Acting chief-of-staff Mick Mulvaney appears on Fox News Sunday to discuss current political events in Washington DC. Topics include resistance effort by House democrats; the ongoing border crisis with Mexico; the House effort to get President Trump’s income taxes from the IRS; and the upcoming release of the Mueller report by Attorney General William Barr, and Healthcare initiatives.
Following a meeting between Vice-President Mike Pence, DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and acting WH chief-of-staff Mick Mulvaney, the House leadership team (Kevin McCarthy, Steve Scalise and Liz Cheney) deliver remarks to the capitol press:
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is conducting a regional visit to multiple allies and partners in the anti-ISIS campaign. Today, Secretary Pompeo is in Jordan for discussions as the U.S. anticipates withdrawing troops from Syria.
Somehow, despite 85-year-old Justice Ginsburg being incapacitated by surgery and intensive care recovery, the supreme court voted 5-4 to allow a lower court block on President Trump’s asylum restrictions to remain in place. Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the three resistance activists and the unknown puppeteer for Ginsburg.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided Supreme Court won’t let the Trump administration begin enforcing a ban on asylum for any immigrants who illegally cross the U.S.-Mexico border.
Chief Justice John Roberts joined his four more liberal colleagues Friday in ruling against the administration in the very case in which President Donald Trump had derided the “Obama judge” who first blocked the asylum policy.
New Justice Brett Kavanaugh and three other conservative justices sided with the administration. There were no opinions explaining either side’s votes. (read more)
Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen provided the following statement regarding the recent crisis on our southern border.
“Given the activities of the last 24 hours at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, I want to provide an update on what occurred and attempt to dispel many of the rumors and much of the misinformation circulating.
“First, the violence we saw at the border was entirely predictable. This caravan, unlike previous caravans, had already entered #Mexico violently and attacked border police in two other countries. I refuse to believe that anyone honestly maintains that attacking law enforcement with rocks and projectiles is acceptable. It is shocking that I have to explain this, but officers can be seriously or fatally injured in such attacks. Self-defense isn’t debatable for most law-abiding Americans.
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You might remember the journalist delivering the ground report here. His name is Gadi Schwartz, and he was the guy who did the ground report outlining how the FBI completely botched the investigation of the New Mexico jihadist compound [Reminder Here]
MSNBC was constructing a very specific narrative about the make-up of the migrants who attempted to cross the U.S. border when they asked Gadi Schwartz to explain what he was seeing on the ground. The answer didn’t support the narrative. Watch:
They said he wouldn’t pull out of the Paris Climate Treaty, he did. They said he wouldn’t withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, he did. They said he wouldn’t implement global Steel/Aluminum tariffs, he did. They said he wouldn’t dare withdraw from the G7 agreement in Canada, he did. They said he couldn’t get Canada to agree to a new NAFTA agreement, he did… the list is long.
One of the more consequential aspects to President Trump is he doesn’t bluff. Regardless of the scale of the assertion, every adversary is WELL AWARE he will do what he threatens if the situation he confronts doesn’t change. In this regard, no president, NO-ONE, has ever instilled such direct and focused fear once an adversarial issue, intentionally or unwittingly, falls into Trump’s sights. They know he will do this:
The truth is, regardless of opposition or public opinion; regardless of how the media will attack the decision; President Trump will factually shut down the U.S-Mexico border if that becomes the remaining best option to deal with the crisis and protect U.S. interests.
Mexico knows this too.
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Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen holds a press availability on border security, enhancements to the border zone, and the current status of the migrant caravan.
According to DHS Secretary Nielsen there are currently 6,200 Central American migrants in Tijuana with more than 2,000 in Mexico City, and thousands more in various stages of norther travel within Mexico. Worth watching:
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker issued a new asylum rule today as officials at the U.S. southern border and U.S. military prepare to confront an approaching horde of approximately 20,000 Central American migrant/invaders.
[U.S. Department of Justice] Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen today announced an Interim Final Rule declaring that those aliens who contravene a presidential suspension or limitation on entry into the United States through the southern border with Mexico issued under section 212(f) or 215(a)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) will be rendered ineligible for asylum.
The Acting Attorney General and the Secretary issued the following joint statement:
“Consistent with our immigration laws, the President has the broad authority to suspend or restrict the entry of aliens into the United States if he determines it to be in the national interest to do so. Today’s rule applies this important principle to aliens who violate such a suspension or restriction regarding the southern border imposed by the President by invoking an express authority provided by Congress to restrict eligibility for asylum. Our asylum system is overwhelmed with too many meritless asylum claims from aliens who place a tremendous burden on our resources, preventing us from being able to expeditiously grant asylum to those who truly deserve it. Today, we are using the authority granted to us by Congress to bar aliens who violate a Presidential suspension of entry or other restriction from asylum eligibility.”
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With the possibility of the Central American migration having an impact on the midterm election, it doesn’t come as a surprise the mainstream media are not attempting to accurately give a scale or scope of the size of the crowds. Estimates from U.S. media have repeated a “few thousand”, up to “seven thousand.” However, Mexican media initially put the numbers much higher, upward of fourteen thousand in the first wave.
Since that October 22nd report, there have been two more waves, or ‘caravans‘ reported, entering Mexico’s southern border region. With the U.S. media now trying to downplay the scale, some independent researchers have been scouring social media from Mexico in order to gain a more accurate estimate. Rosie [almostjingo – twitter] discovered a series of videos on Instagram posted by a Mexican advocacy group helping to facilitate the transit.
This video from Sunday November 4th, is specifically of the “third wave”, the most recent “caravan” as they crossed into Mexico. You judge the scale of migration for yourself:
[wpvideo 6YhXWT44]
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The translated caption reads: “CENTRAL AMERICAN BROTHERS CROSS THE SUICHATE. Fleeing from poverty and violence, Central Americans make the third crossing to Mexico in caravan to the vain mirage of the “American dream.” Let us be in solidarity with your passage through our country.” (link)
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