Showing posts with label Trump. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trump. Show all posts
President Trump, please come to Lagos
US President Donald Trump / AFP PHOTO / Mandel NGAN
President Trump, I like the freshness you have brought into American politics. You say exactly what you think and you have remained doggedly true to your campaign mantra of ‘America First’. You have refused to try and sound politically correct. You have remained consistent while not hiding your disdain for those you consider undesirable immigrants. You have been trying to implement your campaign promises with a level of determination we need to see in more African leaders. Some of your actions may be unpopular but I like you for trying to keep your campaign promises. In this regard I think our politicians have a thing or two to learn from you.
While our landscape may be littered with the corpses of broken promises, our nation is by no means the ‘shithole’ you think it is. Far from it. There is no basis for comparing Nigeria with Haiti or putting the two countries in the same category. I know, like most Americans, you ignorantly think Africa is one country. It isn’t. There are actually 53 countries on the African continent. Neither is America the perfect place many of us naively think it is. This is why I think you should come to Lagos. We shall be very glad to host you.
First, let me inform you that Lagos is the most populous city in Africa, with more than 21 million inhabitants. This is more than twice the population of New York, your most populous city. The fact that you haven’t built a property in Lagos doesn’t mean we do not have world class hotels here. We will lodge you at the magnificent Federal Palace Hotel where you will enjoy amazing views of the Atlantic Ocean, or the breathtakingly beautiful Intercontinental Hotel. There is also the Excellent Radisson Blu Anchorage which overlooks the Cowry Creek. And of course, there is the Oriental from where you can catch a lovely night view of the beautiful Lekki Bridge.
Since you play golf, we will take you to Ikoyi Club, where you can tee off at the 18-Hole golf course, after which you can chill and enjoy some fresh fish pepper soup. In case you weren’t aware, the Williams sisters were at this same club a few years ago. Lagos is a coastal city and we have more than 100 kilometres of beaches here. Come to think of it! The world would love to see you in beach shorts for a change! And since we do not experience hurricanes, typhoons and tsunamis here, you can truly relax at our beaches anytime of the year. Besides, here we enjoy summer all year round! Our beaches are highly entertaining and vibrant. You will hear loud music and see people dancing to the racy beats of Naija Hip Hop. You will be enthralled by the way young ladies dance to Olamide’s ‘Wo’ and Small Doctor’s ‘Penalty’. You will be served spicy grilled fish and yam chips. Trust me, you won’t miss home!
We will take you to some bars and lounges later in the evening where you can relax with some drinks and your choice of our delicacies. You may try Nkwobi, Spicy Snail or Isi Ewu. There is Asun and goat meat pepper soup! And of course, our award winning jollof rice! It’s a long list Mr President. But as they say, a trial will convince you! Depending on what time of the month you are here, we will take you to Muri Okunola Park for the monthly Afropolitan Concert. You may not be able to resist the energetic African beats at this show. You will surely wiggle your waist Mr President.
You will notice that here in Lagos, we enjoy our bars and nightclubs without the fear that a lunatic would walk in with a semi-automatic rifle and start shooting. We go to the malls with our kids without even remotely considering the possibility that a gun man would appear from nowhere and start a genocide. We will drive you around Lagos by day and by night so you can feel the freedom we enjoy here. Your country may be a land of freedom, but trust me, we enjoy greater freedom here. Our cops don’t stop and shoot our men on our roads. You will see primary school kids actually walking to school in the morning. Yes, our streets are safe for kids to walk to school without the fear of being abducted by psychopaths or paedophiles. Our kids go to school and we do not worry too much about their safety. Their classmates won’t show up with their father’s guns and open fire in the classroom.
You will meet several people from your country who have made this city their home. Many of them don’t miss your country anymore. They will tell you why. Do you know that Mark Zuckerberg was here in Lagos and had a splendid time?
Since you are a real estate baron, we will take you to the futuristic Eko Atlantic City, where you will marvel at the vision and commitment that is driving the most ambitious real estate development project in Africa. This will certainly get you drooling with excitement and am sure you will want a piece of the action. Eko Atlantic City sits on 10 million square metres of reclaimed land on the Atlantic Ocean, and is protected by an 8.5kilometre long sea wall. When completed, it will be the size of Manhattan’s skyscraper district. You will be surprised by this technology and engineering feat, which is fast rising along the coast of West Africa.We will show you that independent reliable electricity, advanced fibre-optic telecoms and clean water utility services are already installed below street level. If you ever desire to have a Trump property in this part of the world, surely you will agree that this is the place to be.
I am happy you are not a huge fan of the media. By the time you have spent a few days in Lagos you will easily agree with me that all the negative stories they have been carrying about Nigeria is fake news. Since you don’t trust the media, I am sure you can easily discard and delete from your memory all the images they have shown you about Nigeria and Africa. If, like you, most Africans take everything your media publishes with a pinch of salt, they wouldn’t be trying to come and become American citizens. They will see and know better. They will understand that the freedom your nation offers is actually a ruse. For what freedom do you enjoy when you cannot walk freely on the streets, enjoy clubs, concerts, shopping malls and even schools without the fear of being massacred by the monsters created by your IRA? At the end of your visit, who knows, you may actually return to America thinking your country is actually the ‘shithole’.
• Muyiwa Kayode is CEO at USP Brand Management and author, The Seven Dimensions of Branding. Brand Nation is a platform for promoting national development based on the universal principles of branding.
Palestinian president calls Trump peace offer 'slap of the century'
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas (C) speaks during a meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah on January 14, 2018. Abbas said that Israel has "ended" the landmark Oslo peace accords of the 1990s with its actions.ABBAS MOMANI / AFP
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas denounced US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace efforts as the "slap of the century" on Sunday after the White House recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Abbas also said Israel had "ended" the landmark Oslo peace accords of the 1990s with its actions, while branding the US ambassadors to the UN and to Israel, Nikki Haley and David Friedman, a "disgrace".
"We said 'no' to Trump, 'we will not accept your project'," Abbas said at the start of a key meeting of Palestinian leaders on how to face Trump's declaration.
"The deal of the century is the slap of the century and we will not accept it," he added, referring to Trump's pledge to reach the "ultimate deal" -- Israeli-Palestinian peace.
Abbas made his comments at the opening ceremony of the meeting taking place on Sunday and Monday in a marathon speech that lasted some two hours.
The meeting was called in the wake of Trump's December 6 declaration on Jerusalem that deeply angered the Palestinians.
Abbas had previously said the United States could no longer play any role in the Middle East peace process after Trump's move.
On Sunday, he said the Palestinians were calling for an internationally led process in which the United States was not the mediator.
He said the Ramallah meeting must take decisions on how to move forward.
"I am saying that Oslo, there is no Oslo," Abbas said, referring to the agreements that led to the creation of the Palestinian Authority and envisioned a final resolution to the conflict.
"Israel ended Oslo."
Tillerson says he never doubted Trump's mental fitness
Tillerson says he never doubted Trump's mental fitness
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson takes part in a press conference after his meeting on Libya, at Lancaster House in London on September 14, 2017. HANNAH MCKAY / POOL / AFP
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson declared Friday he has never had any reason to question President Donald Trump's mental fitness and intends to continue in office.
Tillerson's comments came in an interview to CNN in the aftermath of a bombshell book that cited White House aides questioning the president's ability to serve.
"I've never questioned his mental fitness, I've had no reason to question his mental fitness," Tillerson said.
Anecdotes in the controversial book about Trump's alleged inability to follow briefings or read notes recalled reports last year that Tillerson once called the president a "moron."
The State Department denied that claim, but ever since Tillerson has been dogged by reports that White House officials close to Trump are scheming to oust him.
But Tillerson told CNN that Trump has never sought to push him out and that he himself plans to remain.
"I intend to be here for the whole year," he said. Asked whether the president had given him any indication that he wants him to step down, Tillerson said: "None whatsoever."
Yale psychiatrist briefed members of Congress on President Trump's mental fitness
Yale psychiatrist briefed members of Congress on President Trump's mental fitness.
By Sunlen Serfaty and Ryan Nobles, CNN
Updated 4 hours ago Jan 5, 2018
(CNN) - A dozen lawmakers from the House and Senate received a briefing from Yale psychiatrist Dr. Bandy X. Lee on Capitol Hill in early December about President Donald Trump's fitness to be president -- and Lee has been asked to speak with additional lawmakers, worried about the President's mental state, later this month.
"Lawmakers were saying they have been very concerned about this, the President's dangerousness, the dangers that his mental instability poses on the nation," Lee told CNN in a phone interview Thursday, "They know the concern is universal among Democrats, but it really depends on Republicans, they said. Some knew of Republicans that were concerned, maybe equally concerned, but whether they would act on those concerns was their worry."
The briefing was previously reported by Politico. Lee, confirming the December 5 and 6 meeting to CNN, said that the group was evenly mixed -- with House and Senate lawmakers. And included at least one Republican -- a senator, whom she would not name.
Lee's public comments are highly unusual given protocols from medical professional organizations -- including the 37,000-member American Psychiatric Association -- banning psychiatrists from diagnosing patients without a formal examination. Under recent guidance from the APA, it is "fine for a psychiatrist to share their expertise about psychiatric issues in general," but "member psychiatrists should not give professional opinions about the mental state of someone they have not personally evaluated," according to an APA blog post. When asked by CNN about Lee's comments, the APA referred them to this guidance.
Yale declined to weigh in on Lee's remarks when reached by CNN for comment.
"Yale University does not take positions or issue statements regarding the health or medical condition of public officials. However, the University will not interfere with the free expression or academic freedom of faculty members who wish to express their opinions in their areas of expertise or otherwise," Yale spokeswoman Karen Peart said in a statement.
Lee made it clear that she is not in a position to diagnose the President, or any public figure, from afar. But she said that it is incumbent on medical professionals to intervene in instances where there is a danger to an individual or the public. She argues that signs the President has exhibited have risen to that level of danger.
CNN has reached out to the White House for comment on Lee's remarks on Trump's mental health. During the White House briefing Thursday, press secretary Sarah Sanders called questions about the President's state of mind "disgraceful."
"If he was unfit, he probably wouldn't be sitting there, wouldn't have defeated the most qualified group of candidates the Republican Party has ever seen," Sanders said, before praising Trump as an "incredibly strong" leader.
The meeting between Lee and members of Congress was set up through a former US Attorney with ties to Capitol Hill who approached Lee at the request of a "number of lawmakers," she said. Lee provided them a briefing based on her book on the subject. Dr. James Gilligan -- another psychiatrist -- an expert on studying and predicting violence, also made a presentation.
"Mr. Trump is showing signs of impairment that the average person could not see," Lee said. "He is becoming very unstable very quickly. There is a need for neuropsychiatric evaluation that would demonstrate his capacity to serve."
Lee is scheduled to hold another briefing at the home of Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro later this month with lawmakers on the same topic and is also scheduled to speak at Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin's town hall in Maryland this month as well. Raskin has introduced a bill called the "Oversight Commission on Presidential Capacity Act," which would use the 25th Amendment of the Constitution to create a "body" to determine whether the President is unable to execute the powers and duties of his office.
Raskin, who attended Lee's presentation, told CNN's Jake Tapper on Thursday that Trump's behavior is "increasingly delusional" and there should be an independent body to evaluate his fitness.
"Of course we got big public policy crises going on right now," Raskin said on CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper." "We've got a gun violence crisis, we've got the tax bill -- which was bought and paid for by the Koch brothers and the Mercers -- so we got some serious stuff to deal with and instead we're caught up every day in what looks like the country debating the mental health of the president, so it's a very dangerous and unstable situation as a number of Republican senators have themselves observed."
No Republican has called publicly for an evaluation of the President's mental fitness.
Lee cited Trump's repeated referencing of conspiracy theories in his public statements as a troubling sign.
"As he is unraveling he seems to be losing his grip on reality and reverting to conspiracy theories," she said. "There are signs that he is going into attack mode when he is under stress. That means he has the potential to become impulsive and very volatile."
Specifically, Lee pointed to Trump's verbal aggressiveness and his boasting about sexual assault on the Access Hollywood tape that was revealed during the campaign. She accused the President of inciting violence at his rallies, and having an "attraction" to powerful weapons. Lee said his threats to ramp up military action and the taunting an unstable leader in North Korean Leader Kim Jung Un are all signs of the President being on the verge of a psychotic breakdown.
In Wednesday's White House press briefing, Sanders also dismissed a question about the President's mental health.
"I think the President and the people of this country should be concerned about the mental fitness of the leader of North Korea," she said.
Lee rejected claims that her research is any way politically motivated.
"I am uninterested in partisan politics, I have never registered for a political party," she said. "Ideology doesn't interest me."
By Sunlen Serfaty and Ryan Nobles, CNN
Updated 4 hours ago Jan 5, 2018
(CNN) - A dozen lawmakers from the House and Senate received a briefing from Yale psychiatrist Dr. Bandy X. Lee on Capitol Hill in early December about President Donald Trump's fitness to be president -- and Lee has been asked to speak with additional lawmakers, worried about the President's mental state, later this month.
"Lawmakers were saying they have been very concerned about this, the President's dangerousness, the dangers that his mental instability poses on the nation," Lee told CNN in a phone interview Thursday, "They know the concern is universal among Democrats, but it really depends on Republicans, they said. Some knew of Republicans that were concerned, maybe equally concerned, but whether they would act on those concerns was their worry."
The briefing was previously reported by Politico. Lee, confirming the December 5 and 6 meeting to CNN, said that the group was evenly mixed -- with House and Senate lawmakers. And included at least one Republican -- a senator, whom she would not name.
Lee's public comments are highly unusual given protocols from medical professional organizations -- including the 37,000-member American Psychiatric Association -- banning psychiatrists from diagnosing patients without a formal examination. Under recent guidance from the APA, it is "fine for a psychiatrist to share their expertise about psychiatric issues in general," but "member psychiatrists should not give professional opinions about the mental state of someone they have not personally evaluated," according to an APA blog post. When asked by CNN about Lee's comments, the APA referred them to this guidance.
Yale declined to weigh in on Lee's remarks when reached by CNN for comment.
"Yale University does not take positions or issue statements regarding the health or medical condition of public officials. However, the University will not interfere with the free expression or academic freedom of faculty members who wish to express their opinions in their areas of expertise or otherwise," Yale spokeswoman Karen Peart said in a statement.
Lee made it clear that she is not in a position to diagnose the President, or any public figure, from afar. But she said that it is incumbent on medical professionals to intervene in instances where there is a danger to an individual or the public. She argues that signs the President has exhibited have risen to that level of danger.
CNN has reached out to the White House for comment on Lee's remarks on Trump's mental health. During the White House briefing Thursday, press secretary Sarah Sanders called questions about the President's state of mind "disgraceful."
"If he was unfit, he probably wouldn't be sitting there, wouldn't have defeated the most qualified group of candidates the Republican Party has ever seen," Sanders said, before praising Trump as an "incredibly strong" leader.
The meeting between Lee and members of Congress was set up through a former US Attorney with ties to Capitol Hill who approached Lee at the request of a "number of lawmakers," she said. Lee provided them a briefing based on her book on the subject. Dr. James Gilligan -- another psychiatrist -- an expert on studying and predicting violence, also made a presentation.
"Mr. Trump is showing signs of impairment that the average person could not see," Lee said. "He is becoming very unstable very quickly. There is a need for neuropsychiatric evaluation that would demonstrate his capacity to serve."
Lee is scheduled to hold another briefing at the home of Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro later this month with lawmakers on the same topic and is also scheduled to speak at Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin's town hall in Maryland this month as well. Raskin has introduced a bill called the "Oversight Commission on Presidential Capacity Act," which would use the 25th Amendment of the Constitution to create a "body" to determine whether the President is unable to execute the powers and duties of his office.
Raskin, who attended Lee's presentation, told CNN's Jake Tapper on Thursday that Trump's behavior is "increasingly delusional" and there should be an independent body to evaluate his fitness.
"Of course we got big public policy crises going on right now," Raskin said on CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper." "We've got a gun violence crisis, we've got the tax bill -- which was bought and paid for by the Koch brothers and the Mercers -- so we got some serious stuff to deal with and instead we're caught up every day in what looks like the country debating the mental health of the president, so it's a very dangerous and unstable situation as a number of Republican senators have themselves observed."
No Republican has called publicly for an evaluation of the President's mental fitness.
Lee cited Trump's repeated referencing of conspiracy theories in his public statements as a troubling sign.
"As he is unraveling he seems to be losing his grip on reality and reverting to conspiracy theories," she said. "There are signs that he is going into attack mode when he is under stress. That means he has the potential to become impulsive and very volatile."
Specifically, Lee pointed to Trump's verbal aggressiveness and his boasting about sexual assault on the Access Hollywood tape that was revealed during the campaign. She accused the President of inciting violence at his rallies, and having an "attraction" to powerful weapons. Lee said his threats to ramp up military action and the taunting an unstable leader in North Korean Leader Kim Jung Un are all signs of the President being on the verge of a psychotic breakdown.
In Wednesday's White House press briefing, Sanders also dismissed a question about the President's mental health.
"I think the President and the people of this country should be concerned about the mental fitness of the leader of North Korea," she said.
Lee rejected claims that her research is any way politically motivated.
"I am uninterested in partisan politics, I have never registered for a political party," she said. "Ideology doesn't interest me."
Trump named after dog in China
Trump gets dog statue in China
The giant pooch towers above shoppers in Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi province, sporting a slick golden pompadour, angled brows and a red scarf with one index finger raised in a distinctly Trumpian manner.
As he was born in 1946, Trump, who has been accused of having more bark than bite, is a dog under the Chinese zodiac — a trait which he shares with his predecessors George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
Those born in the Year of the Dog, according to Chinese astrology, are forthright and extremely loyal, in addition to having a strong sense of justice. But they can also be stubborn, irritable and easily angered.
Last year the mall erected a large Trump-like rooster, which inspired numerous replicas, including a giant inflatable one placed not far from the White House this summer.
AFP
BREAKING: China rejects Trump accusation on oil transfer to North Korea
BREAKING: China rejects Trump accusation on oil transfer to North Korea
Thousands of Muslims in Asia protest against Trump’s Jerusalem plan
Thousands of protesters in Muslim-majority Indonesia and Malaysia joined rallies on Friday to condemn Washington’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, as authorities tightened security outside U.S. embassies.
Leaders in both Asian countries have joined a global chorus of voices condemning U.S. President Donald Trump’s move.
Several thousand protesters, some shouting anti-U.S. slogans and burning an effigy of Trump, gathered in front of the American embassy in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
In Indonesia, hundreds of protesters mostly clad in white were arriving outside the U.S. embassy in Jakarta, capital of the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country.
Some wore checkered scarves and waved Palestinian flags, while others shouted “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest).
“We have prepared personnel and patrols to secure the U.S. embassy. We are expecting between 500 and 1,000 demonstrators,” said Jakarta police spokesman Argo Yuwono.
The U.S. embassy in Jakarta advised its citizens to avoid areas where there were demonstrations and said its consulate in Indonesia’s second-biggest city Surabaya had suspended public services on Friday.
Indonesia has been a long-running supporter of the two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and there have been public demonstrations in support of Palestine in recent years.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Thursday urged the United States to reconsider its decision and instructed his foreign minister to summon the U.S. ambassador for an explanation.
In Malaysia, leaders from the ruling party United Malay National Organisation and the popular right wing Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, led the rally and representatives of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas are expected to join.
Protests are also expected in South Asia.
Pakistan’s major Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami has announced rallies in all major cities after Friday prayers.
President Trump said on Wednesday that the United States would move its embassy to Jerusalem in the coming years.
Protests have already broken out in the West Bank and the Gaza strip as the Islamist group Hamas urged Palestinians to launch a fresh uprising against Israel.
The status of Jerusalem is one of the thorniest barriers to a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace.
Its eastern sector was captured by Israel in a 1967 war and annexed in a move not recognised internationally. Palestinians claim East Jerusalem for the capital of an independent state they seek.
Trump violated international law on Jerusalem – Jordan
Trump violated international law on Jerusalem – Jordan
“The decision of the American president to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and the transfer of the US embassy to this city constitutes a violation of decisions of international law and the United Nations charter,” said government spokesman Mohammed Momani.
Trump's Jerusalem decision promises upheaval
Trump's Jerusalem decision promises upheaval
Analysis by Stephen Collinson, CNN
Updated 1 hour ago Dec 6, 2017
Washington (CNN) - President Donald Trump's fragile political standing among American voters may be about to cause dangerous reverberations in the Middle East.
His announcement Wednesday that he will recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and begin to relocate the US embassy there from Tel Aviv is sparking debate over what the President personally, and the United States, will gain given that the decision marks a sharp foreign policy turn and comes with such high risks.
Critics doubt that the President is acting on the basis of long-held principles or a coherent national security strategy and charge he is instead determined to further personal goals at a time when he needs to show his political base that he is rapidly ticking off his campaign promises.
The question is especially acute because there are so many potential downsides. There are fears Trump's action will trigger violence against Americans and US interests and a wider Middle East conflagration, especially in countries where leaders support the US government. The US Consulate in Jerusalem warned Americans to be wary of demonstrations after Palestinians called for "three days of rage" across the West Bank.
Trump's decision will defy explicit appeals from allied leaders in the Middle East and Europe and could therefore damage American foreign policy goals and relationships. The move is likely to squander any remaining idea that the United States can be an honest broker in the stalled final status talks between Israel and the Palestinians. It is also likely to squelch son-in-law Jared Kushner's attempt to revive the Israeli-Palestinian dialogue.
Given unequivocal criticism by Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, it could also slow another Kushner project -- rapidly warming US ties with the kingdom -- and make it harder for the Saudis to line up publicly alongside Israel in the nascent US policy effort to form a new anti-Iran coalition.
As Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East peace negotiator for Republican and Democratic presidents, warned on CNN: "Jerusalem is a tinderbox, waiting for a match."
Why do it?
So why would Trump risk providing that spark with a move that seems to come with such potentially unpredictable and dire consequences, especially as he will be blamed if he sends Middle Eastern tensions soaring?
Given Trump's approval rating -- which a poll put at 35% on Tuesday -- and intense focus on honoring campaign promises during a fraught year, many observers sense a political motivation.
CNN's Kevin Liptak reported on Tuesday that the President was concerned about losing his base and has taken steps to galvanize conservative support -- for instance, in his endorsement of Senate candidate Roy Moore of Alabama, who has been accused of initiating sexual contact with a 14-year-old, sexually assaulting a 16-year-old and pursuing relationships with teenage girls while he was in his 30s. He has denied those claims. The Jerusalem decision also comes with Trump under heavy political pressure as the Russia probe reaches directly into his inner circle.
The vow to move the US embassy to Jerusalem was a staple of Trump's campaign speeches, and it appealed to evangelical voters, rich Republican donors and GOP foreign policy hawks.
"When I become President, the days of treating Israel like a second class citizen will end, on Day 1," Trump told the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference last year.
"We will move the American embassy to the eternal capital of the Jewish people, Jerusalem."
While the risk of moving the embassy appalls his critics, it would not be out of character if the sense of uncertainty appeals to Trump. The President's self image and his appeal to many supporters rests on the idea that he has the courage to take steps other Presidents wouldn't and that he will be unpredictable, disdain political correctness and shatter taboos that defied his predecessors.
"The President has delivered on another major campaign promise," Norm Coleman, the national chairman of the Republican Jewish Coalition, said in a statement on Tuesday. "President Trump is doing what he does so well: recognizing the reality on the ground. No more false news -- Jerusalem is Israel's capital."
Siding with one of his closest friends among foreign leaders, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who backed him in the US election, may also appeal to Trump. His decision will also allow him to defy establishment foreign policy figures and project a tough guy image in the Middle East, one of the world's roughest regions.
US law recognizes Jerusalem
Of course, Trump might simply believe that he is doing the right thing. After all, US law recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital already and there is bipartisan support for the embassy move -- though mostly as part of a final settlement between Israel and the Palestinians, not as a unilateral act.
Senior administration officials said Tuesday that the President was simply making a "recognition of reality" with his action on Wednesday and rejected the idea that he was putting peace moves at risk.
"It seems clear now that the physical location of the American embassy is not material to a peace deal. It's not an impediment to peace and it's not a facilitator to peace," one senior administration official said.
American presidents have for more than two decades used a waiver every six months to forestall the embassy move, partly out of fears that it could set off widespread violence and instability throughout the region. Trump will also sign a waiver on Wednesday -- but on the rationale that it will take years to build and appoint a new US embassy.
Arguments that Trump's move does not have a political dimension, however, are undercut by the evidence of his personality and record so far in office.
Trump has rushed to implement campaign pledges -- for instance, with his Muslim travel ban and his moves against undocumented migrants, which electrified his base and powered his populist campaign crusade in 2016 -- often without much concern for the human consequences for those involved.
And several crucial foreign policy decisions seem as much motivated by personal animosity or preference as detailed foreign policy arguments.
For instance, his refusal to certify the Iran nuclear deal this year flew in the face of facts that said Tehran was complying, but followed multiple reports detailing his personal antipathy to the agreement.
Trump also defied a storm of appeals from foreign leaders not to isolate the United States from the Paris climate accord -- he did so anyway, after frequently blasting global warming as a hoax on the campaign trail.
"As in the case of the Iran nuclear agreement, ideology and political concerns are triumphing over the commonsense recommendations of US and Israeli security experts and the opinion of the majority of Jewish Americans," the liberal, pro-Israel advocacy group J Street said in a statement Tuesday.
FBI official removed from probe for anti-Trump remarks
FBI official removed from probe for anti-Trump remarks
Donald Trump
Peter Strzok, deputy head of counter-intelligence at the FBI, was a key player in special prosecutor Robert Mueller's probe into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives trying to tilt the election in Trump's favor, the Post said. It quoted people familiar with the issue.
Strzok also worked on the probe into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while serving as secretary of state.
During the Clinton investigation, Strzok was having an affair with a senior FBI lawyer named Lisa Page, the Post said.
Strzok and his lover traded text messages during the Clinton probe and the campaign in which they expressed anti-Trump feelings and other remarks apparently in support of Clinton, the Post said.
Trump's Jerusalem Embassy step expected soon
Trump's Jerusalem Embassy step expected soon
By Michelle Kosinski, Elise Labott and Jeremy Diamond, CNN
Dec 2, 2017
Washington (CNN) - President Donald Trump is expected to announce as early as Tuesday that the US recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital, US officials with direct knowledge and foreign diplomats have told CNN.
Trump is expected to make the announcement as he signs a waiver to keep the US embassy in Tel Aviv for another six months but says his administration will move the diplomatic mission to Jerusalem at some point -- a goal long sought by Israel.
Sources believe that Trump will attempt to soften the announcement for Palestinians, possibly, as CNN reported Thursday, by specifying only West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, as opposed to the eastern part of the city, which Palestinians want to claim as their own seat of government.
Sources caution nothing is certain until Trump makes the final decision.
"The President has always said it is a matter of when, not if. The President is still considering options and we have nothing to announce," said a White House spokesperson. Another White House source tells CNN no final decision has been made.
The announcement would put the US in singular company among its allies. While Israel claims Jerusalem as its seat of government, no foreign embassies are located there, as the international community sees it as an issue to be settled as part of a broader peace agreement.
Trump made a campaign pledge to move the embassy, a promise previous presidents have made and then backed away from when faced with the complexities of the situation and the strife it could cause.
The Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 requires the embassy to be moved to Jerusalem or face the financial penalty of losing half the State Department's appropriated funding for the acquisition and maintenance of buildings abroad.
Every six months, however, presidents can sign a waiver to avoid these penalties on national security grounds.
Delete your Twitter - UK MPs tell Donald Trump
UK MPs have attacked Donald Trump's sharing of far-right posts, accusing him of fuelling hate and calling for a planned state visit to be cancelled.
One Tory MP said the world would be "a better place" if Prime Minister Theresa May could persuade the US president to delete his Twitter account.
The US president retweeted three videos posted by a British far-right group.
When Mrs May said he had been "wrong" to do so he said she should focus on combating terrorism in the UK.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd said she hoped Mrs May's criticism "would have some impact on the president" - but she rejected calls for his state visit to be called off.
- Trump hits out at May over tweet criticism
- Read more about the videos
- Why is Britain First big online?
She said an invitation "has been extended and accepted" but the "dates and the precise timings have yet to be decided".
She urged critics of the president to remember the importance of the transatlantic alliance to Britain, saying intelligence sharing between the two countries had "undoubtedly saved British lives".
"That is the big picture here, and I would urge people to remember that," she added.
But she repeated Downing Street's condemnation of the US president, saying he had been "wrong" to share the posts by far-right group Britain First.
She said the UK government would "not tolerate any groups who spread hate by demonising those of other faiths or ethnicities".
UK MPs have attacked Donald Trump's sharing of far-right posts, accusing him of fuelling hate and calling for a planned state visit to be cancelled.
One Tory MP said the world would be "a better place" if Prime Minister Theresa May could persuade the US president to delete his Twitter account.
The US president retweeted three videos posted by a British far-right group.
When Mrs May said he had been "wrong" to do so he said she should focus on combating terrorism in the UK.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd said she hoped Mrs May's criticism "would have some impact on the president" - but she rejected calls for his state visit to be called off.
She said an invitation "has been extended and accepted" but the "dates and the precise timings have yet to be decided".
She urged critics of the president to remember the importance of the transatlantic alliance to Britain, saying intelligence sharing between the two countries had "undoubtedly saved British lives".
"That is the big picture here, and I would urge people to remember that," she added.
But she repeated Downing Street's condemnation of the US president, saying he had been "wrong" to share the posts by far-right group Britain First.
She said the UK government would "not tolerate any groups who spread hate by demonising those of other faiths or ethnicities".
REUTERS
Responding to a call by MP Peter Bone for the president to delete his account, she said: "It's interesting to note [Mr Bone's] advice regarding Twitter accounts - I'm sure many of us might share his view."
Former Conservative minister Tim Loughton said if Twitter was "genuine in its commitment to fight hate crime online" it would delete the US president's account.
Ms Rudd replied: "I am sure that the chief executive of Twitter will have heard the interesting suggestions from (Mr Loughton) and we will leave it to them to decide what action to take."
Several MPs called for the state visit to be cancelled, with former Labour cabinet minister Yvette Cooper saying Britain could not "simply roll out a red carpet and give a platform for the President of the United States" to "sow discord in our communities".
Veteran Labour MP Paul Flynn said if Mr Trump should be "charged with inciting racial hatred" if he comes to the UK, a view echoed by fellow Labour MP Naz Shah.
Mr Trump earlier hit back at Downing Street's criticism of his tweets, saying: "Don't focus on me, focus on the destructive radical Islamic terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom."
An unnecessary controversy
By Anthony Zurcher, North America reporter
It's clear at this point that Donald Trump won't let a perceived slight or criticism go unanswered - even if it's from a supposed friend. Even if it's from the leader of the president's closest international ally.
So shock isn't exactly the right word to describe the reaction to Mr Trump's initially botched attempt to tell Theresa May to, in effect, mind her own business. This is just another example of the US president's self-described "modern-day presidential" use of social media, where Twitter is a cudgel for score-settling no matter the diplomatic cost.
When Mr Trump assumed the presidency, one of the first foreign dignitaries he received was Mrs May, and it appeared they formed a quick bond - briefly holding hands as they walked past the White House Rose Garden. Those bonds will now be tested in a spat over a few morning retweets of inflammatory videos.
It's a wholly unnecessary controversy, but the international consequences could be all too real.
The US and the UK are close allies and often described as having a "special relationship". Theresa May was the first foreign leader to visit the Trump White House.
The videos shared by Mr Trump, who has more than 40 million followers, were initially posted by Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of Britain First, a group founded by former members of the far-right British National Party (BNP).
Ms Fransen, 31, has been charged in the UK with using "threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour" over speeches she made at a rally in Belfast.
Several leading UK politicians have criticised the president for retweeting her posts, as has the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who said it was "deeply disturbing" that Mr Trump had "chosen to amplify the voice of far-right extremists".
Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said Mr Trump had "endorsed the views of a vile, hate-filled racist organisation that hates me and people like me", adding: "He is wrong and I refuse to let it go and say nothing."
London Mayor Sadiq Khan repeated his call the state visit to be cancelled, saying: "It beggars belief that the president of our closest ally doesn't see that his support of this extremist group actively undermines the values of tolerance and diversity that makes Britain so great."
In hitting out at Mrs May, Mr Trump first tagged the wrong Twitter account, sending his statement to a different user with just six followers. He then deleted the tweet and posted it again, this time directing the message to the UK PM's official account.
After already condemning Mr Trump's actions on Wednesday, Brendan Cox - whose wife, MP Jo Cox, was murdered by a right-wing extremist who shouted "Britain first" before committing the act - told the US president to focus on problems in his own country.
What did Trump retweet?
The first video purportedly shows a "Muslim migrant" attacking a young Dutch man on crutches. However, the claim in this tweet appears to have little substance.
A spokesperson from the Dutch Public Prosecution Service told the BBC that the person arrested for the attack "was born and raised in the Netherlands" and was not a migrant.
The Dutch embassy in Washington DC confirmed this on Twitter.
The second video retweeted by Mr Trump shows a man smashing a statue of the Virgin Mary.
This video was uploaded to YouTube in 2013. The man in the clip says: "No-one but Allah will be worshipped in the land of the Levant," which could place him in Syria.
The third video originates from the riots that took place in Egypt in 2013, and shows a man being pushed from the top of a building in Alexandria. In 2015, those involved in the incident were prosecuted, and one man was executed.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said on Wednesday that Mrs May and other world leaders knew that "these are real threats that we have to talk about".
"Whether it's a real video, the threat is real," she said.
What other reaction has there been?
Mr Trump's actions on Wednesday were criticised by both Democrats and Republicans.
Republican Senator John McCain said he was "surprised" at the president's tweets.
Meanwhile, Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah said that Mrs May was "one of the great world leaders", adding that he had "incredible love and respect for her".
"We all need to unite ourselves, all decent people of the world, against the menace of terrorism."
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