*Fox News (banned) – Page 40

The Devin Nunes Memo is an example of how two opposing sides can each view the same contents of the same document as supporting their position. On February 2, Donald Trump approved the release of the memo, against the wishes of several of his appointees. The Devin Nunes Memo accuses the FBI of abusing its use of surveillance powers to monitor Carter Page, who, at the time, was a Trump advisor.

The Devin Nunes Memo alleges that the FBI used information from the Steele Dossier to obtain a FISA warrant to surveil Page. The idea that the dossier, which barely mentions Carter Page, was the primary basis for getting the warrant, raises questions. The memo argues that the FBI showed bias against the Trump campaign by monitoring Page without substantiated data. As early as 2013, however – long before Carter Page was associated with the Trump administration – the FBI suspected Page of spying on behalf of the Russians, due to his apparent connections with the Russian mob.

The FISA warrant to surveil Carter Page was renewed three times. Each renewal required proof that the surveillance has elicited new evidence that the subject of the monitoring is an agent of a foreign power. Four separate judges signed off on the FISA warrant and its renewals. Each of the judges who signed off on the warrant or the renewals was a Republican appointee.

South Carolina Republican House Representative Trey Gowdy, one of the authors of the Devin Nunes memo, says, that, though the memo may raise questions about the process the FBI used to get the FISA warrant, it does not impact the Russia investigation. It also does not “vindicate” Trump, as Trump tweeted it did.

The dossier, Gowdy said, “(also) has nothing to do with the meeting at Trump Tower, nothing to do with an email sent by Cambridge Analytica, nothing to do with obstruction of justice, and nothing to do with George Papadapoulos’ meeting in Great Britain.” The goal of the memo seems to be little more than to sow reasonable doubt.

The Devin Nunes memo seems to ask more questions than it answers. Republicans are inclined to see the memo as evidence that the Russia investigation is a nothing more than a witchhunt. Others, who feel the investigation should continue, could look to the Devin Nunes Memo as support for their position, as well.

Wallace: Troubling Details in Nunes Memo; is it Full Story? | Fox News [2018-02-02]

Trey Gowdy Breaks with Trump on Nunes Memo | CNN [2018-02-04]

Donald Trump delivered his first State of the Union address on January 30. Overall, Americans who watched viewed it favorably. Seventy-five percent approved, according to polls. It shouldn’t be terribly surprising that 97 percent of Trump’s base approved of his first State of the Union Address.

Outside Trump’s base, 43 percent of Democrats and 72 percent of independents had a favorable view of the speech. Eighty percent of viewers said they felt that Trump’s State of the Union Address demonstrated an attempt to unite Americans.

Though it may be true that most who watched the President’s State of the Union Address on television found it to be encouraging, Democratic lawmakers were not applauding. Below are a few of the reasons why.

The Economy

Trump talked about the strength of the current U.S. economy, citing 2.4 million new jobs, a soaring stock market, the all-time high of small business confidence, and more take-home pay for millions of Americans. Many viewers cheered when Trump mentioned the repeal of the individual mandate portion of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Cheers went up again when Trump said “Economic surrender is over. Expect trading relationships to be fair and reciprocal.”

It’s true that at 4.1 percent, unemployment has reached a low that we haven’t seen in years, but Trump’s first year in office saw the lowest number of jobs created since 2010. Americans may have more take-home pay, but only slightly more; on average, workers only saw a four-cent per hour increase.

At one point in his State of the Union Address, Trump drew audience attention to a man whom Trump implied was having a good financial year because of the new GOP tax reform bill – the tax reform bill that hasn’t gone into effect yet. That’s the tax reform bill that will raise taxes on 92 million middle-income Americans by 2020.

As for other economic “victory,” the repeal of the individual mandate portion of the Affordable Care Act will prevent millions of people from having health insurance. And though Candidate Trump promised that he would require Medicare to negotiate drug prices for older Americans, so far, he has done nothing to that end.

Immigration Policy:

Most Americans agree that our immigration policy needs reform. The meaning of “reform,” however, varies across individuals. In his State of the Union Address, Trump used emotionally charged language that blurred the difference between DACA recipients and illegal immigrants who are criminals. Appearing to use two sets of grieving parents to equate violence with immigrants, he told a story of two murders by gang members who came to the U.S. as undocumented children. In reality, there is no connection between being undocumented and being a criminal.

Continuing in the same tone, Trump stated that currently, an immigrant can bring in “virtually unlimited numbers of distant relatives.” This is not true.

According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, a U.S. citizen “can petition for a spouse, unmarried children under 21, parents, sons and daughters married and over 21, and siblings, if the (sponsoring) immigrant is 21 and over.”

Other Talking Points

Trump received applause during his State of the Union Address for many other talking points supporting the mantra of “Make America Great Again,” as well. Among them were the issue of standing during the Pledge of Allegiance, spending for infrastructure, keeping Guantanamo open, and modernizing our nuclear arsenal. What was glaringly missing was a strong statement about Russia or the Russia investigation.

Trump’s first State of the Union Address portrayed an America bursting with success, prosperity, and promise. But “promise” is the larger shell within which much of that success and prosperity remain, up to now. In Trump’s next State of the Union Address, what will the spin be if more of that sweeping promise doesn’t become action?

Trump’s 2018 State of the Union in Four Minutes | Fox News [2018-01-31]

Bernie Sanders’ Rebuttal To President Trump’s State Of The Union Address | TIME [2018-01-31]

‘The Five’ pick their State of the Union highlights | Fox News [2018-01-31]

Category: *Fox News (banned)

The Devin Nunes Memo: What Does It Prove?

Donald Trump’s First State of the Union Address: Not Everyone Was Clapping