U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the United Nations for bloated bureaucracy and mismanagement on his first visit on Monday to U.N. headquarters, calling for "truly bold reforms" so it could be a greater force for world peace.
Ahead of his maiden speech to the annual U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump hosted a short event to boost support for changes to the United Nations.
"In recent years the United Nations has not reached its full potential because of bureaucracy and mismanagement, while the United Nations on a regular budget has increased by 140 percent and its staff has more than doubled since 2000," Trump said.
"The United Nations must hold every level of management accountable, protect whistleblowers and focus on results rather than on process," Trump said.
"I am confident that if we work together and champion truly bold reforms the United Nations will emerge as a stronger, more effective, more just and greater force for peace and harmony in the world," Trump said in his first remarks at the U.N. in New York since his inauguration as president in January.
In a building where long statements are commonplace, Trump spoke for just four minutes.
Some 128 countries were invited to attend Monday's reform meeting after signing on to a U.S.-drafted 10-point political declaration backing efforts by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "to initiate effective, meaningful reform."
U.N. Security Council veto powers Russia and China did not sign the declaration.
Businessman Trump, who complained during his 2016 election campaign about the United States paying a disproportionate amount of money to the United Nations, made the point again on Monday.
"We must ensure that no one and no member state shoulders a disproportionate share of the burden and that's militarily or financially."
The United States is the biggest U.N. contributor, providing 22 percent of its $5.4 billion biennial core budget and 28.5 percent of its $7.3 billion peacekeeping budget. The contributions are agreed on by the 193-member General Assembly.
Guterres, who also took office in January, told the meeting: "To serve the people we support and the people who support us, we must be nimble and effective, flexible and efficient."
He agreed that U.N bureaucracy was a problem that kept him up at night.
"Our shared objective is a 21st century U.N. focused more on people and less on process," Guterres said. "Value for money while advancing shared values – that is our common goal."
Trump also said that all peacekeeping missions should "have clearly defined goals and metrics for evaluating success."
The United States is reviewing each of the U.N. peacekeeping missions as annual mandates come up for Security Council renewal in a bid to cut costs.
The United States is a veto-wielding council member, along with Britain, France, Russia and China.
On Sunday night, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.
When asked if the U.N. refugee agency could perform its current missions if the United States cut its voluntary contributions to the budget, according to a pool report Grandi answered: "I would say no."
"U.S. aid is vital to what we do to support refugees around the world and to find solutions to their situations," Grandi said.
CONFEDERATE MONUMENTS COME DOWN, CHARLOTTESVILLE RACEWAR DEBUNKED:
IT'S TIME TO REMOVE ALL PUBLIC SYMBOLS OF RACISM & DIVISION IN THIS NATION.
TAKE THEM DOWN.
It's about time America's 21st century leaders continue what former SC Gov Nikki Haley started in 2015 when she encouraged SC State House leaders to remove a Confederate flag from the State House grounds after the deadly shooting (SACRIFICE) of 9 innocent Black American citizens by Dylan Roof.
Following a recent incident in Charlottesville, Virginia which resulted in the Murder of one Civil Rights protester and serious injuries of several more Civil Rights Protestors, Confederate monuments are now being toppled all over this nation.
The possibility of a horrible RACE WAR was clearly on the horizon but for the removal of those Confederate monuments i.e., Evil ancient symbols of RACISM and DIVISION.
Thank God!
It's About Time!
TAKE THEM DOWN
Sources: ABC News, CNN, YouTube
**** Before questioning statue removal, Trump supported taking down Confederate flag
At Tuesday's combative press conference in Trump Tower, President Trump questioned the removal of statues of Confederate leaders, but at the start of his presidential campaign, Trump publicly expressed his approval of South Carolina's decision to remove the Confederate battle flag from the State Capitol.
“I would take it down, yes,” said Trump in June 2015 at his first news conference following the declaration of his presidential candidacy. “I think they should put it in the museum... respect whatever it is you have to respect because it was a point in time.”
The long-running debate over whether the Confederate flag should be flown over the South Carolina State House arose again after nine people were fatally shot in the historically black Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, in a racially charged killing.
Then-South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who is now serving in Trump’s Cabinet as the United States’ ambassador to the United Nations, ultimately decided to order the removal of the flag on July 9, 2015.
Trump argued Tuesday that taking down the statue of Robert E. Lee, a civil war general who fought to keep slavery intact, would be “changing history.” A protest of the monument's removal spurred the white nationalist rally that ultimately turned violent Saturday.
“You’re changing culture,” Trump said during the news conference at Trump Tower Tuesday.
Asked whether statues of Lee should remain in place in the U.S., the president said the situation was one that should be handled on a case-by-case basis, depending on the location of the monument.
"I would say that's up to a local town, community, or the federal government, depending on where it is located," he said.
Trump then characterized removing Confederate memorials as a slippery slope, equating Lee to American Founding Fathers George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, who both owned slaves.
“George Washington was a slave owner…. So will George Washington now lose his status? ... Are we going to take down statues to George Washington?” Trump wondered.
“How about Thomas Jefferson?” Trump asked. “... Because he was a major slave owner. Now, are we going to take down his statue?”
Trump later added, “So, this week it’s Robert E. Lee, I notice that Stonewall Jackson is coming down, I wonder is it George Washington next week? Is it Thomas Jefferson the week after? You have to ask yourself, where does it stop?”
DYLANN ROOF FOUND GUILTY OF 9 BLACK MURDERS - ALL LIVES MATTER:
THANK YOU NIKKI HALEY.
ROOF NEEDS THE DEATH PENALTY SENTENCE.
FORGIVENESS DOES NOT ELIMINATE CONSEQUENCES WHEN IT COMES TO ACTS OF PREMEDITATED MURDER.
Sources: Fox News, YouTube
***** DYLANN Roof convicted in Charleston church mass
A jury in South Carolina Thursday convicted Dylann Roof in the shootings that killed nine black church members during a Bible study in Charleston last year, a verdict that could lead to a death sentence for the self-avowed white supremacist.
The jury of nine white people and three black people deliberated less than two hours before returning a verdict, finding him guilty on all counts against him.
Roof, 22, faced 33 federal charges, including hate crimes and obstruction of the practice of religion.
Roof just stared ahead as the verdict was read, much as he has throughout the trial. Victims's relatives held hands and squeezed one another's arms.
One woman nodded her head every time the clerk said "guilty."
The same jury is set to return Jan. 3 to consider whether Roof should be sentenced to die for the June 2015 attack at Emanuel AME Church.
He is slated to face another death penalty trial in state court early next year.
Minutes after the verdict was read, Roof told U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel he wanted to represent himself during the penalty phase.
He said at the start of the trial that he wanted attorneys in the guilt phase, but not in the penalty phase.
His lawyers said in a court filing they feared he wanted to avoid embarrassing testimony that the defense might have presented to try to get a jury to spare his life.
"It is my hope that the survivors, the families & the people of South Carolina can find some peace in the fact that justice has been served," Gov. Nikki Haley tweeted.
The verdict came after days of emotional testimony from people who survived the shooting and witnessed the aftermath.
During closing arguments earlier in the day, Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Williams told jurors Roof waited until the Bible study group had its eyes closed for prayer before he opened fire.
FORGIVE HIM BUT HE STILL DESERVES THE DEATH PENALTY.
LAUGHING WHILE CONFESSING HIS CRIMES DOESN'T MEAN HE'S CRAZY.
Sources: ABC News, CNN, Fox News, Youtube
***** Dylann Roof Laughed During Church Slaying Confession to FBI
Dylann Roof wanted the world to know he hated black people and thought they were criminals.
He thought about attacking drug dealers, but they might shoot back.
So, he told the FBI, he picked a historic black church in Charleston he had learned about online.
In a videotaped confession shown Friday during his death penalty trial, Roof laughed several times and made exaggerated gun motions as he recounted the massacre.
He explained that he wanted to leave at least one person alive to tell what happened and complained that his victims "complicated things" when they hid under tables.
Forty-five minutes into the interview, an FBI agent decided to tell him nine people died in the June 17, 2015, shootings at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church.
"There wasn't even that many people in there," Roof said incredulously. "Are you lying to me?"
The blurry video made it hard to see his face. After being told the details, an agent asked how he felt.
"Well, it makes me feel bad," said Roof, who earlier in the confession estimated he might have killed five.
Roof's lawyers have conceded that he carried out the attack and are concentrating on convincing jurors to spare his life in the second phase of the trial.
Later Friday, Roof's handwritten journal was read aloud. It was full of dubious, offensive racial claims about blacks and Jews, from stories about African-Americans enjoying slavery to segregation keeping white people from being dragged down.
"How could our faces, skin color and body structure be so different, but our brains exactly the same?" Roof wrote.
His video confession came about 17 hours after the shooting. FBI agents drove to Shelby, North Carolina, where he was arrested. The plane that would take him back to Charleston was not going to arrive for a few hours. So FBI agent Michael Stansbury got permission to take a chance and interview him immediately.
It paid off. After reading Roof his rights and engaging in brief small talk, an agent asked Roof what he was doing on the night of the killings.
"I went to that church in Charleston and, uh, I did it," he said.
Roof said he wanted to kill black people because they rape white women daily. Agents asked why he chose Emanuel AME. He said online it was listed as the oldest black church in the South, and there probably would not be any white people there.
"I knew that would be a place to get a small amount of black people in one area," Roof said, later adding, "They're in church, they weren't criminals or anything."
Earlier testimony from survivor Felicia Sanders said Roof sat through the Bible study beside pastor Clementa Pinckney and opened fire as the rest of the group of 12 closed their eyes for a final prayer.
"I was sitting there thinking about whether I should do it or not. That's why I sat there for 15 minutes. I could have walked out," Roof said.
Church surveillance videos indicate Roof was actually inside for about 45 minutes.
Roof, as he has for much of the trial, hardly looked up as the confession played, mostly just shuffling papers in front of him.
He told FBI agents questioning him that he could never look at the families of the victims. And throughout the trial, he has not looked at the dozens of family members in the courtroom.
Roof meticulously prepared for the shootings. He carried eight magazines that could each hold 13 bullets. But he only loaded 11 bullets so he could shoot 88 times — a revered number among white supremacists, standing for Heil Hitler because H is the eighth letter of the alphabet.
In the confession, Roof said he left bullets in a magazine so that he could kill himself after the slayings but changed his mind when he didn't immediately see any police.
At one point, an agent asked if Roof thought about killing more blacks.
"Oh no. I was worn out," Roof said.
A crime scene technician testified that she found two handwritten notes in Roof's car — one to his mother and one to his father. He told his dad: "I love you and I am sorry. You were a good dad."
To his mother, he said: "As childish as it sounds, I wish I was in your arms."
Roof's mother suffered a heart attack while watching opening statements Wednesday. Her condition is unclear.
Roof said the killing of Trayvon Martin was a turning point in his life. Martin, a young unarmed black man, was killed by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in 2012. Zimmerman was acquitted in the shooting. Roof said he started researching black crime against whites on the internet.
He told the agents he didn't talk about his racist beliefs with his friends or family.
"They probably won't agree with me — you know what I'm saying?"
TRUMP'S EXECUTIVE CABINET TEAM OF RIVALS SHOWS STRONG LEADERSHIP:
TRUMP DOESN'T WANT A TEAM OF "YES MEN" AND BUTT KISSERS.
MSM NETWORKS (CNN) APPLAUDED OBAMA'S "TEAM OF RIVALS", SILENT WHEN TRUMP DID LIKEWISE.
CAN YOU SAY MEDIA BIAS??
Sources: The Economist, Fox News, YouTube
The late Pres Abraham Lincoln received notoriety for creating a "Team of Rivals" when selecting members of his executive cabinet.
Barack Obama was hailed and lauded by the Mainstream Media for following in Lincoln's footsteps, especially when Obama nominated his former 2008 opponent Hillary Clinton for the role of Secretary of State.
Now in the year 2016, President-Elect Donald J. Trump is building his own executive cabinet "Team of Rivals" leadership fleet.
But wait!
Where is the Mainstream Media?
Obama was praised for his "Team of Rivals".
So why is the MSM silent when Trump practices the same brilliant leadership strategy?
----------------------------------------------
***** The next administration
Donald Trump has a team of rivals too
THE president-elect’s first administration hires had all been middle-aged white men who had backed him to the hilt when others wrinkled their noses.
But with a pair of nominations announced on November 23rd he rang the changes. He named Nikki Haley, the Indian-American governor of South Carolina, to be his ambassador to the United Nations, and Betsy DeVos, a billionaire Republican benefactress, as his education secretary.
As The Economist went to press, he was also reported to have invited Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon whom he defeated in the Republican primaries, and who is black, to be his secretary of housing and urban development.
All three possible appointments are intriguing, perhaps Mrs Haley’s especially. She is a first-generation American—her parents migrated from the Indian state of Punjab in the 1960s—who converted from Sikhism to Christianity before her marriage, yet still occasionally attends gurdwara.
Sparky, personable and, at the age of 44, an acknowledged Republican star, she could be the first Indian-American to hold a cabinet office. She is also a former opponent of Mr Trump’s.
She criticised him implicitly last January, when giving the official Republican rebuttal to Barack Obama’s last state-of-the-union speech. “It can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices,” she warned:
Americans “must resist.” She then criticised Mr Trump explicitly after he failed to disavow the support of a former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.
Having distinguished herself by the alacrity with which she had lobbied to remove the Confederate flag from government buildings the previous year, after a racist massacre of black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina, Mrs Haley’s condemnation carried moral weight.
It is smart of Mr Trump, who once derided her for her criticisms, to try to harness that. Her nomination is evidence that he can in fact bury a grudge. There is speculation he might also be trying to head off a potential challenger in 2020; that would be smart, too.
Mrs DeVos, an heir by marriage to the Amway direct marketing fortune, is another former critic of Mr Trump. She gave money to three of his rivals in the primaries—including Jeb Bush, an establishment figure Mr Trump humiliated—and said the reality television star did “not represent the Republican Party”.
In some ways the epitome of the well-heeled Republican elite he railed against on the trail, Mrs DeVos is also a crusader for the pro-choice school reforms, including an expansion of charter schools and vouchers to make private education more widely accessible, he has called for.
Amid uncertainty about what Mr Trump means to do with power, given the sketchiness of his platform and his apparent abandonment of a couple of big campaign promises, Mrs DeVos’s appointment is a rare clue to a Trump policy agenda. Teachers’ unions decried it; Mr Bush, one of Mr Trump’s most indefatigable Republican opponents, warmly applauded.
Mr Carson’s nomination, if he agrees to it, would be rather odd, but that is now expected of the retired medical whizz.
Backed by a devoted following of evangelical Christians, he briefly led the Republican primary field, yet seemed unaware of what the job of president entailed; his brilliant brain seemed resistant to remembering almost any detail of foreign policy. When reported to be in the reckoning for a cabinet role, his business manager said that was the “last thing he would want”, because he “feels he has no government experience.”
This was not a great recommendation for a job that includes responsibility for the federal government’s efforts to alleviate urban poverty.
***** Nikki Haley’s Path: From Daughter of Immigrants to Trump’s Pick for U.N.
Gov. Nikki R. Haley of South Carolina is the daughter of immigrants, favors free markets and global trade, and earned international attention for speaking out against the Confederate battle flag in the aftermath of the 2015 massacre at a black church in Charleston. During Donald J. Trump’s presidential campaign, she sharply criticized his demeanor and warned what it might mean for American diplomacy — even suggesting that his tendency to lash out at critics could cause a world war.
But on Wednesday, Mr. Trump named Ms. Haley as his choice for ambassador to the United Nations, a move that will probably serve to both assuage and confound the president-elect’s critics, raising questions about the tone and direction of his foreign policy. As an Indian-American woman, she would also add ethnic and gender diversity to the appointments, so far predominantly of white men, he has made to other top posts in the administration.
In a statement, Ms. Haley said she had accepted Mr. Trump’s offer because she felt good about South Carolina’s economic standing. She added that this month’s elections had brought “exciting changes to America.”
“When the president believes you have a major contribution to make to the welfare of our nation, and to our nation’s standing in the world, that is a calling that is important to heed,” the statement said.
Little is known about how Ms. Haley views America’s role in the world. But an equally important mystery is what her clout might be in the Trump administration.
Has Mr. Trump placed her in a post he considers marginal? Or will Ms. Haley — along with a still-to-be-named secretary of state — be able to temper the more radical views of Mr. Trump’s other aides?
Despite the unknowns, many diplomats, scholars and rights advocates who have been anxiously awaiting Mr. Trump’s choices were relieved at the announcement. They saw in Ms. Haley, a daughter of Indian immigrants, someone unafraid to express her beliefs even if they differ from Mr. Trump’s.
“If confirmed, we hope she will raise that voice on behalf of the world’s most vulnerable people who suffer from hunger, violence and injustice around the world,” the advocacy group Oxfam said in a statement.
Many diplomats said they saw Ms. Haley as something of an enigma, whose views on the world have not yet been publicized.
But her stance is public on a few issues — including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, refugees, and reproductive rights — and they offer a window into how she may carry out her role.
She signed state legislation to thwart a pro-Palestinian disinvestment campaign against Israel, known as Boycott, Divest, and Sanction, or B.D.S. — which made Israel one of the first to welcome her nomination for the post.
Ms. Haley has expressed concern about the security checks in place for Syrian refugees resettled in her state, but she is not among those Republican governors who have sued the Obama administration to block resettlement.
She describes herself as “pro-life” and has supported legislation in her state to restrict abortion rights. That position raises questions about whether the United States would reimpose a funding ban on groups that promote family planning overseas, and to what extent the United States would undermine a key United Nations goal to advance sexual and reproductive rights.
The reaction from Republicans in South Carolina’s congressional delegation on Wednesday demonstrated the broad appeal Ms. Haley has earned among conservatives statewide and in Washington. Senator Lindsey Graham, one of Mr. Trump’s harshest critics in the past, praised the nomination, writing on Twitter that Ms. Haley would be a “strong voice for UN reform and stand for American interests throughout the world.”
But others tempered their admiration for Ms. Haley with concern about whether her public service credentials, which are limited to South Carolina government, would translate to the world stage.
“My very practical reaction is that she’d be the least experienced U.N. ambassador in the history of the country,” said Bakari Sellers, a CNN commentator and a Democrat who befriended Ms. Haley when they served together in the State House of Representatives. “You go from Samantha Power” — the current United Nations ambassador — “who was very well versed in foreign policy and our geopolitical relationships, to Nikki Haley, who hasn’t been in that depth ever.”
Ms. Haley’s admirers note that she repeatedly traveled abroad as governor to promote the state as a desirable place for investment. Her highest-profile trip, perhaps, was a 2014 visit to India, the birthplace of her parents. Her husband, Michael, has served in Afghanistan as an officer in the South Carolina National Guard.
More generally, Ms. Haley has overcome concerns that she would be a one-dimensional insurgent outsider, similar to worries that dog Mr. Trump. Her 2010 campaign was given a major lift by an endorsement from former Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, the polarizing darling of the Tea Party movement. But Ms. Haley has forged a middle path that embraces the conciliatory racial attitudes favored by the left and the business-friendly ethos of the right.
This balancing act faced perhaps its greatest test in June 2015, after nine African-Americans were shot and killed at the historically black Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston. The white supremacist charged in the massacre, Dylann S. Roof, had posed with the Confederate battle flag in pictures. And for years, blacks and liberals in South Carolina had pleaded with the conservatives who dominate the state government to take the flag down from a prominent spot it occupied in front of the State Capitol.
s. Haley, the first ethnic minority and first woman to be elected as the state’s governor, had previously sided with fellow Republicans, who argued that the flag was not a racist symbol.
But the Charleston massacre hit home personally. She had been a friend of State Senator Clementa C. Pinckney, a Democrat and pastor of the church, who was one of the dead. Ms. Haley had a change of heart.
“I couldn’t look my son or daughter in the face and justify that flag flying anymore,” Ms. Haley told The New York Times in June 2015.
At her urging, and after much passionate debate, the State Legislature agreed to remove the flag.
Ms. Haley was born in the small city of Bamberg, S.C., to immigrants from Punjab State in India. She has said the locals in South Carolina were often unsure of her place in what is often a Southern binary of black versus white. When Ms. Haley was about 5, she and her sister entered a Little Miss Bamberg pageant where, traditionally, a black queen and a white queen were crowned.
The judges decided the sisters fit neither category, so they were disqualified.
From a young age, Ms. Haley worked for her family’s clothing business, and she eventually received an accounting degree from Clemson University. She was elected to the State House in 2004.
In 2009, she declared she was running for governor and prevailed despite lingering biases. A Republican state senator at the time called her a “raghead” on a radio show. A Democratic state representative said that voters did not consider her a minority, but more of a “nice conservative with a tan.”
Ms. Haley, a nimble campaigner who is equally at home among C.E.O.s and denim-clad bikers, easily won re-election in 2014, arguing that her maintenance of South Carolina’s anti-union, low-regulation atmosphere had been the key to an economic comeback. Under her leadership, the state continued looking beyond its boundaries, very often abroad, to attract new industries to replace a fading textile industry.
It is a record that might seem at odds with Mr. Trump’s skepticism of global trade deals and his promise to subject imports from Mexico and China to steep tariffs.
But there are other areas of agreement. In 2014, Ms. Haley criticized federal plans that would force power plants to cut carbon emissions.
Also like Mr. Trump, Ms. Haley has weathered accusations of sexual impropriety without suffering at the polls. In her first run for governor, two Republican operatives made separate and unproven accusations that they had sexual encounters with her.
If current 2016 GOP Presidential Frontrunner Donald Trump had not entered the race, Hillary Clinton & Bernie Sanders would have most likely sucked all of the Media air out of this election, leaving lesser known GOP candidates largely ignored.
Trump is an Amazing Businessman and a Marketing genius who knows how to attract large crowds to GOP events.
Trump also knows how to drive voters to the Polls.
Trump has sharpened all of his GOP Opponents, including MARCO RUBIO via his Bold leadership style and Bravado.
In fact, thanks to Mr Trump, MARCO RUBIO is now a top tier presidential candidate.
Considering how Mr Trump has helped make the GOP platform relevant again to American voters, why are Establishment leaders still trying to force him out of the 2016 race??
TRUMP and RUBIO embody the spirit of a Conqueror.
If asked to choose between the two candidates, I would have to nominate both Men for the office of U.S. President.
Donald Trump drew a distinction between eligibility questions surrounding Marco Rubio's run for the presidency versus those clouding Ted Cruz'sbid, saying the Florida senator is qualified because although his parents were not U.S. citizens at the time of his birth, he was born in the U.S. -- unlike Cruz.
"It's a different, very different thing because he was born here. He was born on the land," Trump told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union." "Ted was not born on the land, and there's a very strict reading that you have to be born on the land. (Harvard Law professor) Laurence Tribe actually said based on Ted's views, he would have to be born on the land."
Cruz was conferred American citizenship at birth because his mother is an American citizen, and legal experts have largely agreed that would qualify him for natural-born citizenship. The Texas Republican also had Canadian citizenship until he renounced it in 2014.
"He was born in Canada. He was a Canadian citizen until 15 months ago, if you can believe that," Trump said.
"He says he didn't know," Tapper replied.
"He didn't know. Well, he didn't know about his financial papers either. You know, how are you going to be president if you didn't know about a million dollar loan from Goldman Sachs," Trump asked, referring to a controversy that surfaced earlier this week over Cruz's 2012 Senate bid. "And you said it's something you don't know about. Now he doesn't know that he was a Canadian citizen? I mean that's in a way maybe worse than all the other things we're talking about."
"There have been lawsuits filed. And I said lawsuits are going to be filed," he said. "The Democrats are going to file lawsuits. They filed lawsuits. Now, he's got a problem."
Trump also hammered Cruz over his criticism of "New York values," which the Texas senator said referred to the Empire State's support of abortion rights, same-sex marriage and a focus on money and greed. Trump called those remarks "very, very insulting."
"I immediately thought of the World Trade Center, and the bravery of New Yorkers and the genius of New Yorkers to be able to take that whole section and rebuild after the tragedy," he said.
Asked if Cruz was making a subtle ethnic dig with his "New York values" comment, Trump said he didn't know, adding, "probably you would have to ask him."
But, Trump said, "I thought it was disgraceful that he brought that up ... I think he came across badly. Some people gave him pretty good reviews on the debate. I think he came across as very strident and not a nice person, and people don't like that."
Trump said the "only place (Cruz) is doing fairly well is in Iowa."
"I you look at these other places, he's not doing well, and certainly not doing well nationally," Trump added.
Still, he doesn't want to take any chances, which is why he's been spending on ads recently.
"I'm going to start spending money for two reasons. Number one, I feel guilty because I'm $35 million under budget," he said. "Number two, I don't want to take a chance."
Jeb Bush
Trump pointed out that spending millions has not helped former Florida Jeb Bush emerge as a leading candidate.
"Jeb is spending so much money. Think of it, he spent $69 million, I spent nothing. He's at the bottom of the pack, I'm at the top of the pack," he said.
He then attacked former presidential candidate Lindsey Graham for endorsing Bush.
"I think it's incredible. First of all, Lindsey Graham got out with zero. He had zero. He had nothing. That's number one, so he's not gonna get any voters and I think it's a very bad thing for Lindsay Graham," Trump said.
Tapper asked Trump about his proposal to create a "deportation force" to remove the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. In the past, Trump has cited the efforts of President Dwight Eisenhower to remove undocumented immigrants as part of "Operation Wetback"during the 1950s.
"A lot of people think that was a shameful chapter in American history, though," Tapper said.
"Well, some people do, and some people think it was a very effective chapter, and what happened was when they removed some, meaning brought them back, when they brought them back, they removed some, everybody else left," Trump said. "And it was very successful, everyone said. So I mean, that's the way it is. Look, we either have a country, or we don't. If we don't have strong borders, we have a problem."
Campaign finance reform
Trump said the American political process is in need of campaign finance reform, adding that he -- a candidate who has repeatedly touted his decision to self-fund his campaign as a selling point for his candidacy -- hasn't decided if he would accept public financing for the general election.
"I don't know yet. I haven't thought of it. I am thinking about this one," he said.
Trump also said Cruz and other candidates are more likely to do the bidding of their donors if elected opposed to looking out for the best interest of the country.
"That's the way it is. Somebody gives them money. Not anything wrong, just psychologically, when they go to that person, they're going to do that," he said. "They owe them, and by the way, they may therefore vote negatively towards the country. That's not gonna happen with me."
The American political process is in need of campaign finance reform, Trump said.
"Well I think you need it, because I think PACs are a horrible thing," he said. "First of all everybody is dealing with their PAC. You know, it's supposed to be like this secret thing -- they're all dealing."
Trump says he wasn't mocking reporter with disability
Trump was previously criticized for appearing to mock Serge Kovaleski, a New York Times reporter with arthrogryposis, a chronic condition which limits the movement of his arms.
At a South Carolina rally in November, Trump waved his arms in an awkward manner while discussing a comment made by Kovaleski. But Trump said he wasn't mocking him.
"If you could go back and do it again, would you do it differently?" Tapper asked.
"Yes, I would. But let me just tell you something. I had no idea what this reporter looked like or that he had difficulty," Trump said.
Trump told Tapper he would never mock a person with a disability.
"I was not imitating. I would never -- who would ever do that? If somebody had a disability, who would mock a disability? I would never. I'm a smart person ... Who would ever mock somebody, especially if you're running for office?" Trump said.
"I would have not done it, because it's confusing," he added. "Some people believe me when I say it, I mean, I swear to you, that's true. I had no idea."
"One of the potential attack lines has to do with an answer you gave to Frank Luntz months ago when you said that you've never asked God for forgiveness. Do you regret making that remark?" Tapper asked.
"No, I have a great relationship with God. I have a great relationship with evangelicals," he said.
Trump said he doesn't ask for forgiveness because he doesn't do a lot of bad things.
"I don't like to have to ask for forgiveness. And I am good, I don't do a lot of things that are bad, I try and do nothing that's bad. I live a very different life than probably a lot of people would think," Trump said.
Haley criticism was an 'honor'
Tapper asked Trump how it felt to be implicitly criticized by South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in her Republican response to President Barack Obama's State of the Union address last week.
"It was my great honor because I'm angry and they both said I was angry. And I get along very well with Nikki, and you know, Nikki said we're friends and we are friends. I supported her, but I am angry," Trump said. "And when she said there's an anger that we shouldn't have, I said, well, I disagree with one thing. There's an anger that we should have. Our country is going to hell."
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley endorsed Florida Sen. Marco Rubio at an event Wednesday in Chapin.
The popular second-term governor's endorsement could help Rubio in the state with a primary on Saturday.
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is endorsing Marco Rubio, giving the Florida senator a huge boost just days before the state's crucial Saturday primary.
Haley's endorsement came at a 6 p.m. Wednesday event in Chapin.
"If we elect Marco Rubio, every day will be a great day in America," Haley said, riffing on her signature phrase.
"I wanted somebody with fight, I wanted somebody with passion, I wanted somebody who had the conviction to do the right thing, but I wanted somebody humble enough to remember he works for all the people," Haley said.
"I wanted somebody who could show my parents that the best decision they ever made for their children was coming to America," said Haley, who is a first-generation Indian-American.
The popular second-term governor's endorsement could help Rubio, who is facing attacks from both Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush ahead of Saturday's vote.
The current leader in South Carolina, according to a CNN/ORC poll released Tuesday, is Donald Trump, with 38% support. He's trailed by Cruz with 22%, Rubio with 14%, Bush with 10%, Ben Carson at 6% and Ohio Gov. John Kasich at 4%.
Haley is just the latest South Carolina Republican whose support Rubio has picked up. He is also backed by Sen. Tim Scott and Rep. Trey Gowdy, two high-profile members of the state's congressional delegation.
Rubio sees Haley's endorsement as providing "a lift to come in second" in the Palmetto State's primary, a source close to the campaign told CNN.
It's also a sign, the source said, that "the disaster at the debate in New Hampshire is over" and Rubio now has firm standing over Bush.
Bush himself had told NBC News on Tuesday that Haley's endorsement would be critical.
"She is the probably the most meaningful endorsement," Bush said, adding that her support would be "powerful" and if he didn't get it, "it sends a signal that I got to work harder."
Speaking to reporters after a town hall event in Summerville, South Carolina, Bush said he was "disappointed" to not win Haley's support.
"She's a very good governor and should I win the nomination, there will be a role for her in the campaign, trust me. She's a great person," Bush said.
A source close to the Bush campaign said they had lobbied hard for Haley's support and hoped she would go with them, and the source acknowledged that this would make South Carolina even more difficult for Bush to win.
Haley has long made her distaste for Trump clear, including a shot at the Republican front-runner in the State of the Union response she delivered for the GOP this year.
"During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices," Haley said during that speech from the governor's residence in Columbia. "We must resist that temptation. No one who is willing to work hard, abide by our laws, and love our traditions should ever feel unwelcome in this country."
Trump disparaged Haley during a Wednesday evening rally, saying, "She's very very weak on illegal immigration.
He had previously called Haley a "friend" even when invoking her "anger" comments about him.
"We can't have that, we need strong strong immigration policies," he added.
WHITE VOTERS LATINO VOTERS BLACK VOTERS WOMEN VOTERS VETS ACTIVE DUTY U.S. MILITARY VOTERS EVANGELICAL VOTERS MIDDLE CLASS VOTERS WALL STREET EXECS LOW INCOME VOTERS BILLIONAIRES MILLIONAIRES SILICON VALLEY POLICE OFFICERS TEACHERS CELEBRITIES COLLEGE STUDENTS & YOUNG VOTERS SENIOR CITIZEN VOTERS EX-OFFENDERS
~ Florida senator wins coveted support from SC governor.
~ Haley is state’s most popular GOP politician after handling of Charleston shooting.
~ Jeb Bush was considered the other likely endorsement choice.
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio will win South Carolina’s most Republican coveted endorsement of the 2016 presidential race when Gov. Nikki Haley announces her support at a Chapin rally on Wednesday evening, a source with knowledge of the governor’s decision told The State.
Haley, the state’s most popular GOP politician in polls, has decided to back the establishment candidate considered to be in best position to challenge Republican front-runners Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who has shared advice on education issues with the governor and helped her raise money for her re-election bid in 2014, also was considered a top contender to win Haley’s endorsement.
But he has lagged in recent S.C. polls, falling to fifth in the six-candidate GOP field. Rubio sits third.
Haley’s decision was a bit of a reversal in the past day. The governor told reporters Tuesday that she had not made up her mind on who to back in the 2016 race.
She endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential race.
While the former Massachusetts governor won the GOP nomination, he lost the S.C. primary to former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, breaking the state’s three-decade streak of voting for the candidate who landed on the November ballot.
Haley has become a favorite to make vice presidential short lists after her handling of last year’s Charleston shooting and successful call to remove the Confederate flag from the S.C. State House grounds.
She gave the Republican response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union last month.
The governor’s endorsement comes at a critical time for Rubio.
The Florida senator needs momentum in South Carolina after finishing fifth in New Hampshire after a rattled debate performance.
Rubio trails Trump and Cruz in the Palmetto State with three days ahead of the S.C. GOP presidential primary on Saturday.
Haley joins U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of North Charleston, the only African-American Republican in the Senate, and U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy, a Spartanburg Republican who heads a special panel investigating the Benghazi attack, in endorsing Rubio.
Rubio has had success wooing financial support in the state.
He met major GOP donor Hank Scott, chief executive of an Allendale lumber products company, at the S.C. GOP party’s annual dinner in 2012.
Scott would later choose to back Rubio for president and donate a total of $200,000 to a pro-Rubio PAC, the largest contributions tied to the presidential race from a South Carolinian.
Haley and Rubio share similar backgrounds. They are both 44-year-old children of immigrants who were elected to their current seats in the Tea Party fervor of 2010.
Haley joins U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of North Charleston, the only African-American Republican in the Senate, and U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy, a Spartanburg Republican who heads a special panel investigating the Benghazi attack, in endorsing Rubio.
Rubio has had success wooing financial support in the state.
He met major GOP donor Hank Scott, chief executive of an Allendale lumber products company, at the S.C. GOP party’s annual dinner in 2012.
Scott would later choose to back Rubio for president and donate a total of $200,000 to a pro-Rubio PAC, the largest contributions tied to the presidential race from a South Carolinian.
Haley and Rubio share similar backgrounds.
They are both 44-year-old children of immigrants who were elected to their current seats in the Tea Party fervor of 2010.
Rubio first met Haley when they were first running for their current offices. The senator spoke at the S.C. GOP party’s annual dinner in 2012, a way for him to start building relationships in early-primary state.
They have communicated while Rubio has been on the trail. The senator also has said during stops in South Carolina this week how Haley would make a good vice president.
Haley has been battling with Trump. She said she was referring to him as one of the “angriest voices” in her State of the Union response and criticized him over his combative campaigning.
The daughter of Indian immigrants called Trump’s proposal to ban temporarily Muslims from entering the country an embarrassment to the GOP and un-American.
Trump has said Haley is not doing enough to protect South.
Haley has not criticized Cruz, but she has not kept in regular contact with the Texas senator, who like Rubio, is the son of Cuban immigrant.
Bush pushed hard for her support.
His father and brother, both former presidents who won the S.C. presidential primary, have reached out to Haley in recent weeks.
But Bush is lagging in South Carolina.
Bush sits in fourth in polls with several recent surveys putting him behind Ohio Gov. John Kasich in fifth.
With the end of President Obama’s final State of the Union address, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley sought in her Republican Party response to turn the page on his presidency and look towards the future -– one she said would be brighter under a Republican president.
“Soon, the Obama presidency will end, and America will have the chance to turn in a new direction. That direction is what I want to talk about tonight,” she said, speaking from the capital city of Columbia.
Haley said she understood that voters are frustrated with government, but added that Republicans must take some responsibility for that frustration as well as Democrats –- and channel it into meaningful action.
With the end of President Obama’s final State of the Union address, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley sought in her Republican Party response to turn the page on his presidency and look towards the future -– one she said would be brighter under a Republican president.
“Soon, the Obama presidency will end, and America will have the chance to turn in a new direction. That direction is what I want to talk about tonight,” she said, speaking from the capital city of Columbia.
Haley said she understood that voters are frustrated with government, but added that Republicans must take some responsibility for that frustration as well as Democrats –- and channel it into meaningful action.
NIKKI HALEY TO DELIVER GOP RESPONSE TO OBAMA'S 2016 SOTU ADDRESS (CONFEDERATE FLAG):
GOV HALEY IS A GREAT VP PICK; WOULD ATTRACT MANY WOMEN VOTERS IN NOV 2016.
South Carolina's first legally elected Woman Governor NIKKI HALEY, has been selected to deliver the GOP's response to Pres OBAMA's 2016 State of the Union Address.
Along with receiving Kudos for demanding the CONFEDERATE FLAG be removed from South Carolina's state Capitol, there are several legitimate reasons why NIKKI HALEY would be a Perfect choice as Vice-President pick on the 2016 GOP ticket.
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is a "natural" and will deliver a "great" response to the State of the Union, House Speaker Paul Ryan said Monday.
Haley will respond to President Barack Obama's speech for the Republican Party on Tuesday, an honor bestowed on rising stars in the GOP.
The high-profile event has been both a launching pad for careers and an opportunity for embarrassment, depending on how the politician performs.
But the recently minted House speaker told Jake Tapper on CNN's "The Lead" that he helped pick Haley because he believes the Indian-American governor, who is rumored as a contender for the vice presidential nominee, will knock it out of the park.
"I'm really excited about this," Ryan said. "If you want to hear an inclusive leader who's visionary, who's got a path for the future, who's brought people together, who's unified, it's Nikki Haley."
Ryan himself gave the response in 2011, a year before he was tapped to be the running mate of Mitt Romney in an unsuccessful bid to take the White House.
"Believe me, I understand the stakes can be high for a person doing this speech," Ryan said. "I think she's a natural."
He also divulged some of the advice he gave Haley, big and small.
"Put a cough drop in the corner of your mouth, it keeps you salivating so you don't go thirsty," Ryan said. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio famously had to awkwardly reach for water during his response in 2013.
But in seriousness, Ryan said he just told her to be herself.
PREVIOUS GOP STATE OF THE UNION RESPONSES:
2009: Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (1)
2010: Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell
2011: U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin
2012: Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels
2013: U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida
2014: U.S. Rep Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington
2015: U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa
(1) Jindal’s response came after President Barack Obama’s first speech to a joint session of Congress.
Welcome to the BLACK POLITICAL BUZZ Blog. (Established 2008)
My name is Laurel. (Author & Publisher)
I Blog with a focus on POLITICS, Business, and occasionally Entertainment.
FACTS ABOUT LAUREL:
Wife,
Mother of a U.S. Soldier,
Sister,
Woman of GOD,
Loyal Friend,
Creative,
Blood-related to a nationally known Charlotte Politician.
Black Female, Intelligent,
Married,
Love to Travel,
Credentialed by the RNC and DNC.
Political Blogger/ Commentator
Grassroots Activist,
PROFESSIONAL STATUS:
Credential Political Blogger/ Commentator,
Registered Independent Voter
Original Native of BROOKLYN, NY
Currently reside in CHARLOTTE, NC
I’m Nice but don’t get it twisted because my Mind is Sharp!
Since You’ve Chosen to Visit and Read the Contents of this Blog by Personal Choice, and of Your Own Free Will,
Please don’t ask me to Compensate you for Expressing individual commentary/ Posted Articles, which are protected by the First Amendment, citing Freedom of Speech & Freedom of Expression.
No Intentionally Malicious Slander, Libel or Defamation of Character content will be published and I will always Credit all Sources.
NOTE TO ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS, APPOINTED OFFICIALS & PUBLIC FIGURES:
Per the Landmark U.S. Supreme Court Case: 1964 case of New York Times v. Sullivan………
The Public has a Right to Criticize the People who Govern them, so the least Protection from Defamation is given to Public Officials. When officials are accused of something that involves their behavior in office, they have to prove all of the above elements of defamation and they must also prove that the defendant acted with “actual malice.” (For a definition of actual malice, see the “History of Defamation and the First Amendment, below.”)
People who aren’t Elected but who are Still Public Figures because they are influential or famous — like Actors, Actresses, Movie Stars, Singers & Entertainers, Journalists, TV Hosts, Bloggers, etc., — also have to Prove that Defamatory statements were made with Actual Malice, in most cases.
To the Associated Press and other Media Organizations:
When I use your Content Links., I’m also citing the Fair Use Doctrine (Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107) for further Copyright permission.
Posts and Links published on Black Political Buzz are not endorsed by Black Political Buzz Blog Author Laurel’s Employer, nor the Employers of other Black Political Buzz employees.
This includes Links, Posts and Comments posted on Black Political Buzz’s Facebook and Twitter account pages.
Comments, Links and Opinions of site visitors are Independently-Owned and not endorsed by Black Political Buzz employees, Blog Author Laurel or Laurel’s Employer.)
(No Personal Offense intended) Please know that Black Political Buzz is not responsible for nor do I endorse Requests for Donations from Third Parties on this Blog.
I will Only Endorse Requests for Donations made on behalf of BLACK POLITICAL BUZZ Blog for Business Purposes & Operating Expenses.
I will also Only Endorse Requests for Donations on behalf of Legitimate Politicians and Legitimate Political Candidates. PERIOD!!
If anyone else or another Organization wishes to post a link to Request Donations, I am NOT endorsing ANY of those Requests!
Unless I receive a personal Request to do so and I have Professionally Confirmed that the Third Party Organization or Charity is indeed a Legitimate Entity.
NOTE: Anyone who chooses to give to any Third Party Organization NOT Endorsed by BLACK POLITICAL BUZZ is doing so at his or her own risk.
BLACK POLITICAL BUZZ does NOT Discriminate against Politicians, Political Candidates, Organizations or Charities based on Race, Color, Nationality, Ethnicity, Gender, Sexual Orientation, Religion, Faith, Disability, Political Affiliation, Creed, Education, Social Status, Age.
This disclaimer applies to ANY and All requests for Donations on this Blog. Thanks for understanding. Again No Personal Offense intended.
For Story Tips….Corrections…….. or Requests for Endorsements:
Please contact me via e-mail: blackpoliticalbuzz@gmail.com
or via my Facebook page: facebook.com/blackpoliticalbuzz
Thanks for stopping by
God Bless
Laurel @BLACK POLITICAL BUZZ
LINKS: POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE & INFORMATIONAL SITES
.jpg)
