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A2 UP FRONT
Friday 23 November 2018
Trump’s rails against court, migrants in call to troops

By JILL COLVIN, Associated to praising troops — “You the presidency, erasing exceptionally well on his order and claimed he’d
Press really are our heroes,” he the traditional divisions be- watch. already used it earlier this
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — said — as club waiters tween domestic policy and “I hope that you’ll take sol- week. “Two days ago, we
President Donald Trump worked to set Thanksgiv- military matters and efforts ace in knowing that all of closed the border. We ac-
used a Thanksgiving Day tually just closed it, said no-
call to troops deployed body’s coming in because
overseas to pat himself on it was just out of control.”
the back and air grievanc- By no means did he seal
es about the courts, trade the border with Mexico. Of-
and migrants heading to ficials did shut down one
the U.S.-Mexico border. port of entry, San Ysidro, in
Trump’s call, made from his California, for several hours
opulent private Mar-a-La- early Monday morning to
go club, struck an unusual- bolster security because of
ly political tone as he spoke concerns about a poten-
with members of all five tial influx of migrant cara-
branches of the military to van members. They closed
wish them happy holidays. northbound lanes into the
“It’s a disgrace,” Trump U.S. and reopened most of
said of judges who have them before the morning
blocked his attempts to rush.
overhaul U.S. immigration Trump’s border threat
law, as he linked his efforts came days after a federal
to secure the border with judge put the administra-
military missions overseas. tion’s attempts to overhaul
Trump later threatened to asylum rules on hold. Courts
close the U.S. border with have also blocked several
Mexico for an undisclosed versions of the president’s
period of time if his admin- President Donald Trump meets with members of the U.S. Coast Guard stationed at United States travel ban as well as his
Coast Guard Station Lake Worth Inlet in Riviera Beach, Fla., on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov.
istration determines Mexico 22, 2018. attempt to end a pro-
has lost “control” on its side. Associated Press. gram that allows young
The call was a uniquely immigrants brought to the
Trump blend of boasting, ing dinner tables on the to keep the troops clear of the American families you country illegally as chil-
peppered questions and outdoor terrace behind politics. hold so close to your heart dren to live and work in the
off-the-cuff observations him. And it was yet anoth- “You probably see over the are all doing well,” he said. country.
as his comments veered er show of how Trump has news what’s happening “The nation’s doing well Trump probably could
from venting about slights dramatically transformed on our southern border,” economically, better than close the entire southern
Trump told one Air Force anybody in the world.” He border by order, at least
brigadier general stationed later told reporters “no- temporarily, invoking na-
at Bagram Airfield in Af- body’s done more for the tional security powers. Do-
ghanistan, adding: “I don’t military than me.” ing so could cause extraor-
have to even ask you. I Indeed, asked what he was dinary damage to bilateral
know what you want to do, thankful for this Thanksgiv- relations as well as to cross-
you want to make sure that ing, Trump cited his “great border commerce be-
you know who we’re letting family,” as well as himself. tween the U.S. and Mexico,
in.” “I made a tremendous dif- its third largest trading part-
Trump also continued to rail ference in this country,” ner. It would not necessarily
against the 9th U.S. Circuit he said. “This country is so stop migrants from coming;
Court of Appeals, which much stronger now than it Trump would have to con-
he said has become “a big was when I took office and tend with the same asylum
thorn in our side.” you wouldn’t believe it and laws already vexing his ef-
“It’s a terrible thing,” he when you see it, we’ve got- forts to harden the border.
said, when judges “tell you ten so much stronger peo- Among other subjects the
how to protect your bor- ple don’t even believe it.” president touched on in his
der. It’s a disgrace.” But Trump continued to question-and-answer ses-
Later, Trump asked a U.S. warn about the situation sion with the press:
Coast Guard commander on the southern border as —Trump disputed reports
about trade, which he not- he took questions from re- the CIA has concluded
ed was “a very big subject” porters, pointing to the car- that Saudi Arabia’s crown
for him personally. avans of Central American prince was responsible for
“We’ve been taken ad- migrants that have been journalist Jamal Khashog-
vantage of for many, many making their way toward gi’s killing. “The CIA points
years by bad trade deals,” the U.S. and warning that, it both ways,” said Trump.
Trump told the command- “If we find that it gets to a “Maybe he did, maybe he
er, who sheepishly replied level where we lose control didn’t.”
that, “We don’t see any is- or people are going to start —Asked who should be
sues in terms of trade right getting hurt, we’re going to held responsible for killing,
now.” close entry into the country Trump responded that,
And throughout, Trump for a period of time until we “Maybe the world should
was sure to congratulate get it under control.” be held accountable
himself, telling the officers He said he had the author- ‘cause the world is a vi-
that the country is doing ity to do so by executive cious place.”q