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Trump Meets de Blasio, and Conway Defends Family’s Roles Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner Will Not Seek Security Clearances, Sources Say
(about 4 hours later)
Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York had an hourlong session with President-elect Donald J. Trump as Mr. Trump’s campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, pushed back on the narrative of disarray. No security clearance is coming for Ivanka Trump or Jared Kushner in a Donald J. Trump transition or administration, sources say, as Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York meets with the president-elect.
Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York, in an hourlong session with President-elect Donald J. Trump — a man Mr. de Blasio once called uniquely unqualified for the presidency — cautioned Mr. Trump against large-scale deportations and what the mayor characterized as divisive language and policies that have heightened fears among New Yorkers. Neither Ivanka Trump, President-elect Donald J. Trump’s daughter, nor her husband, Jared Kushner, has applied for a security clearance, nor do they intend to, according to two people close to the Trump transition.
“The ball’s in his court,” Mr. de Blasio said outside Trump Tower in Manhattan, at a news conference Wednesday after the meeting. “People in the city and all over the country are looking to see what he’s going to do.” In the long back-and-forth over whether Mr. Trump’s family would get top-secret security clearances, Kellyanne Conway seemed to tip her hand on Wednesday — at least regarding Mr. Kushner.
He would not characterize Mr. Trump’s reaction to the meeting. “It’s appropriate for whoever’s going to get the presidential daily briefing to have a security clearance,” Ms. Conway, Mr. Trump’s campaign manager, said. “It’s not just appropriate, necessary.”
On Monday, Mr. de Blasio told NY1, a cable news channel, that he planned to be blunt. “I have to let him know the concerns of New Yorkers, the fear that a lot of people feel, and I have to seek clarification about how he’s going to treat his home city.” But transition officials said Mr. Kushner had not sat in any security briefings and had no plans to.
Meeting with the news media in the lobby of Trump Tower, Kellyanne Conway, Mr. Trump’s campaign manager, denied, well, everything. Mr. Kushner — the son of a New Jersey developer and convicted criminal, and the owner of the newspaper The New York Observer — has no background in national security, but, as a trusted son-in-law, he could soon be privy to the nation’s most sensitive secrets.
Meeting with the news media in the lobby of Trump Tower, Ms. Conway on Wednesday denied, well, everything.
Campaign in disarray? “I just don’t see it that way. It’s just not that way.”Campaign in disarray? “I just don’t see it that way. It’s just not that way.”
Did the president-elect mislead the press on Tuesday night when he slipped out for dinner at the 21 Club? Did the president-elect mislead reporters on Tuesday night when he slipped out for dinner at the “21” Club?
“No. He was just having dinner with his family.”“No. He was just having dinner with his family.”
Will Mr. Trump hold a news conference?Will Mr. Trump hold a news conference?
“Shortly, I would say. Sometime soon.”“Shortly, I would say. Sometime soon.”
It’s been just over a week since the election, and Mr. Trump has made only two appointments.It’s been just over a week since the election, and Mr. Trump has made only two appointments.
“You don’t form a federal government overnight, and these are very serious issues, very serious appointments, very serious considerations.“You don’t form a federal government overnight, and these are very serious issues, very serious appointments, very serious considerations.
Ms. Conway said she was “not aware” of whether Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, was requesting a security clearance to attend the president-elect’s highly classified intelligence briefings. But she didn’t deny it. A U.S. Chamber of Commerce board meeting was jolted Wednesday morning by a visit from Vice President-elect Mike Pence, whose running mate crossed swords with the business group over trade agreements during the campaign.
“It’s appropriate for whoever’s going to get the presidential daily briefing to have a security clearance,” Ms. Conway said. “It’s not just appropriate, necessary.” But if Big Business was hoping for an olive branch, Mr. Pence was not forthcoming. Mr. Pence appeared at 10 a.m. and told the group of about 75 attendees that the administration’s focus would be on “economic growth,” according to one attendee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a private meeting.
Asked about conflicts of interest facing Mr. Trump’s three adult children who are involved in the transition and in running his business empire, she said she saw nothing amiss. But there was one word he did not mention: trade.
“You’re presuming that they’re doing certain things that they should not be doing,” Ms. Conway said. “I mean, they’re his children and they’ve been his business colleagues for a very long time. They obviously support their father as president.” The Chamber is a vocal proponent of international trade agreements, especially the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the huge trade accord secured by President Obama and vilified by Mr. Trump.
A new name emerged as a possible choice for secretary of state on Wednesday — Gov. Nikki R. Haley of South Carolina, a Republican who backed Senator Marco Rubio of Florida in the Republican primaries and who spoke against Mr. Trump’s incendiary language.
Those close to Mr. Trump had mentioned Ms. Haley in passing during the vice-presidential hunt this year, but considered her damaged by her opposition to the nominee.
Mr. Trump has told friends that he is keeping his own list of names for cabinet posts, and that they should pay little mind to what they read in the newspapers or see on television about transition planning.
The on-again-off-again romance with Jamie Dimon, the chief executive of JPMorgan Chase, to be Treasury secretary seems to be back on, at least according to Maria Bartiromo of the Fox Business Network.
Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York, in an hourlong session with President-elect Donald J. Trump — a man Mr. de Blasio once called uniquely unqualified for the presidency — cautioned Mr. Trump against large-scale deportations and what the mayor characterized as divisive language and policies that have heightened fears among New Yorkers.
“The ball’s in his court,” Mr. de Blasio said outside Trump Tower in Manhattan, at a news conference Wednesday after the meeting. “People in the city and all over the country are looking to see what he’s going to do.”
Citing a rise of anti-Semitism in the city, he added, “Part of why I think it’s so important to remind the president-elect and his team that there are deep fears and concerns out there is because the wrong messages can encourage hateful acts. So, I certainly made clear that I think sending a message of unity is crucial.”
One of the items on the president-elect’s to-do list is to find someone to fill the Supreme Court seat vacated by the death of Antonin Scalia.One of the items on the president-elect’s to-do list is to find someone to fill the Supreme Court seat vacated by the death of Antonin Scalia.
To that end, Mr. Trump met on Wednesday with Leonard Leo, the executive vice president of the Federalist Society, a group that advocates a conservative and libertarian approach to the law. Mr. Leo said the president-elect seemed committed to picking someone who cares “very deeply about the rule of law and about the preservation of our Constitution.”To that end, Mr. Trump met on Wednesday with Leonard Leo, the executive vice president of the Federalist Society, a group that advocates a conservative and libertarian approach to the law. Mr. Leo said the president-elect seemed committed to picking someone who cares “very deeply about the rule of law and about the preservation of our Constitution.”
“He’s looking for someone who is independent, courageous, smart, very high quality,” Mr. Leo told reporters, adding that Mr. Trump remained committed to choosing one of the 21 court prospects he circulated during the campaign.“He’s looking for someone who is independent, courageous, smart, very high quality,” Mr. Leo told reporters, adding that Mr. Trump remained committed to choosing one of the 21 court prospects he circulated during the campaign.
Mr. Leo said Mr. Trump had not revealed a timeline for announcing a pick for the court.Mr. Leo said Mr. Trump had not revealed a timeline for announcing a pick for the court.
Stung by last week’s defeat, Senate Democrats on Wednesday elected a new slate of leaders. With Senator Chuck Schumer of New York as the incoming minority leader, they projected a “big tent” that paired the progressive folk heroes Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts with the centrist Mark Warner of Virginia and the blue-collar conservative Joe Manchin III of West Virginia. The president-elect dined at the “21” Club in Manhattan on Tuesday night out of reporters’ earshot. But what did he say? He was promising a group of well-heeled patrons that he would lower their taxes.
Democrats re-elected some familiar faces: Richard J. Durbin of Illinois will be minority whip, and Patty Murray of Washington will serve in the No. 3 spot as assistant Democratic leader.
But the core team was expanded from seven members to 10, and the entire team will be invited to all leadership meetings.
That indicates Mr. Schumer’s desire to hear from a broader, more ideologically diverse group when making strategic decisions. Whether such diverse views can be melded into a cohesive plan of action is yet to be determined.
Representative Nancy Pelosi of California sent a message on Wednesday to any House Democrats considering a play for her leadership perch: Bring it on.
Ms. Pelosi, a San Francisco progressive who has been in charge since 2003, faces some grumbling, especially from Democrats who feel that Rust Belt losses in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania, plus Wisconsin, call for a shake-up in a leadership slate dominated by septuagenarians from the coasts. At least one member, Representative Tim Ryan of the consummate Rust Belt region around Youngstown, Ohio, is considering running against Ms. Pelosi.
Ms. Pelosi distributed a letter to House Democrats making it clear that any challenger would face an uphill battle.
“It is with both humility and confidence that I write to request your support for House Democratic leader,” she wrote. “As of this writing, I am pleased to report the support of more than two-thirds of the caucus.”
Mr. Trump pushed back on the headlines Tuesday night, insisting that there is a:
Then came word on Wednesday morning that another senior transition official had been shown the door: Kevin O’Connor, who was leading the Justice Department transition team, according to current and former government officials close to the transition.
Mr. O’Connor, a former senior Justice Department official under President George W. Bush, is respected by career law enforcement officials and has a reputation as a centrist Republican who knows the department well. But he is close to Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, whose allies have been removed in recent days. It is not clear who will replace him.
Reached in Connecticut, where he lives, Mr. O’Connor had no comment.
The visit by Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, to Trump Tower on Tuesday prompted speculation that he may also be under consideration for attorney general. Mr. Cruz has no prosecutorial experience, although he served as Texas solicitor general before his election to the Senate.
During the primary campaign, Mr. Trump dubbed Mr. Cruz “Lyin’ Ted” and suggested without evidence that Mr. Cruz’s father was linked to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. And Mr. Cruz’s refusal to endorse Mr. Trump in his speech at the Republican National Convention — instead telling people to vote their consciences — enraged Mr. Trump’s supporters.
Still, Mr. Cruz endorsed Mr. Trump in September. Moreover, Robert Mercer, a New York hedge fund billionaire, and his daughter, Rebekah, donated millions to a “super PAC” supporting Mr. Cruz’s presidential campaign and later became backers of Mr. Trump; Ms. Mercer is on the Trump transition committee.
The president-elect dined at the 21 Club in Manhattan on Tuesday night out of reporters’ earshot. But what did he say? He was promising a group of well-heeled patrons that he would lower their taxes.
Some patrons laughed.Some patrons laughed.
Mr. Trump, who lives on Fifth Avenue, campaigned as a champion of the middle class.Mr. Trump, who lives on Fifth Avenue, campaigned as a champion of the middle class.
Steve Mnuchin, a member of the transition team executive committee and possible pick for Treasury secretary, fleshed out that agenda, telling reporters on Wednesday morning that he and Mr. Trump had “talked about taxes.”Steve Mnuchin, a member of the transition team executive committee and possible pick for Treasury secretary, fleshed out that agenda, telling reporters on Wednesday morning that he and Mr. Trump had “talked about taxes.”
“I think the other thing — very big focus — is regulatory changes, looking at the creation of an infrastructure bank to fund infrastructure investments,” he said. “So, there’s a lot of things to do, and I’d say the economic priorities are clearly taxes, regulatory, trade and infrastructure.”“I think the other thing — very big focus — is regulatory changes, looking at the creation of an infrastructure bank to fund infrastructure investments,” he said. “So, there’s a lot of things to do, and I’d say the economic priorities are clearly taxes, regulatory, trade and infrastructure.”
Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, a key Trump ally and likely cabinet member, was asked on Wednesday morning if personnel announcements would be coming during the day.
“I don’t think so,” Mr. Sessions said.
Chinese climate change negotiators in Marrakesh, Morocco, delivered a response to Mr. Trump’s 2012 Twitter post that claimed:Chinese climate change negotiators in Marrakesh, Morocco, delivered a response to Mr. Trump’s 2012 Twitter post that claimed:
Liu Zhenmin, China’s deputy minister of foreign affairs and lead negotiator at this United Nations summit meeting, told reporters, “Climate change is not, as rumored, a hoax created by the Chinese.”Liu Zhenmin, China’s deputy minister of foreign affairs and lead negotiator at this United Nations summit meeting, told reporters, “Climate change is not, as rumored, a hoax created by the Chinese.”
“If you look at the history of climate change negotiations, it was initiated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change with the support of Republicans in both the Reagan and Bush administrations in the late ’80s and early ’90s,” Mr. Liu added. “So I hope that Republicans will continue to support this process.”“If you look at the history of climate change negotiations, it was initiated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change with the support of Republicans in both the Reagan and Bush administrations in the late ’80s and early ’90s,” Mr. Liu added. “So I hope that Republicans will continue to support this process.”
The Marrakesh negotiations are a follow-up to the passage of last year’s Paris Agreement, committing nearly 200 countries to take action to curb global warming. President-elect Trump has slammed the deal and suggested that he would withdraw the United States from it.The Marrakesh negotiations are a follow-up to the passage of last year’s Paris Agreement, committing nearly 200 countries to take action to curb global warming. President-elect Trump has slammed the deal and suggested that he would withdraw the United States from it.
China is emerging in Mr. Trump’s wake as a new leader in efforts to curb global warming.China is emerging in Mr. Trump’s wake as a new leader in efforts to curb global warming.
“Whatever position the U.S. puts forth, China will continue to support the Paris agreement,” Mr. Liu said.“Whatever position the U.S. puts forth, China will continue to support the Paris agreement,” Mr. Liu said.
A senior Republican House staff member says the Trump transition team is looking to fill many lower- and midlevel national security and counterterrorism jobs with Capitol Hill staffers who already have the security clearances that can otherwise take months to obtain.
While this happens to some extent after every election, this aide says poaching is likely to be even greater this time around because Team Trump has blacklisted so many Republicans who signed “Never Trump” letters during the campaign season.
The hunt on Capitol Hill could strip valuable expertise from House and Senate foreign relations, armed services, intelligence and homeland security committees — panels that figured to be a check on Trump administration policies in these areas.
Mr. Trump has always had an unconventional relationship with the news media. Why would he let being elected president of the United States change that?
By tradition — and ostensibly to satisfy the public’s right to know its leader’s doings — a president-elect has a small pool of reporters monitoring his whereabouts, mainly in case of emergencies. You never know. But at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, about 45 minutes after a Trump spokeswoman, Hope Hicks, said that the president-elect was calling it a night, reporters noticed what was described as “a massive motorcade” leaving Trump Tower with at least a dozen vehicles and an ambulance, lights blaring.
At 7:36 p.m., a Twitter post notified the world (falsely) where Mr. Trump was. Actually, he was at the 21 Club.
But it was not until 8:20 p.m. that the reporters who were supposed to be with Mr. Trump saw that message and hopped in a cab to Keene’s, then realized he was at 21 Club and rerouted.
More than an hour after the president-elect had left his apartment, the news media arrived, only to be pushed back out of view of the restaurant.
The Trump family returned to Trump Tower at 9:41 p.m., again without the president-elect’s pool.
Mr. Trump’s dinnertime escape from the news media on Tuesday night prompted renewed criticism of the president-elect on Wednesday from the White House Correspondents’ Association, the independent organization that advocates for journalists who cover the president.
Ms. Hicks said last week that his aides “fully expect to operate a traditional pool” and would do so soon.
Mr. Trump appears to have woken up unhappy with the portrayal of his transition in disarray.
First came:
The transition has let it be known that any requests for such security clearance must have come from low-level staff members uncleared to make that demand.
Then came:
The Times never said Mr. Trump hadn’t spoken to foreign leaders. On the contrary, the report said that he had, but that some allies were having to reach him by calling the switchboard at Trump Tower.
That first Twitter post against The Times was followed by another:
Concluding with: