Drama grips Trump inner circle, as president charges ahead on agenda

The Trump inner circle is becoming less like “The Apprentice” and more like “Survivor.”

National Security Adviser Gen. Michael Flynn may or may not survive scrutiny regarding his ties to Russia.

Pres. Trump Defends Travel Ban: 'Courts Seem to Be So Political'

President Donald Trump defended his executive order temporarily banning travel from seven predominantly Muslim nations.
In a speech to law enforcement groups in Washington this morning, Trump said he's seen "disgraceful" things on TV about the policy, arguing that the order was "written beautifully."

Theresa May ‘does not agree’ with Trump’s refugee ban

Theresa May does “not agree” with Donald Trump’s immigration restrictions and will make representations if it affects Britons.

The Prime Minister clarified her position after earlier insisting it was up to the US government to devise its own policy.

A Downing Street official said:

Trump issues claim that ‘millions’ voted illegally

Trump claims he would’ve beaten Clinton in the popular vote had it not for “the millions of people who voted illegally.” (Joe Raedle/Reuters)

President-elect Donald Trump, who defeated Hillary Clinton by winning the Electoral College in the election earlier this month, claimed Sunday that he would’ve beaten her in the popular vote too if not for “the millions of people who voted illegally.”

It’s remarkable and unprecedented for a victorious presidential candidate to claim widespread voter fraud. There is no evidence to indicate that there was a significant number of people, let alone millions, who voted illegally in the election on Nov. 8.

Trump clinched his stunning victory over Clinton by amassing more than the 270 electoral votes needed to win. He won 290 to Clinton’s 232, and is ahead in Michigan, though the contest for its 16 electoral votes is still too close to call. But Clinton is on track to win the national popular vote by around 2.5 million, a loss that Trump appears to find hard to swallow.

“In addition to winning the Electoral College in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally,” Trump tweeted Sunday afternoon.

In the weeks leading up to Election Day, Trump repeatedly warned that the election would be “rigged” against him, claiming there would be widespread voter fraud.

“Of course there is large scale voter fraud happening on and before election day,” Trump tweeted on Oct. 17. “Why do Republican leaders deny what is going on? So naive!”

But while there have been isolated cases of voter fraud in the United States, the Associated Press reported the same day, “There is no evidence of it being a widespread problem.”

A Loyola Law School professor’s study cited by the AP found just “31 instances involving allegations of voter impersonation out of 1 billion votes cast in U.S. elections between 2000 and 2014.” Another study by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University Law School “found many reports of people voting twice or ballots being cast on behalf of dead people were largely the result of clerical errors that suggested wrongdoing when none had occurred.”

“Voter fraud is so incredibly rare that it has no impact on the integrity of our elections,” Wendy Weiser, head of the democracy program at the Brennan Center, told the AP. “You are more likely to be struck by lightning, more likely to see a UFO, than to be a victim of voter fraud.”

Trump’s revival of the voter fraud claim comes amid a campaign initiated by Green Party nominee Jill Stein to recount the votes in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. On Saturday, Clinton campaign general counsel Marc Elias said that while his team “had not uncovered any actionable evidence of hacking or outside attempts to alter the voting technology,” they would participate in the Stein-led recount in Wisconsin as well as recounts in Pennsylvania and Michigan if Stein pursues them.

Early Sunday, Trump blasted Clinton for supporting the recount effort.

“Hillary Clinton conceded the election when she called me just prior to the victory speech and after the results were in,” Trump wrote in the first of a series of tweets he posted early Sunday morning. “Nothing will change.”

Trump considers ex-rival, Ben Carson as housing secretary

Former Republican presidential hopeful Ben Carson waves as he leaves Trump Tower. Photo: AFP

Donald Trump’s one-time presidential rival, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, appeared to be a cabinet in the president-elect's administration after he has been mentioned his possible Housing and Urban Development appointment.
“I am seriously considering Dr. Ben Carson as the head of HUD. I’ve gotten to know him well–he’s a greatly talented person who loves people!” the president-elect said on Twitter.
Carson himself indicated on Fox News that the HUD position “was one of the offers that’s on the table.”
“Our inner cities are in terrible shape and they definitely need some real attention,” he told the broadcaster, adding that he had been interested in housing for a long time.
Carson quit the presidential race in March, only to endorse Trump one week later.
Trump similarly telegraphed his support for General James Mattis as a potential secretary of defense on Twitter over the weekend.
“General James ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis, who is being considered for Secretary of Defense, was very impressive yesterday. A true General’s General!” Trump wrote Sunday.
On Tuesday, The New York Times quoted the real estate tycoon as saying he was still “seriously considering” Mattis for the job.
Trump is in the process of forming his cabinet, with a stream of would-be appointees making the pilgrimage to his Manhattan tower and traveling to New Jersey over the weekend where they met the president-elect at his golf club.
Trump’s picks so far include ultra-conservative Senator Jeff Sessions as attorney general, hawkish congressman Mike Pompeo as CIA director and retired lieutenant general Michael Flynn as his national security adviser.
Steve Bannon, seen as an ideologue of the ultra-conservative alt-right movement, was named as chief strategist, while Reince Priebus, the head of the Republican National Committee, was named White House chief of staff.
Trump is reportedly considering former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani for the secretary of state post.
AFP

Hillary Clinton: I wanted to curl up with book after election loss

In her first public appearance since she lost a week ago to Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton has laid bare her disappointment at her election defeat.
The Democratic candidate said in a speech in Washington DC that she had never wanted to leave the house again.
She told a children's charity that the election had prompted soul-searching for many Americans.
Mrs Clinton won the popular vote but was beaten to the presidency in the all-important US electoral college.
"Now I will admit coming here tonight wasn't the easiest thing for me," she said as she was honoured by the Children's Defense Fund.
"There have been a few times this past week when all I wanted to do was to curl up with a good book and never leave the house again."
There was little ceremony and no sign of security for the former presidential candidate who is known simply as "Hillary" in this circle of friends.
The audience were on their feet and chanting her name as she took to the podium. When she talked about her disappointment, murmurs of agreement spread through the room in waves.
That murmur grew louder as she urged those listening not to lose heart - this was an emotional plea for action.
The event was entitled Beat the Odds, which offers hope for some of America's most underprivileged children and celebrates their achievements.
But I spoke to one man who told me that he could offer little hope to the young African Americans he mentors in the wake of this election.
Hillary Clinton used her voice tonight to try help change that and dissuade others from feeling despondent.
The candidate may be gone, and right now "Hillary" looks like she might run home and curl back up on the sofa, but there is a still a spark left in the first woman who got this far in trying to reach the White House.
She continued: "I know many of you are deeply disappointed about the results of the election. I am, too, more than I can ever express.
"I know this isn't easy. I know that over the past week a lot of people have asked themselves whether America is the country we thought it was.
"The divisions laid bare by this election run deep, but please listen to me when I say this.
"America is worth it. Our children are worth it. Believe in our country, fight for our values and never, ever give up."
In her concession speech after her shock defeat last week, Mrs Clinton said rival Donald Trump must be given the chance to lead.
Since then she has kept a low profile, although she was spotted while out walking.
In a phone call leaked to US media she also blamed her loss on FBI director James Comey, who announced a new inquiry into her use of a private email server in the run up to the vote.

Donald Trump Makes Two Key Appointments

US President-elect, Donald Trump, has awarded key roles in his incoming team to a top Republican party official and a conservative media chief.

Chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), Reince Priebus, will be his Chief of Staff while Stephen Bannon, from the right-wing Breitbart News Network, will serve as Mr Trump’s Chief Strategist.

In a statement on Sunday afternoon, the transition team emphasized that the two men would work “as equal partners to transform the federal government”.

Mr Trump described Mr Priebus and Mr Bannon as “highly qualified leaders who worked well together on our campaign and led us to a historic victory”.

Mr Bannon said on Sunday: “I want to thank President-elect Trump for the opportunity to work with Reince in driving the agenda of the Trump administration.

“We had a very successful partnership on the campaign, one that led to victory. We will have that same partnership in working to help President-elect Trump achieve his agenda.”

500,000 People Sign Petition Asking Electoral College to Pick Clinton as President Instead of Trump

A petition on Change.org calling for the Electoral College to elect Hillary Clinton as President has earned over half of the signatures needed for it to be sent to the governing body.

The petition, launched on Wednesday after Donald Trump was elected President, calls for the Electoral College to “ignore their states’ votes and cast their ballots for Secretary Clinton.”

Although Trump won over the 270 necessary electoral votes to secure the Presidency, Clinton narrowly earned the nation’s popular vote.

The Electoral College – which was first introduced in 1804 – is comprised of 538 electors. Each state’s number of electors is decided by its number of members in Congress, which is dependent on the state’s population. So, when American citizens cast their ballots, they aren’t directly voting for president – they’re voting for electors. This year, Trump took 279, to Clinton’s 228.

Most states use a “winner-take-all” system when it comes to electoral votes, although there is no Constitutional provision or federal law that requires electors to vote a certain way. Twenty-six states and Washington, D.C., do, however, “bind” their electors to vote for the promised candidate on Dec. 19 – in this case, Trump. In many cases, “faithless electors” are forced to pay a fine if they vote against the popular choice.

Maine and Nebraska follow a different method, called the congressional district method, which allots two electoral votes to the popular vote winner, and additional votes for each congressional district won by the candidates.

Faithless electors have not ever reversed the presidency.

The Change.org petition, which was at over 500,000 signatures on Thursday afternoon, said that Clinton supporters would be happy to pay any fees accrued by those who choose to be faithless electors.

“Mr. Trump is unfit to serve,” the petition claimed. “His scapegoating of so many Americans, and his impulsivity, bullying, lying, admitted history of sexual assault, and utter lack of experience make him a danger to the Republic. Secretary Clinton WON THE POPULAR VOTE and should be President.”

Trump economic ideas good for Nigeria

The US President-elect, Donald Trump’s economic ideas will affect Nigerian professionals positively, Ibrahim Garba, a Security consultant, said on Wednesday.

Garba spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview from Abidjan.

He decried the attitude of Nigerians projecting the image of the country in a bad light.

According to him, Nigerians need to change their business orientation to reflect positive ideas in the new era.

The security expert said Trump, as a business mogul, would certainly jump at good business relationship with Nigeria in the interest of both countries.

“This would affect Nigeria because things would be more competitive; Trump is a man who knows about your money; he does not throw money around.

“For you to do any business in America you have to be serious. From a business perspective, if Nigerians know what they are bringing to the table and it’s of value, Donald Trump will approve it.”

He added that Trump won the election because he was a successful businessman and a politician.

“Every country needs a strong economy; Trump has records of growth with his years of experience in business and  that can be applied to the nation’s economy.

“With this development I hope he has more to offer than we expect from him and also an opportunity for the Americans to see a different side.”

The newly-elected president has  pledged to be president for all Americans and to build the country’s economy while  relating with nations that support his ideas.

NAN

Trump: Protests in US cities, 5 shot

Republican Donald Trump’s surprise U.S. presidential election win, sparked spontaneous protests across many cities on Wednesday, with marchers  blasting his stance on immigrants, Muslims and other groups.

In New York, thousands of protesters filled streets in midtown Manhattan as they made their way to Trump Tower, Trump’s gilded home on Fifth Avenue. Hundreds of others gathered at a Manhattan park and shouted “Not my president.”

In downtown Chicago, an estimated 1,800 people gathered outside the Trump International Hotel and Tower, chanting phrases like “No Trump! No KKK! No racist USA.”

Chicago police closed roads in the area, impeding the demonstrators’ path. There were no immediate reports of arrests or violence there.

“I’m just really terrified about what is happening in this country,” said 22-year-old Adriana Rizzo in Chicago, who was holding a sign that read: “Enjoy your rights while you can.”

In Seattle, a gunman opened fire following an argument and wounded five people, one man critically, not far from protests.

The police claimed the shooting was not  connected to the anti-Trump demonstrations but instead stemmed from a personal argument..

“It appears that some type of argument took place. This individual began to walk away from the crowd, then turned and fired into the crowd,” said Robert Merner, assistant chief of the Seattle Police Department.

He said the suspect then fled from the area on foot and remained at large more than an hour later.

The most seriously injured victim, a man, was rushed to nearby Harborview Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition on Wednesday night.

The other four victims, identified only as one woman and three men, all sustained non-life threatening wounds to their legs, police said.

Hundreds also gathered in Philadelphia, Boston and Portland, Oregon, on Wednesday evening, and organizers planned rallies in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Oakland, California.

In Austin, the Texas capital, about 400 people marched through the streets, police said.

A representative of the Trump campaign did not respond immediately to requests for comment on the protests. Trump said in his victory speech he would be president for all Americans, saying: “It is time for us to come together as one united people.”

Earlier this month, his campaign rejected the support of a Ku Klux Klan newspaper and said that “Mr. Trump and his campaign denounces hate in any form.”

Earlier on Wednesday, some 1,500 students and teachers rallied in the courtyard of Berkeley High School, in a San Francisco Bay Area city known for its liberal politics, before marching toward the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.

Hundreds of high school and college students also walked out in protest in Seattle, Phoenix, Los Angeles and three other Bay Area cities – Oakland, Richmond and El Cerrito.

A predominantly Latino group of about 300 high school students walked out of classes on Wednesday morning in Los Angeles and marched to the steps of City Hall, where they held a brief but boisterous rally.

How Trump won: The revenge of working-class whites

For the past 40 years, America's economy has raked blue-collar white men over the coals. It whittled their paychecks. It devalued the type of work they did best. It shuttered factories and mines and shops in their communities. New industries sprouted in cities where they didn't live, powered by workers with college degrees they didn't hold.
They were not the only ones who felt abandoned by a rapidly globalizing economy, but they developed a distinctly strong pessimism in its face.
On Tuesday, their frustrations helped elect Donald Trump, the first major-party nominee of the modern era to speak directly and relentlessly to their economic and cultural fears. It was a “Brexit” moment in America, a revolt of working-class whites who felt stung by globalization and uneasy in a diversifying country where their political power had seemed to be diminishing.
It was a rejection of the business-friendly policies favored at various points by elites in both parties, which deepened trade relationships with foreign countries and favored allowing more immigrants in. And it was a raw outburst at the trends of rising inequality and economic dislocation that defined America's economy thus far this century.
Whites without a college degree — men and women — made up a third of the 2016 electorate. Trump won them by 39 percentage points, according to exit polls, far surpassing 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney's 25 percent margin. They were the foundation of his victories across the Rust Belt, including a blowout win in Ohio and stunning upsets in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
In polling, these voters have expressed deep racial and cultural anxieties. In exit polls they were more likely than the country as a whole to say that illegal immigrants should be deported. But those polls also suggested economic concerns and hostility toward leaders in Washington were much more important factors driving them to Trump.
Half of these voters said the economy was the most important issue in their vote, compared to 14 percent for immigration. A majority said international trade takes away American jobs. Three-quarters said the economy is “not good” or “poor” and nearly 8 in 10 said their personal financial situation was the same or worse than it was four years ago. Two-thirds said they preferred Trump to handle the economy instead of Democrat Hillary Clinton, compared with less than half of the electorate overall.
These frustrations were not new. They had mounted for decades, boiling over in the slow recovery from the Great Recession. That was particularly true among men. From 1975 to 2014, according to census data analyzed by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, white male workers without a college degree saw their median incomes fall by more than 20 percent, after adjusting for inflation. Their incomes fell 14 percent between 2007 and 2014.
Last year, amid a much improved U.S. economy and a tightening labor market, their incomes had jumped by 6 percent, according to the Center's analysis. But that increase was nowhere close to enough to make up the ground lost in the recession — let alone since the 1970s.
“It’s completely understandable how these workers feel left behind,” said Jared Bernstein, an economist at the center who is a former aide to Vice President Biden.
At the same time, these working class whites have seen the fruits of American prosperity increasingly go to the very rich. “Superstar” cities, like San Francisco, Boston and yes, Washington, gained even more wealth, and they have been responsible for an increasingly large share of the country's job growth.
Meanwhile, non-college whites saw jobs go away and businesses fold in the rural communities and smaller cities where they are more likely to live, particularly in the Rust Belt.
“Their access to economic opportunity in large measure comes down to the luck of geography,” said John Lettieri, co-founder of the Economic Innovation Group, an advocacy group whose research also showed that this group of voters is underrepresented in America's most prosperous regions.
Many of the downtrodden areas have lost factory jobs over the last several decades, as expanding trade and advancing technology pushed the economy away from production work and into services. Some areas suffered as coal mines closed. Others experienced rapid growth in high-paying energy extraction and support jobs several years ago as hydraulic fracturing boomed, only to watch many of those jobs evaporate when oil prices fell.
The workers increasingly came to see trade deals as the culprit — namely the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada in the 1990s and the effort to open up trade up trade with China in 2000, a decision that economic research suggested has cost America at least 2 million jobs on net.
Trump courted working class whites by promising a restoration of the old industrial economy — through renegotiated trade deals and tariffs on imports; by pledging to deport immigrants, which he said would reduce competition for native-born workers; and by promising rapid economic growth from tax cuts, deregulation and more drilling.
Many economists, including several conservative ones, warn Trump's plans will not deliver the relief those workers are seeking. Some say tariffs won't bring back jobs and could actually lead to recession. Others say Trump's plans ignore more critical issues for the working class, such as the need for improved worker training or measures to encourage workers to migrate to higher-opportunity regions.
“That’s the most disappointing part of the 2016 election,” said Abby McCloskey, an economist who focuses on the middle class and who advised some of Trump's rivals for the GOP nomination. Like Clinton, she said, Trump had “resorted to partisan talking points that the system is rigged against these workers.”
Trump's message did not resonate with black or Latino workers, who earn less at every education level than whites do. Those workers lean Democratic by various degrees but appeared especially repelled by Trump's attacks on immigrants and his stoking of racial resentments.
Critically, his huge margins among blue-collar whites would not have sufficed to deliver him the presidency, if he had not also maintained a slim advantage among whites with college degrees as well. As a group, those workers have been the winners of the new economy, blessed with cheaper imported consumer goods and a persistent wage advantage over their non-college counterparts.
Trump's challenge was inspiring the blue-collar whites without alienating the college-educated ones. He succeeded, and it won him the White House.

Culled from The Washington Post

Trump win shocks Wall Street: Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. election causes Wall Street to panic.

Photo credit: cnnmoney

U.S. stock futures are dropping as traders consider a future with Trump in the White House.
Investors are concerned about Trump's unpredictable nature and anti-trade stance, which could result in global turmoil during his presidency. But there are hopes that President Trump will be different than candidate Trump.
"The first speech by President elect Trump has had a calming effect on the markets," said Kathleen Brooks, a research director at City Index in London. "Trump definitely sounded more presidential than he has done at any stage during the election campaign."
It's worth noting that regardless of which candidate wins, stocks typically sell off the day following an election. Case in point: The S&P 500 dropped just over 5% the day after President Obama was elected in 2008.
Looking abroad, European markets posted minor declines in early trading, with many indices down by 1% to 2%.
Asian markets closed out the day in the red. Tokyo's Nikkei led the declines with a 5.4% loss.
The main Middle Eastern markets also declined by about 1%.
Before the Bell newsletter: Key market news. In your inbox. Subscribe now!
 Peso plunge: The Mexican peso is getting clobbered in reaction to the U.S. election results.
At one point overnight, the peso was down as much as 11% versus the U.S. dollar, hitting an all-time low. It's since recovered a bit, but is still down by about 8% in early morning trading.
Mexico's largest trade partner is the U.S. But Trump has attacked Mexico from Day 1 of his campaign and threatened to build a wall between the two countries. The peso is falling hard as traders fret about deteriorating relations between the countries.
Seeking a safe haven: Investors typically rush to invest in gold during times of market uncertainty. Today is no exception.
Gold prices rose by 3% as investors bought into the so-called safe haven asset.
The Swiss franc and Japanese yen also got a boost because they are viewed as steady rocks during times of turmoil.
Mining and pharmaceutical stocks were also performing well in Europe.

If Hillary Clinton had been elected, she would have strengthened gay marriage – Reno

On Election Day 2016, I urged all my friends to go out and vote for Donald Trump with the following message: “Get out and vote for the unborn fetus, get out and vote for God ordained marriage between a man and a woman, get out and vote against transgender bathrooms, get out and vote against Roe V Wade, get out and vote for Donald J. Trump! He might not be perfect, but he will promote those conservative values that have kept a check on the moral fabric of society and nominate conservative Supreme Court Justices,”’ I had called. Also listen to: Why some Africans will be voting Trump – Reno So many African Americans and Black Africans were appalled by my support for Donald Trump ever since my interview on the BBC on November 1st, 2016 when I called for Africans and others eligible to vote in the US elections to vote Donald Trump. And why were my people so appalled? Because we are an emotional people who take decisions based on what we want right now rather than what we want eventually. Most African Americans voted for Hillary because they bought into the lie peddled by the mainstream media that Trump is a racist. Most Black Africans supported Hillary because they did not want Trump to clamp down on immigration into the US. But my people failed to take into account the big picture! What are our cultural values as a Race? Do we as Black people, whether African American or Black African, really support gay rights and gay marriage? Trust our copy cat culture, if Hillary had been elected she would have strengthened the gay marriage lobby and her Supreme Court nominees would have made it a reality and the next thing you know we would want to copy it hook line and sinker. As a race, we suffer disproportionately from abortions more than any other race in America. African Americans and Black Africans make up 13% of the US populations yet 37% of all abortions in the US are done by Black women. It has gotten to the point where the most dangerous place for a Black child to be is in its own mother’s womb! Can we afford to continue with such a shameful record? We need somebody that is committed to ending Roe V Wade and outlawing the practice of on demand abortion. I believe in a woman’s right to choose but that right is asserted by any woman the minute she chooses to have unprotected sex. But let me get technical. What did Hillary Clinton do for Nigeria or Africa when she was Secretary of State? My people are just too sentimental and forget how she dithered and resisted naming Boko Haram as a terrorist group. We have forgotten how she led the effort to use the Leahy Law to frustrate Nigeria’s efforts to buy weapons from the US and when we could not buy from them she and her contemporaries also frustrated our efforts to buy from Israel. The annoying thing is that it was her disastrous intervention in Libya that led to the escalation of the Boko Haram insurgency because the overthrow of Gaddafi destabilized much of North and West Africa by putting sophisticated light weapons in the hands of non state actors like Boko Haram. And yet when we as a nation were faced with the consequences of her actions she would not help us. Nigeria was reduced to buying weapons for cash on the Black Market. The thing is that Gaddafi may have been a nasty piece of work but at least he made Libya stable. Today, ISIS has a foothold in Libya and from there supports insurgents like Boko Haram and Al Shabbab who are causing instability in Nigeria and Kenya. My big question to Nigerians especially is this-Who Hillary Clinton Epp? Our follow follow is too much. In real economic terms what did we stand to gain from Hillary Clinton? Though I have been a lifelong Republican since first coming to America as a nine year old, I suspend that status in 2008 to support a fellow Black man, President Obama out of purely primordial reasons (he is Black as I am) but to be honest, what has Africa and Nigeria gained from eight years of Obama in the White House? He never visited Nigeria. He never packaged any special economic package for Nigeria or Africa. Say whatever you want to say about former President George W Bush but no other US President has been as radical in his support to Africa as Bush number 43! For giving more than $5 billion in humanitarian aid to Africa annually, President Bush goes on record as having given more assistance to Sub Saharan Africa than any other president including President Obama! AIDS and Malaria are some of our biggest challenges in Africa and Bush met us at the point of our need. Before President George W Bush intervened in the fight against HOV/AIDS, only 100,000 Africans were on antiretrovirals but in 2003 he set up the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and by the time he left office in 2009 that number had grown to 2 million. When Congress resisted his efforts for funding to the time of $1.2 billion to fight malaria in Africa in 2007 Bush persuaded them by saying “There’s no reason for little babies to be dying of mosquito bites around the world.” Now I ask you, what similar effort have President Obama and Hillary put forward while they had power? Yes Obama has held summits like the first US/Africa Leaders Summit and the US Africa Business Summit but do we eat summits? What came of it other than talk and mostly Obama talking down at African leaders in a way he would never do with Asian leaders. At least with Trump we know that he will take on ISIS and other radical Islamic groups and that includes Boko Haram! Moreover, Trump has pledged to curb China’s global dominance and to do that he would have to match China dollar for dollar in Africa and when China and the US compete Africa gains. But be that as it may I am very proud to have publicly supported Donald Trump from the beginning to the end. Where are all those people who insulted me for my support for Donald Trump? They all seem to have gone missing in the ‘other room’! Omokri is the founder of the Mind of Christ Christian Center in California, author of Shunpiking: No Shortcuts to God and Why Jesus Wept and the host of Transformation with Reno Omokri

President Putin congratulates Donald Trump

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday congratulated Donald Trump for his victory in US elections, hoping to work with him to improve relations, the Kremlin said in a statement. Putin “expressed hope for mutual work on bringing US-Russia relations out of their critical condition” and said that “building constructive dialogue” would be in the interest of both countries and the world community, the Kremlin statement said.

Donald Trump elected president of United States

Donald Trump has become the 45th president of the United States after Hillary Clinton conceded.

The billionaire has been on stage to give a victory speech.

Clinton supporters were seen stony-faced or crying at what was supposed to be her victory rally in New York before being sent home by her campaign manager.

John Podesta insisted her campaign was “not done yet” and would have more to say once Americans wake up.

“They are still counting votes, and every vote counts,” he told the crowd.

But across town a triumphant Mr Trump is preparing to address his supporters.

Early exit polls had provided the Democrats with optimism, but shortly after 2am UK time the momentum began to shift as it emerged Mr Trump was edging ahead in a number of key states.

The first swing state to be called for Mr Trump was Ohio at just before 3.30am – and Florida, Iowa, North Carolina and Pennsylvania all followed for the billionaire.

Mrs Clinton looks set to win the popular vote across the nation – but it is Electoral College votes that count.

World markets began to respond as the US map turned Republican red, with falls reported across Asia and the Mexican peso dropping to a record low against the dollar.

Mr Trump will not be inaugurated until 20 January – but thoughts are already turning to what his presidency will look like following promises to build a wall at the Mexican border and to ban Muslims from entering the US.

The 70-year-old will be the oldest person ever inaugurated as US president.

On what turned out to be a dream night for the Republicans, the party also retained control of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Chaos at Donald Trump's rally, Secret Service rushes him offstage

Donald Trump was abruptly brought off the stage by Secret Service in the middle of a Saturday night rally when an unidentified man apparently tried to rush the stage.
Multiple witnesses near the front of the stage told reporters that they believed that the man had a gun, but the Secret Service said no weapon was found.
Trump had paused his stump speech to call out a protester when several Secret Service agents suddenly rushed to him and grabbed him off the stage. Chaos ensued as the crowd began to hurry away from the stage. Some moved back toward a barricaded area where the press corps was set up and began screaming at them.
“Why don’t you cover this!” a man screamed as reporters stood on their chairs with cameras, trying to get a better look. “Liars!”

As rally attendees began to fearfully race for the exits, Trump aides rushed to the candidate’s traveling press corps and ordered them to immediately head to the motorcade.

Donald Trump is hustled offstage by Secret Service agents after a perceived threat in the crowd in Reno, Nev., on Saturday. (Steven Styles/Reuters)

Reporters ran through the crowd. Heavily armed police officers with machine guns were seen escorting a man backstage. They declined to comment to reporters about the incident.
Trump’s traveling press corps initially rushed toward the motorcade, amid word from the campaign that the candidate would not return to the stage. But about seven minutes after the incident began, Trump’s entrance song — “God Bless the USA” — suddenly boomed throughout the convention hall and reporters hurried back in the room, where the candidate retook the stage.

“No one ever said it would be easy for us,” Trump said, thanking the Secret Service. And then he returned to his usual stump speech.

After the rally, Trump released a statement thanking law enforcement officers. “I also want to thank the many thousands of people present for their unwavering and unbelievable support. Nothing will stop us — we will make America great again!” he said.
The Guardian interviewed the man who sparked the commotion. The man, who identified himself as Austyn Crites, said he was simply making his way through the crowd so he could raise his “Republicans against Trump” sign. The crowd then fiercely attacked him, he said.

This was not the first time Secret Service have rushed to protect the Republican nominee at a campaign rally. In March, Trump was surrounded by agents after a man suddenly headed to the stage at an event in Ohio. The man, 22-year-old Thomas Dimassimo, was blocked before he ever reached Trump and was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. Trump claimed the man was tied to ISIS, but experts dismissed the assertion.

Presidential election debate: Trump and Clinton

The two US presidential candidates clashed over jobs, terrorism and race in a bitter television debate.

The attacks turned personal as Republican Donald Trump accused his rival Hillary Clinton of not having the right temperament to be president.

Meanwhile, Mrs Clinton baited Mr Trump by pointing out that he refuses to release his tax returns.

The New York showdown could be the most watched debate in TV history, with up to 100 million viewers.

The debate

"I have a feeling that by the end of this evening, I'm going to be blamed for everything that's ever happened," Mrs Clinton quipped when prompted to respond to one of Mr Trump's attacks.

"Why not?" Mr Trump interrupted.

"Yeah, why not," she answered. "You know, just join the debate by saying more crazy things."

Mr Trump was later thrown on the defensive by moderator Lester Holt for not disclosing his tax returns.

He claimed he was under a "routine audit" and would release the document once the audit was finished.

But the hotel developer promised he would release them if his opponent released 33,000 emails that were deleted during an investigation into her private email set-up while secretary of state.

Mrs Clinton made a brief response to Mr Trump's attacks about her use of a private email server - which has haunted her on the campaign trail.

She said there were no excuses for the "mistake" and that she takes responsibility for it.

But she was also uncomfortable when defending her changing position on the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.

Other debate highlights:

• He said she did not have the stamina to be president, to which she replied that she visited 112 countries as secretary of state
• African Americans are living "in hell" in the US due to gun violence, Mr Trump said
• Mrs Clinton criticised him for saying climate change was a Chinese hoax
• She was attacked by him for being weak on Islamic State militants and soft on Iran
• "You've been fighting Isis [Islamic State group] your entire adult life,'' Mr Trump mocked
• In a wider assault on his treatment of women, she said he had called women "pigs, slobs and dogs"

One key exchange was over Mr Trump's long-held belief that President Barack Obama was born outside the US, a position he finally reversed two weeks ago.

"He has a long record of engaging in racist behaviour," she said, adding that it was a "very hurtful" lie that annoyed and bothered the first African American president.

When asked by Mr Holt to explain his change in stance, he said he wanted to concentrate on bigger, more important issues.

She attacked him for praising Russian President Vladimir Putin, and suggesting he "find" her emails.

"I was so shocked when Donald publicly invited Putin to hack into Americans. That is just unacceptable... Donald is unfit to be commander-in-chief."

The debate was the first of three between the two candidates, and the American voters go to the polls on 8 November.

Clinton loses lead in US presidential race’s final stretch – poll

Hillary Clinton’s lead in the US presidential race against Donald Trump is evaporating with just over 50 days to go until election day, as she stirs ever less enthusiasm in her own camp.

The Democrat’s average lead since late August is just 1.8 points at the national level, a drop of four points in two weeks, and in several key states where the November election is likely to be decided, Trump is ahead.

In Ohio the Manhattan mogul now leads the former secretary of state by 46 to 41 percent, and in Florida by 47 to 44 percent, although this falls within the margin of error, according to a CNN-ORC survey.

Clinton tried to project an air of calm as she jumped back on the campaign trail after a three-day enforced break due to pneumonia, saying she always said the race would be close.

But in a sign of jitters, her campaign announced that her former rival Bernie Sanders, who is popular among young people, and progressive senator Elizabeth Warren would campaign for Clinton this weekend in Ohio.

Meanwhile Trump declared: “We’ve had an incredible month. There is a great enthusiasm.”

It is not the first time the two candidates have been neck and neck. It happened briefly in May, before Trump lost ground.

But with the election less than two months away, Clinton enjoys ever less popularity among Democrats. Only 38 percent say they are very enthusiastic about her candidacy, down from 47 percent in August, according to a New York Times/CBS poll.

Trump’s supporters appear much more fired-up: 55 percent say they are very keen to vote, against just 36 percent in the Clinton camp.

So for the Democrats, getting people out on November 8 will be key.

FiveThirtyEight, a website that analyzes polls, historical and economic data, says Clinton still has a 60.1 percent chance of winning, compared to 39.8 percent for Trump.

Back on August 8, Clinton’s chances stood much higher at 79.5 percent, compared to 20.5 percent for the Republican.

But since early last month Trump has overhauled his campaign team, tried to become more disciplined and less attack-oriented in his public appearances and has stopped insulting people. His new campaign chief, Kellyanne Conway, appears on television often to plug Trump.

– Crucial first debate –

“Trump had a couple of good weeks beginning with his success in Mexico” early this month, said Robert Shapiro, a political scientist at Columbia University in New York.

Shapiro added that Trump has been “rallying his base of support, saying more about policy issues, foreign policy, the economy, and… his proposal in terms of maternity leave and child care.

“The bar for evaluating him is not very high, but in that context he has been doing better in terms of campaigning and trying to look a little bit more presidential.”

For Clinton things have not been going so well.

She has been dogged for months by the controversy over her use of a private email server while serving as secretary of state and by attacks from her opponents against the Clinton Foundation.

Clinton has also taken heat for saying many Trump supporters belong in a “basket of deplorables.”

Shapiro said Clinton did not handle her bout of pneumonia well, either. The campaign’s delay of two days in telling the public she was sick boosted a widespread perception that Clinton is not transparent.

Democrats have reason to worry — but Clinton still has many ways to win the electoral college.

The presidential election is effectively the sum of 50 state elections, with each candidate gunning for a majority of 538 electoral votes divided among the states, all but two of which award all their votes to one candidate.

To reach 270 votes, Trump needs to carry a number of battleground states — Ohio and Florida but also Iowa, Virginia, New Hampshire, and North Carolina. But he must also lock in all the traditionally Republican states, several of which look as if they might snub his candidacy.

With Clinton dropping in the polls however, the looming first presidential debate on September 26 is not necessarily good news for her.

“Historically in these first debates, the incumbent president or the leading candidate tends to do less well on the first debate than the challenger,” said Shapiro.

“And in this case, the expectations and the bar for Trump may be so low that he’ll be evaluated differently than she will. The bar is higher for her than for Trump,” he added.

AFP

Trump in excellent health, doctor says

Republican nominee Donald Trump is in "excellent physical health," according to a letter from his doctor.

Mr Trump released the letter from his doctor, Harold N Bornstein, following a recent physical examination.

The 70-year-old is listed as 6 foot 3 inches (1.9 metres) and weighs 236 pounds (116 kilos), which makes him overweight for his height.

The letter comes as his rival Hillary Clinton returns to the campaign trail after she was sick with pneumonia.

Both candidates have faced public scrutiny over transparency about the state of their health.

"He takes a lipid lowering agent (rosuvastatin) and a low dose aspirin," the letter said. "He does not use tobacco products or alcohol."

Mr Trump discussed his health with talk-show host Dr Mehmet Oz in a taped interview, which is set to air on Thursday.

Fresh violence at Trump rally as supporter allegedly punches protester

A Donald Trump campaign rally was marred by violence yet again on Monday as the Republican nominee attacked Hillary Clinton for calling his supporters deplorable.

A Trump supporter apparently punched a protester at a rally held at the US Cellular Center in Asheville, North Carolina. The scuffle was the first violent incident at a Trump rally in months. Although throughout the primary season, Trump campaign events had been marked by violence by both Trump supporters and protesters, culminating in near riots in Chicago and San Jose, California, they had been comparatively peaceful in recent months. Prior to being punched, the protester reportedly directed an obscene gesture in Trump’s direction.

The incident happened as Trump attempted to attack Clinton for her statement that half of his supporters belong in “a basket of deplorables”. Although the former secretary of state has since backed down from the comment, she has continued to insist her opponent has “built his campaign largely on prejudice and paranoia and given a national platform to hateful views and voices”.

Trump has tried to paint this as an attack by Clinton on blue-collar Americans. “Hillary Clinton spoke with hatred in her heart for these working-class Americans,” he said in Asheville on Monday night, in an effort to reinforce his attacks on his opponent as an insider member of the Beltway elite. The Republican nominee went on to repeat of Clinton: “She talks about people like they are objects, not human beings.”

The attacks come as Clinton has been forced off the campaign trail for health reasons. The Democratic nominee was forced to cancel a campaign trip to California after being filmed losing her footing while abruptly leaving a ceremony to commemorate the terrorist attacks of September 11 on Sunday. Eventually, after initially claiming that she was “overheated”, the Clinton campaign admitted that the candidate had been diagnosed with pneumonia on Friday. 

In a phone interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Monday night, Clinton said she was feeling better and insisted that she did not faint on Sunday. The Democratic nominee said “we know the least about Donald Trump than any candidate in recent American history” and that he should be held to “the same standard” as any other candidate.

She noted the only medical information released by Trump was a letter addressed “to whom my concern” that proclaimed, if elected, Trump would be “the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency”. Clinton said “that’s not even serious” and went on to hammer Trump for refusing to release his tax returns.

Trump, who has long made jibes about Clinton’s “stamina”, did not address his rival’s illness on Monday night. Earlier in the day he had said he hoped she got better soon but added that her illness was “an issue

Instead, he continued his offensive against his opponent by claiming that she was running a pessimistic campaign of scare tactics. “Our vision of hope stands in stark contrast to my opponent’s campaign of hate,” Trump said. “Hillary Clinton has been running a hate-filled and negative campaign, with no policy, no solutions and no ideas. By contrast, I’ve been going around the country offering very detailed plans for reform and change.”

The Republican nominee’s statement was curious considering that his campaign has long focused on concerns about immigration and crime. He announced his campaign by saying Mexico was deliberately sending rapists to United States, accepted the Republican nomination by saying Americans were living in a “more dangerous environment than I have ever seen or anyone has ever seen”, and has repeatedly suggested that if Clinton is elected, we will “no longer have a country”. Trump amplified this rhetoric on Monday by telling the crowd: “You can go to Afghanistan, you can go to war-torn countries and you will find that it is safer than some of our inner cities.”

Further, on most issues, Trump has been relatively light on policy. According to an Associated Press report in late August, the Republican nominee has only posted seven policy proposals totaling 9,000 words on his website. In contrast, Clinton had released 112,735 words of proposals in 65 different issue fact sheets at the time.

The rally took place in North Carolina, a state won by Mitt Romney in 2012 where Clinton and Trump are neck and neck in polls. The increasingly diverse Tarheel State is considered Clinton’s best opportunity to turn a red state blue. In contrast, Trump is hoping to play the offensive in blue-collar industrial states in the midwest.

(The Guardian UK)