Washington ( CNN ) The forced resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen is not just the usual story of an administration racked by chaos and the short shelf life of almost everyone who works for an imperious and grudge-bearing President .\nNielsen was hardly a moderate out of step with President Donald Trump on his signature issue of immigration . She became the administration 's public face of the zero-tolerance policy that caused widespread outrage after hundreds of migrant children were separated from their parents .\nBut she is nonetheless paying the price for a crisis exacerbated by the President 's decision-making amid a major surge in migrants crossing the border .\nIt 's a sign of a government stocked with acting secretaries and hampered by thin personnel benches , stretched beyond functionality by Trump 's impulses and the most prodigious staffing burn rate of any modern President .\nNielsen 's ouster fits with a pattern of Trump forcing out officials who have pushed back against his more radical instincts or been unable to carry them out , or who have earned his ire for being unwilling to match his defiance for governing practice and convention . They include former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson , ex-Attorney General Jeff Sessions , former national security adviser H.R . McMaster and former chief of staff John Kelly .\nYet there is also a more fundamental reason for Nielsen 's departure that gets closer to the heart of Trump 's behavior and political strategy than almost all of the many , previous exits from his administration .\nNielsen 's demise is the clearest indication yet of the impossibility of reconciling Trump 's ideological and emotional instincts on immigration -- which helped make him President -- with legal , humanitarian and international realities .\nNielsen `` believed the situation was becoming untenable '' with Trump `` becoming increasingly unhinged about the border crisis and making unreasonable and even impossible requests , '' a senior administration official told CNN 's Jake Tapper on Sunday .\nHer departure mirrors that of former Defense Secretary James Mattis last year , whose authority was shredded by a sudden , and apparently spontaneous announcement of a Syria withdrawal by the President , but who had gradually grown apart from his boss .\nIn both cases , the complexity of serious policy problems , often in life or death situations , clashed with the political instincts of a President who abhors detail and prefers to govern from the gut , while ignoring conventional expertise -- even from subordinates that in no way could be considered moderates .\nAs the crisis on the US-Mexico border worsened , Trump 's tolerance for Nielsen snapped .\nAnd the President might also have gone looking for a scapegoat .\nLast week , he was forced to climb down on a public threat to close the southern border after officials , business groups and political leaders warned of a pending economic disaster if he went ahead .\nHe covered his blushes by going on a tear on immigration , with some of the most unconstrained rhetoric on the issue ever heard by an American president , that was scorching even by the standards of Trump himself .\n`` Ca n't take you anymore . Ca n't take you . Our country is full ... Ca n't take you anymore , I 'm sorry . So turn around . That 's the way it is , '' Trump said in a message to asylum seekers during a trip to the border on Friday .\nA day later , Trump mocked those fleeing persecution seeking a better life in the United States , portraying asylum seekers as criminals and gang members , rather than the families Nielsen described in a CNN interview last week .\n`` ' I am very fearful for my life , ' '' Trump said mockingly during a speech to the Republican Jewish Coalition on Saturday . `` I am very worried that I will be accosted if I am sent back home . No , no , he 'll do the accosting ! ''\nJUST WATCHED Secy . Kirstjen Nielsen is leaving , Trump tweets Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Secy . Kirstjen Nielsen is leaving , Trump tweets 00:40\nNielsen 's departure , confirmed in a tense White House meeting with Trump on Sunday afternoon , came after days of speculation and was in retrospect a logical consequence of the President 's boiling frustration .\nHe had been dissatisfied with Nielsen for months , though their relationship appeared to improve marginally during the government shutdown that spanned the turn of the year and turned into another political reverse for Trump .\nSpeculation about her status ballooned last week , after Trump suddenly declared that he would halt hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to Honduras , El Salvador and Guatemala , accusing them of sending migrants to the US border .\nThe move utterly undercut Nielsen who had just days before signed what her department called a `` historic , regional compact '' to tackle undocumented migration at its source .\nImmigration experts said that the aid cutoff would ultimately make the situation far worse as it would exacerbate the deprivation and lawlessness in Central America that is a key driver of migration and asylum claims .\nNielsen 's departure comes as more critical moments loom for the administration that are likely to test Trump 's equilibrium at a time when he is already furious about the border situation .\nWhen he was not fulminating about immigration over the weekend , he was lashing out at special counsel Robert Mueller and Democratic demands that all of his report should be released .\nAttorney General William Barr , caught between an angry President and Democrats in Congress after finding there was no evidence to support election collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia , has pledged to release a redacted version of the report by mid-month .\nThe White House is also trying to escape a self-imposed snafu over health care policy after sending confusing signals of whether the President wanted a new bid to replace Obamacare before or after the 2020 election .\nAnd this week , the administration is expected to significantly escalate tensions with Iran by against throwing caution to the wind by designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization , a move some in the defense and intelligence communities fear could expose US personnel in the Middle East to reprisals .\nJUST WATCHED Cuomo to DHS Sec : Why 's Trump viewing fencing , not kids ? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Cuomo to DHS Sec : Why 's Trump viewing fencing , not kids ? 01:32\nAs he seeks to manage the immigration crisis , the President now has a chance to insert a like-minded replacement in what in the wake of Nielsen 's departure looks like an increasingly impossible job .\nTrump has already signaled that he will make immigration a centerpiece of his 2020 re-election bid and has every political incentive , since he is basing his hopes of a second term on energizing his base , to turn up the heat on the issue .\nThe new secretary will also face the same limits as Nielsen . As much as Trump rages against asylum claims , they are codified in US and international laws that he in practice can not just disregard .\nHe recently found out that his preferred , dramatic solution of just closing the border would cause a swift and massive economic backlash that in itself could harm his hopes of winning a second term .\nThe President is already pushing his power to the limit , and possibly beyond it by seeking to use a national emergency declaration to redirect money already allocated by Congress for other projects to the border wall that was at the symbolic center of his 2016 campaign .\nFor all his fiery speeches , it is difficult for Trump to argue that his hardline approach on immigration is actually working .\nAfter years of declines , the tide of asylum seeking and undocumented migrants crossing the border has climbed dramatically .\nThe White House says US Customs and Border Protection engaged in more than 100,000 border enforcement actions in March -- the most for one month in more than a decade .\nIt argues that Trump has reassigned customs officers to the border and directed them to return as many migrants as possible to Mexico to wait for immigration proceedings on the southern side of the border .\nBut ultimately , there will be no solution to the border problem and the chronic glut in the asylum and court systems , without action by Congress .\nNielsen did `` everything she could to make the problem better , '' a senior Department of Homeland Security official told CNN 's Geneva Sands on Sunday .\n`` Worst place for you to be is where you need Congress to act , '' the official said .\nThe White House wants asylum law tightened and the power to detain families traveling with children -- a practice Democrats have branded inhumane .\nTrump named Kevin McAleenan , the commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection , as acting replacement for Nielsen at the Department of Homeland Security .\nMcAleenan is not seen as an ideologue and served former President Barack Obama -- so there must be considerable doubt about how long he will also be in the post -- but he has less problematic ties with Congress than Nielsen .\nAttempts at reaching a broad political solution on the border have been complicated by Trump 's choice to use immigration as a rallying call for his base and his adoption of rhetoric that stains any political common ground .\nHe has several times pulled out of immigration deals with Democrats that might have helped mitigate the situation at the border apparently because he feared a backlash from his most fervent supporters and cheerleaders in conservative media .\nDemocrats complain that the so-called master of the art of the deal wants to win on all his immigration priorities while offering nothing in return -- for example a path to legal status for people brought to the US illegally and who are protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals ( DACA ) program .\nThey also argue that his rhetoric is incompatible with the founding principles of a nation built on immigration .\n`` When even the most radical voices in the administration are n't radical enough for President Trump , you know he 's completely lost touch with the American people , '' Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Sunday , remarking on Nielsen 's departure .\nYet while there is evidence that Trump 's flame throwing commentary on immigration hurt Republicans in swing districts and helped Democrats win the House in midterm elections , Trump 's warning that the US is under assault by marauding caravans of immigrants is widely backed by his supporters .\nThat 's why ultimately , even Nielsen , who was reviled on the left over the family separations policy and attempted to shape the President 's instincts into a workable policy always seemed doomed .\nTrump has shown that he will always , eventually side with the themes and voters that powered his political rise even faced with insurmountable political and practical obstacles .


Ever since Budapest ’ s Keleti train station became the epicenter of Europe ’ s migration crisis last fall , Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has led the charge among former communist states of the European Union to reject Muslim refugees in Europe .\nHe sought to shore up that position – and his role as provocateur to Brussels and its aims to relocate asylum-seekers fairly across the bloc – in a referendum on Sunday . But while those who voted overwhelmingly rejected the EU ’ s redistribution scheme , not enough voters turned out to cast ballots , invalidating the results .\nMr. Orbán is trying to spin the referendum as a victory . But the vote also revealed a majority who disagree with him – either his position on migration or his leadership itself – or do not believe that the question of migration is sufficiently important to head to polls .\nWhile Hungary is often cast off as simply anti-migrant , the vote shows a nation whose views are far from monolithic , and that will ultimately make it harder for Orbán to offer a simplistic message of dissent in Europe .\n“ This outcome will make it harder for Orbán to stand up for his immigration policy in the EU , because EU leaders can say , ‘ Orbán , now what do you want ? The referendum was invalid , ’ ” says Attila Tibor Nagy , a political analyst in Budapest at the Center for Fair Political Analysis .\nThat will come as a relief both to the powers in the EU facing an existential crisis after Britain opted to leave the union in June , and amid the rise of right-wing populists , who are peddling an anti-EU message that has gained a deeper foothold during the refugee crisis .\nAmong the most provocative have been the Visegrad countries : Hungary , Poland , Slovakia , and Czech Republic . Leaders have sued the bloc over the mandatory relocation plan . They have said outright that they would take in Christian refugees but not Muslim ones , and butted heads with Brussels and particularly German Chancellor Angela Merkel , arguing that migration should be a national , not surpranational , issue .\nOrbán led the group when he sealed Hungary ’ s southern border and militarized it with police and the Army last year . His referendum campaign explicitly linked the refugee crisis to Europe ’ s terrorism threat . “ Did you know ? Since the beginning of the migration crisis more than 300 people died in terrorist attacks in Europe , ” read one advertisement .\nThe vote required 50 percent turnout in this country of just under 10 million , but only 3.25 million went to the polls . Nonetheless , Orbán called it a victory Sunday night , pointing out that more Hungarians voted yesterday than they did in the referendum about joining the EU in 2003 .\nWith almost all votes counted , more than 98 percent rejected the EU plan . `` Thirteen years after a large majority of Hungarians voted at a referendum to join the European Union , today Hungarians made their voices heard again in a European issue , '' Orbán said . `` We have achieved an outstanding result , because we have surpassed the outcome of the accession referendum . ”\nA counter-campaign by the Two-Tailed Dog Party , a registered political party of street artists that parodies the ruling elite , put up their own spoof posters . “ Did you know ? Hungarians see more UFOs in their lifetime than migrants , ” read one . Opposition parties urged voters to abstain from the vote . But no party came out supporting the EU ’ s relocation plan .\nMr. Nagy says the referendum does not show a turnabout on migration : He sees Hungarian society as decidedly anti-migrant . But he believes voters stayed home because they didn ’ t want to contribute to Orbán ’ s influence as prime minister . They also may have been over-saturated by the campaign blitz . And he says that perhaps they don ’ t see migration as a sufficiently big enough problem in their daily lives .\nGet the Monitor Stories you care about delivered to your inbox . By signing up , you agree to our Privacy Policy\nWhile hundreds of thousands of migrants crossed through Hungary last year – many of them barred from entering Keleti station on their westward march , which ultimately led Ms. Merkel to welcome them – the numbers have plummeted this year . That is due to many factors , including the EU-Turkey plan to dissuade refugees from coming , as well as the walls Hungary erected . Under the relocation plan , Hungary was only to accept 1,294 asylum-seekers .\n“ I can imagine that the vast majority of people could feel that this problem was not so big in their everyday lives , because migration is not seen so directly in Hungary , ” Nagy says .


Most of the illegal immigrant criminals Homeland Security officials released from custody last year were discretionary , meaning the department could have kept them in detention but chose instead to let them onto the streets as their deportation cases moved through the system , according to new numbers from Congress .\nSome of those released were the worst of the worst — more than 3,700 “ Threat Level 1 ” criminals , who are deemed the top priority for deportation , were still released out into the community even as they waited for their immigration cases to be heard .\nHomeland Security officials have implied their hands are tied by court rulings in many cases , but the numbers , obtained by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte , showed 57 percent of the criminals released were by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ’ s own choice , and they could have been kept instead .\n“ Put aside the spin , and the fact is that over 17,000 of the criminal aliens released last year were released due to ICE discretion , representing 57 percent of the releases , ” said Mr. Goodlatte . “ The Obama administration ’ s lax enforcement policies are reckless and needlessly endanger our communities . ”\nIn a statement to The ███ , ICE said it takes release decisions seriously and makes a judgment in each case . That holds true even for Threat Level 1 criminals .\n“ Not all Level 1 criminal aliens are subject to mandatory detention and thus may be eligible for bond , ” the agency said , pointing to mitigating circumstances that can convince agents to release the most serious criminals .\n“ ICE personnel making custody determinations also take into consideration humanitarian factors such as deteriorated health , advanced age , and caretaking responsibilities . All custody determinations are made on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration the totality of circumstances in each case , ” the agency said .\nICE officials insist that those who are released are still monitored , often by electronic ankle bracelets but also through a system of phone checks or by paying a bond .\nHowever , nearly all of those released under electronic monitoring broke the terms of their release , according to ICE numbers .\nIn fiscal year 2014 , ICE put about 41,000 immigrants through electronic monitoring , and more than 30,000 of them broke the terms of their release — many of them racking up multiple violations . All told , they notched nearly 300,000 violations in one year alone , or an average of 10 instances per violator .\nThe rate has gone down slightly so far in fiscal year 2015 . Of the 34,002 immigrants put into electronic monitoring , 27,317 have broken the rules a combined 162,322 times .\nICE said violations can include what they deem minor problems , such as someone lacking a strong enough cell signal for voice verification by phone or someone calling in too early or a few minutes late . Low batteries or jostling an electronic bracelet during sports can also cause a monitoring alarm to go off incorrectly , ICE said .\nOf the more than 30,000 detainees who broke the conditional terms of their release and monitoring in 2014 , only 2,420 were deemed to have been serious enough breaches to rearrest them .\nPart of ICE ’ s problem is that it doesn ’ t have enough beds to go out and pick up violators , according to an inspector general ’ s report released earlier this year .\nAgency officials said they would like to be able to hold those who willfully break the rules , but they haven ’ t requested more beds . Indeed , Mr. Obama ’ s 2016 budget request actually asked for fewer beds to hold detainees next year , arguing that he wants to put more emphasis on the very alternatives that are being violated .\nICE ’ s treatment of those awaiting their deportation proceedings has been controversial for several years .\nIn 2013 , the agency released 36,007 convicted criminals who were awaiting the outcome of their deportation cases . Those released had amassed 116 homicide convictions , 15,635 drunken driving convictions and 9,187 convictions stemming from what ICE labeled involvement with “ dangerous drugs . ”\nThe total dropped to about 30,000 in 2014 — but the seriousness of the offenses increased , with 193 homicide convictions among the detainees and 16,070 drunken driving convictions . There were also 426 sexual assaults and 303 kidnapping convictions , ICE said .\nHomeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and ICE Director Sarah Saldana said the numbers were unacceptable and imposed new rules requiring releases to be vetted by senior agency officials to make sure they were correct .\nBoth Mr. Johnson and Ms. Saldana also said many of the releases are required and give them little discretion — particularly those made under a 2001 Supreme Court decision known as the Zadvydas case , when the justices ruled that immigrants couldn ’ t generally be detained indefinitely .\nThat means that if a home country won ’ t take someone back , ICE must release them after about six months .\nBut the new numbers obtained by Mr. Goodlatte suggest Zadvydas-related releases were fewer than 2,500 in 2014 , or only about 8 percent of the total — compared to the 57 percent that ICE admits were completely discretionary .\nThe rest of the releases were divided between cases where an immigration judge ordered bond or where ICE was unable to obtain travel documents but it wasn ’ t considered a mandatory release under the Zadvydas ruling .


WASHINGTON—The Trump administration , facing criticism for its response to the devastation in Puerto Rico , sent a three-star general to the island Thursday to ramp up relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Maria .\nLt. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan , a commander of U.S. Army North , had already been overseeing the effort from San Antonio , the White House said , but is being sent to the U.S. territory to “ have his eyes on it and make sure he ’ s comfortable with the interaction between his forces , and the governor and the municipal forces , ” said White House homeland security adviser Tom Bossert .\nAsked why Gen. Buchanan wasn ’ t deployed to Puerto Rico when the hurricane first hit , Mr. Bossert said : “ It didn ’ t require a three-star general eight days ago. ” He added that he didn ’ t expect the general to “ stay there long . ”\nGen. Buchanan will join a one-star Army general—Brig . Gen. Rich Kim , the operations officer for U.S. Northern Command—who arrived on the island Wednesday .\nMore than a week after the Category 4 storm ravaged Puerto Rico , destroying roads and its electrical grid , most residents remain without power and struggle to find food and clean water .\nAt a White House briefing , press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders , speaking to the storm victims , said : “ We are praying for you . We are working for you . And we will not let you down . ”\nAlso Thursday , President Donald Trump agreed to a 10-day waiver of the Jones Act , which had blocked foreign-flagged vessels from shipping relief supplies to Puerto Rico , in response to a request from Puerto Rico Gov . Ricardo Rossello . The 1920 law requires ships carrying cargo between U.S. points be owned and managed by U.S. citizens and have American crews .\nMr. Rossello on Wednesday evening called Mr. Bossert , who said he relayed the request to the president . “ He thought that was the right thing to do , and we waived it right away , ” Mr. Bossert said .\nA day earlier , the president told reporters he was hesitant to waive the Jones Act because of opposition from the shipping industry .\nMr. Bossert on Thursday pushed back on criticism of the administration ’ s relief efforts , calling complaints that the president hadn ’ t waived the Jones Act sooner “ unfounded ” and suggested news media coverage was incorrectly “ giving the appearance that the government is not moving fast enough . ”\n“ There ’ s nothing that can happen fast enough ” due to the “ understandable degree of devastation ” in Puerto Rico , Mr. Bossert said .\nEarlier in the day , Sen. Marco Rubio ( R. , Fla. ) called on the Pentagon to take over relief operations and said the Federal Emergency Management Agency wasn ’ t equipped to handle the disaster because the island isn ’ t set up like a U.S. state with a well-established disaster-relief network .\n“ In a traditional setting you would have the emergency operations officials in a jurisdiction , ” Mr. Rubio said . “ In the case of Puerto Rico , that ’ s not working because those emergency officials have no communication , don ’ t have full situational awareness , are already overwhelmed—they just recovered from one storm—and have significant fiscal constraints . ”\nThe Pentagon said Thursday that the Defense Department “ continues ongoing relief operations ” in Puerto Rico with a focus on what the department said are FEMA ’ s immediate goals of assessing hospitals there .\nCongress is waiting on the Trump administration to determine how much it will seek in additional disaster relief spending . House Speaker Paul Ryan ( R. , Wis. ) said he estimates that request will come next month and that “ we will quickly act on that request because we need to get help to people who need it . ”\nFEMA ’ s disaster-relief fund stands at $ 4.6 billion . About $ 900 million so far is obligated for Hurricane Maria relief , according to a congressional aide . FEMA will get an additional $ 7 billion Oct. 1 when the new fiscal year starts .\nBut some lawmakers worry that the administration doesn ’ t have enough people on the island to rebuild the infrastructure and speed medical supplies , food and water to communities there .\n“ Rather than 5,000 , there should be 50,000 ” military personnel there , Sen. Richard Blumenthal ( D. , Conn. ) said Thursday on the Senate floor . “ Not to enforce martial law , but to make sure that the logistics , the transportation , the means of delivery , the lifeblood of that island in food and fuel and medicine and water and other basic necessities are sufficient to move those basic supplies to places that they are needed . ”\nIn Puerto Rico , 47 of 69 hospitals identified for assessment have been checked , with much of the transportation provided by Defense Department helicopters , according to the Pentagon statement .\nAll but one of the island ’ s nine airports are open , and of the six FEMA-designated priority ports only one remains closed .\nA dozen National Guard armories are part of a network of more than 100 distribution locations for crucial supplies , including fuel . The Army Corps of Engineers is helping to shore up the Guajataca Dam spillway , a crucial infrastructure weak spot , with 900 oversize sandbags used for flood control .\nThe Navy ’ s hospital ship , the USNS Comfort , is slated to leave its port Friday in Norfolk , Va. , and arrive in Puerto Rico sometime next week . The Comfort is a tanker converted into a floating hospital , which is typically manned by a skeleton crew in port but can be activated and under way in five days , according to the Navy .\nThe Transportation Department said Thursday it was making immediately available $ 40 million for road and bridge repairs in Puerto Rico . The money comes from a program the Federal Highway Administration used after hurricanes Harvey and Irma and more recently in Oregon after wildfires in that state .\nAlso Thursday , Congress passed a bill to give relief to taxpayers in areas damaged by recent hurricanes in Texas , Florida and Puerto Rico by giving them larger deductions for property losses and penalty-free access to retirement accounts .


Janet Napolitano is resigning as head of the Homeland Security Department and seeking a post as president of the University of California , the long-time Obama confidant announced Friday .\nOfficials told Fox News that Napolitano does not plan to leave her post until September . But she announced the move on Friday after it began to break in the media , revealing that she has been nominated to lead the California university system .\n`` For more than four years I have had the privilege of serving President Obama and his Administration as the Secretary of Homeland Security , '' she said in a statement . `` The opportunity to work with the dedicated men and women of the Department of Homeland Security , who serve on the frontlines of our nation 's efforts to protect our communities and families from harm , has been the highlight of my professional career . We have worked together to minimize threats of all kinds to the American public . ''\nNapolitano has ridden out a rocky tenure , having endured a string of lawsuits and multiple controversies regarding the agencies that DHS oversees . Among the complaints , Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents accused the department leadership in a lawsuit of failing to properly enforce immigration law . Their complaints center on the practice of using `` prosecutorial discretion '' -- allowing department lawyers to selectively determine which immigrants to pursue for deportation , and which to let go . Her aides claimed it was a matter of prioritizing resources , though some agents claimed it ran afoul of immigration law .\nNapolitano 's department later enacted a Dream Act-style policy giving young illegal immigrants a reprieve .\n`` Secretary Napolitano 's tenure at the Department of Homeland Security was defined by a consistent disrespect for the rule of law , '' Sen. Jeff Sessions , R-Ala. , one of her chief critics , said in a statement .\nThe news of her departure apparently caught Napolitano 's staff by surprise , Fox News is told . Officials , though , said the view among many at the department is that Napolitano has been `` out of sight , out of mind '' for a while -- particularly since she declared `` the system worked '' after a terrorist tried , unsuccessfully , to set off a bomb on a Detroit-bound flight in 2009 . She came under criticism for that comment , and again for saying several months later that the attempted bombing in Times Square was merely a `` one-off . ''\nThe secretary had a knack for attracting Republican ire , for times when she appeared to downplay the global terrorist threat . She once , for instance , described terrorism as `` man-caused disasters . ''\nThe agencies within the DHS have also been a popular target of lawmakers . Most recently , the Transportation Security Administration was compelled to back off a policy allowing small knives on planes after intense pushback from Congress .\nAt the same time , Napolitano has been working with other agencies to pump more resources to the border regions to curb illegal immigration , and has been tasked with responding to a series of major natural disasters .\nObama , in a written statement , praised Napolitano for her service .\n`` She 's worked around the clock to respond to natural disasters , from the Joplin tornado to Hurricane Sandy , helping Americans recover and rebuild . Since day one , Janet has led my administration 's effort to secure our borders , deploying a historic number of resources , while also taking steps to make our immigration system fairer and more consistent with our values , '' he said .\nNapolitano , a former Arizona governor , has led the Homeland Security Department since the start of the Obama administration . She is one of the handful of Cabinet members to have stayed with the administration this long .\nThe California university system announced late Friday morning that Napolitano had been nominated for president . She was recommended on a unanimous vote . The Board of Regents will vote next Thursday -- if confirmed , Napolitano will be the first female president of the university .


Seven months after the military began an investigation into the disappearance of Army Sgt . Bowe Bergdahl and his capture by the Taliban , which held him for five years , a new report indicates Army officials have determined Bergdahl — for whom the administration traded five top Gitmo-held terrorists — will be charged as a deserter .\nRetired Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer , a senior fellow at the London Center for Policy Research , made the startling claim during an appearance on `` The O'Reilly Factor '' on Fox News :\nBergdahl ’ s attorney has received the charges , according to Shaffer , who claims the Obama administration is withholding the report .\nBut the Army Times claims the Army says there 's no truth to claims a decision has been made on the Bergdahl case . Paul Boyce , spokesman for Forces Command , told the Army Times there is no charge sheet and the Fox News story `` seems to be speculative in nature . ''\n`` What they are reporting is untrue – there has been no update to what we provided in Dec. Investigation is still with [ General Mark ] Milley who will determine appropriate action – which ranges from no further action to convening a court martial . We can not discuss or disclose the findings of the investigation while disciplinary decisions are pending before commanders , '' the Army said in a statement provided to CNN Tuesday .\nLikewise , Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby posted the following statement on Twitter : `` Contrary to media reporting , no decision made by Army leadership with respect to Sgt . Bergdahl 's case . The process will be respected . ''\nO ’ Reilly said the White House has had this information for a while but has been delaying it under the auspices of Ben Rhodes , assistant national security adviser .\n`` This is shaping up to be a Titanic struggle behind the scenes , '' Shaffer said . `` Believe me , the Army here wants to do the right thing . Factually , there ’ s no way they can not do the right thing regarding Bergdahl . And the White House , because of the political narrative , President Obama cozying up to the parents and because he , President Obama , releasing the five Taliban . … The narrative is what the White House does not want to have come out . ''\nNBC News is separately reporting that a decision on the desertion charge is imminent and may come within a week , according to an anonymous senior defense officials .\nBergdahl was recovered in Afghanistan by U.S. troops in a controversial swap for five Taliban officials on May 31 . He had disappeared from his small patrol base on June 30 , 2009 , under a cloud of suspicion and fear as it became clear he been captured by militants .\nThe Army in June launched a new investigation into Bergdahl ’ s disappearance and capture , amid a raft of accusations from his fellow soldiers that he walked away from his unit on the battlefield and questions about whether the Obama administration handled the prisoner swap legally .\nOn Jan. 11 , the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , Gen. Martin Dempsey , said he anticipated a decision `` fairly soon '' on whether the Army would court martial Bergdahl for deserting his post .\n`` In White House terms , not charging Bergdahl means that he was indeed worth the trade for the Taliban Five . But charging him on any level means that releasing the five Taliban was an error of monstrous proportions , one the administration will never be able to explain away satisfactorily , '' said retired Lt. Col. Bill Cowen in a commentary written for the Fox News site .\nFormer Sgt . Matt Vierkant told CNN last year , `` Bowe Bergdahl deserted during a time of war , and his fellow Americans lost their lives searching for him . ''\n`` I do n't understand , '' Vierkant added , `` why we 're trading prisoners at Gitmo for somebody who deserted during a time of war , which is an act of treason . ''\nA full 54 percent of Americans agreed in a June 2014 poll , saying Obama ’ s swap for Bergdahl amounted to providing aid to terrorists – which violates federal law . And they said impeachment is deserved .\nIn June , WND reported an explosive charge emerged – that Bergdahl 's fellow soldiers had orders to shoot him on sight as a deserter .\nA number of damning charges against Bergdahl came from soldiers who served with him . Some were posted on Facebook .\nThe soldiers wrote anonymously , saying the Pentagon had them sign nondisclosure statements after Bergdahl disappeared from his post in Afghanistan in 2009 . Some said they were still on active duty .\nWND also reported a four-year-old claim by a Taliban commander that Bergdahl was n't just a deserter but also a traitor who converted to Islam and taught jihadi fighters how to make bombs and ambush convoys .\nAfghan intelligence officials believed Bergdahl was `` cooperating with the Taliban '' and advising fighters at a base in Pakistan .\nA comment posted by a soldier who says he served with Bergdahl confirmed the charge .\n`` What you have is pretty well spot on , '' the post says . `` All I know is that our orders were kill on contact and then we came back and it was covered up . I ’ ve personally been threatened a few times that discussing it in half the detail you already have was considered an act of treason . ''\nAnother post made clear the Army considered Berdahl not just a deserter but a defector .\n`` My battalion took over the AO from 25th . The story of Bergdahl being a defector is exactly what was briefed to us and I also read the debrief report about the situation . The story is 100 % correct . I ’ ve personally been on a few missions following up on Bergdahls location but we never found anything . I currently live an hour away from his family ’ s location . Hailey , Idaho , is a resort town frequented by movie stars etc . They typically side with the anti-war side of politics in that area and is a perfect spot for him to live in solitude . ''\nAnother post that said Bergdahl deserted came from someone who said he was directly involved in the attempted recovery of Bergdahl .\n`` Here is what I know , not from hearsay , but because I was there . Bergdahl became a sympathizer , walked off his post to seek out the Taliban in order to join their ranks , to help and live with them . In exchange for his release , the United States released the following 5 known Taliban ; Khairullah Khairkhwa , Mullah Norullah Noori , Mullah Norullah Noori , Abdul Haq Wasiq , Mohammed Nabi who were immediately welcomed back into the Taliban network . The Taliban are currently seeking the release of additional prisoners , but will not state specifics . Now that they have the blue print on how to accomplish this by simply capturing an American soldier and with the troop number drawing down to 9,800+ , I can only hope our service men and women keep their heads on a swivel . ''


As the armed forces shrink and withdraw from some global hot spots , their agenda for the battle of the sexes grows .\nThe Pentagon under the Obama administration has devoted considerable hours in public and private to sorting out same-sex relationships , the roles of women in the foxhole and ways to stop sexual assaults . Now , another issue has arisen : gender transformation .\nThe sexual revolution has some traditionalists wondering whether the Pentagon is taking its eye off the ball — the enemy .\n“ Every conceivable form of PC is being enforced upon our hard-pressed military with a zeal that only a Russian army zampolit — a political officer — would truly appreciate , ” said Ken Allard , a retired Army colonel and commentator . “ We are seemingly concerned about everything except the most basic thing : how to fight and win the nation ’ s wars . If we have forgotten that constraint , let me assure you that our enemies have not , from the Taliban to the drug cartels to the Iranian Quds Force . ”\nDefense Secretary Chuck Hagel has made stamping out sex abuse a top priority , having met with President Obama , delivered public statements and appointed a board to recommend fixes .\nMeanwhile , the Army , Marine Corps and U.S. Special Operations Command have immersed themselves in surveys and studies to evaluate physical standards for direct ground combat . It ’ s a two-year lead-up to putting women in infantry , tank and commando units .\nThe process is time-consuming and daunting . The Pentagon has made it clear that it does not want to retain irrelevant standards that women can not meet — and it wants women introduced into combat units in sizable numbers to develop mentoring and female camaraderie .\n“ Yes , there is too much focus on social issues in the armed forces driven by external proponents with special interests , focused agendas and , in many cases , lack of knowledge about the armed forces , ” said retired Gen. Carl Mundy , Marine Corps commandant from 1991 to 1995 . “ The military services are without question the most open element in our society , and the very nature of that openness , together with the fishbowl in which they exist , make them ripe and easy targets for activists with an agenda . ”\nThe Marines in particular face a challenge in finding enough women , who make up 7 percent of the Corps . Women account for 14 percent of Army soldiers .\nBefore retiring as Marine commandant in 2010 , Gen. James Conway testified before a congressionally created commission on military diversity . He said he doesn ’ t believe Marine women want to be in land combat .\n“ I don ’ t think you will see a change because I don ’ t think our women want it to change , ” Gen. Conway testified . “ There are certain demands of officers in a combat arms environment that our women see , recognize , appreciate , and say , ‘ I couldn ’ t do that . In fact , I don ’ t want to do that because I don ’ t think it best prepares me for success if I am trying to do those things against the male population at lieutenant , captain , major and lieutenant colonel [ ranks ] . ’ ”\n“ Now that ’ s not to say that we don ’ t have women doing a tremendous job in combat where you have a pretty amorphous environment , no real front lines in a counterinsurgency environment . And their contributions are appreciated and recognized and rewarded , ” the commandant added .\n“ In talking to them , I think they feel like that ’ s probably enough . So I don ’ t see the day coming where we would change our culture necessarily and , in the process , go against what I think the vast majority of our women would want to see — stay pretty much like it is . ”\nSince autumn , six female Marine officers have tried to complete the mandatory combat qualification course . All failed or dropped out because of injuries . The Corps now is attempting to compile a checklist of physical attributes that identifies female officers who can perform direct ground combat . It plans to apply the same inventory to enlisted Marine women .\nThe combat debate was preceded by and now coincides with a running debate on openly serving gays . The Pentagon spent a year preparing every unit for open homosexuals in the ranks . Now it is churning out regulations on gay marriage , authorized leave for same-sex weddings and domestic benefits .\nTold of complaints from combat veterans , a Pentagon spokesman said that , in the case of same-sex marriage , the Defense Department is complying with a Supreme Court decision that struck down most of the federal Defense of Marriage Act , which defined marriage as the union of one man and one woman .\n“ The Department of Defense remains committed to ensuring that all men and women who serve our country , and their families , are treated fairly and equally , ” the spokesman said . “ Expeditious implementation of the decisions announced in Secretary Hagel ’ s memorandum will help the Department remain true to its commitment . ”\nElaine Donnelly , who runs the Center for Military Readiness , keeps track of the Pentagon ’ s sex-related bureaucracy — and she says it is growing .\nBesides a committee that advises the defense secretary on women ’ s issues and a task force devoted to surveying sex-abuse victims , the services themselves are setting up satellite organizations to do the same things .\n“ There is also a task force that deals with the service academies alone , ” Ms. Donnelly said . “ And lots of individual committees set up within each service , which spend countless hours conducting internal meetings and writing reports .\n“ Then there are outside contractors such as Rand Corp. , and even entertainers who do shows like ‘ Sex Signals , ’ which include edgy language and scenarios that are inconsistent with standards of professional propriety , ” she said .\nNow another social debate is emerging . Army Pvt . Bradley E. Manning , convicted of leaking thousands of classified documents to WikiLeaks , wants to undergo a sex change while serving his sentence at a military prison at Fort Leavenworth , Kan . The Army says it does not provide such hormone therapy .\nBut the gay-rights movement , a big supporter of Mr. Obama , has demanded that the military ranks be open to transgenders as well as gays .\nThe social focus has emerged amid a military drawdown and retrenchment . The last combat troops left Iraq in December 2011 , and most are due to leave Afghanistan next year . Mandatory budget cuts known as sequestration are squeezing a force already slated to shrink .\n“ It appears to me as if neither the administration nor much of the Congress is focused on military readiness , ” said retired Army Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin , a former Delta Force commando and Pentagon intelligence official . “ Yet they tell me that I must sacrifice constitutional liberties in the interest of national security .\n“ Give that line a rest , because if they care one whit about national security , they would stop the sequestration and social engineering of the most important element of national security . ”\nGen. Raymond T. Odierno , Army chief of staff , announced in June that he was eliminating 10 brigade combat teams , with an aim of trimming 80,000 soldiers over four years .\nThe Navy said it lacked the money to send a second aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf , even though the commander in charge requested it .\nThe Air Force jet fighter inventory has shrunk by more than 500 over the past 10 years to about 2,000 planes as it consolidates units . Retired fighter jocks have taken to calling it a “ geriatric Air Force . ”\nEven though women have piloted fighter aircraft for nearly 20 years , Air Combat Command is not immune to the social agenda . It conducted sweeping inspections of work and living spaces to root out any digital or hard-copy material deemed offensive to women .\nThe week of Aug. 12 illustrated the Pentagon ’ s dual role as war fighter and social engineer : It held a press briefing on the Afghanistan War on Aug. 14 . That same day , it announced policies extending benefits to same-sex spouses of service members .\nThe Pentagon had to work through the circumstance that not all military couples live in states that permit same-sex marriage . The answer : Those personnel will be granted extra leave time to travel to states that allow same-sex weddings .\n“ We recognize that same-sex military couples who are not stationed in a jurisdiction that permits same-sex marriage would have to travel to another jurisdiction to marry , ” the Pentagon said . “ That is why the department will implement policies to allow military personnel in such a relationship non-chargeable leave for the purpose of traveling to a jurisdiction where such a marriage may occur . ”\nThe next day , Aug. 15 , top officials briefed the press on sexual assault prevention and response .\nThat afternoon , the Pentagon put out two statements from Mr. Hagel within seconds of each other .\nOne dealt with war — the secretary ’ s call to Egyptian Defense Minister Gen. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi as the military cracked down on the Muslim Brotherhood . The second : sexual harassment .\n“ Eliminating sexual assault from the armed forces remains one of the Defense Department ’ s top priorities , ” Mr. Hagel said .\nSaid Gen. Mundy : “ My greatest concern is the impact on the morale and steadfastness to service among some of the finest and most selfless leaders this nation produces , together with the equally fine young men and women they lead who are barraged with being branded as or tolerating sexual predators or anti-equal opportunity . I can not help but believe that there is long-term impact on the effectiveness of our armed forces from this in terms of morale , recruiting , retention and public confidence and support . ”


I have spent the past 20 or so New Years ’ Eves glued to the SyFy channel ’ s “ Twilight Zone ” marathon . My wife and I love the writing , the plots and picking out famous actors in their one-off roles for the classic television series .\nMaybe I ’ ll write an episode of my own , complete with a Rod Serling-worthy opening monologue : “ The year is 2017 . Donald Trump is inaugurated as president of the United States , and mass amnesia has washed over America . Half the country can no longer remember anything that happened before Jan. 20 . The former president , Barack Obama , is literally sitting right there . Yet , his own party can not remember one thing about his eight years … ”\nIt is one of the strangest phenomena of the Trump era — the memory-holing of Obama ’ s executive powers . Democrats continuously act as though they ’ ve just fallen off the Washington turnip wagon when Trump does anything .\nTrump ’ s illegal immigration policies are draconian ! He ’ s deporting too many , they screamed , forgetting that … Obama deported more . A lot more . And , you know those cages on the southern border ? Obama built them , not Trump .\nTrump ’ s defying congressional subpoenas ! No president has ever stonewalled Congress , they screamed , forgetting that Obama ’ s attorney general , Eric Holder , was held in contempt of Congress for … defying subpoenas related to the `` Fast and Furious '' gun operation scandal . There were at least eight other times when Obama ’ s administration defied congressional oversight , even preventing people from testifying ( sound familiar ? ) .\nMore from Scott Jennings : Which 2020 Democrat can beat Donald Trump ? Do n't bet on Biden , Warren or Sanders .\nWhen Trump announced his “ America First ” policy during his inaugural , Democrats apparently took it as literally as one can .\nNow , they howl over Trump ’ s latest outrage : The airstrike that killed Iranian terrorist Qasem Soleimani , the general who was in Iraq fomenting attacks against the U.S. Embassy and , evidently , plotting future hits on American targets .\nWashington Democrats whined about Trump authorizing a drone strike without their notification or consent . This , after Obama authorized at least 2,800 drone strikes in Iraq and Syria without congressional approval .\n“ When Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in December 2009 , he had authorized more drone strikes than George W. Bush had approved during his entire presidency . By his third year in office , Obama had approved the killings of twice as many suspected terrorists as had ever been imprisoned ( at ) Guantanamo Bay , ” Newsweek reported .\nObama practically invented modern push-button warfare , for goodness ’ sake ! Eventually , the American people will have to choose between partisan disingenuousness or rank stupidity to explain Democratic reaction to Trump ’ s perfectly precedented decisions .\nOn Iran , Trump made a bold choice and sent a strong message that we aren ’ t going to take the regime ’ s provocations and hostility anymore . Obama sent them pallets of cash . Trump sent an MQ-9 Reaper .\nAnyone who knows how this will all shake out is lying . They don ’ t . But the commander in chief took out the world ’ s most notorious terrorist , one with plenty of American blood on his hands . Trump is the good guy here , not the terrorist .\nYet , Democrats couldn ’ t wait to pounce . How many statements included perfunctory “ yeah , Soleimani was a bad guy , but … ” construction before hammering Trump ?\nHere ’ s a pro tip : If your statement has a “ but ” in the middle ( I ’ m looking at you , Elizabeth Warren ) , just eliminate the throat-clearing , political pablum that came before it and say what you really mean . We get it : Iranian Guy Bad , Orange Man Worse .\nThis attitude will cost Democrats in the upcoming election . Not just on foreign policy , but across the board ( they speak of the economy as though we are in another Great Depression ) . They just can ’ t give Trump an inch no matter how safe or prosperous the world is , thanks at least in part to the president ’ s decisions .\nIt hasn ’ t always been this way . After the death of Osama bin Laden , Republicans praised Obama ’ s decision to get him .\n“ Former Vice President Dick Cheney declared , ‘ The administration clearly deserves credit for the success of the operation. ’ New York ’ s former mayor , Rudolph W. Giuliani , said , ‘ I admire the courage of the president. ’ And Donald J. Trump declared , ‘ I want to personally congratulate President Obama , ’ ” according to The New York Times .\nBut no such allowance is given to President Trump when he kills a terrorist . As commentator Guy Benson tweeted , “ The U.S. auto industry is alive , and ( Abu Bakr ) Baghdadi/Soleimani are dead , ” referencing the Islamic State leader Trump had killed a few months ago and recalling Obama ’ s reelection slogan .\nOr , as Rod Serling might say , “ Democrats will soon wake up from their amnesia to an old lesson : Past is prologue . And it ’ s a Shakespearean seminar most acutely taken … in The Twilight Zone . ”\nScott Jennings is a Republican adviser , CNN political contributor and partner at RunSwitch Public Relations . Follow him on Twitter @ ScottJenningsKY . This column first appeared in the Louisville Courier Journal .


McMaster ’ s point appears to be that what Trump really meant to do was get after the Russians for supporting bad guys .\nMCMASTER : [ Trump ] feels as if he 's been unable to find areas of cooperation with Russia , even as he confronts them in key areas where they 're being disruptive , like Syria for example , and the subversive activities across Europe . Their support for the—not only the Assad regime but for Iran and its activities across the Middle East .\nWhat McMaster doesn ’ t explain ? How Comey ’ s actions affected any of that . Or why Trump agreed to a meeting with Foreign Minister Lavarov and Ambassador Kislyak , by special request of Vladimir Putin , just one day after firing Comey . Or why Trump shut the US press out of that meeting while leaving Tass handy to take a few snaps of Trump laughing it up with the Russians over taking out that troublesome “ nut job . ”\nAnd hey , if Trump held the meeting to “ confront ” the Russians , how about confronting them on the one issue that is front and center for America ?\nStephanopoulos : So , did the president confront them on their interference in our election ? This was their first meeting ? McMaster : Well , there already was too much that 's been leaked from those meetings . And one of the things that I 'm most concerned about is the confidence , the confidentiality of those kind of meetings , as you know , are extremely important . And so , I am really concerned about these kind of leaks , because it undermines everybody 's trust in that kind of an environment where you can have frank , candid , and often times unconventional conversations to try to protect American interests and secure the American people .\nThe answer is : No , Trump didn ’ t confront the Russians on interference in our elections . But hey , leakers are bad . So bad .\nThere was one place where McMaster was absolutely consistent with his previous statements : Donald Trump ’ s spill of intelligence from the Israelis was spurred , in part , by Trump ’ s ignorance on the source .\nMcMaster : Well , as you know , the initial leak that came out was a leak about concerns about revealing intelligence source and methods , information that 's not even part of the president 's briefing .\nWhy would Trump ’ s briefing not include the crucial information that this intelligence came from an ally and was not to be shared with anyone , not even other allies ? Maybe it was because of this :\nA classified memo instructs intelligence analysts to keep their daily intelligence briefings with President Donald Trump short , according to Mother Jones . The guidance recommends that analysts limit themselves to three topics , include essential facts that support their findings , and to try to keep their findings to a page . The memo also suggests that conflicting views or information should not be shared with the president in different briefings , according to the report .\nSo , H. R. McMaster blames Trump spilling classified information from an ally on the fact that Trump was ignorant of the source . Trump was ignorant of the source because his own staff has reduced his briefings down to “ essential facts . ”\nThere ’ s someone to blame for Trump ’ s spew of delicate information . In fact , there ’ s more than one someone . It ’ s both Donald Trump , and it ’ s everyone who enables him .


The Pentagon has said US troops are being deployed to Saudi Arabia to defend American interests from `` emergent credible threats '' .\nThe move comes amid heightened tensions with Iran over the safety of shipping lanes in the Gulf .\nSaudi Arabia confirmed that King Salman had approved the move `` to strengthen regional security and stability '' .\nThe kingdom has not hosted US combat forces since 2003 , when Donald Rumsfeld announced their withdrawal .\nThe US presence in Saudi Arabia started with Operation Desert Storm in 1991 , when Iraq invaded Kuwait .\nBBC North America correspondent Peter Bowes says the US is understood to be deploying Patriot air defence missile batteries manned by 500 soldiers to Prince Sultan Base in Saudi Arabia .\nThe US also plans to send a squadron of F-22 stealth fighters to the base .\n`` This movement of forces provides an additional deterrent and ensures our ability to defend our forces and interests in the region from emergent , credible threats , '' a statement from US Central Command said .\nTensions between the US and Iran have worsened since Washington unilaterally withdrew from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal . The US has since tightened sanctions it re-imposed on Iran 's oil sector .\nLast month , Iran shot down a US surveillance drone over the Strait of Hormuz , accusing it of violating Iranian airspace . The US insisted the drone had been over international waters at the time , and condemned it as an unprovoked attack .\nThe US has also called on Iran to release a Panamanian-flagged tanker and 12 of its crew , which was seized by Revolutionary Guards on Sunday during a naval patrol . Iran said the vessel had been smuggling fuel .\nThen on Thursday President Donald Trump said a US warship had destroyed an Iranian drone that came too close . Iran has denied losing a drone .\nOn Friday tensions ratcheted up even higher when Iranian forces seized the UK-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero in the Gulf saying it was in breach of regulations .\nUK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt demanded the tanker 's release , saying there would be `` serious consequences '' if Iran continued to detain it .\nThe US has also blamed Iran for two separate attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman in May and June - an allegation Tehran has denied .


‘ Donald is right , ’ says Russian president , as US-backed Kurdish-led force warns fight against Islamic State not over\nThe Kurdish force that has led the ground war against Islamic State in Syria has condemned the White House ’ s surprise decision to withdraw US troops from the country and claimed it will spark a revival of the terror group .\nThe Syrian Democratic Forces , a group of Kurdish and Arab units raised by Washington specifically to fight Isis , said the US ’ s move would have “ dangerous implications for international stability ” .\nDonald Trump has told the Pentagon to extricate its estimated 2,000 troops as soon as possible , with a target of accomplishing the task in less than a 100 days , according to officials in Washington , but defence staff are trying to make the argument for more time and leaving a residual counter-terrorist force of a few hundred .\nReuters reported on Thursday that the Trump administration was also planning to cut short the air war against Isis in Syria . An official told the news agency that a final decision had not been made .\nTrump stuck to his decision in the face of fierce criticism from within his own party on Thursday , but changed his justification . On Wednesday , he had argued that Isis was defeated . But 24 hours later , the US president said the withdrawal was to save US soldiers ’ lives and dollars .\nDonald Trump 's Syria withdrawal could reverberate for years Read more\n“ Why are we fighting for our enemy , Syria , by staying & killing ISIS for them , Russia , Iran & other locals ? , ” Trump asked on Twitter . “ Time to focus on our Country & bring our youth back home where they belong ! ”\nThe planned US pullout was announced as Turkey was preparing to send its military into Syria to confront Kurdish militias that it says threaten its sovereignty . The US-backed Kurds are drawn from the same Kurdish groups – a point that has caused friction between Ankara and Washington throughout the four-year campaign against Isis .\nThe SDF and the YPG , a partner Kurdish militia , described the move as a “ blatant betrayal ” . One Kurdish leader contacted by ███ said the fight against Isis in Syria ’ s far east would be abandoned immediately , and all SDF units on that front would redeploy closer to the Turkish border .\nThe SDF responded to the announcement with a blunt statement . “ The war against Islamic State has not ended and Islamic State has not been defeated , ” it said . Any withdrawal would “ create a political and military vacuum in the area , leaving its people between the claws of hostile parties ” .\nOther Kurdish leaders said the mooted abandonment would cause damage to Kurdish movements elsewhere in the region .\n“ We have every right to be afraid , ” Arin Sheikmos , a Kurdish journalist and commentator , told the Associated Press . “ If the Americans pull out and leave us to the Turks or the [ Syrian ] regime , our destiny will be like the Kurds of Iraqi Kurdistan in 1991 . Neither the regime , nor Iran nor Turkey , will accept our presence here . ”\nBy contrast , Vladimir Putin , the Russian president whose military intervened in the Syrian war in 2015 , turning the tide in favour of the Assad regime , welcomed the US move .\nIsis not defeated in Syria despite Trump claim , says UK Read more\n“ If the USA made that decision then it ’ s the right one , ” Putin said during a nationally televised press conference on Thursday , repeating complaints that US troop deployments in Syria were illegal because they were not agreed upon with the Assad government . He said he agreed with Trump that a “ serious blow ” had been struck against Isis , saying : “ Donald is right , I agree with him . ”\nUS allies were not consulted before the announcement of the withdrawal , and have been scrambling since then to find out what it will mean in practice . Ministers from the UK and France , countries with their own special forces in northern Syria , have contradicted Trump ’ s assessment that Isis had been defeated .\n“ There is not just the real risk that it lets Daesh off the hook and allows them to re-establish some control , but it could mean foreign fighters held by the SDF are released , and the Iranians and Russians are left a free hand , ” a European official said .\nFrance has said its forces will remain in place and the country ’ s armed forces minister , Florence Parly , expressed French determination to fight on in Syria .\n“ Daesh [ Isis ] has lost more 90 % of its territory , ” Parly said on Twitter . “ But Daesh had not been cleared off the map , nor , for that matter , have its roots been cleared . The last pockets of this terrorist organisation must be beaten in a definitive manner by military means . ”\nHowever , the few hundred British and French troops in the area are dependent on US logistical support to operate and it would be very hard for them to stay after the US have left .\nAt the UN , the UK ’ s ambassador , Karen Pierce , told the security council : “ Much remains to be done in the global campaign … and we must not lose sight of the threat Daesh continues to pose , even when they no longer hold territory . ”\nIn August this year , the Pentagon assessed there were as many as 14,500 Isis fighters still in Syria .\nTrump ’ s order for a full , rapid withdrawal of more than 2,000 US troops from Syria , and his declaration of victory over Isis , left Pentagon and state department officials scrambling to interpret an abrupt change in course . In the summer , the policy was to keep forces in Syria to ensure the “ enduring defeat of Isis ” and act as a bulwark against Iranian influence .\nThe move appeared to blindside Trump ’ s most senior officials , many of whom were invested in an ongoing partnership with the SDF .\nThe US secretary of state , Mike Pompeo , on Thursday rejected reports that the president ’ s decision had come out of the blue .\n“ This was a decision that was made with lots of consultation between all the senior-level officials , including myself , with the president . So yes , did I – I had more than a heads-up , ” Pompeo told a radio show .\nHas Isis been defeated in Syria , as Trump claims ? Read more\nAdministration officials had previously characterised the objective in Syria as “ the enduring defeat of Isis ” . Since Trump announced his decision , they have said it was the destruction of the “ territorial caliphate ” .\nThroughout the Syrian war , Turkey has prioritised managing Kurdish ambitions in Syria , and potential implications for its own Kurdish populations , above all else . Ankara sees the YPG in Syria as indistinguishable from Kurdish Workers ’ Party ( PKK ) militants inside Turkey . Ankara views the militant groups as dangerous subversives who threaten its borders despite Syria ’ s Kurds saying they have no interest in full autonomy , and the PKK having said it no longer aspires to an independent state .


Reps. Brad Sherman of California and Al Green of Texas have brought forward a formal article of impeachment against President Donald Trump for “ high crimes and misdemeanors . ”\nIt does not go without laughing , however . Years and years and years ago , there was this show about animal research and the scientist had placed a soccer ball or something in the middle of a ring of monkeys . Every few seconds , a monkey would reach a hesitant hand toward the ball , only to be slapped away by the researcher . This went on — and on and on and on . Monkey reach , monkey slapped , monkey retreat — monkey reach again . The point was to show just how limited in brain development the monkeys really were , because their instincts to touch overcame their instincts to listen to their pain . It really did become comical after a while .\nThat ’ s how the Democrats are on impeachment . They just can ’ t help themselves .\nAfter months and months and months of listening to the left call for Trump ’ s ouster from office — a call that laughingly began before Trump even took over the White House — the mantra has become monkeyish .\n“ For starters , ” wrote CNN ’ s digital director of politics , Z. Byron Wolf , there ’ s no indication that Trump is anywhere near to being impeached . ”\nWell , yeah . There is that . Typically — and this is just an opinion , from someone who ’ s not an attorney — there must be a crime committed before the charges are affixed .\nThe order of operation goes like this : Crime . Charge . Conviction — or acquittal . Sadly , the order for Democrats on Trump has been this — Charge . Move to convict . Now go find the crime .\nAnd thanks to a very , very complicit and biased media , Democrats have been able to move forward with frightening speed on this order . But now they ’ ve lost a key asset — CNN . You know it ’ s bad for your leftist side when CNN reports in favor of a Republican .\nThe article of impeachment accuses Trump of interfering with the FBI ’ s investigation of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn , and alleges the president “ sought to use his authority to hinder and cause the termination of such investigations . ”\nWell , once again , good luck with that fellas . The House , controlled by Republicans , isn ’ t likely to pass the article . Democratic leaders , looking ahead to 2018 elections and realizing the crazy Rep. Maxine Waters has brought with her Tourette Syndrome-like call for impeachment , have distanced themselves from such talk — at least in earshot of the media . And the American people , even those who wouldn ’ t consider themselves in the Trump camp , aren ’ t at all ready for a Bill Clinton Redeux — that is , impeachment .\nBack in May , he made it clear from the House floor : “ This is where I stand . I will not be moved . The president must be impeached . ”\nHe said it — that was his plan all along . Impeach Trump , facts , evidence and truth be danged . On one hand , it ’ s refreshing to see a politician actually honor a promise . On the other , going down in political history as one of the monkeys who couldn ’ t stop touching the soccer ball , despite the constant slap-down and sting , is not really all that commendable after all . Here ’ s a bit of advice for Democrats pursuing impeachment : Wait for the crime . The wheels of justice generally turn better that way .


Deputy general Rod Rosenstein also authorized investigation of former Trump campaign chair ’ s financial dealings in Ukraine\nThe deputy attorney general , Rod Rosenstein , explicitly authorized special counsel Robert Mueller to investigate allegations that the former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort colluded with the Russian government , according to a court filing made late on Monday night .\nMueller ’ s prosecutors included that detail in a memo defending the scope of their investigation , which so far has resulted in criminal charges against 19 people and three Russian companies .\nManafort , who led the Trump campaign for several months in 2016 , is one of four aides charged in the Mueller investigation . Former national security adviser Michael Flynn , Manafort ’ s deputy , Rick Gates , and the foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos have entered plea deals .\nManafort has challenged Mueller ’ s authority and asked a judge to dismiss an indictment charging him with crimes including money laundering conspiracy and false statements .\nHe said Mueller , who was assigned to investigate potential coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign , overstepped his bounds by charging him for conduct that occurred years before the 2016 election .\nBut in their new filing , prosecutors revealed that Rosenstein – who appointed Mueller after the attorney general , Jeff Sessions , recused himself , over contacts with Russians during the election campaign – wrote a memo last August that outlined the scope of Mueller ’ s appointment .\nThe memo , which remains redacted in parts , said that Mueller was empowered to investigate allegations that Manafort “ committed a crime or crimes by colluding with Russian government officials ” to interfere with the presidential election .\nNone of the charges Manafort faces alleges coordination with the Kremlin , and Manafort ’ s attorneys had used that point to argue that Mueller exceeded his authority by accusing him of financial crimes and acting as an unregistered foreign agent on behalf of Ukrainian interests .\nBut Monday ’ s filing appears to undercut that argument . In addition to authorizing the Russia collusion investigation of Manafort , Rosenstein also authorized Mueller to investigate any crimes related to payments Manafort received from the Ukrainian government under former president Viktor Yanukovych .\nFBI questions Ted Malloch , Trump campaign figure and Farage ally Read more\nThe description largely outlines the charges against Manafort , which mostly relate to allegations he conspired to launder tens of millions of dollars received from Ukrainian political consulting including his work on Yanukovych ’ s behalf . Manafort has pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing related to Russian election interference .\nProsecutors say in their court filing that given their mandate to investigate links between Trump associates and Russia , it was appropriate to investigate Manafort for ties to Russia-backed politicians and oligarchs .\n“ It would also naturally look into any interactions they may have had before and during the campaign to plumb motives and opportunities to coordinate and to expose possible channels for surreptitious communications , ” they wrote . “ And prosecutors would naturally follow the money trail from Manafort ’ s Ukrainian consulting activities . ”


On Tuesday , Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt announced the state of Missouri was filing a lawsuit against the Chinese government , Chinese Communist Party , and other Chinese officials and institutions for the actions they took that triggered deaths and economic chaos across Missouri . In the lawsuit , Schmitt writes bluntly , “ This COVID-19 pandemic is the direct result of a sinister campaign of malfeasance and deception carried out by Defendants . ”\nCiting Alfred L. Snapp & Son , Inc. v. Puerto Rico , Schmitt pointed out the legitimacy of his lawsuit : “ As a sovereign State , Missouri has ‘ a quasi-sovereign interest in the health and well-being—both physical and economic—of its residents in general. ’ … A state like Missouri , through its Attorney General , may act as ‘ a representative of the public ’ in ‘ complaining of a wrong which , if proven , limits the opportunities of her people [ and ] shackles her industries . ’ ”\nHe also explained why the Chinese Communist Party was not immune from prosecution :\nDefendant People ’ s Republic of China ( “ PRC ” or “ China ” ) is a communist nation in Asia . Defendant Communist Party of China ( “ CPC ” or “ Communist Party ” ) is the sole governing party within China , and the Communist Party ’ s General Secretary becomes the president of the PRC . On information and belief , the Communist Party is not an organ or political subdivision of the PRC , nor is it owned by the PRC or a political subdivision of the PRC , and thus it is not protected by sovereign immunity .\nCOVID-19 has done irreparable damage to countries across the globe , causing sickness , death , economic disruption , and human suffering . In Missouri , the impact of the virus is very real — thousands have been infected and many have died , families have been separated from dying loved ones , small businesses are shuttering their doors , and those living paycheck to paycheck are struggling to put food on their table . The Chinese government lied to the world about the danger and contagious nature of COVID-19 , silenced whistleblowers , and did little to stop the spread of the disease . They must be held accountable for their actions .\nAn appalling campaign of deceit , concealment , misfeasance , and inaction by Chinese authorities unleashed this pandemic . During the critical weeks of the initial outbreak , Chinese authorities deceived the public , suppressed crucial information , arrested whistleblowers , denied human-to-human transmission in the face of mounting evidence , destroyed critical medical research , permitted millions of people to be exposed to the virus , and even hoarded personal protective equipment ( “ PPE ” ) —thus causing a global pandemic that was unnecessary and preventable .\nThe lawsuit continues with more regarding the efforts by the Chinese government to suppress information regarding the coronavirus :\nWhen their actions began to kill hundreds of thousands of people across the globe , Defendants sought to minimize the consequences , engaging in a coverup and misleading public relations campaign by censoring scientists , ordering the destruction and suppression of valuable research , and refusing cooperation with the global community , all in violation of international health standards .\nSchmitt also noted that the Chinese government did not act to stop the spread of the virus soon enough :\nWhile denying human-to-human transmission , Chinese officials took little to no steps to contain the outbreak . By January 13 , the Chinese government was aware of spread to Thailand . For the next week , they began treating COVID-19 as a serious and contagious virus without advising the public . During that time , millions of people traveled through Wuhan , and many thousands were infected , making a worldwide outbreak almost inevitable . A potluck event for 40,000 people went forward in Wuhan on January 16 . The Chinese government took no serious steps to contain the outbreak until January 23 —when it was far too late .\nFurther , “ According to data gathered by The New York Times , nearly 175,000 individuals left Wuhan on January 1 alone to travel for the Lunar New Year . The Chinese government also continued with New Year celebrations , despite the risk for potential further infections . ”\nPJ Media noted , “ According to unpublished , unconfirmed Chinese government reports seen by the South China Morning Post , the first recorded case of the coronavirus dates to November 17 , 2019 , weeks before The Lancet ‘ s claim that the first recorded case came on December 1 . By December 8 , the SCMP documents recorded between 1 and 5 new cases . By December 27 , the SCMP documents showed 181 confirmed cases , and a friend of coronavirus whistleblower Dr. Li Wenliang recalled that his medical department first reported the new outbreak to the Wuhan Center for Disease Control on the 27th . ”


A $ 100,000 real-estate brokerage fee that was part of former Trump attorney Michael Cohen ’ s guilty plea Tuesday came from representing a company owned by a member of the Qatar royal family , according to interviews and real-estate documents .\nMr. Cohen admitted to failing to pay taxes on more than $ 4 million in income , among other felonies . That income included what prosecutors described as $ 100,000 in 2014 from “ brokering the sale of a piece of property in a private aviation community in Ocala , Florida . ”\nThe community is a fly-in development named Jumbolair , said Frank Merschman , who owns the development . Mr. Merschman said he bought some property in 2014 from a Qatari company , and Mr. Cohen represented the seller , Abdul Aziz Althani Holdings Inc .\nThat company is owned by a member of the Qatar royal family , Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani , 62 years old , according to the Panama Papers , documents from a Panamanian law firm obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung , and shared with The Wall Street Journal .\nSheikh Abdul Aziz and his attorneys didn ’ t respond to requests for comment . He was described in the Panama Papers as a major shareholder in two Qatari banks .\nLanny Davis , an attorney for Mr. Cohen , didn ’ t respond to a request for comment .\nThe Journal reported in May that Mr. Cohen helped a major donor to President Trump ’ s inauguration pitch a nuclear-power investment to the Qatari sovereign-wealth fund . The pitch came in early April , shortly before federal authorities raided Mr. Cohen ’ s office , apartment and hotel room .\nMr. Merschman said the Qatari company owned several properties adjacent to Jumbolair , and he initially bought one through a tax-foreclosure auction . He said he then received a call from Mr. Cohen , who said the owner , being in Qatar , hadn ’ t realized taxes were overdue and wanted to repurchase the property .\nWhen Mr. Merschman declined that offer , he said , Mr. Cohen later offered to sell him two other properties owned by the Qatari company . “ I don ’ t know how they knew each other , but [ Mr. Cohen ] knew all the people , ” Mr. Merschman said . “ He had done work for Mr. Aziz . ”\nIn 2005 , Abdul Aziz Althani Holdings paid Mr. Trump ’ s company $ 6.2 million for a fourth-floor condominium in Trump Park Avenue , New York property records show . Mr. Cohen owns a condo on the 10th floor of that building .\nMr. Merschman ’ s company in May 2014 paid $ 650,000 for the two additional properties , county real-estate records show . Mr. Merschman said he didn ’ t pay Mr. Cohen ’ s brokerage fee directly , but understands the fee was paid through a former owner of the property who was working for him at the time .\nMr. Merschman said the Federal Bureau of Investigation interviewed him a few months ago about the transaction , and “ I cooperated with them 100 % . ”


WASHINGTON—President Trump said he has put off the decision about whether to fire Attorney General Jeff Sessions , a frequent target of his ire , until at least after the November congressional elections .\n“ I just would love to have him do a great job , ” Mr. Trump said about Mr . Sessions on Thursday in an interview with Bloomberg News . Mr. Trump declined to say whether he ’ d keep Mr . Sessions on the job beyond November .\nMr. Trump has publicly criticized Mr . Sessions for months , and recently told one Republican lawmaker that he wanted to fire him before the midterm elections , according to a person familiar with the matter . But top Republican lawmakers have urged Mr . Sessions to resist pressure to quit and have pushed Mr. Trump to stand down for now .\nMr. Trump ’ s statement on Mr . Sessions came after the president surveyed advisers earlier this week about the potential political blowback from firing Mr . Sessions , telling one person that he didn ’ t believe there would be much , according to a person familiar with the matter . Inside the White House , senior officials gave Mr. Trump legal and political reasons for not removing Mr . Sessions , but those advisers weren ’ t sure earlier this week what Mr. Trump would ultimately decide .\nOne factor for Mr. Trump ’ s decision to keep Mr . Sessions for the coming months is that there is no obvious replacement . White House officials and others Mr. Trump has spoken to about firing Mr . Sessions said the president has not inquired about potential successors , these people said .\nFueling Mr. Trump ’ s anger is his view that Mr . Sessions erred in recusing himself from the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 elections , White House aides have said . That investigation is looking into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia , as well as possible obstruction of justice . Mr. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has called the probe a “ witch hunt. ” Russia also has denied any involvement .\nLast week , President Trump issued the latest in a series of attacks on Mr . Sessions , suggesting that Mr . Sessions is allowing the special counsel ’ s Russia investigation to proceed while permitting “ real corruption ” to go “ untouched . ”\nIn response , Mr . Sessions issued a rare public statement defending his leadership of the Justice Department . “ While I am attorney general , the actions of the Department of Justice will not be improperly influenced by political considerations , ” he said .\nThe tweets put renewed pressure on Mr . Sessions , who is in the delicate position of both fending off attacks from Mr. Trump while carrying out the president ’ s tough-on-crime policies .


( CNN ) A highly unusual and racially charged episode from the 2016 campaign suddenly resurfaced this week when a federal judge whom President Donald Trump repeatedly criticized was assigned to hear the case of a man who claims he was improperly deported .\nJudge Gonzalo Curiel , who was born in the US but is of Mexican heritage , was attacked by Trump last year over his handling of a lawsuit against Trump University . Trump claimed Curiel could not impartially hear the case because of his background and Trump 's hardline immigration policies . The case was eventually settled .\nNow , Curiel is assigned to hear the case of Juan Manuel Montes Bojorquez , 23 , who his lawyers allege was deported from California to Mexico earlier this year despite having active protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program , also known as DACA .\nAnd Trump 's comments toward Curiel last year -- he called the Indiana-born judge a `` hater '' and a `` Mexican '' -- drew some of the loudest accusations of racism that the then-candidate faced during his campaign and several repudiations from prominent Republicans .\nThe lawsuit , which is brought under the Freedom of Information Act , has already become a flashpoint in the Trump administration 's immigration policy and the President 's murky position on DACA .\nCuriel 's involvement is sure to increase the publicity surrounding the case , which is already shaping up to be one of the more high-profile challenges to execution of Trump 's immigration agenda . The White House did not immediately respond to an inquiry about whether the President feels Curiel will be a fair judge in the matter .\nThe President 's own position on DACA has evolved . Trump pledged to end DACA during the 2016 campaign , but the Department of Homeland Security has continued issuing permits and he has since spoken about how sympathetic he finds the people in DACA -- undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children who , in many cases , know no other home .\n`` We 're going to show great heart , '' Trump said at a news conference in February . `` DACA is a very , very difficult subject for me , I will tell you . ''\nBut he also spoke of possible abuses of the DACA program in the same thought , saying in `` some of the cases , having DACA and they 're gang members and they 're drug dealers , too . But you have some absolutely , incredible kids , I would say mostly . They were brought here in such a way -- it 's a very -- it 's a very , very tough subject . ''\nHomeland Security Secretary John Kelly has insisted the administration has not detained or deported anyone with an active DACA status , but several former DACA recipients have been detained and , in some cases like Montes ' , the government has maintained that a violation of the program forfeited the status .\nLawyers for Montes say their client was apprehended by Border Patrol and deported on February 18 . DHS said Wednesday that never happened .\nWhile DHS initially said Tuesday they had a record of Montes ' DACA status expiring in 2015 , they released further information Wednesday saying he did , in fact , have DACA status until 2018 , agreeing with lawyers for Montes .\nJUST WATCHED Donald Trump 's full CNN interview with Jake Tapper Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Donald Trump 's full CNN interview with Jake Tapper 07:20\nThe problem , though , is on the part of the story both sides agree on : Montes tried to sneak back into the US on February 19 and was caught by Border Patrol . DACA requires individuals to get pre-clearance to leave the country , and so Montes ' re-entry then showed he had left without authorization and voided his status , DHS said . He was sent back to Mexico the following day , where he is now staying .\nThe administration has said that it respects DACA and that no one with active status would be deported , but advocates are using the Montes case and others to call into question whether DHS is being honest about its position .\nThe lawsuit is seeking records about Montes ' interactions with Customs and Border Patrol , and also any appropriate relief for Montes including attorney fees .\nTrump was condemned by Democrats and Republicans alike last year after he criticized Curiel 's rulings in the Trump University case and attacked Curiel personally .\nOne of Trump 's harshest rebukes came from House Speaker Paul Ryan , who described the language as `` sort of like the textbook definition of a racist comment . '' Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called Trump 's remarks `` offensive and wrong '' and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich , a staunch ally of Trump , called the comments `` inexcusable '' and `` one of the worst mistakes Trump has made . ''\nTrump later defended himself in a written statement , saying he did not believe `` one 's heritage ( made ) them incapable of being impartial . ''\n`` Based on the rulings that I have received in the Trump University civil case , I feel justified in questioning whether I am receiving a fair trial , '' Trump said . He also referenced `` the core issues of my campaign that focus on illegal immigration , jobs and unfair trade '' in explaining his criticism .\nIn a memorable exchange with CNN 's Jake Tapper in June , Trump vociferously -- and repeatedly -- defended his claims that Curiel was biased .\n`` He 's proud of his heritage . I respect him for that , '' Trump said , dismissing charges that his allegation was racist . `` He 's a Mexican . We 're building a wall between here and Mexico . ''\nAt the end of a lengthy exchange , Tapper asked : `` If you are saying he can not do his job because of his race , is that not the definition of racism ? ''


He even suggested that the threat was not real or was exaggerated by putting the word “ bomb ” in quotes — language that edged close to that of conspiracy theorists on the alt-right , who claimed without evidence that it was a false flag operation by Democrats to mobilize their voters .\n“ Republicans are doing so well in early voting , and at the polls , and now this ‘ Bomb ’ stuff happens and the momentum greatly slows - news not talking politics , ” the president said in a tweet . “ Very unfortunate , what is going on . Republicans , go out and vote ! ”\nIt was not clear how much he knew about the case before he posted this tweet , but he had received briefings throughout the week .\nMr. Trump has never troubled himself with keeping a presidential mien during times of national crisis , whether it was wildfires in California , shootings in Chicago or the racial clashes in Charlottesville , Va . But even by his standards , his remarks in the White House before a crowd of a few hundred mostly African-American activists were discordant .\nIn the same week that bombs were mailed to a former Democratic president , a vice president , a first lady , a senator and a congresswoman , Mr. Trump ridiculed the Democratic Party , saying its policies had led to unsafe communities , failing schools and overcrowded prisons . He even claimed erroneously that the party ’ s name was “ Democrat , ” adding , “ I hate it . I hate just saying it . ”\nIn the same week that a bomb was mailed to the suburban New York home of Mr. Soros , the philanthropist and Democratic donor — also the same week that Hungary ’ s increasingly authoritarian government expelled a university founded by Mr. Soros — Mr. Trump inveighed against “ globalists , ” whom he accused of cheating American workers .\nAnd in the same week that two explosives were mailed to CNN ’ s New York offices — one addressed to John O. Brennan , the former C.I.A . director ; the other to James R. Clapper , the former director of national intelligence — Mr. Trump said the news media attacked him relentlessly and never covered his successes .


WASHINGTON – Secretary of State Mike Pompeo used the `` F-word '' and other expletives after a testy interview with a National Public Radio host on Friday , the news outlet said .\nPompeo unloaded on NPR 's Mary Louise Kelly after an interview in which she questioned him on Ukraine and Iran , among other issues . He grew extremely irritated by Kelly 's Ukraine questions , according to NPR .\n`` 'Do you think Americans care about Ukraine ? ' '' Pompeo apparently shouted at Kelly after the interview .\nOn Saturday , Pompeo responded by calling Kelly a liar and suggesting she was unable to point out Ukraine on an unmarked map .\n`` NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelly lied to me , twice , '' Pompeo said in a statement released by the State Department .\nHe said she lied last month when setting up the interview and again on Friday . He suggested that Kelly had agreed to keep Friday 's post-interview conversation off the record .\n`` It is shameful that this reporter chose to violate the basic rules of journalism and decency , '' Pompeo said . `` This is another example of how unhinged the media has become in its quest to hurt President Trump and this Administration . ''\nPompeo is scheduled to travel to Ukraine next week for a meeting with that country 's president , Volodymyr Zelensky , a central figure in the impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump . Ukraine is a pivotal U.S. ally in the effort to counter Russian aggression .\nThe State Department said Pompeo is going to Kyiv to `` highlight U.S. support for Ukraine ’ s sovereignty and territorial integrity . '' The Eastern European country is at war with Russia .\nIn the impeachment proceedings , House Democrats have charged Trump with abuse of power for soliciting foreign interference in the 2020 election , one of two articles of impeachment currently being tried in the Senate . Trump pressed Zelensky to open two investigations that would have helped his re-election campaign . As part of that pressure campaign , Trump ousted former U.S . Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch , a career foreign service diplomat .\nYovanovitch was targeted by Trump 's personal lawyer , Rudy Giuliani , and Trump has publicly attacked her .\n`` Do you owe Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch an apology ? '' Kelly asked Pompeo , who has declined to publicly defend the diplomat .\n`` You know , I agreed to come on your show today to talk about Iran , '' he responded .\nKelly pressed him . `` I just want to give you another opportunity to answer this , because as you know , people who work for you in your department , people who have resigned from this department under your leadership , saying you should stand up for the diplomats who work here , '' she said .\nPompeo said he had defended `` every State Department official , '' to which Kelly said : `` Sir , respectfully where have you defended Marie Yovanovitch ? ''\n`` I 've said all I 'm going to say today , '' he responded .\nShe then asked if he tried to block Giuliani 's `` shadow foreign policy '' in Ukraine .\n`` The Ukraine policy has been run from the Department of State for the entire time that I have been here , and our policy was very clear , '' he asserted . Numerous other State Department officials have testified that Giuliani and other Trump associates used irregular channels to pressure Zelensky .\nAfter the interview , Kelly said she was taken to the secretary of State 's private living room , where Pompeo was waiting for her . `` He shouted at me for about the same amount of time as the interview itself . He was not happy to have been questioned about Ukraine , '' Kelly said , in an account released by NPR with the interview transcript .\nShe said he used the F-word and `` many others '' when he asking her if Americans cared about Ukraine . He then asked her if she could find Ukraine on a map .\n`` I said yes , and he called out for aides to bring us a map of the world with no writing . I pointed to Ukraine , '' she recounted .\nIn Saturday 's statement , Pompeo suggested Kelly had pointed to Bangladesh , not Ukraine , on the map .\n`` It is worth noting that Bangladesh is NOT Ukraine , '' he said .


Rapper Kanye West could receive a sizable `` protest vote '' if he goes forward with his quixotic presidential campaign , University of Maryland African-American Studies Professor Jason Nichols told `` Tucker Carlson Tonight '' Friday .\n`` I do n't think there 's any chance he 's going to win but I think people need to understand the power of a protest vote , '' Nichols told host Lisa Boothe . `` There are many people who are completely dissatisfied with the direction the country is going under Donald Trump and there are people who do n't like Joe Biden or do n't think that he 's coherent or competent , or whatever it is that 's the narrative , and they 're looking for someone who 's another option . ''\nNichols told guest host Lisa Boothe that West 's impact could be comparable to Jill Stein , the 2016 Green Party nominee who received more than 1.4 million votes in the general election .\nKANYE WEST TWEETS PICTURE OF HIS FACE ON MOUNT RUSHMORE AMID 2020 PRESIDENTIAL BID\n`` I do n't know anybody who actually agreed with Jill Stein , '' Nichols said . `` She 's an anti-vaxxer , she 's kind of a strange character . But at the same time , they voted for her because they were dissatisfied with Hillary Clinton and they did n't like Donald Trump . I think it could very well happen with Kanye West , which will etch him into the history books , which I think is part of his purpose here . ''\nEarlier this week , West filed Statement of Candidacy and Statement of Organization documents with the Federal Election Commission ( FEC ) . The latter document authorizes a political committee to raise and spend money on West 's behalf , while the former indicates that West has raised at least $ 5,000 through campaign activity .\nOn Wednesday , the Oklahoma State Election Board announced that West had qualified for the ballot in the Sooner State .\nWest famously visited Trump at the White House in October 2018 and his wife , Kim Kardashian , sucessfully lobbied Trump to commute the sentence of Alice Johnson .\n`` I think that 's a big reason why he could be trouble for Donald Trump , '' Nichols said . `` I think people who saw Donald Trump and said , 'Oh , well , all the claims that Donald Trump is racist , they are offset by the fact that he 's an advocate for criminal justice reform ' -- and I use 'advocate ' very loosely .\n`` At the same time , Kanye West can take that from him . The Alice Johnson commutation was more [ Kardashian 's ] work , arguably , than Donald Trump . ''