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| Trump cabinet picks: several key posts decided – politics live | Trump cabinet picks: several key posts decided – politics live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 9.14pm GMT | |
| 21:14 | |
| Today in Transition 2016 | |
| In 2013, my office sued Donald Trump for swindling thousands of innocent Americans out of millions of dollars through a scheme known at Trump University. Donald Trump fought us every step of the way, filing baseless charges and fruitless appeals and refusing to settle for even modest amounts of compensation for the victims of his phony university. Today, that all changes. Today’s $25 million settlement agreement is a stunning reversal by Donald Trump and a major victory for the over 6,000 victims of his fraudulent university. | |
| I am pleased that under the terms of this settlement, every victim will receive restitution and that Donald Trump will pay up to $1 million in penalties to the State of New York for violating state education laws. The victims of Trump University have waited years for today’s result and I am pleased that their patience - and persistence - will be rewarded by this $25 million settlement. | |
| Thirty years ago, a different Republican Senate rejected Senator Sessions’ nomination to a federal judgeship. In doing so, that Senate affirmed that there can be no compromise with racism; no negotiation with hate. Today, a new Republican Senate must decide whether self-interest and political cowardice will prevent them from once again doing what is right. | |
| 9.06pm GMT | |
| 21:06 | |
| From the long-suffering transition pool: | |
| Naked Cowboy came over and sang a song about trump that included lyrics about blue lives mattering and Trump putting thugs in jail. Also about how bad Obamacare is. And how Trump Tower is the greatest place on Earth. | |
| He then picked up a tourist, cradled her in his arms, and kissed her. There’s not acid strong enough for this to be a hallucination, I assure you. | |
| Perhaps coincidentally, while Naked Cowboy was doing his thing, a motorcade left through the garage. No official word on if it is Trump, Pence, or someone altogether different. Fox News is reporting it is Trump. | |
| 8.42pm GMT | 8.42pm GMT |
| 20:42 | 20:42 |
| Welp. | Welp. |
| When I meet President Trump, I may first grab his crotch -- to get his attention -- then discuss Science with him. | When I meet President Trump, I may first grab his crotch -- to get his attention -- then discuss Science with him. |
| 8.28pm GMT | 8.28pm GMT |
| 20:28 | 20:28 |
| Michael Flynn: from subtle intelligence chief to Muslim-baiting ideologue | Michael Flynn: from subtle intelligence chief to Muslim-baiting ideologue |
| Spencer Ackerman | Spencer Ackerman |
| Long before Michael Flynn led a chant demanding the imprisonment of Hillary Clinton, and before he came to view an entire religion as responsible for terrorism, he issued a public plea for nuance in intelligence. | Long before Michael Flynn led a chant demanding the imprisonment of Hillary Clinton, and before he came to view an entire religion as responsible for terrorism, he issued a public plea for nuance in intelligence. |
| In 2009, Flynn followed his longtime friend from the elite Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), Stanley McChrystal, to Afghanistan. Their partnership had transformed JSOC into an apparatus that collected and disseminated intelligence as rapidly as it killed people, and then fed that intelligence back into its internal systems to accelerate the lethal process. | In 2009, Flynn followed his longtime friend from the elite Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), Stanley McChrystal, to Afghanistan. Their partnership had transformed JSOC into an apparatus that collected and disseminated intelligence as rapidly as it killed people, and then fed that intelligence back into its internal systems to accelerate the lethal process. |
| As with JSOC, McChrystal would command the war and Flynn would run its intelligence shop. But Flynn soon considered the entire US intelligence apparatus in Afghanistan to be focusing on the wrong targets. | As with JSOC, McChrystal would command the war and Flynn would run its intelligence shop. But Flynn soon considered the entire US intelligence apparatus in Afghanistan to be focusing on the wrong targets. |
| The trouble, in Flynn’s estimation, was that US intelligence focused too much on the Taliban insurgency. It gave comparatively little emphasis on granular data about trends among Afghans themselves, which at the time the coterie of counterinsurgents around McChrystal considered decisive. Win the people, the thinking went, and the insurgency would lose the base of support necessary to survive. | The trouble, in Flynn’s estimation, was that US intelligence focused too much on the Taliban insurgency. It gave comparatively little emphasis on granular data about trends among Afghans themselves, which at the time the coterie of counterinsurgents around McChrystal considered decisive. Win the people, the thinking went, and the insurgency would lose the base of support necessary to survive. |
| In a rare move for a serving intelligence officer, Flynn took his critique public. | In a rare move for a serving intelligence officer, Flynn took his critique public. |
| “The most salient problems [in Afghanistan] are attitudinal, cultural and human,” he wrote in a January 2010 paper for the Center for a New American Security, at that point the ascendant defense thinktank and a job pipeline into the Obama Pentagon. “[M]erely killing insurgents usually serves to multiply enemies rather than subtract them.” | “The most salient problems [in Afghanistan] are attitudinal, cultural and human,” he wrote in a January 2010 paper for the Center for a New American Security, at that point the ascendant defense thinktank and a job pipeline into the Obama Pentagon. “[M]erely killing insurgents usually serves to multiply enemies rather than subtract them.” |
| Commanders, Flynn and his co-authors wrote, needed information including “census data and patrol debriefs; minutes from shuras with local farmers and tribal leaders … polling data and atmospherics reports from psychological operations and female engagement teams.” | Commanders, Flynn and his co-authors wrote, needed information including “census data and patrol debriefs; minutes from shuras with local farmers and tribal leaders … polling data and atmospherics reports from psychological operations and female engagement teams.” |
| Refocusing on “population-centric information”, the authors wrote, was crucial to victory. It would admittedly offer “few clues about where to find insurgents”, but it would “provide elements of even greater strategic importance – a map for leveraging popular support and marginalizing the insurgency itself”. | Refocusing on “population-centric information”, the authors wrote, was crucial to victory. It would admittedly offer “few clues about where to find insurgents”, but it would “provide elements of even greater strategic importance – a map for leveraging popular support and marginalizing the insurgency itself”. |
| The 2010 paper, which took many in intelligence circles by surprise, was the first time most outside the military had encountered Flynn. It made his career in Washington. | The 2010 paper, which took many in intelligence circles by surprise, was the first time most outside the military had encountered Flynn. It made his career in Washington. |
| 8.17pm GMT | 8.17pm GMT |
| 20:17 | 20:17 |
| Not exactly a Benetton ad: | Not exactly a Benetton ad: |
| TRUMP ADMIN:Mike PenceSteve BannonReince PriebusJeff SessionsMike FlynnMike PompeoMike Huckabee➞ Mikes: 4➞ Women/Minorities: 0 | TRUMP ADMIN:Mike PenceSteve BannonReince PriebusJeff SessionsMike FlynnMike PompeoMike Huckabee➞ Mikes: 4➞ Women/Minorities: 0 |
| 7.38pm GMT | 7.38pm GMT |
| 19:38 | 19:38 |
| Elizabeth Warren lambasts 'compromise with racism' in Sessions nomination | Elizabeth Warren lambasts 'compromise with racism' in Sessions nomination |
| Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren has released a blistering statement in response to president-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Alabama senator Jeff Sessions to serve as the next attorney general: | Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren has released a blistering statement in response to president-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Alabama senator Jeff Sessions to serve as the next attorney general: |
| Instead of embracing the bigotry that fueled his campaign rallies, I urge president-elect Trump to reverse his apparent decision to nominate Senator Sessions to be attorney general of the United States. If he refuses, then it will fall to the Senate to exercise fundamental moral leadership for our nation and all of its people. Thirty years ago, a different Republican Senate rejected Senator Sessions’ nomination to a federal judgeship. In doing so, that Senate affirmed that there can be no compromise with racism; no negotiation with hate. Today, a new Republican Senate must decide whether self-interest and political cowardice will prevent them from once again doing what is right. | Instead of embracing the bigotry that fueled his campaign rallies, I urge president-elect Trump to reverse his apparent decision to nominate Senator Sessions to be attorney general of the United States. If he refuses, then it will fall to the Senate to exercise fundamental moral leadership for our nation and all of its people. Thirty years ago, a different Republican Senate rejected Senator Sessions’ nomination to a federal judgeship. In doing so, that Senate affirmed that there can be no compromise with racism; no negotiation with hate. Today, a new Republican Senate must decide whether self-interest and political cowardice will prevent them from once again doing what is right. |
| 7.30pm GMT | 7.30pm GMT |
| 19:30 | 19:30 |
| From the long-suffering transition pooler Ben Jacobs: | From the long-suffering transition pooler Ben Jacobs: |
| Your supplemental pooler has arrived outside Trump National Golf Club Bedminster. He is currently standing in the drainage ditch across the street from the main entrance. The property owner has given him permission and at least one other reporter permission to do so. | Your supplemental pooler has arrived outside Trump National Golf Club Bedminster. He is currently standing in the drainage ditch across the street from the main entrance. The property owner has given him permission and at least one other reporter permission to do so. |
| The street, Lammington Road, is lined both ways with bright orange signs from the township of Bedminster stating ‘No Standing, Stopping or Parking.’ The signs go significantly farther to the west than the east. | The street, Lammington Road, is lined both ways with bright orange signs from the township of Bedminster stating ‘No Standing, Stopping or Parking.’ The signs go significantly farther to the west than the east. |
| Your supplemental pooler now holding in the drainage ditch resting a coffee cup on the guard rail as he enjoys an unseasonably mild November day in New Jersey and the exhaust fumes from passing traffic. | Your supplemental pooler now holding in the drainage ditch resting a coffee cup on the guard rail as he enjoys an unseasonably mild November day in New Jersey and the exhaust fumes from passing traffic. |
| 6.52pm GMT | 6.52pm GMT |
| 18:52 | 18:52 |
| How did ‘less than stellar’ high school student Jared Kushner get into Harvard? | How did ‘less than stellar’ high school student Jared Kushner get into Harvard? |
| Daniel Golden | Daniel Golden |
| I would like to express my gratitude to Jared Kushner for reviving interest in my 2006 book, The Price of Admission. I have never met or spoken with him, and it’s rare in this life to find such a selfless benefactor. Of course, I doubt he became Donald Trump’s son-in-law and consigliere merely to boost my lagging sales, but still, I’m thankful. | I would like to express my gratitude to Jared Kushner for reviving interest in my 2006 book, The Price of Admission. I have never met or spoken with him, and it’s rare in this life to find such a selfless benefactor. Of course, I doubt he became Donald Trump’s son-in-law and consigliere merely to boost my lagging sales, but still, I’m thankful. |
| My book exposed a grubby secret of American higher education: that the rich buy their underachieving children’s way into elite universities with massive, tax-deductible donations. It reported that New Jersey real estate developer Charles Kushner had pledged $2.5m to Harvard University not long before his son Jared was admitted to the prestigious Ivy League school, which at the time accepted about one of every nine applicants. (Nowadays, it only takes one out of 20.) | My book exposed a grubby secret of American higher education: that the rich buy their underachieving children’s way into elite universities with massive, tax-deductible donations. It reported that New Jersey real estate developer Charles Kushner had pledged $2.5m to Harvard University not long before his son Jared was admitted to the prestigious Ivy League school, which at the time accepted about one of every nine applicants. (Nowadays, it only takes one out of 20.) |
| I also quoted administrators at Jared’s high school, who described him as a less-than-stellar student and expressed dismay at Harvard’s decision. | I also quoted administrators at Jared’s high school, who described him as a less-than-stellar student and expressed dismay at Harvard’s decision. |
| “There was no way anybody in the administrative office of the school thought he would on the merits get into Harvard,’’ a former official at the Frisch school in Paramus, New Jersey, told me. “His GPA [grade point average] did not warrant it, his SAT scores did not warrant it. We thought, for sure, there was no way this was going to happen. Then, lo and behold, Jared was accepted. It was a little bit disappointing because there were at the time other kids we thought should really get in on the merits, and they did not.’’ | “There was no way anybody in the administrative office of the school thought he would on the merits get into Harvard,’’ a former official at the Frisch school in Paramus, New Jersey, told me. “His GPA [grade point average] did not warrant it, his SAT scores did not warrant it. We thought, for sure, there was no way this was going to happen. Then, lo and behold, Jared was accepted. It was a little bit disappointing because there were at the time other kids we thought should really get in on the merits, and they did not.’’ |
| Risa Heller, a spokeswoman for Kushner Companies, said in an email on Thursday that “the allegation’’ that Charles Kushner’s gift to Harvard was related to Jared’s admission “is and always has been false”. His parents, Charles and Seryl Kushner, “are enormously generous and have donated over $100m to universities, hospitals and other charitable causes. Jared Kushner was an excellent student in high school and graduated from Harvard with honours.’’ (About 90% of Jared’s 2003 class at Harvard also graduated with honours.) | Risa Heller, a spokeswoman for Kushner Companies, said in an email on Thursday that “the allegation’’ that Charles Kushner’s gift to Harvard was related to Jared’s admission “is and always has been false”. His parents, Charles and Seryl Kushner, “are enormously generous and have donated over $100m to universities, hospitals and other charitable causes. Jared Kushner was an excellent student in high school and graduated from Harvard with honours.’’ (About 90% of Jared’s 2003 class at Harvard also graduated with honours.) |
| My Kushner discoveries were an offshoot of my research for a chapter on Harvard donors. Somebody had slipped me a document I had long coveted: the membership list of Harvard’s Committee on University Resources. The university wooed more than 400 of its biggest givers and most promising prospects by putting them on this committee and inviting them to campus periodically to be wined, dined and subjected to lectures by eminent professors. | My Kushner discoveries were an offshoot of my research for a chapter on Harvard donors. Somebody had slipped me a document I had long coveted: the membership list of Harvard’s Committee on University Resources. The university wooed more than 400 of its biggest givers and most promising prospects by putting them on this committee and inviting them to campus periodically to be wined, dined and subjected to lectures by eminent professors. |
| My idea was to figure out how many children of these corporate titans, oil barons, money managers, lawyers, high-tech consultants and old-money heirs had gone to Harvard. A disproportionate tally might suggest that the university eased its standards for the offspring of wealthy backers. | My idea was to figure out how many children of these corporate titans, oil barons, money managers, lawyers, high-tech consultants and old-money heirs had gone to Harvard. A disproportionate tally might suggest that the university eased its standards for the offspring of wealthy backers. |
| I began working through the list, poring over Who’s Who in America and Harvard class reunion reports for family information. Charles and Seryl Kushner were both on the committee. I had never heard of them, but their joint presence struck me as a sign that Harvard’s fundraising machine held the couple in especially fond regard. | I began working through the list, poring over Who’s Who in America and Harvard class reunion reports for family information. Charles and Seryl Kushner were both on the committee. I had never heard of them, but their joint presence struck me as a sign that Harvard’s fundraising machine held the couple in especially fond regard. |
| The clips showed that Charles Kushner’s empire encompassed 25,000 New Jersey apartments, along with extensive office, industrial and retail space and undeveloped land. Unlike most of his fellow committee members, though, Kushner was not a Harvard man. He had graduated from New York University. This eliminated the sentimental tug of the alma mater as a reason for him to give to Harvard, leaving another likely explanation: his children. | The clips showed that Charles Kushner’s empire encompassed 25,000 New Jersey apartments, along with extensive office, industrial and retail space and undeveloped land. Unlike most of his fellow committee members, though, Kushner was not a Harvard man. He had graduated from New York University. This eliminated the sentimental tug of the alma mater as a reason for him to give to Harvard, leaving another likely explanation: his children. |
| Sure enough, his sons Jared and Joshua had both enrolled there. | Sure enough, his sons Jared and Joshua had both enrolled there. |
| 6.38pm GMT | 6.38pm GMT |
| 18:38 | 18:38 |
| Just going to leave this here on news that president-elect Donald Trump may settle the multi-state class-action fraud lawsuit against his now-defunct Trump University business: | Just going to leave this here on news that president-elect Donald Trump may settle the multi-state class-action fraud lawsuit against his now-defunct Trump University business: |
| Trump University has a 98% approval rating. I could have settled but won't out of principle! | Trump University has a 98% approval rating. I could have settled but won't out of principle! |
| 6.35pm GMT | 6.35pm GMT |
| 18:35 | 18:35 |
| Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, on Jeff Sessions: | Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, on Jeff Sessions: |
| I know Senator Sessions and we work out in the gym, but the fact that he is a senator does not absolve him from answering tough questions in the confirmation process. Given some of his past statements and his staunch opposition to immigration reform, I am very concerned about what he would do with the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice and want to hear what he has to say. | I know Senator Sessions and we work out in the gym, but the fact that he is a senator does not absolve him from answering tough questions in the confirmation process. Given some of his past statements and his staunch opposition to immigration reform, I am very concerned about what he would do with the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice and want to hear what he has to say. |
| 6.27pm GMT | 6.27pm GMT |
| 18:27 | 18:27 |
| Steve Bannon, the president-elect’s chief strategist and senior counsel: | Steve Bannon, the president-elect’s chief strategist and senior counsel: |
| Darkness is good. Dick Cheney. Darth Vader. Satan. That’s power. | Darkness is good. Dick Cheney. Darth Vader. Satan. That’s power. |
| 6.08pm GMT | 6.08pm GMT |
| 18:08 | 18:08 |
| Women’s rights groups brace for Trump: ‘We are used to fighting impossible odds’ | Women’s rights groups brace for Trump: ‘We are used to fighting impossible odds’ |
| Lauren Gambino | Lauren Gambino |
| Women and advocacy groups are preparing for the most serious assault on reproductive rights in decades after Hillary Clinton, the first female nominee of a major party, lost the presidential election to Donald Trump. | Women and advocacy groups are preparing for the most serious assault on reproductive rights in decades after Hillary Clinton, the first female nominee of a major party, lost the presidential election to Donald Trump. |
| Trump’s election, in tandem with an undivided Congress under Republican control, 33 GOP governors and an open seat on the supreme court with the possibility of more appointments, has cast serious uncertainty about the future of abortion in the US, advocates say. | Trump’s election, in tandem with an undivided Congress under Republican control, 33 GOP governors and an open seat on the supreme court with the possibility of more appointments, has cast serious uncertainty about the future of abortion in the US, advocates say. |
| “It’s really bad – bad as we’ve ever seen it,” said Donna Crane, the vice-president of policy for Naral, a pro-choice advocacy group. | “It’s really bad – bad as we’ve ever seen it,” said Donna Crane, the vice-president of policy for Naral, a pro-choice advocacy group. |
| Like many of his policy views, Trump’s stance on women’s reproductive rights has shifted throughout his campaign, including three contradictory positions on abortion in three hours. In an interview on Sunday with CBS’s 60 Minutes, Trump reiterated his vow to appoint conservative and pro-life supreme court justices, which could gradually restrict abortion access and even lead to overturning Roe v Wade, the 43-year-old ruling that legalized abortion in the US. (Trump, who appears to have an incongruous understanding of how the supreme court operates, had previously suggested this would happen “automatically”.) | Like many of his policy views, Trump’s stance on women’s reproductive rights has shifted throughout his campaign, including three contradictory positions on abortion in three hours. In an interview on Sunday with CBS’s 60 Minutes, Trump reiterated his vow to appoint conservative and pro-life supreme court justices, which could gradually restrict abortion access and even lead to overturning Roe v Wade, the 43-year-old ruling that legalized abortion in the US. (Trump, who appears to have an incongruous understanding of how the supreme court operates, had previously suggested this would happen “automatically”.) |
| The prospect of overturning Roe v Wade has set off alarm bells among women’s health advocates, who are already fighting to hold the line against an avalanche of regulations meant to restrict access to abortions at the state level. But experts saying dismantling the precedent would be much more difficult than Trump seems to think it will be. | The prospect of overturning Roe v Wade has set off alarm bells among women’s health advocates, who are already fighting to hold the line against an avalanche of regulations meant to restrict access to abortions at the state level. But experts saying dismantling the precedent would be much more difficult than Trump seems to think it will be. |
| “Roe has withstood the test of time, over 40 years,” said Kelly Baden, interim senior director of US policy and advocacy at the Center for Reproductive Rights, noting that US supreme court justices take precedents seriously even when they disagree with them. “It has survived anti-choice administrations, including ones that have pushed to appoint anti-choice justices to the supreme court.” | “Roe has withstood the test of time, over 40 years,” said Kelly Baden, interim senior director of US policy and advocacy at the Center for Reproductive Rights, noting that US supreme court justices take precedents seriously even when they disagree with them. “It has survived anti-choice administrations, including ones that have pushed to appoint anti-choice justices to the supreme court.” |
| In the interview, Trump said that if Roe v Wade is overturned, then women would “have to go to another state”. Asked if that was acceptable, he replied: “Well, we’ll see what happens. It’s got a long way to go.” | In the interview, Trump said that if Roe v Wade is overturned, then women would “have to go to another state”. Asked if that was acceptable, he replied: “Well, we’ll see what happens. It’s got a long way to go.” |
| 5.30pm GMT | 5.30pm GMT |
| 17:30 | 17:30 |
| Video: Retired lieutenant general Michael Flynn, who was tapped this morning as president-elect Donald Trump’s national security advisor, calling Islam “like cancer”: | Video: Retired lieutenant general Michael Flynn, who was tapped this morning as president-elect Donald Trump’s national security advisor, calling Islam “like cancer”: |
| Full quotation: | Full quotation: |
| Islam is a political ideology. It is a political ideology. It definitely hides behind this notion of it being a religion. And I have a very, very tough time because I don’t see a lot of people screaming ‘Jesus Christ’ with hatchets or machetes or rifles shooting up clubs or hatcheting, literally axing families on a train, or like they just killed a couple of police officers with a machete. It’s unbelievable. So we have a problem. | Islam is a political ideology. It is a political ideology. It definitely hides behind this notion of it being a religion. And I have a very, very tough time because I don’t see a lot of people screaming ‘Jesus Christ’ with hatchets or machetes or rifles shooting up clubs or hatcheting, literally axing families on a train, or like they just killed a couple of police officers with a machete. It’s unbelievable. So we have a problem. |
| It’s like cancer. You know, I’ve gone through cancer in my own life. So it’s like cancer. And it’s a like a malignant cancer, though, in this case. It has metastasized. | It’s like cancer. You know, I’ve gone through cancer in my own life. So it’s like cancer. And it’s a like a malignant cancer, though, in this case. It has metastasized. |
| 5.08pm GMT | 5.08pm GMT |
| 17:08 | 17:08 |
| TMZ has gotten exclusive access to film a one-hour special about president-elect Donald Trump’s home and life. The president-elect is very excited about it. | TMZ has gotten exclusive access to film a one-hour special about president-elect Donald Trump’s home and life. The president-elect is very excited about it. |
| Tonight at 10 PM ET, 7 PM PT, on @FoxNews, a one hour special on me and my life by @HarveyLevinTMZ. Enjoy! | Tonight at 10 PM ET, 7 PM PT, on @FoxNews, a one hour special on me and my life by @HarveyLevinTMZ. Enjoy! |
| 5.06pm GMT | 5.06pm GMT |
| 17:06 | 17:06 |
| From a written statement submitted to Congress in 1986 by Thomas Figures, a former assistant United States Attorney, about Jeff Sessions, then a nominee for a federal district judgeship: | From a written statement submitted to Congress in 1986 by Thomas Figures, a former assistant United States Attorney, about Jeff Sessions, then a nominee for a federal district judgeship: |
| Mr. Sessions called me into his office and indicated he felt I had been unduly harsh with the secretary. Mr. Sessions admonished me to ‘be careful what you say to white folks.’ | Mr. Sessions called me into his office and indicated he felt I had been unduly harsh with the secretary. Mr. Sessions admonished me to ‘be careful what you say to white folks.’ |
| Had Mr. Sessions merely urged me to be careful about what I said to ‘folks,’ that admonition would have been quite reasonable. But that was not the language that he used. | Had Mr. Sessions merely urged me to be careful about what I said to ‘folks,’ that admonition would have been quite reasonable. But that was not the language that he used. |
| There was a period in our own lifetimes when blacks were regularly admonished to be particularly polite or deferential, and a remark of that sort may just have slipped out inadvertently. | There was a period in our own lifetimes when blacks were regularly admonished to be particularly polite or deferential, and a remark of that sort may just have slipped out inadvertently. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 5.15pm GMT | at 5.15pm GMT |
| 4.54pm GMT | 4.54pm GMT |
| 16:54 | 16:54 |
| Oregon senator: Trump's agenda 'a wake-up call for potential abuse of power' | Oregon senator: Trump's agenda 'a wake-up call for potential abuse of power' |
| Spencer Ackerman | Spencer Ackerman |
| Ron Wyden is taking Donald Trump at his word. | Ron Wyden is taking Donald Trump at his word. |
| Much of official Washington is wondering whether Trump will implement the agenda that won him the presidency. Some of Trump’s defenders, like tech investor Peter Thiel, contend that Trump should not be taken literally. | Much of official Washington is wondering whether Trump will implement the agenda that won him the presidency. Some of Trump’s defenders, like tech investor Peter Thiel, contend that Trump should not be taken literally. |
| But the Democratic senator from Oregon shows no signs of interest in that discussion. As perhaps the Democratic party’s premier civil libertarian on Capitol Hill, his anticipation of the Trump administration starts from the perspective that the president-elect will govern as he campaigned: against Muslims, against immigrants, for torture, for surveillance. Wyden, from his perch on the intelligence committee, is preparing for a four-year battle. | But the Democratic senator from Oregon shows no signs of interest in that discussion. As perhaps the Democratic party’s premier civil libertarian on Capitol Hill, his anticipation of the Trump administration starts from the perspective that the president-elect will govern as he campaigned: against Muslims, against immigrants, for torture, for surveillance. Wyden, from his perch on the intelligence committee, is preparing for a four-year battle. |
| “We’re going to have to make sure now that a political agenda doesn’t replace a set of constitutional priorities. That’s the heart of it,” Wyden said in an interview with the Guardian this week. | “We’re going to have to make sure now that a political agenda doesn’t replace a set of constitutional priorities. That’s the heart of it,” Wyden said in an interview with the Guardian this week. |
| Wyden is one of the few national politicians who can plausibly claim to have fought national security abuses and championed civil liberties with equal vigor in the George W Bush and Barack Obama administrations. He is far more comfortable discussing policies or proposals than he is discussing personalities, opting to refer to Trump simply as the president-elect. | Wyden is one of the few national politicians who can plausibly claim to have fought national security abuses and championed civil liberties with equal vigor in the George W Bush and Barack Obama administrations. He is far more comfortable discussing policies or proposals than he is discussing personalities, opting to refer to Trump simply as the president-elect. |
| “You look at some of what the president-elect has to say and it certainly ought to be a wake-up call from the standpoint of potential abuse of power,” Wyden said. | “You look at some of what the president-elect has to say and it certainly ought to be a wake-up call from the standpoint of potential abuse of power,” Wyden said. |
| A quote sticking in Wyden’s mind these days is one Trump issued in July after the Democratic National Committee hack, which US intelligence has blamed on Russia. Trump, discussing his political opponents, mused: “Honestly, I wish I had that power. I’d love to have that power.” By 20 January, it will no longer be hypothetical. | A quote sticking in Wyden’s mind these days is one Trump issued in July after the Democratic National Committee hack, which US intelligence has blamed on Russia. Trump, discussing his political opponents, mused: “Honestly, I wish I had that power. I’d love to have that power.” By 20 January, it will no longer be hypothetical. |
| 4.30pm GMT | 4.30pm GMT |
| 16:30 | 16:30 |
| Retailers drop Ivanka Trump's brand after #GrabYourWallet campaign | Retailers drop Ivanka Trump's brand after #GrabYourWallet campaign |
| Joanna Walters | Joanna Walters |
| The feisty online campaign to persuade shoppers to boycott Ivanka Trump’s fashion products and the retailers that stock them, #GrabYourWallet, appears to be biting. | The feisty online campaign to persuade shoppers to boycott Ivanka Trump’s fashion products and the retailers that stock them, #GrabYourWallet, appears to be biting. |
| Shoes.com dropped the footwear line pedaled by president-elect Donald Trump’s elder daughter Ivanka shortly after the election and now interior décor specialist Bellacor has dropped the “Trump Home” range of chandeliers and other domestic trinkets from its website. | Shoes.com dropped the footwear line pedaled by president-elect Donald Trump’s elder daughter Ivanka shortly after the election and now interior décor specialist Bellacor has dropped the “Trump Home” range of chandeliers and other domestic trinkets from its website. |
| Ivanka Trump fashion dropped by @shoesdotcom, no mo Trump items on @bellacor. @shannoncoulter "elated" as her #GrabYourWallet campaign bites | Ivanka Trump fashion dropped by @shoesdotcom, no mo Trump items on @bellacor. @shannoncoulter "elated" as her #GrabYourWallet campaign bites |
| Both had been targeted by California businesswoman Shannon Coulter, who created #GrabYourWallet on Twitter in October after the Donald Trump “grab them by the pussy” audio tape scandal. | Both had been targeted by California businesswoman Shannon Coulter, who created #GrabYourWallet on Twitter in October after the Donald Trump “grab them by the pussy” audio tape scandal. |
| She revealed in a Guardian exclusive at the time that his appalling boasting on tape reminded her of being sexually harassed by her boss at a Silicon Valley job in her youth. | She revealed in a Guardian exclusive at the time that his appalling boasting on tape reminded her of being sexually harassed by her boss at a Silicon Valley job in her youth. |
| Coulter was outraged by the Donald but also by Ivanka’s vigorous support of her father’s presidential campaign with barely a “tisk”, while at the same time promoting her fashion and accessories line with messages of empowerment for the independent-minded, stylish working woman. | Coulter was outraged by the Donald but also by Ivanka’s vigorous support of her father’s presidential campaign with barely a “tisk”, while at the same time promoting her fashion and accessories line with messages of empowerment for the independent-minded, stylish working woman. |
| “I’m elated,” Coulter told the Guardian on Thursday night about Shoes.com and Bellacor’s decisions. | “I’m elated,” Coulter told the Guardian on Thursday night about Shoes.com and Bellacor’s decisions. |
| The retailers didn’t cite #GrabYourWallet specifically but coincidentally contacted supporters of the campaign who had complained to them to explain they were dropping the products. | The retailers didn’t cite #GrabYourWallet specifically but coincidentally contacted supporters of the campaign who had complained to them to explain they were dropping the products. |
| Coulter tweets about her campaign have been viewed more than nine million times and the #GrabYourWallet hashtag has been read or spread 200 million times in just over a month. | Coulter tweets about her campaign have been viewed more than nine million times and the #GrabYourWallet hashtag has been read or spread 200 million times in just over a month. |
| She began by posting a list of retailers that sell items from the Ivanka Trump Collection, including the big hitters at the mall, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Nieman Marcus and Lord & Taylor, and high profile online names such as Amazon and Zappos, urging consumers not only to boycott them but to contact them to protest. | She began by posting a list of retailers that sell items from the Ivanka Trump Collection, including the big hitters at the mall, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Nieman Marcus and Lord & Taylor, and high profile online names such as Amazon and Zappos, urging consumers not only to boycott them but to contact them to protest. |
| With the traditional post-Thanksgiving retail-binge imminent, none of the big guys have budged – yet. | With the traditional post-Thanksgiving retail-binge imminent, none of the big guys have budged – yet. |
| “I have plenty of indications that the larger players are paying very close attention to this. I’m not surprised that the smaller players would be the first to drop the products, however. And I know the message is getting through,” said Coulter. | “I have plenty of indications that the larger players are paying very close attention to this. I’m not surprised that the smaller players would be the first to drop the products, however. And I know the message is getting through,” said Coulter. |
| She hopes that even if big retailers don’t want to appear partisan, now that Trump is president-elect and his family members are poised to benefit “big league”, that they will feel an unpleasant “conflict of interest” in stocking Trump products, she said. | She hopes that even if big retailers don’t want to appear partisan, now that Trump is president-elect and his family members are poised to benefit “big league”, that they will feel an unpleasant “conflict of interest” in stocking Trump products, she said. |
| #GrabYourWallet has sparked a backlash from some Trump voters who are now keen to encourage boycotts of the retailers that boycott Trump. | #GrabYourWallet has sparked a backlash from some Trump voters who are now keen to encourage boycotts of the retailers that boycott Trump. |
| .@shoesdotcom is NOT interested in the business of 60 Million Americans and are engaging in corporate terrorism against Ivanka. pic.twitter.com/K9DmiWNKiK | .@shoesdotcom is NOT interested in the business of 60 Million Americans and are engaging in corporate terrorism against Ivanka. pic.twitter.com/K9DmiWNKiK |
| Meanwhile Coulter is already blue sky thinking about whether #GrabYourWallet could grow into a bigger phenomenon as a shopping ethics monitor that rates companies by their respect for women and inclusiveness in general. | Meanwhile Coulter is already blue sky thinking about whether #GrabYourWallet could grow into a bigger phenomenon as a shopping ethics monitor that rates companies by their respect for women and inclusiveness in general. |
| “It could be measuring how many women or people of color they have in senior executive leadership, the ethical dimensions of the products they carry. We want to support companies that take the high road,” she said. | “It could be measuring how many women or people of color they have in senior executive leadership, the ethical dimensions of the products they carry. We want to support companies that take the high road,” she said. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.48pm GMT | at 4.48pm GMT |
| 4.13pm GMT | 4.13pm GMT |
| 16:13 | 16:13 |
| Illinois congressman Luis Gutiérrez, on attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions: | Illinois congressman Luis Gutiérrez, on attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions: |
| If you have nostalgia for the days when blacks kept quiet, gays were in the closet, immigrants were invisible and women stayed in the kitchen, Senator Jefferson Beauregard Sessions is your man. | If you have nostalgia for the days when blacks kept quiet, gays were in the closet, immigrants were invisible and women stayed in the kitchen, Senator Jefferson Beauregard Sessions is your man. |
| No senator has fought harder against the hopes and aspirations of Latinos, immigrants, and people of color than Sen. Sessions. He is a staunch opponent of legal immigration and someone who has blocked every effort to improve, modernize, and humanize our immigration system, which is two or three decades out-of-date. | No senator has fought harder against the hopes and aspirations of Latinos, immigrants, and people of color than Sen. Sessions. He is a staunch opponent of legal immigration and someone who has blocked every effort to improve, modernize, and humanize our immigration system, which is two or three decades out-of-date. |
| He ran for the Senate because he was deemed by the Senate Judiciary Committee as too racist to serve as a federal judge. He is the kind of person who will set back law enforcement, civil rights, the courts, and increase America’s mass incarceration industry and erase 50 years of progress. | He ran for the Senate because he was deemed by the Senate Judiciary Committee as too racist to serve as a federal judge. He is the kind of person who will set back law enforcement, civil rights, the courts, and increase America’s mass incarceration industry and erase 50 years of progress. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.14pm GMT | at 4.14pm GMT |