winning that election to become America’s first black president, he appointed her his secretary of state.

    Speaking to delegates, Obama offered an alternative to businessman Trump’s vision of the U.S. as being under siege from illegal immigrants, crime and terrorism and losing its way in the world.

    “I am more optimistic about the future of America than ever before,” Obama said at the Wells Fargo Centre.

    Clinton made history on Tuesday when she became the first woman to secure the presidential nomination from a major party.

    When she formally accepts it on Thursday, she will become the Democratic standard-bearer against Republican nominee Trump in the Nov. 8 election.

    Obama took aim at Trump’s campaign slogan and promise to “Make America Great Again.”

    “America is already great. America is already strong. And I promise you, our strength, our greatness, does not depend on Donald Trump,” he said.