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| Trump cabinet picks: several key posts decided – politics live | |
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| 3.54pm GMT | |
| 15:54 | |
| ACLU: Pompeo and Sessions nominations 'raise serious civil liberties concerns' | |
| The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has released a statement following president-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Alabama senator Jeff Sessions for the position of attorney general and Kansas congressman Mike Pompeo to serve as director of the CIA. | |
| “As a matter of organizational policy, the American Civil Liberties Union does not take a position supporting or opposing presidential or judicial nominations,” said ACLU executive director Anthony Romero. “We do, however, educate the American people and the Congress about nominees’ records and past positions. Sen. Sessions has called the ACLU un-American and communist, assertions we flatly reject. His positions on LGBT rights, capital punishment, abortion rights, and presidential authority in times of war have been contested by the ACLU and other civil rights organizations. As the nation’s highest-ranking law enforcement official, the attorney general is charged with protecting the rights of all Americans. In his confirmation hearings, senators, the media, and the American public should closely examine his stances on these key issues to ensure we can have confidence in his ability to uphold the Constitution and our laws on behalf of all Americans.” | |
| Romero was more aggressive in his condemnation of Pompeo’s nomination. | |
| “Congressman Pompeo’s positions on bulk surveillance and Guantanamo Bay also raise serious civil liberties concerns about privacy and due process,” Romero said. “These positions and others merit serious public scrutiny through a confirmation process. His positions on mass surveillance have been rejected by federal courts and have been the subject of several lawsuits filed by the ACLU, including ACLU v. Clapper.” | |
| 3.52pm GMT | |
| 15:52 | |
| California senator Dianne Feinstein has echoed some of Vermont senator Patrick Leahy’s concerns about president-elect Donald Trump’s nominations this morning, particularly relating to Alabama senator Jeff Sessions, her Senate colleague who was nominated for attorney general this morning. | |
| “The Justice Department has the awesome responsibility of upholding the country’s laws and protecting Americans, and the attorney general sets the tone for the entire agency,” Feinstein said. “That’s why this position is so important and deserves such intense scrutiny. The attorney general should be above the political fray - our laws absolutely must apply equally to all Americans if we’re to have confidence in them. The attorney general’s honesty, integrity and willingness to enforce the law in an even-handed manner are all vital to be effective in this position.” | |
| “The attorney general has jurisdiction over many crucial laws and must discharge his or her duties regardless of personal views,” Feinstein continued. “These include enforcing civil rights and voting protections, prosecuting hate crimes and firearm violations, protecting women’s health clinics and upholding the constitutional right to marriage equality.” | |
| “Senator Sessions has served on the Senate Judiciary Committee for many years so he’s well aware of the thorough vetting he’s about to receive,” Feinstein concluded. “And while many of us have worked with Senator Sessions closely and know him to be a staunch advocate for his beliefs, the process will remain the same: a fair and complete review of the nominee. While Senator Sessions and I differ on a great many issues, I am committed to a full and fair process.” | |
| 3.50pm GMT | |
| 15:50 | |
| Vermont senator Patrick Leahy, the ranking Democrat on the Senate judiciary committee that will vote on Jeff Sessions’ confirmation, has issued a statement outlining “significant disagreements” he has had with Sessions over the years, but calling for “a full and fair process.” | |
| “The attorney general serves as the chief law enforcement officer in the country. The attorney general must be independent and fair. The attorney general must be deeply committed to the rule of law and must ensure that all people are treated equally before the law,” Leahy said. “This means that he or she is also the chief protector of civil rights and civil liberties for everyone in our nation. That has never been more important than in this moment, when hate crimes have spiked across the country, especially against Muslim and LGBTQ Americans. And when we have a president-elect who has proposed religious tests, a return to torture, and a deportation force that threatens to remove millions of immigrants.” | |
| “Senator Sessions and I have had significant disagreements over the years, particularly on civil rights, voting rights, immigration and criminal justice issues,” Leahy continued. “But unlike Republicans’ practice of unprecedented obstruction of President Obama’s nominees, I believe nominees deserve a full and fair process before the Senate. The American people deserve to learn about Senator Sessions’ record at the public Senate judiciary committee hearing.” | |
| 3.32pm GMT | |
| 15:32 | |
| Bannon, Flynn and Sessions – Trump-tested, David Duke-approved. | |
| Bannon, Flynn, Sessions -- Great! Senate must demand that Sessions as AG stop the massive institutional race discrimination against whites! | |
| 3.23pm GMT | 3.23pm GMT |
| 15:23 | 15:23 |
| President-elect Donald Trump announces attorney general, CIA director, national security advisor | President-elect Donald Trump announces attorney general, CIA director, national security advisor |
| President-elect Donald Trump has announced the nomination of Alabama senator Jeff Sessions as attorney general and Kansas congressman Mike Pompeo as director of the Central Intelligence Agency, as well as the selection of retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn to serve as his national security advisor. | President-elect Donald Trump has announced the nomination of Alabama senator Jeff Sessions as attorney general and Kansas congressman Mike Pompeo as director of the Central Intelligence Agency, as well as the selection of retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn to serve as his national security advisor. |
| “It is an honor to nominate US Senator Jeff Sessions to serve as Attorney General of the United States,” Trump said in a release issued by the transition team. “Jeff has been a highly respected member of the US Senate for 20 years. He is a world-class legal mind and considered a truly great attorney general and US attorney in the state of Alabama. Jeff is greatly admired by legal scholars and virtually everyone who knows him.” | “It is an honor to nominate US Senator Jeff Sessions to serve as Attorney General of the United States,” Trump said in a release issued by the transition team. “Jeff has been a highly respected member of the US Senate for 20 years. He is a world-class legal mind and considered a truly great attorney general and US attorney in the state of Alabama. Jeff is greatly admired by legal scholars and virtually everyone who knows him.” |
| Sessions declared in the same release that he is “humbled to have been asked” to serve in the role as the head of the Justice Department. “My previous 15 years working in the Department of Justice were extraordinarily fulfilling. I love the department, its people and its mission. I can think of no greater honor than to lead them. With the support of my Senate colleagues, I will give all my strength to advance the department’s highest ideals. I enthusiastically embrace president-elect Trump’s vision for ‘one America,’ and his commitment to equal justice under law. I look forward to fulfilling my duties with an unwavering dedication to fairness and impartiality.” | Sessions declared in the same release that he is “humbled to have been asked” to serve in the role as the head of the Justice Department. “My previous 15 years working in the Department of Justice were extraordinarily fulfilling. I love the department, its people and its mission. I can think of no greater honor than to lead them. With the support of my Senate colleagues, I will give all my strength to advance the department’s highest ideals. I enthusiastically embrace president-elect Trump’s vision for ‘one America,’ and his commitment to equal justice under law. I look forward to fulfilling my duties with an unwavering dedication to fairness and impartiality.” |
| Speaking to pool reporters in Trump Tower, vice president-elect Mike Pence said that “the president-elect is a man of action and we’ve got a great number of men and women with great qualifications look forward to serving in this administration and I am just humbled to be a part of it. Our agency teams arrived in Washington DC this morning and I am very confident it will be a smooth transition that will serve to lead this country forward and make America great again.” | Speaking to pool reporters in Trump Tower, vice president-elect Mike Pence said that “the president-elect is a man of action and we’ve got a great number of men and women with great qualifications look forward to serving in this administration and I am just humbled to be a part of it. Our agency teams arrived in Washington DC this morning and I am very confident it will be a smooth transition that will serve to lead this country forward and make America great again.” |
| Trump pledged to work alongside Flynn as his national security advisor to “defeat radical Islamic terrorism, navigate geopolitical challenges and keep Americans safe at home and abroad. General Flynn is one of the country’s foremost experts on military and intelligence matters and he will be an invaluable asset to me and my administration.” | Trump pledged to work alongside Flynn as his national security advisor to “defeat radical Islamic terrorism, navigate geopolitical challenges and keep Americans safe at home and abroad. General Flynn is one of the country’s foremost experts on military and intelligence matters and he will be an invaluable asset to me and my administration.” |
| Flynn, too, was “deeply humbled and honored to accept the position as national security advisor to serve both our country and our nation’s next president.” | Flynn, too, was “deeply humbled and honored to accept the position as national security advisor to serve both our country and our nation’s next president.” |
| Pompeo, who represents Kansas’ fourth congressional district, currently serves on the House Intelligence Committee. | Pompeo, who represents Kansas’ fourth congressional district, currently serves on the House Intelligence Committee. |
| “I am honored to have been given this opportunity to serve and to work alongside president-elect Donald J. Trump to keep America safe,” Pompeo said in a statement. “I also look forward to working with America’s intelligence warriors, who do so much to protect Americans each and every day.” | “I am honored to have been given this opportunity to serve and to work alongside president-elect Donald J. Trump to keep America safe,” Pompeo said in a statement. “I also look forward to working with America’s intelligence warriors, who do so much to protect Americans each and every day.” |
| Pompeo “has served our country with honor and spent his life fighting for the security of our citizens,” Trump said. “Mike graduated number one in his class at West Point and is a graduate of Harvard Law School where he served as an editor of the Harvard Law Review. He will be a brilliant and unrelenting leader for our intelligence community to ensure the safety of Americans and our allies.” | Pompeo “has served our country with honor and spent his life fighting for the security of our citizens,” Trump said. “Mike graduated number one in his class at West Point and is a graduate of Harvard Law School where he served as an editor of the Harvard Law Review. He will be a brilliant and unrelenting leader for our intelligence community to ensure the safety of Americans and our allies.” |
| 3.03pm GMT | 3.03pm GMT |
| 15:03 | 15:03 |
| The People For the American Way has issued a statement in response to reports that president-elect Donald Trump will nominate Alabama senator Jeff Sessions to serve as the next attorney general. | The People For the American Way has issued a statement in response to reports that president-elect Donald Trump will nominate Alabama senator Jeff Sessions to serve as the next attorney general. |
| “The last time Senator Sessions sought Senate confirmation was 1986 when he was nominated to be a federal judge,” said Michael Keegan. “Despite the fact that Republicans controlled the chamber at the time, he was rejected because of a long history of racially insensitive remarks and a disastrous record on civil rights.” | “The last time Senator Sessions sought Senate confirmation was 1986 when he was nominated to be a federal judge,” said Michael Keegan. “Despite the fact that Republicans controlled the chamber at the time, he was rejected because of a long history of racially insensitive remarks and a disastrous record on civil rights.” |
| “In the last 30 years, Sessions has done nothing that demonstrates that the Senate’s judgement was incorrect or that he’s learned from his mistakes,” Keegan continued. “Instead, he’s spent years making a name for himself as one of the Senate’s most extreme anti-immigrant voices, even attacking the Constitution’s guarantee of birthright citizenship. As a senator he’s voted in favor of torture programs under the Bush administration and opposed hate crime protections for LGBT people. | “In the last 30 years, Sessions has done nothing that demonstrates that the Senate’s judgement was incorrect or that he’s learned from his mistakes,” Keegan continued. “Instead, he’s spent years making a name for himself as one of the Senate’s most extreme anti-immigrant voices, even attacking the Constitution’s guarantee of birthright citizenship. As a senator he’s voted in favor of torture programs under the Bush administration and opposed hate crime protections for LGBT people. |
| “If anyone still thinks that Donald Trump might govern with more responsibility or moderation than he campaigned, this nomination is a wakeup call. The Senate should reject this nomination.” | “If anyone still thinks that Donald Trump might govern with more responsibility or moderation than he campaigned, this nomination is a wakeup call. The Senate should reject this nomination.” |
| 2.50pm GMT | 2.50pm GMT |
| 14:50 | 14:50 |
| What to expect today | What to expect today |
| President-elect Donald Trump will spend the majority of the day in Trump Tower - joined 57 floors down by the Guardian’s Ben Jacobs in the press pool - before leaving to spend the weekend at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. Trump will leave this afternoon and return to Trump Tower on Sunday evening, and will be joined by traveling press. | President-elect Donald Trump will spend the majority of the day in Trump Tower - joined 57 floors down by the Guardian’s Ben Jacobs in the press pool - before leaving to spend the weekend at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. Trump will leave this afternoon and return to Trump Tower on Sunday evening, and will be joined by traveling press. |
| With the reported offering of the role of attorney general to Alabama senator Jeff Sessions and (less loudly reported) appointment of Kansas congressman Mike Pompeo to be the head of the CIA. Pompeo, a graduate of West Point and Harvard graduate who serves on the House Intelligence Committee, did not endorse Trump in the Republican primaries and only tepidly supported him as the party’s nominee. | With the reported offering of the role of attorney general to Alabama senator Jeff Sessions and (less loudly reported) appointment of Kansas congressman Mike Pompeo to be the head of the CIA. Pompeo, a graduate of West Point and Harvard graduate who serves on the House Intelligence Committee, did not endorse Trump in the Republican primaries and only tepidly supported him as the party’s nominee. |
| Expect controversy to continue to mount regarding some of Trump’s other reported nominations, ranging from reported National Security Advisor pick Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn to chief strategist Steve Bannon. Sessions is not without controversy himself. | Expect controversy to continue to mount regarding some of Trump’s other reported nominations, ranging from reported National Security Advisor pick Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn to chief strategist Steve Bannon. Sessions is not without controversy himself. |
| Sessions has been plagued by allegations of racism for more than three decades. In 1986, prior to being elected to the Senate, he was nominated to federal judgeship by Ronald Reagan. The nomination was rejected by the Senate judiciary committee after accusations by former aides that he had repeatedly made racist statements. | Sessions has been plagued by allegations of racism for more than three decades. In 1986, prior to being elected to the Senate, he was nominated to federal judgeship by Ronald Reagan. The nomination was rejected by the Senate judiciary committee after accusations by former aides that he had repeatedly made racist statements. |
| This included the allegation that Sessions had said he though the Ku Klux Klan “were OK until I learned they smoked pot”. | This included the allegation that Sessions had said he though the Ku Klux Klan “were OK until I learned they smoked pot”. |
| President Barack Obama does not have a published schedule today after appearing with German chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, in part because he is currently in-air en route to Lima, Peru. | President Barack Obama does not have a published schedule today after appearing with German chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, in part because he is currently in-air en route to Lima, Peru. |
| 2.41pm GMT | 2.41pm GMT |
| 14:41 | 14:41 |
| Report: President-elect Donald Trump nearing settlement in Trump University case | Report: President-elect Donald Trump nearing settlement in Trump University case |
| The New York Daily News is reporting that president-elect Donald Trump is coming close to a settlement agreement in the multi-state class-action lawsuit filed by former customers of the now-defunct Trump University: | The New York Daily News is reporting that president-elect Donald Trump is coming close to a settlement agreement in the multi-state class-action lawsuit filed by former customers of the now-defunct Trump University: |
| Under the emerging deal being negotiated by Trump’s lawyers, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and the law firm that brought a class action lawsuit regarding Trump University in California, the president-elect will agree to pay between $20 million and $25 million to settle the matter, a source with knowledge of the situation said. | Under the emerging deal being negotiated by Trump’s lawyers, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and the law firm that brought a class action lawsuit regarding Trump University in California, the president-elect will agree to pay between $20 million and $25 million to settle the matter, a source with knowledge of the situation said. |
| Trump would reportedly make no admission of wrongdoing or guilt in the settlement terms outlined by the New York Daily News. | Trump would reportedly make no admission of wrongdoing or guilt in the settlement terms outlined by the New York Daily News. |
| The lawsuit involves students who claim they were lured by false promises to pay up to $35,000 to learn Trump’s real estate investing “secrets” from his “hand-picked” instructors. Trump owned 92% of Trump University and had control over all major decisions, the students’ court papers say. The president-elect denies the allegations and has argued that he relied on others to manage the business. | The lawsuit involves students who claim they were lured by false promises to pay up to $35,000 to learn Trump’s real estate investing “secrets” from his “hand-picked” instructors. Trump owned 92% of Trump University and had control over all major decisions, the students’ court papers say. The president-elect denies the allegations and has argued that he relied on others to manage the business. |
| On Sunday, Trump attorneys had filed a motion to delay the trial until after the presidential inauguration. | On Sunday, Trump attorneys had filed a motion to delay the trial until after the presidential inauguration. |
| 2.17pm GMT | 2.17pm GMT |
| 14:17 | 14:17 |
| Michael Flynn said to be offered job of Trump national security adviser | Michael Flynn said to be offered job of Trump national security adviser |
| President-elect Donald Trump has offered the job of national security adviser to Michael Flynn, a former military intelligence chief who has been a vocal critic of the Obama administration, according to a senior Trump official. | President-elect Donald Trump has offered the job of national security adviser to Michael Flynn, a former military intelligence chief who has been a vocal critic of the Obama administration, according to a senior Trump official. |
| Flynn, 57, who served as the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, has advised Trump on national security issues for months. As national security adviser, he would work in the White House shaping foreign and military policy and have frequent access to a president with no national security experience. | Flynn, 57, who served as the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, has advised Trump on national security issues for months. As national security adviser, he would work in the White House shaping foreign and military policy and have frequent access to a president with no national security experience. |
| The Trump official, who was not authorized to discuss the offer publicly, would not say whether Flynn had accepted the job. | The Trump official, who was not authorized to discuss the offer publicly, would not say whether Flynn had accepted the job. |
| According to photographs released by the Japanese government, he was however present at a meeting on Thursday in New York between Trump and the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, at which the US president-elect’s daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner were also present. | According to photographs released by the Japanese government, he was however present at a meeting on Thursday in New York between Trump and the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, at which the US president-elect’s daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner were also present. |
| Flynn broke from other national security experts during the US election campaign who denounced Trump, joining the then-candidate at rallies and leading chants against Hillary Clinton, including those that called for her to be locked up. | Flynn broke from other national security experts during the US election campaign who denounced Trump, joining the then-candidate at rallies and leading chants against Hillary Clinton, including those that called for her to be locked up. |
| In a fiery address at the Republican National Convention, Flynn emphasized his view that the threat posed by the Islamic State group required a more aggressive US military, as well as his belief that Washington should work more closely with Moscow. | In a fiery address at the Republican National Convention, Flynn emphasized his view that the threat posed by the Islamic State group required a more aggressive US military, as well as his belief that Washington should work more closely with Moscow. |
| 1.58pm GMT | 1.58pm GMT |
| 13:58 | 13:58 |
| Trump transition names several nominees, appointees | Trump transition names several nominees, appointees |
| Donald Trump has reportedly tapped several conservative figures for key positions in his coming administration, ranging from a potential attorney general to the new director of the CIA. | Donald Trump has reportedly tapped several conservative figures for key positions in his coming administration, ranging from a potential attorney general to the new director of the CIA. |
| According to multiple media reports, Trump has offered Alabama senator Jeff Sessions the job of US attorney general, the most senior-level position in the powerful Department of Justice. The New York Times, CBS News and Bloomberg, among others, all reported this morning that the rightwing, anti-immigration senator was the president-elect’s pick for the job. | According to multiple media reports, Trump has offered Alabama senator Jeff Sessions the job of US attorney general, the most senior-level position in the powerful Department of Justice. The New York Times, CBS News and Bloomberg, among others, all reported this morning that the rightwing, anti-immigration senator was the president-elect’s pick for the job. |
| Separately, the Washington Post and Reuters reported that Republican congressman Mike Pompeo had been offered the job of CIA chief. Pompeo is a vocal critic of the Iran nuclear deal and a supporter of NSA bulk data collection. | Separately, the Washington Post and Reuters reported that Republican congressman Mike Pompeo had been offered the job of CIA chief. Pompeo is a vocal critic of the Iran nuclear deal and a supporter of NSA bulk data collection. |
| Republican National Committee spokesman Sean Spicer, who is involved in the Trump presidential transition, would not confirm the reports about Sessions. “Until Donald Trump says it, it’s not official,” Spicer told CNN. | Republican National Committee spokesman Sean Spicer, who is involved in the Trump presidential transition, would not confirm the reports about Sessions. “Until Donald Trump says it, it’s not official,” Spicer told CNN. |
| Sessions, one of Trump’s earliest backers during the Republican primary campaign, has served in the Senate since 1997, and served as Alabama’s attorney general for two years before that. The lawmaker has the rare distinction of once being passed over for a federal judgeship over racist comments he allegedly made. | Sessions, one of Trump’s earliest backers during the Republican primary campaign, has served in the Senate since 1997, and served as Alabama’s attorney general for two years before that. The lawmaker has the rare distinction of once being passed over for a federal judgeship over racist comments he allegedly made. |
| During Sessions’ confirmation hearing in 1986, lawmakers heard testimony that Sessions called respected civil rights organizations “communist inspired”. In another set of testimony, a prosecutor told Congress that Sessions had said he thought the Ku Klux Klan was “OK until I found out they smoked pot”. Sessions said the comment was a joke, but his judgeship was rejected. | During Sessions’ confirmation hearing in 1986, lawmakers heard testimony that Sessions called respected civil rights organizations “communist inspired”. In another set of testimony, a prosecutor told Congress that Sessions had said he thought the Ku Klux Klan was “OK until I found out they smoked pot”. Sessions said the comment was a joke, but his judgeship was rejected. |
| Trump has also offered the job of national security adviser to Michael Flynn, a former military intelligence chief who has been a vocal critic of the Obama administration, according to a senior Trump official. | Trump has also offered the job of national security adviser to Michael Flynn, a former military intelligence chief who has been a vocal critic of the Obama administration, according to a senior Trump official. |
| We’ll have more on all the presidential choices as details continue to come out today. | We’ll have more on all the presidential choices as details continue to come out today. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.08pm GMT | at 2.08pm GMT |