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Wall Street Journal
Peter Nicholas is a national political reporter for the Wall Street Journal. He formerly covered the White House for the Los Angeles Times.
PROFILE
Peter Nicholas
Guest
FROM Peter Nicholas
To the Point
Trump claims DOJ investigating him In October, candidate Donald Trump said, "If Hillary [Clinton] is elected she would be under protracted criminal investigation, likely followed by the trial of a sitting president. Hey, this is just what we need. Just what we need." Last week, after fired FBI Director James Comey testified before Congress, President Trump insisted he was not under investigation, declaring, "No collusion. No obstruction. He's a leaker." But today, the President tweeted a very different message: "I am being investigated for firing the FBI Director by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director. Witch Hunt." That's his first acknowledgement that he's under investigation. Peter Nicholas, White House reporter for the Wall Street Journal , says the investigation is likely to expand to include several members of the White House over the firing of Comey.
To the Point
President Trump takes aim at trade with two executive orders President Trump signed two new executive orders today, aimed at reshaping US trade policy. One puts in place a wide-ranging study of America's half-trillion-dollar deficit with our largest trading partners. The other calls for stricter enforcement of anti-dumping laws to keep foreign manufacturers from undercutting US companies selling goods at fair prices. The orders come just one week before Trump meets with President Xii Jinping of China, which Trump has repeatedly accused of unfair trade practices. Peter Nicholas, who covers the White House for the Wall Street Journal , has details.
To the Point
Is Donald Trump thumbing his nose at the Founding Fathers? The Constitution prohibits public officials — including the President — from financial conflicts of interest — domestic or foreign. Recent Chief Executives have sold off assets or placed them in blind trusts, but Donald Trump’s lawyer says there’s no way he could be “blind” to his very public investments. Trump may be violating America's basic law the moment he takes the oath of office a week from today. Many legal scholars -- and ethics watchdogs -- say he's failed to avoid financial conflicts as demanded by the Constitution. But as opponents whisper about possible impeachment, other experts insist he's done all that he can as the richest man ever elected to serve in the White House. We hear about Constitutional law -- and politics: is Trump right to say that most Americans don't care enough to make him change?
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
The Clinton Foundation and the Election The Clintons have been criticized for allowing wealthy donors and foreign countries to contribute to The Clinton Foundation while Hillary was Secretary of State. Now Bill Clinton has announced that he would step down from the foundation’s board, and the foundation would stop taking foreign or corporate donations, if Hillary is elected president.
To the Point
Sanders Wins Party Platform Concessions Bernie Sanders is scheduled to appear with Hillary Clinton at a rally tomorrow, the result of a series of meetings that went from morning until night on Friday and Saturday in Orlando. Sanders is finally expected to endorse Clinton after a weekend of hard-fought compromises over the Democratic platform. Will her surprising concessions be enough to get his hardcore supporters out to the polls? Peter Nicholas is national political reporter for the Wall Street Journal.
To the Point
Democrats Campaign Furiously Up to Primary Day As Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are campaigning furiously today in California, it looks like the Democrats could be in for one of those this year. Sanders says he will carry on — regardless of whether he wins or loses tomorrow's primary.
To the Point
The Anti-Hillary Campaign Is Up and Running Hillary Clinton hasn't announced her presidential candidacy, but her every move is being analyzed as if she had. This week, after she charmed 5000 professional women with talk of breaking the "glass ceiling," comment on her own status as part of the 1% was inevitable. (Clinton got her usual fee of $300,000 for delivering that populist message.) A Republican PAC has produced a TV spot using the voice of Elizabeth Warren out of context as if she'd attacked Clinton's links to "powerful interests," and there are claims of conflicts of interest between her work as Secretary of State and contributions to the Clinton Foundation.
To the Point
President Obama Sending His Jobs Bill to Congress On Thursday, President Obama told the joint session of Congress to " pass this bill " no less than 15 times. Today, in the White House Rose Garden, he held a copy of the jobs plan he's sending to Congress and delivered the same message . Peter Nicholas is White House reporter for the Los Angeles Times .
To the Point
US, Regional Perspectives on Egypt's Upheaval Hours after the announcement that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak had turned over power to the country's military, the party was still going on. But many questions remain. Can the military be trusted to institute democracy? What will be the role of the US? What's the reaction in the rest of the Arab world, where dictatorships still hold power? We hear what the Obama Administration says the US will expect from Egypt's interim government and get perspective on what's next for Egypt and the region.
To the Point
Mubarak Expected to Step Aside Tahrir Square is packed tonight and there’s wild celebration in the aftermath of Mubarak’s resignation. Throughout the evening, Egyptians have been massing in Tahrir Square—anticipating that 30 years of repressive government may be about to come to an end. It’s still not clear [if he does step down] that protesters around the country—now joined by striking workers—will have won all that they’ve been demanding. Will the emergency law that suspends civil rights be revoked? Will the military continue to run the country or will there be a transition to civilian rule? We’ll talk about what appears to be history in the making in the world’s most influential Arab country.
To the Point
One Last Look at Iowa before the Caucuses At 7:30 tonight, Iowa Democrats will begin to caucus; Republicans gather at 8. Predicted temperature: 24°. Predicted outcome: uncertain in both parties. The latest tracking poll by John Zogby for Reuters shows Obama with 31% of likely Democratic caucus goers, Edwards with 27 and Clinton with 24. Huckabee leads Romney 31 to 25. Can you believe it? Peter Nicholas is in frozen Iowa for the Los Angeles Times .
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Left, Right & Center
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To the Point
What is Trump's plan for Middle East peace? On his first foreign tour, President Trump has promised "peace" between Israel and the Palestinians. Are there any details for re-starting talks that have been stalled for the past three years?
To the Point
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.
To the Point
Trump plays scolder-in-chief with NATO allies At the opening of NATO’s dramatic new headquarters in Brussels today, President Trump acknowledged that Article 5 — promising that “an attack on one nation is an attack on all” -- has only been invoked one time: in the aftermath of September 11. But the President failed to provide what 27 other Alliance members have been waiting for: a re-commitment by America’s new leader to Article 5. Instead, they got a scolding.