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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (July 29, 2017)
NATION Saturday, July 29, 2017 East Oregonian Page 11A Trump pushes out Priebus, names John Kelly chief of staff WASHINGTON (AP) — His White House in turmoil, President Donald Trump abruptly announced late Friday he was appointing Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly to be his chief of staff, ending the tumultuous six-month tenure of Reince Priebus. After months of speculation about Priebus’ fate, Trump tweeted his decision as he landed in Wash- ington after a speech in New York in which he lavishly praised Kelly’s performance at Homeland Security. Priebus, the former Republican National Committee head, had been a frequent target of rumors about his job security amid infighting and confusion within the White House and a long whisper campaign by Trump allies. Then, on Thursday, he was assailed in a remarkable and profane public rebuke by Trump’s newly appointed White House communications director, Anthony Scaramucci. Priebus said he had offered his resignation on Thursday and the president accepted. “I think the president wanted to go a different direction,” Priebus told CNN just hours after his exit was announced. He added that he agreed the White House might well benefit from “a reset,” and he said, “I’m always going to be a Trump fan. I’m on Team Trump.” Trump’s announcement on Twitter said, “I am pleased to inform you that I have just named General/ Secretary John F Kelly as White House Chief of Staff. He is a Great American ... and a Great Leader. John has also done a spectacular job at Homeland Security. He has been a true star of my Administration.” He also saluted Priebus, the chief of staff he had just pushed out. “I would like to thank Reince Priebus for his service and dedi- cation to his country. We accom- AP Photo/Alex Brandon White House Director of Social Media Dan Scavino, left, walks with former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus Friday at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. Trump says Homeland Secretary John Kelly is his new White House chief of staff. plished a lot together and I am proud of him!” Kelly is a retired Marine four- star general. Trump had focused on him in recent days, telling those close to him that he loved the gener- al’s star power and that he believed military discipline was what his administration needed. Priebus never could bring a semblance of order to the team of in-fighting rivals that populate Trump’s West Wing, and questions about his future have long swirled around the office. Those questions sharply escalated this week with the arrival of Scaramucci, the hard- charging communications director who was hired over Priebus’ objec- tions. Priebus’ already tense rela- tionship with Scaramucci took a darker turn over the past two days when the communications chief suggested in a late-night tweet that Priebus was one of the “leakers” that Trump has railed against. The New Yorker magazine published an interview Thursday in which Scaramucci called Priebus, amid an avalanche of vulgarity, a “paranoid schizophrenic.” Priebus, who hails from Wisconsin and has deep ties to House Speaker Paul Ryan, had grown increasingly isolated in the White House, as past Republican National Committee colleagues and other allies have left or been pushed out. Those who have departed include former deputy chief of staff Katie Walsh, former commu- nications chief Mike Dubke, press secretary Sean Spicer and press aide Michael Short. Another early departure from the Trump White House was National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, and Trump ousted FBI Director James Comey early on. He has lobbed Twitter insults at Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently though Sessions is still in place. Ryan, in a statement, said Priebus “has left it all out on the field, for our party and our country.” Ryan added that he looked forward to working with Kelly. Both Scaramucci and Priebus traveled to New York’s Long Island with Trump on Friday for a speech in which the president highlighted efforts to crack down on the gang MS-13. The chief of staff took the return flight to Washington, his fate sealed in the tweets that were sent by the president just as Priebus stepped off the plane. Shortly before the president deplaned, Priebus’ black SUV pulled away, leaving the rest of the motorcade, including the president’s vehicle, in the distance. The president eventually emerged, umbrella in hand, and delivered a brief statement on the runway as driving rain poured. Rep. Peter King of New York sat across from the outgoing chief of staff on Air Force One’s return flight to Washington and said Priebus “kept a poker face.” Priebus’ term ends in fewer than 200 days, the shortest tenure for any president’s first White House chief of staff since the post was formally established in 1946. From day one, his power has been limited compared with past officials with his title. In a highly unusual arrangement, Trump said at the outset that Priebus and chief strat- egist Steve Bannon would serve as “equal partners” in implementing his agenda. Scaramucci was the latest top aide to be granted a direct line to Trump, and it became increasingly unclear who actually reported to Priebus. Though Priebus forged an uneasy truce with his former foe Bannon, powerful White House aides Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, were both supportive of Kelly’s hire. Priebus, who told CNN he frequently addressed his job status with Trump, also was blamed by some within the White House for the failure of the Republican health care plan, with some Trump allies believing that Priebus’ longtime relationships with Republicans on Capitol Hill should have ensured the bill’s passage. His exit had quietly been in the works for weeks. The final go-ahead came during a meeting Thursday night in which Trump finalized that Kelly was his pick to replace Priebus, according to two people familiar with the discussion The president had considered others, including political operatives David Urban and Wayne Berman, for the job. But he decided on Kelly because he was impressed by the job he had done leading DHS and trusted him not to leak. Priebus, a political operative and attorney, is expected to look for a corporate job or possibly write a book about his experience in the center of the Trump storm. One of the final establishment Republicans in the White House, he was a frequent target of barbs from Trump over not being an early backer of the celebrity business- man’s candidacy. As Homeland Security secretary, Kelly has taken the lead on some of Trump’s most controversial poli- cies, including his executive orders suspending the admission of refu- gees and temporarily barring visi- tors from several Muslim-majority nations. Those orders have been stripped down by courts pending a Supreme Court review this fall. 18-year-old bouncing to music while in the driver’s seat and taking her hands from the steering wheel, will be a key piece of evidence in the case. Sanchez has pleaded not guilty to six felony counts that include gross vehicular manslaughter and drunken driving resulting in injuries. She could spend more than 13 years in state prison if convicted of all the charges. American Civil Liberties Union, which brought the lawsuit on the behalf of three former detainees and argued the psychologists were the architects of what became the CIA’s torture program following the Sept. 11 attacks. The men were subjected to physical assaults and sleep deprivation, forced to stand for days in diapers with their arms chained overhead, doused with icy water and stuffed into boxes. Quackenbush said the evidence warrants a trial on the issues. The case will move forward for the representatives of the estate of Gul Rahman, who was “starved, sleepless and freezing” before he died of hypothermia while chained in a prison cell following extended interrogation. The judge said he would review the case and soon issue a written ruling. He also granted the ACLU’s request to use at trial the Senate Intelligence Committee Study on the CIA Detention and Interrogation Program, completed in 2012 and made public in 2014. BRIEFLY Trump appears to advocate rough police treatment of suspects BRENTWOOD, N.Y. (AP) — Talking tough on illegal immigration and violent crime, President Donald Trump appeared Friday to advocate rougher treatment of people in police custody, speaking dismissively of the police practice of shielding the heads of handcuffed suspects as they are being placed in patrol cars. “Don’t be too nice,” said Trump. He visited Suffolk County, New York, to highlight administration efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and violent crime, and in particular the street gang known as MS-13, which has terrorized communities on Long Island and in other parts of the country. The president urged Congress to find money to pay for 10,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers “so that we can eliminate MS-13.” Trump said the administration is removing these gang members from the United States “but we’d like to get them out a lot faster and when you see ... these thugs being thrown into the back of the paddy wagon, you just see them thrown in, rough, I said, ‘Please don’t be too nice.’” Trump then spoke dismissively of the practice by which arresting officers shield the heads of handcuffed suspects as they are placed in police cars. “I said, ‘You could take the hand away, OK,’” he said. The audience included federal and law enforcement personnel from the New York-New Jersey area, some of whom applauded Trump’s remarks. The president offered no details on when and where he would have made those comments. The Suffolk County Police Department said in a statement after Trump’s speech that it has strict rules and procedures about how prisoners should be handled. “Violations of those rules and procedures are treated extremely seriously. As a department, we do not and will not tolerate roughing up of prisoners.” No bail reduction in California crash recorded on Instagram LOS BANOS, Calif. (AP) — A teenage driver accused of causing a crash that killed her younger sister while livestreaming on Instagram will remain in jail after a California judge on Friday refused to lower bail. Obdulia Sanchez, wearing yellow jail garb, sobbed as she entered the Merced County courtroom, and a bailiff handed her tissues. Bail remains set at $560,000. Merced County Superior Court Judge David Moranda said it was on probation officers’ recommendations, and that Sanchez had a prior reckless driving case as a juvenile. Prosecutors say the video, which includes images of the Judge denies request to dismiss case against psychologists SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — A federal judge ruled Friday that a jury should decide whether two psychologists who helped design the CIA’s harsh interrogation methods used in the war on terror should be held accountable for the suffering that at least one detainee suffered under the program. U.S. District Judge Justin Quackenbush refused to immediately rule in favor of the Please join us! AUGUST 8-12, 2017 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Tues. Aug. 8 • 9pm COMMUNITY RECEPTION LOCASH Wed. Aug. 9 • 9pm Thur. Aug. 10 • 9pm Lawrence LOCASH The Marshall Tucker Band Tues. Tracy Aug. 8 • 9pm Tuesday, August 1 4:30 - 6:00 p.m. Pendleton Center for the Arts 214 N Main | Pendleton Connect with EOU’s governing board about partnerships in Umatilla County and the region. Serving light hors d’oeuvres and beverages. Please R.S.V.P. 541.962.3740 or ua@eou.edu Fri. Aug. 11 • 7pm La Marca de Tierra Caliente Sat. Aug. 12 • 9pm Domador de la Sierra Los Canarios de MichoAcan Great White Reserved Tickets ON SALE NOW! ONLY $12 PREMIUM SEATING $20 (does not include admission) (does not include fair admission) CARNIVAL WRISTBANDS $25 (thru August 7) $30 after fair starts Available at: Fair Offi ce • Fiesta Foods • Ranch & Home Hermiston Chamber • Pendleton Chamber Columbia Bank • Banner Bank • Columbia Harvest Foods SAVE $5 when you purchase early! TITLE SPONSOR Meet us at the BARLEY BARN for music & dancing! Call 541.567.6121 or stop by the Fair offi ce 1705 E. Airport Rd, Hermiston www.umatillacounty.net/fair Order your concert tickets and admission tickets online.
