Tag: Donald Trump

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Despite White House Assurances LGBT Advocates Fearful

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equality advocates on Tuesday said they were bracing for President Donald Trump to roll back their rights in the workplace despite White House Assurances that this was not going to happen.

The official line is that the 2014 executive order issued by President Barak Obama that barred discrimination against the LGBT community working for federal contractors remains intact.

A White House statement said, “The President is proud to have been the first ever GOP (Republican) nominee to mention the LGBTQ community in his nomination acceptance speech, pledging then to protect the community from violence and oppression.”

Advocates, however, fear that Trump will bring in a new set of executive orders that would allow discrimination on religious grounds undermining the executive order that protected them.

Trump at Odds with other Republicans over LGBT

Many of Trump’s fellow Republicans have often fought civil rights that protected sexual orientation and gender identity.  Enforcing the previous executive order does place Trump at odds with others in his own party.  During his presidential campaign, he had acknowledged gay rights and called for LGBT voters to vote for him.

The LGBT community, however, is hardly secure in having a President like Donald Trump.  His vice president Mike Pence is a conservative Christian and he, along with other senior Republicans oppose gay rights.

The president of Human Rights Campaign, Chad Griffin, felt the appointment of Pence showed Trump’s true views on LGBT.

He said that although Trump spoke a good game he has filled his cabinet with those who had spent careers demonising the community.

U.S Supreme Court

The death of Antonin Scalia has left a vacant position at the U.S Supreme Court with many in the LGBT community fearful of who Trump will nominate as a replacement.

In an MSNBC interview in 2015 Trump said the Supreme Court ruling allowing gay marriage should stand.

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Politics

Petition to Cancel Trump’s UK Visit Reaches 100,000 Signatures

Less than five hours after its launch, 100,000 people have signed a petition in favour of banning Donald Trump from a state visit to Britain.  The matter will now be debated in parliament.

The petition cites Mr Trump’s “well documented misogyny and vulgarity” and calls for him to be allowed into the country but to meet The Queen.

As the petition has over 10,000 signatures it will be debated in parliament.  The petition reached the 100,000 figure in just under five hours after being launched at 8am.  It earned 56,000 signatures within the last sixty minutes.

Data shows that signatures came from North, South, and Central London with high signing rates in Edinburgh, Bristol, Brighton, and Manchester.

The petition states, “Donald Trump should be allowed to enter the UK in his capacity as head of the US Government, but he should not be invited to make an official State Visit because it would cause embarrassment to Her Majesty the Queen.

“Donald Trump’s well documented misogyny and vulgarity disqualifies him from being received by Her Majesty the Queen or the Prince of Wales. Therefore during the term of his presidency Donald Trump should not be invited to the United Kingdom for an official State Visit.”

May Under Fire

The petition and subsequent debate will further apply the pressure to Theresa May.  She has been constantly under fire over a range of issues, when in each case she has failed to answer pressing questions of the day, either avoiding the question or choosing to answer a different question to the one put.

In relation to the Trump travel ban, Theresa May is being criticised in her own party as more divisions erupt within it.  Conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi, a Muslim, said the U.S travel ban would stop him entering the country and for the first time in his life he feels discriminated against.

A decision on when the parliamentary debate will occur will be decided at a later date.

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Politics

British Prime Minster Theresa May Denies Fawning at President Trump

British Prime Minister Theresa May as said she won’t be afraid to tell President Trump should he say something that she feels is unacceptable.

The two are due to meet on Friday.

Former Scottish National Party Leader, Alex Salmond has said May appears to be “fawning” in relation to the US administration.

In an interview, she told the BBC that the special relationship between Britain and the U.S. will enable her to say what she feels.

Protestors against Trump numbered in their millions on Sunday, and marched in key cities around the world, most protesting his comments on women and race.

May said she was looking forward to meeting President Trump and building strong relations between the two countries.  When asked if she would raise issues highlighted in protests, she replied,  “I have already said that some of the comments Donald Trump has made in relation to women were unacceptable.  Some of those he himself has apologised for.”

She cited laws around modern slavery and domestic violence, stating she had a record of defending women’s interests.

She added, “I will be talking to Donald Trump about the issues we share and how we can build on the special relationship.  It is the special relationship that allows us to say when something is unacceptable.  Whenever there is something I find unacceptable, I won’t be afraid to say that to Donald Trump.”

She continued to say that she was not too worried about his America first rhetoric saying that all leaders prioritised their own nation first, “He and people around him have also spoken of the importance of a trade arrangement with the United Kingdom and that is something they are looking to talk to us about at an early stage.

“There are issue, that we will work on together in the future – the importance of Nato and defeating terrorism.  These are issues where we share the challenges and see the threats, where we have worked together in the past and will do so in the future.”

The two meet on Friday.

 

 

 

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Politics

Trump and Putin to Meet at Reykjavik Summit

Donald Trump is to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin in his first foreign trip as U.S president, according to sources.

According to reports this will happen within weeks of Donald Trump being inaugurated as president.  It is a similar move to when Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Regan met soon after Regan was inaugurated in 1986.

The idea of the summit is to restart and rebuild relations between the two countries, with possible deals to limit nuclear weapons being thrashed out.

Donald Trump has said he would consider dropping sanctions on Russia if the country agreed to work with the U.S on key objectives, such as tackling terrorism.  Trump said, “I understand that they [the Russians] would like to meet, and that’s absolutely fine with me.”

One source close to the president-elect said, “The idea of a summit with Putin is definitely on the cards. The Russians are also keen on it.”

Playing Putin’s Ego

One of Trump’s advisers said the U.S had leverage as Putin wants to be a player on the world stage.  He said, “What does Putin want?   Prestige — centre stage at the sum­mit, the one-on-one meet­ing, the hand on the back from Trump. That gives the US tremendous leverage. Mr Trump is master of the photo op and he will use that skill.”

Britain Concerned

According to The Times newspaper, Britain is not so happy about Trump and Putin developing close ties.  Britain has called for sanctions on Russia over Syria and Ukraine and it has sought reassurances from the CIA that British agents will be protected when intelligence is shared.

One British intelligence source said, “Until we have established whe­ther Trump and senior mem­­bers of his team can be trusted, we’re going to hold back. Putting­ it bluntly, we can’t risk betraying sources and methods to the Russians.”

Theresa May is set to meet with Trump in February.  The feeling is that the British government is fearing it could be left out in the cold.

 

 

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Politics

Donald Trump’s Groping Women’s Genitalia Comment Unacceptable – Theresa May

British Prime Minister Theresa May said that Donald Trump’s comments about groping women’s genitalia were unacceptable, although she added she was looking forward to her state visit later on in the year, and that she had “very good positive conversations” since his election win.

She also added that she was “optimistic and positive for the future”.

During the campaign a historical tape of Trump emerged in which he said, “And when you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything … Grab them by the p****. You can do anything.”

When asked about the comment on Sky News, May replied, “I think that’s unacceptable. But in fact Donald Trump has said that and has apologised for it.  The relationship that the UK has with the United States is about something much bigger than the relationship between the two individuals as President and Prime Minister.

“I’ve had two very good, positive conversations with Donald Trump already, from the conversations I’ve had I think we’re going to look to build on that relationship for the benefit of both the US and the UK. I think that’s something that’s optimistic and positive for the future.

“It’s a relationship where actually in the UK we feel we can say to the US if we disagree with something they’re doing.”

With Britain due to trigger Article 50 next year and leave the EU, it is believed that relationships with America will become more important as the country redefines itself in the world.

Earlier, Trump tweeted that he was looking forward to meeting Theresa May next year.  In a tweet he wrote, “I look very much forward to meeting Prime Minister Theresa May in Washington in the spring. Britain, a longtime U.S. ally, is very special!”

This is believed to have further positive outcomes as the relationship between Trump and Nigel Farage has embarrassed the British Government thus far.