Here are the four things you should know about Trump this week
With a busy day at the White House for President Trump, yesterday brought a few main developments: the passing of a resolution that allows states to withhold federal funds from facilities providing abortion services, a meeting with the brave firefighters that were the first line of response at the Atlanta fire, as well as updates regarding the US’s massive bomb in Afghanistan yesterday.
1. abortion services
Trump signed a resolution that allows states to withhold federal funding from facilities that provide abortion services. Sean Spicer said by signing this bill, “the President has restored respect to states’ rights on this particular issue.” CMS Administrator Seema Verma; Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B.Anthony List; and Penny Nance, CEO of Concerned Women for America were present and made brief statements regarding the bill.
2. true heroes of our country
In the Roosevelt room later that same day, President Trump met with the first responders involved in the I-85 Bridge Collapse to thank and honour them for their heroic efforts in preventing catastrophe on March 30th. Were it not for their commitment and work in protecting the public, casualties and injuries from the accident could have been disastrous.
There was a great deal of respect and praise for the officials present in the room, with Secretary Chao referring to the men as “true heroes of our country”. Trump also addressed them with a great deal of honour, saying, “Your skill and courage saved many lives, represented true strength and the true strength of America. Really great job fellows, great job.”
Regarding the response to the incident, Trump first corroborated the government’s role and assistance in the crisis, how quickly they reacted to provide the necessary emergency funding to address the disaster. He then mentioned his incoming infrastructure program, meant to repair and construct roads and bridges across America. He also talked about how his administration will continue to fund law enforcement and public safety officials, to improve both safety and economic growth, but also “to improve our quality of life as Americans”.
3. the mother of all bombs
Trump transitioned to the conversation about the bombing in Afghanistan quite smoothly, first by acknowledging that the bombing was “another successful job”, then drawing a parallel between the first responders present in the room at the time and the military that executed the attacks: “We’re very very proud of our military, just like we’re proud of the folks in this room…”
The U.S. military recently employed a GBU-43 weapon in Afghanistan, a bomb referred to as “the mother of all bombs”. The target area was a series of tunnels and caved used by ISIS fires for transportation, giving them advantages when targeting foreign military forces in the area.
During the Daily Press Briefing, Press Secretary Sean Spicer stressed the importance of denying ISIS operational space, but also assured that “the United States took all precautions necessary to prevent civilian casualties and collateral damage as a result of the operation.”
When asked whether Trump had made the decision to detonate the weapon, he responded saying his responsibility is to authorize the military. He then praised the military, calling it “the greatest military in the world”. Trump said his administration has given the military “total authorization”, and credits this to their recent progress in the Middle East and the fight against terrorism.
4. message to North Korea
Later, Trump was asked whether this move would send a message to North Korea. Again, Trump referenced his recent meeting and growing relationship with President Xi, saying President Xi is a “terrific person”, and that “China has really been working very hard”. He didn’t appear to suggest that this would make very much of a difference with political relations with North Korea.
As military operations continue in the Middle East, both with airstrikes against Syria to denounce Assad’s use of chemical warfare, as well as general movements against ISIS, it’ll be pertinent as ever to see how the Trump administration addresses developments.