Monday, Feb.
20
á Trump named Gen. H. R. McMaster as new national security adviser.
á Trump named retired Gen. Keith Kellogg as chief of staff to the National Security Council.
á Senior National Security Council aide Craig Deare fired for criticizing TrumpÕs and his chief strategist Steve BannonÕs Latin American policies.
á The
FBI pursued at least three separate probes relating to alleged Russian hacking
of the U.S. presidential elections.
á U.S.
troops will stay in Iraq for Òa while,Ó said Defense Secretary Mattis.
Tuesday, Feb.
21
á The
DHS issued a sweeping set of orders to increase immigration enforcement and
instructed all agents to identify, capture and quickly deport every
undocumented immigrant they encounter.
á After
a rising number of threats against the Jewish community, Trump speaks out
against anti-Semitism.
á Trump
administration planned new guidelines on transgender students. Press Secretary
Spicer said it is a statesÕ rights issue.
á DREAMers — undocumented immigrants who came to the
US as children — will not be included in expanded deportation efforts.
á EPA Administrator Pruitt fails to mention climate change
in his first speech to EPA employees.
á House bill HR1213 introduced to require, as a condition on the receipt of Federal funds,
that States require law enforcement agencies to have in effect a policy
regarding the use of body-worn cameras and dashboard cameras.
Wednesday,
Feb. 22
á DHS
Secretary Kelly claimed the U.S. will not conduct mass deportations.
á Trump
reversed guidelines protecting transgender students.
á Sen. Susan Collins suggested the possibility of issuing a subpoena for TrumpÕs tax records as lawmakers probe RussiaÕs interference in last yearÕs election.
Thursday,
Feb. 23
á Secretary of State Tillerson and DHS Secretary Kelly met with Luis Videgaray, MexicoÕs foreign relations secretary, in Mexico City to talk about MexicoÕs mounting unease and resentment over TrumpÕs immigration crackdown. Videgaray said, ÒI want to say clearly and most emphatically that the Mexican government and the Mexican people have no reason to accept unilateral decisions imposed by one government on another.Ó
á Trump described his AdministrationÕs deportation efforts as a Òmilitary operation.Ó
á Trump reportedly
asked business associate Robin Bernstein — a founding member of
TrumpÕs exclusive Mar-a-Lago Club — to be ambassador to the Dominican Republic,
where TrumpÕs company may be pursuing a deal.
Friday, Feb.
24
á Chief
of Staff Reince Priebus asked the FBI to go public and stifle media reports
about communications between TrumpÕs associates and Russians known to U.S.
intelligence during the 2016 presidential campaign. The FBI rejected this
request to stifle media reports.
á Press
secretary Sean Spicer implied the Trump administration will enforce and
criminalize recreational marijuana use saying, ÒYou will see greater enforcement
of it.Ó
á Fifteen law professors filed a letter with the Washington, D.C., bar requesting Kellyanne Conway, TrumpÕs senior advisor and Washington, D.C., attorney, be sanctioned for violating government ethics rules and Òconduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation.Ó
á Sean Spicer, White House press secretary, barred the following journalists from his daily press briefing: The New York Times, BuzzFeed News, CNN, The Los Angeles Times, Politico, the BBC and The Huffington Post. The following reporters, all with conservative leanings, were admitted: Breitbart News, One America News Network, The Washington Times, ABC, CBS, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and Fox News.
á House
bill HR1218 introduced to amend the Social Security
Act to establish a Social Security Surplus Protection Account to hold the
Social Security surplus and a Medicare Surplus Protection Account to hold the
Medicare surplus; to provide for suspension of investment of amounts held in
such Accounts until enactment of legislation providing for investment in
investment vehicles other than obligations of the United States, and to
establish a Social Security and Medicare Part A Investment Commission to make
recommendations for alternative forms of investment of the Social Security and
Medicare surpluses.
Saturday,
Feb. 25
á Homeland
Security spokeswoman Gillian Christensen confirmed that analysts at the DHS
intelligence arm found insufficient evidence that citizens of seven
Muslim-majority countries included in President TrumpÕs travel ban pose a
terror threat to the United States.
á California
Republican Rep. Darrell Issa called for a special prosecutor to oversee the
investigation into Trump associatesÕ contacts with Russia.
Sunday, Feb.
26
á Trump
announced he will not attend this yearÕs White House correspondentsÕ dinner in
April, marking the first time a President has not attended in over 30 years..
á Mexico
said it would not deport more Central Americans. The U.S. wants Mexico to hold
migrants and refugees as they await trial in the U.S., forcing Mexico to deport
them instead.
á Philip Bilden, TrumpÕs choice for secretary of the Navy, withdrew his nomination.