Trump To Sign Anti-LGBT Order On Thursday, And Other Trump News From Tuesday

Tuesday, May 2nd. Day 103.

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This 'Freedom' Isn't Free

• President Trump will reportedly sign an executive order on "religious liberty" on Thursday. Trump has invited religious leaders to the White House for a ceremonial signing of the order whose aim it is to allow discrimination against LGBT people on religious grounds.

A Wall Of Lies

• In a speech given at the Air Force Academy, President Trump said the new spending bill included funding for a border wall, despite its clear exclusion of that money. In his statements, Trump said "We have more money now for the border…with enough money to make a down payment on the border wall."

Keep It 1600, Fam

• In a profile of Ivanka Trump in the New York Times, Trump says she plans on being a "moderating force" for her father, promoting "gender equality" through "federal paid leave," "affordable child care," and a fund for female entrepreneurs. According to White House officials, it seems to be working — she reportedly encouraged her father to maintain women's health care funding in the most recent spending bill, and convinced her father to speak on the merits of Planned Parenthood during a Republican debate.
• Ivanka Trump did not consult with the Office of Government Ethics about her White House role despite Press Secretary Sean Spicer saying so, according to a letter made public by the office of Senator Elizabeth Warren. The office reportedly reached out the Ivanka and the White House to suggest she become a full employee five days before she made the decision to do so.

Conflicts Of Interest

• A 2013 video of President Trump and Ivanka Trump was still being used to sell units in Trump Tower, Philippines up until this week. In a deal with President Rodrigo Duterte's top trade envoy, the Trump organization received royalties from the use of the Trump brand in the project. President Trump made headlines this week when he invited Duterte, who has become notorious for extrajudicial killings, to the White House — tangling his political actions with his organization's business interests.
• According to federal disclosure forms, Trump adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner failed to report his stake in a real estate startup linked to George Soros, Peter Thiel, and Goldman Sachs. He also failed to report up to $1 billion in loans from big banks. The disclosures are not required by law, but raise major ethics concerns as Kushner orchestrates multiple initiatives by the Trump administration, such as the American Technology Council, which will certainly have interactions with figures like Peter Thiel.

Other Stories

• Commerce Secretary Recounts Missile Strike Announcement At Mar-a-Lago — " Was In Lieu Of After-Dinner Entertainment" Variety

Trump's Tweets

Tuesday morning, President Trump tweeted out an excuse for concessions (funding for a border wall) that the White House made in the spending bill that is likely to pass through congress, explaining the bill needs 60 votes, requiring Republican and Democratic buy-in.

In a second tweet, Trump suggested that more Republican Senators be elected, or change Senate voting rules. As a last option, Trump encouraged a partisan conflict, calling for a government shutdown over the next spending bill — seemingly suggesting that the conflict may either affect 2018 elections or inspire a rule change.

Here's what happened Monday.