So What Has Trump Actually Done?

[Deleted User 8570]

Restricting government agencies from communicating via social media is the ultimate irony for a man who Tweeted his way to the White House.

I think I called him Conway Twitty once on this board


I don't think agencies should have a twitter accounts unless the they want to post links to the federal register when it is related.

Oh wait, they would never do that, because the public would what type of regulatory gobbly-gook they trying to foist.

I think the public would probably have their eyes glaze over... it's not exactly light reading...

[audiophile]

No, not even with glazed donuts...

[Deleted User 8570]

No, not even with glazed donuts...

Time to reexamine whether those secret CIA prisons abroad should be brought back... also a review of interrogation policies:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times local):

10:15 a.m.

A draft executive order shows President Donald Trump asking for a review of America's methods for interrogation terror suspects and whether the U.S. should reopen CIA-run "black site" prisons outside the United States.

The order also would also continue America's use of the detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The Associated Press obtained a copy of the draft from a U.S. official.

The document instructs senior national security officers to "recommend to the president whether to reinitiate a program of interrogation of high-value alien terrorists to be operated outside the United States and whether such program should include the use of detention facilities operated by the Central Intelligence Agency."

The document says U.S. laws should be obeyed at all times and explicitly rejects "torture."

[Deleted User 8570]

McCain is pissed about this torture review, Pelosi is praying for Trump since he's obsessed with being a sore winner and wants to investigate that and the Trump Organization named a couple of ethics overseers to make sure nothing... unethical... happens, Nikki Haley gets confirmed as UN Ambassodor 96-4 and 100 workers rights groups are joining together in opposition to Andrew Puzdur for Labor Secretary:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times local):

12:30 p.m.

More than 100 workers rights groups say President Donald Trump's choice for labor secretary raises enough questions to warrant a "rigorous" and extended confirmation hearing.

The groups wrote in a letter to the Senate committee conducting the Feb. 2 hearing that senators should be able to ask multiple rounds of questions of fast food executive Andrew Puzder about everything from his business record to his personal history. The groups say that's because Puzder has no record of public service and because he's publicly opposed employer mandates.

He should be subjected to "rigorous examination" that includes the testimony of former workers of Puzder's companies, Carl's Jr. and Hardee's.

Chairman Lamar Alexander allowed only one round of questions for Trump's controversial picks for education and health secretary last week.

___

12:10 p.m.

The Trump Organization is tapping a former George H.W. Bush campaign lawyer and a top executive at the company as ethics monitors for the business.

The company says that Bobby Burchfield of the law firm King & Spalding will become the independent ethics adviser to review transactions for conflicts-of-interest problems. Burchfield was general counsel to Bush's re-election campaign in 1992.

The company says executive vice president George Sorial will take on the role of chief compliance counsel.

A White House spokeswoman did not respond to a question about whether Trump has plans to hire a White House ethics counselor, as at least the previous two presidents have done. That attorney would be beholden to the American public, unlike the Trump Organization attorneys, who report only to the privately held company.

___

11:40 a.m.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi says she feels "very sad" and "sorry" for President Donald Trump for falsely claiming he'd have won the presidential popular vote but for votes cast against him by millions of people in the U.S. illegally.

The California Democrat told reporters Wednesday that the new president is "so insecure." She said suggesting massive voting irregularities undermines the election system's integrity and is "really strange," and she says she'd prayed for him.

She contrasted Trump's assertion with the intelligence community's conclusion that the Russians intervened in the election to help Trump win. She said Trump "resists" investigating that.

Trump tweeted Wednesday that he's ordering an investigation into voter fraud.

Trump lost the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton by almost 3 million votes.

___

10:20 a.m.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has been sworn in to be President Donald Trump's ambassador to the United Nations.

Vice President Mike Pence swore in Haley on Wednesday. The Senate voted 96-4 Tuesday night in favor of her nomination despite her lack of significant foreign policy experience.

During her confirmation hearing, the South Carolina-born daughter of Indian immigrants said she supports Trump's call to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

She also took a harder line against Russia than Trump, saying she doesn't think Moscow can be trusted right now.

Haley resigned as South Carolina's governor moments after the Senate vote. She was succeeded by Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster.

___

10:16 a.m.

Republican Sen. John McCain is pushing back on any efforts by President Donald Trump to use an executive order to allow enhanced interrogation.

In a statement on Wednesday, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee said the president can sign whatever executive orders he likes, "but the law is the law. We are not bringing back torture in the United States of America."

McCain pointed out that the Senate voted overwhelmingly in June 2015 for prohibiting torture and endorsing only those techniques spelled out in the Army Field Manual. Waterboarding and other forms of enhanced interrogation are not included in the field manual.

The Arizona senator also said that Defense Secretary James Mattis and CIA Director Mike Pompeo assured him that they would support the Army Field Manual.

McCain said he was "confident these leaders will be true to their word."

[Deleted User 8570]

Senator Mark Warner pushes back at Trump on interrogations, an electrical contractor sues one of Trumps companies for failure to pay up on work on his new D.C. Hotel, the White House distances itself from a draft executive order on secret CIA prisons abroad, a House panel will focus on Russian leaks to the media as part of its ongoing investigation, a voter fraud investigation is opened, Trump signs a pair of executive orders jump starting a wall on the Mexican border and causing federal funding for sanctuary cities to be cut off, Trump picks Washington lawyer Stefan Passantino to be White House Ethics Council... he was Newt Gingrich's 2012 campaign chief council, Certain departments are taking actions to address "inappropriate" social media use, President Trump endorses torture as an information gathering tool, President Trump says the US is taking control of its borders again, a draft Executive Order will suspend the US Refugee Program for 120 days and Visas from 7 Muslim countries for 30 days, The EPA is being ordered to send any research or data to political appointees for review before publication by the EPA additionally the EPA website is being evaluated as well, President Trump chooses Phillip Bilden as Navy Secretary. Bilden is a former Naval Intelligence Officer and later was a business man with an international investment firm.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times local):

5:25 p.m.

President Donald Trump says he's chosen Philip Bilden, a businessman and former military intelligence officer, to be the next Navy secretary.

Trump calls Bilden the "right choice" to help the Navy expand and modernize its ships, submarines and aircraft, and "ensure America's naval supremacy for decades to come."

Bilden was a military intelligence officer in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1986-1996. He relocated to Hong Kong to set up an Asian presence for HarbourVest Partners LLC, a global private equity management firm. Bilden recently retired from HarbourVest Partners after 25 years.

His family has a history of military service, with seven Army and Navy officers across four consecutive generations. That includes his two sons, who are in the Navy.

Bilden's upcoming nomination requires Senate confirmation.

___

5 p.m.

The Trump administration is mandating that any studies or data from scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency undergo review by political appointees before they can be released to the public.

The communications director for President Donald Trump's transition team at EPA, Doug Ericksen, says the review also extends to content on the federal agency's website, including details of scientific evidence showing that the Earth's climate is warming and man-made carbon emissions are to blame.

Former EPA staffers say the restrictions imposed under Trump far exceed the practices of past administrations.

Ericksen says no decision has yet been made about whether to strip mention of climate change from the site.

The AP earlier reported that emails sent internally to EPA staff mandated a temporary blackout on media releases and social media.

___

4:10 p.m.

A draft executive order obtained by The Associated Press shows that President Donald Trump intends to stop accepting Syrian refugees and will suspend the United States' broader refugee program for 120 days.

The president also plans to suspend issuing visas for people from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen for at least 30 days, according to the draft. All are predominantly Muslim countries.

Trump is expected to sign the order this week. It is not clear whether the draft will be revised before then.

The actions follow Trump's orders Wednesday tightening immigration policies, including taking steps toward building a wall on the Mexican border.

___

3:10 p.m.

President Donald Trump says in a speech at the Department of Homeland Security that his executive actions on immigration show that "beginning today," the U.S. will get back "control of its border."

Trump says his administration will be working in partnership in Mexico to improve safety and economic opportunity for both countries and will have "close coordination" with Mexico to address drug smuggling.

Trump says, "We're going to save lives on both sides of the border."

The new president spoke shortly after signing executive orders to strengthen border security and crack down on immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.

It will set in motion the construction of his proposed border wall, a key promise from his 2016 campaign.

___

3:00 p.m.

President Donald Trump says that he believes torture works, saying that "we have to fight fire with fire."

In an interview with ABC News, the president says he will confer with Defense Secretary James Mattis and CIA director Mike Pompeo to determine what can and cannot be done legally to combat the spread of radicalism.

He says that radical groups "chop off the citizens' or anybody's heads in the Middle East, because they're Christian or Muslim or anything else."

Adding, "we have that and we're not allowed to do anything. We're not playing on an even field."

But Trump says, of using torture tactics, "absolutely I feel it works."

___

1:55 p.m.

The White House says certain government agencies are taking action to address the "inappropriate" use of social media.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer addressed an incident at the National Park Service in which tweets about climate change disappeared shortly after they were sent.

Spicer said an "unauthorized user" had an old password and logged into the Twitter account from the Park Service's San Francisco office, then tweeted "inappropriate things that were in violation of their policy."

He also cited an incident last year at the Environmental Protection Agency, saying both agencies are going to take action.

E-mails sent to EPA staff and reviewed by The Associated Press detailed specific prohibitions banning press releases, blog updates or posts to the agency's social media accounts as part of a push by the Trump administration to institute a media blackout.

Tweets were also sent Tuesday from the Defense Department's official account that suggested underhanded criticism of President Donald Trump's policies.

___

1:50 p.m.

President Donald Trump has selected Washington attorney Stefan Passantino as his White House ethics counselor.

In announcing the appointment on Wednesday, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said: "No one understands the ethics office better than Stefan."

Passantino's LinkedIn profile now lists him as deputy White House counsel for compliance. He formerly served as political law chairman of the firm Dentons.

He also worked as general counsel for former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's 2012 Republican presidential bid. Gingrich has become a close adviser to Trump.

Spicer said that Gingrich praised Trump's selection of Passantino.

The White House announcement came on the same day that the Trump Organization said it had hired a compliance officer and ethics adviser of its own.

___

1:45 p.m.

President Donald Trump is signing two executive orders in keeping with campaign promises to boost border security and crack down on immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.

The president signed the two orders Wednesday during a ceremony at the Department of Homeland Security after honoring the department's newly confirmed secretary, retired Gen. John Kelly.

The executive orders jumpstart construction of a U.S.-Mexico border wall, one of his signature campaign promises, and strip funding for so-called sanctuary cities, which don't arrest or detain immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.

___

1:40 p.m.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer is saying that President Donald Trump plans to open an investigation into voter fraud "to understand where the problem exists, how deep it goes."

Trump tweets on Wednesday calling for the investigation revisited unsubstantiated claims he's made repeatedly about a rigged voting system.

Spicer did not provide many details as to what the probe would look like, calling it at one point "a task force."

He suggested that the probe would focus on dead people who remained on the voter rolls and people registered in two or more states. In particular, he singled out "bigger states" where the Trump campaign "didn't compete" in the election.

There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud occurring in November's election.

___

1:30 p.m.

The House intelligence committee says it will focus on leaks of classified information to the media as part of its investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election.

In a tweet earlier this month, then President-elect Trump asked the intelligence committees to investigate "top secret intelligence" shared with a news organization.

The House panel is already investigating the intelligence agencies' finding that Russia interfered in the election to benefit President Donald Trump. The Senate intelligence committee is also conducting an investigation.

__

1:25 p.m.

The White House is distancing itself from a draft executive order that would lead to a major review of America's methods for interrogating terror suspects and the possible reopening of CIA-run "black site" prisons outside the United States.

Spokesman Sean Spicer said the draft "is not a White House document." He says he has "no idea where it came from."

The AP obtained the draft order from a U.S. official, who said it had been distributed by the White House for consultations before Trump signs it. The official wasn't authorized to speak publicly on the matter and demanded anonymity.

The order would also reverse America's commitment to closing the U.S. detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and instruct the Pentagon to send newly captured "enemy combatants" to the site.

__

1:15 p.m.

An electrical contractor who worked on the Trump International Hotel in Washington has sued a company owned by President Donald Trump for more than $2 million, alleging it was not fully paid.

AES Electrical of Laurel, Maryland, filed suit in District of Columbia Superior Court, the latest in a string of lawsuits involving Trump's renovation of the historic Old Post Office building a few blocks from the White House.

AES alleges it bore increased expenses because of change orders and other demands from Trump's staff. AES claims it was told to accelerate the pace of work so that the then-Republican presidential candidate could hold a televised media event to celebrate the "soft opening" of the $200 million project prior to the November election.

The complaint was first reported by Politico.

___

1:10 p.m.

The Senate Intelligence Committee's top Democrat has informed two key members of President Donald Trump's national security team that he will not stand for any attempt to get around the U.S. law banning torture.

Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia says in a statement that he spoke Wednesday morning to Defense Secretary James Mattis and CIA Director Mike Pompeo. Warner says he told them "any attempt by this administration to restart torture is absolutely unacceptable, and I will strongly oppose it."

Warner is responding to reports that Trump is considering a major review of America's methods for interrogating terror suspects and the possible reopening of "black site" prisons outside the United States.

Warner says he'll hold Mattis and Pompeo "to their sworn testimony to follow the law banning the use of enhanced interrogation techniques."

[Deleted User 8570]

Trump to sign executive order beginning fraud investigation, Trump to announce negotiations with most of the 12 countries that were in the TPP:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times local):

11:50 p.m.

President Donald Trump is expected to turn back to the economy Thursday, signing a notice to Congress that he plans to start bilateral trade negotiations with most of the countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership pact. That's according to a White House official. On Monday, Trump moved to pull the U.S. out of the 12-nation Pacific Rim agreement, which he said would be damaging for American workers. Instead, he said he wanted to negotiate with countries individually.

The official insisted on anonymity in order to confirm the executive action ahead of Trump's announcement.

___

9:10 p.m.

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive action as soon as this week to order an investigation into claims of voter fraud.

That is according to a person briefed on the decision but not authorized to speak publicly.

Trump on Wednesday voiced his belief that there was widespread voter fraud in November's election and that scores of people were on the voter rolls in multiple states or after they died.

There is no evidence to support Trump's claims. The details of the action were not immediately released.

[audiophile]

You're fired!

Fired two corrupt VA mangers/employees..

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/trump- ... id/770365/

[Calvert DeForest]

9:10 p.m.

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive action as soon as this week to order an investigation into claims of voter fraud.

That is according to a person briefed on the decision but not authorized to speak publicly.

Trump on Wednesday voiced his belief that there was widespread voter fraud in November's election and that scores of people were on the voter rolls in multiple states or after they died.

There is no evidence to support Trump's claims. The details of the action were not immediately released.

Can you say sore winner?

This would be hilarious if I wasn't paying for it.

[Deleted User 8570]

Trump takes his first ride on Air Force One, Madeline Albright is going to register as a Muslim in solidarity if such a registry is created, Kellyanne Conway says Trump is looking forward to meeting with the Mexican President (if their President still comes in light of the wall announcement he had second thoughts) and Conway wonders "what is everybody so afraid of?" In regards to the voter fraud investigation:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times local):

7:14 a.m.

A top aide to President Donald Trump is asserting that his critics are "cherry-picking" in questioning his claims of election fraud last November.

"I hardly think it's an ego issue," senior adviser Kellyanne Conway told NBC's "Today" show Thursday.

Trump has repeatedly argued that as many as 3 million to 5 million votes in the presidential contest were cast fraudulently. Earlier this week, he said he's seeking an investigation into possible fraud.

Trump won the election by collecting 306 Electoral College votes, well above the 270 needed, but he lost the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes to Hillary Clinton.

"I think everybody's cherry-picking to call this an ego trip," she said. "Why not have an investigation. What's everybody afraid of?"

7:10 a.m.

A senior adviser to President Donald Trump says White House officials are looking forward to meeting with Mexican leaders next week to discuss U.S. plans to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Kellyanne Conway concedes in an interview on NBC's "Today" show that details on financing the project remain unclear. But she said that Trump won't likely provide that in advance of the get-together.

A senior administration official said that Trump's announcement Thursday has led his Mexican counterpart to reconsider the visit.

Conway said Trump is holding back on some specifics of his plan until the U.S.-Mexican meeting.

"He wants to give deference to his meeting with the Mexican president and other Mexican officials before she announces that," she said.

Conway said that in pressing forward with immigration changes, the president "made good on a centerpiece of his campaign for the White House." —Julie Pace

7:00 a.m.

Former Secretary of State Madeline Albright says she is ready to register as Muslim in a show of solidarity.

Albright tweeted Wednesday: "I was raised Catholic, became Episcopalian & found out later my family was Jewish. I stand ready to register as Muslim in #solidarity." Albright also tweeted Wednesday that "America must remain open to people of all faiths & backgrounds."

President Donald Trump during his campaign proposed a temporary ban on foreign Muslims entering the U.S. and at one point suggested requiring Muslims already in the country to register. While those proposals evolved, Trump never explicitly took a Muslim ban off the table.

Albright served under President Bill Clinton. She didn't say where or how she would register as a Muslim.

___

6:30 a.m.

President Donald Trump is expected to turn back to the economy Thursday, signing a notice to Congress that he plans to start bilateral trade negotiations with most of the countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership pact. That's according to a White House official. On Monday, Trump moved to pull the U.S. out of the 12-nation Pacific Rim agreement, which he said would be damaging for American workers. Instead, he said he wanted to negotiate with countries individually.

The official insisted on anonymity in order to confirm the executive action ahead of Trump's announcement.

—Julie Pace

___

6:00 a.m.

President Donald Trump is making his first flight on Air Force One Thursday.

Trump is traveling to Philadelphia to address Republican lawmakers gathered for a party retreat. Vice President Mike Pence will also attend the GOP event.

Trump flew to Washington for the inauguration on one of the government's blue and white planes. But the planes are only considered to be Air Force One when the president is on board.

[Calvert DeForest]

....and Conway wonders "what is everybody so afraid of?" In regards to the voter fraud investigation

I'm afraid I won't be able to afford my weekly Big Mac if I have to fund useless investigations to satisfy his ego.

[Deleted User 8570]

....and Conway wonders "what is everybody so afraid of?" In regards to the voter fraud investigation

I'm afraid I won't be able to afford my weekly Big Mac if I have to fund useless investigations to satisfy his ego.

The money has to come from somewhere...

Trump criticizes Chelsea Manning for a wrongly perceived criticism by Manning of Obama in The Guardian this morning, Trump tells Mexico that they should cancel their meeting with him next week if they refuse to pay for the wall, NASA says everything with its social media is normal even though an account called "rogue NASA" has been tweeting and gaining followers, the voter fraud investigation executive order will be signed later today, Mexicos president says "Forget about my visit, I'm not coming" after Trumps tweet this morning (basically Mexico doesn't care about Trumps bombast so long as he uses twitter):

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times local):

12 p.m.

Mexico's president says he's informed the White House he has canceled a trip to Washington to meet with President Donald Trump amid tension over a border wall.

Trump had tweeted Thursday morning that if Mexico is unwilling to pay for a wall along the U.S. border, "then it would be better to cancel the upcoming meeting."

The developments come the day after Trump said he will jump-start construction of a U.S.-Mexico border wall and cut federal grants for immigrant-protecting "sanctuary cities."

___

11:47 a.m.

President Donald Trump will sign an executive action Thursday to launch an investigation into claims of voter fraud.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said onboard Air Force One the president will sign the order in the Oval Office. He didn't give more details.

Trump has repeatedly said he believes there was widespread voter fraud in the November election and that scores of people were on voter rolls in multiple states or after they died.

The president also says he believes many voted more than once and that "none" of those ballots were cast for him.

There is no evidence to support Trump's claims.

___

11 a.m.

NASA says it's "business as usual" on social media despite the emergence of a "rogue" Twitter account claiming to have been set up by government workers to speak out about climate change.

The "Rogue NASA" account on Twitter has gained more than 300,000 followers since it began Wednesday. It describes itself as the unofficial 'resistance' team at NASA. Its tweets have focused on climate change and criticism of President Donald Trump.

The account was launched days after tweets related to climate change from Badlands National Park were deleted. The National Park Service says they were posted by a former employee who still had access to the park's Twitter account.

NASA spokeswoman Karen Northon says the agency has "heard nothing" from the Trump administration regarding social media use.

___

9:28 a.m.

President Donald Trump says NAFTA "has been a one-sided deal" with jobs and companies suffering as a result.

The president's tweet early Thursday is directed at Mexico and comes one day after he said he would jump-start construction of a U.S.-Mexico border wall and cut federal grants for immigrant-protecting "sanctuary cities."

Trump referred to a meeting he has planned next week with Mexico's president, saying, "If Mexico is unwilling to pay for the badly needed wall, then it would be better to cancel the upcoming meeting."

Trump also says he wants to renegotiate the NAFTA trade deal with Mexico and Canada. He said Thursday the deal has resulted in "massive numbers of jobs and companies lost."

___

8:19 a.m.

President Donald Trump says it's "terrible" that convicted Army leaker Chelsea Manning "is now calling President (Barack) Obama a weak leader." But that is not what Manning said.

In an opinion piece published Thursday in The Guardian, Manning says Obama's biggest shortcoming was a tendency to compromise, because opponents would call him weak.

Manning writes, "what we need is an unapologetic progressive leader."

She says, "We need someone who is unafraid to be criticized, since you will inevitably be criticized. We need someone willing to face all of the vitriol, hatred and dogged determination of those opposed to us."

Trump reiterated his belief Thursday that Manning "should never have been released from prison," calling her an "ungrateful traitor."

Obama commuted Manning's prison sentence in his final days in office.

[Calvert DeForest]

You know, despite everything that transpired during the campaign, I've been willing to give President Trump a fair shot before reaching a comprehensive analysis. 100 days I figured. It's gonna be tough to make it another 94.

Forget state dinners. Welcome to foreign policy by Twitter.

[Deleted User 8570]

Trump's Labor Pick is delayed in the senate, Trump toots his own horn in front of Republicans in Philly, Trump announces what he claims was a mutual cancellation of a meeting with the Mexican President, The UN hopes any refugee actions by Trump will be temporary, Pence previews the Supreme Court pick for next week, Steve Bannon throws a temper tantrum in an interview with the New York Times, Trump intends to pay for his wall using a 20% tax on goods imported from Mexico, Trump proclaims this week "National School Choice Week", Trump asks for a meeting with Maryland Democratic Representative Elijah Cummings to discuss prescription drug prices, 7.5 million viewers watched ABC's interview with President Trump last night making it #1 in its 10pm time slot, With prodding from White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus... Press Secretary Sean Spicer walked back the 20% tax idea from a desired tax provision to being only one of many options, Trump admires Air Force One, Trump names Cheryl LaFleur as Chairwoman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Trump names Kristine Svinicki as Chairwoman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Trumps limo still carries DC's "Taxation without representation" plates that Obama had installed before his second inaugural, The White House institutes a travel ban for officials working on refugee programs thru at least February 15th, Trump insists water boarding works and opposition to its use "seems so foolish and so naive", Trump criticizes an SNL writer who wrote on twitter about his 10 year old son Barron and also criticizes Madonna's role in the women's marches, Trump called the head of The National Park Service on Saturday and ordered him to produce photos showing that his inauguration was bigger than the media had been reporting, HHS pulls back on ads for the ACA's open enrollment period which ends soon. The cost savings will save about $6 Million:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times EST):

9:45 p.m.

The Trump administration says it is pulling back advertising to promote insurance sign-ups in the closing days of HealthCare.gov's 2017 open enrollment season.

A statement from the Health and Human Services department Thursday night says the government has pulled back about $5 million in ads as part of an effort to cut costs. The statement says HHS has already spent more than $60 million to promote sign-ups this year under former President Barack Obama's health care law.

Former Obama officials have accused the new administration of "sabotage."

Some 11.5 million people had signed up nationwide through Dec. 24, or about 290,000 more than at the same time during the 2016 enrollment season.

Open enrollment ends Jan. 31.

The advertising cutback was first reported by Politico.

___

9:40 p.m.

The Washington Post reports that President Donald Trump called the acting director of the National Park Service on Saturday to dispute widely circulated photos of Trump's inauguration.

The newspaper says Trump personally ordered Park Service head Michael Reynolds to produce additional photographs of the previous day's crowds on the National Mall, believing the photos might prove that the news media had lied in reporting that attendance had been no better than average.

A spokesman for the Park Service confirmed the call Thursday but declined to reveal details of the conversation.

Trump also expressed anger over a retweet sent from the Park Service's account, in which side-by-side photographs showed far fewer people at his swearing-in than had shown up to see Barack Obama's inauguration in 2009, The Post reports.

___

8:15 p.m.

President Donald Trump says it was a "disgrace" for a "Saturday Night Live" writer to criticize his young son Barron on Twitter.

Trump says in an interview with Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity that, "for NBC to attack my 10-year-old son ... it's a disgrace."

"SNL" writer Katie Rich was suspended indefinitely for the tweet and has since apologized.

Trump is also railing against pop legend Madonna's controversial comments at last weekend's Women's March.

Trump says: "Honestly, she's disgusting. I think she hurt herself very badly. I think she hurt that whole cause."

___

7:30 p.m.

Donald Trump is repeating his argument that waterboarding "absolutely" works and says opposition to it "seems so foolish and so naive."

Trump was pressed on his assessment of the so-called enhanced interrogation technique, which stimulates drowning, in an interview airing on Fox News Channel's "Hannity" Thursday night.

Trump points to radical extremists who "go into a club and they machine gun everybody down. And then, they were not allowed to waterboard?"

He says, "it seems so foolish and so naive. "

Many intelligence and military officials dispute Trump's claim that harsh interrogation methods are effective in getting critical intelligence from detainees.

But Trump says he has no doubt waterboarding works and questions whether it is "torture."

Trump has said he will follow the advice of Defense Secretary James Mattis.

___

7 p.m.

A Homeland Security spokeswoman says that while the department has delayed some upcoming travel for officials who conduct refugee interviews around the world, "trips have not been officially canceled."

Gillian Christensen commented after The Associated Press reported on the temporary halt Thursday.

A State Department official briefed on the decision said the travel suspension is in place until at least Feb. 15. That official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to publicly discuss the travel suspension before it is formally announced.

It was unclear why the temporary travel ban was instituted, but President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order suspending the U.S. refugee program for 120 days.

The anticipated executive order, obtained by the AP, includes an indefinite suspension of refugee processing for Syrians.

— Alicia A. Caldwell

___

6:35 p.m.

The fortified limousine now transporting President Donald Trump still bears license plates that call attention to the District of Columbia's lack of voting representation in Congress.

The "Taxation Without Representation" tags were put on the vehicle in January 2013 in the run-up to Barack Obama's second inauguration.

The White House said then that Obama had lived in D.C. for four years and had seen firsthand "how patently unfair" it was for D.C. families to pay taxes without having a vote in Congress. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton is the district's nonvoting member of Congress.

The city created the license plate in 2000 and President Bill Clinton put the tags on his limousine before he left office. They were taken off when George W. Bush was inaugurated.

___

6:30 p.m.

President Donald Trump has named Kristine Svinicki chairwoman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Svinicki, a Republican, has served on the panel since 2008. She replaces Democrat Stephen Burns, who led the panel the past two years.

Burns is expected to stay on as a commissioner, along with Democrat Jeff Baran. Two seats on the five-member panel are vacant.

The NRC oversees the nation's fleet of commercial nuclear power plants, as well as storage and disposal of nuclear waste and other issues related to nuclear power.

In 2011, Svinicki and three other NRC commissioners accused the panel's then-chairman, Gregory Jaczko, of intimidating employees, withholding information and creating a hostile work environment, especially for women. Svinicki and other commissioners say work conditions at the agency have improved under Jaczko's two successors.

___

5:55 p.m.

President Donald Trump has named veteran energy regulator Cheryl LaFleur as acting chairwoman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

LaFleur, a Democrat, has served on the commission since 2010 and served as acting chair and chairwoman from 2013 to 2015. She replaces Democrat Norman Bay, who said Thursday he is resigning from the regulatory panel as of Feb. 3.

Bay's departure will leave the five-member panel with just two members, LaFleur and Democrat Colette Honorable. Three members are required for a quorum that allows the commission to meet.

LaFleur led FERC from late 2013 until April 2015, when Bay took over as chairman.

FERC is an independent agency that regulates interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas and oil.

___

5:30 p.m.

President Donald Trump says Air Force One is beautiful and is a "great plane."

Trump's first flight on the modified Boeing 747 was a roundtrip to Philadelphia to address GOP House and Senate members at their annual retreat.

Journalists traveling with Trump were brought to the front of the plane after it landed at Maryland's Joint Base Andrews and found a smiling Trump in shirt sleeves, seated behind his desk. A navy blue Air Force One jacket was draped over the back of his chair.

Asked for his impressions, Trump said Air Force One was special for a lot of reasons.

Trump later walked across the tarmac to shake hands with people in a viewing pen before he boarded the presidential helicopter for the trip to the White House.

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4:50 p.m.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer now says slapping a 20 percent tax on imports from Mexico is just one of several options on the table for paying for a wall along the southern border.

Spicer says President Donald Trump has yet to make a final decision about how the U.S. will recoup the costs of his proposed border wall.

Spicer had said earlier Thursday that Trump wanted to slap a 20 percent tax on all imports from Mexico and predicted the tax would generate $10 billion a year.

He had told reporters on Air Force One that Trump has discussed the idea with congressional leaders and wanted to include the measure in a comprehensive tax reform package.

But Trump's chief of staff Reince Priebus said later that the administration has "a buffet of options" to pay for the wall.

___

4:45 p.m.

President Donald Trump still knows how to win a television time slot.

ABC reached 7.5 million viewers for its Wednesday night interview special of the president speaking to anchor David Muir. It was billed as Trump's first network television interview since his inauguration last week.

The special beat every other program competing at 10 p.m., according to the Nielsen company. CBS' "Code Black" drama came in second with 5.6 million viewers.

___

4:45 p.m.

A Democratic congressman says he got a call from President Donald Trump, who wants to meet with him to discuss the price of prescription drugs.

Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings said Thursday he received the short but cordial call a day earlier "to my surprise."

Cummings says Trump told him they would not agree on everything, but they could find some common ground on trying to address the rising costs of prescription drugs.

Cummings says he's looking forward to the meeting, which hasn't been scheduled yet.

Cummings also says Trump asked about the congressman's special assistant, Katie Malone, who was injured in a fire at her home this month that killed six of her nine children. Cummings says the president said he wanted to make a contribution to help the family and expressed sincere sympathy.

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4:40 p.m.

President Donald Trump has signed his first presidential proclamation, declaring this week "National School Choice Week."

The proclamation states that because education is important, parents should have the right to a "meaningful choice" about where their children goes to school.

Charter schools and school choice are expected to be major elements of federal education policy in Trump's administration.

Betsy DeVos, Trump's nominee for education secretary, has spent more than two decades advocating for school choice programs. Such programs provide students and parents with an alternative to a traditional public school education. DeVos is awaiting a Senate vote on her nomination.

The proclamation adds that a renewed commitment to expanding school choice can make a great education possible for every child in America.

___

3:35 p.m.

President Donald Trump wants to pay for his proposed southern border wall by slapping a 20 percent tax on imports from Mexico.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer says Trump has discussed the idea with congressional leaders and wants to include the measure in a comprehensive tax reform package.

Spicer spoke to reporters on Air Force One as Trump flew back from a Republican retreat in Philadelphia. He says that taxing imports from Mexico would generate $10 billion a year and "easily pay for the wall."

Spicer says discussions are continuing with lawmakers to make sure the plan is "done right." But he says it "clearly provides funding" for the wall.

___

3:30 p.m.

President Donald Trump's chief White House strategist says that the media should "keep its mouth shut."

In an interview with The New York Times, published Thursday, Bannon said that the media is the "opposition party" of the new administration and "should be embarrassed and humiliated" by the unanticipated election result.

The article cites Bannon as referring to himself at one point as "Darth Vader."

Asked if he was concerned that press secretary Sean Spicer lost credibility after a forceful opening press conference peppered with false information, Bannon replied, "we think that's a badge of honor."

He adds, "The media has zero integrity, zero intelligence and no hard work."

___

3:15 p.m.

Vice President Mike Pence is offering Republican lawmakers a preview of the upcoming Supreme Court pick. He says President Donald Trump will nominate a "strict constructionist" to the high court.

Pence is speaking to House and Senate Republicans at a retreat in Philadelphia. He notes Trump plans to announce the Supreme Court pick next week and says he can "already tip you off."

Pence says the choice will be a "strict constructionist," or a jurist who supports a narrow reading of the U.S. Constitution.

The vice president says the choice will have a "top-notch legal mind" and a "commitment to the Constitution."

___

2:45 p.m.

The United Nations hopes that any measures President Donald Trump takes on refugees are temporary, citing U.S. leadership in resettling people forced to flee their homes.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric (steh-FAHN' DOO'-jar-ik) told reporters Thursday that taking in refugees is especially important when the world has seen the largest movement of migrants since World War II.

He said it's a basic principle of the United Nations that "refugees need solidarity and need help," and at this time there's never been a greater need for their protection.

A draft executive order obtained by The Associated Press shows Trump intends to stop accepting Syrian refugees and to suspend the United States' broader refugee program for 120 days.

According to the U.N., refugees total nearly 21.3 million, half of them under age 18.

___

1:45 p.m.

President Donald Trump is claiming that he and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto (PAYN'-yuh nee-EH'-toh) agreed jointly to cancel their planned meeting over disagreements about who will pay for Trump's promised southern border wall.

Trump says during a Republican House and Senate retreat in Philadelphia that, "The president of Mexico and myself have agreed to cancel our planned meeting scheduled for next week."

Trump says that, "Unless Mexico is going to treat the United States fairly, with respect, such a meeting would be fruitless, and I want to go a different route. I have no choice."

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said earlier Thursday that the administration would be looking to reschedule the meeting in the future and would "keep the lines of communication open."

___

1:40 p.m.

President Donald Trump is opening his speech at an annual Republican policy retreat with a familiar tale: his election night victory.

Addressing members of Congress in Philadelphia on Thursday, Trump says "it's nice to win, it's been a while."

He launched into a riff that he used frequently on his postelection thank you tour to some of the battleground states he won in November.

Trump portrayed Pennsylvania as "the one that got away" from Republicans in previous elections and plugged his own victory there.

He then touted how, with Republicans controlling both the White House and Congress, that "now is the dawn of a new era."

___

1:30 p.m.

A Senate committee has again postponed the confirmation hearing of President Donald Trump's nominee for labor secretary.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee already has postponed fast food CEO Andrew Puzder's nomination at least twice. A spokeswoman for committee Chairman Lamar Alexander says he pushed it from Feb. 2 to Feb. 7 to give Puzder time to turn in his questionnaire and other paperwork. Puzder is the chief executive of CKE Restaurants, Inc., the parent company of Hardee's, Carl's Jr. and other fast food eateries.

Alexander said he wanted to give committee members time to review the paperwork when it does come in. Democrats complained about another in a series of delays. Trump announced Puzder's nomination Dec. 8.

[Deleted User 8570]

Congressional Republicans leave Philly divided on the wall, Former Mexican President Vicente Fox sounds off on Trump's wall and the souring relations with Mexico, Kellyanne Conway goes on Fox & Friends (god I hate that name) and talks about Trumps impending conversation with Putin and the leaders of France and Germany, Spinning like a top Conway insists that relations between Trump and Mexico have not imploded, Trump looks forward to the results of his voter fraud investigation, Trump lashes out against Mexico on Twitter, Sean Spicer says Trump is getting the most out of his first week in office:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times EST):

8:50 a.m.

Besides his call Saturday with Russia's President Vladimir Putin, the White House says President Donald Trump has calls scheduled with the leaders of France and Germany.

With all the foreign contacts, White House press secretary Sean Spicer tweeted Friday that Trump is getting the most out of the his first week in office.

British Prime Minister Theresa May is the first foreign leader to meet with Trump since he took office. The two are to hold a joint press conference later Friday.

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8:30 a.m.

President Donald Trump is continuing to hammer Mexico over trade and border security.

The president wrote on Twitter early Friday that "Mexico has taken advantage of the U.S. for long enough."

He adds that "massive trade deficits & little help on the very weak border must change, NOW!"

Mexico's president cancelled an upcoming visit Thursday after Trump signed an order jump-starting construction of his promised U.S.-Mexico border wall.

Trump has also ordered cuts in federal grants for immigrant-protecting "sanctuary cities" and a boost in the number of border patrol agents and immigration officers, pending congressional funding.

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8:25 a.m.

President Donald Trump says he's looking forward to the results of a study into voter fraud.

The president tweeted Friday, citing statistics by Gregg Phillips, founder of the VoteStand online application.

He says, "Look forward to seeing final results of VoteStand. Gregg Phillips and crew say at least 3,000,000 votes were illegal. We must do better!"

White House press secretary Sean Spicer says Trump will sign an executive action to commission an investigation into widespread voter fraud.

The proposed investigation is raising the prospect of a federal government probe into a widely debunked claim.

The president said Wednesday the inquiry will examine people registered to vote in more than one state, "those who are illegal and even those registered to vote who are dead."

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8 a.m.

While President Donald Trump and Mexico's president have cancelled an upcoming meeting, that doesn't mean relations between the countries have "imploded."

That's according to the president's senior adviser Kellyanne Conway.

Conway tells Fox News' "Fox & Friends" that the two leaders mutually agreed to cancel their meeting next week because the Mexican president didn't want to talk about paying to build a wall along the border.

Conway says the U.S. spends billions of dollars defending the borders of other nations, and it's time for the U.S. to do that at home to stop a flow of drugs and people into the United States.

The rift between Trump and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto (PAYN'-yuh nee-EH'-toh) capped days of increasingly confrontational remarks on Twitter and in dueling public appearances.

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7:20 a.m.

President Donald Trump's senior adviser says U.S. sanctions against Russia and other issues will be on the table when the president talks by phone Saturday with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kellyanne Conway said on Fox News' "Fox & Friends" on Friday the president will be receptive if Putin wants to have a serious conversation about how to defeat Islamic extremists.

Barack Obama's administration and the European Union slapped Moscow with sanctions for its annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and support for a pro-Russia insurgency in eastern Ukraine. Relations have plunged to post-Cold War lows over Ukraine, Putin's backing of Syrian President Bashar Assad and allegations of Russian meddling in the U.S. elections.

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7:10 a.m.

Former Mexican President Vicente Fox says President Donald Trump's push for his country to bankroll a new southern border wall has "brought back a very strong Mexican spirit."

Fox says on NBC's "Today" that tensions between the two countries are "at the vey lowest point since the war between Mexico and the United States."

He was interviewed the day after a planned meeting in Washington between Trump and President Enrique Pena Nieto (PAYN'-yuh nee-EH'-toh) collapsed amid arguments over the wall. Trump insists it will be built at Mexico's expense on the border between the two countries to curb illegal immigration.

Fox says, "I think Trump is playing around with everybody. He has now faced his first defeat and he cannot digest a defeat. His ego does not allow him to do that."

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3:47 a.m.

Congressional Republicans left their annual policy retreat divided over paying for President Donald Trump's border wall, one of several thorny issues looming to trip them up as the GOP adjusts to full control of Washington.

Lawmakers welcomed a speech from Trump endorsing their goals on repealing and replacing former President Barack Obama's health care law and overhauling the loophole-ridden tax code. But the president's comments on paying for the wall, and subsequent clarification and walk-backs from the White House, sowed widespread confusion Thursday.

After the White House press secretary announced a 20 percent border tax on imports from Mexico, House Republicans felt certain the administration was describing a central plank of their own tax plan — so-called border adjustment that taxes imports instead of exports. But White House press secretary Sean Spicer backed away from that later Thursday, saying it was only an option for funding the project.

[Bryce]

Well, he certainly isn't leading from behind...