The most controversial aspect of the first week of the Donald Trump presidency has been his executive order restricting travel to and from seven countries in the Middle East. After the United States Attorney General refused to defend the so-called "Muslim ban," the new president was quick to lash out.
Trump on Twitter
Donald Trump signed the aforementioned executive order last Friday, limiting travel for Muslims in select countries.
Within minutes of the news, backlash followed, resulting in multiple protests taking place, and a federal judge ordering a temporary stay on the order. On Monday night, Sally Yates, the recently Obama-appointed Attorney General, came out strong against Trump's travel ban. Yates released a statement where she said her job was to "seek justice and stand for what is right," while also noting, "At present, I am not convinced that the defense of the executive order is consistent with these responsibilities." In response, the billionaire real estate mogul voiced his anger, as seen on his Twitter account on January 30.
"The Democrats are delaying my cabinet picks for purely political reasons. They have nothing going but to obstruct," Donald Trump wrote on his Twitter account on Monday night, before adding, "Now have an Obama A.G." Trump's tweet was also in reference to the Democrats in the Senate who have refused to confirm, or at times even vote, for Trump's cabinet nominations. With Sally Yates now coming forward, it only highlights the wide political divide between the two parties.
Obama speaks
While many have spoken out in recent days over the Muslim ban, President Obama has been relatively quiet since leaving office. However, that all changed on Monday morning when the former president released a statement in support of the growing protests.
"President Obama is heartened by the level of engagement taking place in communities around the country," the statement opened. "Citizens exercising their Constitutional right to assemble, organize and have their voices heard by their elected officials is exactly what we expect to see when American values are at stake," the statement also noted.
Next up
While the future of the Muslim ban is unknown, it appears that there will be a fight over the issue that won't be ending anytime soon. With just a week of his presidency in the books, Donald Trump and his critics have a long four years ahead of them.