More headlines: Donald Trump on Homeland Security
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Bar transgender troops from enlisting in military
The Defense Department has approved a new policy that will largely bar transgender troops & military recruits from transitioning to another sex, and require most individuals to serve in their birth gender. The memo falls short of the all-out transgender
ban that was initially ordered by President Donald Trump. But it will likely force the military to eventually discharge transgender individuals who need hormone treatments or surgery and can't or won't serve in their birth gender.Under the new rules,
currently serving transgender troops and anyone who has signed an enlistment contract by April 12 may continue with plans for hormone treatments and gender transition if they have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria. But after April 12, no one with
gender dysphoria who is taking hormones or has transitioned to another gender will be allowed to enlist. And any currently serving troops diagnosed with gender dysphoria after April 12 will be barred from taking hormones or getting transition surgery.
Source: NBC News on Trump Cabinet, "Transgender Rule"
Mar 13, 2019
Strong military is essential for national security
We have kept our promises to rebuild our military. Eliminating the defense sequester, which is a disaster. And I don't know if you saw the number--$700 billion--you know ultimately that comes before everything else. We can talk about lots of things. If
we don't have a strong military, you may not have your houses, your homes, your beautiful communities. We better take care of our military--these are the greatest people and we're going to take care of our veterans, we're going to take care of the vets.
Source: Speech at the 2018 CPAC Convention
Feb 23, 2018
Negotiate prices for the fantastic new F-35 jet fighter
Since my election, Ford, Fiat-Chrysler, GM, Lockheed, Intel, Walmart, and many others, have announced that they will invest billions in the US and will create tens of thousands of new American jobs. The stock market has gained almost $3 trillion in
value since the election on November 8th, a record. We've saved taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars by bringing down the price of the fantastic new F-35 jet fighter, and will be saving billions more dollars on contracts all across our Government.
Source: 2017 State of the Union address to Congress
Feb 28, 2017
F-35 program out-of-control; cut billions in military costs
President-elect Donald Trump took aim at one of the Pentagon's costliest programs on Monday, saying on Twitter the "program and cost" of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter "is out of control."This is the third time in recent days that Trump has unloaded
on a defense program. Last week, Trump claimed the government's second-largest defense contractor, Boeing Co., had run up costs in the development of new Air Force One aircraft. The developer of the F-35 program is the government's largest defense
contractor, Lockheed Martin Corp.
"Billions of dollars can and will be saved on military (and other) purchases after January 20th," Trump wrote on Twitter, referring to the day he is sworn in as president.
The comment was similar to criticism
Trump made on Fox News Sunday, when he told an interviewer the F-35 program was "out of control."
Trump didn't mention Lockheed or any other company by name in his criticism. He hasn't said how he would push down costs.
Source: Wall Street Journal on 2016 Trump Administration planning
Dec 12, 2016
1990: dealt with helicopter crash that killed three staff
Oct. 10,1989, dawned bright and sunny, a perfect day for flying. The trio of Trump executives from Atlantic City buckled into the helicopter for the trip to Manhattan. Unbeknownst to them, one of the helicopter's blades had a nearly undetectable 2-inch
scrape, which had grown like an untreated wound. The helicopter went down. A New Jersey police official called with the news: no survivors. Three of Trump's most trusted aides, had perished, along with the crew of two.
Trump was devastated.
Trump sat in his office overlooking Central Park and called the families of the three men. "I have terrible news," he said into the phone, again and again. As word spread through the office, aides in the anterooms burst into tears, wailing loudly.
Trump said years later that he learned what it is like when the military informs "the soldiers' families when they're gone. It's a very tough thing to do.." One aide later said Trump sounded, uncharacteristically, as if he was seeking reassurance.
Source: Trump Revealed, by Michael Kranish & Mark Fisher, p.140-3
Aug 23, 2016
Snowden was a spy; if Russia respected us, they'd deport him
Q: Senator Cruz, in 2013, you said you were open to the possibility that Edward Snowden had performed a considerable public service in revealing certain aspects of the NSA procedures. Many of your colleagues, including Senator Rubio, called him a traitor
It took you until January of this year to call him a traitor.CRUZ: As someone who spent much of his life in law enforcement, I believe you should start with the facts and evidence first before ending up with the verdict. When the news first broke of
the US government engaging in massive surveillance on American citizens, that was a very troubling development, and it's why the US Congress acted to correct it. Since then, the evidence is clear that Snowden committed treason.
TRUMP: I will tell
you right from the beginning, I said Snowden was a spy and we should get him back. And if Russia respected our country, they would have sent him back immediately, but he was a spy. It didn't take me a long time to figure that one out. Believe me.
Source: 2016 Fox News GOP debate in Detroit Michigan
Mar 3, 2016
Benghazi was a disaster; Gadhafi couldn't have been worse
Q: Are Americans safer with dictators running the world in the Middle East?TRUMP: In my opinion, we've spent $4 trillion trying to topple various people that frankly, if they were there and if we could've spent that $4 trillion to fix our roads, our
bridges, and all of the other problems, we would've been a lot better off. We have done a tremendous disservice, not only to Middle East, we've done a tremendous disservice to humanity. It's not like we had victory. It's a mess. The Middle East is
totally destabilized.
Carly FIORINA: That is exactly what President Obama said. But let's just start with, who got it wrong? Recall that Hillary Clinton was all for toppling Gadhafi then didn't listen to her own people on the ground. And then when
she lied about the terrorist attack in Benghazi, she invited more terrorist attacks.
TRUMP: Well, people feel differently. I mean, the fact is Benghazi was a disaster because of Libya, everything just fell into place. It could not have been worse.
Source: 2015 CNN/Salem Republican two-tier debate
Dec 15, 2015
Enhanced interrogation a non-issue, compared to terrorism
Q: As president, would you authorize waterboarding and other "enhanced interrogation" techniques?TRUMP: I would be inclined to be very strong, because I have no doubt that that works. I have absolutely no doubt.
Waterboarding used to be such a big controversial subject, and I haven't heard that term in a year now. Because when you see the other side chopping off heads, waterboarding doesn't sound very severe.
Source: ABC This Week 2015 interviews of 2016 presidential hopefuls
Aug 2, 2015
How did W keep us safe? WTC came down during his watch
Sen. Marco RUBIO: I thank God it was George W. Bush in the White House on 9/11 and not Al Gore. He kept us safe.TRUMP: How did he keep us safe when the World Trade Center came down during the reign of George Bush? He kept us safe? That is not "safe,"
Marco. That is not safe.
RUBIO: The World Trade Center came down because Bill Clinton didn't kill Osama bin Laden when he had the chance to kill him.
TRUMP: George Bush had the chance, also, and he didn't listen to the advice of his CIA.
Source: 2016 CBS Republican primary debate in South Carolina
Feb 13, 2016
People saw New Jersey Muslims celebrating after 9/11
Q: Let's talk about your claims around Muslims celebrating in the streets after 9/11. Where did you see this?TRUMP: I saw it on television. So did many other people. It was 14 years ago. But I saw it on television. I saw clips and many people saw
it in person. I've had hundreds of phone calls to the Trump Organization saying, "We saw it. It was dancing in the streets." So many people saw it. And, so, why would I take it back? I'm not going to take it back.
Source: Meet the Press 2015 interviews of 2016 presidential hopefuls
Nov 29, 2015
New Jersey Muslims cheered on 9/11
Q: You raised some eyebrows yesterday with comments you made at your latest rally when you claimed that "thousands and thousands" of Muslims were cheering as the World Trade Center came down on 9/11.
The police say that didn't happen and those rumors have been on the Internet for some time. So did you misspeak yesterday?
TRUMP: It did happen. I saw it. It was on television. There were people that were cheering on the other side of New Jersey, where you have large Arab populations.
They were cheering as the World Trade Center came down. I know it might be not politically correct for you to talk about it, but there were people cheering as those buildings came down. It was well covered at the time.
Source: ABC This Week 2015 interviews of 2016 presidential hopefuls
Nov 22, 2015
Bush should have caught Osama bin Laden
Trump said that his presidential flirtation "doesn't compare with completing one of the great skyscrapers of Manhattan," but he wouldn't rule out a reprise in 2004. That year he did stay on the sidelines, but he occasionally heckled
President Bush for his economic policy, and the war in Iraq, which Trump doubted would produce a stable democracy. The war had been the centerpiece of Bush's response to the attacks on America by the Islamic terror group al- Qaeda on September 11, 2001.
Trump said that if he were president, Osama bin Laden, who led the terrorist group and remained at large, "would have been caught long ago."
Trump's comments about Bush and bin Laden were published in July 2004 by "Esquire" magazine and repeated by the press across the country.
Source: Never Enough, by Michael D`Antonio, p.252
Sep 22, 2015
Page last updated: Jan 03, 2022