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US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump is set to deliver a primetime address to the nation on immigration as he pushes for a showdown in his battle for a controversial US-Mexico border wall.
Trump’s plans for a national address at 9pm (2am tomorrow Irish time) and a trip to the actual border on Thursday raise the stakes in the row with congressional Democrats refusing to fund his wall project. The stalemate has led to a partial government shutdown now in its third week.
Democratic leaders responded to Trump’s planned speech by calling for equal airtime to rebut the president’s “malice and misinformation”, though it is not yet clear how major networks will respond.
The events – giving Trump the national stage against two very different backdrops – give him a chance to try to seize the narrative.
They also follow his threats to bypass Congress by invoking emergency powers to order wall construction.
Those powers would in theory allow Trump to seek alternative funding for the wall and possibly free him to reopen parts of the federal government shutdown as part of his row with Congress.
However, opponents would almost certainly accuse him of presidential overreach and respond with court challenges.
So far the White House has given no heads up regarding the details of Trump’s message.
Trump simply tweeted that his address from the Oval Office tonight will cover “the Humanitarian and National Security crisis on our Southern Border”.
Thursday’s trip, his spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said, will be to “the frontlines of the national security and humanitarian crisis”. The exact destination was not made public.
“President Trump keeps rejecting the bipartisan House-passed bills, which have already received strong bipartisan support in the Senate, to re-open the government,” said a joint statement by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
“Now that the television networks have decided to air the President’s address, which if his past statements are any indication will be full of malice and misinformation, Democrats must immediately be given equal airtime,” they added.
Government paralysed
Trump has made building a wall the central theme of his nationalist domestic policies.
He paints the Mexico border as an open gate for criminals, including rapists, terrorists, people with dangerous diseases and phony asylum seekers.
The border has indeed for years seen significant numbers of illegal immigrants and a thriving drug trade. However, fact checkers have debunked the more hair-raising claims, including those regarding terrorist threats.
Most recently, Sanders claimed on Sunday in an interview on the usually Trump-friendly Fox News channel that “nearly 4,000 known or suspected terrorists come into our country illegally”. However, the interviewer immediately called her out, citing the government’s own information that none of those individuals arrived across the southern border.
Democrats, who won control of the House of Representatives in midterm legislative elections, say Trump overblows the “crisis” and call the wall a political stunt not worth taxpayer money.
In retaliation, Trump has refused to sign a wider spending package – leaving sections of the federal government without funding and hundreds of thousands of employees facing delays in their paychecks.
Syria
The US president has meanwhile sought to end fears of an abrupt US pullout from Syria, saying the fight against the Islamic State group is not over and that withdrawal would be done in a “prudent” manner.
“We will be leaving at a proper pace while at the same time continuing to fight ISIS and doing all else that is prudent and necessary!” Trump tweeted.
The president has come under withering pressure both at home and in allied capitals after previous statements indicating that he considered the IS group vanquished and that he wanted US troops out of Syria imminently.
Trump’s new statement follows a trip by his national security adviser John Bolton to Israel in which he told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday that withdrawal would not happen before “ISIS is defeated and not able to revive itself”.
In a call, Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke of “the commitment of the United States and France to the destruction of ISIS as well as plans for a strong, deliberate, and coordinated withdrawal of US troops from Syria,” the White House said.
“They reiterated that any further use of chemical weapons in Syria must not be tolerated.”
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he had spoken with French officials. “We’ll make sure we address the concerns that they have. Everyone understands what the United States is doing,” he told reporters as he headed on a Middle East visit.
The reassurances followed a diplomatic storm caused by Trump’s surprise announcement in December that appeared to signal a rapid withdrawal from Syria, where US special forces play an important role in supporting local forces fighting IS.
“We’ve won against ISIS,” he said at the time. “We’ve beaten them and we’ve beaten them badly. We’ve taken back the land. And now it’s time for our troops to come back home.”
Allies like Britain and France warned that IS was not defeated. Questions were also raised over the fate of Kurdish groups that have done much of the fighting alongside the United States in Syria, but now fear attacks from Turkey.
The initial pullout promise also sparked outspoken opposition from within Trump’s Republican party and the resignation of respected defence secretary James Mattis.
In yesterday’s statement, Trump complained that media coverage had skewed his original words, saying that his latest position on Syria was “no different from my original statements”.
Currently, about 2,000 US forces are in the Syria, which is in the grips of a complex civil war. Most of the US soldiers are there to train local forces fighting the hardcore-Islamist IS.
“We will continue to work with the coalition and regional partners toward an enduring defeat of ISIS,” Commander Sean Robertson, a Pentagon spokesman, told AFP.
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A great leader.
When history is written he’ll go down as one of the best Presidents of the United States.
@Faughanside: only if he writes the history book!
@Faughanside: the way he’s going, we’ll be lucky if we even get to reflect on him once he’s gone. The man is a shambles. I feel bad for all the gullible poor who believe his lies and rethoric. He’s only in it to enrich himself, his buddies and his family at their expense.
@Faughanside: that is what was said about Adolf Hitler ,another ego maniac that caused incredible harm in the world.
@Terry Cahill: ah come on now. Hardly comparable.
@Maximus Decimus Meridius: Only WHEN he has someone Ghostwrite it.
Trump has been a brilliant president. Where else do you see any leader follow through with any election promises.
@Mumpsimus: he promised that Mexico would pay for it!
@Maximus Decimus Meridius: don’t bother. Likely a troll or someone willfully ignoring the facts. I’d like to see how happy this commenter would be if Leo came stomping in to power shouting that the British would be paying for some red herring, only to then turn around and make us pay.
@Mumpsimus: What exactly did he follow through with apart from a terrible golf swing??
He’s off to get a spray tan for his big speech!
@Darren Caffrey: He doesn’t need to. The orange glow from this man’s skin is comprised entirely from 100% Stupid.
It’s worth building it for child trafficking alone. There are around 10,000 children trafficked across the border each year in both directions. Child sex trafficking is real people. Fence, wall….get on with it.
@Shane Dignam: he should just get the military to build it. He’s pulling troops home, and if he uses the military to build it he can bypass Congressand put those soldiers to work. Every country has the right to determine who comes in.
@Shane Dignam: human trafficking is a serious issue but there is no way to put a number on it. You have a perfectly legitimate point. There is no need to make up a number.
@Dave O’Keeffe: That’s why I said ‘around 10,000’. There are many estimates that range everywhere from 5,000 to over 15,000. Nobody knows for sure, you’re right on that but 10,000 is a reasonable estimate based on the figures available. These children are not immigrants, they are sex slaves for the most part. It’s totally abhorrent and everyone needs to do whatever it takes to stop it. Dem’s should give Trump his Wall and in return Trump should give ‘dreamers’ citizenship. That’s a win/win for both sides and nobody loses face. Fair enough???
@Vote4Pedro: better yet, bring all of them home and get them to act as a human wall. Unarmed 9f course as otherwise it would be dodgy
@Shane Dignam: “it’s worth building for child trafficking alone” <- how would it stop the child trafficking ?
@Shane Dignam: he rejected that when it was put to him, twice
@Holidays Are Coming: Well they can’t exactly load them on planes and fly them in.
@Shane Dignam: How would a wall stop child trafficking at the Mexican/US border ?
@Holidays Are Coming: How would you bring them in if not over the land border? Can you think of a better solution.
It won’t stop children from being trafficked across the border,just like it won’t stop drugs from being smuggled across the border.As was said plenty of times on here before,Trump would be much better off spending the $billions on the latest technology,beefing up the security at the many border checkpoints & hiring a lot more immigration judges etc etc.
Take care
@Dave O’Keeffe: Yes he did, but I’m still suggesting he change his mind and compromise. There’s a lot of things about Trump I disagree with and this is one of them. These people are already living there, been educated there and are paying taxes etc. I’m hopeful he will change his mind on this.
@Holidays Are Coming: Here’s an excerpt from an interview between a National Public Radio host and US Border Patrol Agents Union leader Brandon Judd.
Host: So how different is the border going to be assuming that the president’s orders are carried out here?
JUDD: I don’t think it’s going to be – well, OK, it’s going to be a lot more secure. But what we’re talking about is we’re talking about a wall in strategic locations. We’re not talking about a great wall of the United States. We’re not talking about a continuous wall from California down to Texas. We’re talking about a wall in strategic locations which then helps the Border Patrol agents do their job better.
Host: So you’ve told us when you were on the program last time that about 10 to 15 percent of the border has serious fences in your view and maybe you’d double that under this proposal.
JUDD: That’s what I’m thinking. Again, I don’t have the exact specifics of what they’re going to do, but I do know that they’re looking in specific places like Laredo, Texas, where we have very, very little walls. Yet, the state that Laredo, Texas, borders is extremely violent. And so we’re looking in locations like that. They’re looking in locations like that, but I think it’s going to be very effective.
What have you made of the really visceral response to this, the negative response to this from many people in the United States as well as from Mexico?
JUDD: Well, I can understand, but you – but, Steve, you have to understand there’s a lot of rhetoric out there and a lot of what’s being put out there – I mean, I’ve heard that this is a racist wall. This isn’t a racist wall. We’re not talking about keeping out legal immigrants. We’re talking about keeping out illegal immigrants, and it has nothing to do with race because we get people from all – from everywhere. We get people from Russia who are white that cross the border illegally. And so this isn’t a racist wall. This is about the security and safety of the United States.
@Shane Dignam: Seriously,lad ? That guy is based up in Montana,so what would he know about the Mexican/US border.Yourself & Pedro should listen to what the Texans themselves have to say about it : https://www.star-telegram.com/news/state/texas/article152402734.html
@Shane Dignam: so the guy in charge of keeping the border agents in jobs says it won’t be a complete wall and won’t therefore mean massive layoffs for those he represents
@Holidays Are Coming: It’s his job to know as he’s head of the union and knows what his agents think. Also how old is that article you posted. It’s talking about a 2000 mile continuous wall. Of course that would upset some Texans, but that’s not what is being proposed. It will only be in strategic locations. Hence why $5 billion will cover it. Most Texans will not oppose that.
@Dave O’Keeffe: Your point being?
A joke about trump , how orginal!
@Jonathan Byrne: you’re right no need to joke about a joke.
@Hans Vos: or maybe it’s like beating a dead horse,
Everyone should be concerned that this “Liar” has so much power…If he can tell lies to a nation on live T.V. and those around him just nod and smile no checks on him,he is possibly one of the most dangerous men in history…
@Dave Walsh: any facts to back up Ur claim?
@Cryptoalcho: How do you charge the phone battery in that cave.
@Cryptoalcho: all the lies he tells constantly are the evidence.
His next step will be to change laws to prolong his term. He constantly hints at a 16 year presidency and praises China and Russia for the length of time their heads are in power.
@Keith Fay: It’s official, you’ve lost the plot.
@Shane Dignam: You lost the plot when you said that the wall was worth building for child trafficking alone ..
@Holidays Are Coming: So in your mind it’s ok that $60 billion per annum is spent on Afghanistan but $5 billion to protect thousands of innocent children from sex slavery is losing the plot. Maybe you should take a good hard look at yourself if that’s what you think. And stay away from children if you have such little empathy for them. I suppose you’re a big fan of Justice Ginsburg who wants the age of consent dropped to 12.
@Shane Dignam:What a load of emotional-laden bs that you put up there.Wow!
Explain how a $5 billion wall will ‘protect thousands of innocent children from being sexually/physically & emotionally abused by the Trump administration.Oops! My bad.
How will that $5b ‘spent on a wall’ stop the thousands of children from being trafficked across the border? Do you know anything about the border checkpoints ?
@Holidays Are Coming: they don’t bring them in through border checkpoints and well you know it. If you want to have a reasonable conversation about child sex trafficking (which is an emotional topic in case you didn’t realize), do some basic research first.
@Shane Dignam: Nope, there are lots of videos of him blatantly saying this at press conferences. you should keep up with the news and stop telling people they’ve lost the plot. ffs.
@Keith Fay: He constantly hints at a 16 year presidency? That would be awful but I’d like you to back up your claim. If he has constantly been hinting at a ‘16 year’ presidency you should have no problem providing several samples of this from different occasions. Thanks.
@Shane Dignam: I do enjoy having these discussions Shane.Here is something for you to digest over your din dins ;the majority (80%) of children/adults that are trafficked & sold for sex/work in and around the border,they would be American citizens.So what would spending billions on a stupid wall do to protect them ?
@Holidays Are Coming:America holds the title of “2nd highest destination in the world for trafficked women” (Wiehl, 2010). Between 14,500 & 17,500 victims are trafficked into the US each year. In most cases the average age of the prostitute or exploited victim is between 12 and 13 years old. A study from the University of Pennsylvania estimated that nearly 300,000 youth were at risk of being sexually exploited for commercial uses and many of them who are forced into performing sexual acts by their pimps are as young as 5 and 6 years old.
I suppose 14,500 and 17,500 is not enough for you. So how many trafficked people do you need to see crossing the border before you feel extra protection is needed? I know I could go on about this all day to you but I won’t change your mind, so good luck.
@Shane Dignam:The important part to that study,which you conveniently left out, was that the majority of those kids were American citizens whom were neglected by their parents/foster careers …tsk!tsk!
*carers
@Holidays Are Coming: I had a note that I added into the text myself for you next to where it talks about the 300,000. I had to delete it as I ran over the word count. The 300,000 are what you are talking about I presume. They are Americans and I never said they weren’t. I left it in the excerpt as I didn’t want to remove it and it was obvious from the excerpt that these were Americans. I put the note in so you wouldn’t try and go off on one about the majority, which you did you sad man. That does not change anything, 17,500 kids is still far too many. It sickens me to even have to talk to a hate filled enabler like you who can’t see common sense through your hate for one man. I’m sure though if Obama or whoever decided to strengthen the border you’d be all for it.
@Shane Dignam: this is my first result of a google search, do the rest yourself, there are many others incidents. michael moore put all the clips together in his latest documentary so check that out to, again, save you searching yourself: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/apr/17/trump-term-new-yorker-last-phase-presidency
@Shane Dignam: Oh, go away with your ‘enabler’ bs.All that I’m doing is providing you with the facts,kiddo.And those facts are that the ‘wall’ won’t be stopping human traffickers from trafficking people across the border.
ps;The only despicable one on here,would be you,for using children as an excuse to spend billions on a stupid wall.Shame on you!
@Holidays Are Coming: Don’t be calling me despicable for caring about what happens these people. I’ve been following the human trafficking story for years and as I have kids I find it deeply disturbing. Maybe you don’t have kids and as a result it’s not a priority for you. Fair enough, I won’t fight about it. We are all entitled to have different opinions on it.
As for these facts you claim to have shown me, what facts, besides an out of date article about a 2000 mile wall that nobody is asking for?
Now let’s just leave it at that. I’m heading out the door now anyway. It was a pleasure and I’m sure we’ll meet again.
Hope he declares an emergency, it’ll be his undoing
@Barry Somers: Mueller will be his undoing. The report is stewing nicely.
@Barry Somers: He’s perfectly
within his rights as President to do so. Why would it be the end of him? It will go to the courts and if the courts say ‘no’ it’s not like she loses his job.
@Patabake Kennedy: Mueller will be his own undoing more likely.
@Barry Somers: how many times have we heard “this will be the end of trump” ?
Quite a lot. He seems to just deflect it all. 3 years people are saying it. He’s still there. First he’s never getting in…. heard that for a year. Believed it myself. Then 2 years of this will be the end of him… nope.
I’m just sick of the guy
@Patabake Kennedy: It can only stew for so long. If anything is found, which it’s unlikely, then the report will be released just in time for the 2020 campaign. Politics at its finest
@PC Principal: That report will be so redacted it will be useful to nobody. Only then we will see the end of this conman.
All this because of the Supreme Court ruling last month that they couldn’t deny asylum based on illegal entry.
Poor poor America !
Let’s see how many lies and bs he can fit in this speech.
Orange man bad
I can’t wait to get a copy of his picture book about his time in the White House. Should be a good ‘read’.
I assume it’s been broadcast on the cartoon network.
This man is at least entertaining. Who cares about his wall.
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