Never a dull day with Donald J. Trump in office

Trump Price Private JetPrivate Plane. Photo: Pixabay.com

Never a dull day with the Trump administration

The Trump Administration definitely doesn’t let much water pass under the bridge between controversies. 

 

The US Government request information about Trump opponents from Facebook

Donald Trump’s Government requires disclosure of 6,000 people who have “liked” a protest page against Trump on Facebook, according to US media.

The media have been granted access to three search orders directed at Facebook. US authorities, among other things require private account information about three Facebook users described as “activists who have spoken openly during events, and which are generally highly critical of this Government’s policy.”

One of the three is according to CNN and the site LawNewz, Emmelia Talarico, who stood behind the disruptj20 where the demonstrations during the inauguration of Trump was organized and discussed. About 6,000 Facebook users have liked the page. If Facebook passes the information they have been requested on, the identity of these users will also become known to US authorities.

Facebook has not responded if the information has been handed over to the authorities. The Department of Justice has not comment on the matter.

The Civil Rights Union (ACLU) has filed legal claims to stop the requests, which were first made in February and which the authorities wanted kept secret.

– It is particularly alarming that political activists who are opponents of the Government should get their political relations and views examined by the same Government that they are protesting against, says lawyer for the ACLU, Scott Michelman.

The Ministry of Justice has previously filed a similar search order against the DreamHost hosting service.

 

The Price of using private jets

The White House states that the Minister of health, Tom Price, who has been strongly criticized for his frequent use of private jets, resigns.

President Donald John Trump, who promised major cuts public spending in his campaign for office, has been very dissatisfied with the case, several sources reports.

Price on Thursday apologized for the use of private aircrafts, which was revealed through a series of disclosures in US media. He also said he would repay $52,000 (about NOK 400,000) to the US authorities.

The criticism has ensued nonetheless, and on Friday he announced that he resigns.

The President commented on the matter before the resignation was known.

He is a very nice guy. I certainly do not like how this is perceived. I’m not happy; I can say as much, Trump told journalists as he was boarding a military helicopter on his way to his golf course in New Jersey.

The Minister of Health is the first minister to withdraw from Donald Trump’s turbulent government. Price was in office for less than eight months. Several senior members of staff in the White House have previously also been replaced.

The case has trumped other important issues for Trump’s Government, including the work on a tax reform. The travel habits of other Government members are also under scrutiny and the House of Representatives has initiated an investigation.

Don Wright, who heads the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion in the US Department of Health, temporarily takes over the position as Minister of Health.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today