DEFENSE/DNI/MILITARY/NATIONAL SECURITY/TERRORISM/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS: “By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Findings. (a) Section 3 of Executive Order 13732 of July 1, 2016 (United States Policy on Pre- and Post Strike Measures To Address […]
Category: National Security
3/4/2019
COAST GUARD/DEFENSE/DHS/JOBS/MILITARY/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS/VETS: “By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and to promote employment opportunities for United States military veterans while growing the cadre of trained United States mariners available to meet United States requirements for national and economic security, […]
3/1/2019
FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The day after Donald Trump was elected president of the United States, White House national security adviser Susan Rice gathered her staff for a pep talk. About a third of the room was crying. Everyone was in shock. Trump had defeated Hillary Clinton, an upset of historic proportions that promised, […]
3/1/2019
HOUSE OF REPS/LEGAL/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The chairman of the House Oversight Committee issued a stark warning Friday [3-1-19] to White House counsel Pat Cipollone, demanding that the White House turn over documents and comply with interviews related to how the White House handled security clearances of some of the President’s closest advisers. Democratic […]
3/1/2019
JARED KUSHNER/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. President Donald Trump ordered his chief of staff in May to grant his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner a top-secret security clearance, the New York Times reported on Thursday [2-28-19]. It said senior administration officials were troubled by the decision, which prompted then White House Chief of Staff John […]
2/21/2019
NATIONAL SECURITY/TECHNOLOGY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump today argued U.S. companies must take the lead in the global race to build next-generation wireless networks — and made a cryptic warning against blocking certain technology from being used in their development…In a followup, he added, ‘I want the United States to win through competition, not by […]
2/20/2019
CLIMATE CHANGE/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP PEOPLE: “A climate change skeptic who once compared ‘demonization’ of carbon dioxide to the treatment of Jews under Adolf Hitler may lead a proposed White House committee tasked with studying whether climate change poses a national security threat, The Washington Post reported Wednesday [2-20-19]. The Post, citing planning documents obtained by the […]
2/19/2019
NATIONAL SECURITY/SPACE FORCE: “America must be fully equipped to defend our vital interests. Our adversaries are training forces and developing technology to undermine our security in space, and they’re working very hard at that. That’s why my administration has recognized space as a warfighting domain and made the creation of the Space Force a national […]
2/11/2019
NATIONAL SECURITY/TECHNOLOGY/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS: “By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Policy and Principles. Artificial Intelligence (AI) promises to drive growth of the United States economy, enhance our economic and national security, and improve […]
2/8/2019
IVANKA/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump’s oldest daughter, who serves as a senior adviser in the White House, denied on Friday [2-8-19] that her father was involved in issuing security clearances for her or her husband, Jared Kushner. Ivanka Trump made the remarks during an interview with the ABC News host Abby Huntsman in an […]
1/31/2019
FOREIGN POLICY/INTELLIGENCE/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A day after he lashed out at U.S. intelligence agency chiefs over their assessments of global threats, President Donald Trump abruptly reversed course Thursday [1-31-19] and said that he and the intelligence community ‘are all on the same page.’ Trump met with his director of national intelligence and other top […]
1/29/2019
AFGHANISTAN/ISIS/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “They think pulling out of Syria and Afghanistan would be a debacle. They think North Korea cannot be trusted. They think the Islamic State is still a threat to America. They think Russia is bad and NATO is good. The trouble is their president does not agree. More than two […]
1/26/2019
DEMS/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WALL: “21 days goes very quickly. Negotiations with Democrats will start immediately. Will not be easy to make a deal, both parties very dug in. The case for National Security has been greatly enhanced by what has been happening at the Border & through dialogue. We will build the Wall!” –Donald Trump, […]
1/23/2019
DEMS/HOUSE OF REPS/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “House Democratic investigators launched a probe on Wednesday [1-23-19] into the Trump administration’s use of security clearances and temporary security clearances, accusing the White House of playing fast and loose with the nation’s most guarded secrets. Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings laid out several lines of inquiry on the matter […]
1/22/2019
BORDER/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WALL: “Without a Wall our Country can never have Border or National Security. With a powerful Wall or Steel Barrier, Crime Rates (and Drugs) will go substantially down all over the U.S. The Dems know this but want to play political games. Must finally be done correctly. No Cave!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, […]
1/20/2019
BORDER/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “RT @sendavidperdue: President Trump again spoke directly to the American people about the national security crisis at our southern border.…” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, January 20, 2019 3:31 pm […]
1/18/2019
BORDER/GOP/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Never seen the Republican Party so unified. No ‘Cave’ on the issue of Border and National Security. A beautiful thing to see, especially when you hear the new rhetoric spewing from the mouths of the Democrats who talk Open Border, High Taxes and Crime. Stop Criminals & Drugs now!” -Donald Trump, […]
1/15/2019
BUSINESS/CHINA/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The reclusive founder of Huawei has denied allegations that his telecoms company spies for the Chinese government. Ren Zhengfei also praised President Donald Trump as a ‘great president,’ shrugging off allegations by Washington that Huawei is a threat to US national security. Speaking to foreign media for the first time in […]
1/9/2019
NATIONAL SECURITY/NATO/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “President Donald Trump and senior defense officials met to discuss the planned Syria troop withdrawal Wednesday [1-9-19], as his national security team continued to send conflicting signals about the planned pullback that has roiled relations with NATO-ally Turkey. Even as administration officials continue to insist the US will leave Syria, […]
1/9/2019
BORDER/CONGRESS/LEGAL/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WALL: “President Trump’s quest to build a wall on the southern border has escalated to considering declaring a national emergency. It’s being reported the administration is looking to declare the emergency, then move around money already appropriated to the Pentagon by cancelling some other construction projects so that construction at the border […]
1/8/2019
BORDER/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WALL: “President Trump’s greatest hurdle in persuading Americans that there is a national security crisis on the southwest border may well be his own credibility. Mr. Trump is using a rare currency — a prime-time address to the nation — to make the case for a border wall with Mexico, an issue […]
12/20/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “James Jeffrey, President Donald Trump‘s special representative for Syria engagement, probably should have seen it coming. In August 2016, the well-respected veteran diplomat signed an open letter denouncing then-presidential candidate Trump as a danger to America. ‘In our experience,’ Jeffrey and dozens of fellow ‘Never Trumpers’ wrote, ‘a president must […]
12/19/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/TARIFFS/TRADE WAR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump has weaponized tariffs to upend the global rules of international trade — but can his policies withstand the peanut butter test? On Wednesday [12-19-18], a three-judge panel, deliberating in a federal courtroom in Lower Manhattan, considered the most far-reaching legal challenge to the president’s aggressive use of national […]
12/19/2018
GOP/MILITARY/NATIONAL SECURITY/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WAR: “Seated at the head of his Situation Room conference table, President Donald Trump was adamant: American troops must come home from Syria. He had just announced as much to a crowd in Ohio. The assembled military and national security advisers told him the move was rash and unwise. So he gave […]
12/13/2018
AFRICA/CHINA/NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE/UN: “National security adviser John Bolton unveiled President Donald Trump’s Africa strategy on Thursday [12-13-18], outlining a plan that he said focuses heavily on countering China and Russia’s expanding influence across the region, while also making sure US taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly with a reduction in US involvement in United […]
12/12/2018
DEMS/NATIONAL SECURITY/OBAMA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Democrats and President Obama gave Iran 150 Billion Dollars and got nothing, but they can’t give 5 Billion Dollars for National Security and a Wall?” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, December 12, 2018 7:50 am […]
12/11/2018
MEDIA/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Great job by Michael Anton on @foxandfriends. A true National Security expert!” –Donald Trump, Twitter.com, December 11, 2018 8:11 am […]
12/4/2018
MICHAEL FLYNN/NATIONAL SECURITY/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA INVESTIGATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Michael Flynn, U.S. President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, cooperated substantially with prosecutors and should not be required to serve time in prison, U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s office said in a court filing on Tuesday [12-4-18]. Flynn provided assistance in multiple investigations and gave information on […]
12/3/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/PAUL MANAFORT/ROBERT MUELLER/RUSSIA INVESTIGATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “America may get its most intimate look yet inside Robert Mueller’s secretive Russia investigation in the next four days, with a series of disclosures that have the potential to be greatly damaging for President Donald Trump. Court filings focusing on Trump’s first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, on […]
11/27/2018
CORRUPTION/FOREIGN POLICY/IMMIGRATION/NATIONAL SECURITY/PROTESTS/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS: “I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, find that the situation in Nicaragua, including the violent response by the Government of Nicaragua to the protests that began on April 18, 2018, and the [Daniel] Ortega regime’s systematic dismantling and undermining of democratic institutions and the rule […]
11/14/2018
JOBS/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Not seen in many years, America’s steelworkers get a hard-earned raise because of my Administration’s policies to help bring back the U.S. steel industry, which is critical to our National Security. I will always protect America and its workers!” –Donald Trump, Twitter.com, November 14, 2018 2:28 pm […]
11/14/2018
MELANIA/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP PEOPLE: “In an extraordinary step for a first lady, Melania Trump called Tuesday [11-13-18] for the dismissal of deputy national security adviser Mira Ricardel, someone who a White House official said she’d never met. ‘It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she (Ricardel) no longer deserves the honor […]
11/13/2018
MELANIA/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP PEOPLE: “President Donald Trump was under pressure from his wife, Melania, on Tuesday [11-13-18] to fire his deputy national security adviser over what two sources close to the White House said was the way Mrs Trump’s trip to Africa was handled. Two presidential aides said Trump was considering forcing out deputy national security […]
11/8/2018
IMMIGRATION/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration, invoking national security powers meant to protect the United States against threats from abroad, announced new rules on Thursday [11-8-18] that give President Trump vast authority to deny asylum to virtually any migrant who crosses the border illegally. Administration officials declined to say who will be affected by […]
10/23/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA/SUMMIT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin plan to meet in Paris next month, officials said on Tuesday [10-23-18], their first encounter since a summit in Helsinki that unleashed a storm of criticism that Trump was cosying up to the Kremlin. After a meeting in Moscow between Putin and […]
10/22/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/NUCLEAR/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “BOLTON IN RUSSIA AFTER TRUMP ANNOUNCES INF WITHDRAWAL: White House national security adviser John Bolton is in Moscow this week after President Donald Trump’s declaration the U.S. plans to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. The treaty, signed in 1987 by President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, eliminated […]
10/20/2018
DEFENSE/JAMES MATTIS/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “National security leaders fear that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is on his way out — and that Donald Trump’s next Pentagon chief will be far more subservient to the president’s unilateral and bombastic whims. Mattis was instrumental in pulling back on Trump’s vow to ‘carpet bomb’ ISIS or pull troops […]
10/4/2018
IRAN/NATIONAL SECURITY/NUCLEAR/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Hanging on a wall in John Bolton’s West Wing office is a memento of his proudest achievement as national security adviser: a framed copy of President Donald Trump’s order to pull the United States out of the Iran nuclear deal. Right next to it hangs a cartoon mocking the agreement. Bolton’s choice […]
9/27/2018
MIKE POMPEO/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/SANCTIONS/SUMMIT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday [9-27-18] that the world is at ‘the dawn of a new day’ in confronting the threat posed by North Korea’s weapons programs but that sanctions against the country must continue for now. In a speech before the United Nations Security Council, Mr. […]
9/27/2018
CHINA/ELECTION/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRADE WAR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s accusation of Chinese meddling in upcoming U.S. elections marks a new phase in an escalating pressure campaign against Beijing that Washington is pursuing on multiple fronts, senior U.S. officials said on Thursday [9-27-18]. National security adviser John Bolton, long considered a China hawk, has played a key […]
9/25/2018
FOREIGN DIGNITARIES/IRAN/MIKE POMPEO/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UN: “President Donald Trump’s visit to the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week has been … confused. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo advertised that Trump would like to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, and then Trump claimed (implausibly) to have turned down Rouhani’s request for a […]
9/24/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UN: “President Donald Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton brought a prop to the UN General Assembly to underscore the Trump administration’s primary theme: the US stands on its own. Bolton waved a copy of the Constitution, a little booklet meant to symbolize the message of sovereignty US officials will hammer home […]
9/12/2018
2016 ELECTION/INTELLIGENCE/NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA/SANCTIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order authorising sanctions against any countries or individuals found interfering in US elections. The order instructs the intelligence community to monitor and report on attempts to disrupt election infrastructure as well as propaganda. The directive itself is not a sanction, but imposes […]
9/12/2018
ATTORNEY GENERAL/DHS/DNI/ELECTION/FOREIGN POLICY/IMMIGRATION/NATIONAL SECURITY/SANCTIONS/SECRETARY OF STATE/TREASURY/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS/VOTING: “I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, find that the ability of persons located, in whole or in substantial part, outside the United States to interfere in or undermine public confidence in United States elections, including through the unauthorized accessing of election and […]
9/10/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/ISRAEL/NATIONAL SECURITY/NORTH KOREA/NUCLEAR/TRUMP PEOPLE: “President Trump’s national security adviser, John R. Bolton, fleshed out his boss’s ‘America First’ foreign policy on Monday [9-10-18], disparaging an international organization vilified by conservatives and reaffirming a pro-Israel tilt by announcing the closing of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s office in Washington. But on one of Mr. Trump’s signature […]
9/7/2018
KELLYANNE CONWAY/MEDIA/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump believes the author of an anonymous op-ed criticizing his leadership and detailing a ‘resistance’ within his administration is ‘somebody in national security,’ Kellyanne Conway said on Friday [9-7-18]…Conway said she doesn’t believe the unnamed senior administration official who wrote The New York Times op-ed is a White […]
8/31/2018
CUBA/FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “President Trump is poised to promote an international finance official tied to Sen. Marco Rubio to lead Western Hemisphere Affairs at the National Security Council, making him the fourth member of an unofficial team of top pro-democracy Cuba hard-liners who are executing and advocating the administration’s Latin American policies. […]
8/28/2018
MEDIA/NATIONAL SECURITY/POLLS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “New Poll – A majority of Americans think that John Brennan and James Comey should have their Security Clearances Revoked. Not surprised! @FoxNews” –Donald Trump, Twitter.com, August 28, 2018 9:26 pm […]
8/21/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Even James Clapper has admonished John Brennan for having gone totally off the rails. Maybe Clapper is being nice to me so he doesn’t lose his Security Clearance for lying to Congress!” –Donald Trump, Twitter.com, August 21, 2018 5:55 am […]
8/20/2018
CIA/LAWSUIT/NATIONAL SECURITY/ROBERT MUELLER/RUDY GIULIANI/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump and Rudolph W. Giuliani, his personal lawyer, both taunted John O. Brennan, the former C.I.A. director, on Monday [8-20-18], apparently hoping that they could goad Mr. Brennan into filing a lawsuit against the president for revoking his security clearance. Mr. Giuliani tweeted that if Mr. Brennan failed […]
8/20/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Everybody wants to keep their Security Clearance, it’s worth great prestige and big dollars, even board seats, and that is why certain people are coming forward to protect Brennan. It certainly isn’t because of the good job he did! He is a political ‘hack.’” –Donald Trump, Twitter.com, August 20, 2018 9:23 […]
8/20/2018
CIA/INTELLIGENCE/NATIONAL SECURITY/STATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “More than 175 former U.S. State Department and Pentagon officials added their names to a statement signed by former national security officials criticizing President Donald Trump’s decision to cancel the security clearance of former CIA director John Brennan. New signatories to the statement, initially issued last week by 15 former directors […]
INTELLIGENCE/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump said Friday [8-17-18] that he would likely strip the security clearance of a Justice Department official ‘very quickly,’ opening a new front in his battle with figures related to the special counsel investigation into his campaign and Russian election interference. The official, Bruce Ohr, is a longtime […]
8/17/2018
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “’Bruce Ohr of DOJ is in legal jeopardy, it’s astonishing that he’s still employed. Bruce & Nelly Ohr’s bank account is getting fatter & fatter because of the Dossier that they are both peddling. He doesn’t disclose it under Fed Regs. Using your Federal office for personal…….” –Donald Trump, Twitter.com, […]
8/17/2018
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “’Bruce Ohr of DOJ is in legal jeopardy, it’s astonishingthat he’s still employed. Bruce & Nelly Ohr’s bank account is getting fatter & fatter because of the Dossier that they are both peddling. He doesn’t disclose it under Fed Regs. Using your Federal office for personal…….” –Donald Trump, Twitter.com, August […]
8/17/2018
CIA/INTELLIGENCE/NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA INVESTIGATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Sixty former CIA officials warned President Donald Trump in a statement on Friday [8-17-18] that ‘the country will be weakened if there is a political litmus test applied before seasoned experts are allowed to share their views.’ The letter, which comes after Trump’s decision to revoke former CIA Director John […]
8/17/2018
CIA/INTELLIGENCE/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump on Friday [8-17-18] said he ‘never respected’ former CIA Director John Brennan and warned that he may strip security clearances from other current and former officials ‘very quickly.’ While speaking with reporters on the South Lawn Friday, Trump doubled down on his action to remove Brennan’s clearance, which […]
8/17/2018
INTELLIGENCE/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA INVESTIGATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump threatened on Friday [8-17-18] to quickly revoke the security clearance of Bruce Ohr, a little-known Justice Department official, for the first time seeking to apply his power to cut access to sensitive information to a midlevel government worker rather than a prominent former national security official. Departing […]
8/17/2018
CIA/INTELLIGENCE/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump faced an unprecedented outcry from former intelligence officials on Friday [8-17-18] after stripping the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan, but Trump defended his move and said he planned another one soon. The bipartisan group, which included Robert Gates, George Tenet, David Petraeus, James Clapper and […]
8/16/2018
INTELLIGENCE/MILITARY/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Retired Adm. William McRaven, the man who oversaw the 2011 Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden, issued a stunning rebuke of President Donald Trump’s decision to revoke the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan on Thursday [8-16-18], defending the former spy chief as ‘one of the finest […]
8/16/2018
INTELLIGENCE/JAMES CLAPPER/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper suggested Thursday [8-16-18] that President Donald Trump’s threat to revoke security clearances was being leveled against an ‘enemies list’ of those in the intelligence community who have been critical of his administration — not those who have committed any wrongdoing…The former intelligence chief […]
8/16/2018
CIA/NATIONAL SECURITY/OBAMA ADMIN/RUSSIA INVESTIGATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “John O. Brennan, the C.I.A. director under President Barack Obama, struck back at President Trump on Thursday [8-16-18] for revoking his security clearance, calling the president’s claims of ‘no collusion’ with Russia to influence the 2016 election ‘hogwash’ and arguing that the commander in chief was trying to silence […]
8/16/2018
INTELLIGENCE/NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA INVESTIGATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “For more than a year, law enforcement officials have repeatedly rebuffed President Trump’s efforts to use the power of his office to derail the Russia investigation. Stymied, Mr. Trump is lashing out in other ways against an investigation that he clearly hates or fears. The president said Thursday [8-16-18] that […]
8/15/2018
CIA/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump on Wednesday [8-15-18] revoked the security clearance of former CIA Director John Brennan, who has become a harsh critic of the president, and appeared to be targeting others who have disagreed with the administration…In addition, Sanders said, the administration is evaluating clearances for former FBI Director James Comey, […]
8/15/2018
CIA/INTELLIGENCE/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump announced Wednesday [8-15-18] he has revoked former CIA director John Brennan’s security clearance, marking an unprecedented use of a president’s authority over the classification system to strike back at one of his prominent critics…Brennan is the first former national security official to see his security clearance revoked since […]
8/15/2018
CIA/NATIONAL SECURITY/OBAMA ADMIN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. President Donald Trump moved to penalize a sharp critic on Wednesday [8-15-18], revoking the security clearance of Obama-era CIA Director John Brennan for making what he called ‘a series of unfounded and outrageous allegations’ about his administration. The Republican president, in a statement read to reporters by White House […]
8/15/2018
INTELLIGENCE/JUSTICE DEPARTMENT/NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA INVESTIGATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “When the White House announced on Wednesday [8-15-18] that President Trump was revoking or reviewing the security clearances of former officials who have emerged as some of his chief political antagonists, the list also included a little-known career Justice Department official, Bruce Ohr. Mr. Ohr has found himself at […]
8/15/2018
CIA/INTELLIGENCE/NATIONAL SECURITY/OBAMA ADMIN/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “In a remarkable attack on a political opponent, President Trump on Wednesday [8-15-18] revoked the security clearance of John O. Brennan, the C.I.A. director under President Barack Obama, citing what he called Mr. Brennan’s ‘erratic’ behavior. The White House had threatened last month to strip Mr. Brennan and other Obama […]
8/12/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/TARIFFS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WTO: “President Trump’s embrace of sweeping tariffs has frustrated allies, lawmakers and businesses across the globe. But its most lasting impact could be to hobble the World Trade Organization. The global trade group has been thrust into an uncomfortable — and potentially damaging — role as chief judge in an intense fight […]
8/2/2018
ELECTION/NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Trump administration officials on Thursday [8-2-18] vowed to defend the United States’ elections against threats from Russia and other countries, describing influence campaigns by America’s adversaries in blunt terms rarely used by President Trump. The heads of the nation’s national security agencies said Russia was still trying to influence and disrupt […]
8/2/2018
ELECTION/NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. President Donald Trump’s top aides said on Thursday [8-2-18] that Russia is behind ‘pervasive’ attempts to interfere in upcoming U.S. elections, in a rejection of denials of meddling that Russian President Vladimir Putin made directly to Trump. Trump’s national security team, including intelligence director Dan Coats and national security adviser […]
7/31/2018
BORDER/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “…Border Security is National Security, and National Security is the long-term viability of our Country. A Government Shutdown is a very small price to pay for a safe and Prosperous America!” –Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 31, 2018 12:33 pm […]
7/27/2018
CYBERWAR/ELECTION/NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. President Donald Trump will convene his national security advisers on Friday [7-27-18] for a high-level meeting on election security, less than four months until Americans vote to determine whether his fellow Republicans maintain control of Congress. The White House meeting comes amid new accusations of Russian meddling in U.S. elections. […]
7/26/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/IRAN/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Four days after President Trump’s stern warning via Twitter to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, national security adviser John Bolton is scheduled to hold a meeting Thursday [7-26-18] of Pentagon and other top officials on the administration’s emerging strategy on Iran. The meeting, which follows Mr. Trump’s decision to withdraw from […]
7/23/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA INVESTIGATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump is considering stripping a half-dozen former national security officials of their security clearances, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Monday [7-23-18], calling their public commentary about the ongoing Russia probe inappropriate. The list of former officials under consideration includes former CIA Director John Brennan, former Director […]
7/18/2018
COMMERCE/NATIONAL SECURITY/NUCLEAR/TARIFFS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Commerce Department has opened an investigation into whether uranium imports threaten national security, a move that could pave the way for tariffs on foreign producers of the radioactive material that fuels nuclear power plants. Uranium is used in commercial reactors that power a significant portion of the country’s electrical grid, […]
6/27/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump said Wednesday [6-27-18] he will ‘most likely’ meet with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in a summit next month in Europe. The president is scheduled to attend a North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit next month in Brussels and is also planning to visit the U.K. He met twice […]
6/21/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA/TRUMP PEOPLE: “White House national security adviser John Bolton will travel to Russia this month to discuss a possible summit meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, the White House and Kremlin announced Thursday [6-21-18]…NSC spokesman Garrett Marquis confirmed the plans in a statement, saying Mr. Bolton in a trip from June 25 […]
6/5/2018
DEMS/GOP/NATIONAL SECURITY/TARIFFS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Republican and Democratic U.S. senators plan to introduce as soon as Tuesday [6-5-18] legislation that would force President Donald Trump to obtain Congress’ approval before imposing tariffs on national security grounds, a senior senator said on Tuesday. Republican Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said legislation would be […]
6/1/2018
ENERGY/NATIONAL SECURITY/RICK PERRY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump on Friday [6-1-18] formally threw his weight behind an administration push to compel power companies to keep their coal-fired and nuclear plants operating in the name of national security — an effort that has stirred criticism from environmentalists, the oil and gas industry and some free-market Republicans…The […]
6/1/2018
CIA/MUSLIMS/NATIONAL SECURITY/RACISM/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Jewish and Muslim groups are objecting to the appointment of a former Central Intelligence Agency analyst to a top White House post because of his controversial views of Islam. The Anti-Defamation League, Council on American-Islamic Relations and other groups said Fred Fleitz shouldn’t serve as chief of staff to national security adviser […]
5/29/2018
COMMERCE/GOP/NATIONAL SECURITY/TARIFFS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Less than a week after the Trump administration threatened to impose tariffs of up to 25 percent on foreign-built automobiles, the U.S. government on Tuesday [5-29-18] said it would hold public hearings on whether the import of vehicles and auto parts represents national security risks. The Commerce Department announced in the […]
5/29/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP PEOPLE: “National security adviser John Bolton has added two loyalists to the National Security Council, according to a source familiar with the hires. Sarah Tinsley and Garrett Marquis have both joined the Trump administration as senior directors for strategic communications at the National Security Council, the source told CNN. Tinsley has been named […]
5/25/2018
GOP/NATIONAL SECURITY/TARIFFS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Americans could see a 25 percent spike in the price tag on their family cars if President Donald Trump goes through with a threat to slap tariffs on imported automobiles, trucks and parts, sparking a wave of outrage from Trump’s own political allies. Acting on instructions from Trump, Commerce Secretary Wilbur […]
5/24/2018
CHINA/CONGRESS/GOP/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Some of President Donald Trump’s fellow Republicans in the U.S. Congress said on Thursday [5-24-18] that his administration’s national security investigation of car and truck imports amid a trade spat with China is being pursued under false pretenses and could hurt U.S. consumers. Trump said on Wednesday [5-23-18] that ongoing […]
5/24/2018
COMMERCE/NAFTA/NATIONAL SECURITY/TARIFFS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration is casting the widest possible net in considering whether imported autos should be subject to tariffs based on national security grounds, worrying auto exporters from Mexico to Germany and generating complaints from Republican lawmakers. The Commerce Department, which is directing the probe into whether a national security trade […]
5/24/2018
CHINA/CONGRESS/GOP/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Some of President Donald Trump’s fellow Republicans in the U.S. Congress said on Thursday [5-24-18] that his administration’s national security investigation of car and truck imports amid a trade spat with China is being pursued under false pretenses and could hurt U.S. consumers. Trump said on Wednesday that ongoing U.S.-China […]
5/23/2018
BUSINESS/CHINA/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Lawmakers are moving to thwart Trump administration efforts to ease restrictions on Chinese telecommunications giant ZTE Corp. and other sensitive technology, citing fears the positions would compromise national security in the latest twist in trade negotiations between the world’s largest economies. The Senate Banking Committee unanimously approved legislation on Tuesday […]
5/9/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “During his first year in office, President Donald Trump often acceded to the advice of cautious national security aides. At their urging, he added troops to the war in Afghanistan, delayed plans to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and preserved a nuclear-containment deal with Iran even though […]
5/7/2018
CIA/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP PEOPLE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “When President Trump picked Gina Haspel to run the Central Intelligence Agency, he opted for a seasoned veteran of the nation’s spy apparatus, a career professional removed from the partisan skirmishes of recent years who had the respect of many fellow intelligence officers. But Ms. Haspel’s greatest strength as a […]
5/2/2018
CHINA/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration is considering executive action that would restrict some Chinese companies’ ability to sell telecommunications equipment in the U.S., based on national-security concerns, said several people familiar with the matter. The move, if it happens, would represent a significant escalation of a growing feud between the U.S. and China […]
4/16/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA/SANCTIONS/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “President Trump rejected, for now at least, a fresh round of sanctions set to be imposed against Russia on Monday [4-16-18], a course change that underscored the schism between the president and his national security team. The president’s ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki R. Haley, had announced on Sunday […]
4/16/2018
FOREIGN POLICY/MIKE PENCE/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “A new national security aide to U.S. Vice President Mike Pence stepped down on Sunday [4-15-18], only two days after being officially named to the job, after a behind-the-scenes White House argument hit the headlines, a White House official said. The appointment of Jon Lerner to Pence’s team […]
4/16/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump deferred to his Pentagon chief’s caution and tempered his preference for a more robust attack on Syria over allegations it used deadly gas on civilians, the first hints at the direction of his revamped national-security team. The decision late last week, detailed by people familiar with the process, […]
3/10/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “President Donald Trump’s homeland security adviser was abruptly forced out of his job on Tuesday [4-10-18] after months of internal frustration with his leadership and the arrival of a new national security adviser moving to establish power in the White House, according to people familiar with the matter. The departure […]
4/9/2018
NATIONAL SECURITY/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump said Monday [4-9-18] he is likely to make a decision by the end of the day about the U.S. response to a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria that killed dozens of civilians. In a cabinet meeting Monday, Mr. Trump denounced the weekend attack as ‘atrocious’ and said […]
4/9/2018
MILITARY/NATIONAL SECURITY/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Donald Trump always strives to command center stage, but the pugilistic American President is now embroiled in so many escalating global and domestic tests of will, it’s becoming impossible to keep count. Unrestrained and lashing out at enemies at home and abroad, Trump is increasingly exporting the turbulence that has exhausted […]
4/5/2018
MILITARY/NATIONAL SECURITY/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump grew irritated with his top military brass and national security team on Tuesday [4-3-18] when they advised him an immediate withdrawal of US troops from Syria would be unwise and could not provide a timeline for when American forces could exit, people familiar with the matter said. In […]
4/4/2018
FOREIGN AFFAIRS/MCMASTER/NATIONAL SECURITY/RUSSIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “In his last public remarks as national security adviser, Lt. Gen. HR McMaster offered harsh words for Russia Tuesday [4-3-18] during a speech at the Atlantic Council in Washington DC. ‘We have failed to impose sufficient costs’ on Russia, McMaster said at the event, which also included a Q&A with […]
4/3/2018
IRAN/NATIONAL SECURITY/NUCLEAR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Anticipating an unpredictable president’s next moves, U.S. officials have started actively planning for the likelihood that Donald Trump will announce next month that the U.S. is withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal. But no one knows exactly what would happen next or how Iran would respond. Still, with less than […]