Trump prompted international outcry with his remark. He had also asked why any immigrants should be allowed from such countries, instead of “more people from Norway.”
The Washington Post – Trump attacks protections for immigrants from ‘shithole’ countries
AP News – Trump: Why allow immigrants from ‘shithole countries’?
Reuters – ‘Thanks, but no thanks’ – Norwegians reject Trump’s immigration offer
The military refused the request, noting that a military parade with such vehicles would rip up city streets.
The Hill – Trump team wanted military vehicles in inaugural parade: report
New York Post – Military refused Trump’s bid to parade missile launchers at inauguration
The tweet was made amid the announcement of U.S. plans to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum.
The Washington Post – Actually, trade wars aren’t good or easy to win
The remark was made while responding to reporters at a NATO summit.
It wasn’t the first time he referred to himself as a “stable genius,” having also said so in a tweet some six months earlier.
CNN – Trump to reporter: I’m a very stable genius
CNN – Trump: I’m a very stable genius
The comment was part of several tweets responding to the publishing of Michael Wolff’s Fire and Fury, a book about the White House’s dysfunction. He later repeated the remark at a NATO summit.
Two of the Americans had been held for a year, while the third had been held for three years.
As Trump welcomed them upon their return, he remarked, “We want to thank Kim Jong-un, who really was excellent to these three incredible people.” Trump went on to say to the three Americans, “I think you probably broke the all-time-in-history television rating for 3 o’clock in the morning.”
The New York Times – Trump Exults in Release of Prisoners and a Date Next Month With Kim Jong-un
The New York Times – Trump Greets 3 American Detainees Freed From North Korea
Politico – Trump thanks Kim Jong Un as he welcomes home detainees from North Korea
USA Today – Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer slams Trump’s kind words for Kim Jong Un
During the event, Trump spoke repeatedly about arming teachers. Rhonda Hart, mother of a 14 year old victim of the Texas school shooting, said of Trump that “it was like talking to a toddler.”
Independent – ‘It was like talking to a toddler’: Trump ‘kept mentioning’ arming teachers in meeting with Texas school shooting survivors
MSNBC – Grieving mother after meeting Trump: ‘It was like talking to a toddler’
He explained, “One of the things with the wall is you need transparency, you have to be able to see through it. In other words, if you can’t see through that wall – so it could be a steel wall with openings, but you have to have openings because you have to see what’s on the other side of the wall.”
In another instance, he said the need for transparent walls was from the possibility of harm from projectiles from the southern side. Trump explained, “as horrible as it sounds, when they throw the large sacks of drugs over, and if you have people on the other side of the wall, you don’t see them–they hit you on the head with 60 pounds of the stuff? It’s over.”
He reiterated the need for a see-through wall during a subsequent press conference, where he noted that it would be “a more powerful wall and a more beautiful wall.”
Business Insider – Trump says his wall along the US-Mexico border will have to be see-through so people don’t get hit with giant sacks of drugs
Business Insider – Trump doubles down on the need for a ‘see-through’ border wall because he wants ‘to be able to see’
USA Today – ‘A WALL is a WALL!’ Trump declares. But his definition has shifted a lot over time
Wired – Let’s Talk About Trump, Border Walls, and Flying Heroin
The Executive Order removed guidelines allowing transgender students to use the public school bathrooms that match their identity. The original order threatened to be withheld for institutions that failed to comply.
The administration later rolled back gender anti-discriminatory measures for healthcare and housing.
The Washington Post – Trump administration rolls back protections for transgender students
The New York Times – Trump Rescinds Rules on Bathrooms for Transgender Students
Reuters – Trump revokes Obama guidelines on transgender bathrooms
Trump said repeatedly before and after the election that his tax returns would eventually be released, but couldn’t because they were under perpetual audit. Being under audit does not deny one the ability to share them.
After the House subpoenaed his financial records from the IRS, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin defied the subpoena.
Trump filed suits against the US House Ways and Means Committee and the state of New York to prevent his taxes from being obtained. His legal team’s contention was that a sitting president enjoys “absolute immunity from criminal process of any kind.”
After being stuck in appeals, the Supreme Court decided to review both legal cases, Trump v. Mazars US, LLP and Trump v. Deutsche Bank AG. A decision is still pending.
The Wall Street Journal – Trump Sues House Panel, New York Officials to Protect State Tax Returns
The New York Times – Trump Taxes: President Ordered to Turn Over Returns to Manhattan D.A.
The Hill – Judge puts new hold on Democrats’ lawsuit seeking Trump tax returns
The New York Times – Supreme Court to Rule on Release of Trump’s Financial Records
Wikipedia – Tax returns of Donald Trump
