President Trump lashed out at CNN on Twitter Monday evening, calling them "Fake News" for reporting that John Kelly was opposed to his comments at Friday's rally calling for NFL players who protest during the national anthem to be "fired." CNN reported that Kelly "was not pleased" with Trump's remarks, later updating the story to reflect Kelly's conversation with CNN reporter Jeff Zeleny, during which Kelly said he was "appalled" by the lack of respect for the flag.
"I believe every American, when the national anthem is played, should cover their hearts and think about all the men and women who have been maimed and killed," Kelly told Zeleny. "Every American should stand up and think for three lousy minutes." However, Zeleny noted that Kelly declined to say whether he felt Trump should have weighed in.
At a rally Friday night and on Twitter over the weekend, President Trump lashed out at NFL players who have followed Colin Kaepernick's lead in sitting or kneeling during the national anthem. Trump has suggested that they be "fired" for disrespecting the American flag.
On Sunday, NFL players, coaches, owners and whole teams reacted to Trump's comments by speaking out and kneeling, linking arms or remaining in their locker rooms during the anthem.
Sarah Sanders said Monday that the White House has "not declared war on North Korea," as the country's foreign minister claimed this morning. Sanders added that "frankly, the suggestion of that is absurd."
President Trump will announce a new executive memorandum this afternoon that will direct the Department of Education to expand students' access to STEM and computer science — fields that the administration says are increasingly playing a more vital role in the economy and lead to more lucrative careers.
Why it matters: At a time when partisan politics strikes down the majority of legislation put forth by Washington lawmakers, this initiative is largely one that both parties can get behind. Barack Obama introduced similar legislation at the end of his presidency, though his proposal, which was much pricier than the $200 million baseline incorporated in Trump's version, never made it through Congress. To avoid the same hiccups, the White House has introduced this as a narrower administrative action.
LeBron James, during a press conference today, referred to President Trump as "that guy" dividing the nation. James was commenting on Trump's crusade against the NFL and national anthem protestors.
The U.S. launched six precision airstrikes Friday targeting a desert camp near the formerly ISIS-held city of Sirte, Libya, killing 17 ISIS militants, the Pentagon said Sunday. An anonymous U.S. official told Reuters that the strikes were carried out by armed drones. The last known U.S. strike in Libya had been on January 19.
Why it matters: The Pentagon said the camp was used to stockpile weapons and plot attacks. There are currently three rival governments claiming power over Libya creating a vacuum of power that has allowed ISIS to thrive. There have also been several terrorist plots, including the bombing at an Ariana Grande concert, which have been linked to Libya, NBC News points out.
GOP Sens. Thom Tillis and James Lankford, joined by Sen. Orrin Hatch, announced the Succeed Act, a conservative alternative to the Dream Act that would give Dreamers a pathway to citizenship with a host of Republican-friendly restrictions.
Why it matters: President Trump has expressed a desire to allow Dreamers to stay in the United States, indicating to Democratic leaders Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi that he'd support the Dream Act — provided that it came packaged with increased border security measures. The Tilis-Lankford plan might give Republicans another path forward on immigration.
North Korea's foreign minister, Ri Yong-ho, said Monday that President Trump has declared war by tweeting that North Korea "won't be around much longer" if the foreign minister "echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man," per AP. "The whole world should clearly remember it was the U.S. who first declared war on our country."
What's next: Ri also stated that the tweet has given Pyongyang "every right" to take countermeasures such as shooting down U.S. bombers even when they're flying outside North Korea's border.
President Trump says he doesn't know much about Roy Moore, and seemed to unwittingly emphasize the point by twice referring to the Republican front-runner for Senate in Alabama as "Ray" during a radio interview on the "Rick and Bubba Show" ahead of Tuesday's primary, per Politico. Moore is up against incumbent Sen. Luther Strange, who Trump has publicly endorsed.
"Luther Strange is going to be a great senator. He loves Alabama, he loves the states and he loves the country," Trump said Monday, according to AL.com. "He will absolutely win against the Democrat. Ray will have a hard time. If Luther wins, the Democrats will hardly fight. If Ray wins, [Democrats] will pour in $30 million."
President Trump continued his Twitter crusade this morning against NFL protests during the national anthem, thanking the fans who "demand respect for our Flag" and applauding the public statements of some NASCAR owners regarding the anthem.
The context: Some NASCAR team owners, including championship driver Richard Petty, came out in support of Trump's stance on the protests over the weekend, saying they would dismiss or fire drivers who protest the national anthem, according to USA Today.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady came out against President Trump's NFL comments this morning with Boston's WEEI hosts Kirk and Callahan during his weekly Monday morning radio hit:
"Yeah, I certainly disagree with what [Trump] said. I thought it was just divisive... Like I said, I just want to support my teammates. I am never one to say, 'Oh, that is wrong. That is right.' I do believe in what I believe in. I believe in bringing people together and respect and love and trust. Those are the values that my parents instilled in me."
Why it matters: Trump has called Brady a friend and described him as "the BEST quarterback."
