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Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Trump wiretap claims: White House softens stance on unproven tweets

Unsubstantiated claims by US President Donald Trump that he was wiretapped by Barack Obama were not meant literally, the White House press secretary says.

Sean Spicer said Mr Trump had broadly meant "surveillance and other activities" when he made the allegation in a tweet earlier this month.

He also suggested the president was not accusing his predecessor specifically.

Meanwhile, the justice department has asked for more time to provide information about the allegations.

A congressional committee had set a Monday deadline for the department to provide any evidence of President Trump's claims but a spokeswoman said it needed "additional time... to determine what if any responsive documents may exist".

The House Intelligence Committee said it would give the department until 20 March to comply with its request.

In his tweet Mr Trump said: "Just found out that Obama had my 'wires tapped' in Trump Tower just before the victory."

He added: "Is it legal for a sitting President to be 'wire tapping' a race for president?"

Despite repeated requests, the White House has not given any evidence for the claim.

It has instead asked Congress to examine the allegation as part of an investigation into alleged Russian meddling in last year's election.

A spokesman for Mr Obama has said the accusation is "simply false".

White House spokesman Sean Spicer speaks during press briefing on March 13, 2017 — Image captionWhite House Press Secretary has faced tough questioning over the claims

"The president used the word wiretap in quotes to mean broadly surveillance and other activities," Mr Spicer told reporters.

"There's a whole host of tactics that can be used to monitor somebody either through wiretap or other ways," he added, without giving details.

Mr Spicer also suggested Mr Trump was referring to the actions of the Obama administration and not accusing the former president directly.

Earlier, Senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway said she did not have any evidence to back up the wiretapping claim but said there were "many ways to surveil each other now".

"You can surveil someone through their phones, certainly through their television sets - any number of ways... microwaves that turn into cameras. We know this is a fact of modern life," she told New Jersey's Bergen County Record.

Turkey-Netherlands row: Dutch ambassador barred

Turkey has announced a series of measures in retaliation for a Dutch decision to block its ministers from campaigning for a referendum.

Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said the Dutch ambassador would be barred from returning to Ankara, and high-level political talks suspended.

Turkish attempts to hold rallies in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands have been blocked.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the Dutch and Germans of Nazism.

The BBC's Mark Lowen in Istanbul says Turkey and the Netherlands, two Nato allies, are now locked in an unprecedented diplomatic crisis.

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel offered the Netherlands her "full support and solidarity".

On Monday, the Dutch foreign ministry issued a new travel warning, urging its citizens in Turkey to take care and noting the new "diplomatic tensions".

Voters in the Netherlands go to the polls on Wednesday for a general election dominated by concerns about immigration and Islamic radicalism.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte cited security concerns ahead of the vote as a reason for blocking the Turkish rallies.

How did the row come about?

Media captionA look at how tensions between Turkey and the Netherlands unfolded

The proposed rallies aimed to encourage a large number of Turks living in Europe to vote Yes in a referendum on 16 April on expanding the president's powers. The plans were criticised by senior EU officials on Monday.

In Germany, for example, there are more than three million people of Turkish origin, of whom an estimated 1.4 million are eligible to vote in Turkish elections. In effect, the diaspora is Turkey's fourth-largest electoral district.

Officials in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands said the rallies could stoke tensions.

A gathering in France went ahead, however, after officials said it did not pose a threat.

Two Turkish ministers were barred from addressing crowds in the Dutch city of Rotterdam, with one of them escorted to the German border after entering the Netherlands by land.

Police used dogs and water cannon against protesters waving Turkish flags in Rotterdam.

What measures is Turkey proposing?

Media captionPresident Erdogan makes Nazi Germany taunt

Mr Kurtulmus, who is also the Turkish government's chief spokesman, said: "We are not allowing planes carrying Dutch diplomats or envoys from landing in Turkey or using our airspace."

Ambassador Kees Cornelis van Rij is currently out of the country, with a charge d'affaires standing in for him.

Mr Kurtulmus added that all high-level political discussions would be halted, and parliament would be advised to withdraw from a bilateral friendship group.

The measures would remain in effect until the Netherlands took steps to "redress its actions", the deputy prime minister added.

Earlier Mr Erdogan likened the Netherlands to "a banana republic", demanded international organisations impose sanctions on the country and accused countries in the West of "Islamophobia".

"I have said that I had thought that Nazism was over, but I was wrong," he said.

Turkish officials have also suggested reconsidering part of a deal with the EU aimed at curbing an influx of migrants, namely Turkey's efforts to prevent them crossing by land to Greece and Bulgaria.

What did European countries say?

Mr Rutte said Mr Erdogan's comment that the Dutch were "Nazi remnants" was "unacceptable", and demanded an apology.

Responding to Turkish calls for sanctions, he said the Netherlands would "never negotiate under threat".

In a news conference on Monday, Mrs Merkel said she had condemned Nazi analogies made by Mr Erdogan about Germany the previous week.

"This rejection is also valid for our allies," she said. "These comparisons are completely misguided... particularly in the Netherlands that endured so much agony through the National Socialists [Nazis]. That's why the Netherlands can count on my complete support and solidarity in this."

The Netherlands was invaded by Nazi Germany in 1940 and occupied right up until the final days of World War Two in Europe, in May 1945. Rotterdam was devastated by German bombing during the invasion.

Brexit bill: Parliament clears way for talks with EU

Parliament has passed the Brexit bill, paving the way for the government to trigger Article 50 so the UK can leave the European Union.

Peers backed down over the issues of EU residency rights and a meaningful vote on the final Brexit deal after their objections were overturned by MPs.

The bill is expected to receive Royal Assent and become law on Tuesday.

This means Theresa May is free to push the button on withdrawal talks - now expected in the last week of March.

The result came as Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that she intended to hold a second referendum on Scottish independence at a time when Brexit negotiations are expected to be reaching a conclusion.

Ms Sturgeon said she wanted a vote to be held between the autumn of 2018 and the spring of the following year.

The prime minister could theoretically invoke Article 50, which formally starts the Brexit process, as early as Tuesday.

However, Downing Street sources have said this will not happen this week and the PM is expected to wait until the end of the month to officially notify the EU of the UK's intention to leave, thus beginning what is expected to be a two-year process.

"Parliament has today backed the government in its determination to get on with the job of leaving the EU," Brexit Secretary David Davis said. "We are now on the threshold of the most important negotiation for our country in a generation."

David Davis speaking in Parliament — Image captionBrexit Secretary David Davis said Parliament had backed the government

The EU Withdrawal Bill was passed unamended after peers voted by 274 votes to 118 not to challenge the Commons again over the issue of whether Parliament should have a veto on the terms of exit.

The House of Lords had already agreed not to reinsert guarantees over the status of EU residents in the UK back into the bill after they were rejected by MPs, with the government winning the vote by a margin of 274 votes to 135.

Later analysis of the division list for the first Lords vote on EU citizens' rights to remain in the UK showed that 25 Labour peers sided with the Lib Dems, including former cabinet minister Lord Mandelson.

Earlier, the government had comfortably won votes on the issues in the Commons, with only a handful of Tory MPs rebelling.

Corbyn to 'challenge plans'

The votes came after Brexit minister Lord Bridges of Headley warned that now was not the time to "return to the fray" by inserting "terms and conditions" in the legislation.

Labour's spokeswoman Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town attacked the Lib Dems for not being responsible and "falsely raising" people's hopes on the rights of EU citizens living in the UK.

Liberal Democrat Lord Oates said the government had failed to make concessions over the position of EU nationals living in the UK and called on peers to insist on changes.

Brexit campaigners welcomed the "clear mandate" given to the UK government ahead of the start of official negotiations.

"Now, it's time to go into these negotiations with some ambition and support the government, so it can secure the very best deal - one that is good for the whole UK, and good for the EU too," said Tory MP and former minister Dominic Raab.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the rejection of the Lords amendments was "deeply disappointing" but insisted the opposition would continue to press for the rights of EU nationals to be prioritised and for the maximum parliamentary oversight of the process.

He tweeted: "Labour at every stage will challenge govt plans for a bargain basement Brexit with our alternative that puts jobs & living standards first."

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Trump under fire in Nordstrom Ivanka row

Democrats have condemned President Donald Trump's tweet attacking a clothing retailer after it dropped a fashion line owned by his daughter.

Mr Trump tweeted that "Ivanka has been treated so unfairly" by clothing retailer Nordstrom.

A Democratic senator called the post "inappropriate" and an ex-White House ethics tsar dubbed it "outrageous".

Earlier this month Nordstrom became the fifth retailer to drop the Ivanka Trump clothing line, citing lack of sales.

The move comes amid a boycott of all Trump products, which activists have dubbed #GrabYourWallet, in reference to a 2005 comment Mr Trump made about women's bodies.

A spokesman for Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey said the senator "feels it is unethical and inappropriate for the president to lash out at a private company for refusing to enrich his family".

Norm Eisen, who served as ethics tsar under President Barack Obama, called the move "outrageous" and advised Nordstrom to sue Mr Trump under the California Unfair Competition Law.

This is different - Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington

In 1950 President Harry Truman penned an angry letter to Washington Post music critic Paul Hume, who had panned a singing performance by the president's daughter, Margaret. Sixty-six years later, another president has come to the defence of his offspring.

For Truman, the incident led to widespread ridicule. Donald Trump's Twitter attack on Nordstrom may have graver consequences, however, calling into question the appropriateness of a president using his public megaphone not just to protect a daughter's honour, but to advance the family's business interests as well.

Mr Trump has slammed companies before, but that at least has been in the name of advancing US economic interests. This is different. This is personal.

Ethics experts have warned that Mr Trump's assurances of a "firewall" between his presidency and his family's financial concerns was insufficient. Now the president has provided a new, key piece of supporting evidence that could very well be cited in lawsuits trying to force Mr Trump to fully divest from his business empire.

The irony is that Mr Trump's efforts may backfire. Would any retailer want a partnership with Ivanka Trump knowing they risk the ire of the president and his supporters if things go sour?

The White House has played down the row.

Press spokesman Sean Spicer said that Nordstrom's decision was political, and the president was simply reacting to "an attack" on his daughter.

"This is a direct attack on his policies and her name and so there's clearly an attempt for [the president] to stand up for her being maligned because they have a problem with his policies," Mr Spicer said during the daily press briefing.

In announcing their decision six days ago, Nordstrom said the decision was based on the brand's performance, which is what the firm repeated on Wednesday.

"Sales of the brand have steadily declined to the point where it didn't make good business sense for us to continue with the line for now," the company said in a statement, adding that Ivanka Trump was personally informed of the decision in early January.

The tweet, which was sent by Mr Trump's @realDonaldTrump account, was then retweeted by the official @POTUS account.

Shares in the retailer fell 0.7%, before rallying slightly by midday.

Earlier this week, First Lady Melania Trump came under fire after she re-filed a lawsuit against the Daily Mail over false allegations that she once worked as an escort.

Her lawyers accused the news website of trying to deny her a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to profit from her position as "one of the most photographed women in the world".

Critics accused the First Lady of improperly seeking to profit financially from her White House position.

Mrs Trump is seeking damages of $150m (£120m).

Trump cabinet: Senate confirms Jeff Sessions as attorney general

The US Senate has confirmed President Donald Trump's nomination for attorney general, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, by a vote of 52 to 47.

The confirmation follows a series of divisive hearings during which Democrats attacked Mr Sessions's record on civil rights.

Democrat Elizabeth Warren was silenced after recalling historic allegations of racism against Mr Sessions.

The Alabama senator's nomination was among Mr Trump's most controversial.

Voting largely followed party lines, with just one Democratic senator - Joe Manchin of West Virginia - voting for Mr Sessions.

Mr Sessions's Republican colleagues in the chamber applauded him as their majority carried him over the line. He will now take charge of the justice department and its 113,000 employees, including 93 US attorneys.

Addressing the chamber after the vote, Mr Sessions said: "There is no greater honour than to represent the people of Alabama in the greatest deliberative body in the world.

"I appreciate the full debate we've had and thank those afterwards who found sufficient confidence to cast their vote to confirm me as the next attorney general.

"I fully understand the august responsibility of this office."

But Mr Sessions added that "denigrating people who don't agree with us is not good for our politics".

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Media captionSenator shut down and forced to go to Facebook

During debates ahead of the vote, Ms Warren and other Democratic senators recalled criticism of Mr Sessions by Martin Luther King's widow, who opposed his nomination as a federal judge in 1986, alleging he had intimidated black voters.

That nomination was rejected by a US Senate panel amid concerns over allegedly racist comments made by Mr Sessions, and remarks which appeared to be sympathetic to white supremacist group the Ku Klux Klan.

David Duke, the former leader of the the KKK, welcomed the confirmation, writing on Twitter: "Mr Trump's appointment of Bannon, Flynn and Sessions are the first steps in the project of taking America back."

Ms Warren, who was temporarily banned from the chamber, wrote: "If Jeff Sessions makes even the tiniest attempt to bring his racism, sexism & bigotry into the Justice Department, he'll hear from all of us."

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Media captionJeff Sessions said caricature of him as a 'Southern racist was painful'

At 70, Mr Sessions is the same age as Mr Trump and was an early supporter of the president.

Mr Trump has lashed out on Twitter at Democrats stalling his cabinet picks, including Mr Sessions, who is only the sixth of Mr Trump's 15 nominees to be confirmed.

The Alabama senator is widely seen as an inspiration for Mr Trump's anti-immigration policies and his close ties to the president and special adviser Steve Bannon have raised concerns about his ability to be sufficiently independent from the White House.

The confirmation follows a turbulent first fortnight for Mr Trump, during which the president has faced heavy criticism over his controversial travel ban and a raid in Yemen which killed one US navy operative and a number of civilians, including children.