Trump's Deadly Legacy: the First Six Months
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Trump’s Deadly Legacy: The First Six Months, Timeline of US Policy Changes, News Highlights Mainstream Media Review (January 20-July 19, 2017) By Michael T. Bucci Region: USA Global Research, July 20, 2017 michaelbucci.com Note: With few exceptions, sources are from mainstream media. GR Editor’s Note: This compilation does not constitute an endorsement of the mainstream media stories below. The list of news headline stories is intended to reveal the details of a political timeline, namely a sequence of key policy decisions taken since the inception of the Trump administration on January 19, 2017. These key policy decisions have been the object of mainstream media coverage. * * * January 20, 2017 Trump Inauguration (Friday): – Trump signs first executive action canceling Obama’s FHA mortgage rate premium cuts https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-20/trump-administration-overturns-obam a-s-fha-mortgage-fee-cut – Trump signs executive order to roll-back Obamacare hours after taking office http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/20/politics/trump-signs-executive-order-on-obamacare/ – Trump writes memo temporarily banning new federal government regulations. http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/20/politics/reince-priebus-regulations-memo/ January 21, 2017 (Saturday) – Massive Women’s March in U.S. and World. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/01/21/world/womens-march-pictures.html http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/21/politics/trump-women-march-on-washington/ http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/peace-positivity-massive-women-s-march-make-voi ces-heard-d-n710356 http://www.cbsnews.com/news/womens-march-washington-chicago-massive-turnout-change | 1 -of-plans/ http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/01/women-world-protest-president-trump-1701211344 24671.html http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/315442-massive-womens-march-crowds-sw arm-dc-metro – U.S. Customs asks Canadians entering for D.C. if “pro-Trump” or “anti-Trump”. Some anti- Trump barred from entering. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/01/21/u-s-border-agents-turned -away-canadians-hoping-to-come-to-the-womens-march/ – Throughout weekend, Trump argues about size of his inaugural crowds compared to those who attended Women’s rally http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/315484-trump-defends-size-of-his-inaugural -crowd https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/21/us/politics/trump-white-house-briefing-inauguration-cr owd-size.html January 23, 2017 (Monday): – Trump signs repeal of TPP. http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/315654-trump-signs-orders-on-tpp-abortion-fed eral-hiring-freeze https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/23/us/politics/tpp-trump-trade-nafta.html – Trump freezes federal hiring (except military). https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/trump-freezes-hiring-of-federal-workers/2017/0 1/23/f14d8180-e190-11e6-ba11-63c4b4fb5a63_story.html – Trump bans federal money to those who counsel on abortions (incl international groups). https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2017/01/23/trump-reverses-aborti on-related-policy-to-ban-funding-to-international-health-groups/ – Trump blames voter fraud for loss of popular vote. http://elections.ap.org/content/trump-wrongly-blames-fraud-loss-popular-vote January 24, 2017 (Tuesday) – Executive Order to continue construction of Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/24/keystone-xl-dakota-access-pipelines-revi ved-trump-administration | 2 – Trump orders EPA freeze and media blackout, banning press releases, blog updates or posts to the agency’s social media accounts. Also told Agricultural and Interior Depts, if not also DHS. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/01/23/trump-administr ation-tells-epa-to-freeze-all-grants-contracts/ January 25, 2017 (Wednesday) – Trump sends directives to build a 2,000 mile wall at the US-Mexican border and curtail immigration. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/24/us/politics/wall-border-trump.html – Trump vows to strip funding from cities shielding illegal immigrants. https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/01/25/trump-slashes-federal-funding-sanctuary-ci ties/CEXMyIvNZXEgtDTOOoyn3N/story.html – Trump to direct federal resources toward building a border wall. http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/24/politics/donald-trump-immigration-refugees/ – DOW hits 20,000 http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-immigration-idUSKBN1591HP http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/25/investing/dow-20000-stocks/index.html http://www.nbcnews.com/business/markets/dow-hits-20-000-first-time-history-n698381 January 26, 2017 (Thursday) – Trump calls Chelsea Manning an “ungrateful traitor.” http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/trump-manning-234207 – Trump tells Republicans meeting in PA, “now is the dawn of a new era.” https://www.c-span.org/video/?422829-1/president-trump-tells-congressional-republicans-no w-deliver | 3 – Mexico cancels meeting with Trump citing disagreement over paying for wall. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/26/world/mexicos-president-cancels-meeting-with-trump- over-wall.html – Trump calls for 20% tax on Mexican imports to pay for border wall. http://www.businessinsider.com/sean-spicer-trump-considering-20-tax-on-mexican-imports-2 017-1 – Scientists move Doomsday Clock ahead 30 seconds, closest to midnight in 63 years, due to threats such as nuclear weapons, climate change and Donald Trump’s election http://www.reuters.com/article/us-science-doomsdayclock-idUSKBN15A2JJ http://thebulletin.org/sites/default/files/Final%202017%20Clock%20Statement.pdf – Bannon tells the NY Times the media is the “opposition party” of the new administration and should “keep its mouth shut.” http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/steve-bannon-donald-trump-war-media- transparency-liberal-elite-interview-new-york-times-a7548406.html https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/26/business/media/stephen-bannon-trump-news-media.h tml – Trump signs first presidentialproclamation declaring this week“National School Choice Week.” http://finance.yahoo.com/news/president-trump-proclaims-national-school-195900813.html – DHS has temporarily halted trips by staff to interview refugees abroad http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-refugees-idUSKBN15A2TD – Trump pulls ad budget in the closing days of HealthCare.gov. Former Obama officials call it “sabotage”. http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/27/news/economy/obamacare-ads-trump/ January 27, 2017 (Friday) – U.S. U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley warned U.S. allies if they don’t support Washington, she is “taking names” and will respond. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/27/world/americas/nikki-haley-united-nations.html – Trump signs executive order that will limit immigration and refugees from some Muslim- majority countries for six months; suspends the United States’ Syrian refugees program indefinitely. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/27/us/politics/refugee-muslim-executive-order-trump.htm l | 4 – Trump signs executive action to begin military buildup http://www.defensenews.com/articles/report-draft-executive-order-would-give-pentagon-sho rt-term-funding-boost – British PM Theresa May and Trump pledge allegiance to special relationship. White House misspelled Theresa “Teresa” three times. British press corp was locked outside the White House because their birthdates were submitted in UK format and Secret Service didn’t understand it. http://news.sky.com/story/theresa-may-pledges-to-renew-special-relationship-ahead-of-trum p-talks-10742727 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/theresa-may-teresa-spelling-misspell-do nald-trump-republican-retreat-speech-a7548616.html – Melania Trump wins first round in libellawsuit against MD blogger (Webster Tarpley) for citing she was in escort service. Tarpley asked for dismissal of suit and denied by judge. http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/melania-trump-libel-suit-blogger-234263 – Trump tells Mexican president Peña Nieto, “You have a bunch of bad hombres down there. You aren’t doing enough to stop them. I think your military is scared. Our military isn’t, so I just might send them down to take care of it.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/no-gday-mate-on-call-with-australi an-pm-trump-badgers-and-brags/2017/02/01/88a3bfb0- e8bf-11e6-80c2-30e57e57e05d_story.html January 28, 2017 (Saturday) – Trump’s immigration ban causes chaos and controversy https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/28/airports-us-immigration-ban-muslim-cou ntries-trump – Trump and Putin discuss ‘mutually beneficial’ trade, security (Leaked later – Feb. 9 – and reported by Reuters, Putin raised possibility of extending START treaty. Trump asked his aides what it was and then told Putin the treaty was one of several bad deals negotiated by the Obama administration, saying that New START favored Russia. Trump also talked about his own popularity, the sources said.) http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-putin-idUSKBN15O2A5 – Trump signs executive order banning administration officials from ever lobbying the U.S. on behalf of a foreign government and imposing a separate five-year ban on other lobbying. http://time.com/4652703/president-trump-lobbying-ban/ – Trump signs memorandum giving military leaders 30 days to construct and present a report outlining the U.S. strategy for defeating ISIS. | 5 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-executive-order-isis-defea t-30-days-a7551521.html – Trump signs memorandum ordering a reorganization of the National Security Council, gives seat to Steve Bannon. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/28/lobbying-ban-trump-executive-order-isis-