The Jewish Home | FEBRUARY 16, 2017
about the nature of his conversations with a Russian envoy.
ambassador. They pointed out that he may be vulnerable to blackmail by Russia in the future.
Trump’s Immigration Order: Still Suspended Shortly after Flynn’s resignation letter was delivered to President Donald Trump, the president formally accepted the resignation and appointed Keith Kellogg, a decorated retired Army lieutenant general, as acting national security adviser. According to a senior White House official, Trump is considering appointing Kellogg as the permanent replacement but David Petraeus, a former CIA director and retired general, and Vice Adm. Robert Harward, a former deputy commander of the U.S. Central Command, are also in the running for the position. Flynn used his resignation letter as a platform to defend his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the U.S., saying he had full intentions to “facilitate a smooth transition” and was trying “to build the necessary relationships” for the new administration. He said he gave “incomplete information” about his conversation with Ambassador Sergey I. Kislyak and had denied that anything substantial had taken place in that conversation. He had repeated that claim in television interviews over the last few weeks. “Unfortunately, because of the fast pace of events, I inadvertently briefed the Vice President-Elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian Ambassador,” Flynn wrote in the letter. “I have sincerely apologized to the President and the Vice President, and they have accepted my apology.” Flynn wrote that he was “honored to have served our nation and the American people in such a distinguished way.” He added, “I also am extremely honored to have served President Trump, who in just three weeks, has reoriented American foreign policy in fundamental ways to restore America’s leadership position in the world.” The Justice Department warned the White House last month that Flynn was not being forthright about his conversations with the Russian
Last week, a federal appeals court panel decided to uphold the freeze on President Trump’s controversial immigration order. This allows previously barred refugees and citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries to enter the U. S. The three judges with U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit unanimously agreed to reject the White House’s argument to suspend the freeze. A 29-page opinion detailed why they did not feel that national security was at risk. Although based on recent media coverage it seems that many Americans are also against the ban, Trump is reporting a very different reality. On Wednesday, the president posted to Twitter and Instagram claiming that a recent poll showed that the “Immigration Ban Is One Of Trump’s Most Popular Orders So Far.” Trump voiced his discontentment on Twitter, just a few minutes after the ruling, tweeting, “SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!” The Justice Department, which was defending the administration’s position, said in a statement that it was “reviewing the decision and considering its options.” What’s the next step? The Justice Department has the ability to ask the Supreme Court to intervene. It is said, though, that the administration may come before the judges in an “en banc” hearing, in which 11 of the 25 active judges on the Ninth Circuit Court will vote on whether or not the court should reconsider its decision. Only three of the Circuit’s Court judges heard the case initially and all three voted against the order. “Further proceedings in the Ninth Circuit will likely inform what
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