Extreme vetting:
With yet another executive action signed on Friday, the new president has adopted some extreme measures to vet refugees seeking to enter the United States. CNN obtained a copy of the draft and reported that it contains a 30-day ban on all refugees from seven different countries, including Iraq and Syria, and will later cap the total number of refugees accepted in the 2017 fiscal year to 50,000. Obama had agreed to accept 110,000 in that same time frame.
Perhaps the most disturbing part of what Trump has done today is best explained in an interview he gave to the Christian Broadcasting Network prior to signing the order. It was during that discussion for The Brody File that Trump stated he would prioritize Christian refugees over Muslims seeking entry. This policy is pretty much in line with his campaign rhetoric suggesting religious testing at our borders. The new commander in chief may have missed class when his teacher discussed the First Amendment and the inscription on the Statue of Liberty.
Today, the day Trump signed the temporary refugee ban, is also International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Ironically, today marks another time when we turned away those in need.
Rebuilding the military:
Trump signed another executive action on Friday, giving the newly sworn in Secretary of Defense James Mattis the green light to begin the “great rebuilding” of the U.S. Military with new planes, ships and training among the list of things to be upgraded.
In an effort to find the silver lining in Friday’s developments, it is important to note that Trump has given Mattis the final say on enhanced interrogation. Although Trump has been keen on torture for acquiring information, Mattis has publicly opposed it in the past.
In other news, many Mexicans have decided to boycott American goods in response to Trump’s wall order, and we’ve nearly promised a trade deal with the nationalist British Prime Minister Theresa May.
*The Women’s March on Washington did not receive the same swift and enthusiastic support from the president.
