Latest news with #F.Kennedy
NBC News
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- NBC News
Trump attends 'Les Misérables' as anti-ICE protests continue across country
President Trump and first lady Melanie Trump attended the 'Les Misérables' premiere at Washington, D.C.'s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, as protests persist across the 11, 2025
NBC News
05-05-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Mike Pence receives JFK Profile in Courage Award for January 6 actions
BOSTON — Former Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday repeatedly invoked the Constitution and said it is what 'binds us all together' after receiving the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. Pence received the award for his refusal to go along with President Donald Trump's efforts to remain in office after losing the 2020 election. The award recognizes Pence 'for putting his life and career on the line to ensure the constitutional transfer of presidential power on Jan. 6, 2021,' the JFK Library Foundation said. 'To forge a future together, we have to find common ground,' Pence said. 'I hope in some small way my presence here tonight is a reminder that whatever differences we may have as Americans, the Constitution is the common ground on which we stand. It's what binds us across time and generations. .... It's what makes us one people.' His comments came hours after an interview with Trump aired in which he was asked whether U.S. citizens and noncitizens both deserve due process as laid out in the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution. Trump was noncommittal. 'I don't know. I'm not, I'm not a lawyer. I don't know,' Trump said when pressed in an interview with NBC's Kristen Welker. It was taped Friday at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida and aired Sunday. Pence never mentioned Trump during his 10-minute speech but made several references to the Trump administration. Referencing what he called 'these divided times, in these anxious days,' he acknowledged that he probably had differences with the Democrats in the room but also with his own Republican Party 'on spending, tariffs and my belief that America is the leader of the free world and must stand with Ukraine until the Russian invasion is repelled and a just and lasting peace is secured.' Trump pressured Pence to reject election results from swing states where the Republican president falsely claimed the vote was marred by fraud. Pence refused, saying he lacked such authority. When a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, some chanted that they wanted to 'hang Mike Pence.' Pence was whisked away by Secret Service agents, narrowly avoiding a confrontation with the rioters. 'Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify,' Trump wrote at the time on X, formerly Twitter, as rioters moved through the Capitol and Pence was in hiding with his family, aides and security detail inside the building. Pence rejected the Secret Service's advice that he leave the Capitol, staying to continue the ceremonial election certification of Democrat Joe Biden's presidential victory once rioters were cleared. In describing his role, Pence told the audience that 'by God's grace I did my duty that day to support the peaceful transfer of power under the Constitution of the United States of America.' 'Jan. 6 was a tragic day but it became a triumph of freedom. History will record that our institutions held,' he said in his speech. 'Leaders in both chambers, in both political parties reconvened the very same day and finished democracy's work under the Constitution.' JFK's daughter, Caroline Kennedy, who along with his grandson Jack Schlossberg presented the award, said Pence's actions that day were a reminder that democracy must not be taken for granted. 'At the time I thought Vice President Pence was just doing his job,' she said. 'Only later did I realize that his act of courage saved our government and warned us about what could happen and is happening right now.' The Profile in Courage Award, named for a book Kennedy published in 1957 before he became president, honors public officials who take principled stands despite the potential political or personal consequences. Previous recipients of the award include former Presidents Barack Obama, George H.W. Bush and Gerald Ford. Pence has emerged as one of the few Republicans willing to take on the Trump administration. His political action group, Advancing American Freedom, campaigned against the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the nation's health agencies. He's delivered speeches urging the president to stand with longtime foreign allies and posted an article he penned more than a decade ago on the limits of presidential power after Trump claimed that, 'He who saves his Country does not violate any Law.'
Politico
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Mike Pence defends Constitution after getting Profile in Courage Award
BOSTON — Former Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday repeatedly invoked the Constitution and said it is what 'binds us all together' after receiving the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. Pence received the award for his refusal to go along with President Donald Trump's efforts to remain in office after losing the 2020 election. The award recognizes Pence 'for putting his life and career on the line to ensure the constitutional transfer of presidential power on Jan. 6, 2021,' the JFK Library Foundation said. 'To forge a future together, we have to find common ground,' Pence said. 'I hope in some small way my presence here tonight is a reminder that whatever differences we may have as Americans, the Constitution is the common ground on which we stand. It's what binds us across time and generations. .... It's what makes us one people.' His comments came hours after an interview with Trump aired in which he was asked whether U.S. citizens and noncitizens both deserve due process as laid out in the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution. Trump was noncommittal. 'I don't know. I'm not, I'm not a lawyer. I don't know,' Trump said when pressed in an interview with NBC's Kristen Welker. It was taped Friday at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida and aired Sunday. Pence never mentioned Trump during his 10-minute speech but made several references to the Trump administration. Referencing what he called 'these divided times, in these anxious days,' he acknowledged that he probably had differences with the Democrats in the room but also with his own Republican Party 'on spending, tariffs and my belief that America is the leader of the free world and must stand with Ukraine until the Russian invasion is repelled and a just and lasting peace is secured.' Trump pressured Pence to reject election results from swing states where the Republican president falsely claimed the vote was marred by fraud. Pence refused, saying he lacked such authority. When a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, some chanted that they wanted to 'hang Mike Pence.' Pence was whisked away by Secret Service agents, narrowly avoiding a confrontation with the rioters. 'Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify,' Trump wrote at the time on X, formerly Twitter, as rioters moved through the Capitol and Pence was in hiding with his family, aides and security detail inside the building. Pence rejected the Secret Service's advice that he leave the Capitol, staying to continue the ceremonial election certification of Democrat Joe Biden's presidential victory once rioters were cleared. In describing his role, Pence told the audience that 'by God's grace I did my duty that day to support the peaceful transfer of power under the Constitution of the United States of America.' 'Jan. 6 was a tragic day but it became a triumph of freedom. History will record that our institutions held,' he said in his speech. 'Leaders in both chambers, in both political parties reconvened the very same day and finished democracy's work under the Constitution.' JFK's daughter, Caroline Kennedy, who along with his grandson Jack Schlossberg presented the award, said Pence's actions that day were a reminder that you cannot take democracy for granted. 'At the time I thought Vice President Pence was just doing his job,' she said. 'Only later did I realize that his act of courage saved our government and warned us about what could happen and is happening right now.' The Profile in Courage Award, named for a book Kennedy published in 1957 before he became president, honors public officials who take principled stands despite the potential political or personal consequences. Previous recipients of the award include former Presidents Barack Obama, George H.W. Bush and Gerald Ford. Pence has emerged as one of the few Republicans willing to take on the Trump administration. His political action group, Advancing American Freedom, campaigned against the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the nation's health agencies. He's delivered speeches urging the president to stand with longtime foreign allies and posted an article he penned more than a decade ago on the limits of presidential power after Trump claimed that, 'He who saves his Country does not violate any Law.'
05-05-2025
- Politics
Former VP Pence defends Constitution after getting Profile in Courage Award
BOSTON -- Former Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday repeatedly invoked the Constitution and said it is what 'binds us all together' after receiving the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. Pence received the award for his refusal to go along with President Donald Trump's efforts to remain in office after losing the 2020 election. The award recognizes Pence 'for putting his life and career on the line to ensure the constitutional transfer of presidential power on Jan. 6, 2021,' the JFK Library Foundation said. 'To forge a future together, we have to find common ground,' Pence said. 'I hope in some small way my presence here tonight is a reminder that whatever differences we may have as Americans, the Constitution is the common ground on which we stand. It's what binds us across time and generations. .... It's what makes us one people.' His comments came hours after an interview with Trump aired in which he was asked whether U.S. citizens and noncitizens both deserve due process as laid out in the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution. Trump was noncommittal. 'I don't know. I'm not, I'm not a lawyer. I don't know,' Trump said when pressed in an interview with NBC's Kristen Welker. It was taped Friday at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida and aired Sunday. Pence never mentioned Trump during his 10-minute speech but made several references to the Trump administration. Referencing what he called 'these divided times, in these anxious days,' he acknowledged that he probably had differences with the Democrats in the room but also with his own Republican Party 'on spending, tariffs and my belief that America is the leader of the free world and must stand with Ukraine until the Russian invasion is repelled and a just and lasting peace is secured." Trump pressured Pence to reject election results from swing states where the Republican president falsely claimed the vote was marred by fraud. Pence refused, saying he lacked such authority. When a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, some chanted that they wanted to 'hang Mike Pence.' Pence was whisked away by Secret Service agents, narrowly avoiding a confrontation with the rioters. 'Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify,' Trump wrote at the time on X, formerly Twitter, as rioters moved through the Capitol and Pence was in hiding with his family, aides and security detail inside the building. Pence rejected the Secret Service's advice that he leave the Capitol, staying to continue the ceremonial election certification of Democrat Joe Biden's presidential victory once rioters were cleared. In describing his role, Pence told the audience that 'by God's grace I did my duty that day to support the peaceful transfer of power under the Constitution of the United States of America.' The Profile in Courage Award, named for a book Kennedy published in 1957 before he became president, honors public officials who take principled stands despite the potential political or personal consequences. Previous recipients of the award include former Presidents Barack Obama, George H.W. Bush and Gerald Ford. Pence has emerged as one of the few Republicans willing to take on the Trump administration. His political action group, Advancing American Freedom, campaigned against the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the nation's health agencies. He's delivered speeches urging the president to stand with longtime foreign allies and posted an article he penned more than a decade ago on the limits of presidential power after Trump claimed that, 'He who saves his Country does not violate any Law.'
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump says his administration is set to release JFK files with no redactions
DALLAS (AP) — President Donald Trump says files related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy will be released Tuesday without any redactions, making good on a promise he made during his campaign. Trump told reporters Monday that his administration will be releasing 80,000 files, though it's not clear how many of those are among the millions of pages of records that have already been made public. 'We have a tremendous amount of paper. You've got a lot of reading,' Trump said while at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. He also said he doesn't believe anything will be redacted from the files. 'I said, 'Just don't redact. You can't redact,'' he said. Many who have studied what's been released so far by the government say the public shouldn't anticipate any earth-shattering revelations from the newly released documents, but there is still intense interest in details related to the assassination and the events surrounding it. Here are some things to know: Trump's order Shortly after he was sworn into office, Trump ordered the release of the remaining classified files related to the assassination, which has spawned countless conspiracy theories. He directed the national intelligence director and attorney general to develop a plan to release the records. The order also aimed to declassify the remaining federal records related to the 1968 assassinations of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. After signing the order, Trump handed the pen to an aide and directed that it be given to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Trump administration's top health official. He's the nephew of John F. Kennedy and son of Robert F. Kennedy. The younger Kennedy, whose anti-vaccine activism has alienated him from much of his family, has said he isn't convinced that a lone gunman was solely responsible for his uncle's the assassination. Nov. 22, 1963 When Air Force One carrying JFK and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy touched down in Dallas, they were greeted by a clear sky and enthusiastic crowds. With a reelection campaign on the horizon the next year, they went to Texas for a political fence-mending trip. But as the motorcade was finishing its parade route downtown, shots rang out from the Texas School Book Depository building. Police arrested 24-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald, who had positioned himself from a sniper's perch on the sixth floor. Two days later, nightclub owner Jack Ruby fatally shot Oswald during a jail transfer. A year after the assassination, the Warren Commission, which President Lyndon B. Johnson established to investigate, concluded that Oswald acted alone and that there was no evidence of a conspiracy. But that didn't quell a web of alternative theories over the decades. The JFK files In the early 1990s, the federal government mandated that all assassination-related documents be housed in a single collection in the National Archives and Records Administration. The collection of over 5 million pages of records was required to be opened by 2017, barring any exemptions designated by the president. Trump, who took office for his first term in 2017, had said that he would allow the release of all of the remaining records but ended up holding some back because of what he called the potential harm to national security. And while files continued to be released during President Joe Biden's administration, some remain unseen. Researchers have estimated that 3,000 files or so haven't been released, either in whole or in part. And last month, the FBI said that it had discovered about 2,400 new records related to the assassination. The agency said then that it was working to transfer the records to the National Archives to be included in the declassification process. There are still some documents in the JFK collection that researchers don't believe the president will be able to release. Around 500 documents, including tax returns, weren't subject to the 2017 disclosure requirement. What's been learned Some of the documents already released have offered details on the way intelligence services operated at the time, including CIA cables and memos discussing visits by Oswald to the Soviet and Cuban embassies during a trip to Mexico City just weeks before the assassination. The former Marine had previously defected to the Soviet Union before returning home to Texas. One CIA memo describes how Oswald phoned the Soviet embassy while in Mexico City to ask for a visa to visit the Soviet Union. He also visited the Cuban embassy, apparently interested in a travel visa that would permit him to visit Cuba and wait there for a Soviet visa. On Oct. 3, more than a month before the assassination, he drove back into the United States through a crossing point at the Texas border. Another memo, dated the day after Kennedy's assassination, says that according to an intercepted phone call in Mexico City, Oswald communicated with a KGB officer while at the Soviet embassy that September. The releases have also contributed to the understanding of that time period during the Cold War, researchers said.
