Latest news with #AnnCoulter
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
France gave the Statue of Liberty, Qatar offered $400M plane. Experts say it's not the same
What do the Statue of Liberty and a super luxury jumbo Boeing 747-8 have in common?Other than their proximity to clouds, not much. But in response to concerns that President Donald Trump's acceptance of a $400 million plane from Qatar could be unconstitutional, social media users began drawing parallels. Trump has said the jet would be gifted to the U.S. Air Force and used as the new Air Force One. "I can't wait for the press to find out about France's so-called 'gift' of the Statue of Liberty, accepted in 1886 by then-President Grover Cleveland," conservative commentator Ann Coulter posted May 13 on X. "If you don't think we should accept the Qatari 747s, should we give the Statue of Liberty back too?" another X user said. So what's the difference between accepting Lady Liberty, gifted by the French people, and Trump accepting a plane from Qatar's monarchy?The people of France gifted the Statue of Liberty to the people of the United States, not to a government official. Congress formally accepted it and the statue remains a public monument accessible to the public. Congress has not accepted the plane, which would be used mainly by Trump and his staff. Trump has said that after his term ends Jan. 20, 2029, the plane would be transferred to his presidential library — although it's unclear whether it would be under private or public ownership and accessible to the public. The Statue of Liberty was not a gift to a specific government official nor the U.S. government. "The Statue of Liberty was gifted by the French people to the American people," said Edward Berenson, professor of history and French studies at New York University and author of the book "The Statue of Liberty: A Transatlantic Story." The statue and pedestal were both mainly funded with private donations. The French public raised money to build the statue and the American public raised money for the statue's pedestal. Although it didn't set aside funds for it, Congress formally accepted the statue as a gift from the people of France in statue's acceptance and erection spanned five presidencies. In 1877, President Ulysses S. Grant signed a bill designating Bedloe's Island, which is federal property, as the statue's site. Ultimately, Cleveland spoke at the statue's unveiling in 1886. Since 1933, the National Park Service has managed the Statue of Liberty. The site is free to visit, but a ferry to the island costs money. In the late 1800s, the statue didn't raise the same concerns we are currently seeing around the plane. "Since it wasn't a gift to the president, emoluments didn't come up, and there were no constitutional issues," Berenson said. The Constitution's emoluments clause says, "No Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State." The situation with the plane is "radically different," University of Carolina Law professor Michael J. Gerhardt said. "Cleveland never took the Statue of Liberty home." It is not unusual for presidents to receive gifts from foreign states, but gifts valued at over $480 are traditionally turned over to the National Archives. Sometimes, the gifts that presidents receive are ultimately displayed by the National Archives in a presidential library or museum, said Barbara Perry, a professor of governance and presidential expert at the University of Virginia. Some legal experts told PolitiFact they believe accepting the plane would violate the U.S. Constitution's emoluments clause. Trump's White House has countered that this gift is not a constitutional violation, because it is not a personal gift to the president but a gift to the U.S. Air Force. Still, University of Missouri law professor Frank Bowman said that it doesn't mean it's not an emolument. "The gift of this particular plane, the principal enjoyment of which both during the next three and a half years… and then for the rest of his life would accrue only to Donald Trump. That's an emolument, any way you slice it, because the benefit goes to one person." And that the plane will not remain a U.S. Air Force property, "blows the notion that this is a gift to the country completely out of the water," Bowman said. Trump said the plane will go to his library, similar to the retired Air Force plane at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi, California. "It would go directly to the library after I leave office. I wouldn't be using it," he said on May 12. But that parallel isn't quite the same as what Trump and Qatar have proposed. The Air Force One plane at the Reagan library was not a gift from a foreign country, but a plane that was retired in 2001 after 30 years of use. The Reagan library does not own the plane; it remains on permanent loan from the U.S. Air Force, Melissa Giller, chief marketing officer at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute told PolitiFact via email. Presidential libraries are typically co-managed by the National Archives and private foundations, Perry said. It is not clear which part — the private or public side — would get the airplane. If it's given to his private library foundation, Trump may have more latitude to continue to use the plane after his presidency. If it is given to the National Archives for display in the library, the government would likely be able to dictate its use. The White House did not respond to PolitiFact questions about who would own the plane once at the library. It is possible that the plane ultimately becomes a publicly-owned tourist attraction, like Air Force One at the Reagan Library or the Statue of Liberty, but that's not guaranteed. Statement from White House Press Office, May 15, 2025 Email Interview with Melissa Giller, Chief Marketing Officer at The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, May 14, 2025 Interview with Barbara Perry, professor of Governance at the University of Virginia, May 14, 2025 Email Interview with Edward G Berenson, Professor of History and French Studies at New York University, May 14, 2025x Email Interview with Michael Gerhardt, law professor at the University of North Carolina, May 14, 2025 Email Interview with Richard Briffault, law professor at Columbia University, May 14, 2025 Interview with Frank Bowman, law professor at University of Missouri, May 14, 2025 PolitiFact, "Can Trump legally accept a $400 million plane from Qatar? What experts, Constitution say," May 13, 2025 Ann Coulter, "X post," (archived), May 13, 2025 X post, (archived), May 12, 2025 The Statue of Liberty, "Overview + History," accessed May 14, 2025 PBS, "A Look at Lady Liberty's First 125 Years," Oct. 28, 2011 National Park Service, "Liberty Island Chronology," May 4, 2023 State Department, "Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States with the Annual Message of the President, December 1, 1884," 1884 Miller Center, "May 11, 1886: Message on the Statue of Liberty," May 11, 1886 ABC News, "Trump administration poised to accept 'palace in the sky' as a gift for Trump from Qatar: Sources," May 11, 2025 National Park Service, "Fees & Passes - Statue Of Liberty National Monument," accessed May 15, 2025 C-SPAN, "Pres. Trump Signs Executive Order on Drug Prices," May 12, 2025 The Washington Post, "From elephants to inline skates, a history of foreign gifts to presidents," May 13. 2025 U.S. Constitution, "Foreign Emoluments Clause Generally | Constitution Annotated," accessed May 15, 2025 Karoline Leavitt, "X post," (archived), May 14, 2025 National Archives, "Presidential Libraries and Museums of the National Archives," accessed May 15, 2025 Reagan Library, "About Us," accessed May 14, 2025 National Archives, "Frequently Asked Questions," May 15, 2025 This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: How the Statute of Liberty, Qatari plane gift differ
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Tim Walz's son breaks silence on emotional DNC moment after being viciously trolled online
Tim Walz's son has broken his silence on the vicious trolling he received after his emotional reaction to his father's vice presidential nomination. Gus Walz, then just 17, sobbed and clapped from the crowd at the Democratic National Convention, proudly pointing up at his father on stage as he shouted 'that's my dad.' The raw and heartfelt moment was seized upon by mega-MAGA supporters, including right-wing commentator Ann Coulter who share a nasty post to X captioned: 'Talk about weird'. Speaking to CBS on Monday about the vitriol he received, Gus said: 'I was just being emotional. 'There's nothing wrong with showing emotions. If people are going to say there is something wrong with that, then those are not the people that I want to be associated with.' Gus said he was bursting with pride as his father took the stage, admitting it was 'super overwhelming.' 'To me, he's just regular, old dad. [He] golfs with me, makes food, cleans the cars. In that moment, it was something bigger. It was just surreal.' When the Democratic vice presidential nominee spoke about his family, his daughter Hope made the heart symbol and mouthed 'love you.' After Walz wrapped his remarks, his family joined him on stage to celebrate. Gus could be seen giving his dad a bearhug while the crowd went wild in the arena. Speaking from the Governor's Mansion in St. Paul, Minnesota, Gus and his parents Tim and Gwen, the now 18-year-old shed light on his diagnosis with a nonverbal learning disorder (NVLD), ADHD, and an anxiety disorder. He was diagnosed in the sixth grade, and has since worked hard to minimize triggers and overcome challenges associated with the conditions. 'We figured out I have challenges, but also strengths,' he said. 'Routine helps... consistency.' NVLD impacts a person's ability to pick up social cues, meaning they may struggle to recognize if a person wants to end a conversation, or nonverbal cues like body language and facial expressions. But Gus said this is something he and his mother have worked on, to help him recognize such behavior. 'Like if they're looking away, not making a lot of eye contact. Like maybe they're ready to be done with the conversation... stuff like that, practice, some therapy.' Gwen said there is a widespread misconception that people with NVLD can't speak. 'He talks all the time,' she said. Tim, 60, and Gwen, 58, have been public about their struggle to conceive and how they used fertility treatments to conceive their two children. Walz referenced that time in his remarks on stage at the DNC. 'This is personal for Gwen and I. If you have never experienced the hell that is infertility, I guarantee you you know somebody who has,' he said. 'I remember praying each night for a phone call and the in your stomach when the phone would ring and the absolute agony when we heard treatments didn't work. It took us years but we had access to fertility treatments. When our daughter was born, we named her Hope.'
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Trump cabinet takes turn to praise him. Ann Coulter calls it 'Kim Jong-il-style tributes'
Donald Trump's cabinet members praised him one by one on Wednesday which Ann Coulter called 'Kim Jong il-style tributes'. As President Donald Trump held the cabinet meeting on Wednesday, conservative commentator and author Ann Coulter called it Kim Jong-Il style cabinet as Trump officials, one by one, took their turns to praise their leader as today marked the first 100 days of Trump's second term . 'Would it be possible to have a cabinet meeting without the Kim Jong Il-style tributes?' Conservative commentator Ann Coulter asked. 'President, your first 100 days has far exceeded that of ANY other presidency in this country. Ever. Ever. Never seen anything like it. Thank you," attorney general Pam Bondi said. 'Sir, it's been a momentous 100 days with you at the helm. And I view this 100 days as setting the table for peace deals, trade deals, tax deals, the next 100 days we'll be harvesting," said treasury secretary Scott Bessent. — Logically_JC (@Logically_JC) by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 4BHK+Family Lounge+Utility room at 4.49Cr (All Incl)* ATS Triumph, Gurgaon Book Now Undo Elon Musk who is reported to have moved out of the White House was also present at the meeting wearing two hats. 'You know, the American people voted for secure borders, safe cities, and sensible spending. And that's what they've gotten. Tremendous amount has been accomplished in the first 100 days. As everyone has said, it's more than has been in any administration before, ever, period. So this portends very well for what will happen for the rest of the administration. I think this could be the greatest administration since the founding of the country," he's aid. 'You sit in the Oval Office and you see these portraits of Presidents past. And let's be honest, most of them have been placeholders, they've been people who have allowed their staff to sign executive orders with an auto pen instead of men of action. And the reason the media attacks this administration as chaotic is because the President is solving the problems the American people set about to solve. He's actually doing the things that he promised that he would do. And Mr. President, it's been an honor to be part of it for the past 100 days," JD Vance said.
Time of India
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Good work, JD': Ann Coulter comes under fire for congratulating Vance after Pope's death
Ann Coulter's post congratulating Vice President JD Vance was in poor taste, social media users commented. Conservative author Ann Coulter came under fire after she put out a message following the death of Pope Francis on Monday. Without mentioning anything, she posted, "Good work, JD". A day before, Vice President JD Vance met him in the Vatican on Easter Sunday for a few minutes before coming to India. "I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him. I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I'll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of Covid. It was really quite beautiful. May God rest his soul," JD wrote, sharing the homily. JD Vance was one of the last visitors to meet with Pope. Pope Francis gave him rosaries, a Vatican tie and three big chocolate Easter eggs, one for each of his children. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play this game for 3 minutes, if you own a mouse Undo "I hope @JDVance condemns your words. Disgusting," one user wrote replying to Coulter's post while several others found it to be in awful taste. Some defended Coulter's open-ended post and said that it did not mention anything about the Pope; and it could be for anything. "Today there were major shifts in global leadership," Republican Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote after Pope's death. "Evil is being defeated by the hand of God." Conservative influencer Harrison Krank wrote on X: 'If I was next on JD Vance's schedule, I would be shaking in my boots." MAGA personality Vince Langman started speculating whom JD Vance should meet next. "JD Vance has just scheduled an emergency meeting with Mitch McConnell," Langman wrote. "I call on JD Vance to immediately meet Vladimir Putin for peace talks," liberal writer Drew Pavlou posted. Comedian Dan Carney posted: "JD Vance do you want to meet my mother in law." The Vatican announced on Monday that the Pope died as a result of a cerebral stroke. His death came almost a month after he returned to the Vatican after being hospitalized for double pneumonia.
Boston Globe
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Some conservatives raise alarm over Trump's immigration tactics
When the administration arrested a former Columbia University graduate student who had been involved in campus protests, far-right commentator Ann Coulter questioned the move. Advertisement 'There's almost no one I don't want to deport, but unless they've committed a crime, isn't this a violation of the First Amendment?' Coulter wrote on social media. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Related : The dissenting voices, which have been limited mostly to commentators rather than elected Republicans, are remarkable because conservatives don't often openly break with the president. And while the objections have largely been contained to tactics -- not the overarching goal of ramping up deportations -- the cracks show how seriously some conservatives are taking the administration's aggressive and at times slapdash methods. The administration has acknowledged it deported a Maryland man with protected legal status to a prison in El Salvador because of an 'administrative error,' but said it now lacked the ability to have him released. It also has granted itself the authority to deport Venezuelan migrants accused of being gang members on the basis of little more than whether they have tattoos or have worn clothing associated with the criminal organization. Advertisement People who had been deported from the US arrived at Simon Bolivar airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela, on March 24. Bloomberg In one instance, a man who was deported was accused of having a crown tattoo that officials said proved his gang membership, but his lawyers said the tattoo was in honor of the man's favorite soccer team, Real Madrid. Another migrant got a similar crown tattoo, the lawyers said, to commemorate the death of his grandmother. A document used by the government to determine gang affiliations indicated officials could identify people as members of the Tren de Aragua gang based merely on their clothing, such as 'high-end urban street wear' -- especially basketball jerseys featuring the Chicago Bulls or their former star player, Michael Jordan. 'The overarching reality of this administration is that they're trying to maximize removals -- remove as many people as possible,' said David J. Bier, the director of immigration studies at the libertarian-leaning Cato Institute and a former GOP aide on Capitol Hill. 'That operating mode will lead to more mistakes, especially when you're trying to evade judicial review of your decisions.' Related : Bier called the tattoos 'astoundingly thin' evidence of gang membership. 'If it was ever presented to a court, it'd be laughed out of court,' he said. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, took aim at the media's reporting on deportation cases Tuesday, accusing journalists of caring more about the due process rights of accused gang members than the victims of gang violence. She acknowledged a 'clerical error' in the case of the Maryland man who was deported, but said that the administration would continue with its policies. Advertisement 'These are vicious criminals. This is a vicious gang,' she said. 'I wish that the media would spend just a second of the same time you have spent trying to litigate each and every individual of this gang who has been deported from this country as the innocent Americans whose lives have been lost at the hands of these brutal criminals. We maintain our position and very strongly so.' Demonstrators marched for immigrant rights in Delano, California, on Sunday. FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images Trump signed an executive order invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 in order to target Tren de Aragua by claiming the gang was carrying out an 'invasion' of the United States. A federal judge has halted the administration's plan to use the law to deport people without a hearing, but not before hundreds of migrants flown out of the country headed to notorious prisons in El Salvador. Related : Andrew C. McCarthy, a conservative former prosecutor, made the case in National Review that it was time for the president to 'abandon the ill-conceived attempt to deport alleged Venezuelan gangbangers under the Alien Enemy Act,' arguing that the administration should shift to more solid legal ground and use traditional federal immigration laws to carry out deportations. 'The Trump administration has done a commendable job reversing the incentives for 'migrants' to try to come to America,' McCarthy wrote. 'That is a boon for our security and domestic tranquility. It also has a variety of humanitarian benefits for the migrants themselves. The president, however, may not just kick out of the country people whose presence here displeases him. We are a nation of laws, not men.' Advertisement While some conservatives have spoken out, few elected Republicans have done so. The Republican mayor of Springfield, Ohio, told Newsweek that abrupt deportations were harmful to his community, but GOP members of Congress have largely cheered on Trump's moves. Asked Tuesday about mistakes made during deportations and a lack of due process, Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the majority leader, contended that most Americans agree with Trump's objective. 'I'm not familiar with the particulars of that individual case,' he said, adding that 'the president is correct' to make sure that immigrants 'who have been arrested for crimes in this country, be sent back to their home country.' Bier, who once worked on Capitol Hill for one of the founding members of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, said influential figures on the right were raising concerns about a lack of due process because a core principle is at stake. 'We're talking about doing something extraordinary here for the government to sentence people to what's essentially slave labor, torture, prison in El Salvador based on nothing, based on having a flower tattoo,' he said. 'Once we get in the neighborhood of getting rid of due process, that's the thing that protects all of our citizenship rights.' This article originally appeared in
