President Donald J. Trump is the most pro-gay rights Republican ever elected to the presidency. When asked about the legalization of gay marriage, he simply said he was fine with it. He’s not a culture warrior conservative, and his family feels the same way about the issue, along with the fact that there are more pressing matters at hand. Initially there were fears that the Trump White House would rollback the executive order issued by the Obama administration to protect LGBT federal workers from discrimination. Alas, in the end, the order is going to remain in place—no roll back.
As liberals cheer Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom gutting Ivanka Trump’s clothing line, Annie Karni reports from Politico that Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner, a senior adviser, worked to derail efforts to undo Obama’s order. What a horrible, horrible woman, right? (sarc.). At the same time, it was one of 200 ideas for executive orders that the transition team was drafting, with sources telling Politico that the executive order to undo the LGBT order was never going to reach the president’s desk:
You do realize Ivanka is basically Hillary Clinton on maternity leave and women's rights in the work place, right? https://t.co/3Zrq2WuN03
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) February 3, 2017
…two sources close to Kushner and Ivanka Trump, who have in the past been supporters of gay rights, said the young couple were both in favor of putting out a clear statement from the president, promising to uphold the 2014 Obama executive order and stopping the momentum for the turnaround in its tracks.[…]
White House officials downplayed the turnaround, suggesting that the draft LGBT executive order was never going to reach Trump’s desk for his signature. They described it as one of some 200 executive orders that were contemplated during the transition — some by outside groups, some by transition officials — and that it was never intended to become law, even without Kushner or anyone else pushing back on it.
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But the statement did not quash the chatter completely. Members of the religious right with ties to the Trump administration said they have been lead to believe that some changes will still be coming. “I think they’re going to address the conflict that exists currently, which would preclude religious organizations from contracting with the federal government,” Tony Perkins, CEO of the Family Research Council, said in an interview. “I feel confident that they have an appreciation of religious freedom, and I’m pretty certain they’re going to address it. I’m talking to people in the Trump administration, and I know they understand the importance of this.”
Perkins added that Vice President Pence is sensitive to the issue. And the publication added that this issue could raise its head again in the future. Presidents and vice presidents have disagreed before: Kennedy and Johnson, Adams and Jefferson, Eisenhower and Nixon. That’s not unheard of. Reportedly, George W. Bush and Dick Cheney were at odds over whether to pardon Lewis “Scooter” Libby, Cheney’s former chief of staff, who was convicted in the leaking of CIA agent Valerie Plame’s identity. Cheney wanted a pardon. Bush decided to commute his sentence, which angered the vice president. Trump didn’t get elected because he kissed the ring of the religious right. He won because the working class voter was sick of being condescended to, mocked, and ignored. Trump came into their areas, spoke to their issues, and promised to put their grievances at the top of the list of action items in Washington if they voted to put him in the White House. That happened.
Right now, we have Betsy DeVos’ education secretary on the ropes, other cabinet nominees being held up by Senate Democrats, Iran, job creation, tax reform, Obamacare on the docket. These issues are far more pressing to the Trump administration. Will liberals have the same irrational fear over infrastructure funding, trade, and childcare—issues that could put the White House in conflict with conservative Republicans? There are many areas where Congress can work together. The Left just needs to take a valium…or seven.
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