President Donald Trump fired Attorney General Jeff Sessions and replaced him with Sessions’ chief of staff, Trump announced by tweet Wednesday.
“We are pleased to announce that Matthew G. Whitaker, Chief of Staff to Attorney General Jeff Sessions at the Department of Justice, will become our new Acting Attorney General of the United States,” Trump tweeted. “He will serve our Country well. We thank Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his service, and wish him well! A permanent replacement will be nominated at a later date.”
We are pleased to announce that Matthew G. Whitaker, Chief of Staff to Attorney General Jeff Sessions at the Department of Justice, will become our new Acting Attorney General of the United States. He will serve our Country well….
We are pleased to announce that Matthew G. Whitaker, Chief of Staff to Attorney General Jeff Sessions at the Department of Justice, will become our new Acting Attorney General of the United States. He will serve our Country well….
“At your request I am submitting my resignation,” Sessions began.
Sessions continued, “We prosecuted the largest number of violent offenders and firearm defenders in our country’s history. We took on transnational gangs that are bringing violence and death across our borders and protected national security.”
“I have been honored to serve as Attorney General and have worked to implement the law enforcement agenda based on the rule of law that formed a central part of your campaign for the Presidency,” he closed.
Trump has long been agitating to fire Sessions for recusing himself from the Russia investigation and blames him for the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller. Trump hinted in the run up to the 2018 midterm elections that he would fire Sessions.
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Fox News reports that the Department of Justice does not believe it needs to swear in Whitaker as acting attorney general, since he has already been sworn in for a different position.
Multiple reports indicate Whitaker is now in charge of all DOJ activities, including Mueller’s investigation. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had been overseeing the probe since Sessions’ recusal.
Whitaker wrote an op-ed for USA Today in July 2016 saying he would indict former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for her handling of classified information.
READ THE FULL LETTER FROM SESSIONS:
Dear Mr. President,
At your request I am submitting my resignation.
Since the day I was honored to be sworn in as Attorney General of the United States, I came to work at the Department of Justice every day determined to do my duty and serve my country. I have done so to the best of my ability, working to support the fundamental legal processes that are the foundation of justice.
The team we assembled embraced your directive to be a law and order Department of Justice. We prosecuted the largest number of violent offenders and firearm defendants in our country’s history. We took on transnational gangs that are bringing violence and death across our borders and protected national security. We did our part to restore immigration enforcement. We targeted the opioid epidemic by prosecuting doctors, pharmacists, and anyone else who contributes to this crisis with new law enforcement tools and determination. And we have seen results. After two years of rising violent crime and homicides prior to this administration, those trends have reversed—thanks to the hard work of our prosecutors and law enforcement around the country.
I am particularly grateful to the fabulous men and women in law enforcement all over this country with whom I have served. I have had no greater honor than to serve alongside them. As I have said many times, they have my thanks and I will always have their backs.
Most importantly, in my time as Attorney General we have restored and upheld the rule of law—a glorious tradition that each of us has a responsibility to safeguard. We have operated with integrity and have lawfully and aggressively advanced the policy agenda of this administration.
I have been honored to serve as Attorney General and have worked to implement the law enforcement agenda based on the rule of law that formed a central part of your campaign for the Presidency.
500 DAYS: In his first 500 days in office, President Donald J. Trump has achieved results domestically and internationally for the American people.
Since taking office, President Trump has strengthened American leadership, security, prosperity, and accountability.
After 500 days, the results are clear: the American economy is stronger, American workers are experiencing more opportunities, confidence is soaring, and business is booming.
President Trump has re-asserted American leadership on the world stage, secured vital investments in our military, and stood up against threats to our national security.
President Trump has put the American people first and made government more accountable.
AMERICA’S ECONOMY IS STRONGER: The American economy is stronger today and American workers are better off thanks to President Trump’s pro-growth agenda.
Nearly 3 million jobs have been created since President Trump took office.
304,000 manufacturing jobs have been created since President Trump took office, and manufacturing employment stands at its highest level since December 2008.
337,000 construction jobs have been created since President Trump took office, and construction employment stands at its highest level since June 2008.
Under President Trump, the unemployment rate has dropped to 3.8, the lowest rate since April 2000, and job openings have reached 6.6 million, the highest level recorded.
67 percent of Americans believe now is a good time to find a quality job, according to Gallup.
Only under President Trump have more than 50 percent of Americans believed it is a good time to find a quality job since Gallup began asking the question 17 years ago.
President Trump prioritized job training and workforce development to empower workers to seize more opportunities, signing an Executive Order to expand apprenticeship opportunities.
President Trump has restored confidence in the American economy, with confidence among both consumers and businesses reaching historic highs.
Consumer confidence in current conditions has reached a 17-year high, according to the Conference Board.
Optimism among manufacturers has hit record highs under President Trump, according to the National Association of Manufacturers.
Small business optimism has sustained record-high levels under President Trump according to the National Federation of Independent Business.
President Trump signed the historic Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law, cutting taxes for American families and making American business more competitive.
American families received $3.2 trillion in gross tax cuts and saw the child tax credit double.
The top corporate tax rate was lowered from 35 percent to 21 percent so American businesses could be more competitive.
President Trump has rolled back unnecessary job-killing regulations beyond expectations.
In 2017, President Trump far exceeded his promise to eliminate regulations at a two-to-one ratio, issuing 22 deregulatory actions for every new regulatory action.
The Administration rolled back rules and regulations harming farmers and energy producers, such as the Waters of the United States Rule and the Clean Power Plan.
Regional and community banks and credit unions got relief after President Trump signed legislation reducing harmful requirements imposed by the Dodd-Frank Act.
Since taking office, President Trump has advanced free, fair, and reciprocal trade deals that protect American workers, ending decades of destructive trade policies.
Days after taking office, the President withdrew the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations and agreement.
President Trump’s Administration is working to defend American intellectual property from China’s unfair practices through a range of actions.
The President improved the KORUS trade agreement with the Republic of Korea, which will allow more U.S. automobile exports to South Korea with lower tariffs and increase U.S. pharmaceutical access to South Korea.
American agriculture has gained access to new markets under President Trump.
AMERICA IS WINNING ON THE WORLD STAGE: President Trump has re-asserted American leadership on the world stage and is achieving results for the American people.
President Trump followed through on his promise to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
President Trump ordered an end to United States participation in the horrible Iran deal and immediately began the process of re-imposing sanctions that had been lifted or waived.
The President has taken action to confront aggression by Iran and its proxies.
The Department of the Treasury has issued a range of sanctions targeting Iranian activities and entities, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force.
Under President Trump, the United States has led an unprecedented global campaign to achieve the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
President Trump’s leadership has contributed to the return of 17 Americans held overseas.
In May 2018 alone, Venezuela released one American and North Korea released three Americans who came home to the United States.
The President has secured historic increases in defense funding in order to rebuild our Nation’s military with the resources they need, after years of harmful sequester.
President Trump signed legislation to provide $700 billion in defense spending for fiscal year (FY) 2018 and $716 billion for FY 2019.
The United States has worked with international allies to decimate ISIS.
President Trump ordered strikes against Syria in response to the regime’s use of chemical weapons in April 2017 and April 2018.
The Trump Administration has imposed a range of sanctions on the Maduro dictatorship in Venezuela, including sanctions targeting Maduro and other senior government officials.
AMERICA’S COMMUNITIES ARE SAFER AND MORE SECURE: President Trump has worked to secure our borders, enforce our immigration laws, and protect the safety and security of American communities.
Despite limited resources and obstruction from Congress, President Trump has worked to take control of our border and enforce our immigration laws.
President Trump has called on Congress to provide the resources needed to secure our borders and close loopholes that prevent immigration laws from being fully enforced.
President Trump authorized the deployment of the National Guard to help secure our borders.
President Trump’s Administration has carried out immigration enforcement efforts based on the rule of law.
From the start of President Trump’s Administration to the end of FY 2017, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) made 110,568 arrests of illegal aliens.
Arrests made in this timeframe represented a 42 percent increase from the same timeframe in FY 2016.
Of the 110,568 arrests made, 92 percent had a criminal conviction, pending criminal charge, were an ICE fugitive, or had a reinstated final order of removal.
President Trump has made clear that his Administration will continue to combat the threat of MS-13 in order to protect communities from the horrendous violence the gang has spread.
In 2017, the Department of Justice worked with partners in Central America to file criminal charges against more than 4,000 members of MS-13.
The Trump Administration has cracked down on the import and distribution of illegal drugs in order to stop them from reaching our communities and causing even more devastation.
As of April 2018, U.S. Border Patrol has seized 284 pounds of fentanyl in FY 2018, already surpassing the total of 181 pounds seized in FY 2017.
The President has launched a nationwide effort to fight the opioid crisis, which has devastated communities across America.
The President’s Opioid Initiative seeks to reduce drug demand, cut off the flow of illicit drugs, and save lives by expanding treatment opportunities.
President Trump signed an omnibus spending bill which provides nearly $4 billion to address the opioid epidemic.
The bill included $1 billion for grants focused on the hardest hit States and Tribes and provided funding for a public-private research partnership on pain and addiction.
AMERICA’S GOVERNMENT IS MORE ACCOUNTABLE: Since taking office, President Trump has worked to ensure government is more accountable to the American people.
President Trump has confirmed the most circuit court judges of any President in their first year, and secured Justice Neil Gorsuch’s confirmation to the United States Supreme Court.
President Trump has signed legislation to bring more accountability to the Department of Veterans Affairs and provide our veterans with more choice in the care they receive.
President Trump signed the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017, improving processes for addressing misconduct.
President Trump signed the VA Choice and Quality Employment Act into law, authorizing $2.1 billion in additional funds for the Veterans Choice Program.
President Trump successfully eliminated the penalty for Obamacare’s burdensome individual mandate.
The President’s Administration is seeking to provide more affordable health coverage and broader access to affordable alternatives to Obamacare plans.
President Trump has released a blueprint to lower drug prices for Americans.
President Trump has ensured that the religious liberties and conscience of Americans are protected and respected by the Federal government.
President Trump signed an Executive Order to protect the free speech and religious liberties of groups such as the Little Sisters of the Poor.
The Department of Justice issued guidance to all executive agencies on protecting religious liberty in federal programs.
President Donald Trump dismissed the billionaire Koch brothers as “globalist” and a “total joke” on Tuesday.
“The globalist Koch Brothers, who have become a total joke in real Republican circles, are against Strong Borders and Powerful Trade,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “I never sought their support because I don’t need their money or bad ideas.”
Both Charles and David Koch have been highly critical of Trump’s immigration and trade agenda, especially at the beginning of their summer retreat with donors
Trump ridiculed them for supporting some parts of his agenda – especially his tax cuts – but not for his efforts to protect the American worker.
“They love my Tax & Regulation Cuts, Judicial picks & more. I made them richer,” he wrote.
The Koch brothers and their network of donors opposed Trump during the 2016 election.
“Their network is highly overrated, I have beaten them at every turn,” he wrote. “They want to protect their companies outside the U.S. from being taxed, I’m for America First & the American Worker – a puppet for no one.”
The two billionaire brothers also said they would be happy to support Democrats who favored their agenda.
“Two nice guys with bad ideas,” Trump concluded. “Make America Great Again!”
The globalist Koch Brothers, who have become a total joke in real Republican circles, are against Strong Borders and Powerful Trade. I never sought their support because I don’t need their money or bad ideas. They love my Tax & Regulation Cuts, Judicial picks & more. I made…..
….them richer. Their network is highly overrated, I have beaten them at every turn. They want to protect their companies outside the U.S. from being taxed, I’m for America First & the American Worker – a puppet for no one. Two nice guys with bad ideas. Make America Great Again!
I will be going on a 30 day absence from FaceBook. I have also deleted my Twitter account because they are Anti-Christian They are suffering and they are losing money so we should punish them the way they have done us. I will be off FB until August 25, 2018. If you want to follow us please go to our Website, Video Platform, And The Radio Show.
It has been said “don’t kick a man when he is down”, but hell that is the best time to kick a corrupt SOB.
We must stop allowing FB, Youtube, and Twitter to hold us hostage any longer. So I challenge you to do the same.
The Links To Our And The Story On FaceBook Losing Money.
Facebook Stock Decline Is Largest One-Day Drop in U.S. History
Facebook’s drop in stock price of nearly 20 percent marks the largest one-day stock market decline in U.S. history, at $119 billion.
Facebook has had a tough few days, seeing a massive decline in its stock price which fell by as much as 23 percent in after-market trading on Wednesday. The mass stock sale saw approximately $119 billion in market value destroyed, marking the largest one-day drop in the history of the American stock market.
The sudden drop in Facebook stock was a result of the announcement of second-quarter earnings which did not meet the companies predicted numbers. Although revenue had increased by approximately 42 percent, the number still fell short of analyst projections.
Similarly, the number of daily active users on the platform — an important metric for judging the success of a website or app — only grew by 22 million, the lowest growth figure since 2011. Facebook’s Chief Financial Officer warned that revenue growth would “decline by high single-digit percentages” until 2019.
In September 2000, during the original dot-com bust, Intel lost $91 billion while around the same time Microsoft lost $77 billion in a day. While it is true that Facebook’s loss of $119 billion in a day is the biggest one-day drop in U.S. stock market history, it should be noted that the large loss is partly due to Facebook’s massive valuation as a company. In previous years, companies were not valued as highly as Facebook is so their losses were smaller.
However, Breitbart News has outlined the five main reasons that Facebook is facing such a tough time and the mistakes it made which led to its current situation.
Why Is That People Ignore Germany Being Controlled By Russia But Tell Us About Russian Collusion?
BRUSSELS (AP) — In a combative start to his NATO visit, President Donald Trump asserted Wednesday that a pipeline project has made Germany “totally controlled” by and “captive to Russia” and blasted NATO allies’ defense spending, opening what was expected to be a fraught summit with a list of grievances involving American allies.
Trump, in a testy exchange with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, took issue with the U.S. protecting Germany when the European nation is making deals with Russia.
NBC News
✔@NBCNews
President Trump: “Germany is a captive of Russia.”
Trump and NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg discuss plans for the summit before a bilateral breakfast in Brussels.
“I have to say, I think it’s very sad when Germany makes a massive oil and gas deal with Russia where we’re supposed to be guarding against Russia,” Trump said during a breakfast with Stoltenberg, his first event since arriving in Brussels. “We’re supposed to protect you against Russia but they’re paying billions of dollars to Russia and I think that’s very inappropriate.”
The president appeared to be referring to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that would bring gas from Russia to Germany’s northeastern Baltic coast, bypassing Eastern European nations like Poland and Ukraine and doubling the amount of gas Russia can send directly to Germany. The vast undersea pipeline is opposed by the U.S. and some other EU members, who warn it could give Moscow greater leverage over Western Europe.
Trump said that, “Germany, as far as I’m concerned, is captive to Russia” and urged NATO to look into the issue. Trump, who has been accused of being too cozy with Putin — a man accused of U.S. election meddling — was expected to see German Chancellor Angela Merkel later in the day.
Stoltenberg pushed back, stressing that NATO members have been able to work together despite their differences.
The dramatic exchange set the tone for what was already expected to be a tense day of meetings with leaders of the military alliance. Trump is expected to continue hammering jittery NATO allies about their military spending during the summit meeting, which comes amid increasingly frayed relations between the “America first” president and the United States’ closest traditional allies.
“The United States is paying far too much and other countries are not paying enough, especially some. So we’re going to have a meeting on that,” Trump said as he arrived at the breakfast, describing the situation as “disproportionate and not fair to the taxpayers of the United States and we’re going to make it fair.”
“They will spend more,” he later predicted. “I have great confidence they’ll be spending more.”
Trump has been pushing NATO members to reach their agreed-to target of spending 2 percent of their gross domestic products on national defense by 2024 and has accused those who don’t of freeloading off the U.S.
“Many countries in NATO, which we are expected to defend, are not only short of their current commitment of 2% (which is low), but are also delinquent for many years in payments that have not been made,” he tweeted Tuesday while en route to Europe, asking: “Will they reimburse the U.S.?”
That’s not how the spending words. The 2 percent represents the amount each country aims to spend on its own defense, not some kind of direct payment to NATO or the U.S.
NATO estimates that 15 members, or just over half, will meet the benchmark by 2024 based on current trends.
During his campaign, Trump called NATO “obsolete” and suggested the U.S. might not come to the defense of members if they found themselves under attack — a shift that would represent a fundamental realignment of the modern world order. He also called Brussels a “hell hole” and “a mess.” Trump has moderated his language somewhat since taking office, but has continued to dwell on the issue, even as many NATO members have agreed to up their spending.
Stoltenberg, for his part, credited Trump for spurring NATO nations to spend more on defense, noting that the Europeans and Canada are projected to spend around $266 billion more by 2024.
“We all agree that we have to do more,” he said, describing last year as marking the biggest increase in defense spending across Europe and Canada in a generation.
Trump interjecting, asking Stoltenberg why he thought that had happened.
“It’s also because of your leadership, because your clear message,” Stoltenberg responded.
Arriving for his meeting, Trump had taken credit for the spending, telling the NATO chief that “because of me they’ve raised about $40 billion over the last year. So I think the secretary general likes Trump. He may be the only one, but that’s OK with me.”
Trump was also participating in a welcome ceremony, a meeting of the North Atlantic Council and a working dinner with some of the same leaders he berated over trade during his last world leaders summit in Canada last month.
Brussels is the first stop of a week-long European tour that will include stops in London and Scotland, as well as a highly anticipated meet with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
Trump predicted as he departed Washington that the “easiest” leg of his journey would be his scheduled sit-down Putin — a comment that did little to reassure allies fretting over his potential embrace of a Russian leader U.S. intelligence officials accuse of meddling in the 2016 elections to help Trump win.
On the eve of the NATO summit, European Council President Donald Tusk pushed back against Trump’s constant criticism of European allies and urged him to remember who his friends are when he meets with Putin in Helsinki.
“Dear America, appreciate your allies, after all you don’t have all that many,” he said.
