White House seeks to regroup after stinging legal defeat
ASSOCIATED PRESS
President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump Japanese, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie Abe stepped off of Air Force One as they arrived in West Palm Beach, Fla., today.
WASHINGTON >> Seeking to regroup after a stinging legal defeat, President Donald Trump said today he is considering signing a “brand new order” after his refugee and immigration travel ban was halted in court.
Trump, speaking to reporters on Air Force One as he flew to Florida for the weekend, said he expected his administration to win the legal battle over his original directive. But he said the White House was also weighing other alternatives, including making changes to the order, which suspended the nation’s refugee program and barred all entries from seven Muslim-majority countries.
The president said a new executive order would likely change “very little” from the first.
Trump’s comments came a day after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a restraining order on the original travel ban. While a White House official initially suggested the administration would not ask the Supreme Court to overturn that order, chief of staff Reince Priebus later said “every single court option is on the table,” including a high court appeal.
Priebus said the administration was also considering “fighting out this case on the merits” in a lower court.
Trump’s executive order was hastily unveiled at the end of his first week in office. It caused chaos at airports in the U.S. and sparked protests across the country.
The president has cast the order as crucial for national security. Earlier Friday, he promised to take action “very rapidly” to protect the U.S. and its citizens in the wake of the appeals court decision, but he did not specify what steps he planned to take.
“We’ll be doing things to continue to make our country safe,” Trump pledged at a news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. “It will happen rapidly. We will not allow people into our country who are looking to do harm to our people.”
The president’s comments were far more restrained than his angry reaction to last week’s initial court ruling blocking the travel ban. Trump took aim at both the “so-called judge” in that case and the ruling, which he called “ridiculous.”
Trump continued to conjure images of unspecified danger Friday, saying he had “learned tremendous things that you could only learn, frankly, if you were in a certain position, namely president. And there are tremendous threats to our country. We will not allow that to happen, I can tell you that. We will not allow that to happen.”
The 9th Circuit ruling represented a significant setback for Trump in just his third week in office. The appellate decision brushed aside arguments by the Justice Department that the president has the constitutional power to restrict entry to the United States and that the courts cannot second-guess his determination that such a step was needed to prevent terrorism.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer tweeted that Trump “ought to see the writing on the wall” and abandon the proposal. The New York Democrat called on the president to “roll up his sleeves” and come up with “a real, bipartisan plan to keep us safe.”
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California promised, “Democrats will continue to press for President Trump’s dangerous and unconstitutional ban to be withdrawn.” And Trump’s former presidential rival Hillary Clinton offered a terse response on Twitter, noting the unanimous vote: “3-0.”
Congress’ Republican leaders, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, declined to comment.
U.S. District Judge James Robart in Seattle issued the temporary restraining order halting the ban after Washington state and Minnesota sued, leading to the federal government’s appeal.
The Trump administration has said the seven nations — Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen — have raised terrorism concerns. The states have argued that the executive order unconstitutionally blocked entry based on religion and the travel ban harmed individuals, businesses and universities.
Trump and his aides frequently refer to a ruling by a federal judge in Boston who declined last week to extend a temporary injunction against Trump’s travel ban. In a separate federal ruling in Seattle, a different federal judge put the ban on hold nationwide; it is that judge’s decision that the White House has challenged.
“It’s a decision that we’ll win, in my opinion, very easily and, by the way, we won that decision in Boston,” Trump said.
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Colvin reported from Air Force One. Florida. AP writers Ken Thomas and Darlene Superville contributed to this report.
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Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC and http://twitter.com/colvinj
43 responses to “White House seeks to regroup after stinging legal defeat”
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Trump might want to start looking for a new National Security Advisor. Michael Flynn lied about his pre-inauguration calls to the Russian ambassador regarding sanctions, and then he lied to Pence about those calls. Pence then repeated Flynn’s lie to the press. Suddenly, on Thursday, Flynn’s absolute denials of any discussion of sanctions went soft, and he said, through a spokesman, that maybe he did discuss sanctions. Perhaps the FBI gave him a hint of the evidence they have against him. Still under investigation are Flynn’s pre-election contacts with Russian agents. Did Trump know about those contacts? Did Flynn lie to Trump about those contacts? Did Flynn discuss hacking with Russian agents? Stay tuned; this could get very interesting very quickly.
The circus is starting to collapse. Of course The Chump knew and probably ordered Flynn to do what he did. It’s just a matter of time before a treason investigation will be started if it hasn’t already. In fact I’m pretty sure that treason will be what ends this presidency. The Chump is too alligned and connected to Putin. Just a matter of time before KABOOM!
Trump’s Security adviser Mike Flynn, was seated right next to Putin months ago, at a banquet for the main state run Russian Tv station. The cozy relationship between General Flynn, Rex Tillerson of Exxon Mobil, Trump, Putin and the Russian oil oligarchs, need a thorough investigation by all the intelligence and security agencies, the Senate Intelligence Committee. The evidence is mounting that there is collusion between Trump and his campaign advisers and business partners with Putin, the Russian oil business, and the Russian Intelligence Agencies (the hacking and cyber espionage).
How fitting the 3 Stooges(Moe, Larry and Curly) all in a row. Komedy Klub moment.
Hey, “meat!” Loved ya in that training scene in Rocky I. Please don’t quit your acting career.
Wouldn’t know, never saw Rocky.
Vector: can you please reference a source for your “mounting evidence of collusion” comment. I can only find undocumented accusations and no factual proof on line.
Figures meat because there are no tvs in the youth correctional facility and prison.
So, I guess you would know then kaka. How long before you get out? From boys home to prison, thats gotta suck.
Wouldn’t know have a squeaky clean record but my Human Resources background leads me to think that you do. Either that or some psychological defect or you are a stoner.
What meat can’t handle the truth. You usually respond right away.
It is not proper for a federal judge to determine who can and cannot come into the country. That power rests with the President of the United states and the Congress which granted him that authority.
It may very well be unconstitutional to discriminate based on religion but these immigrants are not US citizens. I doubt the founding fathers who wrote the constitution intended for constitutional protections to be extended to the citizens of Syria, Iran and Yemen.
The President is not above the Constitution, and the Constitution is the law of the United States, not the Bible, the Koran, the Torah, the Book of Mormon, etc. etc.
There are a lot of people affected by Trump’s ban, who are not from the seven countries included in the ban. The terrorists involved in the 911 attack came from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Republic, and Egypt, they are muslim majority countries, and Trump did not ban people from those countries.
vector: which people, who are not from the seven countries, are affected by the ban?
The issue isn’t centered around the restriction, I believe it has more to do with the improper way the EO was initiated. and, according to the SA’s story yesterday, a judge said the justice dept. cannot modify or rewrite the EO. That has to be done by Trump.
It’s possible another version will be presented soon, one that may overcome the legal barrier.
Personally, without knowing the current vetting process for these refugees, I don’t know whether or not this temporary ban is necessary, or even if intensified procedures would have any effect on what at present seems more like a problem with fear than with reality.
Hawaiikone the Chump can’t think and write to save his sorry as- . That is the problem and the circle of fools AKA his advisors is the other.
whatevas…
Hawaiikone most intelligent reply that I have ever gotten from you ever.
I considered to whom I’m responding.
You sound down and I know why. Anybody who looked towards the Chump for some kind of relief must be devastated. The hope of revival and a new beginning is spiraling downwards. Your promise of hope has become a joke and continues to be a tangle of mostly unknowns. What is considered to be silly to most of us is your hope for a better life. My condolences.
You really need to work on your perception skills, as had you followed my commenting you’d know I strongly supported Johnson. In consideration of his decline, I also clearly stated several times that Trump was the better choice over Hillary directly due to the legislative and legal obstacles to his antics, an obvious prediction that continues to prove true.
To date, Gorsuch remains by far his best decision, one that will only improve the court.
If there’s something in my original comment that you’d care to dispute, let’s hear it. Otherwise, I’m really not interested in meaningless taunting.
Show us the evidence that puts America in immediate danger that justifies the ban period! No evidence, no ban. Only Chumpsters can’t figure that out. Conservative judge Clifton was practically begging the government’s attorney for facts to support the ban and the response was periods of silence.
Keaukaha> Good evening to you. I see you’re in great spirits tonight. I’d like to throw my two cents worth into this discussion. The BAN is a precautionary measure to prevent those that were or cannot be properly vetted from entering the US. No need for any evidence, no need to tell the world, but to not give those that would do harm to us any advance warning. YES the EO is upheld in the 9th CC, but that’s okay, no need to get all excited and worked up. A new and better prepared and written EO will supersede the first EO. Then everything will be alright. Hopefully, the 1,100+ refugees that have entered the US recently doesn’t include any potential terrorists. The gov’t rep at the hearing probably is a leftover from the previous admin. It was a lost when I heard his responses to the judges questions. Let’s see what happens on Monday. I still have my life vest, zodian, and chow, if needed. Take care.
What meat can’t handle the truth. You usually respond right away.
NP good evening. I have to disagree with you on the subject of evidence. The judges specifically asked if there was any evidence that had been submitted and the answer was no. As far as the new EO early reports are that it is as vague as the original. You seem to be a reasonably intelligent person which puzzles me because any observant and objective person would immediately recognize that this presidency is in grave trouble. More troubling is that they don’t seem to know it. Aloha no.
NP one more thing for you to sleep on tonight. I find it very intriguing that the Chump is fixated on this travel ban. It must be very humiliating for a person with an ego as huge as his to be able to function normally. I mean when you get beaten in public as he has been you would think that he must be enraged. Make sure you keep that life vest on because I am positive that you will need it.
“Beaten”, the only ones getting “beaten” is you dummycraps kaka. Das right, still here. You make this too easy. You from HR, no wonder.
Meat change your tag to hamburger because that describes your brain.
Hey meat besides not having a tv you must not have a paper delivery service. Most kids would know what’s going on in the world.
OK, bringing in a little levity (a sense of humor helps when you’re coping with this administration). Who wants to provide a caption for what Prime Minister Abe was thinking after the 18-second handshake with Trump. Note Abe’s expression of exasperation when it was over.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiitQ-5_E_Y
Abe: “He really does have small hands.”
“I better lock my door at mar-a-lago.”
Dictators always start by making people afraid. Cowards are easy to lead around by the nose. Just read comments on here to see how afraid adults have been made of Syrian orphans and children. It’s pathetic and disgraceful.
Republicans have been crippled by cowardice.
Keaukaha> Thanks for the replies. I have to agree to disagree with you in that the DAG from DOJ was quite inept and not that prepared to argue the govt’s position, could tell be his responses to the judges. The evidence is there, but he had probably no knowledge about it, so he could not answer appropriately. I don’t think that this admin is in trouble, but they are really feeling their way around. When the entire cabinet is finally confirmed then the work will really get hot and heavy. I may be making excuses for the admin, but I’d like to give them some room to get their act together. They have made some missteps along the way, but they seemed to have recovered without any major damage. Lots of distractions being generated to obstruct the smooth functioning of the admin. Oh, I keep the life vest close by and maybe have to trade it in for a bulletproof vest. I’d like to refer you to a George Soros. Have you heard of him, or know anything about him? Do me a favor and check him out on the Internet. I would like to discuss him with you. Till the next posts, good night and sleep well.
Keaukaha> Thanks for the replies. I have to agree to disagree with you in that the DAG from DOJ was quite inept and not that prepared to argue the govt’s position, could tell be his responses to the judges. The evidence is there, but he had probably no knowledge about it, so he could not answer appropriately. I don’t think that this admin is in trouble, but they are really feeling their way around. When the entire cabinet is finally confirmed then the work will really get hot and heavy. I may be making excuses for the admin, but I’d like to give them some room to get their act together. They have made some missteps along the way, but they seemed to have recovered without any major damage. Lots of distractions being generated to obstruct the smooth functioning of the admin. Oh, I keep the life vest close by and maybe have to trade it in for a bulletproof vest. I’d like to refer you to a George Soros. Have you heard of him, or know anything about him? Do me a favor and check him out on the Internet. I would like to discuss him with you. Till the next posts, good night and sleep well.
Instead of saying the DAG from DOJ was inept, just go to the top of the chain and say trumpf is INEPT.
All the beautiful trophy wifes.
When is she going on Jimmy Fallon Show? Will she do the Easter Lawn egg roll? When will she Fight for the Children? Or will she be locked in by bully.
regroup, and look at title 8 U.S. code 1185 which was approved by congress and signed by the president in 1952 travel and control of citizens and aliens that’s all they have to show to the courts, it gives the POTUS the power to do what he did, its the law of the land look it up folks and read and you will see that the POTUS has every legal right to do what he did and these judges have to go by that rule its not unconstitutional banning aliens from coming into this country.
I Agree. I’ve read US code 1185, and it is so unambiguous even some of our kukus should see it’s not unconstitutional. Bath House, and Jimmah both did it to no organized opposition as Trump is getting.
Bottom line:
POTUS Trump is doing his job…”Keep America & Her Americans Safe”.
Several potus’s have done & dems have spoke for of the exact same act.
Dem/lib opposition is because they STILL CANNOT BELIEVE THEY LOST.
POLLS show MAJORITIES of Americans & Countries APPROVE of the Travel Ban….google.
Trump needs to think and act like a President of the United States rather than a billionaire who is used to having his own way…don’t think he’s able to.