This column provides a daily update on key presidential actions as well as comments, whether spoken aloud or on Twitter, by President Trump. Like the stock market, the deadline for Trump Today action is 4 p.m. Eastern time, even as we acknowledge that substantive news can and does occur after hours.
President Donald Trump on Monday defended right-leaning Sinclair Broadcast Group, as he warned the U.S. is being “stolen” by undocumented immigrants and again criticized e-commerce giant Amazon.
SINCLAIR ‘FAR SUPERIOR,’ TRUMP TWEETS
Trump leapt to Sinclair’s defense after the company came under fire for reportedly mandating local news anchors to read promotional material alleging other news outlets pushed “fake stories.” He called Sinclair SBGI, -2.08% “far superior” to CNN and “even more Fake NBC, which is a total joke.”
So funny to watch Fake News Networks, among the most dishonest groups of people I have ever dealt with, criticize Sinclair Broadcasting for being biased. Sinclair is far superior to CNN and even more Fake NBC, which is a total joke.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 2, 2018
COUNTRY BEING ‘STOLEN’
Trump went on the attack over immigration, firing off a series of tweets urging Congress to pass border legislation and saying Mexico can halt Central Americans from entering the U.S. through the Mexican border. “Must build Wall and secure our borders with proper Border legislation,” Trump wrote.
“Act now Congress, our country is being stolen!” he said. He also tweeted and briefly commented about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, saying it was “dead because the Democrats didn’t care or act.” He did not answer a reporter’s question on the sidelines of the annual Easter egg roll about his role in ending the program, which protects undocumented immigrants from deportation.
Mexico has the absolute power not to let these large “Caravans” of people enter their country. They must stop them at their Northern Border, which they can do because their border laws work, not allow them to pass through into our country, which has no effective border laws.....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 2, 2018
...Congress must immediately pass Border Legislation, use Nuclear Option if necessary, to stop the massive inflow of Drugs and People. Border Patrol Agents (and ICE) are GREAT, but the weak Dem laws don’t allow them to do their job. Act now Congress, our country is being stolen!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 2, 2018
DACA is dead because the Democrats didn’t care or act, and now everyone wants to get onto the DACA bandwagon... No longer works. Must build Wall and secure our borders with proper Border legislation. Democrats want No Borders, hence drugs and crime!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 2, 2018
Mexico is making a fortune on NAFTA...They have very strong border laws - ours are pathetic. With all of the money they make from the U.S., hopefully they will stop people from coming through their country and into ours, at least until Congress changes our immigration laws!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 2, 2018
ATTACK ON AMAZON
Trump continued his attack on Amazon AMZN, -4.36% , whose business practices he has been targeting. He said that “only fools, or worse, are saying that our money losing Post Office makes money with Amazon. THEY LOST A FORTUNE, and this will be changed.”
The Associated Press reported over the weekend that Amazon and e-commerce in general have in fact helped the postal service achieve double-digit percentage gains in parcel-delivery revenue. The post office has lost money on an annual basis for more than a decade, according to the AP, but package delivery isn’t the reason. Structural issues like pension and health-care costs and declines in first-class and marketing mail are to be blamed.
See: Trump claim about Amazon and post office contradicted by AP.
Also read: Stocks tumble as trade and tech woes weigh; Amazon shares whacked.
Getty Images
DOJ ‘EMBARRASSMENT’
Trump said the Justice Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation were “slow walking” requests for documents from congressional Republicans, calling it “an embarrassment to our country!”
House Republicans have subpoenaed the Justice Department for records relating to the probe of Hillary Clinton’s private email server. Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, a Virginia Republican, has cited “ongoing delays” in the process.
So sad that the Department of “Justice” and the FBI are slow walking, or even not giving, the unredacted documents requested by Congress. An embarrassment to our country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 2, 2018