Trump's America

[Frelga]

NYT
The new CIA Director: “As a clandestine officer at the [CIA] in 2002, Gina Haspel oversaw the torture of two terrorism suspects and later took part in an order to destroy videotapes documenting their brutal interrogations at a secret prison in Thailand.” https://t.co/IP9wr6HdRH

Although I don't know what other choices were available.

Meanwhile

Trump’s personal assistant, John McEntee, was escorted out of the White House on Monday due to an unspecified security issue. He was was removed from the White House grounds on without being allowed to collect his belongings: WSJ https://t.co/GZYLh2fMXO

The linked article is behind the pay wall

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I've been following American politics for 40 years and know a little bit about history, but I can't recall the last time a Secretary of State was flat out fired, as opposed to resigning. And there is this little tidbit from CNN:

"State official: Tillerson had 'every intention of staying' and didn't get to speak with Trump"

Again, x-posted with Frelga

[Frelga]

But wait, there's more.

(CNN) President Donald Trump's longtime personal aide John McEntee was fired because he is currently under investigation by the Department of Homeland Security for serious financial crimes, a source familiar with his firing told CNN.

The charges are not related to the President, the source said.

Minutes after news of his departure broke, the Trump campaign announced McEntee would be joining the reelection effort as a senior adviser for campaign operations.

[Frelga]

And more

AP

BREAKING: Officials: White House fires top Tillerson aide who contradicted account of secretary of state's dismissal.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Here is a bit more detail on the firing of the aide, Steve Goldstein, the under secretary of Public Affairs at the State Department.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/13/politics ... index.html

Turning back to the firing and hiring of McEntee, I think that epitomizes the Trump view of ethics. Here is someone who is under investigation for "serious financial crimes" but that doesn't stop Trump from hiring him on for his reelection campaign. Why? Because the only thing that matters to Trump is loyalty to him. McEntee might be a corrupt criminal, but he is loyal to Trump so he gets a job. Scary.

[RoseMorninStar]

I suppose Putin wasn't happy that Tillerson acknowledged Russias attack on British soil and demanded he be fired.

[Frelga]

Meanwhile in Kansas, ACLU is suing over the implementation of the voter suppression law. Today, this happened.

ACLU asks Richman whether he would code the name "Carlos Murguia" as foreign? Richman: Probably I would code it as foreign. ACLU: Carlos Murguia is a federal judge who sits in this courthouse. Richman says he didn't know that. #ACLUvKobach #ACLUvKansas

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Rand Paul has announced that he will oppose both Pompeo's nomination as Secretary of State and Haspel's nomination as CIA director. That means that with John McCain's absence, at least one Democrat would need to support the nominations for them to get confirmed, even if no other GOP senators oppose them. However, it is likely that some Democratic senators will vote to confirm.

[Frelga]

CNN: Former FBI Deputy Director Andy McCabe is currently at the Justice Department meeting with the Deputy Attorney General’s office. He is making his case why he should not be fired. DOJ is expected to make a decision by tomorrow.

McCabe is set to retire on Sunday with the pension of a 21-year veteran.

[Primula Baggins]

And my understanding is that if they fire him tomorrow, he loses that.

[Frelga]

Yes, that's why. Trump has been threatening to fire him for a while.

[Inanna]

Yes, that's why. Trump has been threatening to fire him for a while.

Reading that in NY times killed me. My first thought: oh dear, please no one tell Trump that he loses his pension if he is fired before Sat.

[Frelga]

https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status ... 9978498050

Trump has decided to remove H.R. McMaster as his national security adviser and is actively discussing potential replacements, five people with knowledge of the plans tell WaPo. https://t.co/OpVJjzllmG

Eta: followed by Press Sec

https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/974468508074565632

Just spoke to @POTUS and Gen. H.R. McMaster - contrary to reports they have a good working relationship and there are no changes at the NSC.

The gifs in response to her tweet are rather amusing.

[Frelga]

So yeah, he fired McMaster.

https://www.npr.org/2018/03/22/59328310 ... john-bolto

I don't understand why Sanders even bothered to deny it.

[RoseMorninStar]

Hiring 'all the best people' shouldn't = churn and chaos. But I suppose you already knew that. Why doesn't Trump? I believe we know the answer to that too.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

John Bolton.

Be afraid.

Be very afraid.

[Frelga]

https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins/stat ... 0667417600

Trump and Bolton have been discussing for weeks how he could replace McMaster. According to what a source familiar with those negotiations told me, Bolton promised Trump "he wouldn't start any wars" if he selected him as the new national security adviser.

[River]

So my dad and John Bolton were coworkers once upon a time. He does not remember Bolton fondly. Says he was a kiss-up and kick-down type of guy.

[Frelga]

I did some reading and I'm not afraid as much as I'm resigned.

[Dave_LF]

In a spot of good news (for now), a circuit court has ruled that, despite his best efforts, Wisconsin governor Scott Walker cannot call off holding special elections to fill vacant seats in the state legislature just because it looks like his party will lose:
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/pol ... 448743002/

"I cannot reconcile the incongruity between Governor Walker's administration's very vocal and consistent policy advocating for strict constructionism and the position taken by the attorney general in this case involving the most basic constitutional guarantee," Reynolds said.

(it's been more than a decade since I left Wisconsin, but I still follow its news)