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| Donald Trump drops threat of criminal investigation into Hillary Clinton – live | Donald Trump drops threat of criminal investigation into Hillary Clinton – live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 8.04pm GMT | |
| 20:04 | |
| Obama commutes sentences for 79 inmates | |
| Jamiles Lartey | |
| Barack Obama commuted the sentences of another 79 federal inmates Tuesday, bringing the total for his presidency to over 1,000, with the vast majority issued just this year. | |
| The commutations, which come less than two months before Obama vacates the Oval Office, are part of the Department of Justice’s Clemency 2014 initiative aimed at reducing the sentences of nonviolent federal prisoners. | |
| With 1,023 commutations over his two terms, Obama has issued clemency to more inmates than the last 11 president’s combined, including to nearly 350 individuals serving life sentences. He has issued an additional 70 pardons. | |
| According to the White House, the president is “committed to continuing to exercise the clemency power with additional grants of commutations and pardons throughout the remainder of his presidency.” | |
| Federal prisoners make up about 10% of those incarcerated nationwide, and are the only individuals the president has the authority to grant clemency to. | |
| This is the first time the president has announced a round of commutations since the election of Donald Trump. Both president-elect Trump and his prospective attorney general, Jeff Sessions, have been critical of Obama’s use of executive power to grant clemency, even for long serving non-violent inmates. | |
| In response to a clemency announcement in August, Sessions called Obama “reckless” and accused him of “playing a dangerous game to advance his political ideology.” | |
| The impending presidential transition may be adding a level of urgency to the team of government lawyers tasked with vetting the tens of thousands of clemency applications that have been submitted since clemency 2014 was announced. | |
| “There is a rising sense of uncertainty about the future of clemency under a Trump administration,” said Jessica Jackson-Sloan, the National Director of #cut50, which advocates clemency as part of an overall mission to cut the US prison population in half. “With less than 60 days left before President Obama leaves office, we hope he does everything in his power to overturn injustice and leave no deserving person behind.” | |
| 7.53pm GMT | |
| 19:53 | |
| President to present medals of freedom | |
| The president is about to present medals of freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, to 21 individuals “who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.” | |
| Watch live here: | |
| The following individuals will be awarded the presidential medal of freedom, with thumbnail biographies as provided by the White House: | |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | |
| Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the National Basketball Association’s all-time leading scorer who helped lead the Los Angeles Lakers to five championships and the Milwaukee Bucks to another. During his career, Abdul-Jabbar was a six-time NBA Most Valuable Player and a 19-time NBA All-Star. Before joining the NBA, he was a star player at UCLA, leading the Bruins to three consecutive championships. In addition to his legendary basketball career, Abdul-Jabbar has been an outspoken advocate for social justice. | |
| Elouise Cobell (posthumous) | |
| Elouise Cobell was a Blackfeet Tribal community leader and an advocate for Native American self-determination and financial independence. She used her expertise in accounting to champion a lawsuit that resulted in a historic settlement, restoring tribal homelands to her beloved Blackfeet Nation and many other tribes, and in so doing, inspired a new generation of Native Americans to fight for the rights of others. Cobell helped found the Native American Bank, served as director of the Native American Community Development Corporation, and inspired Native American women to seek leadership roles in their communities. | |
| Ellen DeGeneres | |
| Ellen DeGeneres is an award-winning comedian who has hosted her popular daytime talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, since 2003 with her trademarked humor, humility, and optimism. In 2003 Ellen lent her voice to a forgetful but unforgettable little fish named Dory in Finding Nemo. She reprised her role again in 2016 with the hugely successful Finding Dory. Ellen also hosted the Academy Awards twice, in 2007 and 2014. In 1997, after coming out herself, DeGeneres made TV history when her character on Ellen revealed she was a lesbian. In her work and in her life, she has been a passionate advocate for equality and fairness. | |
| Robert De Niro | |
| Robert De Niro has brought to life some of the most memorable roles in American film during a career that spans five decades. His first major film roles were in the sports drama Bang the Drum Slowlyand Martin Scorsese’s crime film Mean Streets. He is a seven-time Academy Award nominee and two-time Oscar winner, and is also a Kennedy Center honoree. | |
| Richard Garwin | |
| Richard Garwin is a polymath physicist who earned a Ph.D. under Enrico Fermi at age 21 and subsequently made pioneering contributions to U.S. defense and intelligence technologies, low-temperature and nuclear physics, detection of gravitational radiation, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computer systems, laser printing, and nuclear arms control and nonproliferation. He directed Applied Research at IBM’s Thomas J. Watson Research Center and taught at the University of Chicago, Columbia University, and Harvard University. The author of 500 technical papers and a winner of the National Medal of Science, Garwin holds 47 U.S. patents, and has advised numerous administrations. | |
| Bill and Melinda Gates | |
| Bill and Melinda Gates established the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000 to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, the foundation focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, the mission is to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. The Gates Foundation has provided more than $36 billion in grants since its inception. | |
| Frank Gehry | |
| Frank Gehry is one of the world’s leading architects, whose works have helped define contemporary architecture. His best-known buildings include the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Dancing House in Prague, and the Guggenheim Museum building in Bilbao, Spain. | |
| Margaret H. Hamilton | |
| Margaret H. Hamilton led the team that created the on-board flight software for NASA’s Apollo command modules and lunar modules. A mathematician and computer scientist who started her own software company, Hamilton contributed to concepts of asynchronous software, priority scheduling and priority displays, and human-in-the-loop decision capability, which set the foundation for modern, ultra-reliable software design and engineering. | |
| Tom Hanks | |
| Tom Hanks is one of the Nation’s finest actors and filmmakers. He has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role five times, and received the award for his work in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump. Those roles and countless others, including in Apollo 13, Saving Private Ryan, and Cast Away, have left an indelible mark on American film. Off screen, as an advocate, Hanks has advocated for social and environmental justice, and for our veterans and their families. | |
| Grace Hopper (posthumous) | |
| Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, known as “Amazing Grace” and “the first lady of software,” was at the forefront of computers and programming development from the 1940s through the 1980s. Hopper’s work helped make coding languages more practical and accessible, and she created the first compiler, which translates source code from one language into another. She taught mathematics as an associate professor at Vassar College before joining the United States Naval Reserve as a lieutenant (junior grade) during World War II, where she became one of the first programmers of the Harvard Mark I computer and began her lifelong leadership role in the field of computer science. | |
| Michael Jordan | |
| Michael Jordan is one of the greatest athletes of all time. Jordan played 15 seasons in the NBA for the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards; he is currently a principal owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets. During his career, he won six championships, five Most Valuable Player awards, and appeared in 14 All-Star games. | |
| Maya Lin | |
| Maya Lin is an artist and designer who is known for her work in sculpture and landscape art. She designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. and since then has pursued a celebrated career in both art and architecture. A committed environmentalist, Lin is currently working on a multi-sited artwork/memorial, What is Missing? bringing awareness to the planet’s loss of habitat and biodiversity. | |
| Lorne Michaels | |
| Lorne Michaels is a producer and screenwriter, best known for creating and producing Saturday Night Live, which has run continuously for more than 40 years. In addition, Michaels has also produced The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and 30 Rock, among other popular, award-winning shows. He has won 13 Emmy Awards over the course of his lengthy career. | |
| Newt Minow | |
| Newt Minow is an attorney with a long and distinguished career in public life. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, Minow served as a Supreme Court clerk and counsel to the Governor of Illinois. In 1961, President Kennedy selected Minow, then 34, to serve as Chairman of the Federal Communications Committee (FCC), where he helped shape the future of American television and was a vigorous advocate for broadcasting that promoted the public interest. In the five decades since leaving the FCC, Minow has maintained a prominent private law practice while devoting himself to numerous public and charitable causes. | |
| Eduardo Padrón | |
| Eduardo Padrón is the President of Miami Dade College (MDC), one of the largest institutions of higher education in the United States. During his more than four decade career, President Padrón has been a national voice for access and inclusion. He has worked to ensure all students have access to high quality, affordable education. He has championed innovative teaching and learning strategies making MDC a national model of excellence. | |
| Robert Redford | |
| Robert Redford is an actor, director, producer, businessman, and environmentalist. In 1981, he founded the Sundance Institute to advance the work of independent filmmakers and storytellers throughout the world, including through its annual Sundance Film Festival. He has received an Academy Award for Best Director and for Lifetime Achievement. Redford has directed or starred in numerous motion pictures, including The Candidate, All the President’s Men, Quiz Show, and A River Runs Through It. | |
| Diana Ross | |
| Diana Ross has had an iconic career spanning more than 50 years within the entertainment industry in music, film, television, theater, and fashion. Diana Ross is an Academy Award nominee, inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and recipient of the Grammy Awards highest honor, the Lifetime Achievement Award. Ross was a recipient of the 2007 Kennedy Center Honors. Diana Ross’s greatest legacy is her five wonderful children. | |
| Vin Scully | |
| Vin Scully is a broadcaster who, for 67 seasons, was the voice of the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers. In Southern California, where generations of fans have grown up listening to Dodger baseball, Scully’s voice is known as the “soundtrack to summer.” In 1988, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Scully’s signature voice brought to life key moments in baseball history, including perfect games by Sandy Koufax and Don Larsen, Kirk Gibson’s home run in the 1988 World Series, and Hank Aaron’s record-breaking 715th home run. | |
| Bruce Springsteen | |
| Bruce Springsteen is a singer, songwriter, and bandleader. More than five decades ago, he bought a guitar and learned how to make it talk. Since then, the stories he has told, in lyrics and epic live concert performances, have helped shape American music and have challenged us to realize the American dream. Springsteen is a Kennedy Center honoree and he and the E Street Band he leads have each been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. | |
| Cicely Tyson | |
| Cicely Tyson has performed on the stage, on television, and on the silver screen. She has won two Emmy Awards and a Tony Award, and is known for her performances in Sounder, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, and The Help. In 2013, she returned to the stage with The Trip to the Bountiful, and was awarded the Tony Award for best leading actress. Tyson received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2015. | |
| 7.24pm GMT | 7.24pm GMT |
| 19:24 | 19:24 |
| The Times interview complete, Trump has returned to Trump tower, across town, the press pool reports. | The Times interview complete, Trump has returned to Trump tower, across town, the press pool reports. |
| 7.17pm GMT | 7.17pm GMT |
| 19:17 | 19:17 |
| Audible booing as Trump leaves the Times: | Audible booing as Trump leaves the Times: |
| Trump leaves the Times pic.twitter.com/KU1pTaUjXt | Trump leaves the Times pic.twitter.com/KU1pTaUjXt |
| Trump leaving New York Times building to mix of cheers and boos from a smaller crowd, per @BenBrodyDC. He headed toward the 41st St exit. | Trump leaving New York Times building to mix of cheers and boos from a smaller crowd, per @BenBrodyDC. He headed toward the 41st St exit. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 7.18pm GMT | at 7.18pm GMT |
| 7.15pm GMT | 7.15pm GMT |
| 19:15 | 19:15 |
| Trump on opening up libel laws: | Trump on opening up libel laws: |
| Open up the libel laws? Trump says someone told him, “You know, YOU might be sued a lot more.’ I said, You know, I hadn’t thought of that." | Open up the libel laws? Trump says someone told him, “You know, YOU might be sued a lot more.’ I said, You know, I hadn’t thought of that." |
| 7.14pm GMT | 7.14pm GMT |
| 19:14 | 19:14 |
| Trump on the first amendment: | Trump on the first amendment: |
| Trump gets asked about his commitment to first amendment, says, "I think you'll be happy." | Trump gets asked about his commitment to first amendment, says, "I think you'll be happy." |
| “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised”... | “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised”... |
| 7.05pm GMT | 7.05pm GMT |
| 19:05 | 19:05 |
| Trump on the caliber of his son-in-law: | Trump on the caliber of his son-in-law: |
| Trump: Jared Kushner could help make peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. | Trump: Jared Kushner could help make peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. |
| “I would love to be the one who made peace with Israel and the Palestinians, that would be such a great achievement." | “I would love to be the one who made peace with Israel and the Palestinians, that would be such a great achievement." |
| 7.04pm GMT | 7.04pm GMT |
| 19:04 | 19:04 |
| Attending the Trump meeting, according to the New York Times, are: | Attending the Trump meeting, according to the New York Times, are: |
| The attendees at today’s meeting between the President-elect and The New York Times. pic.twitter.com/8kPqRp3AVE | The attendees at today’s meeting between the President-elect and The New York Times. pic.twitter.com/8kPqRp3AVE |
| 6.58pm GMT | 6.58pm GMT |
| 18:58 | 18:58 |
| Trump on a conference at the weekend in Washington, DC, in which white supremacist Richard Spencer led a room in chants of “Hail Trump, hail our people, hail victory!” and some people in the audience gave the Nazi salute. | Trump on a conference at the weekend in Washington, DC, in which white supremacist Richard Spencer led a room in chants of “Hail Trump, hail our people, hail victory!” and some people in the audience gave the Nazi salute. |
| Asked point-blank about Nazi conference in DC over wknd: @realDonaldTrump tells @nytimes "of course" "I disavow and condemn them" | Asked point-blank about Nazi conference in DC over wknd: @realDonaldTrump tells @nytimes "of course" "I disavow and condemn them" |
| Read about the conference: | Read about the conference: |
| Trump on Steve Bannon, his chief strategist, who boasted in July that his website, Breitbart, was “the platform for the alt-right”: | Trump on Steve Bannon, his chief strategist, who boasted in July that his website, Breitbart, was “the platform for the alt-right”: |
| On Bannon:"If I thought he was a racist or alt-right or any of the things, the terms we could use, I wouldn't even think about hiring him." | On Bannon:"If I thought he was a racist or alt-right or any of the things, the terms we could use, I wouldn't even think about hiring him." |
| Trump on Bannon: "I think it's very hard on him. I think he's having a hard time with it. Because it's not him." | Trump on Bannon: "I think it's very hard on him. I think he's having a hard time with it. Because it's not him." |
| Trump is asked about concerns from minority groups about Breitbart News’s coverage under Steve Bannon. His reply: pic.twitter.com/FBqCGwQpBr | Trump is asked about concerns from minority groups about Breitbart News’s coverage under Steve Bannon. His reply: pic.twitter.com/FBqCGwQpBr |
| 6.32pm GMT | 6.32pm GMT |
| 18:32 | 18:32 |
| Trump on potential conflicts of interest between his businesses and his presidency: | Trump on potential conflicts of interest between his businesses and his presidency: |
| Trump on his businesses/conflict q's: "The law's totally on my side, the president can't have a conflict of interest." | Trump on his businesses/conflict q's: "The law's totally on my side, the president can't have a conflict of interest." |
| Conflicts of interest? Trump says: “If it were up to some people, I would never, ever see my daughter Ivanka again." | Conflicts of interest? Trump says: “If it were up to some people, I would never, ever see my daughter Ivanka again." |
| What about selling your company? “That’s a really hard thing to do, because I have real estate." | What about selling your company? “That’s a really hard thing to do, because I have real estate." |
| Trump acknowledges the DC hotel he owns is "probably a more valuable asset than it was before." Says the brand is "hotter." | Trump acknowledges the DC hotel he owns is "probably a more valuable asset than it was before." Says the brand is "hotter." |
| Trump says "in theory" he could continue signing checks at his company, but he is "phasing that out now" and giving to his kids. | Trump says "in theory" he could continue signing checks at his company, but he is "phasing that out now" and giving to his kids. |
| And specifically on mentioning wind farms near his Scottish golf course to UK politician Nigel Farage: | And specifically on mentioning wind farms near his Scottish golf course to UK politician Nigel Farage: |
| "I might have brought it up," Trump says of Farage meeting and wind farms. | "I might have brought it up," Trump says of Farage meeting and wind farms. |
| 6.31pm GMT | 6.31pm GMT |
| 18:31 | 18:31 |
| Trump on prosecuting the Clintons: | Trump on prosecuting the Clintons: |
| That last tweet was Trump making clear he doesn't favor prosecution. Added people could argue the Clinton Foundation has done "good work." | That last tweet was Trump making clear he doesn't favor prosecution. Added people could argue the Clinton Foundation has done "good work." |
| "I think it would be very very divisive for the country," Trump says about prosecuting the Clintons. | "I think it would be very very divisive for the country," Trump says about prosecuting the Clintons. |
| 6.30pm GMT | 6.30pm GMT |
| 18:30 | 18:30 |
| Trump on climate change: | Trump on climate change: |
| Tom Friedman asks if Trump will withdraw from climate change accords. Trump: “I’m looking at it very closely. I have an open mind to it." | Tom Friedman asks if Trump will withdraw from climate change accords. Trump: “I’m looking at it very closely. I have an open mind to it." |
| Does Trump think human activity is linked to climate change? “I think there is some connectivity. Some, something. It depends on how much." | Does Trump think human activity is linked to climate change? “I think there is some connectivity. Some, something. It depends on how much." |
| 6.24pm GMT | 6.24pm GMT |
| 18:24 | 18:24 |
| Trump’s meeting with New York Times journalists has started, and the paper’s staff are live-tweeting it and collecting the tweets on their site. | Trump’s meeting with New York Times journalists has started, and the paper’s staff are live-tweeting it and collecting the tweets on their site. |
| Here are some highlights so far: | Here are some highlights so far: |
| Big turnout for the president-elect's visit to The New York Times mothership. His arrival's expected within minutes. pic.twitter.com/Qa2ku67ycx | Big turnout for the president-elect's visit to The New York Times mothership. His arrival's expected within minutes. pic.twitter.com/Qa2ku67ycx |
| Trump went upstairs through the freight elevator, meaning he eluded the huge crowd waiting in the lobby | Trump went upstairs through the freight elevator, meaning he eluded the huge crowd waiting in the lobby |
| Trump is speaking in measured, quiet tones. “I will say the Times is about the roughest of all,” he says of NYT’s coverage of his campaign. | Trump is speaking in measured, quiet tones. “I will say the Times is about the roughest of all,” he says of NYT’s coverage of his campaign. |
| “You could make the case the Washington Post was bad, but every once in awhile I actually got a good article,” Trump says. | “You could make the case the Washington Post was bad, but every once in awhile I actually got a good article,” Trump says. |
| "I'd rather do the popular vote," Trump says. "I think we'd do as well or better." Says he was "never a fan of the electoral college." | "I'd rather do the popular vote," Trump says. "I think we'd do as well or better." Says he was "never a fan of the electoral college." |
| Dean Baquet asks if Trump feels like he did things to energize the alt-right movement. “I don’t think so, Dean,” Trump replies. | Dean Baquet asks if Trump feels like he did things to energize the alt-right movement. “I don’t think so, Dean,” Trump replies. |
| Trump: “I don’t want to energize the group, and I disavow the group.” (1/2) | Trump: “I don’t want to energize the group, and I disavow the group.” (1/2) |
| Trump: "It’s not a group I want to energize, and if they are energized, I want to look into it and find out why.” (2/2) | Trump: "It’s not a group I want to energize, and if they are energized, I want to look into it and find out why.” (2/2) |
| “I don’t want to hurt the Clintons, I really don’t. She went through a lot and suffered greatly in many different ways." | “I don’t want to hurt the Clintons, I really don’t. She went through a lot and suffered greatly in many different ways." |
| 2/2 "I think I will explain it that we in many ways will save our country." | 2/2 "I think I will explain it that we in many ways will save our country." |
| (And this one shows a Trump-ish eye for an unexpected detail:) | (And this one shows a Trump-ish eye for an unexpected detail:) |
| Salmon, beef tenderloin, squash, cupcakes on the menu here at NYT. But no one in the room is bothering to eat. | Salmon, beef tenderloin, squash, cupcakes on the menu here at NYT. But no one in the room is bothering to eat. |
| 4.59pm GMT | 4.59pm GMT |
| 16:59 | 16:59 |
| This is a good flag by the Times’ Jonathan Martin. The Remnick piece we linked to earlier features Trump telling members of the media that Mitt Romney, who crawled on his knees to New Jersey for a Saturday meeting with Trump, “desperately wants” to be secretary of state. | This is a good flag by the Times’ Jonathan Martin. The Remnick piece we linked to earlier features Trump telling members of the media that Mitt Romney, who crawled on his knees to New Jersey for a Saturday meeting with Trump, “desperately wants” to be secretary of state. |
| Attn @MittRomney folks:Trump told TV nets ystdy Mitt “desperately wants” Sec/State. https://t.co/dL6Ke41xUf | Attn @MittRomney folks:Trump told TV nets ystdy Mitt “desperately wants” Sec/State. https://t.co/dL6Ke41xUf |
| After the Romney meeting, a Trump statement said that those assembled had enjoyed an “extremely positive and productive conversation.” | After the Romney meeting, a Trump statement said that those assembled had enjoyed an “extremely positive and productive conversation.” |
| But it’s possible that instead of wanting to be friends with Romney, Trump wishes to belittle or hurt him. Romney was an early and vocal critic of Trump among top Republicans, ridiculing Trump in a March 2016 speech. | But it’s possible that instead of wanting to be friends with Romney, Trump wishes to belittle or hurt him. Romney was an early and vocal critic of Trump among top Republicans, ridiculing Trump in a March 2016 speech. |
| Here are highlights from Romney’s speech. “A business genius he is not... His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump university”: | Here are highlights from Romney’s speech. “A business genius he is not... His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump university”: |
| Newt Gingrich, a faithful Trump-backer who may be familiar with Trump’s thinking, said on Monday, two days after the Romney meeting, that Rudy Giuliani would be a better secretary of state: | Newt Gingrich, a faithful Trump-backer who may be familiar with Trump’s thinking, said on Monday, two days after the Romney meeting, that Rudy Giuliani would be a better secretary of state: |
| Gingrich says Giuliani would make a better secretary of state than Romney https://t.co/MMyXTGNOoN | AP Photo pic.twitter.com/NO8Shv331G | Gingrich says Giuliani would make a better secretary of state than Romney https://t.co/MMyXTGNOoN | AP Photo pic.twitter.com/NO8Shv331G |
| Is Trump stringing Romney along for the pleasure of watching his former critic sweat? Would Trump ever do such a thing? Or does Trump in fact value Romney’s point of view and believe he could be a cabinet appointment? | Is Trump stringing Romney along for the pleasure of watching his former critic sweat? Would Trump ever do such a thing? Or does Trump in fact value Romney’s point of view and believe he could be a cabinet appointment? |
| 4.45pm GMT | 4.45pm GMT |
| 16:45 | 16:45 |
| Breitbart, the insurgent media site that also is an online clearinghouse for hate-speech including white-supremacist, anti-semitic and misogynist speech, has published a banner headline decrying Trump aide Kellyanne Conway’s announcement this morning that Trump no longer wishes to “lock her up”! | Breitbart, the insurgent media site that also is an online clearinghouse for hate-speech including white-supremacist, anti-semitic and misogynist speech, has published a banner headline decrying Trump aide Kellyanne Conway’s announcement this morning that Trump no longer wishes to “lock her up”! |
| “Broken promise,” the headline says. | “Broken promise,” the headline says. |
| How much daylight is there between Breitbart and Trump? Steve Bannon, the former (?) governor of Breitbart, was chairman of Trump’s campaign and has been tapped to serve as chief White House strategist in the Trump administration. | How much daylight is there between Breitbart and Trump? Steve Bannon, the former (?) governor of Breitbart, was chairman of Trump’s campaign and has been tapped to serve as chief White House strategist in the Trump administration. |
| Breitbart is not happy pic.twitter.com/m3YVZWbIYu | Breitbart is not happy pic.twitter.com/m3YVZWbIYu |
| 4.32pm GMT | 4.32pm GMT |
| 16:32 | 16:32 |
| Trump aide dodges question about use of office to advance business interests | Trump aide dodges question about use of office to advance business interests |
| Has Donald Trump already sought to use the presidency to advance his global business interests? Hanging behind the possibility is the question of whether, if a conflict arose between his personal business interests and US policy interests, Trump would favor his interests over US interests. | Has Donald Trump already sought to use the presidency to advance his global business interests? Hanging behind the possibility is the question of whether, if a conflict arose between his personal business interests and US policy interests, Trump would favor his interests over US interests. |
| Exhibit A: | Exhibit A: |
| Local media reports in Argentina on Monday alleged that in his first phone call with president Mauricio Macri since being elected president, Trump asked for help over a stalled construction permit for a 35-storey project called Trump Office in downtown Buenos Aires. Ivanka Trump, a vice-president of the Trump organization, also spoke with Macri, both sides acknowledged. | Local media reports in Argentina on Monday alleged that in his first phone call with president Mauricio Macri since being elected president, Trump asked for help over a stalled construction permit for a 35-storey project called Trump Office in downtown Buenos Aires. Ivanka Trump, a vice-president of the Trump organization, also spoke with Macri, both sides acknowledged. |
| A Macri spokesman later denied that the president discussed business with either Trump. | A Macri spokesman later denied that the president discussed business with either Trump. |
| Exhibit B: | Exhibit B: |
| In a meeting with interim UKIP leader Nigel Farage after his election as president, Trump spoke at length in opposition to wind farms in Scotland, where the tranquility of one of his golf courses is potentially threatened by a wind farm development, the Daily Express reported: | In a meeting with interim UKIP leader Nigel Farage after his election as president, Trump spoke at length in opposition to wind farms in Scotland, where the tranquility of one of his golf courses is potentially threatened by a wind farm development, the Daily Express reported: |
| Andy Wigmore, a communications officer for one of the groups campaigning to leave the EU who was at the meeting alongside Farage, told the Daily Express: “We covered a lot of ground during the hour-long meeting we had. | Andy Wigmore, a communications officer for one of the groups campaigning to leave the EU who was at the meeting alongside Farage, told the Daily Express: “We covered a lot of ground during the hour-long meeting we had. |
| “But one thing Mr Trump kept returning to was the issue of wind farms. He is a complete Anglophile and also absolutely adores Scotland, which he thinks is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. | “But one thing Mr Trump kept returning to was the issue of wind farms. He is a complete Anglophile and also absolutely adores Scotland, which he thinks is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. |
| “But he is dismayed that his beloved Scotland has become over-run with ugly wind farms, which he believes are a blight on the stunning landscape.” | “But he is dismayed that his beloved Scotland has become over-run with ugly wind farms, which he believes are a blight on the stunning landscape.” |
| Trump aide sidesteps conflict-of-interest question | Trump aide sidesteps conflict-of-interest question |
| On a call with reporters Tuesday, Trump spokesman Jason Miller was asked whether Trump “had any conversations with any foreign leaders about his business operations.” | On a call with reporters Tuesday, Trump spokesman Jason Miller was asked whether Trump “had any conversations with any foreign leaders about his business operations.” |
| Miller did not answer directly but said the news “on the Argentina front” was “false.” | Miller did not answer directly but said the news “on the Argentina front” was “false.” |
| One other dodge from Jason Miller from this morning's call as to whether Trump is still involved with the business side of Trump Org: pic.twitter.com/20oTZJmlDq | One other dodge from Jason Miller from this morning's call as to whether Trump is still involved with the business side of Trump Org: pic.twitter.com/20oTZJmlDq |
| Uki Goñi reported on the Argentinian side from Buenos Aires: | Uki Goñi reported on the Argentinian side from Buenos Aires: |
| But despite such setbacks, the relationship remains close enough that President Macri spoke with Ivanka Trump during last Monday’s phone conversation. “In the call, I also talked with his daughter,” Macri told the Japanese newspaper the Asahi Shimbun. “I have known her since her infant days.” | But despite such setbacks, the relationship remains close enough that President Macri spoke with Ivanka Trump during last Monday’s phone conversation. “In the call, I also talked with his daughter,” Macri told the Japanese newspaper the Asahi Shimbun. “I have known her since her infant days.” |
| Macri’s spokesman said that the Argentinian president did not discuss Trump Office with Ivanka Trump either. | Macri’s spokesman said that the Argentinian president did not discuss Trump Office with Ivanka Trump either. |
| “He spoke with Ivanka only briefly to say hello because he met her when she was just a kid,” the spokesman said. “They did not speak about it. The president doesn’t speak about city building permits.” | “He spoke with Ivanka only briefly to say hello because he met her when she was just a kid,” the spokesman said. “They did not speak about it. The president doesn’t speak about city building permits.” |
| 4.13pm GMT | 4.13pm GMT |
| 16:13 | 16:13 |
| Vice-president-elect Mike Pence arrived at Trump tower about 45 minutes ago and went upstairs (up-elevator? skyward) without taking questions from reporters, the media pool advises. | Vice-president-elect Mike Pence arrived at Trump tower about 45 minutes ago and went upstairs (up-elevator? skyward) without taking questions from reporters, the media pool advises. |
| 4.03pm GMT | 4.03pm GMT |
| 16:03 | 16:03 |
| So do we! | So do we! |
| The meeting with the @nytimes is back on at 12:30 today. Look forward to it! | The meeting with the @nytimes is back on at 12:30 today. Look forward to it! |
| There is concern that the media’s ability to hold the government to account on behalf of the public – on matters from surveillance to war-fighting to public health to community policing to banking regulations to housing policy or tax policy &c. – may be about to be curtailed owing to the precedent elect’s apparent weak-tea belief in a free press. On the campaign trail, Trump called for new libel prosecutions and routinely harangued the media for publishing reports he deemed critical. | There is concern that the media’s ability to hold the government to account on behalf of the public – on matters from surveillance to war-fighting to public health to community policing to banking regulations to housing policy or tax policy &c. – may be about to be curtailed owing to the precedent elect’s apparent weak-tea belief in a free press. On the campaign trail, Trump called for new libel prosecutions and routinely harangued the media for publishing reports he deemed critical. |
| My lawyers want to sue the failing @nytimes so badly for irresponsible intent. I said no (for now), but they are watching. Really disgusting | My lawyers want to sue the failing @nytimes so badly for irresponsible intent. I said no (for now), but they are watching. Really disgusting |
| Apropros update: | Apropros update: |
| The last time Trump held a press conference was on July 27th. He took questions from a limited group on September 5th. | The last time Trump held a press conference was on July 27th. He took questions from a limited group on September 5th. |
| To that point, don’t miss New Yorker editor David Remnick’s description of Trump’s meeting yesterday with executives and talent from the big TV networks: | To that point, don’t miss New Yorker editor David Remnick’s description of Trump’s meeting yesterday with executives and talent from the big TV networks: |
| In the presence of television executives and anchors, Trump whined about everything from NBC News reporter Katy Tur’s coverage of him to a photograph the news network has used that shows him with a double chin. Why didn’t they use “nicer” pictures? | In the presence of television executives and anchors, Trump whined about everything from NBC News reporter Katy Tur’s coverage of him to a photograph the news network has used that shows him with a double chin. Why didn’t they use “nicer” pictures? |
| For more than twenty minutes, Trump railed about “outrageous” and “dishonest” coverage. When he was asked about the sort of “fake news” that now clogs social media, Trump replied that it was the networks that were guilty of spreading fake news. The “worst,” he said, were CNN (“liars!”) and NBC. | For more than twenty minutes, Trump railed about “outrageous” and “dishonest” coverage. When he was asked about the sort of “fake news” that now clogs social media, Trump replied that it was the networks that were guilty of spreading fake news. The “worst,” he said, were CNN (“liars!”) and NBC. |
| This is where we are. The President-elect does not care who knows how unforgiving or vain or distracted he is. This is who he is, and this is who will be running the executive branch of the United States government for four years. | This is where we are. The President-elect does not care who knows how unforgiving or vain or distracted he is. This is who he is, and this is who will be running the executive branch of the United States government for four years. |
| Read the full piece here. | Read the full piece here. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.11pm GMT | at 4.11pm GMT |
| 3.21pm GMT | 3.21pm GMT |
| 15:21 | 15:21 |
| Hello, and welcome to our live-wire coverage of Donald Trump’s transition to the White House. Trump is expected to travel this evening to Mar-a-Lago, his home in Palm Beach, Florida, where he will spend the Thanksgiving holiday. | Hello, and welcome to our live-wire coverage of Donald Trump’s transition to the White House. Trump is expected to travel this evening to Mar-a-Lago, his home in Palm Beach, Florida, where he will spend the Thanksgiving holiday. |
| The Trump team has not announced a list of the day’s meetings. Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani and Trump aides Corey Lewandowski and Paul Manafort have been spotted entering the tower and heading upstairs. | The Trump team has not announced a list of the day’s meetings. Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani and Trump aides Corey Lewandowski and Paul Manafort have been spotted entering the tower and heading upstairs. |
| Trump does not want to ‘lock her up’ – Conway | Trump does not want to ‘lock her up’ – Conway |
| Top Trump aide Kellyanne Conway told MSNBC that Trump no longer desires to see Hillary Clinton behind bars, despite his popular rally chant “lock her up”. | Top Trump aide Kellyanne Conway told MSNBC that Trump no longer desires to see Hillary Clinton behind bars, despite his popular rally chant “lock her up”. |
| Conway’s statement was decried for implying that the president would direct the conduct of the Department of Justice in general, and in particular the attorney general – who is traditionally supposedly independent from the White House despite being a political appointee, and who would conceivably initiate and oversee any such executive branch investigation. (We’re couching all this because it’s unclear – isn’t it? – how all this will/could work going forward.) | Conway’s statement was decried for implying that the president would direct the conduct of the Department of Justice in general, and in particular the attorney general – who is traditionally supposedly independent from the White House despite being a political appointee, and who would conceivably initiate and oversee any such executive branch investigation. (We’re couching all this because it’s unclear – isn’t it? – how all this will/could work going forward.) |
| “[If Trump] tells you before he’s even inaugurated he doesn’t wish to pursue these charges, it sends a very strong message, tone and content, to the members,” Conway said, referring to a yet separate, potential congressional inquiry into Clinton. | “[If Trump] tells you before he’s even inaugurated he doesn’t wish to pursue these charges, it sends a very strong message, tone and content, to the members,” Conway said, referring to a yet separate, potential congressional inquiry into Clinton. |
| A former spokesman for Eric Holder sends up an alarm: | A former spokesman for Eric Holder sends up an alarm: |
| This is a disaster for DOJ's independence. Imagine if @davidplouffe was announcing things @EricHolder would/wouldn't investigate in 2008. https://t.co/uuFWqEcnsH | This is a disaster for DOJ's independence. Imagine if @davidplouffe was announcing things @EricHolder would/wouldn't investigate in 2008. https://t.co/uuFWqEcnsH |
| Maybe Trump is changing the rules. There's no law that establishes DOJ independence from the White House. Scary stuff here. https://t.co/AsTFmwGNUz | Maybe Trump is changing the rules. There's no law that establishes DOJ independence from the White House. Scary stuff here. https://t.co/AsTFmwGNUz |
| Conway continued: | Conway continued: |
| I think Hillary Clinton still has to face the fact that a majority of Americans don’t find her to be honest or trustworthy, but if Donald Trump can help her heal then perhaps that’s a good thing. I think he’s thinking of many different things as he prepares to become the president of the United States, and things that sound like the campaign aren’t among them. | I think Hillary Clinton still has to face the fact that a majority of Americans don’t find her to be honest or trustworthy, but if Donald Trump can help her heal then perhaps that’s a good thing. I think he’s thinking of many different things as he prepares to become the president of the United States, and things that sound like the campaign aren’t among them. |
| Farage will not be ambassador to US, UK government says | Farage will not be ambassador to US, UK government says |
| A wishful tweet by Trump notwithstanding, interim UKIP leader Nigel Farage will not become the British ambassador to the US, Downing Street and the UK foreign office have said. | A wishful tweet by Trump notwithstanding, interim UKIP leader Nigel Farage will not become the British ambassador to the US, Downing Street and the UK foreign office have said. |
| The prime minister’s spokesman said: “As far as the ambassador goes, there is no vacancy for that position. We have an excellent ambassador to the United States and he will continue his work.” | The prime minister’s spokesman said: “As far as the ambassador goes, there is no vacancy for that position. We have an excellent ambassador to the United States and he will continue his work.” |
| Read further: | Read further: |
| Trump describes ‘first 100 days’ in video address | Trump describes ‘first 100 days’ in video address |
| Trump has issued a two-and-a-half minute video assuring everyone that his transition is going smoothly and sketching a few points for pursuit in his first 100 days in office, including deregulation and withdrawal from Trans-Pacific Partnership talks “from day one” of his presidency. The TPP has not yet been signed. | Trump has issued a two-and-a-half minute video assuring everyone that his transition is going smoothly and sketching a few points for pursuit in his first 100 days in office, including deregulation and withdrawal from Trans-Pacific Partnership talks “from day one” of his presidency. The TPP has not yet been signed. |
| Trump’s off-again, on-again Times meetings | Trump’s off-again, on-again Times meetings |
| The New York Times has announced that meetings between Trump and the Times publisher, and with editors, reporters and columnists is back on after the Trump team canceled it earlier. | The New York Times has announced that meetings between Trump and the Times publisher, and with editors, reporters and columnists is back on after the Trump team canceled it earlier. |
| Times spokeswoman Eileen Murphy has released this statement: | Times spokeswoman Eileen Murphy has released this statement: |
| Mr Trump’s staff has told us that the President Elect’s meeting with The Times is on again. He will meet with our publisher off-the-record and that session will be followed by an on-the-record meeting with our journalists and editorial columnists. | Mr Trump’s staff has told us that the President Elect’s meeting with The Times is on again. He will meet with our publisher off-the-record and that session will be followed by an on-the-record meeting with our journalists and editorial columnists. |
| The Times released a statement earlier this morning announcing the meeting had been canceled: | The Times released a statement earlier this morning announcing the meeting had been canceled: |
| .@realDonaldTrump cancelled his meeting w/@nytimes. Our response: "We did not change the ground rules at all and made no attempt to." pic.twitter.com/uzyto91bC2 | .@realDonaldTrump cancelled his meeting w/@nytimes. Our response: "We did not change the ground rules at all and made no attempt to." pic.twitter.com/uzyto91bC2 |
| Thank you for reading and please join us in the comments. | Thank you for reading and please join us in the comments. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 4.35pm GMT | at 4.35pm GMT |