The Serious Side - part 7

Lizzy,
I can only agree with everything you just posted!

To actually know the place of such a horrible rampage - and maybe even knowing people who were injured or killed, makes it so much closer, doesn't it? You always think that these rampages happen everywhere else, but not at your place. They can happen everywhere, it doesn't help to have armed guards because you can't have them everywhere. If they had one there at the synagogue's entrance, I as an assassin would shoot him first. Or simply wait until they all leave the building. Or go to another place of the Jewish community. Or start working as an armed guard and guard a synagogue...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6331971/Muslim-Americans-raise-150-000-Pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting-victims.html

[size=34]'We wish to respond to evil with good': Muslim Americans raise more than $150,000 for Pittsburgh synagogue shooting victims and their families[/size]

• Non-profit organizations CelebrateMercy and MPower Change started the crowdfunding campaign Muslims Unite for Pittsburgh Synagogue
  
  
• In just two days that have raised $150,000 for the victims of Saturday's shooting 
  
  
• Robert Bowers, 46, has been charged with 29 for shooting dead 11 people
  
  

By KAYLA BRANTLEY FOR DAILYMAIL.COM 
PUBLISHED: 00:34 EDT, 30 October 2018 | UPDATED: 04:25 EDT, 30 October 2018

     



A group of Muslim Americans have raised more than $150,000 to aide the victims of Saturday's Pittsburgh synagogue shooting.  
In a show of solidarity, non-profit organizations CelebrateMercy and MPower Change started the crowdfunding campaign Muslims Unite for Pittsburgh Synagogue to help the injured victims and the families of the 11 people whose lives were lost.
'We wish to respond to evil with good, as our faith instructs us, and send a powerful message of compassion through action,' the donation page says. 
The groups invite people of all faiths to donate as an act of resilience against Robert Bowers senseless actions when fired bullets inside the Tree of Life synagogue.


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Non-profit organizations CelebrateMercy and MPower Change started the crowdfunding campaign Muslims Unite for Pittsburgh Synagogue, pictured are people gathered for a candlelight vigil for the victims of Saturday's shooting 


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Wasi Mohamed, the executive director of the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh, is hugged by a rabbi after speaking during a service to honor and mourn the victims of a mass shooting at the Tree Of Life synagogue


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Wasi Mohamed speaks during Sunday's service for the victims of the Tree of Life shooting
'Through this campaign, we hope to send a united message from the Jewish and Muslim communities that there is no place for this type of hate and violence in America,' the donation page reads. 

'We pray that this restores a sense of security and peace to the Jewish-American community who has undoubtedly been shaken by this event.'
CelebrateMercy have begun transferring the funds to their local partner, The Islamic Center of Pittsburgh.
The proceeds will then go to directly to the short-term needs of the injured victims and grieving families, including funeral expenses and medical bills. 


On Sunday, Wasi Mohamed, head of the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh, announced that Muslims had raised more than $70,000 to help their Jewish neighbors, news greeted by a spontaneous standing ovation.
'We just want to know what you need. If it's more money, let us know. If it's people outside your next service protecting you, let us know we'll be there,' he said.
In less than six hours, they reached their goal of $50,000. And in just than two days, the fund has grown to $150,000 and continues to rise.
'While these senseless acts have filled us with sorrow, we reflect on the message of unity, tolerance, and mutual protection found in the Constitution of Medina: a historic social contract between the Medinan Jews and the first Muslim community,' the group says. 


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Rabbi Jeffrey Myers hugs Rabbi Cheryl Klein and Rabbi Jonathan Perlman on Sunday. They all survived the atrocity 



Bowers entered the Tree of Life synagogue at 9.45am on Saturday and turned left into the main sanctuary first, killing eight people there before going to the basement. He then tried to leave but was confronted by cops on his way out and retreated back into the building and fled upstairs to the third floor where he was eventually taken into custody 


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Robert Bowers, 46, was charged with 29 counts - including 22 which carry the death penalty
Robert Bowers, 46, appeared briefly at the Joseph F. Weis, Jr. US Courthouse in Pittsburgh on Monday charged with 29 counts.   
The 11 people he killed are Richard Gottfried, 65, Rose Mallinger, 97, Jerry Rabinowitz, 66, Cecil Rosenthal, 59, David Rosenthal, 54, Bernice Simon, 84, Sylvan Simon, 86, Daniel Stein, 71, Melvin Wax, 88, Irving Younger, 69, and Joyce Fienberg, 75. 
Bowers has been charged with 11 counts of Obstruction of Exercise of Religious Beliefs Resulting in Death, 11 counts of Use of a Firearm to Commit Murder During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, four counts of Obstruction of Exercise of Religious Beliefs Resulting in Bodily Injury to a Public Safety Officer and three counts of Use and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. 
The first 22 charges each carry a maximum sentence of death or life imprisonment.
The last seven charges, which do not relate to anyone's death, carry 70 years imprisonment at most.  

[size=34]THE VICTIMS OF THE PITTSBURGH MASSACRE[/size]

Bernice and Sylvan Simon, aged 84 and 86
Bernice and Sylvan Simon, 84 and 86 
The Simons, who had been married for 62 years, were sitting in the back of the main sanctuary when the gunman opened fire. Sylvan, a retired accountant, was still recovering from recently breaking his arm and the couple had no time to escape. 
They have two adult sons and grandchildren. They were memorialized as pillars of the community who regularly helped out and would do 'anything' for their friends. 

Richard Gottfried, 65
The pair got married in the Tree of Life in 1956 in a candlelit ceremony.  
Richard Gottfried, 65
Gottfried was preparing to retire from his dental practice and enjoy the next chapter of his life with his wife Peg. 
He helped out at the synagogue, making sure the rabbis had everything they needed to lead services. 
'He died doing what he liked to do most,' said Don Salvin, Gottfried's brother-in-law said.  

Rose Mallinger, 97
Rose Mallinger, 97
Rose was the oldest of the victims. She was also in the main sanctuary when she was gunned down. 
She was among the most devout and was who immediately sprang to the minds of others when they heard about the shooting. 
'You've never met a more vivacious 97-year-old. 
'She was just so full of life. She had so much energy,' Brian Schreiber, another member of the congregation, told The Post Gazzette. 

Jerry Rabinowitz, 66
Jerry Rabinowitz, 66
Dr. Jerry Rabinowitz was eulogized by his medical practice partner who said: 'He is one of the finest people I've ever met. 
'We've been in practice together for 30 years and friends longer than that. 
'His patients are going to miss him terribly. His family is going to miss him terribly and I am going to miss him. He was just one of the kindest, finest people.'  
Cecil Rosenthal, 59, David Rosenthal, 54

Brothers Cecil, 59, (right) and David (left) Rosenthal 54
Brothers Cecil and David Rosenthal both suffered disabilities and were regular volunteers at the synagogue. 
On Saturday, they were preparing food for breakfast in the basement kitchen when they were attacked. 
The pair lived together nearby. They were remembered fondly by the congregation's rabbi. 
'Cecil and David had a love for life and for those around them. 
'They loved their community. They spent a lot of time at the Tree of Life, never missing a Saturday,' Chris Schopf, vice president of residential supports for ACHIEVA, an organization which helps manage the community home where they lived. 



Daniel Stein, 71
Daniel Stein, 71
Stein was another fixture in the Jewish community. Friends said he was proud of his faith and that it was important to him and his family. 
On Sunday, his adult son Joe said it was the 'worst day of his life' discovering he was among the dead. 
'My dads life was taken at the Tree of Life shooting. My mom, sister and I are absolutely devastated and crushed. 
'Our lives now are going to have to take a different path, one that we thought would not happen for a long time. 
'My dad was a simple man and did not require much,' he said, sharing a photograph of him with one of his grandchildren. 


 Melvin Wax, 88
Melvin Wax, 88
Melvin was one of three people who were killed downstairs. He was hiding in a closet with others from the New Light congregation when he went back into the room they had been in because he could no longer hear gunshots. 
That is when he was confronted by the gunman and was shot three times. 
Barry Werber, who had been hiding with him in the closet and survived, said he was a 'gentleman' who was always the first to arrive for services.
'He was a gem. He was a gentleman . There was always a smile on his face,' he said. 

Irving Younger, 69, was also killed
Irving Younger, 69
Younger was a father and a grandfather. His neighbors have told how he 'never had an unkind word' to say about anyone. 
He was the most wonderful dad and grandpa. He talked about his daughter and his grandson, always, and he never had an unkind word to say about anybody,' neighbor Tina Prizner told The Tribune Press. 
He went every day to the synagogue, where he was an usher, she said.

Joyce Fienberg, 75
'He was so kind. He was a beautiful person, a beautiful soul.'

Joyce Fienberg, 75
Widow Joyce Fienberg was a retired university researcher who left her job in 2008.
Former colleagues paid tribute to her as 'magnificent, generous, caring and profoundly thoughtful.' 
Her husband Stephen died after a battle with cancer in 2016. 
She has two sons and several grandchildren.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6331843/Trump-complains-media-attention-hes-receiving-MAGAbomber.html

[size=34]Trump complains that the media didn't blame Obama for the 2015 Charleston church massacre that was carried out by a pro-Confederate gunmen as he blasts the 'fake news' linking him to the MAGAbomber[/size]

• Trump bemoaned Monday about more negative media attention he has received
  
  
• Trump's name has been affiliated with MAGAbomber Cesar Sayoc, who was revealed to be a fan of his 
  
  
• The president argued that the Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders weren't blamed for previous violent incidents in the country
  
  
• He insinuated that the pipe bombing suspect was deranged long before he took his presidency
  
  
• Sayoc appeared in federal court Monday in Florida following his Friday arrest for allegedly mailing explosive devices to elite Democrats
  
  
• The Trump-lover and former male stripper is now facing five federal charges  
  
  

By JESSA SCHROEDER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 01:59 EDT, 30 October 2018 | UPDATED: 05:22 EDT, 30 October 2018


President Trump bemoaned about all the negative media attention he has received since the string of suspicious packages were mailed last week by alleged pipe bomber Cesar Sayoc, who was revealed to be a fan of his.
While speaking in a wide-ranging interview with Fox News’s Laura Ingraham Monday night, Trump complained that the Democrats and other politicians didn't receive the same criticism for previous violent incidents that occurred around the country.
Trump noted that Obama wasn't blamed during his presidency for the cold-blooded killing of nine black worshippers at the Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, South Carolina in June 2015.  
Dylann Roof was pictured on Facebook holding a license plate with photos of the Confederate flag on it. It was revealed at the time that the shooter told his roommate that he aspired to 'start a civil war' before the massacre.

Scroll down for video 


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Trump bemoaned Monday about more negative media attention he has received because of the MAGAbomber


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The president complained to Laura Ingraham that the Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders weren't blamed for past violent incidents

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Trump also mentioned the June 2017 shooting at the Republican congressional baseball practice.
Perpetrator James T. Hodgkinson was revealed to be a Trump-hating Democrat and Bernie Sanders supporter. 
'They didn't do that with President Obama with the church, with the horrible situation with the church... they didn't do that with Bernie Sanders, they didn't do that with the Democrats when other people came out,' Trump said in the sit-down talk with Ingraham.
'Bernie Sanders had a fan who shot a very good friend of ours, Steve Scalise, and other people... he was a total maniac. Nobody puts his name in the headline with the maniac that did it.' 
He added: 'I was in the headline of The Washington Post... my name associated with this crazy bomber... Trump bomber or something.



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Trump spoke about the 2015 Charleston church shooting during Obama's presidency and the 2017 shooting at the Republican congressional baseball practice, which was brought on by a Bernie supporter


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In this image from the video uplink from the detention center to the courtroom, Dylann Roof appears at Centralized Bond Hearing Court June 19, 2015 in North Charleston, South Carolina


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Booking photo of Virginia gunman James T. Hodgkinson is seen in an undated St. Clair County Sheriff's Department mugshot
'I was in the headline when they got him. They didn't say "bomber found" ... they talked about Trump in the headline.' 
The president further insinuated the pipe bombing suspect was deranged long before his presidency.
'He was insane a long time before... you'd look at his medical records, he was insane for a long time.' 
Also on Monday, MAGAbomber Sayoc appeared in federal court in Florida.
The suspect's initial court appearances comes after his Friday arrest for allegedly mailing explosive devices to two former presidents as well as other elite Democrats.
The Trump-lover and former male stripper faces five federal charges, including assaulting a federal officer, interstate transportation of an explosive, illegal mailing of explosives, threats against former Presidents and other persons and threatening interstate communications. 


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In this handout provided by the Broward County Sheriff's Office, Cesar Sayoc poses for a mugshot photo in Miami, Florida. Sayoc was arrested allegations that he was the person that mailed pipe bomb devices that targeted critics of President Donald Trump
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carolhathaway wrote:
 You always think that these rampages happen everywhere else, but not at your place. They can happen everywhere, it doesn't help to have armed guards because you can't have them everywhere. If they had one there at the synagogue's entrance, I as an assassin would shoot him first. Or simply wait until they all leave the building. Or go to another place of the Jewish community. Or start working as an armed guard and guard a synagogue...

The sad thing is that thanks to the atmosphere our "president" has created, these acts of violence are happening everywhere. He encourages it every time he opens his mouth. He has given permission to every angry, unstable misfit to act out instead of behaving like a civilized human being - and he can't (or won't) realize he bears responsibility for what he created. It breaks my heart that so many good people have fallen victim to the violence he encourages and yet he's still here.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6332713/Trump-plans-terminate-ridiculous-birthright-citizenship-using-executive-order.html

[size=34]Trump to revoke birthright citizenship: President slams 'ridiculous' right of children born to non-citizens and vows to terminate it with executive order[/size]

• President said he wants to sign an executive order ending birthright citizenship
  
  
• Trump said the current policy is 'ridiculous. It's ridiculous. And it has to end' 
  
  
• Debate over whether he can change meaning of Constitution's 14th Amendment
  
  
• Trump believes he can change the government's interpretation of it on his own
  
  
• It comes a week before mid-term elections and amid national panic after a second migrant caravan heading for the U.S. crossed into Mexico
  
  

By DAVID MARTOSKO, U.S. POLITICAL EDITOR FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and CHARLIE MOORE FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 06:14 EDT, 30 October 2018 | UPDATED: 08:29 EDT, 30 October 2018

     




Donald Trump plans to revoke the citizenship rights of children born to non-citizens and illegal immigrants in the US
Donald Trump plans to revoke the automatic citizenship rights of children born in the U.S. to illegal immigrants and other non-citizens.
In an interview for Axios, the president says he wants to sign an executive order ending the practice of giving citizenship to those who conservatives have long termed 'anchor babies.'
Trump, who has long been critical of the pracitice, said: 'We're the only country in the world where a person comes in and has a baby, and the baby is essentially a citizen of the United States... with all of those benefits. It's ridiculous. It's ridiculous. And it has to end.'

The 14th Amendment of the Constitution, written in 1868, states: 'All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.'
Trump insists he can change the law without amending the Constitution and can do so with an executive order.
Several Republicans running for president in 2016, including Trump and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, argued at the time that the phrase 'subject to the jurisdiction' refers only to people with a legal right to be in the country.
In a preview of an HBO documentary scheduled to air on Sunday, Trump reveals that 'it was always told to me that you needed a constitutional amendment. Guess what? You don't.'



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It comes two weeks before mid-term elections and after a second migrant caravan (pictured) crossed into Mexico on Monday


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The migrants were met by hundreds of federal officers in riot gear on the river bank. It followed a night of violence that left one Central American dead 
'You can definitely do it with an Act of Congress. But now they're saying I can do it just with an executive order,' he adds.
'It's in the process. It'll happen ... with an executive order.' 
Former U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services chief counsel Lynden Melmed told Axios that very few experts believe the President has the power to change birthright citizenship.
Some scholars agree that the 14th Amendment was never intended to give illegal immigrants' children citizenship and has been misapplied for decades. 
Trump could change the application with an executive order, they say, limiting birthright citizenship only to the children born of legal permanent residents.
Michael Anton, a former national security official for Trump, wrote in The Washington Post that an executive order could 'specify to federal agencies that the children of non-citizens are not citizens.'





But others, such as Judge James Ho, who was appointed by Trump to Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, insist that changing how the 14th Amendment is applied would be 'unconstitutional.' 
Only about 30 countries, including Canada, guarantee some sort of birthright citizenship, known as 'jus soli' (right of the soil).
Others grant citizenship based on the principle of 'jus sanguinis' (right of the blood) – where children can only inherit citizenship from their parents, not their birthplace.
India abolished jus soli in 2004 when thousands of illegal immigrants entered the country from Bangladesh.
The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that approximately 7.5 per cent of all births in the U.S. (about 300,000 per year) are to illegal immigrants. 
The Center says around 4.5 million American citizens under age 18 were born to illegals.
Trump'sstunning statement comes one week before midterm elections, and amid a national panic after a second migrant caravan heading for the U.S. crossed into Mexico on Monday.


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The second migrant caravan, including members believed to be carrying bombs and guns, crossed into Mexico on Monday despite a huge police presence. Cops are seen allowing some of the migrants on the banks of the Suchiate River after the arduous crossing, but they were stopped from moving any further


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Central American migrants walk along the highway near of Ciudad Hidalgo after crossing to Mexico from Guatemala willing to reach the U.S.
Hundreds of migrants following in the footsteps of the first caravan heading to the American border crossed a river from Guatemala.
A low-flying police helicopter hovered overhead as the migrants waded in large groups through the Suchiate River's murky waters, apparently trying to use the downdraft from its rotors to discourage them. 
Guatemala's Noti7 channel reported that one man drowned and aired video of a man dragging a seemingly lifeless body from the river.




Once on the Mexican side, the migrants were surrounded and escorted by black-uniformed officers as sirens wailed. 
The second group back at the Guatemalan frontier has been more unruly than the first that crossed. Guatemala's Interior Ministry said Guatemalan police officers were injured when the migrant group broke through border barriers on Guatemala's side of the bridge.
Mexico authorities said migrants attacked its agents with rocks, glass bottles and fireworks when they broke through a gate on the Mexican end but were pushed back, and some allegedly carried guns and firebombs.
On Monday, Mexican Interior Secretary Alfonso Navarrete Prida lamented what he called a second 'violent attempt' to storm the border, accusing people of placing the elderly, pregnant women and children at the front, putting them at risk of being crushed. 'Fortunately, that did not happen,' he said.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6332041/Trump-visits-amid-divide-Its-sacred-happened-here.html

[size=34]Congressional leaders REFUSE to go to Pittsburgh with Trump and Melania to visit synagogue where gunman mowed down 11 Jews – as even Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell say no to the president[/size]

• President and Melania go to Pittsburgh following gun massacre at Jewish temple
  
  
• Congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle have declined to join
  
  
• Even GOP leaders Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan said no to the invitation 
  
  
• Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto suggested the first couple come another day
  
  
• He said Tuesday's priority will be the funerals 
  
  
• Gunman killed 11 on Saturday as Jews gather for Shabbat worship 
  
  
• Trump is going to 'pay my respects' but some don't want  him there
  
  
• He will also visit the hospital where the injured including police are recovering 
  
  

By EMILY GOODIN, U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and ASSOCIATED PRESS
PUBLISHED: 01:12 EDT, 30 October 2018 | UPDATED: 11:49 EDT, 30 October 2018

     




Congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle have declined to join President Donald Trump and Melania Trump in Pittsburgh on Tuesday as some leaders in the community question the timing of the first couple's visit.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi have all declined invitations to join the Trumps in honoring the 11 victims of a mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue, The Washington Post reported.
Their decline of the White House invitation comes in the wake of the mayor of Pittsburgh suggesting the Trumps should visit at a different time.
Mayor Bill Peduto told CNN Monday evening that he tried to tell the White House the city's first priority on Tuesday will be the funerals - not the first couple's visit.


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President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will go the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Tuesday to visit with families of victims of Saturday's gun massacre at a synagogue


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Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto suggested the first couple come another day as Tuesday's priority will be the funerals


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Republican Congressional leaders Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan declined to join the Trumps in Pittsburgh on Tuesday
'I do believe that it would be best to put the attention on the families this week and if he were to visit choose a different time to be able to do it,' Peduto said. 'Our focus as a city will be on the families and the outreach they will need this week and the support they'll need to get through it.'  

Peduto said 'all attention [Tuesday] should be on the victims.' 
He also pointed to the logistical problems brought on by a presidential visit, which requires heavy security.
'We do not have enough public safety officials to provide enough protection at the funerals and to be able at the same time draw attention to a potential presidential visit,' Peduto said Monday. 
But the president begins a heavy campaign schedule on Wednesday - 11 rallies in six days in the lead up to next Tuesday's election. 
President Trump and Melania Trump are scheduled to arrive in Pittsburgh on Tuesday afternoon, hours after the first funerals for the victims have begun.
More than 1,000 people have signed up for a counter demonstration at the same time. 
The synagogue has been closed since the shooting and the funerals will take place through Friday. 
People in Pittsburgh are divided on the president's visit. 
To Marianne Novy, President Trump isn't wanted 'unless he really changes his ways.' For David Dvir, politics should take a pause for grief: 'It's our president, and we need to welcome him.'
Trump is once again called upon to step into the all-too-frequent role of national consoler after the worst instance of anti-Semitic violence in American history.  


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Democratic Congressional leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi have also declined to join the Trumps in Pittsburgh


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This was the scene outside the Tree of Life synagogue on Saturday night where tributes to the dead grew beneath police tape. The synagogue's rabbi has said it can never be reused in its current condition and that the bullet holes inside are 'too numerous to count'


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Freshly dug graves are seen at the Tree of Life Memorial Park on October 29, two days after the atrocity. It is customary for Jews to be buried within three days of dying. The first three victims will be interred on Tuesday
He faces an uneasy welcome on Tuesday in the anguished community of Squirrel Hill, home to the Tree of Life synagogue where 11 people were gunned down during Sabbath services. 
The president's visit to the Pittsburgh neighborhood, where Novy and Dvir live, comes as he struggles to balance appeals for national unity with partisan campaign rhetoric just a week before contentious midterm elections.
Trump said late Monday he was looking forward to the visit.
'Well, I'm just going to pay my respects,' Trump told Fox News Channel's Laura Ingraham. 'I'm also going to the hospital to see the officers and some of the people that were so badly hurt.' 
Trump is traveling to the historic hub of the city's Jewish community as the first funerals are scheduled to be held for the victims, who range in age from 54 to 97. He is expected to meet with first responders and community leaders. 
The death toll includes a set of brothers, a husband and wife, professors, dentists and a physician. It was not immediately clear whether Trump, who will be joined by first lady Melania Trump, daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner, would meet with any family members.
The White House said the purpose of Trump's visit was to 'express the support of the American people and to grieve with the Pittsburgh community.'
Trump's trip is set against the backdrop of national unease over incidents of political violence and hate, and questions about his credibility as unifier. Since his 2016 campaign for the White House, Trump has at times been slow to denounce white nationalists, neo-Nazis and other hate-filled individuals and groups that found common cause with his nationalistic political rhetoric.
In Squirrel Hill, Barry Werber, 76, who said he survived the massacre by hiding in a dark storage closet as the gunman rampaged through the building, said he hoped Trump wouldn't visit, noting that the president has embraced the politically fraught label of 'nationalist.' Werber said the Nazis were nationalists.
'It's part of his program to instigate his base,' Werber said, and 'bigots are coming out of the woodwork.'
Novy, 73, a retired college English professor, said she signed an open letter asking Trump not to come to Pittsburgh. 'His language has encouraged hatred and fear of immigrants, which is part of the reason why these people were killed,' she said.
Just minutes before the synagogue attack, the shooter apparently took to social media to rage against HIAS, a Jewish organization that resettles refugees under contract with the U.S. government.






A view of the Rodef Shalom Congregation where the funeral for Tree of Life Congregation mass shooting victims Cecil Rosenthal and David Rosenthal, who are brothers, will be held on Tuesday



Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, who survived Saturday's shooting, said Monday that it would be his 'honor' to welcome President Trump to Pittsburgh despite remarks from other Jewish leaders and members of the congregation that they do not want him there


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David Dvir stands in front of his business, Murray Avenue Locksmith, in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh. He voted for Donald Trump and doesn't agree with Jewish leaders who say the president shouldn't come


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Kristin Wessell, right, hands a bouquet of flowers to Marianne Novy on Monday; neither woman thinks President Trump should come to town
Dvir, 52, the owner of Murray Avenue Locksmith in Squirrel Hill, said of Trump, 'I think he made some mistakes, but he is a great president.' He added that it would be 'a shame' if the community protested the president's visit.
Asked Monday if Trump has done enough to condemn white nationalism, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president 'has denounced racism, hatred and bigotry in all forms on a number of occasions.'
She added: 'Some individuals - they're grieving, they're hurting. The president wants to be there to show the support of this administration for the Jewish community. The rabbi said that he is welcome as well.'
Local and religious leaders were divided on whether Trump should visit. Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, a Democrat, told reporters ahead of the announced visit that the White House ought to consult with the families of the victims about their preferences and asked that the president not come during a funeral.


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Holocaust survivor Shulamit Bastacky, 77, sits in the lobby of her apartment building in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Monday, Oct. 29, 2018. Bastacky was friends with Melvin Wax, one of the victims







'If the president is looking to come to Pittsburgh, I would ask that he not do so while we are burying the dead,' Peduto said. 'Our attention and our focus is going to be on them, and we don't have public safety that we can take away from what is needed in order to do both.'
But Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, who was conducting Sabbath services at the Tree of Life synagogue when the shooter opened fire, made clear the president would be welcome, telling CNN: 'The president of the United States is always welcome. I am a citizen. He is my president. He is certainly welcome.'
Shulamit Bastacky, 77, a Holocaust survivor and neighbor of victim Melvin Wax, expressed hope that fraught political issues and protests would not overshadow the remembrances.
'This is not the place to do it,' she said. 'You can do the political part everywhere else. Not at this time. This would be like desecrating those people who were killed. They were murdered because they were Jews.'
'You can protest later on,' she added. 'To me it's sacred what happened here.'

[size=34]THE VICTIMS OF THE PITTSBURGH MASSACRE[/size]

Bernice and Sylvan Simon, aged 84 and 86
Bernice and Sylvan Simon, 84 and 86 
The Simons, who had been married for 62 years, were sitting in the back of the main sanctuary when the gunman opened fire. Sylvan, a retired accountant, was still recovering from recently breaking his arm and the couple had no time to escape. 
They have two adult sons and grandchildren. They were memorialized as pillars of the community who regularly helped out and would do 'anything' for their friends. 

Richard Gottfried, 65
The pair got married in the Tree of Life in 1956 in a candlelit ceremony.  
Richard Gottfried, 65
Gottfried was preparing to retire from his dental practice and enjoy the next chapter of his life with his wife Peg. 
He helped out at the synagogue, making sure the rabbis had everything they needed to lead services. 
'He died doing what he liked to do most,' said Don Salvin, Gottfried's brother-in-law said.  

Rose Mallinger, 97
Rose Mallinger, 97
Rose was the oldest of the victims. She was also in the main sanctuary when she was gunned down. 
She was among the most devout and was who immediately sprang to the minds of others when they heard about the shooting. 
'You've never met a more vivacious 97-year-old. 
'She was just so full of life. She had so much energy,' Brian Schreiber, another member of the congregation, told The Post Gazzette. 

Jerry Rabinowitz, 66
Jerry Rabinowitz, 66
Dr. Jerry Rabinowitz was eulogized by his medical practice partner who said: 'He is one of the finest people I've ever met. 
'We've been in practice together for 30 years and friends longer than that. 
'His patients are going to miss him terribly. His family is going to miss him terribly and I am going to miss him. He was just one of the kindest, finest people.'  
Cecil Rosenthal, 59, David Rosenthal, 54

Brothers Cecil, 59, (right) and David (left) Rosenthal 54
Brothers Cecil and David Rosenthal both suffered disabilities and were regular volunteers at the synagogue. 
On Saturday, they were preparing food for breakfast in the basement kitchen when they were attacked. 
The pair lived together nearby. They were remembered fondly by the congregation's rabbi. 
'Cecil and David had a love for life and for those around them. 
'They loved their community. They spent a lot of time at the Tree of Life, never missing a Saturday,' Chris Schopf, vice president of residential supports for ACHIEVA, an organization which helps manage the community home where they lived. 



Daniel Stein, 71
Daniel Stein, 71
Stein was another fixture in the Jewish community. Friends said he was proud of his faith and that it was important to him and his family. 
On Sunday, his adult son Joe said it was the 'worst day of his life' discovering he was among the dead. 
'My dad's life was taken at the Tree of Life shooting. My mom, sister and I are absolutely devastated and crushed. 
'Our lives now are going to have to take a different path, one that we thought would not happen for a long time. 
'My dad was a simple man and did not require much,' he said, sharing a photograph of him with one of his grandchildren. 


 Melvin Wax, 88
Melvin Wax, 88
Melvin was one of three people who were killed downstairs. He was hiding in a closet with others from the New Light congregation when he went back into the room they had been in because he could no longer hear gunshots. 
That is when he was confronted by the gunman and was shot three times. 
Barry Werber, who had been hiding with him in the closet and survived, said he was a 'gentleman' who was always the first to arrive for services.
'He was a gem. He was a gentleman . There was always a smile on his face,' he said. 

Irving Younger, 69, was also killed
Irving Younger, 69
Younger was a father and a grandfather. His neighbors have told how he 'never had an unkind word' to say about anyone. 
'He was the most wonderful dad and grandpa. He talked about his daughter and his grandson, always, and he never had an unkind word to say about anybody,' neighbor Tina Prizner told The Tribune Press. 
He went every day to the synagogue, where he was an usher, she said.

Joyce Fienberg, 75
'He was so kind. He was a beautiful person, a beautiful soul.'

Joyce Fienberg, 75
Widow Joyce Fienberg was a retired university researcher who left her job in 2008.
Former colleagues paid tribute to her as 'magnificent, generous, caring and profoundly thoughtful.' 
Her husband Stephen died after a battle with cancer in 2016. 
She has two sons and several grandchildren.

E

LizzyNY wrote:

carolhathaway wrote:
 You always think that these rampages happen everywhere else, but not at your place. They can happen everywhere, it doesn't help to have armed guards because you can't have them everywhere. If they had one there at the synagogue's entrance, I as an assassin would shoot him first. Or simply wait until they all leave the building. Or go to another place of the Jewish community. Or start working as an armed guard and guard a synagogue...

The sad thing is that thanks to the atmosphere our "president" has created, these acts of violence are happening everywhere. He encourages it every time he opens his mouth. He has given permission to every angry, unstable misfit to act out instead of behaving like a civilized human being - and he can't (or won't) realize he bears responsibility for what he created. It breaks my heart that so many good people have fallen victim to the violence he encourages and yet he's still here.

It is heartbreaking that these lovely people lost their lives in such a senseless act.  I think we all knew something like this was going to happen.  There is an undercurrent of anger and hate in this country right now and, yes Lizzy, Trump is fomenting it.  He created this ridiculous fear of the migrants coming to our country and this white nationalist in Pittsburgh latched right onto Trump’s rhetoric and acted on it.  Same thing with the Florida bomber.  And as long as Trump is in office and continues to spew his venom there will be more violent acts.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6336259/Trump-told-small-migrants-end-border.html

[size=34]Trump administration were told 'only a small percentage' of the migrant caravan will make it to the U.S. border but still deployed 5,200 active troops in a dramatic show of force[/size]

• Documents related to the operation indicate the Trump administration were told only a small number was likely to make it to the U.S. border as part of the ongoing caravan
  
  
• Trump forged ahead with plans to send 5,200 troops to the border as he hardened his immigration stance
  
  
• A similar caravan this past spring ultimately fizzled to just about 200 people who reached the U.S. border at San Diego 
  
  
• Trump has characterized the migrant caravans making its way through Mexico as an 'invasion' 
  
  
• More than 1,000 people in a second migrant caravan began making their way through Mexico on Tuesday
  
  
• First, larger caravan of 4,000 mainly Honduran migrants passed through the same area about 10 days ago
  
  
• The first caravan was still about 900 miles from the nearest U.S. crossing at McAllen, Texas 
  
  
• The group is already significantly diminished from its estimated peak at over 7,000-strong 
  
  

By REUTERS and ASSOCIATED PRESS and EMILY CRANE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 01:48 EDT, 31 October 2018 | UPDATED: 02:42 EDT, 31 October 2018

 

 

 

 

 

• [email=?subject=Read%20this:%20Trump%20administration%20were%20told%20%27only%20a%20small%20percentage%27%20of%20the%20migrant%20caravan%20will%20make%20it%20to%20the%20U.S.%20border%20but%20still%20deployed%205,200%20active%20troops%20in%20a%20dramatic%20show%20of%20force&body=Trump%20administration%20were%20told%20%27only%20a%20small%20percentage%27%20of%20the%20migrant%20caravan%20will%20make%20it%20to%20the%20U.S.%20border%20but%20still%20deployed%205%2C200%20active%20troops%20in%20a%20dramatic%20show%20of%20force%0A%0ATrump%27s%20administration%20was%20told%20that%20%27only%20a%20small%20percentage%27%20of%20migrants%20would%20end%20up%20making%20it%20to%20the%20U.S.%20border%20as%20part%20of%20the%20ongoing%20caravan%20making%20its%20way%20through%20Mexico.%0A%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-6336259%2FTrump-told-small-migrants-end-border.html%3Fito%3Demail_share_article-top%0A%0A%0AMost%20Read%20Articles%3A%0A%0AREVEALED%3A%20Murdered%20wheelchair-bound%20mob%20boss%20Whitey%20Bulger%2C%2089%2C%20was%20%27wheeled%20away%20from%20security%20cameras%20by%20three%20inmates%20with%20mafia%20ties%20before%20they%20beat%20him%20to%20death%20with%20a%20lock%20in%20a%20sock%20and%20tried%20to%20gouge%20his%20eyes%20out%27%C2%A0%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-6334189%2FBoston-gangster-Whitey-Bulger-killed-bars.html%3Fito%3Demail_share_article-top_most-read-articles%0A%0AKanye%20West%20QUITS%20politics%20attacking%20Trump%20over%20immigration%20and%20saying%20%27I%27ve%20been%20used%20to%20spread%20messages%20I%20don%27t%20believe%20in%27%C2%A0%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-6335271%2FKanye-West-says-distancing-politics-claiming-used.html%3Fito%3Demail_share_article-top_most-read-articles%0A%0APictured%3A%20Wife%2C%2030%2C%20who%20plunged%20to%20her%20death%20in%20Yosemite%20was%20perched%20on%20the%20edge%20of%20Taft%20Point%20for%20hours%20with%20no%20backpack%20or%20camera%20on%20night%20of%20fatal%20fall%20-%20and%20hikers%20saw%20no%20sign%20of%20husband%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-6335215%2FWife-30-plunged-death-Yosemite-seen-perched-edge-Taft-Point-alone.html%3Fito%3Demail_share_article-top_most-read-articles%0A%0A]e-mail[/email]
   
  
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President Trump's administration was reportedly told that 'only a small percentage' of migrants would end up making it to the U.S. border as part of the ongoing caravan making its way through Mexico.
Documents related to the operation, which were obtained by Newsweek, showed that the information was handed over to officials before Trump hardened his stance on immigration by deploying more than 5,200 troops to the Mexico-U.S. border. 
The operational documents indicate that Trump's administration forged ahead with plans to send troops even though historic trends showed 'only a small percentage of migrants will likely reach the border'. 
A similar caravan this past spring ultimately fizzled to just about 200 people who reached the U.S. border at San Diego. 

It comes as the top U.S. general overseeing the deployment of more than 5,200 troops to the border with Mexico said on Tuesday that troop levels were expected to rise further. 


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Members of the Central American caravan are pictured in Juchitan, de Zaragoza, Mexico on Tuesday as they resumed their march towards the United States border


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Migrants walk along a road as part of a thousands-strong caravan of Central Americans continuing its slow journey toward the U.S. border, between Niltepec and Juchitan, Oaxaca state, Mexico on Tuesday


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General Terrence O'Shaughnessy, the head of U.S. Northern Command, declined to say how high or estimate what the operation will cost.
Many basic questions remained unanswered a day after the Pentagon announced the open-ended deployment of over 5,200 active-duty troops to the border, including the scope of the mission as well as the Pentagon's assessment of any threat posed by arriving migrants.
President Donald Trump has hardened his stance on immigration ahead of the Nov. 6 congressional elections. 
He has drawn attention to a caravan of migrants that is trekking through Mexico toward the United States as he seeks to fire up support for his Republican party, which is facing some tough battles as Democrats seek to wrest control of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate.
Republican lawmakers and other Trump supporters have applauded the deployment. But critics say Trump is politicizing the military, deploying them as a stunt to drive Republican voters to the polls without any real national security threat. 
O'Shaughnessy defended the operation at a briefing on Tuesday as he echoed Trump administration concerns about the caravan and compared the border support mission to other domestic military missions, like hurricane relief.
'I firmly believe that border security is national security,' O'Shaughnessy said.


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The Pentagon announced it will deploy 5,200 troops to the Southwest border in an extraordinary military operation, and Trump has continued to tweet and speak about the migrants


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Soldiers from Task Force Griffin receive a legal briefing as they prepare to deploy to support and enable Customs and Border Protection and other supporting interagency partners to secure the Southwest Border


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A man holds up a stroller as hundreds of migrants hitching a ride accommodate themselves on the back of truck, between Niltepec and Juchitan, Mexico on Tuesday


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Migrants, travelling with a caravan of thousands from Central America en route to the United States, walk to Juchitan from Santiago Niltipec, Mexico


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Central American migrants heading to the United States arrive to the municipality of Juchitan, in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, on Tuesday
The U.S. military still had no firm idea of what the operation would cost, he added. Pentagon officials have said the Defense Department will need to find a way to pay for the operation, suggesting money may need to be taken from other national security programs.
O'Shaughnessy said that just over 1,000 troops had deployed to Texas as of Tuesday, where they will carry out tasks like building barriers, erecting tents, and flying government personnel by helicopter to and from different locations along the border.
He said the troops now slated to go to Texas, Arizona and California were only the start of a larger deployment and that eventually troops would go to New Mexico as well.
'What I can confirm is there will be additional force over and above the 5,239. The magnitude of that difference, I don't have the answer for now,' he said.
The projected U.S. deployment is already roughly the same size as the U.S. military contingent in Iraq. 
Trump railed against illegal immigration to win the 2016 presidential election and has seized on the caravan of Central American migrants at campaign rallies in the run-up to next week's vote.
Trump has characterized the migrants as an 'invasion' and falsely stated they harbor terrorists and are financed in part by Democrats.


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Migrants sing and pray at a public square in Tapachula, Mexico on Tuesday en route to the U.S. border


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A migrant pushes a child in a stroller along a highway in Mexico as a thousands-strong caravan of Central Americans continues its slow journey toward the U.S. border


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Central American migrants, part of a caravan trying to reach the U.S., rest at a public square in Tapachula


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A Honduran migrant extinguishes a fire at a camp set up by a caravan of thousands of Central American migrants, in Juchitan, Mexico, after sunset Tuesday
More than 1,000 people in a second migrant caravan that forged its way across the river from Guatemala began walking through southern Mexico on Tuesday and reached the city of Tapachula - some 250 miles behind a larger group and more than 1,000 miles from the closest U.S. border. 
Members of the latest caravan say they aren't trying to catch up with the first because they believe it has been too passive and they don't want to be controlled.
The first, larger caravan of about 4,000 mainly Honduran migrants passed through Tapachula about 10 days ago and set up camp Tuesday in the Oaxaca state city of Juchitan.
The two groups combined represent just a few days' worth of the average flow of migrants to the United States. Similar caravans also have occurred regularly over the years, passing largely unnoticed, but the new ones have become a hot-button political issue amid an unprecedented push-back from Trump.

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On Monday Trump said he wanted to build tent cities to house asylum seekers and on Tuesday he floated the possibility of ending the constitutional right to U.S. citizenship for babies born in the country to noncitizens.
The first caravan was still about 900 miles from the nearest U.S. crossing at McAllen, Texas, and possibly much farther if it heads elsewhere.
Worn down from long miles of walking and frustrated by the slow progress, many have been dropping out and returning home or applying for protected status in Mexico.
The group is already significantly diminished from its estimated peak at over 7,000-strong.
Representatives have demanded 'safe and dignified' transportation to Mexico City, but the Mexican government has shown no inclination to assist - with the exception of its migrant protection agency that gave some stragglers rides to the next town over the weekend. 


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A truck carrying mostly Honduran migrants from the first caravan heading to the US drives from Santiago Niltepec to Juchitan, near the town of La Blanca in Oaxaca State, Mexico, on October 30


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Migrants along the highway on Tuesday have been stuffing themselves into truck beds and hitching rides so they wouldn't have to walk 


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Migrantr men, women and children walk along the highway to Juchitan from Santiago Niltepec, Mexico, October 30, 2018[/size]
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6338757/Trump-tells-Paul-Ryan-focus-holding-majority-amid-birthright-citizenship-dispute.html

[size=34]Trump tells Paul Ryan he 'should be focusing on holding the Majority rather than giving his opinions on Birthright Citizenship' after House speaker opposed the president[/size]

• President said he wants to sign an executive order ending birthright citizenship
  
  
• Trump said the current policy is 'ridiculous. It's ridiculous. And it has to end' 
  
  
• On Wednesday he claimed the Constitution's 14th Amendment has limits
  
  
• Trump noted that it applies to people 'subject to the jurisdiction' of the U.S., implying that illegal immigrants don't qualify 
  
  
• VP Mike Pence says the Supreme Court has been silent on how the Fourteenth Amendment relates to illegal immigrants
  
  
• But House Speaker Paul Ryan insisted Trump can't make a change without Congress or a new constitutional amendment
  
  
• Trump said: 'Ryan should be focusing on holding the Majority rather than giving his opinions on Birthright Citizenship, something he knows nothing about!'
  
  

By FRANCESCA CHAMBERS, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT
PUBLISHED: 13:16 EDT, 31 October 2018 | UPDATED: 14:18 EDT, 31 October 2018

     



Donald Trump put the Republican speaker of the House on blast on Wednesday morning after the outgoing congressman said the president does not have the legal authority to end birthright citizenship. 
Trump directed Rep. Paul Ryan, who's retiring this year regardless of what happens next Tuesday, to butt out of the citizenship debate and worry instead about defending Republican territory.
'Paul Ryan should be focusing on holding the Majority rather than giving his opinions on Birthright Citizenship, something he knows nothing about! ' Trump proclaimed in a tweet. 'Our new Republican Majority will work on this, Closing the Immigration Loopholes and Securing our Border!'


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Donald Trump put the Republican speaker of the House on blast on Wednesday morning after the outgoing congressman said the president does not have the legal authority to end birthright citizenship



Trump directed Rep. Paul Ryan, who's retiring this year regardless of what happens next Tuesday, to butt out of the citizenship debate and worry instead about defending Republican territory
After Trump claimed in a Tuesday interview that he would end birthright citizenship for illegal immigrants, Ryan told a Kentucky radio station that the White House would have to change the Constitution, which requires the consent of Congress, to revoke the right that's extended to all United States citizens.

'You obviously cannot do that. You cannot end birthright citizenship with an executive order,' Ryan said. 
The Wisconsin congressman also noted that Republicans 'didn’t like it when Obama tried changing immigration laws via executive action, and obviously as conservatives we believe in the Constitution,' as he revisited the controversy that led to the creation of the now-defunct Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Trump's administration declared the immigration policy unconstitutional, because it originated from the executive branch and not Congress and declined to defend it in court.
Lawmakers agree broadly that illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children should be allowed to stay, but they never reached an compromise that crystallizes the policy and implements the president's immigration priorities.
With the mid-term election that will decide the make-up of the House and the Senate a week out, Trump claimed Tuesday that he could get rid of birthright citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants who are born in the U.S.
'It was always told to me that you needed a constitutional amendment. Guess what? You don't,' Trump told Axios during an interview that will air in full on Sunday evening.
Legal scholars, including top aide Kellyanne Conway's husband George and Laurence Tribe, immediately sided against him. So did Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican who has clashed in the past with Trump over his bombastic rhetoric.
'As a conservative, I'm a believer in following the plain text of the Constitution, and I think in this case the 14th Amendment is pretty clear, and that would involve a very, very lengthy constitutional process,' Ryan said. 'But where we obviously totally agree with the president is getting at the root issue here, which is unchecked illegal immigration.'


On Tuesday evening after Trump's declaration, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi giddily predicted that her party would win the lower chamber during a conversation with 'Late Show' host Stephen Colbert.   
'Let me say this. Up until today, I would've said, "If the election were held today, we would win," ' Pelosi said. 'What now I'm saying is, "We will win." '
Pelosi told Colbert that the founders would be shocked to see Trump 'abuse' the Constitution after taking an oath to protect it.  She framed the upcoming election as 'a check and balance on this president.'
Trump refused to climb down from his position on Wednesday morning. He insisted on Twitter that the U.S. Constitution doesn't grant automatic citizenship to every child born inside the country's borders.
He predicted the Supreme Court will ultimately decide the question, reintroduced the controversial term 'anchor baby' into the national debate and cited a retired Democratic Senate leader to support his argument. 
'So-called Birthright Citizenship, which costs our Country billions of dollars and is very unfair to our citizens, will be ended one way or the other,' Trump tweeted.
'It is not covered by the 14th Amendment because of the words "subject to the jurisdiction thereof", the president added, before cutting his message off in mid-sentence and pausing for nearly an hour before continuing.
'Harry Reid was right in 1993, before he and the Democrats went insane,' Trump claimed, referring to a now-infamous Senate floor speech in which Reid, a Nevada Democrat and future Senate majority leader, blasted the practice of birthright citizenship.


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Trump tweeted Wednesday that the Constitution's Fourteenth Amendment only applies to people who aren't 'subject to the jurisdiction' of the U.S. – meaning in his view that babies born to people in the country illegally don't enjoy its benefits


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The president cited Democrat Harry Reid, who was a Nevada senator in 1993 when he said 'no sane country' would grant automatic citizenship to babies born to illegal immigrant mothers


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Hundreds of thousands of babies are born each year to illegal immigrants parents in the United States, and the conventional reading of the 14th Amendment gives them all citizenship rights –– something Canada is the only other First World country to offer
The senator who retired after the last election said in a 1993 speech: 'If making it easy to be an illegal immigrant isn't enough, how about offering a reward for being an illegal immigrant? No sane country would do that, right? Guess again.'
'If you break our laws by entering our country without permission to give birth to a child, we reward that child with U.S. citizenship and guarantee a full access to all public and social services this society provides, and that's a lot of services. Is it any wonder that two-thirds of the babies born at taxpayer expense in county-run hospitals in Los Angeles are born to illegal alien mothers?' 
In a typical year, about 250,000 illegal immigrants give birth in the U.S.
Conservatives have long complained about their births' long-term impacts on welfare systems, education costs and other drivers of the national debt.
Legal scholars argue that like it or not, the 14th Amendment protects the rights of anyone born in the United States under the law. The policy stems from an 1898 Supreme Court ruling, however, the high court has never ruled directly on the whether the amendment covers children born to people living in the U.S. illegally.
Laurence Tribe, a constitutional law professor at Harvard University and a fixture on cable news, said in a Wednesday tweet that Conway's husband and Katyl are correct on the law and all reputable legal scholars agree - Trump cannot highhandedly end birthright citizenship for a class of people.
'It’s an understatement to say there’s a consensus among experts that Trump’s promise to end birthright citizenship for babies born in the USA to undocumented mothers is a legally untenable political stunt. No respected currently active scholar disagrees,' he asserted. 
Trump said he'll take his case all the way to the nation's highest court in his tweets on Wednesday. 
'Don’t forget the nasty term Anchor Babies,' he added. 'I will keep our Country safe. This case will be settled by the United States Supreme Court!'


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'If making it easy to be an illegal immigrant isn't enough, how about offering a reward for being an illegal immigrant? No sane country would do that, right? Guess again,' Nevada Democratic Sen. Harry Reid said in 1993, years before he became the Senate  majority leader



The 14th Amendment of the Constitution, written in 1868, states that '[a]ll persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof,' are U.S. citizens.
Debate has raged for 150 years about whether citizens of foreign countries are 'subject to the jurisdiction' of the United States. Some legal scholars believe that phrase only refers to hostile occupying armies and foreign diplomatic officials. 
Republican leaders are split on whether Trump can end the tradition of birthright citizenship with an executive order, as he said in an interview Monday that he intends to do. 
The vice president backed Trump up on Tuesday while the speaker of the House took the opposite side of the debate.


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House Speaker Paul Ryan insisted Tuesday that the White House can't use an executive order to change the government's interpretation of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution


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Trump, shown leaving the White House on Tuesday with first lady Melania Trump, has given his anti-illegal-immigrant base some new red meat with the proposal, just a week before the midterm elections
Vice President Mike Pence insisted Tuesday that there's nothing unconstitutional about Trump declaring that an babies born to illegal immigrants in the U.S. will no longer automatically become American citizens.
'We all know what the 14th Amendment says,' Pence told Politico during an on-stage interview. 'We all cherish the language of the 14th Amendment.' 
'But the Supreme Court of the United States has never ruled on whether or not the language of the 14th Amendment, "subject to the jurisdiction thereof," applies specifically to people who are in the country illegally,' Pence argued.   
Trump, who has long been critical of the practice, told Axios in an interview on Monday: 'We're the only country in the world where a person comes in and has a baby, and the baby is essentially a citizen of the United States... with all of those benefits. It's ridiculous. It's ridiculous. And it has to end.'
South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally on most issues but not always immigration questions, said in a series of tweets that he welcomes a change.
'Finally, a president willing to take on this absurd policy of birthright citizenship,' he said on Twitter. 'I’ve always supported comprehensive immigration reform – and at the same time – the elimination of birthright citizenship.' 
'The United States is one of two developed countries in the world who grant citizenship based on location of birth. This policy is a magnet for illegal immigration, out of the mainstream of the developed world, and needs to come to an end,' he stated.


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Vice President Mike Pence said Tuesday that the Supreme Court has never ruled on whether the 14th Amendment applies to illegal immigrants; South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham tweeted that he'll introduce legislation mirroring Trump's executive order








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Graham sent a flurry of tweets agreeing with Trump's approach and offering to ingtroduce a bill that would codify it into law
Graham also said he would 'introduce legislation along the same lines as the proposed executive order from President.'
Trump insists he can change the way the 14th Amendment is interpreted by the federal government without amending the Constitution itself, and can do it through an executive order. 
Several Republicans running for president in 2016, including Trump, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, argued at the time that the phrase 'subject to the jurisdiction' refers only to people with a legal right to be in the country.
In a preview of an HBO documentary with Axios scheduled to air on Sunday, Trump says, 'You can definitely do it with an Act of Congress. But now they're saying I can do it just with an executive order.'
'It's in the process. It'll happen ... with an executive order.' 
The president first articulated his position in August 2015, painting a mental picture for a Fox News Channel audience. 
'What happens is, they're in Mexico, they're going to have a baby, they move over here for a couple of days, they have the baby,' he said then, adding: 'I don't think they have American citizenship, and if you speak to some very, very good lawyers, some would disagree. But many of them agree with me: You're going to find they do not have American citizenship.' 







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Trump's move came a week before midterm elections and after a second migrant caravan (pictured) crossed into Mexico on Monday



Some attorneys, he insisted, had advised him that 'It’s not going to hold up in court, it’s going to have to be tested.' 
In the 2016 race the president also denied that 'anchor babies' is a derogatory term and said he'd keep using it to describe the the children of illegal immigrants who are born in the United States. 
Some scholars agree that the 14th Amendment was never intended to give illegal immigrants' children citizenship and has been misapplied for decades. 
Trump could change the application with an executive order, they say, limiting birthright citizenship only to the children born of legal permanent residents.
Michael Anton, a former national security official for Trump, wrote in The Washington Post that an executive order could 'specify to federal agencies that the children of non-citizens are not citizens.'
But others, such as Judge James Ho, who was appointed by Trump to Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, insist that changing how the 14th Amendment is applied would be 'unconstitutional.' 
Only about 30 countries, including Canada, guarantee some sort of birthright citizenship, known as 'jus soli' (right of the soil).
Others grant citizenship based on the principle of 'jus sanguinis' (right of the blood) – where children can only inherit citizenship from their parents, not their birthplace.
India abolished jus soli in 2004 when thousands of illegal immigrants entered the country from Bangladesh.
The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that approximately 7.5 per cent of all births in the U.S. - about 300,000 per year-  are to illegal immigrants. 
The Center says around 4.5 million American citizens under age 18 were born to illegals residents.

[size=34]A look at the 14th Amendment's 'anchor baby' clause[/size]

President Trump says he wants to order the end of automatic citizenship for babies of illegal immigrants born in the United States.
The U.S. government has traditionally held that section 1 of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which contains the Citizenship Clause, guarantees that right for all children born on American soil.
WHAT DOES THE CITIZENSHIP CLAUSE SAY?
'All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.'
The sentence that follows specifies citizen rights: 'No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty or property, without due process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.'
HOW DID IT GET IN THE CONSTITUTION? 
Congress passed the Fourteenth Amendment in 1866. It was ratified on July 9, 1868 by three-fourths of the states.
The amendment effictively nullified an 1857 Supreme Court decision – Dred Scott v. Sandford – which had held that people descended from slaves could not be citizens.
The amendment's opening sentence, which served to define its vocabulary, has become among the most controversial clauses in the entire Constitution. 


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WHAT WAS THE GOAL OF REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS?
The Fourteenth Amendment was proposed and ratified to help blacks, especially emancipated former slaves, have a chance to integrate into society after the American Civil War. Congress wanted to prevent the U.S. states where they lived from sidestepping the efforts of Abraham Lincoln and other Republicans to guarantee their rights to 'life, liberty and property.'
By 1868 Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation had freed slaves in southern U.S. states, but they still didn't have the same constitutional rights as citizens. That legal limbo led to the formation of 'Colonization Societies' that sought to remove them from the nationcountry and send them either to Caribbean islands or to Africa. 
Some southern states also enacted 'Black Code' laws in a bid to preserve the rights of slave-owners by calling their slaves 'apprentices' who couldn't be removed from their 'service.'
Ohio Republican Rep. John A. Bingham, a friend of President Lincoln, proposed the amendment to remedy these problems, writing specific language to guarantee that any slave born on American soil would retractively be declared a citizen.
Bingham wrote at the time that his text wasn't intended to create any new legal rights, but was 'simply a proposition to arm the Congress with the power to enforce the Bill of Rights as it stands in the Constitution today. It hath that extent – no more.'
WHY DO SOME THINK IT EXCLUDES ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS' BABIES?
While the amendment was being debated, Michigan Republican Senator Jacob Howard, who drafted the amendment along with Bingham, said that was never his intention.
'This will not, of course, include persons born in the United States who are foreigners, aliens, who belong to the families of ambassadors or foreign ministers accredited to the Government of the United States, but will include every other class of persons,' he said. 
'It settles the great question of citizenship and removes all doubt as to what persons are or are not citizens of the United States,' Howard added.  
WAS THERE ANOTHER SIDE?
California Republican Sen. John Conness was concerned that U.S.-born children of the large number of Chinese immigrants in his state would end up with out American citizenship.
Conness declared in a debate that the amendment 'proposed to declare that they shall be citizens,' adding that 'I am in favor of doing so.'
That point wasn't debated, but Howard also didn't object to Conness's interpretation, which twenty-first century immigration advocates often cite as proof that birthright citizenship is constitutional.   
WHAT HAS THE SUPREME COURT SAID? 
In 1873 the Supreme Court ruled that the phrase 'subject to its jurisdiction' was intended to exclude children of non-citizen immigrants.
That decision answered a narrow question, establishing that the 14th Amendment only guaranteed rights to people who were U.S. citizens, and didn't cover anyone who was only granted 'citizenship' by an individual U.S. state.
The majority opinion includes a note that 'the phrase 'subject to its jurisdiction' was intended to 'exclude from its operation children of ministers, consuls, and citizens or subjects of foreign States born within the United States.'
Two years later the high court ruled that immigrants can only have automatic citizenship for their children when they – the adults – owe 'allegiance' to the U.S. and not to a foreign nation.
In 1898 the Supreme Court ruled that a specific Chinese immigrant's cihld was a citizen of the United States, citing the 14th Amendment's text. That decision has stood for 120 years, but it was decided decades before the concept of 'illegal aliens' was part of Americans' vocabulary.
More recently, at a dinner party in 2010, then-Justice Antonin Scalia said he believed Howard's original view was right – but for an unrelated reason.
He told his fellow guests that purposely including the words 'and subject to the jurisdiction thereof' suggested that people born in the U.S. weren't automatically citizens, especially if they were 'subject to the jurisdiction' of some other nation. He thought the words were included to rule out a large number of people.
Scalia, who died in 2016, allowed at the time that the way the modern U.S. interprets dual citizenships could also mean many people are be 'subject to the jurisdiction of' more than one country.
WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF TRUMP SIGNS AN EXECUTIVE ORDER?
If the president orders that the federal government must treat children of illegal immigrants born in the U.S. as noncitizens, two things would likely happen.
States where Democrats control the legislatures and that have Democratic governors would quickly enact laws doing the opposite. And civil rightss groups would sue U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in federal court.
Whichever reaches a full bpoil first – the lawsuits or the question of the federal government's 'supremacy' over state laws – the whole thing will likely end up at the Supreme Court.
Trump has already appointed two justices, creating what some observers believe will be a 5-4 conservative majority. If that holds, Trump will win the debate and his order will stand.
A future Democratic president, however, could undo it – unless the Supreme Court were to declare that Trump's interpretation of the Constitution is correct, and not just that he had the legal right to issue the order.

Why is it there are ways to get rid of everyone but him?

To every thing....turn turn turn...

Would you trade 99.9% of BAD on the chance of one act of goodness.... Haha I know you will say “We’re still waiting...”

Me too...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6343295/Sources-Trump-eyes-asylum-restrictions-caravans.html

[size=34]BREAKING NEWS: We will open fire on the immigrant caravan if they throw stones says Trump as he promises to end to catch and release of illegals and put families in 'tent cities'[/size]

• The president unloaded on illegal immigration in a White House speech 
  
  
• Said he was 'finalizing a plan to end the rampant abuse of our asylum system' 
  
  
• He said asylum seekers 'never show up' for trial 
  
  
• He said caravan members were not 'legitimate asylum seekers'  
  
  
• He made the announcement in the Roosevelt Room of the White House
  
  
• He's promptly left for a rally in Columbia, Missouri
  
  
• Anybody throwing stones, rocks ... we will consider that a firearm
  
  

By GEOFF EARLE, DEPUTY U.S. POLITICAL EDITOR FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and FRANCESCA CHAMBERS, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT and DAVID MARTOSKO, U.S. POLITICAL EDITOR FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 13:38 EDT, 1 November 2018 | UPDATED: 18:50 EDT, 1 November 2018

     



President Donald Trump issued a dire warning to would-be immigrants making their way toward the U.S., warning that thousands of U.S. troops being sent to the border would return fire if caravan members throw rocks at them.
Trump has already ordered thousands of troops to the southern border, and was asked after delivering a fiery speech at the White House whether he envisioned them firing on the people making there way approaching the border on foot. 
'I hope not. I hope not. It's the military. I hope there won't be that. But I will tell you this: Anybody throwing stones, rocks, like they did to Mexico and the Mexican military, Mexican police – where they badly hurt police and soldiers of Mexico – we will consider that a firearm,' Trump warned.


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'Anybody throwing stones, rocks ... we will consider that a firearm,' President Donald Trump warned at the White House Thursday

[size=10][size=18]Trump promises to tell US troops to treat rocks as 'firearms'


L[/size][/size]

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Trump spoke from the Roosevelt Room of the White House


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A 4,000-strong caravan set out before dawn from Juchitan to Matias Romero, at La Ventosa, Oaxaca State, Mexico, after being denied buses 
'Because there's not much difference. When you get hit in the face with a rock. Which, as you know, it was very violent a few days ago. Very, very violent,' he added.  

The president evoked a potentially violent confrontation at the border, and referenced clashes that have occurred in Mexico with Mexican authorities.  
'This is an invasion and nobody's really questioning that,' the president added.
Trump issued the threat after he delivered a long rant about illegal immigration from the White House on Thursday, blasting a clogged court system, called out people who jump the line of legal immigrants, and blasted what he called 'endemic abuse of the asylum system.'
The White House had touted the policy change, but the president was unable to deliver any new executive order, legislation, or other formal action. 
Asked at one point about current obligations via U.S. law and treaties to consider asylum claims, the president curtly responded: 'They're going to court, as crazy as it sounds.'
The president once again said the U.S. would build tent cities to manage the problem of would-be asylum seekers, and said: 'We'll be holding the family and the children together' in the tents.   
'We have other facilities also. But what's happened is, we are holding so many facilities, so many people that our facilities are overrun. They're being overrun. And we are putting up temporary facilities. Eventually people will not be coming here anymore when they realize they cannot get through,' Trump said.


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This map shows the latest positions of the four Central American caravans making their way to the US border 


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The migrants were hoping to compel Mexican authorities to provide transportation for them to Mexico City, but it did not happen, prompting them to continue walking 

[size=34]TRUMP'S IMMIGRATION STEMWINDER: HIS GREATEST HITS[/size]

Some of the more memorable moments from the president's November 1, 2018 immigration speech and the Q&A with reporters that followed:
 
ON WHETHER THE MILITARY WILL FIRE ON MIGRANT CARAVANS AT THE BORDER:  
'I hope not. I hope not. It's the military. I hope there won't be that. But I will tell you this: Anybody throwing stones, rocks, like they did to Mexico and the Mexican military, Mexican police – where they badly hurt police and soldiers of Mexico – we will consider that a firearm. Because there's not much difference. When you get hit in the face with a rock. Which, as you know, it was very violent a few days ago. Very, very violent.'
(AND LATER) 
'We will consider that the maximum that we can consider that. Because they're throwing rocks viciously and violently. You saw that three days ago, really hurting the military. We're not going to put up with that. They want to throw rocks at our military? Our military fights back. We're going to consider it – I told them, "Consider it a rifle." When they throw rocks like they did at the Mexico military and police, I say, "Consider it a rifle".'
ON WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO MIGRANTS' CHILDREN WHEN THEIR PARENTS ARE HELD IN 'TENT CITIES': 
'We're working on a system where they stay together. But I will say that by doing that, tremendous numbers – you know, under the Obama plan you could separate children. They never did anything about that. Nobody talks about that. But under President Obama they separated children from the parents. We actually put it so that didn't happen. But what happens when you do is you get tremendous numbers of people coming. It's almost like an incentive to – when they hear they're not going to be separated, they come many, many times over. But President Obama separated the children from the parents and nobody complained. When we continued the exact same law, this country went crazy.' 
ON WHETHER FAMILY UNITS WIL BE KEPT TOGETHER IN TENTS:
'We will be holding the family and the children together. Remember this: President Obama separated children from families. And all I did was take the same law, and then I softened the law. But by softening the law, many people come up that would not have come up if there was separation.'
ON WHETHER A HARD LINE ON IMMIGRATION IS A PRE-ELECTION PLOY:  
'There's nothing political about a caravan of thousands of people, and now others forming, pouring up into our country. We have no idea who they are. All we know is they're pretty tough people when they can blast through the Mexican military and Mexican police. They're pretty tough people. Even Mexico said, "Wow. These are tough people." I don't want them in our country. And women do not want them in our country. Women want security. Men don't want them in our country. But the women don't want them. Women want security. You look at what the women are looking for. They want to have security. They don't want these people in our country, and they're not going to be in our country. It's a very big thing.'
ON WHETHER THE CARAVANS ARE BEING ORGANIZED FROM THE OUTSIDE:
'They understand the law better than the lawyers understand the law. You have a lot of professionalism there, you have a lot of professionalism involved with setting up the caravans. You take a look at the way that's happening. Even the countries – you look at Honduras and El Salvador. And you look at what's happening at the different levels and different countries, or what's happening on the streets. There's a lot of professionalism taking place. And there seems to be a lot of money passing. And then all of a sudden, out of the blue, these big caravans are formed and they start marching up. They've got a long way to go.'




Asked if the children will be held in tent cities, Trump responded: 'We will be holding the family and the children together. Remember this: President Obama separated children from families. And all I did was take the same law, and then I softened the law. But by softening the law, many people come up that would not have come up if there was separation.'
Asked what would happen to the children, Trump gave a lengthy answer where he mentioned President Barack Obama three times.
'We're working on a system where they stay together. But I will say that by doing that, tremendous numbers – you know, under the Obama plan you could separate children. 
'They never did anything about that. Nobody talks about that. But under President Obama they separated children from the parents. We actually put it so that didn't happen. But what happens when you do is you get tremendous numbers of people coming. It's almost like an incentive to – when they hear they're not going to be separated, they come many, many times over. 
'But President Obama separated the children from the parents and nobody complained. When we continued the exact same law, this country went crazy. So we are going to continue and try to continue what we're doing. But it is a tremendous incentive for people to try. But it's going to be very, very hard for people to come into out country.'
With the election just days away, the president complained about a 'catch and release' immigration system he said failed because people are choosing not to show up for their court appearances. 
'They never show up at the trials. They never come back, they're never seen again,' the president vented. 
The president vowed to 'take every lawful action at my disposal to address this crisis,' and emphasized asylum in particular. But he was vague on providing any details.
He said he was 'finalizing a plan to end the rampant abuse of our asylum system.' 
He complained about drugs, crime, and a caravan of immigrants making its way toward the border.  
'We're not releasing them into our country any longer. They'll wait long periods of time.'
In one of many tangents, he vented: 'Fentanyl is killing our youth.'
The president said members of the caravan would not be getting asylum.
'We will be doing an executive order some time next week ... it'll be quite comprehensive.' 


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Honduran girls hug while waiting in line for a chance to play on the playground at a camp set up by a caravan of thousands of Central American migrants in Juchitan, Mexico, Wednesday
'These migrants are not legitimate asylum seekers. They're not looking for protection because if they were, they'd be able to get it from Mexico.'
He called human traffickers 'The lowest scum on earth.'
Trump once again went after the people comprising the caravan.
'These are tough people in many cases. A lot of young men, strong men. And a lot of men that maybe we don't want in our country,' Trump said. 
But he also acknowledged that many of those drawn to the U.S. were coming to reap the benefits of the U.S. economy.
'We right now have the hottest economy anywhere in the world,' Trump said. 'In some cases they want to take advantage of that,' he allowed.
 In give-and-take with reporters, Trump rejected the suggestion he was just making a political move for the elections. Early voting has already begun and Election Day is Tuesday.
'There's nothing political about a caravan of thousands of people, and now others forming, pouring up into our country. We have no idea who they are,' Trump said.
'All we know is they're pretty tough people when they can blast through the Mexican military and Mexican police. They're pretty tough people. Even Mexico said, 'Wow. These are tough people.' I don't want them in our country.'
With the views of female voters holding a potentially decisive role in control of the House with multiple toss-up suburban races, Trump said:  'And women do not want them in our country. Women want security. Men don't want them in our country. But the women don't want them. Women want security. You look at what the women are looking for. They want to have security. They don't want these people in our country, and they're not going to be in our country. It's a very big thing.'
In one of many odd features of his remarks, Trump appeared to thank the crowd when he first entered the Roosevelt Room, even though only reporters and photographers and a few aides were there, and no one had applauded him, which would have been out of the ordinary if it did happen.
'Thank you very much everyone. Appreciate it,' Trump said to the silent room.
The White House in advance touted a coming directive denying asylum to migrants who try to enter the country illegally this afternoon as he takes action to thwart migrant caravans heading toward the United States' southern border. 
Trump also said this week that he wants to get rid of birthright citizenship to discourage migrants from coming to America to giving birth to children who will automatically become United States citizens.
'Birthright citizenship' is derived from the 14th Amendment.  Trump says that wording of the amendment leaves room for him to exercise his authority as the nation's executive to keep children born to illegal immigrants for immediately becoming citizens.
The Immigration and Nationality Act similarly requires the federal government to follow asylum laws. However, Trump is expected to push the boundaries of his authority on immigration anyway, just like he did with extreme vetting.
It took him three tries, but the proposal was eventually held up in a watered-down form by the Supreme Court. Trump said he barred legal residents of countries with ties to terror from temporarily coming to America, because their entry was a national security threat, not because they were from majority-Muslim nations.
This week, as he plotted executive actions that would make massive changes to the immigration system days before the mid-term elections, he pointed to Barack Obama's 2012 decree that illegal immigrants who were brought to the country as children could stat in the U.S. indefinitely through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Trump made his most audacious attempt yet on Wednesday night to turn a sea of approaching Central American migrants into a midterm voting issue, tweeting a video linking them to a death row inmate who killed two Sacramento, California police officers after being deported twice from the United States and returning each time.
Convicted cop killer Luis Bracamontes famously grinned and swore his way through his trial and sentencing this year, vowing to escape and kill more police officers.
He screamed 'F*** you, judge!' during a late January hearing and was banned from attending the rest of his trial in person, watching the remaining days on video monitors.
Trump's 55.5 million Twitter followers saw his own take on the case, a recap of the trial's most shocking moments titled: 'Illegal immigrant Luis Bracamontes killed our people!'
CNN editorialized through its website: 'Trump campaign releases racist ad.' 

[size=34]ASYLUM, THE MEXICAN BORDER AND DONALD TRUMP: WHAT TO KNOW[/size]

WHAT IS ASYLUM?  
Asylum is a protection and status granted to foreign nationals who fit the criteria of a refugee as defined by international law.
Once granted, asylum status allows that person to live and work in this country and apply for a green card after one year of residence.
HOW DO YOU GET ASYLUM? 
Many people apply for asylum when they first arrive at the U.S. border - where it is legal to seek the protected status. 
People already living in the country may also be able to successfully pursue asylum after their arrival - typically if they apply within one year of arrival.
People are considered eligible for asylum when they are unable or unwilling to return to his or her home country because they can't obtain protection in that country due to past persecution or a well-founded fear of future persecution based on their 'race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion,' according to the Refugee Act of 1980.
IS THE MEXICAN BORDER ANY DIFFERENT?
Trump said that he will only accept asylum applications from people who have crossed at legal crossing points on the Mexican border.
It is unclear if he can do this and it will likely be for courts to decide if that is possible. 
In theory his powers are at their apex at the border and the government can reject anyone trying to enter.
But asylum is covered by international treaties enacted into U.S. laws which do not contain limits on where it is possible to claim asylum. So he is likely to face 
HOW THE PROCESS WORKS 
Applying for asylum can take years. In order to pursue a claim, immigrants must first pass a test known as the credible fear review before they are allowed to make their case before an immigration judge.
That review allows them to say why they are fleeing their country and establishes whether they have a legitimate fear of persecution or torture. Individuals who don't pass the credible fear review can request a hearing to reconsider their plea, but many are quickly deported to their home countries.
In 2017, 60,566 people were found to have credible fear - meaning their cases could go to a full court hearing. 
That year, 28,408 asylum cases reached a final decision in U.S. immigration courts. Of those, 10,697 applications were granted and the remaining 17,711 applicants were denied and slated for deportation. But how many leave voluntarily, and how many are deported is not clear. Immigration and Customs Enforcement do not publish a number of failed asylum seekers it has removed.  
HOW IT'S CHANGED ALREADY UNDER TRUMP 
It has gotten got harder to gain credible fear status under the Trump administration: in June, Attorney General Jeff Sessions made a decision that reversed previous guidelines that domestic violence and gangs were reasons to have 'credible fear' - which means that anyone now claiming asylum has a higher bar to cross.
The Trump administration has said that to be applied correctly, asylum must be granted to people who are seeking to escape persecution by a government - not from a violent family member or gang, as had widely been accepted after a 2014 immigration court ruling found those applicants were eligible for asylum.
While some legal experts believe it is still possible to argue cases on behalf of the immigrants affected by Sessions' decision, that will be impossible if they don't make it past their credible fear review.

Truly hope that some big backers are upping the ante on this:

https://vote.marchforourlives.com/vote-for-our-lives/

PAN, it will be interesting to see the breakdown of who voted after the Tuesday elections.  March For Our Lives’ advocates have been campaigning across the country this past year especially over the summer to get young people registered to vote and talk about how imperative it is for first time and young voters to get to the polls.  So let’s see if it worked and there’s a significant increase in millinnial and post-millennial voter turnout.

Yep, Donnamarie. I see from that page that people are still begging them to come to their area. And I would not be at all surprised if someone who's name begins with C is working away in the background to give back up and support in any way he can........

Gabby Giffords' twitter page is pretty amazing........




There is no doubt that at least half of world will be watching the US next week.

Oprah was in Georgia yesterday campaigning for Stacey Abrams who is running for Governor.  I think Abrams is the first black woman to be nominated for Governor in the U.S.  Oprah gave an amazing speech and went door to door to help get out the vote! Imagine the shock when people opened their doors ...  Obama was in Georgia today stumping for her too.  This is an important race to watch on Tuesday.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6348655/Supreme-Court-allows-trial-census-citizenship-question-forward.html

[size=34]Supreme Court allows trial on census citizenship question to go forward in major blow for the Trump administration[/size]

• The Supreme Court rejected a request by the Trump administration to halt a trial that challenges the inclusion of a question on citizenship in the 2020 census 
  
  
• The lawsuit tests the legality of the government's decision to ask people taking part in the 2020 national census whether they are citizens
  
  
• Critics said it would deter immigrant communities from taking part in the census
  
  
• The trial is scheduled to begin Monday in New York and will go ahead as planned
  
  

By LEAH MCDONALD FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and REUTERS
PUBLISHED: 00:52 EDT, 3 November 2018 | UPDATED: 01:15 EDT, 3 November 2018

     




The US Supreme Court rejected a request by Donald Trump's administration to halt a trial that challenges the inclusion of a question concerning citizenship in the 2020 census.
The lawsuit - filed by New York, other states and advocacy groups - will test the legality of the government's contentious decision to ask people taking part in the 2020 national census whether they are citizens.
The Supreme Court judges announced the action in a one-sentence order. The trial is scheduled to begin Monday in New York and will go ahead as planned. 


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The nine-member US Supreme Court (pictured) have allowed a trial that challenges the inclusion of a question concerning citizenship in the 2020 census to proceed on Monday 


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Donald Trump's administration had argued that there should be no trial until the justices rule on a fight over evidence
Three conservative justices - Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch - said they would have granted the request for an indefinite postponement of the trial.

Trump's new appointee to the nine-member court, Brett Kavanaugh, did not state publicly how he voted on the matter.
Kavanaugh was previously accused by sexual harassment by University lecturer Dr Christine Blasey Ford, but he was cleared of any wrongdoing in an FBI investigation.
The decision benefits the 18 states challenging the census citizenship question in part because such a postponement would have made it impossible to resolve the dispute before census forms are printed starting next year.




Amy Spitalnick, a spokeswoman for New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood, said the Trump administration has tried ‘every trick in the book’ to block the case
 The US Justice Department, which is defending the administration, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The trial, in federal court in New York City, was scheduled in a pair of lawsuits. The first, spearheaded by Democratic officials, was brought by 18 states as well as a number of cities and counties. 
The other was filed by several immigrant rights groups that accused the administration of discrimination against non-white immigrants.
The administration, in explaining the citizenship question, has said more precise citizenship data is needed to better enforce a voting rights law in order to protect minorities.
There has not been a census question about citizenship status since 1950.
The plaintiffs have said that in recent decades Census Bureau officials have opposed adding a citizenship question because of the risk of driving down response rates and under-counting the US population.
Manhattan U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman ruled in July that the plaintiffs 'plausibly allege' that Ross's decision was motivated by discrimination.


+4


Trump's new appointee to the nine-member court, Brett Kavanaugh, did not state publicly how he voted on the matter.
Furman ruled in September that Ross must face a deposition by lawyers for the states because his ‘intent and credibility are directly at issue’ in the lawsuit.
The Supreme Court later blocked that order.
The US Constitution mandates a census every ten years. It is used in the allocation of seats in Congress and the distribution of billions of dollars in federal funds.

Anybody see this last night?

This is the scariest thing of all the scary stuff I've seen in this era of American politics - and I don't even live there!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=814&v=o5fblYb4TQU

!!!

PAN -This shouldn't scare you. Basically it's just business as usual as Maddow pointed out - and we've managed to scrape along until now. It is infuriating, though, when it's as blatant as it is in Georgia. Still, no surprise. Our whole election process needs an overhaul.

Hopeful signs, Lizzy?

https://twitter.com/IdeaGov/status/1058752143992086528

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6350135/Trump-praises-barricades-set-border-Montana-rally-3-days-midterms.html

[size=34]'Barbed wire used properly can be a beautiful sight': Trump marvels at the barricades being set up at the border in passionate rally appearance just three days before the midterms[/size]

• The president focused on illegal immigration during his Saturday afternoon rally at Bozeman airport in Belgrade, Montana 
  
  
• He praised the 7,000 troops that have been deployed to the border to await the arrival of the migrant caravan en route from Central America 
  
  
• Trump also repeated a false claim that 'Democrats want to invite caravan after caravan' into the country in an attempt to stoke anxiety about the migrant group
  
  
• The caravan making its way through Mexico is weeks away from reaching the US
  
  
• The rally is part of the president's final efforts to get his supporters to show up at the polls as the midterm elections loom just three days away 
  
  

By MEGAN SHEETS FOR DAILYMAIL.COM 
PUBLISHED: 18:51 EDT, 3 November 2018 | UPDATED: 20:03 EDT, 3 November 2018

     

President Donald Trump once again focused on illegal immigration during a Saturday afternoon rally in Belgrade, Montana, as he makes his final push to get supporters out to the polls in the midterm elections, which are now just three days away.
Dipping into familiar rhetoric from previous rallies, Trump boasted about the military presence that's been ordered to meet the migrant caravan currently en route to the US-Mexico border from Central America.
As some 7,000 troops make their way to Texas, Arizona and California through this weekend, Trump praised the barricades that are being erected along the border, remarking: 'Barbed wire used properly can be a beautiful sight.' 

[size=10][size=18]Trump says 'barbed wire when used properly can be a beautiful sight'


Lo[/size][/size]

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Donald Trump praised the barricades being erected along America's southern border during a rally at the Bozeman Yellowstone Airport in Belgrade, Montana, on Saturday afternoon


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The president remarked: 'Barbed wire used properly can be a beautiful sight.' Pictured: Troops put razor wire atop a fence near the US-Mexico International bridge in Donna, Texas
Trump went on to make the false claim that 'the Democrats want to invite caravan after caravan' into the US.

The phrase repeated word-for-word from his Indiana rally appearance Friday night reflects Trump's effort to stoke anxiety about the group of migrants who are weeks away from arriving at the border. 
Speaking to the crowd at Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, Trump also made the baseless accusation that undocumented immigrants have been undertaking 'the worst human trafficking campaign in history'.
'You'd think it would have died out 300 years ago,' the president said. 'It's the worst it's ever been because of computers and the internet.' 


+8




During the final days of the midterm election season Trump has been focusing heavily on the migrant caravan on its way to the US-Mexico border from Central America (pictured on Friday)


+8




The president hopes that stoking anxiety about the caravan and the general issue of illegal immigration will increase Republican voter turnout at the polls on Tuesday


+8


Meanwhile some 7,000 active duty troops are deploying to Texas, Arizona and California over the weekend to meet the caravan, which is still weeks away from reaching the border








Pushing back on recent criticism that he's focusing too much on immigration issues during the final days before the election season, Trump said: 'The networks may criticize me. "Why doesn't he talk about the great economy?" Well I just did. But we have to talk about the problems.'
He added that he could 'only go four or five minutes' talking about the economy. 
'When we're fixing a problem or fixed a problem there's no reason to go on about it for 45 minutes,' he said.


+8


Trump was in Montana on Saturday to campaign for GOP Senate nominee Matt Rosendale


+8


Trump warned that if Republicans lose the House in Tuesday's election, 'radical Democrats' will undo his efforts over the past year, including employment growth and massive tax cuts
Trump spoke at the rally at the Bozeman airport to renew his support for GOP Senate nominee Matt Rosendale, who is trying to unseat the Democratic incumbent, Jon Tester.
It was Trump's fourth visit to Montana as he works to stave off Democratic enthusiasm on Tuesday's midterm elections. 
He told the crowd that if Republicans lose the House in Tuesday's election, 'radical Democrats' will undo his efforts over the past year. 
Repeating a claim that has been debunked several times over, Trump said Democrats 'want to impose socialism on the United States' and turn it into Venezuela, a reference to 'Medicare for all' proposals.
After Montana, Trump is headed to another rally in Pensacola, Florida, where both the gubernatorial and senatorial debates remain in a dead heat.  



Saturday's rally at Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport on Saturday afternoon was Trump's fourth visit to Montana as he works to bolster his party ahead of the midterms 


+8


Trump departed Montana for a rally Saturday night in Florida, where the gubernatorial and senatorial races remain tight. Montana supporters can be seen waving as his plane took off

PAN -Could be good news.. Could also mean the races are going to be very close. Drumpf's been energizing his base with all kinds of scare tactics, so they might be coming out to vote more than usual. Also, all the attention being given the heavy turnout of young and first time voters who tend to lean progressive is shaking up the Republicans so they're really pushing their constituents to vote. The Democrats really can't afford to assume anything. That's what they did in the presidential election and it was a huge mistake.

What Drumpf is doing at the border is disgusting. Reminds me of Berlin after the war when anyone- man, woman or child- who tried to cross over to the West was shot. What he is asking our servicemen to do is not just sickening - it is illegal! And talk about "human trafficking" coming from a man whose grandfather ran a whorehouse is the height of hypocrisy! (IMO it also explains a lot about Drumpf's attitude toward women). He really needs to be gone.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6350619/Brad-Pitt-George-Clooney-Julia-Roberts-come-against-toxic-Trump.html

PAN - As you can see from the comments on that article not everyone thinks stars' opinions count for much. They might even annoy some trumpers into voting. In this election nothing is a given.

One poster snidely asked why, if they're such big stars, they could only air this "telethon" on YouTube. Easy answer. If they aired it on broadcast tv they'd have to allow equal time to the other side. We've already had enough of that.

The whole celebrity opinion is is simply theirs. Everyone should make up their own minds no matter who says anything.

Yep, Lizzy, and of I have a feeling that's why some have stayed clear.It could be counter productive. And George would be an even bigger target now given his wealth, backing of Hillary etc last time

But backing these people is a far wiser move

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/05/vote-for-our-lives-youth-midterm-elections-nra

It must be killing him to stay quiet!!

.........I'm going to follow this guy.......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6zAyPRbels

PAN - There are hundreds like him all over the country. If we're lucky a lot of them will get in and we'll see a change for the better. Fingers crossed!

I hope he wins.

You might like to look at The Guardian's live coverage of the election on line.......(George's favourite paper that he described as stellar)

They have reporters across the country

https://www.theguardian.com/uk

Evidence of rigging.......

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp2RAC4HEei/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1t1t37pv7k0ww

PAN - I saw something a couple of days ago where early votes for Beto O'Rourke were switched to Ted Cruz. I don't know how many more of these situations will turn up, but I hope they're all challenged.

When I went to vote today I met a girl who said she hadn't gotten her Board of Elections notification about where to vote (which we all get before every election). She had voted at my polling place before and couldn't understand why they didn't notify her. I don't know how it turned out, but I advised her to get an affidavit ballot if they couldn't find her name on the rolls. That way she can be sure her vote will be counted.

It was really nice to see so many people at my polling place. This is a neighborhood of many immigrants, a lot of whom aren't eligible to vote yet, so to see the polls busy was good news. The system can work if we participate.

party animal - not! wrote:Evidence of rigging.......

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp2RAC4HEei/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1t1t37pv7k0ww

That's the problem with using machines instead of simply marking a name on a piece of paper. A paper always works. Of course the ballot papers have to be evaluated which can cause failures.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6361331/Alabama-acknowledges-unborn-babies-right-life-states-abortion-battle.html

[size=34]Alabama and West Virginia LIMIT abortion rights by voting citizens have 'no right' to the procedure, creating a backup plan in case Roe v. Wade is overturned[/size]

• Alabama has voted to acknowledge unborn babies' 'right to life' on Tuesday
  
  
• The anti-abortion language will protect the rights of the unborn child and says the constitution doesn't provide a right to an abortion or require funding
  
  
• In West Virginia, citizens voted to add a section to its constitution that says: 'Nothing... secures or protects a right to abortion or the funding of abortion' 
  
  
• Neither state limits access to abortion as long as Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that established a right to abortion, remains in place 
  
  
• However it would become the states' guidance if it was altered or overturned 
  
  
• Recently appointed Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh would not say if he found the Roe v. Wade ruling to be an 'important precedent' 
  
  

By CHEYENNE ROUNDTREE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 23:00 EST, 6 November 2018 | UPDATED: 02:08 EST, 7 November 2018

     




Alabama and West Virginia voters have added pro-life measures to their states' constitutions in case Roe V. Wade is overturned.
Alabama voted to acknowledge unborn babies' 'right to life' in Tuesday's elections, with more than 60 percent wanting to 'recognize the sanctity of unborn life and the rights of unborn children, including the right to life'.
The amendment will also secure 'the protection of the rights of the unborn child in all manners and measures lawful and appropriate.'
West Virginia narrowly passed a pro-life measure that ruled citizens have 'no right to abortion' and the state is not required to fund abortions. Alabama also passed a similar measure.

The amendments were proposed in case Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that legalized abortion nationwide, is overturned - ensuring that both states' constitutions could not be used to allow abortions.
The language does not limit access to abortion as long as Roe v. Wade remains in place, but it would become the state's top legal guidance if Roe is altered or overturned.


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Alabama and West Virginia voters have added pro-life measures to their states' constitutions in case Roe V. Wade is overturned 
Brett Kavanaugh, the controversial recently appointed Supreme Court Justice, has stoked both hopes and anxieties that the court will be more open to abortion restrictions.
During his hearings, Kavanaugh would not say if he found the ruling to be an 'important precedent' but his interpretation of when a woman can exercise her right to an abortion is much more narrowly defined than what federal law currently allows.
In a memo Kavanaugh wrote in 2003, which was made public during the hearings, he acknowledged that the Supreme Court 'can always overrule' Roe v. Wade.
'I am not sure that all legal scholars refer to Roe as the settled law of the land at the Supreme Court level since Court can always overrule its precedent,' he wrote, adding that some conservative justices then on the court 'would do so.'
Opponents argue the amendments would clear the way to ban all abortions in the state if Roe is reversed.
'Amendment 2 would pave the way to ban abortions without exception in Alabama which would mean that there are no exceptions for rape or incest or if the life of the woman were in danger,' said Katie Glenn, state director of Planned Parenthood Southeast. 

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Brett Kavanaugh, the controversial recently appointed Supreme Court Justice, has wavered on if he would vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that legalized abortion nationwide, once he was on the highest court
Proponents say the amendment is a statement of what Alabama voters believe, and have accused opponents of exaggerating the implications.
'If you are a pro-life voter who believes in protecting the rights and lives of unborn babies, you have an opportunity to do that by voting yes for Amendment 2 on Nov. 6,' said Rick Renshaw, the political director of the Alliance for a Pro-Life Alabama, a group formed by conservative and anti-abortion groups, to support the amendment.
Renshaw said the language would 'position Alabama in the future for public policy decisions on abortion if Roe. V. Wade was overturned.' He added that is 'a big if.'
Eric Johnston, director of the Alabama Pro-Life Coalition, said even if Roe is overturned, the constitutional language does not restrict abortion by itself. He said lawmakers would have to come back and approve criminal statutes to spell out what is and isn't legal.
Alabama has a decades-old existing statute on the book that predates Roe that makes it a crime to induce, or help induce, an abortion unless necessary to preserve a mother's life or health.


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Oregon voted against banning the use of public funds to cover a majority of abortions on Tuesday, meaning Medicaid patients will still have coverage for the procedure
The GOP-controlled Legislature approved the measure in the 2017 legislative session to put on the ballot during this year's general election when they are also up for election.
Planned Parenthood has given nearly $800,000 to Alabama for Healthy Families, a group formed with other advocates of abortion rights, to fight the amendment.
In Oregon, citizens voted against banning the use of public funds to cover a majority of abortions on Tuesday, meaning Medicaid patients will still have coverage for the procedure.
The state is one of 17 states that uses its own money to provide abortions to women eligible for Medicaid.
Under the rejected measure, the state constitution would allow funding for abortion only if a woman is in danger of death because of her physical condition or in cases where funding is required under federal law, which now includes rape and incest.
Voters in Oregon have rejected funding bans in 1978 and 1986. 
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6364361/Trump-claims-Nancy-Pelosi-beautiful-relationship-Republicans-lose-House.html

[size=34]I'll work with Democrats but only if they DON'T investigate me says Trump as he claims he and Nancy Pelosi could have 'a beautiful relationship' after Republicans lose House[/size]

• Democrats reclaimed the House majority  in the mid-terms opening the way for agony for President Donald Trump 
  
  
• He called Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi - now favorite to be Speaker -  to concede defeat and praise her for bipartisanship
  
  
• But her new caucus includes progressive firebrands who have spoken about impeachment, while the Ways and Means chair can demand his tax returns 
  
  
• Pelosi is not guaranteed the speaker's gavel with some in her party saying they will not support her 
  
  
• Trump said he'd help deliver the votes to make her speaker, because he truly believes she's hard-working and deserves it 
  
  

By FRANCESCA CHAMBERS, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 13:58 EST, 7 November 2018 | UPDATED: 14:04 EST, 7 November 2018

     


President Donald Trump endorsed Nancy Pelosi for House speaker after Republicans' stinging defeat and said he'd deliver the votes she needs for the position if Democrats refuse to provide them. 
He said they could have a 'beautiful relationship' and pass substantive legislation. She's a 'hard-working' person who 'deserves it,' he claimed.  
'She’s fought long and hard, she’s a very capable person, and you have other people shooting at her trying to take over the speakership,' he said of Pelosi. 'I said, if it’s appropriate, I said if we can, if she has a problem I think I could very easily supply her the necessary votes.'


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President Donald Trump endorsed Nancy Pelosi for House speaker after Republicans' stinging defeat and said he'd deliver the votes she needs for the position if Democrats refuse to provide them.
Trump warned Democrats that they could play hard ball with him and spend their time probing him, or they could lay down arms in the spirit if bipartisanship.

He said he truly appreciated Pelosi's message Tuesday evening on national unity, and claimed that in a call she made him no promises on impeachment.
The likely speaker's office signaled that peace talks were in progress when Trump called Pelosi to concede the House after she denounced 'division' and promised to put 'checks and balances' on the White House.
It was a more graceful end to the evening for Trump than his White House had claimed; Press Secretary Sarah Sanders had refused to acknowledge that Pelosi would be the next House speaker two hours prior as she brushed off Democratic gains in the lower chamber.
Even if Democrats do take the House, she had said, Trump won't be calling their party leader.
'I'm not sure why he would call Nancy Pelosi considering a lot of members of her own party said they wouldn't support her,' Sanders asserted. 'If Democrats win tonight, I think you need to wait and see who their speaker is.'
At 11:45 pm, the president did call to congratulate Pelosi, however, the Democratic leader's spokesman Drew Hammill said in a tweet.
'He acknowledged the Leader’s call for bipartisanship in her victory remarks,' Hammill said. 



Sanders confirmed that he called every current leader, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and outgoing House Speaker Paul Ryan, less than an hour after.
Her statement merely said that Trump 'spoke' with Pelosi and did not disclose the content of the call.
Trump did not make an on-camera appearance on Tuesday night as he watched the returns in the White House residence with friends and family and called winning candidates.
His only public statement was a short tweet that said: 'Tremendous success tonight. Thank you to all!' 
Sanders came before the cameras twice to say that he was upbeat about the results.
'So far we feel good about where we are,' she told Fox News as bad news about the House started rolling in but Republicans kept their edge in the Senate.
Speaking to reporters piled one on top of another to get the president's first reaction to his party being pushed from power, Sanders said that candidates that Trump campaigned alongside were doing well in the mid-terms and he deserves credit for their successes.
'I think James Carville said it best when he said anybody that was anticipating a blue wave tonight is not going to get it. Maybe you get a ripple, but I certainly don't think you get a blue wave,' she said of the beating House Republicans were taking.


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NEXT SPEAKER? The president refused to call Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday to congratulate Democrats on their successes in the House. White House said she might not be speaker, so he doesn't see the point


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The president's spokeswoman, Sarah Sanders, said that Donald Trump, who was said to be watching the returns in the residence with friends and family, was upbeat about the GOP's prospects
Democrats are expected to control the House of Representatives after Tuesday's election for the first time in eight years, giving them the ability to deeply complicate the next two years of Trump's presidency with investigations, subpoenas and even an impeachment proceeding.
A former House speaker, Pelosi could return to that role in January, although dozens of Democratic incumbents have said they want a fresh face and younger blood to lead them. The 78-year-old congresswoman from California has lead the Democratic Party for more than a decade and has already been speaker once.
Control of the chamber is likely to switch hands for the third time in 12 years when the new legislative session begins. America had not seen that level of fluctuation in Congress since World War II.
Democrats needed a shift of just 23 House seats to claim the gavel. Most forecasters considered that outcome likely but not guaranteed. At midnight, they had flipped 20 seats and were on their way to at least seven more.
With Trump as president, the nation's off-year political contest took on the character of the World Series instead of the sleepy minor-league affairs they usually are.
At stake was the future of the populist political movement that sent him to Washington. He hoped a win for Republicans would quiet his critics inside the GOP and embolden him for at least two more years of pro-business, 'America First' governing that's hawkish on trade and uncompromising toward illegal immigration.
But a Democrat-led House is likely to cripple his legislative agenda and bring the wheels of government to a halt as his political enemies launch investigations into allegations of election-year collusion with Russia and a growing list of other scandal-ready material.
It could also prompt him to veto legislation that emerges from a split Congress, something he hasn't had to do so far. 
Republicans' majority in the Senate appeared safe on Tuesday night, however, as Indiana and North Dakota Democrats were bounced from the upper chamber of Congress and a liberal former governor endorsed by pop star Taylor Swift failed to capture a seat vacated by a retiring Republican. 




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FIRST BLOOD: Republican Rep. Barbara comstock (right) was bounced from her job by upstart Democrat Jennifer Wexton (left) in Tuesday's midterm congressional election, the first of what liberals hope is a night full of flips and reversals


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Back to Washington: Donna Shalala was the Health and Human Services secretary during the Bill Clinton presidency, and she won a House seat Tuesday as part of a strong night for Democrats

ALL THE FLIPPED HOUSE SEATS 

[size=16]DEMOCRATIC PICK-UPS
Virginia 2nd: Democrat Elaine Luria beat incumbent Republican Scott Taylor
Virginia 7th: Democrat Abigail Spanberger beat incumbent Republican Dave Brat
Virginia 10th: Democrat Jennifer Wexton beat incumbent Republican Barbara Comstock
Florida 26th: Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell beat Republican Carlos Curbelo
Florida 27th: Democrat Donna Shalala, beat Republican Maria Elvira Salazar
New Jersey 11th: Democrat Mikie Sherrill beat Republican Jay Webber
New Jersey 7th: Democrat Tom Malinowski beat incumbent Republican Leonard Lance
New Jersey 2nd: Democrat Jeff Van Drew beat Republican Seth Grossman
New York 11th: Democrat Max Rose defeated Republican Dan Donovan 
New York 19th: Democrat Antonio Delgado beat incumbent Republican John Faso
Pennsylvania 5th: Democrat Mary Gay Scanlon beat Republican Pearl Kim
Pennsylvania 6th: Democrat Chrissy Houlahan beat Republican Greg McCauley
Pennsylvania 7th: Democrat Susan Wild defeated Republican Marty Nothstein
Minnesota 2nd: Democrat Angie Craig beat incumbent Republican Jason Lewis
Minnesota 3rd: Democrat Dean Phillips beat incumbent Republican Erik Paulsen
Kansas 3rd: Democrat Sharice Davids beat incumbent Republican Kevin Yoder
Colorado 6th: Democrat Jason Crow beat incumbent Republican Mike Coffman.
Texas 32nd: Democrat Colin Allred beat incumbent Republican Pete Sessions.
Oklahoma 5th: Democrat Kendra Horn beat Republican Steve Russell
Arizona 2nd: Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick beat Republican Lea Marquez Peterson
Iowa 1st: Democrat Abby Finkenauer beat incumbent Republican Rod Blum.
Iowa 3rd: Democrat Cindy Axne beat Republican incumbent David Young
Illinois 14th: Democrat Lauren Underwood beat Republican incumbent Randy Hultgren
Illinois' 6: Democrat Sean Casten beat Republican incumbent Peter Roskam
REPUBLICAN PICK-UP 
Pennsylvania 14: Republican Guy Reschenthaler beat Democrat Bibiana Boerio [/size]



Senate results came fast and furious, dashing Democrats' hopes of assembling a majority that could block Trump's future judicial and Cabinet nominees and make impeachment a real possibility.  
As polls closed one time zone at a time in what politicians on the left and right have called 'the most important election' in most Americans' lives, they drew first blood by knocking off a Republican congresswoman in a suburban Virginia district just outside of Washington. They elected a Bill Clinton-era Cabinet member.
GOP Rep. Barbara Comstock failed to fendoff political newcomer Jennifer Wexton, losing the seat in Congress she has held for just two terms.
Wexton and other Democrats managed to brand Comstock 'Trumpstock,' linking her with parts of the president's agenda that have grown unpopular in the left-trending suburbs of Washington, D.C.
A Republican has represented voters in Virginia's affluent 10th Congressional District for 60 of the last 66 years. But the Democrat-heavy base in the suburbs surrounding the ultimate government-run 'company town' – Washington, D.C. – has expanded in recent election cycles, devouring previously safe GOP territory year after year.
Democrats got their second win of the night in Florida, where former President Bill Clinton's Health and Human Services secretary, Donna Shalala, won a House race that was considered a coin flip on Tuesday morning. 
New Yorkers sent 29-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a democratic socialist, to the House of Representatives in a deep blue district. 
Tuesday's crucial contests were a referendum on the first two years of Trump's presidency and will determine how much – or how little – help he will have in Congress during the rest of his first term.
At the White House, his press secretary insisted that his legislative priorities wouldn't shift, regardless of whether his party controls a majority of offices. 
'The President's agenda isn't going to change regardless of whose party is there. We are still going to be an administration that is focused on lowering the taxes, growing our economy, creating jobs, defeating ISIS, remaking the judiciary, fixing the tremendous opioid crisis that we have, I think we can work with Democrats on that,' she said.
She said that Trump still wants to pass an infrastructure package and claimed that immigration 'is a place where we have to spend some time.'
'Hopefully Democrats will do what they have been unwilling to do in the past and that's come to the table and actually do the job they were elected to do and work with the President to solve some problems.'
In exit polling published by ABC News and other outlets, Trump received 44 per cent approval for his job performance as president. Fifty-five per cent disapproved. That's actually higher than the marks Trump had received in many national polls during the past six weeks.  
A 53-43 majority of voters told pollsters after casting their ballots that they would prefer to see Democrats control the House when the next Congress is seated in January. 


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Twenty-nine-year-old Democratic nominee for New York's 14th congressional district Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won a House seat in a stunning turnaround after unseating a long-term incumbent with an unapologetic message of democratic socialism
Every seat in the House of Representatives was up for grabs on Tuesday, along with 35 of the 100 Senate seats. Voters also decided on 36 races for state governors.  
Republicans were aiming to hold their majorities in both chambers of Congress. Democrats were trying to take over in what pundits called 'blue wave' that the Trump administration said it would block with a 'red wall.'    
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6365549/CNNs-Jim-Acosta-BANNED-White-House.html

[size=34]CNN's Jim Acosta is BANNED from the White House as it suspends his media credentials after heated press conference exchange with the President[/size]

• CNN Correspondent Jim Acosta was denied access to the White House on Wednesday night
  
  
• Acosta got into heated shouting match with Trump at White House press conference earlier Wednesday
  
  
• Trump told him 'that's enough' and female White House intern tried to take the provided mic back from Acosta
  
  
• Acosta pulled the mic away and continued to try to grill Trump over his description of the migrant caravan
  
  
• GOP Chairwoman blasts 'media grandstanding' and other conservatives react in disgust at Acosta's actions 
  
  
• CNN stands by Acosta in a statement saying the 'President's ongoing attacks on the press have gone too far'
  
  

By KEITH GRIFFITH and EMILY GOODIN, U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 20:00 EST, 7 November 2018 | UPDATED: 07:13 EST, 8 November 2018

     


CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta has been denied access to the White House after getting into a heated shouting match with President Donald Trump and pulling a mic away from a female aide at a press conference.
A Secret Service agent denied Acosta entry to the White House grounds on Wednesday evening, and revoked his 'hard pass', the long-term press pass issued to the White House press corps.
'I’ve just been denied entrance to the WH. Secret Service just informed me I cannot enter the WH grounds for my 8pm hit,' Acosta wrote in a tweet at 7.46pm. 
Minutes later, the CNN journalist posted a cell phone video of a Secret Service agent asking him to hand over his press pass and removing it from his lanyard. 


[size=10][size=18]Acosta banned from the White House after heated press conference


L[/size][/size]







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Acosta shot hasty cell phone video (above) of a Secret Service officer denying him entry to the White House and revoking his press pass on Wednesday evening, after Acosta grappled with a female intern over a mic while shouting at Trump









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Acosta wrestled with a White House intern who tried to take the provided mic to pass it to another journalist


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President Donald Trump and CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta got into a heated verbal back-and-forth


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Acosta returned to the studio to address his White House ban on CNN colleague Anderson Cooper's show





In a statement, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said that Acosta's hard pass had been suspended 'until further notice' as a result of his actions at a press conference earlier in the day. 
Acosta appeared on his CNN colleague Anderson Cooper's program to address the incident, saying: 'I do think, Anderson, that this is a test for all of us. I do think they're trying to shut us down to some extent inside the White House press corps.' 
'I didn't put my hands on her or touch her as they’re alleging. It's unfortunate the White House is saying this... I think I handled myself professionally.'
On Wednesday afternoon, Acosta got into a heated verbal back-and-forth with Trump that resulted in the president telling him to 'sit down' as the journalist wrestled with a female aide to keep her from passing the mic to another journalist.
'President Trump believes in a free press and expects and welcomes tough questions of him and his Administration. We will, however, never tolerate a reporter placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern,' Sanders said. 'This conduct is absolutely unacceptable.' 

Poll

Yes
No
Sanders also blasted back at an earlier CNN statement that supported Acosta and said 'this President's ongoing attacks on the press have gone too far'.
'Contrary to CNN’s assertions there is no greater demonstration of the President’s support for a free press than the event he held today. Only they would attack the President for not supporting a free press in the midst of him taking 68 questions from 35 different reporters,' Sanders said. 
'The fact that CNN is proud of the way their employee behaved is not only disgusting, it‘s an example of their outrageous disregard for everyone, including young women, who work in this Administration.'
In a tweet, Acosta called Sanders' statement 'a lie' without elaborating.
CNN in a statement also flatly accused Sanders of lying about the nature of the confrontation between Acosta and the female intern.
'She provided fraudulent accusations and and cited an incident that never happened,' the news network said. 'This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better. Jim Acosta has our full support.' 
The White House Correspondents’ Association issued a statement condemning the Trump administration for revoking Acosta's press pass. 
'Revoking access to the White House complex is a reaction out of line to the purported offense and is unacceptable,'the group said. 'We urge the White House to immediately reverse this weak and misguided action.'
'We encourage anyone with doubts that this reaction was disproportionate to the perceived offense to view the video of the events from earlier today,' the group said. 


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Acosta's defenders urged people to look at video of the interaction, saying it proves Sanders was incorrect that the journalist 'placed his hands' on a female intern. A still of the video is seen above


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The video shows the intern reaching for the mic, as Acosta's left hand appears to push her left arm down as he grips the mic


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White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders is seen at the press conference on Wednesday afternoon. She issued a statement later in the day saying Jim Acosta's press pass had been suspended until further notice
















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Acosta's shouting match with Trump came as Acosta was asking Trump a lengthy question about the migrant caravan, arguing that the President should not have called the caravan an 'invasion'.
'That's enough!' Trump said as Acosta tried to move on to another question about the Russia investigation, batting away the arm of a young female intern who was trying to take the provided mic back. 
'CNN should be ashamed of itself having you work for them. You are a rude terrible person. You shouldn't be working for CNN,' the president said to Acosta.
'When you report fake news, which CNN does a lot, you are the enemy of the people,' he told him.
The heated exchange drew scathing criticism of Acosta from conservative quarters on Twitter, even as liberals branded the outspoken correspondent a 'hero' and a 'national treasure.' 
'Is there ever a Jim Acosta story that’s not about Jim Acosta,' asked Dan Bongino, a former Secret Service agent, podcaster and frequent Fox News guest. 'This guy is an intergalactic embarrassment who has turned rational Americans, some still looking for some sanity in the media, against them. What a disgrace.' 
'We all value a free press, but it’s unfortunate that some reporters seem more interested in getting their own cable show than doing their jobs. The media grandstanding has gone overboard,' tweeted GOP Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, who was present at the press conference. 
'Acosta’s behavior was beyond unprofessional,' said John Cardillo, a conservative host for Newsmax TV.
Trump and Acosta have long have a contentious relationship as the CNN reporter often asks the president questions that seemed designed to illicit a reaction from him.
Acosta, speaking on CNN after the exchange, said he thought the president was defensive because he lost in Tuesday's election.
'He sounded, I thought, very depressed, very despondent, almost defeated in the way he was talking about these election results. I think that's probably why you saw things spiral out of control. We're not used to -- the president is not used to seeing himself lose and he lost big,' Acosta said.


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CNN's Jim Acosta detaches his earphone at the end of a news conference after a tense exchange between Acosta and Trump
He then addressed Trump calling CNN 'fake news' and an 'enemy of the people': 'I think the American people know we're friends of the American people, we're going to defend the American people and we're going to stand up for our rights to seek the truth in this country, and the president can call us all the names in the world but we're going to keep doing our jobs.'
The president snapped at other reporters in the room on Wednesday and told them to sit down, including Urban Radio's April Ryan, who tried to interject with a question without being called on.
'Sit down please. Sit down. I didn't call on you. I didn't call on you,' Trump said when Ryan tried to get in a question.
'Excuse me I'm not responding to you. I'm talking to his gentleman. Would you please sit down,' he said after calling on Daily Caller correspondent Saagar Enjeti with Ryan attempting to ask a question instead.
And when Ryan attempted to keep asking, the president said: 'It's such a hostile media. It's so sad.' 
'You rudely interrupted him,' Trump told Ryan.  
Trump also accused Yamiche Alcindor, an African-American White House correspondent for PBS' 'NewsHour' of asking a 'racist' question.
'That's a racist question,' he told her when she asked him about calling himself a nationalist and if he was concerned people saw him as a white nationalist. 'To say that what you said is so insulting to me.'
'I'm simply asking the questions the public wants to know,' Alcindor tweeted later. 
But Wednesday's exchange with Acosta was startling in its vitriol. CNN defended Acosta in a statement.
'This President's ongoing attacks on the press have gone too far. They are not only dangerous, they are disturbingly un-American. While President Trump has made it clear he does not respect a free press, he has a sworn obligation to protect it. A free press is vital to democracy and we stand behind Jim Acosta and his fellow journalists everywhere,' the network said. 









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Trump also lectured Urban Radio Network's April Ryan (above) for trying to interrupt another reporter and told her to sit down
Acosta was called on early in Trump's presser. 
'I wanted to challenge you,' Acosta started but Trump interrupted him: 'Here we go. Let's go. Let's go. Come on.'
Acosta pressed him on why he called the migrant caravan making its way from Central America to the U.S. border an invasion. 
'As you know Mr. President, it's not an invasion. It's a group of migrants moving toward the border,' Acosta said. 
'Thank you for telling me that. I appreciate it,' Trump said.
Acosta kept pressing but Trump cut him off. 
'I consider it an invasion. You and I have a difference of opinion,' Trump said.
Acosta asked the president if he demonized immigrants for political points.
'No not at all,' Trump said. 
Acosta kept asking and the president, who held the presser to tout Republican wins in Tuesday's election, had enough and told him to sit down.
'Honestly I think you should let me run the country and you run CNN,' he snapped. 'If you did it well your ratings would be much better.'
That didn't stop Acosta from talking but Trump moved on. But as Acosta pressed on Trump told him to cut it off.
'That's enough,' Trump said pointing at Acosta, who kept trying to talk. 'That's enough. That's enough.'


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Trump and Acosta have long have a contentious relationship


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The president told Acosta enough and a White House intern tried to take the mic


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'Pardon me ma'am,' Acosta told her. Sanders said a number of press outlets have engaged in 'outrageous' coverage of attempted violence on critics of the president that's 'irresponsible' in the tone it has taken


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'Put the mic down,' Trump told Acosta. Acosta repeatedly presses Sanders in her rare briefings to clarify quotes and policy from the president
At that point, a White House intern tried to physically take the microphone from Acosta, who wrestled them for it. 'Pardon me ma'am,' he said to her.
'That's enough, Put down the mic,' Trump told him.
He then called on NBC's Peter Alexander but turned back to lecture Acosta.
'You are a very rude person,' Trump told him.
He then berated Acosta for the way he questioned White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders in briefings. 
'The way you treat Sarah Huckabee is horrible,' he said. 'And the way you treat other people is horrible, you shouldn't treat other people that way.'
Acosta repeatedly presses Sanders in her rare briefings to clarify quotes and policy from the president.   
In her last briefing Sanders got into a dispute with Acosta in the wake of a series of pipe bombs that were sent to Trump's political rivals and to CNN, which had to evacuate its New York headquarters.
Sanders said a number of press outlets have engaged in 'outrageous' coverage of attempted violence on critics of the president that's 'irresponsible' in the tone it has taken.  


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NBC's Peter Alexander defended Jim Acosta, who hugged him after the press conference
'The president is not responsible for these acts,' she said. 'The major news networks' first public statement was to blame the President and myself included. I mean, that is outrageous than anybody other than the individual who carried out the crime would hold that responsibility.' 
Acosta has pushed Sanders to explain why the White House wouldn't 'reserve the term enemy of the people for people who are actually the enemy of the United States rather than journalists.' 
She replied that 'the president is not referencing all media, he's taking about the growing amount of fake news that exists in the country.' 
'I'm not gonna walk through a list,' she said as Acosta tried to force her to admit he was referring to CNN. 'I don't think it's necessarily specific to a broad generalization of a full outlet at times. I think there's individuals that the president would be referencing.'
Trump has also tangled with Acosta before - at a press conference in New York when he was there for meetings at the New York General Assembly and in London when he was on a visit there.
NBC's Alexander did defend Acosta on Wednesday when Trump called on him in the wake of the jaw-dropping exchange. 
'In Jim's defense - I've traveled with him and watched him - he's a diligent reporter who busts his butt,' Alexander said.
'Well I'm not a fan of yours either,' Trump replied. 'You aren't the best.'
'I understand,' Alexander responded.
'Many thanks to my friend @PeterAlexander,' Acosta tweeted later.

The White House has justified this behaviour with a doctored video of the incident by - wait for it - Infowars!

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/jim-acosta-trump-cnn-press-conference-pass-white-house-infowars-sarah-sanders-a8623441.html

Reminds me of a Friday night scrum at a not so great pub - and this is Trump without alcohol!

It’s no secret I’m a long time fan of Jim Acosta.... it could be the vague resemblance to my George....BUT ....

When you need a hero....God provides.....

The Dems need look no further they have found their LEADER ...  Goliath has found his David.... and the battle started right where Twump likes to fight, On Air....The intro could not have been more perfect.... The public now know the name ACOSTA ....

Acosta for 2020....

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6374957/Trip-monument-honoring-American-marines-fought-France-cancelled-Trump-amid-bad-weather.html

[size=34]'He is a disgrace': President Trump faces a deluge of criticism for skipping a memorial ceremony honoring fallen American Marines who died in World War One because of the RAIN[/size]

• President Donald Trump called off a a trip to Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial on Saturday
  
  
• He and the first lady had planned to visit the memorial for American marines near the Belleau Wood
  
  
• The event was cancelled at the last minute due to a storm that would have prevented them from helicoptering to the site that's more than an hour's drive from Paris
  
  
• Site honors marine brigades of the U.S. Army’s 2nd Division that fought the Germans in the woods in WWI 
  
  
• Trumps are in Paris at the invitation of the French president to attend events tied to the end of world war
  
  
• On Twitter, social media users blasted the President, calling him a 'disgrace' and a 'f*****g p****'
  
  
• Twitter users noted that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took part in commemorative events in France on Saturday despite the weather 
  
  
• Winston Churchill's grandson, British MP Nicholas Soames, called Trump  a 'pathetic inadequate' 
  
  

By FRANCESCA CHAMBERS, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT FOR DAILYMAIL.COM IN PARIS, FRANCE and ARIEL ZILBER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 09:21 EST, 10 November 2018 | UPDATED: 04:04 EST, 11 November 2018




President Donald Trump was trashed on social media for canceling an appearance honoring fallen World War One vets at a U.S. military cemetery in France because of the weather. 
Trump called off a a trip to Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial on Saturday after a bad weather call grounded Marine One. 
He and first lady Melania Trump had planned to visit the memorial for American marines near the Belleau Wood battlefield on Saturday afternoon, however their program was nixed at the last minute due to a storm that would have prevented them from helicoptering to the site that's more than an hour's drive from Paris.
'The President and First Lady’s trip to Ainse-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial has been canceled due to scheduling and logistical difficulties caused by the weather,' the White House said. 

'An American delegation led by Chief of Staff General John Kelly and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joe Dunford will attend on their behalf.' 
The site honors the 4th Marine Brigade of the United States Army’s 2nd Division and an attack it led on the Germans on June 6, 1918 that liberated the Bouresches. 







President Donald Trump was trashed on social media for canceling an appearance honoring fallen World War One vets at a U.S. military cemetery in France because of the weather. Former Pentagon official George Little (left) and comedian Sarah Silverman took the President to task on Saturday







Two of President Trump's most vocal critics - David Frum and Bill Kristol - also hammered the President on Saturday







Donald Mackay (left) noted that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the effort to visit memorials despite the weather. Steve Schmidt, a former Republican Party operative, also blasted the president, calling him a 'disgrace'







Nicholas Soames, the grandson of Winston Churchill, was critical of Trump's decision to skip the event. Ben Rhodes (right), a former senior aide to President Barack Obama, tweeted that 'there is always a rain option'


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Trump is seen right being welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron (left) at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Saturday
The 5th and 6th Marine Regiments also fought in Belleau Wood that month, with hostilities ending 20 days later on June 26.
According to the American Battle Monuments Commission, 8,100 soldiers died in the wooded area near Belleau, France that month.
Trump's decision to pull out of the memorial came under immediate scrutiny from Winston Churchill's politician grandson.
British MP Nicholas Soames said in a tweet that Trump 'is not fit to represent this great country' over the cancellation.
'They died with their face to the foe and that pathetic inadequate @realDonaldTrump couldn’t even defy the weather to pay his respects to The Fallen,' he said. 
The White House's claim that logistical difficulties inhibited Trump wasn't accepted as an answer by some on the left side of the Atlantic, either. 


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Twitter users noted that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (seen center alongside Minister of Veterans Affairs Seamus O'Regan, left, and Canadian Ambassador to France Isabelle Hudon) made the effort to pay homage to the war dead in France despite the weather. Trudeau is seen above at Vimy Ridge, France following a ceremony on Saturday


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To illustrate the contrast between Trump and other world leaders, Twitter users on Saturday shared video of Trudeau giving a speech in the rain, though the clip of the Canadian premier was from last year. In August 2017, Trudeau flew to France to pay homage to the fallen soldiers who took part in the Dieppe raid







Ben Rhodes, a former national security adviser to Barack Obama, said the Trump administration should have tried harder to get the sitting president to the memorial event.
'I helped plan all of President Obama’s trips for 8 years. There is always a rain option. Always,' he contended.
On Twitter, Trump's critics blasted the President.
Bill Kristol, the longtime neoconservative commentator and fierce Trump critic, tweeted: 'On the Marine Corps' 243rd birthday, President Trump has cancelled, because of light rain, his long-planned attendance at the ceremony at Aisne-Marne, where Marines who fought at Belleau Wood are buried. 
'The WH COS and JCS Chair will be there. The President couldn't be bothered.'
Donald Mackay tweeted a photo of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paying a visit to Vimy Ridge on Saturday, where he honored Canada's war dead.
'Doesn't look like the weather is too bad - at least not for a Canadian,' Mackay tweeted in the caption above the photo showing Trudeau and his aides. 
Sarah Silverman, the liberal comedian, was blunt. She implicitly referenced Trump's draft deferments that he received enabling him to avoid service in Vietnam.
'Trump you f*****g p***y,' she tweeted. 
'Too entitled to serve our country when called, too afraid of your stupid hair getting wet to honor those braver than you. 
'You F***. (Don’t @ me w/ he couldn’t fly- it was a 90 minute drive).' 
Steve Schmidt, a former senior Republican Party operative who renounced his membership in the GOP over Trump, tweeted: 'The "Commander in Chief" disgraced the United States Marine Corps today. 
'He is a disgrace.'
Former Pentagon official George Little tweeted: 'I’ve walked American military cemeteries overseas with General John Kelly. I can’t imagine he’s thrilled with his boss today. 
'In fact, I imagine he’s disgusted.'
David Frum, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush and another Trump critic, tweeted: 'It's incredible that a president would travel to France for this significant anniversary - and then remain in his hotel room watching TV rather than pay in person his respects to the Americans who gave their lives in France for the victory gained 100 years ago tomorrow.' 
Trump, Trudeau, and other world leaders are in Paris to mark the 100th anniversary of the armistice which ended the First World War.
To illustrate the contrast between Trump and other world leaders, Twitter users on Saturday shared video of Trudeau giving a speech in the rain, though the clip of the Canadian premier was from last year.
In August 2017, Trudeau flew to France to pay homage to the fallen soldiers who took part in the Dieppe raid.
Seventy-five years earlier, Nazi defenses pushed back an Allied assault on the port of Dieppe. Canadian soldiers bore the brunt of the casualties and losses.
In the clip, Trudeau is seen dropping his umbrella and allowing himself to be drenched by pouring rain.
'As we sit here in the rain, thinking how uncomfortable we must be these minutes as our suits get wet and our hair gets wet and our shoes get wet, I think it's all the more fitting that we remember on that day, in Dieppe, the rain wasn't rain, it was bullets,' the Canadian premier said.
But the speech was made last year - and not on Saturday as a response to Trump, as many on social media were led to believe. 


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Trump called off a a trip to Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial on Saturday after a bad weather call grounded Marine One. His chief of staff, John Kelly, (left) went to the event instead


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Donald and first lady Melania Trump had planned to visit the memorial for American marines near the Belleau Wood battlefield on Saturday afternoon, however the event was cancelled at the last minute due to a storm that would have prevented them from helicoptering to the site that's more than an hour's drive from Paris


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U.S. and French flags flutter at the graves of U.S. soldiers, most of them killed in the World War I Battle of Belleau Wood, at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in this file photo of he site near Chateau-Thierry, France


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The site honors the 4th Marine Brigade of the United States Army’s 2nd Division and an attack it led on the Germans on June 6, 1918 that liberated the Bouresches


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Donald Trump made amends with Emmanuel Macron at Élysée Palace after taking his host to task for recommending a European army to keep Russia at bay


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Donald Trump looks on at French president Emmanuel Macron prior to their meeting at the Elysee Palace


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The US President and French President appear to talk over each other during a meeting in front of cameras


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French President Emmanuel Macron's wife Brigitte Macron greets first lady Melania Trump on the steps of the Elysee Palace


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Melania Trump arrived after her husband, dressed in a dark blue coat with black gloves with an up-do, in rainy weather
Trump is in Paris at the invitation of the nation's president to attend events commemorating the end of World War One.
He met with Emmanuel Macron at Élysée Palace on Saturday morning for talks after taking his host to task on Twitter as he touched down in Paris over a 'very insulting' comment the French president made last week about the need for Europe to build an army as a check on the United States. 
Trump told Macron that he and first lady Melania Trump had been 'beautifully received' at Orly airport as he commended him for his 'graciousness' as he recollected that they had become 'very good friends' who have discovered they have 'much in common' in the year and a half since his counterpart took office.
He explained that the U.S. would like to assist Europe with its security obligations, so long as the costs are reasonably distributed, and that's why he's pushed so aggressively for America's allies to increase their contributions to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
'We want to help Europe, but it has to be fair. Right now, the burden sharing has been largely on the United States, as the president will say, and he understands that,' Trump stated. 'And he understands that the United States can only do so much, in fairness to the United States.'
Macron told him that he agrees. 'But it’s unfair to have the European security today being assured just by the United States, and we need a much better burden sharing,' he said. 'That’s why I do believe that we need more European capacities, more European defense, in order to take this part of the burden.'  


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The two world leaders wave to the crowds outside the Elysee Palace on the eve of the commemoration ceremony for Armistice Day


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President Donald Trump meets with French President Emmanuel Macron inside the Elysee Palace in Paris


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Donald Trump shakes hands with Macron ahead of the international ceremony for the Centenary of the WWI Armistice of 11 November 1918




Trump had begun the short trip to Paris for an event commemorating the end of the first major conflict between nations by laying into Macron for his European army proposal but had calmed down by the time they met Saturday for extended talks. 
The U.S. president told Macron as they began a series of meetings that he appreciates France's willingness to pay more for its defense.
'We have much in common in many ways — perhaps more ways than people would understand,' he assessed. 'We're very much similar in our views. And I appreciate what you're saying about burden sharing.' 
Macron began the session telling Trump in French that he was 'very delighted' to have him in Paris again and they would be discussing the 'strategic capability of Europe' and its desire to take on a larger role in NATO.
'I do share President Trump’s views that we need a much better burden sharing within NATO, and that’s why I do believe that my proposals for European defense are totally consistent with that, because it means more Europe within NATO, more capacity, in order to take our part of the burden. And I think it’s very fair and it’s very important,' he said.  
Trump said at the meeting, 'We want to absolutely be there. We want to help. We want to be a part of it. But different countries have to also help. That’s only fair. And I think the president — we’ve already discussed this — and the president and I very much agree on that.'     







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Donald Trump made amends with Emmanuel Macron at Élysée Palace after taking his host to task as he touched down in Paris for a 'very insulting' comment the French president made about the need for Europe to build an army to check the power of the United States military


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At a meeting with Macron on Saturday morning, Trump told Macron that he and first lady Melania Trump had been 'beautifully received' at Orly airport as he commended him for his 'graciousness' as he recollected that they had become 'very good friends' who have 'much in common'


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ALL BETTER: President Trump was in better spirits on Saturday as he met with Emmanuel Macron at Elysee Palace in Paris
President Trump started his Saturday in better spirits, asking 'is there anything better to celebrate than the end of a war' as he prepared to meet with Macron at Élysée.
Tweeting from the U.S. ambassador to France's residence meters away from Élysée just before the meeting, Trump turned his attention to the commemorative event he was in Paris to attend, the centennial anniversary of the cessation of hostilities in WWI. 
Trump misstated the facts of the war in the tweet. It was not the bloodiest of its kind. Among world wars, of which there have been two, the death toll for second world war, when the United States debuted the atomic bomb, was the highest. 
World War I was the bloodiest war of its time, bringing about 8.5 million causalities on the battlefield. But then came WWII with its 15 million battlefield deaths. 
The overall death toll of WWII, including civilians is disputed, but estimates range from 50 million to 80 million.
Trump's attention over the past few days as he would normally be preparing for a foreign trip has been strained.
His political party took a beating in Tuesday's elections and an expose revealed that he was aware of a payment his former lawyer made to a porn actress to keep her quiet about her alleged affair with the future president.
As the president landed in Paris he seemingly became aware for the first time of remarks Macron had made earlier in the week about the need for a European army. 
'Very insulting, but perhaps Europe should first pay its fair share of NATO, which the U.S. subsidizes greatly!' Trump responded.  


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Trump gave a thumbs up to press as he arrived, signaling that he was no longer angry at his friend


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Trump misstated the facts of the war in the tweet. It was not the bloodiest of its kind. Among world wars, of which there have been two, the death toll for the Second World War, when the United States debuted the atomic bomb, was the highest
Macron made the remark during a six-day tour of France's historic sites from the First World War. He said at a stop that the continent won't be able to protect itself until it establishes a 'true European army' and stops relying so heavily on the United States. 
'We have to protect ourselves with respect to China, Russia and even the United States of America,' Macron reportedly said.    
Trump had been tweeting all through his flight about perceived election drama back home. When he landed he claimed that Macron 'suggested that Europe build its own military in order to protect itself from the U.S., China and Russia,' even though the French leader actually made the comments several days prior on Nov. 6.
The American president and first lady Melania Trump are spending the weekend in France as part of a program for dignitaries celebrating the centennial anniversary of the cessation of hostilities in WWI that Russian President Vladimir Putin is also attending.
'It should be a very beautiful period of time, the 100th anniversary of the ending of World War I,' Trump, who was apparently unaware of Macron's remarks, said earlier on Friday before leaving the White House. 'We have many countries — the leadership from many countries will be there, especially since they heard the United States will be there.'
The ceremony is Sunday. He and Melania attended a private luncheon at Élysée Palace on Saturday before a formal dinner for visiting leaders and their spouses at Musée D’Orsay.


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Seconds after his plane was wheels down in Paris, Donald Trump attacked host Emmanuel Macron for suggesting that Europe needs to raise a standing army to protect itself from China, Russia and the United States


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Trump touched down in France with first lady Melania Trump, staff and traveling press at 10:07 pm 


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Fewer than three minutes later, at 10:10 pm, he announced his arrival by starting the fight with Macron on Twitter


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STEADY ON: First Lady Melania Trump's hair whipped every which way as she descended the aircraft. She had to get some help deplaning from her husband


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U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet U.S. Ambassador to the French Republic and Principality of Monaco Jamie McCourt as they arrive at Orly Airport near Paris to attend commemoration ceremonies for Armistice Day, 100 years after the end of the First World War


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DARK SHADOW: The president's tweet hinted at a dark mood as he embarked on a two-night stay in Paris


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British Prime Minister Theresa May and France's Macron, are seen standing next to each other at a memorial for British soldiers who died in WWI in Thiepval, France, on Friday



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Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump are on their way to France for a program celebrating the centennial anniversary of the cessation of hostilities in WWI


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Trump had planned to have his own procession this weekend in Washington mimicking the military parade that France puts on in Paris every year on Bastille Day
The Trumps left Washington for Paris on Friday morning with plans to return late Sunday evening. 
President Trump had planned to have his own procession this weekend in D.C., mimicking the military parade that France puts on in Paris every year on Bastille Day, until the Pentagon called off the show of American military might following a report that put the projected price of the vanity project at $92 million.
He decided as a result to attend the annual Armistice Day celebration at the Arc de Triomphe alongside other world leaders.
Trump was looking to lessen the blow of his party’s mid-term losses and bury bad headlines about the abrupt firing of his attorney general with the Paris trip. But he just couldn't get into the trip abroad during the flight, when he was making allegations of voter fraud in Florida and Arizona from his cabin on Air Force One.
Upon landing in Paris, his attention jerked to the comments that Macron, who was finishing his tour of historical site and was not at the airport when Trump arrived, had made days before.
He launched the attack before ending his night at his temporary lodgings, the U.S. ambassador to France's residence in Paris. 


The White House is positioning the weekend trip as ‘a historic opportunity to honor the sacrifices of those who gave their lives for our freedom’ in the war that ended 100 years ago on Sunday.
‘The President's participation in these events will also serve as the reminder of the important role that the United States has played and continues to play in ensuring peace and security in Europe,’ a senior official said.
Aside from a formal slate of events for world leaders in France, the president was scheduled to visit a visit two cemeteries: one for American soldiers at the Belleau Wood battlefield and the Suresnes American Cemetery. He’s also set to participate in a closed-door meet and greet with embassy staff.
While Europe knows Nov. 11 as Armistice Day, the date belongs to the veterans in America, where it is a holiday that is recognized by the federal government.
The White House says that Trump will deliver traditional Veterans Day remarks at Suresnes, as such. His administration’s efforts to improve vets’ health care is likely to come up.








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Originally, Trump had planned to unwind with a leisurely golf trip to Ireland after he'd finished in France. He’s been moonlighting for nearly two months straight at campaign rallies as his party’s top surrogate in the evenings and on most weekends


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Trump told reporters traveling with him on Monday that he expected the meeting with Putin was likely to take place in Buenos Aires


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U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump exit the Marine One helicopter heading to Air Force One prior to departing Washington for Paris
Trump’s interactions with foreign leaders in Paris are were being kept to a minimum, and his only scheduled sit-down was with Macron. The rest of his conversations with leaders will take part at Sunday’s ceremony and a Saturday night dinner. 
White House officials said before the trip that trade was a topic that very likely 'would come up’ in the conversation with Macron, in addition to Iran and Syria.  
'We’ll be discussing many things, not only military and aid, and NATO, and others, but we’ll also be discussing trade,' Trump affirmed on Saturday. 'And we’ve been discussing that for a little while. I think we’ve made a lot of progress. We’ll see if we can get it over the line, as they say. We’ll see what happens. But trade is very important.' 
Trump said terrorism is another subject he wanted to address. 'And we see what’s going on in the world, and it’s not a good picture. But we’ve made a lot of progress. 
'We’ve done things together that were quite bold, recently, six months ago. Very bold. And terrorism will be a big factor and a big part of our discussion today,' he assessed.
Macron told reporters at the top of the bilat, 'Obviously, we will discuss about a lot of topics: Iran, Syria, Yemen, Africa, trade, climate, and a lot of common global issues. And, obviously, we will discuss about our defense cooperation, which is very important.'
The United States reinstated sanctions on Iran for its nuclear activity this week as it demanded a new deal that prevents Tehran from developing ballistic missiles. 
Businesses in Europe will suffer mightily if they continue to do business with Iran in violation of the punishing actions and have not received a waiver.
Syria, and the continued war and humanitarian crisis there, was also to be a subject. The U.S. wants Russian-allied Iran to move out its military and stop providing support to the Middle Eastern nation's violent dictator. 


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Melania wore a checkered trench coat and Louboutin boots to board the aircraft



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A White House staff member carries personal luggage and papers for Trump and Melania as a U.S. military aide carries briefcases containing the military launch codes known as the nuclear football to Air Force One


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The Trump administration says that Russia habitually violates the outdated treaty that failed to imagine a world in which rising powers that were not party to the deal became nuclear capable


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Trump and Macron participate in a grand welcome ceremony at the White House in April 
A possible summit between Trump and Putin to discuss Syria and other subjects had been teased for Paris by both nations and was postponed to later this month in Argentina at the G20. They’ll have informal conversation in Paris at the Armistice Day events, but they will not sit down for talks in Paris four days after the election U.S. officials say they attempted to interfere in.
‘The only bilateral meeting that we have planned for the President will be with President Macron. We do not plan a separate bilateral meeting with President Putin or with other leaders in Paris,’ a senior U.S. official said Wednesday.
Trump told reporters traveling with him on Monday that he expected the meeting with Putin was likely to take place in Buenos Aires.
‘Getting along with Russia, China, and all of them would be a good thing; I’ve said it for a long time. So we’ll have plenty of meetings. But I’m not sure that we’ll have a meeting in Paris — probably not,’ the president stated. 


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They study a grave at the cemetery in France, which honours more than 72,000 men from the Armed Forces forces who died


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Mrs May and Mr Macron smile as they stand together next to flag bearers at the First World War Thiepval Memorial today


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Mrs May and Mr Macron lay a wreath at the Thiepval Memorial today to commemorate 100 year's since the conflict's end


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French President Emmanuel Macron (left) and Theresa May walk through the WWI graves at the Thiepval Memorial in France


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Trump will see Russia's Vladimir Putin in Paris but they'll wait until the G20 summit to hold a formal meeting in Argentina
In the remarks last week Macron acknowledged the tension between the two world powers and stressed that Europe must learn to defend ‘itself better alone, without just depending on the United States’ and it will not be able to do that that ‘unless we decide to have a true European army.’
His proposal acknowledged the reality of the ‘America First’ doctrine and unabashed nationalism that drove Trump to power two years ago and was reaffirmed in by large swaths of the country last Tuesday. 
In his wake, Trump has left a power vacuum that allies of the United States worry that China and Russia will fill. He has in some ways blunted the countries’ rise with sanctions and tariffs for malign activities such as election meddling and intellectual property theft. But he has only acted out against them when it's in the United States' direct interests. 
'There is a growing concerns, given Trump’s rhetoric, that he sees the continent and particularly the EU as an adversary to be destabilized and undermined and not as America’s closest friend,' Dalibor Rohac, a research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told DailyMail.com before the trip began. 
'His good personal relationship with Emmanuel Macron provides at least some hope that progress can be made.' 

[size=34]Liz Jones: How Brigitte Macron, 65, 'went a bit Britney' after her 'boxy' outfit choice channelled US pop star while Melania Trump, 48, dazzled in luxury coat dress as the pair attended Armistice event in France [/size]

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Melania Trump arrives at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Saturday for a meeting with Brigitte Macron
It was the War of the Wives. And I’m afraid America won by an empty head.
At the Elysee Palace in Paris yesterday, as part of Donald Trump’s visit to France to commemorate the Armistice, the First Ladies went into battle.
Not of the bulge – dear me no. Neither has eaten carbs since 1985.
Melania Trump, 48, chose a black wool belted coat dress by Italian luxury label Bottega Veneta (£4,000 – but seriously, if you shop at Bottega you have no need to look at price tags), and sky-high black Louboutin snakeskin cutaway stilettos (£550). 
The effect is sober, respectful, and very chic indeed.
Brigitte Macron, 65, on the other hand, chose royal blue (off with her head?), decorated with random brass buttons, by Louis Vuitton (£1,590).
It’s the French label du jour, of course, designed by bad boy Nicolas Ghesquiere, but all I can say is thank the Lord Brigitte eschewed his current penchant for over-the knee boots and trainers, opting for matching court shoes.
But it’s still all a bit too Britney Spears in her ‘Toxic’ period. 
The skirt is way too short and boxy, meaning the outfit comes across as reminiscent of the Sixties, which is probably when she was in her prime.










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Melania Trump (left) chose a £4,000 black wool belted coat dress by Italian luxury label Bottega Veneta


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Brigitte Macron, on the other hand, chose royal blue decorated with random brass buttons, by Louis Vuitton for £1,590
 
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It often rains and Obama's organiser said there was always a 'rain' option. And there always has been for preceding presidents.

He's been making quite a few serious mistakes this weekend - oh, and he's taken a swipe at Michelle Obama too saying that she had to say some stuff becos she has a book coming out! So he takes constructive criticism very well!? And this to a former First Lady who went to Princeton and Yale

A First Lady who is classier and smarter than he could ever dream of being.

They could have been driven to the event a little over an hour in comfortable luxury car wouldn't have killed him.

There was no excuse for Trump not to attend the memorial ceremony on Saturday.  He didn’t go because he knew it would make headlines.  He always has to be the center of attention even when an event is to honor others.  And he simply doesn’t care about the historical relevance of honoring WWI service members.  A sorry excuse for a human being.

Sadly, the press always goes for the bait. They're focused as much on his Paris performance as they are on things happening here at home - maybe more. Total distraction. The only good thing to come from this is that it may cost him support from veterans and the military.

It could be a confirmed credible threat.... they happen all the time I imagine....

I cut and paste this chilling statement from the IRA.... before we had peace....

Hours after narrowly failing to murder Margaret Thatcher in the Brighton bomb, the IRA calmly announced: “Today we were unlucky, but remember we only have to be lucky once – you will have to be lucky always.”

Lizzy, I think it was right for the press to focus on the bait in this instance - we are talking about young men losing their lives in two world wars over the last 100 years. The world was watching - and Dump doesn't seem able to consider anything globally that isn't to his own personal advantage.

On this particular occasion I think a lot of countries around the world focused a lot less on domestic policy for a while

I agree PAN.  And Trump was on the world stage with other world leaders.  His behavior in that environment matters.

The problem is Trump uses the press constantly.  To distract constantly.  That’s the one thing he is good at.  Leaves the media in a tough spot to decide when his behavior, words and actions deserve attention.

.......which is the point of his plan. Distract. Divide. Rule.

He could do himself a favour tho, and try to figure out when and if it's appropriate. Let's hope the Vets have abandoned him. He hasn't been to visit any US servicemen overseas at all.

I still find it incredible that there is not too much in the way of challenging questions in one-to-one interviews. Never mind criticising the forestry management when over of half of it is owned by the Federal government.  He wouldn't last too long here! He'd be challenged
endlessly....... Sometimes I wonder if it's because channels and owners are worried about advertisers' prejudices..........

Here's Justin Trudeau's brilliant speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cHbFDRdfo4

I think it's pretty much a given that any time Trump represents us on the world stage he will do something to embarrass us. Of course the press should cover it - not saying they shouldn't - but they should keep an eye on what else he's doing at the same time. (AG, Fla. election).

IMO what made this weekend different was that the other world leaders seem to have decided to move on without him. Poor Donny. Nobody wants to play with him anymore. i wonder if he has any idea why.

PAN - He rarely does interviews with anyone he thinks would challenge him. Anyone who does have the nerve to criticize him is name-called and targeted for public abuse. His base is loaded with unstable right-wingers who are getting bolder and more aggressive towards their "enemies" - especially the media. You saw what happened when Jim Acosta had the nerve to question him too aggressively (in Trmp's mind). He had his press credentials revoked. I wouldn't be surprised if that was followed up by death threats or worse.

https://people.com/politics/trump-wants-cut-federal-relief-funds-puerto-rico-report/

[url=https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpeople.com%2Fpolitics%2Ftrump-wants-cut-federal-relief-funds-puerto-rico-report%2F%3Futm_source%3Dpinterest.com%26utm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_campaign%3Dsocial-share-article%26utm_content%3D20181113%26utm_term%3D6687760&media=https%3A%2F%2Fpeopledotcom.files.wordpress.com%2F2018%2F11%2Fgettyimages-1060215972-e1542043505288.jpg&description=FROM FORTUNE%3A Trump Wants to Cut Federal Relief Funds for Puerto Rico%2C Report Says][/url]

ERIN CORBETT
 
November 12, 2018 03:43 PM
President Donald Trump wants to cut off federal relief funds for Hurricane Maria because he claims the Puerto Rican government is using the funds to pay off debts, Axios reported, though there is no evidence to support the claim.
According to the report, Trump cannot take back the aid that has already been disbursed to the island and has not asked the White House to do so. He can, however, refuse to sign another bill to provide federal funding for Puerto Rico’s recovery efforts.
The president came to the conclusion on his own last month after viewing aWall Street Journal article, which tied Puerto Rico’s bond prices to the island’s expectations for more federal aid, according to sources cited by Axios. Trump apparently determined that this meant the U.S. territory was using the money to pay off debts, which he falsely tweeted about last month.

Donald J. Trump

@realDonaldTrump





[ltr]The people of Puerto Rico are wonderful but the inept politicians are trying to use the massive and ridiculously high amounts of hurricane/disaster funding to pay off other obligations. The U.S. will NOT bail out long outstanding & unpaid obligations with hurricane relief money![/ltr]




94.4K
10:24 AM - Oct 23, 2018
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[ltr]


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The federal government has spent $6 billion on disaster relief efforts since Hurricane Maria devastated the island last year, according to FEMA. The federal government is estimated to spend more than $55 billion on Maria’s recovery, with Congress preparing to pass new spending bills in December.

Local activists took recovery into their own hands, and organized to restore electricity by installing small solar grids on the southeastern coast of the island, Newsweek reported. For eight months after the hurricane, people were living without secure lighting or refrigeration, and grew tired of waiting for federal relief. Organizers on the island started distributing food and water on their own, provided basic health care, and worked toward installing a solar-powered micro-grid.
Trump spread misinformation about hurricane victims in September, as well, when he disputed the official death toll of the storm—again without evidence. Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló said there were at least 3,000 hurricane-related deaths as of August, which the president inaccurately questioned in a pair of tweets.

This Story Originally Appeared On Fortune

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6398199/Federal-judge-restores-CNNs-Jim-Acostas-White-House-press-pass.html

[size=34]BREAKING NEWS: Federal judge restores CNN's Jim Acosta's White House press pass as he humiliates Trump saying claim reporter 'placed his hands' on female intern was of 'questionable accuracy'[/size]

• White House denied Acosta access last week and confiscated his 'hard pass' after press-conference shouting match with Trump and tussle over a mic 
  
  
• CNN sued on Tuesday on First Amendment grounds, claimed Acosta was denied a Fifth Amendent right to due process, and asked a judge for a restraining order
  
  
• That order was granted Friday by federal judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee
  
  
• He said he wasn't ruling on the First Amendment claim – only on the argument that Acosta's Fifth Amendment rights were violated
  
  
• Acosta wasn't given a chance to defend himself, and government lawyers couldn't say who made the decision to ban him 
  
  
• Judge said ruling was temporary but gave CNN what it wanted in the short term
  
  
• Blasted the administration for 'questionable accuracy' of claim that Acosta put his hands on a female intern as she reclaimed a press conference microphone
  
  
• But while he ordered the White House to let Acosta back in the building, he said Trump and his spokespeople aren't obligated to let him ask questions 
  
  

By DAVID MARTOSKO, U.S. POLITICAL EDITOR FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 10:31 EST, 16 November 2018 | UPDATED: 10:55 EST, 16 November 2018

     


A federal judge handed CNN a major victory on Friday, ruling that President Donald Trump White House must temporarily restore the press credentials it stripped from the network's chief White House correspondent last week while a lawsuit plays out.
Judge Timothy Kelly ruled that Jim Acosta's First Amendment press rights trump the administration's right to have orderly press conferences.
He declared that the White House failed to give Acosta 'due process,' something guaranteed in government proceedings under the Fifth Amendment. 
'I want to thank all of my colleagues in the press who supported us this week,' Acosta told other reporters outside the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C. 'And I want to thank the judge for the decision he made today. And let's go back to work.'

There was near-unanimity in the political press corps' backing of CNN, with more than a dozen news outlets signaling they would formally submit a supportive brief to Judge Kelly.
Only One America News Network, a conservative outlet, publicly sided with Trump. 
Kelly, a Trump appointee, emphasized that his ruling was temporary, saying: 'I have not determined that the First Amendment was violated here.' He only granted CNN's emergency request, he said, on the basis that the White House's decision seemed arbitrary.
But he sided with CNN, ensuring Acosta will be able to re-enter the White House grounds. He noted that the government's attorneys couldn't tell him on Wednesday who had made the final decision to yank Acosta's credentials, an indication that no formal process was involved.


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CNN Chief White House Correspondent Jim Acosta the first round of a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Friday, winning a temporary restraining order that restores his White House press pass that was canceled last week
 


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A government lawyer told a Judge Timothy Kelly on Wednesday that President Donald Trump, pictured during a fateful Nov. 7 press conference, would be within his legal rights to ban all reporters from the White House; Kelly agreed but said that once the administration let them in it had to treat all reporters equally


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Acosta arrived at the U.S. District Court in Washington, DC before hearing the positive ruling
In a tense hearing, Kelly also said the White House's claim that Kelly physically put his hands on a female intern during the Nov. 7 press conference was of 'questionable accuracy.'
On the air, CNN's correspondents gloated. 
Media reporter Brian Stelter crowed that Trump 'doesn't want to acknowledge what real news is, so he lashed out' at Acosta, a reporter he has battled over and over. 
CNN argued in court that the Trump administration was capriciously punishing Acosta because of his public advocacy in opposition to the president's policies. 
CNN attorney Ted Boutrous said outside the courthouse that 'this is a great day for the First Amendment and for journalism.'
Judge Kelly did give the White House some legal options, including the establishment of a formal procedure fo rmaking decisions like the one it unilaterally handed down.
He also hinted that CNN would ultimately prevail on First Amendment grounds, saying that while the administration isn't under any obligation to host reporters on White House grounds, it's unconstitutional to exclude some reporters while accepting others. 
A Trump administration lawyer argued on Wednesday that Acosta has disrupted media events and interfered with one press conference last week by refusing to surrender a microphone and touching the intern who tried to reclaim it.
The government attorney also argued that the president would be within his legal rights to send the entire press corps packing.
'If the president wants to exclude all reporters from the White House grounds, he has the authority to do that,' the attorney said during a closely watched court hearing.
He was describing a scenario where the administration would move reporters, editors, TV producers and camera operators to another government facility and not speculating about limiting their ability to report or publish, according to a White House aide who declined to be identified on Thursday.


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CNN correspondent Jim Acosta and his network sued the president and other White House officials after he was banned from the building following a contentious press conference in which he argued with President Trump and refused to surrender a microphone


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Acosta left the court hearing in Washington on Wednesday after hearing the government's arguments against granting on-demand White House entry to all reporters who demand it
Any theoretical disruption to the close-in access journalists enjoy in the headquarters of the world's most powerful government would send news organizations howling.
That prospect didn't faze the official who spoke to DailyMail.com and said: 'What, like they're going to hate us more?'  
Trump said Wednesday that CNN's Jim Acosta, who has been banned from the White House complex for the past eight days, is 'bad for the country.'
The lawyer said hours later that 'there’s no First Amendment right' to be physically present in the building Trump works.
Acosta, he said, 'is just somebody who gets up and grandstands. He doesn’t even know what he’s asking you half of the time.'
The president's comments on the controversy were his first since his legal team fired a salvo at CNN hours earlier, responding to a lawsuit the network filed after Acosta lost his press credentials. That followed a clash with a female White House intern over a microphone during a Nov. 7 press conference.
'We’ll see how the court rules,' Trump told The Daily Caller, asking whether 'it['s] freedom of the press when somebody comes in and starts screaming questions and won’t sit down.'
'He was very rude to the young lady,' he said of the intern, who the White House has declined to identify.
'I really think that when you have guys like Acosta, I think they’re bad for the country. ... He’s just an average guy who’s a grandstander,' Trump said, while acknowledging that Acosta is a reporter 'who’s got the guts to stand up and shout.'


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CNN attorney Ted Boutrous spoke to reporters following a hearing  Wednesday as a protester held up a sign for news cameras


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Acosta saw his press pass revoked last Wednesday after he clashed with an intern over a press conference microphone and harangued President Donald Trump







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President Trump, pictured Wednesday during a Diwali ceremony at the White House, has tussled with Acosta regularly and shows no sign of relenting


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The White House argued Wednesday that it was within its constitutional rights to bar Acosta, just as it can choose who gets Oval Office interviews, who can attend press conferences and who the president will call on for questions


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The government's response to CNN's lawsuit points out that the network still has 'roughtly 50 other employees' with hard passes, and that they're capable of covering the White House from inside the 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue campus
In a legal filing Wednesday, the White House argued that '[n]o journalist has a First Amendment right to enter the White House.'
Trump, the administration claimed, doesn't have to justify his decision constitutionally 'whenever he exercises his discretion to deny an individual journalist one of the many hundreds of passes granting instant access to the White House complex.' 
The White House's argument is centers on a reading of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that guarantees the freedom to publish, but not to attend White House functions on-demand.
'The President and his staff have absolute discretion over which journalists they grant interviews to, as well as over which journalists they acknowledge at press events,' Trump's Justice Department lawyers argued. 
'That broad discretion necessarily includes discretion over which journalists receive on-demand access to the White House grounds and special access during White House travel for the purpose of asking questions of the President or his staff.'
The administration contends that CNN has't suffered from Acosta's forced exile since roughly 50 of its other employees still have 'hard passes' that grant them on-demand entry.
The network 'is not limited in what it can broadcast, or even what it can report from the numerous CNN-affiliated reporters who continue to hold hard press passes,' the response to Tuesday's lawsuit reads.
And it blames Acosta for making a 'decision to engage in conduct that disrupts press events and impedes other reporters from asking questions,' saying that's 'a more-than-sufficient reason for revoking his hard pass.'
Acosta lost access to the building hours after refusing to give up the microphone when the president said he had answered enough of his questions. 


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CNN sued on Tuesday on First Amendment grounds, claimed Acosta was denied a Fifth Amendent right to due process, and asked a judge for a restraining order


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CNN's Jim Acosta goes through security as he enters the federal court in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018, to attend a hearing in a legal challenge against President Trump's administration


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Trump's administration contends it has "broad discretion" to regulate press access to the White House as it fends off a legal challenge from CNN and other outlets over the revocation of journalist Acosta's 'hard pass'


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The Trump campaign started raising money over the legal battle on Wednesday


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Acosta, who has frequently clashed with President Trump during persistent questioning, lost access to the White House on Wednesday night
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement last week that Acosta 'physically refused to surrender a White House microphone to an intern.' That appeared to be softer language than her earlier claim that he placed 'his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job.'
CNN vigorously disputed the implication of anything more than minor physical contact.
The court docket was updated just as a group news organizations, including the Associated Pres and the Trump-friendly Fox News Channel, said they would file a friend-of-the-court brief backing CNN.
'Whether the news of the day concerns national security, the economy, or the environment, reporters covering the White House must remain free to ask questions. It is imperative that independent journalists have access to the President and his activities, and that journalists are not barred for arbitrary reasons,' the press outlets said.
'Our news organizations support the fundamental constitutional right to question this President, or any President. We will be filing friend-of-the-court briefs to support CNN’s and Jim Acosta’s lawsuit based on these principles.' 
The other signers included NBC News, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Politico, Bloomberg, Gannett, Scripps, USA Today, First Look Media Works, the National Press Club Journalism Institute and the Press Freedom Defense Fund.
The White House Correspondents Association's president, SiriusXM broadcaster Olivier Knox, issued a supportive statement on Tuesday.
CNN filed its federal lawsuit after the White House punished Acosta for clashing with Trump and a female intern during a November 7 press conference.
The networks' suit, filed by a team that includes former George W. Bush solicitor general Ted Olson, demands the immediate return of Acosta's credentials. The White House called it 'grandstanding' hours later.
White House brief in response to CNN lawsuit uploaded by DailyMail.com on Scribd

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The network claims the revocation of Acosta's press pass violates the constitutional rights to freedom of the press and due process. CNN is asking for an immediate restraining order to reinstate Acosta's access to the White House.
The suit 'demands the return of the White House credentials of CNN's Chief White House correspondent, Jim Acosta. The wrongful revocation of these credentials violates CNN and Acosta's First Amendment rights of freedom of the press, and their Fifth Amendment rights to due process,' according to a CNN statement.
'We have asked this court for an immediate restraining order requiring the pass be returned to Jim, and will seek permanent relief as part of this process.'
The suit names as defendants Trump, chief of staff John Kelly, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, deputy chief of staff for communications and former Fox News executive Bill Shine, the director of the U.S. Secret Service and the uniformed officer who took away the credentials.
The network is seeking a preliminary injunction. It has already written the White House demanding an end to Acosta's punishment.
The suit was filed by Ted Boutrous, and Olson, of the firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. 


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Acosta was banned from the White House last week after a heated exchange with President Trump during a press conference in which an intern tried to take his microphone away


Olivier Knox, president of the White House Correspondents' Association, said in a statement that the group 'strongly supports CNN's goal of seeing their correspondent regain a US Secret Service security credential that the White House should not have taken away in the first place.'
Sanders responded: 'We have been advised that CNN has filed a complaint challenging the suspension of Jim Acosta’s hard pass. This is just more grandstanding from CNN, and we will vigorously defend against this lawsuit.'
She continued: 'CNN, who has nearly 50 additional hard pass holders, and Mr. Acosta is no more or less special than any other media outlet or reporter with respect to the First Amendment. After Mr. Acosta asked the President two questions—each of which the President answered—he physically refused to surrender a White House microphone to an intern, so that other reporters might ask their questions. This was not the first time this reporter has inappropriately refused to yield to other reporters.'
'The White House cannot run an orderly and fair press conference when a reporter acts this way, which is neither appropriate nor professional. The First Amendment is not served when a single reporter, of more than 150 present, attempts to monopolize the floor. If there is no check on this type of behavior it impedes the ability of the President, the White House staff, and members of the media to conduct business,' Sanders concluded.


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CNN's lawyers say Acosta's First and Fifth Amendment constitutional rights were violated




The White House did not respond on Tuesday to a question about whether Sanders issued the statement in her capacity as a presidential spokesperson or as a named defendant in the lawsuit.
Floyd Abrams, a veteran lawyer and expert in First Amendment law, told CNN's Reliable Sources on Sunday that the network would have a robust case.
'I think it's a really strong lawsuit,' Abrams said. 
'I can understand CNN being reluctant to sue because the president keeps saying CNN is the enemy of me, and CNN might have reluctance to have a lawsuit titled "CNN vs.Donald Trump." That said, yes, I think they should sue,' he said.
Former ABC News journalist Sam Donaldson appeared on the program and revealed he had been asked to sign an affidavit in support of CNN's case.
He described the decision to ban Acosta as 'not only wrong and unfair' but also 'dangerous for the press as a whole.'
Even as he had lost his access to the White House, Acosta tweeted a defiant message to Trump from Paris Friday, saying he intended to cover the president's trip there despite being stripped of his access.
The reporter tweeted a view of the Eiffel Tower and said: 'Greetings from Paris where we are on the ground for Trump's trip to France. #1A.'
The hashtag was a reference to the first amendment, which prohibits the federal government from curtailing the publishing rights of the press.


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White House press secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted the clip to justify the White House's decision to revoke Acosta's press pass