Monday, February 6, 2017
To: Friends & Supporters
From: Gary L. Bauer
Judging Trump’s Order
Friday afternoon, a federal judge in Seattle suspended President Trump’s executive order halting refugees from entering the country. Over the weekend, an emergency request by the Trump Administration to reinstate the president’s order was denied. I think it is important to revisit the issue to better understand why President Trump took the action he did.
This is not a problem that President Trump made up or imagined. ISIS has repeatedly told us that it is infiltrating the flow of refugees with terrorists.
Last summer, Obama’s CIA Director John Brennan told Congress: “[ISIS] is probably exploring a variety of means for infiltrating operatives into the West, including refugee flows, smuggling routes and legitimate methods of travel.”
In February 2015, eight refugees were charged in federal court for supporting terrorism.
In 2013, ABC News reported on two Iraqi refugees who had been arrested in Bowling Green, Kentucky. They had been charged with supporting Al Qaeda.
According to an agent involved in the case, the FBI was conducting “dozens of counter-terrorism investigations” as a result of the failed vetting that allowed those two refugees to enter the country. In response to that failure, President Obama suspended the immigration of Iraqi refugees for six months.
And it may have happened again. Not even two weeks ago, the Los Angeles Times reported that “dozens of Syrian refugees already in the United States” were being re-investigated after serious lapses in their vetting were discovered.
It has been humorous to watch various progressives suddenly rediscovering their support for the separation of powers and three branches of government. The left cheered when Barack Obama vowed to use his pen and phone to take unilateral action. But when Donald Trump does it on matters of national security, the left freaks out.
It is well-established that the commander in chief has tremendous latitude when it comes to foreign policy, immigration and the defense of the country. According to a recent report by the Congressional Research Service, President Obama exercised his authority to limit immigration from specific countries 19 times!
In defending President Trump’s order, the Justice Department made the obvious argument: “Unlike the president, courts do not have access to classified information about the threat posed by terrorist organizations operating in particular nations, the efforts of those organizations to infiltrate the United States, or gaps in the vetting process.”
Needless to say, the administration is appealing the case and is pressing for a quick review. A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is expected to issue a ruling within days. But as you may know, the Ninth Circuit is the most left-wing court in the country, and its decisions are frequently overturned by the Supreme Court.
You Go, Gaga!
Pop star Lady Gaga was the headline performer at last night’s Super Bowl halftime show. She is known for being outspoken in her liberal views and for taking controversial stands. Many expected she would use her time last night to bash Donald Trump. Instead, she disappointed many of her left-wing fans.
She began with a patriotic melody of “America the Beautiful” and “This Land is Your Land.” Thankfully, there were no wardrobe malfunctions and no overt Trump-bashing. Her performance was consistent with the entire evening, which began with an incredibly moving presentation of Johnny Cash’s “Ragged Old Flag.” Former President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush received a rousing welcome from the packed stadium.
As you know, the National Football League has been embroiled in multiple controversies, from football players disrespecting the flag to taking stands on hot button social issues. Irate fans have punished the league with lower ratings as the organization and owners have done little to nothing to address fan frustration.
Last night it seemed clear that the NFL had gotten the message and was trying to win back a big chunk of its audience.
Some Sour Notes
Of course, the main event last night was the historic Super Bowl game. If you are a football fan, that was a game for the ages and it did not disappoint! It was the first Super Bowl game to go into overtime and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady secured his place in the record books by winning his fifth championship ring. (My sincere condolences to all my family and friends in Atlanta.)
While Lady Gaga may have been on her best behavior, there were some sour notes which largely went unnoticed. For example, some advertisers couldn’t help taking shots at Donald Trump.
For whatever reason, Fox Sports decided to select Harry Belafonte to read selected quotes from the Declaration of Independence. Harry Belafonte is a communist who once suggested that Barack Obama should throw his political opponents in jail. Harry’s idea of good government is North Korea.
So-called Houston “progressives” took over a local park and then proceeded to march to NRG Stadium to protest President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, who attended last night’s big game with two wounded warriors from Iraq and Afghanistan.
The protest was sponsored by various left-wing groups, including the ACLU, Black Lives Matter, the Houston Communist Party and, according to USA Today, an anti-circumcision group. (Don’t ask.)
The protest attracted several hundred leftists, proving once again just how out-of-touch the far left is with the rest of America as it tries to force its agenda on everyone and anyone, anytime and everywhere.
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