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You're Hired: Tracking the Trump Administration Transition - August 23, 2017
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This is the August 23, 2017, edition of an email sent from November 2016 to September 2017 that covered Donald Trump's presidential transition, cabinet appointees, and the different policy positions of those individuals who may have had an effect on the new administration. Previous editions of "You're Hired" can be found here.
This week, President Donald Trump gave two high-profile addresses on two different topics. The first, delivered on Monday at the Fort Myer military base in Arlington, Virginia, concerned troop deployment to Afghanistan. Trump announced he had authorized an increase in troop levels and that further strategy would be determined by what he called “conditions on the ground, not timetables.”
The second, a campaign-style rally in Phoenix, was aimed at his supporters and covered a wide range of topics, from renegotiating NAFTA to the possibility of a government shutdown over funding a border wall with Mexico.
Speech on Afghanistan troop levels and approach, Monday, August 21
On Monday, Trump announced an increase in U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan, though he did not mention an exact number. In his speech, Trump also indicated that he would approach the war in Afghanistan by allowing U.S. military commanders to make more decisions on the ground, saying that the end goal of his administration’s approach was to use military pressure to ultimately allow Afghanistan to negotiate peace. He indicated that continuing U.S. presence in Afghanistan was also intended to pressure Pakistan into changing its policies toward harboring those the U.S. considers terrorists.
Highlights
- On troop increases and strategy overall, Trump said, “We will not talk about numbers of troops or our plans for further military activities. Conditions on the ground, not arbitrary timetables, will guide our strategy from now on. America’s enemies must never know our plans or believe they can wait us out. I will not say when we are going to attack, but attack we will.”
- Trump spoke of the U.S. military’s approach to Afghanistan’s future as a nation, saying, “America will continue its support for the Afghan government and the Afghan military as they confront the Taliban in the field. Ultimately, it is up to the people of Afghanistan to take ownership of their future, to govern their society and to achieve an everlasting peace. We are a partner and a friend, but we will not dictate to the Afghan people how to live or how to govern their own complex society. We are not nation-building again. We are killing terrorists.”
- On the end goal in Afghanistan, Trump said, “Someday, after an effective military effort, perhaps it will be possible to have a political settlement that includes elements of the Taliban in Afghanistan. But nobody knows if or when that will ever happen.”
Afghanistan on the campaign trail
- In October 2015, Trump called entering Afghanistan a mistake. He said on CNN, “We made a terrible mistake getting involved there in the first place. It's a mess, it's a mess and at this point we probably have to (leave U.S. troops in Afghanistan) because that thing will collapse in about two seconds after they leave. … I would leave the troops there begrudgingly believe me I'm not happy about it.”
- He adjusted his previous statements, saying later in the month, “Afghanistan is a different kettle. Afghanistan is next to Pakistan, it's an entry in. You have to be careful with the nuclear weapons. It's all about the nuclear weapons. By the way, without the nukes, it's a whole different ballgame. … Do I love anything about it? No. I think it's important, number one, that we keep a presence there and ideally a presence of pretty much what they're talking about -- 5,000 soldiers.” At the time, the Obama administration had about 9,800 servicemen and women in Afghanistan.
Speech at rally in Phoenix, Arizona, Tuesday, August 22
In a 75-minute speech in Phoenix, Trump delivered a campaign-style rally of his supporters, where he renewed calls for building a border wall, criticized both of Arizona’s senators for their voting records, suggested he would pardon Sheriff Joe Arpaio, called for the end of the filibuster on legislation, announced his administration was likely to terminate NAFTA, and stood by his response to the violence in Charlottesville while criticizing media coverage of it.
Highlights
- Trump reiterated his call to build a border wall and criticized those who have opposed funding it, saying he would shut the government down in order to fund it. He said, “We are building a wall on the southern border, which is absolutely necessary. The obstructionist Democrats would like us not to do it, believe me, [but] if we have to close down our government, we are building that wall.”
- Building a border wall, and having Mexico pay for it, was a signature of the Trump campaign.
- When Trump mentions Democratic opposition to the wall, he is referencing the total opposition of Democrats to funding a border wall. In July, Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.) said, “I won’t speak on behalf of all the Democratic Caucus … [but] I do think the overwhelming — overwhelming — majority of our membership are not interested in a single penny towards the wall.” In April, the last time the government negotiated funding levels, Senate Democrats said they would not vote for any spending bill that included money for a border wall.
- The threat of a government shutdown over wall funding refers to upcoming congressional discussions about raising the debt ceiling. In May, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin asked Congress to raise the debt ceiling, saying that the U.S. could pay its debts until September 29. To pass such a bill, which Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says will happen, 60 senators would have to vote for it.
- Trump also spent time revisiting his responses to the violence at a protest in Charlottesville, Virginia, on August 12 and the media coverage of those responses. In Phoenix, he said, “The very dishonest media don’t report the facts. Just like they don’t want to report … that I strongly condemned the neo-Nazis, the white supremacists, and the KKK.” Trump then re-read part of his initial statement on Charlottesville: “So here's what I said, really fast, here's what I said on Saturday: 'We're closely following the terrible events unfolding in Charlottesville, Virginia' -- this is me speaking. 'We condemn in the strongest, possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence.' That's me speaking on Saturday.”
- This portion of Trump’s statement on Charlottesville that day read: “We're closely following the terrible events unfolding in Charlottesville, Virginia. We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence, on many sides. On many sides. It's been going on for a long time in our country. Not Donald Trump, not Barack Obama. This has been going on for a long, long time. It has no place in America.”
- He took time to criticize both senators from Arizona. When discussing the failed vote on repealing the Affordable Care Act, Trump implied criticism of Arizona Sen. John McCain, who was one of three Republicans to vote against the final repeal option. Trump said, “One vote away. I won’t mention any names.” He also criticized Jeff Flake, a Republican who declined to endorse Trump in 2016 and has been critical of his administration so far. Trump said, “Nobody wants me to talk about your other senator. Who’s weak on borders. Weak on crime. … Nobody knows who the hell he is.”
- Trump has criticized both of these senators in the past, from saying that McCain is not a war hero because he was captured to endorsing former Arizona State Sen. Kelli Ward as a primary challenger to Flake in 2018.
- He suggested that former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio would receive a presidential pardon. He asked the crowd, “Do the people in this room like Sheriff Joe? Was Sheriff Joe convicted for doing his job? He should have had a jury, but you know what I’ll make a prediction: I think he’s going to be just fine, ok? But I won’t do it tonight because I don’t want to cause any controversy. But Sheriff Joe can feel good.”
- On July 31, 2017, Arpaio was found guilty of criminal contempt for his decision to disregard a 2011 court order. The original order required Arpaio to stop detaining people without having reasonable suspicion that they committed a crime. Arpaio continued to detain those residing in the country without legal permission who were not suspected of committing a crime. In July 2017, U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton said this was a violation of the court's order.
- Arpaio endorsed Trump for president in January 2016, saying, “Everything I believe in he’s doing and he’s going to do it when he becomes president.”
- When addressing the inability of Congress to pass legislation, Trump called for an end to the Senate’s 60-vote threshold for passing a bill. He said, “I have a message for Congress tonight. … For our friends in the Senate. We have to get rid of what’s called the ‘filibuster rule.’ If we don’t, the Republicans will never get anything passed.”
- Trump called for the end of the legislative filibuster in May as well. At that time, the suggestion was rejected by both parties in the Senate. McConnell said, “That will not happen.” Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn said, “The rules have saved us from a lot of really bad policy. ... I know we all are into short-term gratification, but it's a real mistake, I think, from a legislative standpoint.” And Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said, “I think the idea of using the nuclear option for legislative stuff is pretty much dead.”
- Trump returned to one of his campaign themes when suggesting that the U.S. would terminate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which he says is unfair to American workers. He said, “We have begun formal renegotiation with Mexico and Canada on NAFTA. …I don’t think we can make a deal. So I think we’ll end up probably terminating NAFTA at some point.”
- Trump’s comment about terminating the agreement marks an escalation from the administration’s previous statements, which stressed renegotiation. Formal talks to renegotiate NAFTA began last week. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer laid out the administration’s goals at that time, saying, “The views of the president about NAFTA, which I completely share, are well-known. I want to be clear that he is not interested in a mere tweaking of few provisions and a couple of updated chapters. We feel that NAFTA has fundamentally failed many, many Americans and needs major improvement.”
- The Obama administration renegotiated NAFTA over the course of three years as part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a multilateral trade agreement Trump pulled out of in January.
See also
- You're Hired: Tracking the Trump Administration Transition
- Donald Trump presidential transition team
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