President Donald Trump made several announcements Friday, including an IndyCar race in Washington D.C., a nominee to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and immigration enforcement efforts in Minneapolis. The announcements came as the Senate passed a government funding bill to avert a shutdown, while facing protests over immigration policies.
Trump announced that Washington D.C. would host an IndyCar race this summer as part of the nation's 250th birthday celebrations. The race, named the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, would take place on August 23, according to an executive order signed by Trump alongside Roger Penske, owner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IndyCar, and teams in multiple racing series, including NASCAR. "It's going to be so exciting," Trump said, relishing the prospect of vehicles roaring past the White House at speeds approaching 200 mph. "I love the racing. I don't have a lot of time to watch it, but I love the racing."
In other news, Trump nominated government economist Brett Matsumoto to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This nomination followed the firing of the previous commissioner, Erika McEntarfer, in August, after Trump accused the agency of releasing low monthly jobs numbers to undermine him. "She faked the Jobs Numbers," Trump claimed. CBS News reported that there was no evidence that the BLS sought to undermine Trump with its data releases, but revisions to prior reports this summer showed that the job market weakened after Trump returned to the White House. The agency has since been run on an interim basis by a career government economist.
Meanwhile, the Senate voted to pass a revised package of government funding bills Friday evening, ahead of a deadline at the end of the day, according to ABC News. However, a partial government shutdown was set to take effect at midnight because the House must approve the changes and doesn't return to Washington until Monday. The Senate voted to separate out extended funding for the Department of Homeland Security after reaching a deal with the White House to put that off for two weeks to negotiate Democratic demands for restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Amidst debates over immigration, "border czar" Tom Homan defended the Trump administration's immigration enforcement efforts in Minneapolis. Homan told Fox News host Sean Hannity that he was sent to Minneapolis to "save lives" and defuse widespread unrest. "If anybody thinks that Tom Homan, if President Trump, isn't serious about immigration enforcement and having a mass deportation, then they weren't paying attention," he said.
The debate over ICE funding also sparked protests. Left-wing activists disrupted an event at a Jewish temple in New York this week while Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi was speaking, protesting his vote in favor of a government spending bill that included increased funding for ICE, according to Fox News. The demonstrators, affiliated with the activist group Climate Defiance, interrupted Suozzi on Wednesday night at the temple on Long Island, unleashing a barrage of crude theatrics and profane insults.
Discussion
Join the conversation
Be the first to comment