Cliff Sims: Presumed leaker, liar, exaggerator according to WH reports
“Who is this guy?” That’s what President Donald Trump is asking his aides this week about Alabama-native and former Yellowhammer Multimedia CEO Cliff Sims. Sims, a virtually unknown former aide in Trump’s communications shop, has written a tell-all book about his time in the administration that’s scheduled to be published Tuesday, and Trump is trying to figure out exactly who the guy is. “Who is this guy? Why is he writing this book? He wasn’t even in meetings,” sources told POLITICO Trump was asking around the White House. Sims role in the White House and the sleight of hand he’s using to describe his time there may to be just another magic trick, using an analogy once described by a former blogger and classmate of his, West Honeycutt. In a now deleted editorial, available in archive mode, on the blog Sweet Home Alabama, Honeycutt described Sims early years in Alabama politics saying, “For the past several years, Alabamians have been wooed, wowed, tricked and duped.” Sentiments that Trump officials now believe Sims are trying to use on the American public and media. But from Sims’ perspective, Trump should know he is. At least that’s what he’s insinuating to the world in his memoir, ‘Team of Vipers: My 500 Extraordinary Days in the Trump White House’ and on the media tour he’s currently on to promote the book. Nevertheless, Sims former colleagues have little good to say about him. “Basically every warring faction has come together,” to push back against Sims, a former senior White House official told POLITICO. “You wouldn’t believe the text chains. The best part is the president is sort of chomping at the bit to tap this guy and tweet something to the effect of, ‘I didn’t know who this guy was. He taped videos.’” Presumed leaker In the book, Sims details how he sat down with Trump to create what Sims dubbed an “enemies list” of possible leakers in the administration. “Give me their names,” he said, his eyes narrowing. “I want these people out of here. I’m going to take care of this. We’re going to get rid of all the snakes, even the bottom-feeders.” Only in retrospect did I see how remarkable this was. I was sitting there with the President of the United States basically compiling an enemies list — but these enemies were within his own administration. If it had been a horror movie, this would have been the moment when everyone suddenly realizes the call is coming from inside the house. The President proceeded to name White House staffer after White House staffer. Almost no one was deemed beyond reproach—not his chief of staff, not senior aides, almost no one other than those with whom he shared a last name. He wanted me to help him judge their loyalty. How, I wondered, had it come to this? But now, current White House officials are claiming Sims was the actual “enemy” and leaker the White House was trying to pinpoint. Fired? News broke in May 2018 that Sims left the White House for a “promotion” at the State Department. But Inside Alabama Politics (IAP) later revealed they discovered Sims was not promoted, but rather fired by the White House; he was never offered a new gig. Now, the Trump administration is claiming Sims was caught recording the president on his government cell phone and then sending it to his personal cell phone. Ultimately the Secret Service caught on and then-Chief of Staff John Kelly fired him. While Sims doesn’t own that he was fired in his new book — rather he explained to Good Morning America on Monday that when he decided to resign he forwarded videos and photos from his government phone to his personal phone as momentos — he does say that he had hoped to work Secretary of State Mike Pompeo after his White House exit, but was thwarted by Trump’s then-chief of staff, John Kelly. ‘When I was leaving the White House, I looked at my government phone. It’s on my government phone. If you want to hide something, you don’t put it on your government phone. Looking through pictures and videos -just things I wanted save when I left. I emailed it to myself when I resigned,” he told Good Morning America. He proffered his resignation letter as proof things went down according to his word. “Actually, I thought they might try to set something up like this. And I brought my resignation paper for the White House. Reason for resignation? To pursue another opportunity in the administration,” Sims added.
White House tries to hold jittery GOP in line on shutdown
The White House is trying to hold jittery congressional Republicans in line on the 19th day of the partial government shutdown, with no end in sight to the impasse over President Donald Trump‘s demand for a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. There’s growing concern about the toll the shutdown is taking on everyday Americans, including disruptions in payments to farmers and trouble for home buyers who are seeking government-backed mortgage loans — “serious stuff,” according to Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, urged colleagues to approve spending bills that would reopen various agencies, “so that whether it’s the Department of the Interior or it is the IRS, those folks can get back to work. I’d like to see that.” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, called the standoff “completely unnecessary and contrived. People expect their government to work. … This obviously is not working.” Trump was to get a personal sense of the concern —and perhaps questions about his strategy — from those in his own party at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. But there was no sign that he was backing down from his demand for $5.7 billion for the border wall in exchange for ending the shutdown. Late in the day, Democratic and Republican congressional leaders were to return to the White House to meet with him and renew negotiations that have shown no apparent progress in the past week. Tuesday night, speaking to the nation from the Oval Office for the first time, Trump argued that the wall was needed to resolve a security and humanitarian “crisis.” He blamed illegal immigration for what he said was a scourge of drugs and violence in the U.S. and asked: “How much more American blood must we shed before Congress does its job?” Democrats in response accused Trump appealing to “fear, not facts” and manufacturing a border crisis for political gain. The White House was trying to shore up GOP support even before Trump spoke. At a private meeting with House Republicans, Vice President Mike Pence cited a C.S. Lewis quote calling courage a virtue, and he said Trump has no plans to retreat. “That pickup ain’t got reverse in it,” Pence said, according to people familiar with the conversation. But a growing number of Republicans are uncomfortable with the toll the partial shutdown is taking, and Trump’s response to it. They are particularly concerned about the administration’s talk of possibly declaring a national emergency at the border, seeing that as an unprecedented claim on the right of Congress to allocate funding except in the most dire circumstances. “I prefer that we get this resolved the old-fashioned way,” Thune said. Trump did not mention that idea Tuesday night. Trump plans a visit to the border Thursday as he continues to argue for the wall that was a signature promise of his 2016 presidential campaign. He addressed the nation as the shutdown stretched through its third week, with hundreds of thousands of federal workers going without pay. He claimed the standoff could be resolved in “45 minutes” if Democrats would just negotiate, but previous meetings have led to no agreement. For now, Trump sees this as winning politics. TV networks had been reticent about providing him airtime to make what some feared would be a purely political speech. And that concern was heightened by the decision Tuesday by Trump’s re-election campaign to send out fundraising emails and text messages to supporters trying to raise money off the speech. Their goal: a half-million dollars in a day. “I just addressed the nation on Border Security. Now need you to stand with me,” read one message sent out after his remarks. In their own televised remarks, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Trump of misrepresenting the situation on the border as they urged him to reopen closed government departments and turn loose paychecks for federal workers. Negotiations on wall funding could proceed in the meantime, they said. Schumer said Trump “just used the backdrop of the Oval Office to manufacture a crisis, stoke fear and divert attention from the turmoil in his administration.” In his dire address, Trump ticked off a string of statistics and claims to make his case that there is a crisis at the border, but a number of his statements were misleading, such as saying the new trade deal with Mexico would pay for the wall, or suggesting through gruesome examples that immigrants are more likely to commit crimes. Trump, who has long railed against illegal immigration at the border, has recently seized on humanitarian concerns to argue there is a broader crisis that can only be solved with a wall. But critics say the security risks are overblown and the administration is at least partly to blame for the humanitarian situation. Trump used emotional language, referring to Americans who were killed by people in the country illegally, saying: “I’ve met with dozens of families whose loved ones were stolen by illegal immigration. I’ve held the hands of the weeping mothers and embraced the grief-stricken fathers. So sad. So terrible.” The president often highlights such incidents, though studies over several years have found immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than people born in the United States. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Hill leaders to attend White House briefing on border
Democratic and Republican congressional leaders are expected to attend a briefing on border security at the White House as the government remains partially shut down and President Donald Trump asks in a tweet, “Let’s make a deal?” The partial government shutdown began on Dec. 22. Funding for Trump’s pet project, a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, has been the sticking point in passing budgets for several government departments. The briefing is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, the day before Democrats are to assume control of the House and end the Republican monopoly on government. The exact agenda, however, was not immediately clear, according to a person with knowledge of the briefing who was not authorized to speak publicly about the issue and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the top incoming House Republicans — Kevin McCarthy of California and Steve Scalise of Louisiana — planned to attend, according to aides. The departing House speaker, Paul Ryan, was not expected. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, who is expected to become speaker on Thursday, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer planned to attend. Pelosi said Tuesday that Democrats would take action to “end the Trump Shutdown” by passing legislation Thursday to reopen government. “We are giving the Republicans the opportunity to take yes for an answer,” she wrote in a letter to colleagues. “Senate Republicans have already supported this legislation, and if they reject it now, they will be fully complicit in chaos and destruction of the President’s third shutdown of his term.” The White House invitation came Tuesday after House Democrats released their plan to re-open the government without approving money for a border wall — unveiling two bills to fund shuttered government agencies and put hundreds of thousands of federal workers back on the job. They planned to pass them as soon as the new Congress convenes Thursday. Responding to the Democratic plan, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders late Tuesday night called it a “non-starter” and said it won’t re-open the government “because it fails to secure the border and puts the needs of other countries above the needs of our own citizens.” Trump spent the weekend saying Democrats should return to Washington to negotiate, firing off Twitter taunts. After aides suggested there would not necessarily be a traditional wall as Trump had described since his presidential campaign, Trump stated that he really still wanted to build a border wall. On Tuesday morning, after tweeting a New Year’s message to “EVERYONE INCLUDING THE HATERS AND THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA,” Trump tweeted: “The Democrats, much as I suspected, have allocated no money for a new Wall. So imaginative! The problem is, without a Wall there can be no real Border Security.” But he seemed to shift tactics later in the day, appealing to Pelosi. “Border Security and the Wall ‘thing’ and Shutdown is not where Nancy Pelosi wanted to start her tenure as Speaker! Let’s make a deal?” he tweeted. Whether the Republican-led Senate would consider the Democratic bills — or if Trump would sign either into law — was unclear. McConnell spokesman Donald Stewart said Senate Republicans would not take action without Trump’s backing. “It’s simple: The Senate is not going to send something to the president that he won’t sign,” Stewart said. Even if only symbolic, the passage of the bills in the House would put fresh pressure on the president. At the same time, administration officials said Trump was in no rush for a resolution to the impasse. Trump believes he has public opinion on his side and, at very least, his base of supporters behind him, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The Democratic package to end the shutdown would include one bill to temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security at current levels — with $1.3 billion for border security, far less than the $5 billion Trump has said he wants for the wall — through Feb. 8 as talks continued. It would also include another measure to fund the departments of Agriculture, Interior, Housing and Urban Development and others closed by the partial shutdown. It would provide money through the remainder of the fiscal year, to Sept. 30. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
White House digs in on border wall demand, risking shutdown
The White House on Sunday pushed the federal government closer to the brink of a partial shutdown later this week, digging in on its demand for $5 billion to build a border wall as congressional Democrats stood firm against it. “We’re going to do whatever is necessary to build the border wall to stop this ongoing crisis of illegal immigration,” said White House senior adviser Stephen Miller. Asked if that meant having a government shutdown, he said: “If it comes to it, absolutely.” Trump said last week he would be “proud” to have a shutdown to get Congress to approve a $5 billion down payment to fulfill his campaign promise to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. But the president doesn’t have the votes from the Republican-controlled Congress to support funding for the wall at that level. Democratic congressional leaders, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, have proposed no more than $1.6 billion, as outlined in a bipartisan Senate bill. The money would not go for the wall but for fencing upgrades and other border security. Democrats also offered to simply keep funding at its current level, $1.3 billion. Showing no signs of budging, Schumer said Sunday that it was up to Trump to decide whether parts of the federal government shut down at midnight Friday over his border wall, sending thousands of federal employees home without pay during the holidays. About one-quarter of the government would be affected, including the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Agriculture, State and Justice, as well as national parks. “He is not going to get the wall in any form,” Schumer said. Both parties in Congress have suggested that Trump would likely need to make the next move to resolve the impasse. The House is taking an extended weekend break, returning Wednesday night. The Senate returns Monday after a three-day absence. Trump had neither accepted nor rejected the Democrats’ proposal as of Friday, according to the Democrats, telling them he would take a look. Trump will need Democratic votes either way, now or in the new year, for passage. Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the No. 3 Republican in the Senate, said Republicans remain hopeful they can come up with a proposal that can be acceptable to Trump and pass both chambers. He suggested that could take the form of a stopgap bill that extends funding until January, or a longer-term bill that includes money for border security. “There are a lot of things you need to do with border security,” he said. “One is a physical barrier but also the technology, the manpower, the enforcement, all of those things, and our current laws are in some ways an incentive for people to come to this country illegally, and they go through great risk and possibly great harm.” Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, urged senators to revisit a bill she helped push earlier this year that would provide $2.5 billion for border security, including physical barriers as well as technology and border patrol agents. “There’s absolutely no excuse to shut down government on this issue or any other issue,” she said. Schumer declined to say whether Democrats would be willing to consider proposals other than the two options that he and Pelosi offered. Republicans “should join us in one of these two proposals, which would get more than enough votes passed and avoid a shutdown,” Schumer said. “Then, if the president wants to debate the wall next year, he can. I don’t think he’ll get it. But he shouldn’t use innocent workers as hostage for his temper tantrum.” Miller and Barrasso spoke on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Schumer appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” and Collins was on ABC’s “This Week.” Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Donald Trump’s White House in search of new chief of staff
President Donald Trump is considering at least four people to serve as his next chief of staff, after plans for an orderly succession for departing John Kelly fell through. The high-profile hiring search comes at a pivotal time as the Republican president looks to prepare his White House for the twin challenges of securing his re-election and fending off expected congressional investigations once Democrats gain control of the House next year. Trump’s top pick for the job, Nick Ayers, announced Sunday that he would instead be leaving the White House, surprising even senior staffers who believed the move was a done deal. Trump is now soliciting input on at least four people, including Office of Management and Budget director Mick Mulvaney and Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., the chair of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. Ayers, who is chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence, was seen as the favorite for the job when Trump announced Saturday that Kelly would leave around year’s end. But a White House official said Sunday that Trump and Ayers could not reach agreement on Ayers’ length of service and that he would instead assist the president from outside the administration. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive personnel matters. Ayers confirmed the decision in a tweet Sunday, thanking Trump and Pence for giving him the opportunity to work in the White House. “I will be departing at the end of the year but will work with the #MAGA team to advance the cause,” he said. Trump offered his own take on the development: “I am in the process of interviewing some really great people for the position of White House Chief of Staff. Fake News has been saying with certainty it was Nick Ayers, a spectacular person who will always be with our #MAGA agenda. I will be making a decision soon!” Even senior White House officials were caught off guard Sunday by the news of Ayers’ departure. No obvious successor to Kelly was in sight, and there was some fretting that Trump may not be able to fill the job by the time Kelly leaves. Ayers and Trump had discussed the job for months, making the breakdown Sunday all the more surprising. Trump said Saturday that he expected to announce a replacement for Kelly in a day or two. But with Ayers no longer waiting in the wings, Trump may now take until the end of the year, according to a person close to the president. And it remains unclear who wants the job. Mulvaney, the budget director, was not interested in becoming chief of staff, according to a person close to him who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Mulvaney has been saying for almost two months now that he would be more interested in becoming commerce or treasury secretary if that would be helpful to the president, the person said. Also among those thought to be in the mix were Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who said in a CBS interview that he hadn’t spoken to anyone at the White House about the job and was “entirely focused” on his position. The White House official said that, while the president likes Lighthizer, he is reluctant to move him from his current post because of the ongoing high-stakes trade negotiations with China and others. And a person familiar with Mnuchin’s thinking said he, too, was happy with his work at Treasury and had not sought the job of chief of staff. Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker and Trump’s former deputy campaign manager David Bossie were also among the names being floated by some close to the White House Sunday. Trump’s administration has set records for staff turnover, and he has often struggled to attract experienced political professionals, a challenge that has grown more difficult by the upcoming threat of costly Democratic oversight investigations and an uncertain political environment. Democrats, who will be assuming control of the House of Representatives next year, are expected to take full advantage of their new subpoena power to investigate everything from the actions of Trump administration officials to the president’s business dealings, flooding the White House with inquiries. In any administration, the role of White House chief of staff is split between the responsibilities of supervising the White House and managing the man sitting in the Oval Office. Striking that balance in the turbulent times of Trump has bedeviled Kelly and his predecessor, Reince Priebus, and will be the defining challenge for whoever is selected next. Kelly, whose last day on the job is set to be Jan. 2, had been credited with imposing order on a chaotic West Wing after his arrival in June 2017 from his post as homeland security secretary. But his iron fist also alienated some longtime Trump allies, and over time he grew increasingly isolated. Trump wants his next chief of staff to hold the job through the 2020 election, the officials said. Ayers, who has young triplets, had long planned to leave the administration at the end of the year and had only agreed to serve in an interim basis through next spring. Ayers had earned the backing of the president’s influential daughter and son-in-law, White House advisers Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, but was viewed warily by other aides. Ayers will run a pro-Trump super PAC, according to a person familiar with his plans but not authorized to discuss them by name. Pence’s deputy chief of staff, Jarrod Agen, is expected to assume Ayers’ role for the vice president. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Steve Marshall talks illegal immigration, drug trafficking at White House event
Concerned with border security and the crime associated with cross-border drug trafficking and illegal immigration, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall accepted an invitation to the White House to participate in a panel discussion on Monday about cooperation between federal, state, and local government in protecting national borders. Chaired by Mercy Schlapp, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor for Strategic Communications, the panel consisted of Marshall, along with CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan, ICE Deputy Director Ron Vitiello, U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA), Governor Doug Ducey (R-AZ), and Cochise County, Arizona, Sheriff Mark J. Dannels in a discussion in the East Room of the White House. “Due to our state’s proximity to Atlanta, a major distribution point for drugs, and to Texas, a border state, Alabama has become a prime transit point for drug trafficking,” said Marshall. “We see marijuana, cocaine, meth, and now illicit fentanyl coming into our state as a result. The drug trade brings dangerous and violent illegal aliens into Alabama. Just this summer, our state was rocked by the brutal murder of a special needs 13-year-old girl—killed by affiliates of the Mexican drug cartel. I am grateful to the President and the White House for allowing me to share the observations of Alabama law enforcement and our citizens.” The day also featured an immigration a ceremony with President Donald Trump‘s that honored the men and women of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). There, agents, ho have been caught in the crosshairs of the immigration policy debate as they uphold their sworn duty to enforce the law, were brought to the podium to note their achievements in addressing unlawful border crossings and stemming the flow of illicit drugs. “As the chief law enforcement officer of the State of Alabama, I want to thank each member of ICE and CBP for your courage and your loyalty to enforcing the laws of this country in the face of irresponsible rhetoric and meritless attacks,” added Marshall. “The people of Alabama thank you, too. The work of ICE and CBP has a direct connection to the safety of the citizenry that extends far beyond those states that are on the border.” Marshall continued, “A shared mission and strong partnership between state and local law enforcement and the brave agents of ICE and CBP are in the best interest of public safety and I am pleased with the coordination that I see in Alabama. But in the immigration debate, public safety is not the only threat we must contend with. The rule of law—America’s bedrock principle—is under attack as well.” Marshall singled out Trump and former Alabama U.S. Senator, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions for their strong support of border security. “Under the previous administration, amnesty programs were unconstitutionally initiated by executive fiat and without any action from Congress. The former United States Attorney General turned a blind eye to sanctuary cities that brazenly refused to work with ICE and CBP,” said Marshall. “The Justice Department also failed to cooperate with Congress when Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was killed in relation to a botched gunwalking operation. Thanks to the leadership of President Trump, Attorney General Sessions, and Secretary [Kristjen] Nielsen, we have finally begun to see the pendulum swing in the other direction. But the work is far from over. We must secure our borders and we must restore respect for the rule of law throughout this country. The men and women of ICE and CBP are critical to securing our borders, and Attorneys General—I believe—must play a major role in restoring the rule of law.” Watch the White House panel discussion below:
White House admits error for false claim on African-American employment
The White House has acknowledged error in its false claim that President Donald Trump created three times as many jobs for African-Americans than President Barack Obama. It was a rare admission of fault for an administration that frequently skews data and overstates economic gains. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Twitter late Tuesday that she had been wrong earlier that day when she told reporters that Obama created only 195,000 jobs for African-Americans during his tenure compared with Trump’s 700,000 new jobs in just two years. The U.S. economy actually added about 3 million jobs for black workers during Obama’s tenure, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “President Trump in his first year and a half has already tripled what President Obama did in eight years,” she told reporters during a Tuesday press briefing. But that assertion is false. Official statistics show black jobs went from 15.5 million when Obama took office in January 2008 to 18.4 million when he left in January 2017. In fact, the most dramatic drop in black unemployment came during the Obama administration as the nation climbed out of a crippling recession. Unemployment of black workers fell from 16.8 percent in March 2010 to 7.8 percent in January 2017. It is true that black workers under Trump have continued to see gains, reaching a record low of 5.9 percent in May. Still, black unemployment rate is now nearly double that of whites, which is 3.4 percent. Sanders tweeted Tuesday: “Jobs numbers for Pres Trump and Pres Obama were correct, but the time frame for Pres Obama wasn’t. I’m sorry for the mistake, but no apologies for the 700,000 jobs for African-Americans created under President Trump.” Sanders linked to a tweet by the White House Council of Economic Advisers, which claimed responsibility for the “miscommunication.” Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Omarosa Magingault-Newman is the poster child for demonstrating why Donald Trump needs professional staff
It’s no secret Donald Trump’s campaign and original White House staff was made up of what can best be described as a hodgepodge of questionable talent in staff and leadership. Clearly those on the front line from the beginning were relentless in their efforts, which combined with the right candidate at the right time in history made all the difference in the world but enough already with amateur hour. We need professionals not reality t.v. stars and want to be celebrities working in the White House. The challenge however was that many lacked the professionalism or experience that would generally be required in a national election and the fallout from their flying by the seat of their pants has continued to be felt on a regular basis. Unforced errors that experienced campaign and policy experts would have prevented, or altogether seen coming, have haunted the administration since its earliest days. The problem: The republican primary had so many talented and well known candidates that most A-list, experienced, well known and well respected campaign staff went to others before Trump got into the race. Very few people, including myself, took Trump’s candidacy seriously and most people around the process heaped on the criticism of Trump’s unorthodox and unconventional style and messaging. So when the dust settled and Trump won the primary there were few people untainted with on the record comments or public declarations publicly speaking out about Trump. This left few people with the ability to integrate into his and his leaderships circle of trust for the general election or more importantly to move into critical positions within the White House. Multiple candidates for jobs within both the White House and at federal agencies found themselves having offers receded once Trump loyalists found disparaging remarks critical of him months and even years old. That brings me to today, where the issue of Trump’s staff is back at the center of conversation due to Omarosa Manigault-Newman’s wild claims about the White House and the president while out promoting her upcoming book. She’s been on a tear about the goings on at 1600 Penn. Not that a week has gone by without something in the press about White House staff or members of the president’s cabinet. The media coverage has been relentless as incredibly high staff turnover, as reported by the Associated Press, has given them a lot to run with. Manigault-Newman’s not just stirring the pot with her outlandish claims and the bad guy persona that everyone is used to seeing from her in her reality t.v. appearances — she’s breached one of the most fundamental staff qualities found in politics: loyalty. People within the political process know that trust is so critical to the job that even when you work with or for people you lose trust in, you recognize that you need to respect the office and the institution you’re working for and when your time is up you bow out gracefully. There is no higher honor than to be able to work in the West Wing of the White House. Though to even to be in the EEOB or in an executive position at an agency and to be able to influence national policy one is an honor. When Omarosa recorded her termination by John Kelly, as well as at least one conversation with the president himself, she crossed a line that she can never recover from and she proved that she never respected the people around her or the opportunity she was given. This seems like a good opportunity to point out that what the issue with Omarosa’s presence in the White House was that she and others never seemed to grasp the tremendous opportunity that they were given and used it (or are using it) for selfish reasons. She, like several others before her (anyone remember Anthony Scaramucci?) didn’t take their roles seriously. The infighting of White House staff jockeying for access to Trump or opportunities to hurt personal political foes in the media with damaging leaks are indicative of a greater problem. Her firing and the fallout that is happening around her hiring to start with, is a good reminder that Trump needs more professional staff. Trump and Kelly need to clean house of the problem people, the leakers, the unprofessionals, the backstabbers, the disloyal and those who just don’t see the bigger picture. What’s more they need to bring in stronger more experienced people who can put their heads down and get their jobs done. While the media and Trump opponents seek to vilify those who go to work for for this administration from the first day they walk into their jobs it hasn’t stopped those who know that to fill those positions is to heed a higher calling one of service to our nation. The left says Trump’s staff should be heckled and bullied and belittled. But the fact is that the White House is a hallowed place to work and the work that is done there is critical to every aspect of our nation from national security, to the running the economy, looking for healthcare solutions, addressing our nations failing education system and more. Those who discourage capable, competent people working in this administration are ultimately not doing a disservice to Donald Trump, or the Republican Party, but rather to every individual living on U.S. soil. Trump is our President, much to the dismay of his opponents. Their constant attacks on those who serve in his administration, isn’t going to change the reality that Trump won the election. We as a nation need to take a step back and applaud those who take the jobs that put them on the front lines of criticism and scorn. We need to encourage those who are afraid to take that heat to step up and do so because their service, their wisdom, their professionalism is needed. As hard as it must be to work in such an chaotic environment the costs of having no institutional wisdom and having
Ronda Walker represents Montgomery County at White House meeting
Vice Chairman of the Montgomery County Commission Ronda Walker is in Washington, D.C. representing the county as part of the Alabama and Louisiana White House Conference. “It’s critical that we on the local level engage with our state government as well as the federal government to discuss issues that are important to Alabamians,” Walker told WSFA-12. There, the group will discuss topics such as energy, agriculture, infrastructure and education and how the White House can help meet the two state’s needs. “We want to take advantage of this opportunity,” Walker added to WSFA. “They need to know all the good that is happening here in Alabama and also be made aware of the needs we have. We are very close to the people we represent and it’s important we convey what matters.” Walker took to Facebook on Thursday to share her excitement over the trip. “Proud to represent Montgomery County at the Alabama Leadership meeting at the White House today,” she posted. She was also interviewed outside the White House about her meetings.
Donald Trump White House sets turnover records
President Donald Trump has seen staff turnover in excess of 37 percent over the calendar year ending June 30, an AP analysis of White House filings shows. According to the most recent filing, 141 staffers who worked for the president at that point last year are gone, with 138 new arrivals. The figures don’t include those who arrived and departed during the year — like short-lived communications director Anthony Scaramucci — or those who departed before June 30, 2017. Trump’s White House is setting records for attrition, said the White House Transition Project’s Martha Joynt Kumar. Some 61 percent of Trump’s senior-most aides have left the White House. Only Bill Clinton’s 42 percent comes close for the last five administrations. The White House’s annual salary disclosure to Congress shows that more than 170 staffers received raises over that period, largely reflecting promotions. Jordan Karem, the former deputy director of advance and now the director of Oval Office operations, received a $50,000 raise to $165,000. First Lady Melania Trump’s spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, received a $40,000 bump to $155,000. Research director Adam Kennedy, who was previously the deputy, received a $38,000 increase. Sylvia Davis, a deputy policy coordinator, received the largest increase. She now makes 121 percent, or $85,000, more than the $70,000 she made as an assistant staff secretary. New employees include National Security Adviser John Bolton, who makes the maximum $179,700 and deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley, who takes in $130,000 annually. Senior advisers Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump still draw no salary, according to the latest disclosure. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Did Yellowhammer founder Cliff Sims get fired from the White House? That’s what IAP is saying
In 2017, Alabama’s own Cliff Sims was plucked from relative obscurity, running a statewide political blog, and given a plum job in the Donald Trump campaign and later White House where he served as special assistant to the president overseeing White House messaging strategy. News broke in May that Sims left the White House for a “promotion” at the State Department. But Inside Alabama Politics (IAP) on Friday revealed they discovered Sims was not promoted, but rather fired by the White House, and was never offered a new gig. IAP reported: The world can rest easier knowing Cliff Sims is not at the side of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, advising him during the negotiations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and other foreign matters. Especially since Sims, a 34-year old Enterprise native and former lead singer for a rock band called Moses, has zero foreign affairs experience. Politico reported Sims was officially offered a job working closely with Secretary Pompeo, however Sims was never offered a job, according to several sources. … A Senate insider familiar with Sim’s White House departure who spoke to IAP on the condition they remain anonymous said, “Cliff was fired, but it wasn’t the football incident, also reported by Politico, that got him fired, it was the leaks coming from the communications office. The leaks he was providing to some in the media.” Some also expect it was Sims, identified only as a White House junior aide, in a New York Times article last month, who allegedly taped meetings with the President and played those recordings to impress friends. Alabama Today has reached out to both Sims and the White House for confirmation. We will update this story accordingly should either respond.
Donald Trump meeting with Apple’s Tim Cook on trade
President Donald Trump says he’s “looking forward” to meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook at the White House Wednesday. Trump says in a tweet that they “will be talking about many things, including how the U.S. has been treated unfairly for many years, by many countries, on trade.” The president is set to host Cook in the Oval Office a day after Cook attended Trump’s state dinner Tuesday night for French President Emmanuel Macron. Trump has had a fraught relationship with the electronics company, criticizing Apple on Twitter over its decision not to cooperate with law enforcement on breaching its phone encryption and the size of the screens on iPhones. But Trump has praised the company’s planned investment in the U.S. after the passage of last year’s tax cuts. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
