Tag: President Trump

Nashville’s University Presidents Criticize Trump For DACA Decision

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  Nashville’s private liberal arts universities weighed in on President Trump’s DACA decision this week, saying ending the program is a mistake. In sentimental, emotional statements, the presidents of Vanderbilt, Belmont, Lipscomb and Trevecca described ending DACA as an offense to the values of their universities. They’re not the only ones reacting negatively. Several hundred protesters condemned Trump during a march Tuesday along West End Avenue organized by immigration activists. However, conservative Tennessee politicians and others are praising Trump or are offering more nuanced reactions. The Trump administration announced Tuesday morning that it would begin winding down the program in March unless Congress acts. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program has allowed young people brought to the U.S. illegally as children to obtain temporary permission to live and work in the U.S. if they meet certain criteria. Many are now young adults. There are nearly 800,000 DACA recipients nationwide and more than 8,300 in Tennessee. DACA was started by former President Obama with an executive order, which critics said was an unconstitutional overreach of his authority. Trump made a campaign promise to end DACA but as president had sent mixed signals before his administration announced early Tuesday that it would effectively…

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Bill Hennessy Commentary: Assessing Antifa as a Military Strategist

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  by Bill Hennessy   If equally matched, we can offer battle; if slightly inferior in numbers, we can avoid the enemy; if quite unequal, we can flee from him. If we wish to fight, the enemy can be forced to an engagement even though he be sheltered behind a high rampart and a deep ditch. All we need do is attack some other place that he will be obliged to relieve. Thus it is that in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory. ~ Sunzi, The Art of War (Public Domain Books) Antifa activists regularly describe themselves in terms of a ‘defense force;’ but back in their ‘Occupy’ days, they were ‘the 99%’ and ‘revolutionaries;’ and before that, they were the ‘Black Bloc.’ Through it all, they were and are self-proclaimed ‘social justice warriors.’ So let’s take them at their word, and examine Antifa within a military construct – without the blinding rage and disgust they so richly deserve. Pretend both Antifa and the wretched white supremacists in Charlottesville are neither good nor bad. Neither your enemy nor your…

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Georgia School Officials Say Teacher Was Wrong To Reprimand Students Wearing ‘Make America Great Again’ T-Shirts

Wendy Wilson

  School district officials in Georgia are saying a teacher was wrong to tell students they couldn’t wear “Make America Great Again” t-shirts in class. A math teacher at River Ridge High School in Woodstock, a north Atlanta suburb, told two students Aug. 31 their shirts featuring President Trump’s campaign slogan were not permitted. “Her actions were wrong, as the ‘Make America Great Again’ shirts worn by the students are not a violation of our school district dress code,” said Cherokee County Schools spokeswoman Barbara Jacoby in a statement. “The teacher additionally — and inappropriately — shared her personal opinion about the campaign slogan during class.” Other students captured the incident on video, which is now circulating on social media. The video shows the teacher comparing the slogan to a swastika and support for neo-Nazis. Republican state Rep. John Carson, whose district includes River Ridge High School, called the incident despicable. “It’s ironic to me that the political left claims to promote free speech, but then attempts to silence conservative free speech,” Carson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The school’s principal apologized to the students and their families, and the superintendent is advising schools that teachers should not share political opinions…

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Hundreds in Nashville Protest President Trump’s Constitutional Decision to End DACA

Wendy Wilson

  NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Several hundred protesters marched along West End Avenue in Nashville late Tuesday afternoon to denounce President’s Trump decision to end DACA. “Up, up with liberation. Down, down with deportation,” chanted the marchers, as similar protests took place across the country. Meanwhile, Trump supporters who want tougher immigration enforcement and adherence to the Constitution praised the president for following through on a campaign promise. The Trump administration announced early Tuesday that it would phase out DACA, which offers young people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children and meet certain criteria the opportunity to obtain temporary permission to live and work in the U.S. Many recipients are now young adults. Former President Obama started the program in 2012 through an executive order, which critics called an unconstitutional exercise of power by the executive branch. Now it will be left up to Congress to decide what to do with the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. DACA recipients, known as Dreamers, will begin losing their permits in March unless Congress acts. Immigration activists are already lobbying Congress to save the program. Should Congress pass legislation to restore the DACA program before it ends six months from now,…

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President Trump’s Decision to End DACA Pleases Supporters, Outrages the Left

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) is calling President Trump’s decision to phase out DACA “cruel and reckless,” but supporters are praising the move. The Trump Administration announced Tuesday morning that DACA recipients will lose their protected status starting in March unless Congress acts. “Attorney General Jeff Sessions sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security explaining that DACA was not statutorily authorized and was therefore an unconstitutional exercise of discretion by the executive branch,” said a White House news release. The decision is being cheered by Americans who want tougher immigration enforcement, but activist groups like TIRRC are outraged. DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, is a program that was started by former President Obama through an executive order. It offers young people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children a chance to obtain temporary permission to live and work in the U.S. “Over the past five years, the DACA program has been a lifeline for more than 8,300 Tennesseans, providing a sense of security and a chance to dream and invest in their future here,” said TIRRC in an online letter to supporters. “Caving to the demands of extremist attorneys general and white supremacists in…

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Southern Baptist ERLC’s Russell Moore Urges Trump Not To Deport DACA Recipients Who Entered U.S. Illegally As Children

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  Russell Moore, head of the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), is among a group of evangelical leaders calling on President Trump not to deport immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children and offered a reprieve by former President Obama. President Trump will announce Tuesday what he intends to do with the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. With a 2012 executive order, Obama offered young illegal immigrants who met certain criteria permission to temporarily live and work in the U.S. Those eligible for the benefits became known as “Dreamers.” Moore, who serves on the Evangelical Immigration Table, said in a statement Wednesday: It is long past time for Congress to work together to find a workable solution for our broken immigration system — especially for the hundreds of thousands of young, undocumented immigrants who were brought to our country by their parents. Many of these Dreamers have stepped forward in good faith. Congress should respond with a legislative solution that delivers on the promises made to these men and women and protects them from perpetual uncertainty. Let’s pray for a fair solution that highlights both justice and compassion. Other evangelical leaders involved with the Evangelical Immigration…

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President Trump to Personally Donate $1 Million to Hurricane Harvey Relief

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  In a surprise announcement during an otherwise routine press briefing Thursday, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders announced President Donald Trump will personally donate $1,000,000 to Hurricane Harvey relief. The news came after Ms. Sanders took the podium at the conclusion of White House Homeland Security Advisor Tom Bossert’s question-and-answer period updating reporters on the federal government’s response to the devastating storm. A media correspondent noted the outpouring of support by Americans in response to the destruction of so many homes and businesses in and around the Houston area from Hurricane Harvey, and asked, “Can you speak to what the President and his family have done regarding donations for Harvey relief?” and then hastily added, “Personally?” Sanders answered, “I can.” “I spoke with [President Trump] directly earlier and he would like to join in the efforts that a lot of people across the country do, pledging a million dollars of personal money.” She added, “He has actually asked that I check with the folks in this room, since you are very good at research and have been doing a lot of reporting into groups and organizations that are most effective in helping and providing aid. He would love suggestions and I…

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Trump: All Options on the Table After North Korea Missile Launch

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Trump and Abe

President Donald Trump says that “all options are on the table” following another missile launch by North Korea Tuesday. North Korea “has signaled its contempt for its neighbors, for all members of the United Nations, and for minimum standards of acceptable international behavior,” Trump said in a statement released by the White House. “Threatening and destabilizing…

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U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen Blasts Trump for ‘Dangerous’ Pardon of Former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio

Wendy Wilson

  U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-9) blasted President Trump over the weekend for Trump’s pardon of former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, calling Trump’s action “dangerous” and saying the president has “once against abused his authority and divided our nation.” Earlier this month, the Democratic congressman, whose district includes Memphis, said he would introduce articles of impeachment against Trump because of his comments following violent confrontations in Charlottesville, Virginia, between white supremacists and radical leftists. Trump pardoned Arpaio on Friday, praising the 85-year-old in a White House statement for his “admirable service.” Arpaio was recently convicted of misdemeanor contempt for defying a judge’s order stop traffic patrols that were said to unfairly target immigrants. As sheriff, Arpaio was known for his fight against illegal immigration. He lost re-election last year. Here is Cohen’s full statement released Saturday: President Trump’s pardoning of Joe Arpaio isn’t just bad, it’s dangerous. The President continues to show a callous disregard for the independence of our federal judiciary. Even worse, he did so in defense of a man who had been criminally convicted of failing to follow a court order in connection with a lawsuit involving racial profiling.  This was not only a terrible decision, but if reports are accurate…

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State Rep. Judd Matheny Rips Tennessee U.S. Sen. Bob Corker for Harsh Criticism of President Trump

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — State Rep. Judd Matheny (R-Tullahoma) on Friday said U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) was out of line in his recent harsh criticism of President Trump. As a leading U.S. senator, Corker should know better than to undermine the president at a time when the country is facing tough challenges at home and abroad, Matheny said. “You don’t speak like that about the president. You just don’t. He ought to be ashamed,” Matheny told The Tennessee Star at Legislative Plaza, where Matheny was receiving an award from the Center for Security Policy for his efforts to fight terrorism. Corker told reporters in Chattanooga last week that “radical changes” are needed at the White House. He questioned Trump’s competence and his understanding of what has made the U.S. a great nation. Trump fired back on Friday with a tweet saying, “Strange statement by Bob Corker considering that he is constantly asking me whether or not he should run again in ’18. Tennessee not happy!” Trump has been bombarded with criticism from the mainstream media, the left and establishment Republicans like Corker in the wake of his comments blaming both sides for the recent violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, between white supremacists and radical…

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President Trump Blasts Tennessee U.S. Sen. Bob Corker in Tweet

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

President Trump took to Twitter Friday morning to lash back at U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) for Corker’s recent sharp criticisms of the president. Strange statement by Bob Corker considering that he is constantly asking me whether or not he should run again in '18. Tennessee not happy! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2017 Last week in Chattanooga, Corker told reporters that “radical changes” are needed at the White House and that “the president has not yet been able to demonstrate the stability nor some of the competence that he needs to demonstrate in order to be successful.” Corker said Trump “has not demonstrated that he understands what has made this nation great and what it is today, and he’s got to demonstrate the characteristics of a president who understands that.” Corker’s comments came as Trump was getting criticized by the mainstream media, the left and some Republicans for blaming both sides for the recent violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, between white supremacists and radical leftists. Critics said Trump’s comments indirectly showed support for white supremacists. In Chattanooga, Corker said, “I think that sometimes he gets in a situation where he doubles-down to try and make a wrong a right.…

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Tennessee Congressional Delegation Split on Trump’s Afghanistan Decision Along Partisan Lines

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

Republican Sen. Bob Corker and Republican Reps. Marsha Blackburn, Scott DesJarlais and Chuck Fleischmann released statements in support of President Trump’s decision to keep troops in Afghanistan. Trump announced his decision Monday evening in a televised address. His decision is likely to disappoint some conservatives because he campaigned on pulling out of Afghanistan. “My original instinct was to pull out — and, historically, I like following my instincts,” Trump said in his address. “But all my life I’ve heard that decisions are much different when you sit behind the desk in the Oval Office.” Trump said that, as happened with the withdrawal from Iraq in 2011,  “a hasty withdrawal would create a vacuum that terrorists, including ISIS and al Qaeda, would instantly fill.” Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the following in a statement: I had the opportunity to talk with Secretary Tillerson in advance of this evening’s address, and while I look forward to receiving additional details, I support the direction President Trump laid out tonight for the U.S. role in Afghanistan. While there are certainly substantial questions about whether Afghanistan has the capacity over time to provide stable governance to its people, this more focused…

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Mitt Romney Demands That President Trump Apologize For Charlottesville Comments

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  Mitt Romney on Friday called for President Trump to apologize for his Charlottesville “both sides” comments and to put all the blame on white supremacists and none on the radical leftists who also acted violently. Earlier this week, Trump explicitly condemned white supremacist groups by name, but said both sides were to blame for the violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, last weekend. He also said there were innocents on both sides. A man identified as a white supremacist drove his car into a crowd, killing a woman and injuring around 20 others. White supremacists and radical leftists threw punches, bottles and rocks at each other. They also used sticks and chemical sprays. As The Daily Caller News Foundation reported, the white supremacists were attending a legally permitted “Unite the Right” rally at Emancipation Park to protest the City of Charlottesville’s decision to remove the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The radical leftists had no legal permit, and were gathered on the street immediately in front of Emancipation Park. Romney was the Republican nominee who lost to former President Obama in the 2012 presidential election. On Tuesday, Romney was critical of Trump on Twitter. He elaborated in a…

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Tennessee U.S. Senator Bob Corker Stands By Statements Criticizing Trump Over Charlottesville

Wendy Wilson

  COLUMBIA, Tennessee — U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) on Friday defended his remarks Thursday criticizing President Trump for his comments about the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, last weekend between white supremacists and leftist radicals. Corker was in Columbia on Friday to speak at a joint luncheon of the Rotary and Kiwanis clubs at the Memorial Building downtown. On Thursday in Chattanooga, Corker questioned Trump’s competence and said, “He has not demonstrated that he understands what has made this nation great and what it is today, and he’s got to demonstrate the characteristics of a president who understands that.” Trump’s critics in the mainstream media and on the left, as well as some establishment Republicans, have maintained that Trump indirectly supported white supremacy by blaming both sides for the violence and saying there were innocent people on both sides. Asked by The Tennessee Star after Friday’s luncheon what he thought Trump should have said instead, Corker said he didn’t want to get into analyzing it further. “I’m trying to steer away from that,” Corker said. “What I said yesterday I think speaks for itself. Hopefully this, myself and maybe a few others speaking out, will have an effect. But I just want good…

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Country Music Artist Charlie Daniels Defends President Trump

Wendy Wilson

  Country music artist Charlie Daniels defended President Trump and slammed political correctness in an interview Wednesday on Newsmax TV. Daniels said Trump was right to condemn both sides in the violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday between white supremacists and leftist radicals. “There’s no doubt about it. I mean there’s animosity on both sides, from what I saw on TV. I saw two sides fighting each other,” Daniels told host Rita Cosby. “I condemn both sides.” Daniels was also critical of the push to take down statues of historical figures. “That’s what ISIS is doing,” Daniels said. “There were pieces of history over there they didn’t like, they’re taking them down…Where does it stop?” Daniels called Confederate Army General Robert E. Lee “one of the most honorable people in our history.” If people don’t like the statutes, they just shouldn’t look at them, he said, drawing an analogy by saying he walks by movie posters he doesn’t like. “These statues are not preaching,” Daniels said. “They’re not shouting out some kind of crazy epitaphs or something. They’re just sitting there. So just turn around and don’t look at them.” Daniels said the media is “very, very prejudiced against…

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Tennessee U.S. Senator Bob Corker Criticizes President Trump – Again – In Chattanooga Thursday

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) sharply criticized President Trump on Thursday at a Rotary Club luncheon in Chattanooga and said “radical changes” are needed at the White House. Corker questioned Trump’s competence. “He has not demonstrated that he understands what has made this nation great and what it is today, and he’s got to demonstrate the characteristics of a president who understands that,” Corker told reporters after the luncheon, according to WRCB Channel 3. Corker’s latest criticism of Trump comes after a long string of other attacks he has made on the president that do not sit well with Republican primary voters in Tennessee.  Tennessee’s junior senator is up for re-election in 2018. Local reaction from Tennessee conservatives to Corker’s comments was harshly critical of the former mayor of Chattanooga, as these comments on the Nashville Tea Party Facebook page demonstrated.   “Ready to put my name on recall petition! Trump has done more for this country in six months than Corker has in his entire senatorial career. And to speak on ‘character’, Corker wouldn’t have a clue what the word means,” Carole posted. “No Bob, it is the Senate who needs a Radical Change and that includes getting you and…

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Democrat U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis Calls for Impeaching Trump over Charlottesville Comments

Wendy Wilson

  U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-9) said Thursday that he will introduce articles of impeachment against President Trump because of Trump’s comments following violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday. “Instead of unequivocally condemning hateful actions by neo-Nazis, white nationalists and Klansmen following a national tragedy, the President said ‘there were very fine people on both sides.’ There are no good Nazis. There are no good Klansmen,” said Cohen, who is Jewish, in a statement. A progressive leftist whose congressional district includes Memphis, Cohen is a ranking member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. The clashes in Charlottesville were between white supremacist demonstrators and leftist radical counterprotesters. A woman was killed and around 20 injured when a man identified as a white supremacist drove his vehicle into a crowd. There also was fighting in which both white supremacists and counterprotesters were “swinging sticks, punching and spraying chemicals,” according to the Washington Post. Bottles and rocks were also thrown back. There were injuries on both sides. On Saturday, Trump condemned the “egregious display of hatred, bigotry, and violence on many sides.” At a press conference Tuesday, Trump said he waited until Monday to condemn specific groups because he…

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U.S. Rep. David Kustoff Denounces White Supremacy At West Tennessee Event Wednesday

Wendy Wilson

  U.S. Rep. David Kustoff (R-TN-8) on Wednesday denounced white supremacy during a visit to Jackson as a small group of protesters stood outside. Speaking at a Chamber of Commerce event at the Jackson Country Club, Kustoff, who is Jewish, said: We know that our nation has had a rough several days after the events in Charlottesville this past weekend. Make no mistake – White Supremacists, the KKK, neo-Nazis and all groups that preach hate, prejudice, racism and bigotry have no place in our country and must be explicitly condemned. As a United States Attorney, I prosecuted federal hate crimes. I strongly encourage the Department of Justice to follow through on the investigation from last weekend’s events. Outside, several protesters with Indivisible Jackson held signs reading, “Racism, White Supremacy Are Not Acceptable,” “No Trump, No KKK, No Fascist USA” and “Kustoff, Call White Supremacists By Name.” In an interview in March With Jewish Insider, Kustoff expressed support for President Trump, citing measures related to national security and immigration and saying, “Everything he’s done, he promised. He’s following through on his commitment from the campaign.” Kustoff said he would give the president an “A.” When he joined Congress earlier this year, Kustoff became the…

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West Tennessee Site Likely to be Considered for New Toyota-Mazda Auto Plant

Wendy Wilson

  A site near Memphis will likely be considered for a new auto manufacturing plant to be built jointly by Toyota and Mazda. The plant will create up to 4,000 jobs, according to a news release issued by the Japanese car companies on Friday. They plan to spend $1.6 billion on the plant, with the goal of starting operations in 2021 pending government approvals. The plant will produce about 300,000 vehicles a year, and will make Toyota Corollas and crossover models that Mazda plans to introduce to the North American market. The news release did not say where the plant would be built, but real estate expects believe the Southeast is a definite possibility, according to the Commercial Appeal. A leading Tennessee industrial site is the Memphis Regional Megasite, 4,100 acres of vacant farm land off Interstate 40 in Haywood and Fayette counties between Memphis and Jackson, Tennessee. State officials bought the land a decade ago to attract a Toyota car plant, but the company decided to put its Corolla assembly line west of Tupelo in Blue Springs, Mississippi. Because the new plant will build the Corolla, chances are it will be located near the Mississippi plant to be close to parts supply companies, reports…

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Vice President Mike Pence Praised By His Tennessee Fans

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  NASHVILLE, Tennessee — President Trump may have been at the top of the ticket, but it was obvious from the enthusiasm shown for Vice President Mike Pence in Nashville on Thursday that he has his own strong fan base. People interviewed by The Tennessee Star at the Music City Center cited Pence’s conservative beliefs and Christian convictions as reasons they support the vice president. Pence was in Nashville to be the keynote speaker Thursday evening at the annual Statesmen’s Dinner held by the Tennessee Republican Party. During last year’s presidential campaign, Pence was seen as a steady presence and influence on Trump, who lacked Pence’s political experience and has a more flamboyant personality. Before serving as vice president, Pence was governor of Indiana and a congressman. But Pence is not without his colorful side. “He rides a Harley,” said Ken Nelson Jr. in offering another reason he backs the vice president. Nelson is a real estate agent who serves on the board of the Wilson County Republican Party. Gail Jones and her friend Vicki Beaty, both of whom live in Cleveland, Tennessee, had nothing but praise for Pence. “I like everything he stands for,” said Jones, an office manager for…

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Reince Priebus Out as President Trump’s Chief of Staff

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  President Trump announced via Twitter Friday afternoon that Reince Priebus is no longer his Chief of Staff, effective immediately. I am pleased to inform you that I have just named General/Secretary John F Kelly as White House Chief of Staff. He is a Great American…. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017 …and a Great Leader. John has also done a spectacular job at Homeland Security. He has been a true star of my Administration — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017 I would like to thank Reince Priebus for his service and dedication to his country. We accomplished a lot together and I am proud of him! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017 Speculation is that a pattern of leaks combined with the second failure to pass Obamacare repeal was enough for the President to lose confidence in Priebus. Developing…

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Newt to Mooch: Slow Your Roll, Learn the Job

Christina Botteri
Tennessee Star

  Newt Gingrich leveled a heavy rebuke of the erratic and unproductively bombastic outbursts by President Trump’s new White House Communications Director Anthony “Mooch” Scaramucci Thursday, in two separate appearances with conservative talker Laura Ingraham. The first was on The Laura Ingraham Show, where he admonished the freshly-minted Communications Director to ‘learn to do the job.’ Here is a transcript of the exchange: INGRAHAM: …What do you take away from this most recent 24 hour period with Scaramucci? GINGRICH: I think that Scaramucci had better be a lot more careful than he has been. He obviously likes the lime light he obviously likes being in the media. I would say right now he is being more pugnacious than effective. He ought to slow down a little bit and learn what he is doing. I think that he things he said about Reince, if he said them, where is his proof? I mean it’s totally unhelpful having someone going around starting family fights in public and if he is going to be that divisive I’m not sure if he is going to be that useful to the president. INGRAHAM: Apparently he called into CNN and it could be the sole purpose of questioning Preibus. He…

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Family Action Council of Tennessee Praises Trump’s Decision To Ban Transgenders From Military

Wendy Wilson

  The conservative Family Action Council of Tennessee (FACT) praised President Trump on Wednesday for saying that transgenders would not be allowed in the military, a reversal of a policy set in motion by former President Obama, who lifted a previous ban. David Fowler, president of FACT, said in a statement that “the military is not suited for social experimentation.” Obama had set a deadline of July 1 for fully implementing his policy, but Trump’s defense secretary had announced a six-month delay in enlisting transgender people. However, those already enlisted were allowed to transition and soldiers had started to undergo sensitivity training on welcoming soldiers of the opposite biological sex in barracks, bathrooms and showers. In a series of tweets Wednesday, Trump said that after consulting with generals and military experts, he decided that the U.S. government “will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. military” so that the armed forces will not “be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.” Fowler’s full statement said: President Trump has kept a campaign promise to make military preparedness the focus of our military, and I commend him for doing…

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State Senator Doug Overbey Nominated To Be U.S. Attorney In East Tennessee

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  President Trump has nominated state Sen. Doug Overbey (R-Maryville) to be the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Announced Friday, the nomination must be confirmed by the Senate. Overbey is a three-term state senator and chair of the state ethics committee. A senior partner and co-founder of the Robertson Overbey law firm in Knoxville, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Carson-Newman College in 1976 and a law degree from the University of Tennessee in 1979. Lt. Gov. Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) released a statement via Facebook calling Overbey “one of the most valuable and respected members of the General Assembly for many years.” “He has shown true leadership on some of the most important issues that confront our legislature,” McNally said. “His commitment to representing his constituents and producing quality legislation is unwavering.” Tennessee’s two Republican U.S. senators, Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander, also issued statements praising Overbey. In his 38 years of practicing law, Overbey has handled a variety of legal matters, including antitrust and commercial litigation. He also has served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Tennessee law school. In the Tennessee General Assembly, he represents Blount and Sevier counties.    

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Trump Commissions USS Gerald R. Ford Aircraft Carrier, Calls on Congress to Boost Defense Spending

Tennessee Star Staff

President Trump commissioned the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford Saturday, celebrating the newest symbol of American military might as he called on Congress to approve a budget with a big increase in defense spending. Addressing an audience of dignitaries and sailors on the $12.9-billion nuclear-powered carrier at the Naval Air Station in Norfolk, Virginia, Mr.…

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White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer Steps Down

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Tennessee Star

Several news outlets are reporting that President Trump has reluctantly accepted Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s resignation. Via the Associated Press: White House press secretary Sean Spicer is resigning his position, according to two people with knowledge of the decision. One of those people said Spicer is quitting because of objections over the appointment of a new White House communications director, New York financier Anthony Scaramucci. The NYTimes adds: Mr. Trump offered Mr. Scaramucci the job at 10 a.m. The president requested that Mr. Spicer stay on, but Mr. Spicer told Mr. Trump that he believed the appointment was a major mistake, according to a person with direct knowledge of the exchange. After the news broke, Spicer tweeted: It's been an honor & a privilege to serve @POTUS @realDonaldTrump & this amazing country. I will continue my service through August — Kayleigh McEnany 45 Archived (@PressSec45) July 21, 2017   Developing…        

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Tennessee Businessman William F. Hagerty Confirmed As Ambassador To Japan

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  William F. Hagerty was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Thursday to be President Trump’s ambassador to Japan. Senators voted 86-12 to to approve Hagerty’s nomination, the Associated Press reports. Hagerty is a founder and the managing director of the private-equity firm Hagerty Peterson and Company, which has corporate offices in Nashville and the Chicago area. From 2011-2014, the Tennessee native served as Gov. Bill Haslam’s economic development commissioner. He served as Mitt Romney’s national finance chair in 2008, and earlier in his career, served under former President George H.W. Bush as a White House fellow, reporting to the vice president on matters related to international trade, commerce, treasury, defense and telecommunications. A supporter of Jeb Bush early in the 2016 presidential election cycle, he switched to Trump after he secured the nomination. Hagerty was then instrumental in Trump’s campaign and later became director of presidential appointments for Trump’s transition team. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved Hagerty’s nomination last month after he assured Democrats that he had no role in the screening of Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser. Flynn is a key figure in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia.…

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Rep. Marsha Blackburn Calls Trump’s Tweets ‘Inappropriate’

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

Rep. Marsha Blackburn on Friday criticized President Trump’s tweets last week making fun of MSNBC hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski. “This week’s inappropriate and pointless tweets from the President are a stark example of just what has gone wrong in our political discourse today,” Blackburn wrote in a column published on her website. “Robust yet civil debate over policy disagreements have taken a back seat to thin-skin and knee-jerk reactions to hyper-partisan comments and, unfortunately, unfounded character attacks.” In one of Trump’s two tweets Thursday about the Morning Joe hosts, the president referred to Scarborough as “Psycho Joe” and Brzezinski as “low I.Q. Crazy Mika.” In another, he claimed Brzezinski “was bleeding badly from a face-lift” when she visited Mar-a-Lago, his Florida resort, around New Year’s Eve. The talk show hosts have routinely attacked Trump in harsh and demeaning ways, and some Trump supporters were glad to see the president hit back. But others, including Blackburn, thought it was in poor taste. The Republican representative for Tennessee’s 7th congressional district wrote: On the day Rep. Steve Scalise and others were shot, seemingly for nothing other than being Republican, not only were we reminded of the consequences of a collapse in civil discourse, but many,…

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Trump Choice to Lead DOJ’s Civil Rights Division Draws Ire of Liberals

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

The White House nominated Washington labor lawyer Eric Dreiband as an assistant attorney general to head the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division – a choice eliciting anger from liberal advocacy groups. Organizations like the ACLU and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, which is headed by Mr. Dreiband’s predecessor, questioned the lawyer’s experience, saying…

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Trump Nominates Belmont Law Professor To Be U.S. Attorney For Middle Tennessee

Wendy Wilson

  President Trump has nominated a Belmont University law professor to serve as U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Donald Cochran, who teaches criminal law and trial advocacy, previously taught at Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Alabama, according to a White House press release. From 1998 to 2002, he was an assistant U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Alabama. In that role, he prosecuted white collar crimes, public corruption and violent crimes. His cases included that of the final defendant charged with the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. The bombing of the African-American church by white supremacists played a role in the civil rights movement. Cochran began his career as a prosecutor in the district attorney’s office in Birmingham, where he prosecuted homicides, sexual assaults and other violent crimes. A graduate of Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Law School, Cochran was an Army Ranger and Special Forces officer for nine years before studying law.  

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President Trump Meets with Victims of Crimes by Illegal Immigrants on the Eve of ‘Kate’s Law,’ ‘No Sanctuary for Criminals Act’ Votes

Admin
Tennessee Star

  President Trump met with several immigration crime victims Wednesday, on the eve of two major floor votes for bills designed to strengthen punishments for criminal illegal immigrants. “Thank you very much for being here to discuss two crucial votes taking place in Congress tomorrow on vital safety and national security legislation,” President Trump said. “We’re joined by the Chairman of the House Judiciary, Bob Goodlatte, a friend of mine for a long time,” President Trump said.  “Bob is one of the most skilled legislators in Congress, and he’s worked with law enforcement to write a series of critical immigration bills that will close the dangerous loopholes exploited by criminals, gang members, drug dealers, killers, terrorists. ” The first of the two votes is for ‘Kate’s Law’ (HR 3004), named for the tragic murder of Kate Steinle in San Francisco. The prime suspect, Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez had been deported five times before with seven felony convictions. If passed, ‘Kate’s Law’ will increase the penalties that may be imposed on criminal aliens convicted of illegal reentry. The second vote is for the ‘No Sanctuary for Criminals Act’ (HR 3004) which is designed to cut off funding for cities and localities that violate federal immigration law in order…

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President Trump Accepts Invitation to Attend Bastille Day in Paris Next Month

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

President Donald Trump will attend Bastille Day celebrations in Paris on July 14, according to a statement from the White House. Trump accepted the invitation from French president Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday and “looks forward to reaffirming America’s strong ties of friendship with France.” The two leaders spoke by phone on Tuesday, when Macron offered the…

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White House Responds to the Predictably Dour CBO Score of the American Healthcare Act

Tina LaFleur
Tennessee Star

  Within an hour of the ‘non-partisan’ Congressional Budget Office’s report showing, among other things, that over 22 million Americans would lose their insurance coverage over the next decade, President Trump issued the following statement: The CBO has consistently proven it cannot accurately predict how healthcare legislation will impact insurance coverage. This history of inaccuracy, as demonstrated by its flawed report on coverage, premiums, and predicted deficit arising out of Obamacare, reminds us that its analysis must not be trusted blindly.  In 2013, the CBO estimated that 24 million people would have coverage under Obamacare by 2016.  It was off by an astounding 13 million people – more than half—as less than 11 million were actually covered.  Then, CBO estimated that 30 million fewer people would be uninsured in 2016, but then it had to reduce its estimate to 22 million, further illustrating its inability to present reliable healthcare predictions. We know the facts.  To date, we have seen average individual market premiums more than double and insurers across the country opting out of healthcare exchanges.  As more and more people continue to lose coverage and face fewer healthcare choices, President Trump is committed to repealing and replacing Obamacare, which…

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Johnny Depp Skates on Kill Trump Joke: ‘When Was The Last Time An Actor Assassinated A President?’

Tennessee Star Staff

Johnny Depp, Hollywood movie star, made a tasteless joke about President Donald Trump’s assassination – just the latest on the left to poke fun at killing or physically harming the White House commander-in-chief. If this had been about Barack Obama, the mainstream media would be alive with rage, and the jokester would be out of work.…

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Brentwood Baptist To Hold Training Saturday On Combating Human Trafficking

Wendy Wilson
Trafficking

Brentwood Baptist Church will hold a training this weekend on fighting human trafficking that is open to the public. The church has been working with other local churches to build awareness about human trafficking in local communities and around the world. Saturday’s training will feature leaders from Alliance for Freedom, Restoration and Juctice, Inc., Nashville Baptist Association and Brentwood Baptist’s Missions Ministry. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has said that human trafficking is the second-fasting growing criminal industry after drug trafficking, according to a press release issued by Brentwood Baptist. “While Tennessee has been ranked as the toughest state in the nation regarding state statues that protect children from commercial sex exploitation crimes, TBI acknowledges that there is a need to develop more resources to aid victims and their families,” the press release said. President Trump has called human trafficking an epidemic that is not getting enough attention. In February, he signed an executive order to combat transnational criminal organizations and international trafficking. “These groups are drivers of crime, corruption, violence, and misery,” the executive order says. “In particular, the trafficking by cartels of controlled substances has triggered a resurgence in deadly drug abuse and a corresponding rise in violent crime related to…

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Tennessee Conservative Activist Rebecca Ann Burke Helped GOP’s Karen Handel Win Georgia Race With Door-to-Door Canvassing

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  Rebecca Ann Burke goes where she’s needed to help get Republicans elected. After looking at polls showing Republican Karen Handel might lose to Democrat Jon Ossoff in the race for the 6th district congressional seat in Georgia, Burke packed her bags and headed for the Peach State to volunteer. Having worked on the Trump campaign, Burke knew polls can’t always be trusted. But she didn’t want to take any chances. For nearly two weeks, the Franklin woman worked the phones, went door to door, put out signs and attended rallies. She was still in Georgia Tuesday night when Handel, a businesswoman and lifelong conservative, was declared the winner of the hard-fought race. “We just had a ball,” Burke told The Tennessee Star Wednesday morning. “My throat is sore from screaming last night.” Handel’s victory in the special election was a huge setback for Democrats, who spent more than $30 million to back Ossoff, a documentary filmmaker and former Capitol Hill aide. It was their fourth consecutive loss in special elections, the other three being in Kansas, Montana and South Carolina. The defeats spell trouble for Democrats in the 2018 midterm elections. “They learned they cannot buy an election,” Burke said of…

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Delaware Governor John Carney Signs Pro-Abortion Legislation

Wendy Wilson
Fetus on Health

Delaware has passed a bill to guarantee abortion rights in the state should Roe v. Wade be overturned, a move that removed restrictions in current law. Pro-life advocates strongly opposed the legislation, signed last week by Gov. John Carney, a Democrat. “With a pro-life President in the White House and already one pro-life Justice nominated and confirmed, abortion advocates are running scared,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony List, in a June 6 news release written to rally support for defeating the bill. “Planned Parenthood and the ACLU are using Delaware as a testing ground for their extreme legislation to ensure abortionists can carry out abortions without limit – even on healthy children hours from birth.” Before the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling, laws about abortion were left entirely to the states. The court in Roe v. Wade ruled 7-2 that banning abortions denied women a right to privacy protected by the 14th Amendment. The decision gave women total autonomy over pregnancy during the first trimester but allowed states some say over the second and third trimesters. The new law in Delaware removes existing restrictions on abortion, including a parental consent law for minors and a 24-hour waiting period, until viability,…

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President Trump Plans to Roll Back Obama Policies Toward Cuba

Tennessee Star Staff

President Donald Trump is preparing to announce new policies toward Cuba that most likely will roll back parts of former President Barack Obama’s efforts to normalize relations with the island nation, according to a senior administration official and other sources. The official said presidential aides were finalizing their review of U.S.-Cuba relations and were expected to…

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President Trump Addresses the Faith and Freedom Coalition

Tina LaFleur
Tennessee Star

  While the whole of the Establishment/Media Complex are hovered around their various media devices, hanging on the words of spurned former FBI Director James Comey, President Trump is out with the people who helped elect him. Thursday, President Trump spoke at the Faith and Freedom Coalition conference in Washington DC to a capacity crowd. President Trump reminisced, “I’ve spoken to this group so much and so often – and I’ll be back. Most recently, one year ago this week when I came here to ask for your support, your help and your prayers. And WOW, did you deliver – you really did.” Watch his full remarks:

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