Tag: White House

Trump to seek death penalty for drug dealers: WH official

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump will present on Monday his plan to combat an opioid abuse epidemic which will include seeking the death penalty for drug traffickers. The Department of Justice “will seek the death penalty against drug traffickers, where appropriate under current law,” a White House official indicated Sunday whilst outlining the plan’s main points. The official did not offer greater detail on how the death penalty could be […]

Trump to oust national security adviser HR McMaster: report

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump has decided to sack National Security Advisor HR McMaster, in what would be the latest in a string of high-profile White House departures, The Washington Post reported Thursday. The newspaper said that Trump is discussing potential replacements for McMaster, but is willing to take his time because he wants to avoid humiliating him as well as to have a successor ready. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders […]

Trump blocks Broadcom’s bid to buy Qualcomm

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump blocked Monday an unsolicited bid by Singapore-based Broadcom to take over smartphone chipmaker Qualcomm, citing national security concerns. Trump issued an order barring the proposed mega-acquisition, saying there is credible evidence such a deal “threatens to impair the national security of the United States,” according to a White House statement. The order came despite Broadcom’s assurances that it would complete its move to the United […]

Trump to make the first trip to Latin America

by Andrew Beatty Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Donald Trump will make his Latin America debut next month, visiting Peru and Colombia after harsh rhetoric towards Hispanic migrants and neighbors to the south. Trump will travel to Peru to attend the Summit of the Americas in Lima on April 13-14, a gathering of leaders from across the Western Hemisphere. From there he will visit Colombia, White House officials told AFP. The announcement ends […]

White House confirms Trump has agreed to meet North Korea’s Kim

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The White House confirmed Thursday that President Donald Trump has agreed to meet with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un to seek a deal on denuclearization while stressing US sanctions will remain in place. “President Trump greatly appreciates the nice words of the South Korean delegation and President Moon,” press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement following the announcement made by South Korea. “He will accept the invitation to meet […]

Top Trump economic aide Cohn resigns

by Andrew BEATTY Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Donald Trump’s White House was rocked by another high-profile resignation Tuesday, as top economic advisor Gary Cohn quit in protest at the president’s decision to levy global steel tariffs. “It has been an honor to serve my country and enact pro-growth economic policies to benefit the American people,” Cohn said in a terse statement that belied fierce infighting in Trump’s tumultuous White House. Cohn […]

White House clarifies Trump-North Korea ‘call’

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The White House said Monday that Donald Trump had been referring to a call with South Korea’s leader when he appeared to suggest a landmark direct contact with the nuclear North. Trump raised eyebrows at a Washington media dinner on Saturday when he said “they, by the way, called up a couple of days ago and said ‘we would like to talk.’ “And I said, ‘so would we, but you […]

White House faces rumors about top security aide’s exit

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The White House on Thursday faced fresh speculation about the future of National Security Adviser Herbert Raymond McMaster, with officials sending mixed messages about his possible departure. Amid a stream of staff leaving Donald Trump’s White House, NBC reported that the three-star general tasked with running White House security policy will, within months, be headed for the exit as well. “We frequently face rumor and innuendo about senior administration officials,” […]

Trump moots ‘ultimate’ punishment for drug dealers

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump on Thursday advocated the death penalty for drug dealers, escalating his tough-on-crime rhetoric amid an opioid crisis that kills an estimated 200 Americans a day. “The drug dealers, the drug pushers, they are really doing damage,” Trump said during a White House meeting on the crisis. “Some countries have a very, very tough penalty. The ultimate penalty and, by the way, they, they have much less […]

Overruling objections, Trump announces steep aluminum, steel ‘tariffs’

by Andrew Beatty and Douglas Gillison Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Despite fierce opposition from inside the White House, US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced punishing steel and aluminum tariffs, teeing up a possible trade war with major producers as well as China. Trump ended rumor and counter-rumor about his administration’s intentions, by saying that “next week” he would sign off on measures designed to protect US producers. Meeting at the […]

Trump son-in-law Kushner loses top security clearance: sources

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior aide Jared Kushner has lost his top-level security clearance, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday, a decision with potentially profound implications for the US administration. Two sources, who could not speak on the record because the status of security clearances is classified, confirmed US media reports that the 37-year-old White House aide had lost access to America’s most closely protected secrets. The White House, […]

Ivanka says ‘inappropriate’ to be asked about Trump’s accusers

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Is it out of bounds to ask a White House advisor about the US president’s behavior when that advisor also happens to be his daughter? Ivanka Trump says yes. Donald Trump’s eldest daughter was confronted with that situation when a journalist asked her about the women who accuse her father of sexual misconduct before he became president. “Do you believe your father’s accusers?” an NBC News journalist asked her in […]