US Sends Aircraft Carrier To Persian Gulf – In a move that caught many off guard, National Security Advisor John Bolton said the US would be sending the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and bomber to the Middle East to counter aggressive actions by Iran. What those actions are remains unclear, but they reportedly included a plan to harm US servicemen in the region. Following the announcement, Iran said it would be withdrawing from parts of the 2015 nuclear accord struck with the Obama administration.
Trump Raises Tariffs – At midnight Friday, the United States raised tariffs from 10% to 25% on some $200 billion of Chinese imports. The hike comes after Trump tweeted that talks with Beijing were not going well. The president also said he intends to slap tariffs on of 25% on an additional $325 billion of Chinese products shipped to the United States. The new tariffs sent the markets into a tizzy, with the major US indexes taking deep plunges as investors worried over the ramifications of the trade war. Negotiations between the United States and China are continuing.
Trump Says Israel Has Right To Defend Themselves – President Trump affirmed his commitment to the security of Israel as Gaza terrorists lobbed hundreds of rockets at citizens in southern Israel. In a tweet, President Trump wrote “Once again, Israel faces a barrage of deadly rocket attacks by terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad. We support Israel 100% in its defense of its citizens…. The the Gazan people – these terrorist acts against Israel will bring you nothing but more misery. END the violence and work towards peace – it can happen!”
Mnuchin Denies Request For Trump Tax Returns – Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin denied a request from House Democrats for years of President Trump’s tax returns. His denial of the request was due to a lack of a “legitimate legislative purpose” for the returns. Democrats have been chomping at the bit to dig into Trump’s personal finances. Meanwhile, New York Senate lawmakers voted to hand Trump’s state tax returns to three Congressional committees.
Democrats Hold Barr In Contempt – Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee voted to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress over his refusal to release certain unredacted portions of the Mueller report to the committee. Prior to the contempt vote, President Trump for the first time invoked executive privilege, saying that he would not be releasing any documents to Congress and blocking Congressional lawmakers from the full Mueller report.
Michael Cohen Begins Prison Term – President Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen began his 3-year prison sentence this week. Cohen was sentenced to prison last year by a judge for arranging payments to women who were making allegations against Trump in the runup to the 2016 election. Cohen will serve his time in the Otisville facility in upstate New York.
