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LISTEN: Children at US detention centre cry out for parents, plead with immigration agents

The audio features the voice of a six-year-old girl who repeatedly asks officials to call her aunt so she can leave.

ProPublica / YouTube

AN AUDIO RECORDING of young children crying for their parents as they are questioned by immigration officials inside a US Customs and Border Protection facility has emerged this morning.

The audio was obtained by US non-profit organisation ProPublica and purports to feature the voice of six-year-old Alison Jimena Valencia Madrid, who was separated from her mother last week at the Mexican border.

In the audio recording a young boy can be heard crying in the background, repeatedly calling for his ‘Papa’. A border patrol agent jokes: “Well, we have an orchestra here. What’s missing is a conductor.”

The children are questioned about where they are from. The girl, through tears, tells him “El Salvador”, while another child responds “Guatamala”.

“Don’t cry,” he tells them.

The six-year-old pleads with agents to call her aunt, telling them “I have her number memorised” before reciting it for them. She continues throughout the audio to ask officials to call her aunt so she can leave.

“Are you going to call my aunt so that when I’m done eating she can pick me up?” she asks.

“I want to go too,” another child tells them.

Later, as the agent takes the girl to go call her aunt, she repeats:

“My mommy says I’ll go with my aunt and that she’ll come to pick me up there as quickly as possible so I can go with her.”

The audio was given to civil rights lawyer Jennifer Harbury by a whistleblower and she passed it on to the non-profit organisation.

She told ProPublica the person “heard the children’s weeping and crying and was devastated by it”.

The whistleblower said the children on the recording were between four and 10 years old and it appeared they had been at the detention centre for less than 24 hours at the time.

Official data shows more than 2,000 children have been separated from their parents or guardians since early May, when the administration said it would arrest and charge all migrants who illegally crossed the Mexican border – even if they were seeking asylum.

The six-year-old girl did get to speak to her aunt, who said it was “the hardest moment in my life”. She travelled to the US two years ago with her own daughter and is currently seeking asylum. She is concerned that any attempt to intervene with her niece would put her own case at risk.

“Imagine getting a call from your six-year-old niece. She’s crying and begging me to go get her. She says, ‘I promise I’ll behave, but please get me out of here. I’m all alone.’”

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    Mute Padraig
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    Jan 7th 2017, 7:44 PM

    A person who travels in space for the Chinese space program is called a Taikonaut.For America and the rest of the world its Astronaut and for Russia its Cosmonaut.

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    Mute Breas
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    Jan 7th 2017, 7:47 PM

    @Padraig: nobody travels in space its all fake

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    Mute OpenBorders
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    Jan 7th 2017, 7:53 PM

    Lol! Alt-Right conspiracy theorists are funny.

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    Mute Patrick Mac
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    Jan 7th 2017, 8:24 PM

    @Breas: <——- a man with good discernment.

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    Mute TTGxWeeD
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    Jan 7th 2017, 9:01 PM

    @OpenBorders No alt right, Just a guy with his own opinion. Which seems a tad silly.

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    Mute Pádraig Ó Raghaill
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    Jan 7th 2017, 9:06 PM

    @OpenBorders:

    I don’t think you can really say much when you have set up a profile specifically to invoke a reaction.

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    Mute Charlie Fogarty
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    Jan 7th 2017, 10:05 PM

    @Pádraig Ó Raghaill:

    Hey. Paddy. While you’re here…..I’m not a Zionist. You know this.

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    Mute Pádraig Ó Raghaill
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    Jan 7th 2017, 10:07 PM

    @Charlie Fogarty:

    I thought we settled that – no need to rehash – I believe I even said you have discussions unlike many

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    Mute Charlie Fogarty
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    Jan 7th 2017, 11:36 PM

    @Pádraig Ó Raghaill:

    I just take umbrage with being considered a Zionist when my support of Israel differs greatly to that mode of thinking. It’s important to differentiate between them.

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    Mute Micheal S. O' Ceilleachair
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    Jan 8th 2017, 5:36 AM

    …or a Coconaut!!!

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    Mute Blackwater Dr School
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    Jan 10th 2017, 9:07 PM

    What’s a Irish one called ???

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    Mute WJH
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    Jan 7th 2017, 7:49 PM

    The whole lot of them??

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    Mute David Thomas
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    Jan 7th 2017, 8:06 PM

    Surely not. Who’s going to make all our stuff?

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    Mute Les Behan
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    Jan 7th 2017, 8:11 PM

    @WJH: Why? Sure the Chinese are a great bunch of lads!

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    Mute Shaun Gallagher
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    Jan 7th 2017, 7:33 PM

    I hear they want to go to the sun at night as well

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    Mute DonaldsFriedChicken
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    Jan 7th 2017, 7:35 PM

    That was north Korea dude… But easy mistake they appear similar.

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    Mute Enda
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    Jan 7th 2017, 9:08 PM

    A Great Bunch Of Lads

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    Mute Craig Gibbs
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    Jan 7th 2017, 7:54 PM

    That’d be awesome if it happens

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    Mute Bottleneck
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    Jan 7th 2017, 9:00 PM

    They already own half of Canada and Africa!

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    Mute John Considine
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    Jan 7th 2017, 7:58 PM

    China look set to dominate this sphere for the foreseeable future:

    Soon they will be the only nation to have in-service, proven moon landing technology. By 2025 China will also likely have the only remaining Space Station in orbit with the ISS due to retire. They are already pretty far ahead in the race to capture a Near Earth Object and return in to an Earth orbit. NASA started their project this year on a shoestring budget as they prioritise a Mars 2030 run. The first nation to return an asteroid will lead the way in develop methods and technologies to mine such asteroids.

    Essentially they are the only people actually trying to begin a space exploitation program. NASA are stuck on a vanity project, ESA doesn’t have a real budget and the Soviets are only interested in selling rockets anyway. They can do this because their system has advantages for long term infrastructure development over systems with elections. I really don’t see how they’d catch up at this point anyway.

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    Mute Charlie Fogarty
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    Jan 7th 2017, 9:02 PM

    @John Considine:

    “the Soviets” ? C’mon comrade.

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    Mute John Considine
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    Jan 7th 2017, 9:47 PM

    @Charlie Fogarty: I like how the only part of my reply worth of comment was my use of “Soviet” as opposed to Russian….

    China’s relentless march towards becoming the next true Superpower? Let’s not worry about nonsense like that. All post in defence of Comrad Putin!!!

    Sometimes you guys are just *too* transparent man.

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    Mute Charlie Fogarty
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    Jan 7th 2017, 10:18 PM

    @John Considine:

    It was the funniest part. You’re framing the whole thing this as if the race hasn’t already been run. Any progress into space exploration is a positive now, regardless of who does it.

    Who cares who owns the moon? I hope they are planning on building a base.

    Who is ewe guys?

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    Mute TTGxWeeD
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    Jan 7th 2017, 9:08 PM

    Sounds very interesting, It would be great to see the results and what type of minerals and compounds are found. Maybe E.T too

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    Mute Donal O'Brien
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    Jan 7th 2017, 8:39 PM

    Good for them.

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    Mute Patrick Mac
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    Jan 7th 2017, 8:01 PM

    Apparently we’re all on a big ball, rotating at a speed of 1000mph and further rotating around a Sun, at 67,000mph. In addition, all of that is hurtling through an infinite universe at speeds up in the 100s of 1000s of mph – yet I feel absolutely zero vibration, lateral movement, or rotational pull from all of it.
    Do you ?

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    Mute Roibeard O Beachain
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    Jan 7th 2017, 8:09 PM

    Yawn…. No response on the last article you posted with the exact same comment so thought you would try again? What is wrong with you?

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    Mute Patrick Mac
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    Jan 7th 2017, 8:14 PM

    @Roibeard O Beachain: I like to question what I’m instructed to believe, is what’s wrong with me.
    An admirable quality in a world teaming with MSM controlled automatons, if I do say so myself.

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    Mute OpenBorders
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    Jan 7th 2017, 8:24 PM

    @Patrick Mac: ‘I like to question what I’m instructed to believe’

    Unless it comes from a conspiracy website,then you won’t question it at all.

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    Mute Les Behan
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    Jan 7th 2017, 8:25 PM

    @Patrick Mac: Ha ha not this crap again! :-)

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    Mute Patrick Mac
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    Jan 7th 2017, 8:29 PM

    @OpenBorders: what website is it your referring to. I don’t need any website, book, TV set, radio to tell me that when I go outside, sit/stand still and do my best to detect, or feel motion I fail every time.

    You can try it yourself if you wish. Stand away from the computer, go outside and ask yourself:
    “where is the motion” ?

    Go ahead, do it now, then report your findings.

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    Mute George Salter
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    Jan 7th 2017, 8:43 PM

    Inertial frame…

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    Mute Paraic McDonagh
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    Jan 7th 2017, 8:48 PM

    @ Patrick Mac. I went outside. I observed the motion of the stars in the sky. The speed is almost imperceptible because the Earth rotates at only once per 24hrs. This is half the speed of the hour hand of a clock so I wasn’t expecting to have to hold on for dear life. But its very real all the same. Go outside and check yourself.

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    Mute Charlie Fogarty
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    Jan 7th 2017, 8:49 PM

    @Patrick Mac:

    Yeah I don’t get science either.

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    Mute Patrick Mac
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    Jan 7th 2017, 8:55 PM

    @Paraic McDonagh: you’re ignoring the other two, additional trajectories Paraic:

    *** rotating around a Sun, at 67,000mph

    *** hurtling through an infinite universe at speeds up in the 100s of 1000s of mph

    Why did you feel nothing from those, either ? More importantly, who, or what, carries out the task of steering planet earth through the infinite universe at such extreme speeds, huh ?

    If you can answer this then you will be a rich man indeed.

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    Mute Gary
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    Jan 7th 2017, 9:11 PM

    Paraic, he’s a known troll so don’t waste your time.

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    Mute Richard Sweeney
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    Jan 7th 2017, 9:12 PM

    Patrick i thought you were gonna go watch miles from tomorrow?

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    Mute john
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    Jan 7th 2017, 9:14 PM

    Scientists rarely become rich men. The reason you don’t feel anything is because space is a vacuum and so there is no resistance to the earth spinning or moving so that’s why you don’t feel anything. Simple really.

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    Mute Paraic McDonagh
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    Jan 7th 2017, 9:17 PM

    @Patrick Mac. Tell me this; when you’re on a train, do you expect your tea to splash into your face at 70mph when you tilt the cup to your mouth?

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    Mute Paraic McDonagh
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    Jan 7th 2017, 9:19 PM

    …If I was sitting next to you, it would.

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    Mute Patrick Mac
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    Jan 7th 2017, 9:35 PM

    @Paraic McDonagh: sorry, that’s not comparing like with like, Paraic.

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    Mute Roibeard O Beachain
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    Jan 7th 2017, 9:44 PM

    He is Patrick. You could travel 60, 000 kph on a train and not feel a thing. Take away sound, windows and vibration from the track and you wont know you are moving ( if the train’s velocity is constant ) A sudden change in the trains velocity and coffee is getting spilled all over you or a lovely fat women has signed your death warrant….

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    Mute Robert Emmett Birrell
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    Jan 7th 2017, 9:46 PM

    Ha ha! You don’t notice anything because you are traveling at the same speed!

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    Mute justanothertaxpayer
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    Jan 8th 2017, 4:16 PM

    Your atoms are vibrating if that helps

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    Mute Breas
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    Jan 7th 2017, 7:46 PM

    Their mission will be as Fake as the US one in 1969. I wonder will the show the earth spinning from the moon. maybe they could place a video camera on the moon and show us the earth spinning 24/7

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    Mute Charlie Fogarty
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    Jan 7th 2017, 7:56 PM

    How can it spin if it’s flat?:

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    Mute Padraig
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    Jan 7th 2017, 7:57 PM

    China already put a rover on the moon in 2013 called Jade Rabbit.
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yutu_(rover)#

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    Mute Paraic McDonagh
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    Jan 7th 2017, 8:01 PM

    You do realise that optical reflectors were placed on the moon by Apollo astronauts which anyone can bounce a laser off and are therefore verifiable? How do you purpose those got there if the moon landings were fake?

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    Mute Joseph Siddall
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    Jan 7th 2017, 8:01 PM

    Charlie, you can spin a plate. Same principle, just bigger. The Earth sits on a big wobbly stick. Or on four elephants on the back of a giant turtle. Depends who you ask.

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    Mute Joseph Siddall
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    Jan 7th 2017, 8:02 PM

    Padraig, odd name for a dog.

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    Mute MyBrokenKnees
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    Jan 7th 2017, 8:58 PM

    Trump will want to get there first to brand it Trump Moon.

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    Mute Bennythekid
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    Jan 7th 2017, 9:49 PM

    How high is the moon -Ho Hi is a China man? Ho low is his brother.

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    Mute Kieran O Regan
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    Jan 8th 2017, 12:12 AM

    @Bennythekid:@Bennythekid:who is his brother how low is his cousin

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    Mute An Ubh
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    Jan 7th 2017, 8:03 PM

    Wonder how they will take all of China to Mars?

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    Mute An Ubh
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    Jan 7th 2017, 8:06 PM

    *The moon
    Lol

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    Mute Paul Lane
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    Jan 7th 2017, 11:46 PM

    Look at the south China sea…I don’t trust these medieval s (umbags

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    Mute Grace mc kenna
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    Jan 8th 2017, 7:38 AM

    The Earth is Flat!!!! This is not a piss take..

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    Mute Grace mc kenna
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    Jan 8th 2017, 7:40 AM

    Apparently the Chinese have admitted that there was no sign of the NASA every been on the moon! No Apollo Missions!! All a big Masonic lie..

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    Mute David Carino
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    Jan 7th 2017, 8:59 PM

    Yes and they want to buy Donald Trump for a Trillion Dollars and have him run it for them……

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    Mute Micheal S. O' Ceilleachair
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    Jan 8th 2017, 5:36 AM

    Is his wife’s name She Qisong!!!!!

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    Mute Terry Cahill
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    Jan 8th 2017, 7:22 AM

    Tickets available from Ticketmaster

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