Can You Quit Being Royalty?

Ken AshfordForeign AffairsLeave a Comment

I guess so. Hell if you can abdicate the throne, like Edward VIII did, I guess you can do what Prince Harry and Meghan Markel have done: First time I’ve ever seen someone quit their family, saying it’s to spend more time with their jobs. https://t.co/iFBZokRXhX — Eric Nelson (@literaryeric) January 8, 2020

Conservatives Win Landslide Victory In United Kingdom

Ken AshfordElection 2020, Foreign AffairsLeave a Comment

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Conservative Party won a landslide victory in the U.K.’s general election Thursday, returning the party to power for yet another term and giving the bombastic leader a clear mandate, for better or worse, to take the country out of the European Union. The unambiguous result handed the Tories 47 new seats, amounting to its biggest … Read More

At NATO, World Leaders Laugh About — Well, AT — Trump

Ken AshfordForeign Affairs, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

This is embarrassing. Trump was asked about the video while taking questions from reporters ahead of a meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany. “Well, he’s two-faced,” the president said. After a long pause, he added, “He’s a nice guy. I find him to be a very nice guy.” Trump said the comments had stemmed from his pressuring Mr. Trudeau … Read More

Trump Embarrasses The U.S. On The World Stage

Ken AshfordForeign Affairs, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

Asked at a news conference in Japan on Saturday whether he agrees with Vladimir Putin’s claim that “Western-style liberalism” is in decline, President Trump responded by criticizing the cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco, which he said are “sad to look at” because they are “run by liberal people.” Obviously, this was not what the Russian strongman was talking about during his interview with the Financial … Read More

Trump’s Eyes

Ken AshfordForeign Affairs, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

How Trump looks at allies versus Putin This was in France this weekend as world leaders gathered to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the end of World War One. The overseas trip, largely ceremonial for everyone, was a complete disaster for Trump, starting with his failure to show up because of rain: On Sunday, in unrelenting rain, more than … Read More

Trump Administration Tries To Cover For Saudis

Ken AshfordForeign Affairs, Middle East, Trump & Administration, War on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

If Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew to Riyadh to read the Riot Act to Saudi rulers over the apparent murder of Jamal Khashoggi, he hid it well behind cheery smiles and professions of amity. But then outrage has been conspicuously absent from the Trump administration in the two weeks since Mr. Khashoggi entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, never to be … Read More

President “America First” Is Sure Quick To Believe Other Countries

Ken AshfordCrime, Foreign Affairs, Middle East, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

Fielding a question on the White House lawn, Donald Trump showed that he is always ready to believe a dictator … even when it requires saying something utterly ridiculous. Asked about the disappearance, and suspected murder, of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Trump was ready to say who it wasn’t. Trump: The king firmly denies any knowledge of it.  And, just like Vladimir Putin … Read More

The Apparent Murder of Khashoggi and the Chaos of The US-Saudi Relationship

Ken AshfordCrime, Foreign Affairs, Middle East, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

Jamal Khashoggi, a well-known Saudi Arabian journalist and Washington Post columnist who has been critical of his country’s government, vanished last week. His disappearance is straining Turkey-Saudi relations and could complicate Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s recent attempts to recast his government as forward-thinking and reform-minded — as well as his country’s close relationship with the US. The 59-year-old … Read More

Trump, After Killing NAFTA, Strikes “Understanding” With Mexico If He Can Get Them On The Phone

Ken AshfordEconomy & Jobs & Deficit, Foreign Affairs, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

What a disaster this President is .@FoxNews begins coverage of U.S.-Mexico Trade Agreement #USMTA TRUMP: I believe the President is on the phone. Enrique? (uncomfortable 10-sec pause) Err, you can hook him up, please. STAFF: Coming! TRUMP: You wanna, uh, put that on this phone, please? Hello? 🤦‍♀️ pic.twitter.com/carlPz1HMj — Bad Fox Graphics (@BadFoxGraphics) August 27, 2018 "Enrique?" pic.twitter.com/nH205gPOZs — … Read More

They Have To Explain Time Zones To Our “Very Stable Genius President”

Ken AshfordForeign Affairs, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

Politico’s Daniel Lippman rounds up several harrowing new details of Trump’s attempts to interact with world leaders. Trump’s shortcomings as a global strategist include, but are not limited to, the following areas: Knowing all the countries. Maps indicate the world contains a bunch of countries whose existence Trump was never made aware of previously. “Trump appeared confused by Nepal and Bhutan, which … Read More

Trump Acts Like An A-hole At NATO Because Of Course He Does

Ken AshfordForeign Affairs, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

Donald Trump opened his visit to NATO by doubling down on his efforts to attack America’s closest allies and deploying his I’m-not-a-puppet-you’re-a-puppet defense on Russia. Trump: Germany, as far as I’m concerned, is captive to Russia because it’s getting so much of its energy from Russia. Germany is a captive of Russia, It’s very inappropriate. When he was confronted by NATO … Read More

Trump To Head To Hostile G7 Summit

Ken AshfordEconomy & Jobs & Deficit, Foreign Affairs, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

I am heading for Canada and the G-7 for talks that will mostly center on the long time unfair trade practiced against the United States. From there I go to Singapore and talks with North Korea on Denuclearization. Won’t be talking about the Russian Witch Hunt Hoax for a while! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 8, 2018 Looking forward … Read More

United Nations Human Rights Office Tells Trump Administration To Stop Separating Children From Parents At Border

Ken AshfordForeign Affairs, Immigration and Xenophobia, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

This is how low we have sunk as a nation.  So much for that Nobel Peace Prize. CNN: The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on Tuesday called on the Trump administration to end a policy that could lead to the separation of families detained on the US southern border. Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani expressed “deep concern” … Read More

Trump Starts Trade War With Allies

Ken AshfordEconomy & Jobs & Deficit, Foreign Affairs, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

Even the Koch brothers hate this. The Trump administration announced today that it would impose hefty metal tariffs on the European Union, Canada and Mexico starting Friday, immediately provoking fears of an international trade war that sent stocks tumbling. The measure has already been met with vows of retaliation against American businesses and now threatens the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The action, which was … Read More