“Radical left” and other “threats” for the hardline American right-wingers

While talking about the government shutdown and planned border wall on Saturday, President Trump criticized Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and said that she is “controlled by radical left”:

“She’s being controlled by the radical left, which is a problem. I think that’s a very bad thing for her. I think it’s a very bad thing for the Democrats.” (1)

On Sunday President Trump claimed in his tweet that Mrs Pelosi has become “a Radical Democrat”:

“Nancy Pelosi has behaved so irrationally & has gone so far to the left that she has now officially become a Radical Democrat. She is so petrified of the ‘lefties’ in her party that she has lost control…” (2)

President Trump’s strong words reminded me of a controversial memo written in May 2017 by Rich Higgins, former director for strategic planning in the National Security Council NSC. The memo was considered to be so controversial that Higgins, who was seen as an ally of former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, was forced to resign (3).

In his memo Higgins listed a roster of enemies of President Trump and his supporters: the political establishment, the deep state, globalists, bankers, the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists, Maoists and others, for example the United Nations and the European Union, who cultivate and spread “cultural Marxism.” According to Higgins, the Democratic Leadership in USA “has been a counter-state enabler that executes, sustains, and protects cultural Marxist programs of action and facilitates the relentless expansion of the deep state.” (4)

When right-wing media outlet The Daily Caller interviewed him in September 2017, Higgins told that he had written the memo “in a personal capacity”, not as a work project. He didn’t know, whether President Trump ever read the memo or not (5). However, for example New York Daily News wrote in August 2017 that President Trump reportedly “raved about the document” and was “furious” about Higgins’ removal (6). Higgins believed that he was fired “for remaining based in reality and not succumbing to the politically correct, multicultural self-delusion popular in the governing elite.” (5)

References:

1) “Pelosi ‘controlled by radical left’ in border dispute over shutdown, Trump says” The Washington Times 19.1.2019

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/jan/19/donald-trump-says-pelosi-controlled-radical-left-b/

2) “Virulente attaque de Trump contre la cheffe des démocrates au Congrès” Le Point 20.1.2019

https://www.lepoint.fr/monde/le-journal-de-trump/virulente-attaque-de-trump-contre-la-cheffe-des-democrates-au-congres-20-01-2019-2287342_3241.php

3) “An NSC Staffer Is Forced Out Over a Controversial Memo” The Atlantic 2.8.2017

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/08/a-national-security-council-staffer-is-forced-out-over-a-controversial-memo/535725/

4) Higgins, Rich: “POTUS & Political Warfare” May 2017

https://dailycaller.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Political-Warfare.pdf

5) “Here’s why NSC staffer Rich Higgins says he was fired from the Trump administration ” The Daily Caller 23.9.2017

https://dailycaller.com/2017/09/23/heres-why-nsc-staffer-rich-higgins-says-he-was-fired-from-the-trump-administration-video/

6) “NSC official fired for drafting memo claiming Islamists, bankers and globalists are threats to Trump’s agenda” New York Daily News 10.8.2017

https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/nsc-official-fired-drafting-controversial-memo-article-1.3401711

New concerns about the anti-Muslim bias of Trump administration

President Trump has appointed Charles M. Kupperman to assist National Security Advisor John Bolton. The latest appointee has caused more concerns about the anti-Muslim bias of Trump administration. Kupperman served on the board of directors for the Center for Security Policy (CSP) between 2001 and 2010. The CSP and its former director Frank Gaffney Jr. are infamous for their anti-Muslim views (1, 2).

The Trump administration has or has had several members who have connections to Islamophobic organizations or who have expressed strong anti-Muslim sentiment. For example, Bolton himself, Secretary of State Pompeo and Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway have ties to the Center for Security Policy (1). Bolton appointed Fred Fleitz, who has been one of Frank Gaffney’s top associates, as chief of staff of the National Security Council (NSC) (2). Fleitz has now become the new President and CEO of the Center for Security Policy (3). Pompeo has also worked closely with Islamophobic organization ACT for America and even received its highest award in 2016 (2). Bolton has also connections to other anti-Muslim conspiracy theorists and Islamophobes, including Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer. Bolton has been a chairman of the right-wing anti-Muslim think tank Gatestone Institute and he has reportedly received substantial payments from the think tank (2, 4). President Trump’s senior advisor Stephen Miller, one of the architects of the Muslim immigration ban, started Islamophobic projects and worked with alt-right figure Richard Spencer while studying at Duke University (5). Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson has also expressed strong anti-Muslim views (6).

Some former members of Trump administration with strong anti-Muslim views include former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, former national security advisor Michael Flynn, former deputy national security advisor K.T. McFarland and former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon (5, 6).

References:

1) “Trump’s new ‘anti-Muslim’ appointee worries civil rights groups” Al Jazeera 17.1.2019

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/190117160447367.html

2) “Donald Trump’s Team of Islamophobes” The Nation 12.6.2018

https://www.thenation.com/article/donald-trumps-team-islamophobes/

3) Center for Security Policy – Staff:

https://www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org/about-us/staff/

4) “Trump’s new national security adviser chairs a group that has spread false claims about Muslim refugees in Europe” Business Insider 23.3.2018

https://www.businessinsider.com/john-bolton-gatestone-institute-muslim-refugees-2018-3

5) “The Dark History of the White House Aides Who Crafted Trump’s ‘Muslim Ban’” Mother Jones 30.1.2017

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/01/stephen-bannon-miller-trump-refugee-ban-islamophobia-white-nationalist/

6) “Donald Trump’s administration has seven people who have expressed Islamophobic sentiment” Independent 9.12.2016

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-administration-islamophobic-muslims-muslims-deportation-religious-shariah-law-a7466536.html

The planned anti-BDS bill in USA

There have been interesting developments regarding the new planned anti-BDS bill “Combating BDS Act” introduced by Republican senator Marco Rubio. The bill targeting boycott, divestment and sanctions movement BDS is considered to be highly controversial and liberals, progressives, civil liberties organizations and prominent Democrats oppose the bill (1, 2). Senator Diane Feinstein said that the bill would be unconstitutional (3). The anti-BDS bill was stalled, partially because of the government shutdown, on Tuesday. However, Senator Rubio tweeted that he would try to organize another vote (4). Zack Beauchamp noted that the controversy regarding the bill shows how the two main parties’ approaches to Israel is changing:

“Support for Israel, so long a bipartisan issue, is becoming polarized, with Republicans willing to back Israel virtually unconditionally while Democrats are more willing to question Israeli policy and US support for it. “ (5)

References:

1)”Marco Rubio accuses Rashida Tlaib of anti-Semitism in battle over anti-free-speech pro-Israel bill” Alternet 9.1.2019

https://www.alternet.org/2019/01/marco-rubio-accuses-rashida-tlaib-of-anti-semitism-in-battle-over-anti-free-speech-pro-israel-bill/

2) “Senate anti-BDS bill slammed as ‘absurd’ amid US government shutdown” Middle East Eye 7.1.2019

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/absurd-senate-anti-bds-bill-slammed-amid-us-government-shutdown-1188429441

3) “US Senator calls anti-BDS act unconstitutional” Daily Sabah 9.1.2019

https://www.dailysabah.com/americas/2019/01/08/us-senator-calls-anti-bds-act-unconstitutional

4) “Anti-BDS measure stalled in US Senate but ‘will come back'” Al Jazeera 9.1.2019

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/anti-bds-measure-stalled-senate-190109150723359.html

5) “The controversy over laws punishing Israel boycotts, explained” Vox 9.1.2019

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/1/9/18172826/bds-law-israel-boycott-states-explained

USA and Israel leave UNESCO

The USA and Israel started this year of historical separations by officially leaving UNESCO. The Trump administration and the Israeli government made the decision in 2017 because of “anti-Israeli bias” of the UN agency (1, 2).

On the other hand, it was also reported that Israel was the most condemned country at the United Nations during year 2018. The United Nations General Assembly passed 20 resolutions against Israel because of Israel’s human rights violations, illegitimate construction in Palestinian territory and ongoing occupation of Jerusalem (3, 4).

References:

1) “US and Israel formally quit UNESCO” Al Jazeera 1.1.2019

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/israel-formally-quit-unesco-190101094104787.html

2) “US, Israel leave UNESCO for good” Euractiv 13.10.2017

https://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/us-israel-leave-unesco-for-good/

3) “Israel was the most condemned country at the United Nations in 2018” EurAsian Times 1.1.2019

https://eurasiantimes.com/israel-was-the-most-condemned-country-at-the-united-nations-in-2018/

4) “Israel most condemned country at UN in 2018” Middle East Monitor 31.12.2018

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20181231-israel-most-condemned-country-at-un-in-2018/