Several members of the Trump administration appeared on Sunday morning news shows to set the record straight on the accomplishments of the president.
Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the president had made registered clear wins on illegal immigration, trade, ethics and his pick for the Supreme Court:
“You have border crossings down by 70,” Reince exclaimed. “You look at TPP, one of the first executive orders the President signed was getting out of TPP. You look at ethics, that was one of the bullet points. You had every employee of the West Wing signed an ethics pledge that said you’re not going to lobby for five years after you leave this place, and you’re never going to lobby for a foreign country. Look at Neil Gorsuch, first 100 days a Supreme Court justice is sworn in, first time since 1881.”
Priebus also rebuffed the idea that because congress hasn’t passed any major legislation, it is a poor reflection on Trump.
“Barack Obama had a prebaked stimulus package that started in October passed in February, it was pre-baked,” Reince said. “George Bush didn’t get any major legislation until June. Clinton, August 10th. Bush 41, a year and a half later. Reagan, August 13th. Carter, 658 days after he took the office. Nixon, one year. Johnson, 225 days.”
While major legislation is in the works, several smaller bills have already been signed.
“The President signed over 28 bills already. Health care may happen next week; it may not. Were hopeful it will,” Priebus told Chuck Todd. “As far as border security, you said the military. We have right now in the CR negotiating one of the biggest increases in military spending in decades. So, he is fulfilling his promises and doing it at breakneck speed.”
Attorney General Jeff Sessions appeared on ABC’s “This Week” to discuss the administration’s success on border control.
“I think the President is honoring his promise to end the lawlessness at the border,” Sessions said. “The first thing we need to do is to stop the additional flow of illegal people into our country. Many of these are involved in criminal enterprises, hauling drugs, and that kind of thing. We need to end that and then we have to wrestle what to do about people who have been here a long time.”
DHS Secretary John Kelly appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” to explain exactly what the administration means when it says it’s going after illegal aliens.
“I would just again tell the illegal immigrant community if you are simply here illegally, we don’t really have the time to go after you,” Kelly said. We’re looking for bad men and women and we’re doing that very, very effectively.”
Team Trump is sparing no effort to highlight the administration’s successes likely in response to a recent poll that showed more Americans believe little has been accomplished.
