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While presiding over the official commissioning ceremony for the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier in Norfolk, Virginia on Saturday, President Donald Trump took a moment to make a brief political request.

Trump urged the crowd of about 6,500 people, including uniformed naval officers, to call Congress and ask lawmakers to pass the budget, in which he seeks an additional $54 billion for defense spending in 2018.

I dont mind getting a little hand, so call that congressman and call that senator and make sure you get it, he told the crowd, before plugging another item on his agenda. And by the way, you can also call those senators to make sure you get health care.

Trump also blamed numerous military setbacks on the budget caps on government defense spending, put in place by the 2011 sequester agreement.

The remarks above begin at 5:30 in the video below.

His political requests to the crowd were strange for a naval commissioning ceremony.

As the Washington Post pointed out, Trumps request for help in pushing his agenda could have been perceived by the military members in attendance, whom he commands, as an order.

Trumps speech followed his early morning Twitter rant in which he claimed that U.S. presidents have the complete power to pardon, in response to the Posts report speculating that Trump is considering pardons for his aides, family and potentially himself amid investigations into alleged ties between his campaign and Russia.

His series of tweets, which covered a number of topics, also included a call on Republican senators to vote to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, declaring it dead.

Watch Trumps full speech below.

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Naval Ceremony Turns Political After Donald Trump Asks Crowd To ... - HuffPost

Congressional leaders reached an agreement on sanctions for Russia that punish Moscow for alleged election interference and limit Donald Trumps ability to push back on the restrictions.

The new legislation, which also includes sanctions for Iran and North Korea, is seeking to bringsanctions on those suspected of human rights abuses and aims to penalise Russia for its aggression towards its neighbors as well as the ongoing election hacking saga, The New York Times reported.

Embarrassingly for the president, given the legislations broad bipartisan support, it also ignored pleas from the White House to permit Trump more freedom to bend the sanctions for the sake of his freedom to conduct foreign policy, instead making it harder for Trump to intervene.

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The president has retweeted Fox News or 'Fox & Friends' nine times since Monday. Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters

Negotiators from the House and Senate announced the decision on Saturday, with a vote on the legislationwhich gives Congress the ability to veto the administrations ability to ease the sanctionsexpected in the House on Tuesday.

Given the many transgressions of Russia, and President Trump's seeming inability to deal with them, a strong sanctions bill such as the one Democrats and Republicans have just agreed to is essential," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement seen by CNN.

I expect the House and Senate will act on this legislation promptly, on a broad bipartisan basis and send the bill to the President's desk, he added.

Although the legislation did receive cross party support, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said she had concerns over the bill, explaining in a statement seen by The Times that she was worried that the changed insisted upon by the GOP let the party: originate actions in the House to prevent the Trump administration from rolling back sanctions.

Trump has not yet commented on the legislation, which would leave him with far less power over the sanctions beyond a veto, which would look questionable and would be unlikelyconsidering the ongoing Russia investigation.

Trump isn't without options, he could veto the bill, but it's unlikely as it wouldadd to suspicions of collusion with Russia.

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Congress Reaches Deal On Russia Sanctions, Leaves Donald Trump Out Of The Loop - Newsweek

Breaking up is hard to do, but Sean Spicer seems to have figured it out. Corey Lewandowski showed him the way.

Hours after resigning as White House press secretary on Friday, Spicer offered nothing but praise and gratitude for President Trump in an interview with Fox Newss Sean Hannity. His remarks were remarkably similar to those of Corey Lewandowski on the day 13 months ago when Trump fired Lewandowski as campaign manager.

Spicer:Its been an honor and a privilege to serve the president and this country.

Lewandowski: I had a nice conversation with Mr. Trump, and I said to him its been an honor and a privilege to be part of this.

Spicer: I have no regrets.

Lewandowski: I have no regrets.

Spicer: The presidents doing so many amazing things on behalf of this country.

Lewandowski: Voters have got to choose Trump if they want to save our country.

Showing loyalty to Trump after a split has worked out pretty well for Lewandowski. He landed a gig as a CNN commentator for the remainder of the election, did a stint at a lobbying firm that he co-founded and most notably remained a player in Trumps world. He has been consideredfor a formal role in the White House and just this week was on Capitol Hill with another former Trump aide, David Bossie, trying to convince Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) to back a GOP health-care plan.

If you can swallow your pride and not trash Trump on your way out the door, you can stay in his orbit and maybe even work your way back onto his team.

Spicer told Hannity that he got a critical guarantee from the president: He assured me that he would continue to be as supportive as he always has been.

If Spicer plays nice after his exit if he follows Lewandowskis guide to surviving a breakup Trump will reward him.

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How to survive a breakup with Donald Trump - Washington Post

President Donald Trump spent his Saturday morning posting a series of tweets ranging from healthcare to the New York Times possibly foiling an attempt to kill a member of ISIS.

The President said the newspaper has a "sick agenda" and referenced ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who has been suspected to be dead for months.

"The Failing New York Times foiled U.S. attempt to kill the single most wanted terrorist, Al-Baghdadi.Their sick agenda over National Security," Trump tweeted.

On Friday, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis also casted doubt on al-Baghdadi's death, saying that he believes the terror leader is still alive, The Hill reported.

"I think Baghdadi's alive," Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon, according to The Hill. "Until I see his body, I am going to assume he is alive."

It is unclear what story or report Trump was referring to. TIME has reached out to the Times for a comment, but did not receive an immediate response.

Politico reporter Hadas Gold tweeted that the Times has asked the White House to clarify the tweet.

Read more:
Donald Trump Accuses New York Times of Foiling Attempt to Kill ISIS Leader - TIME

(NORFOLK, Va.) President Donald Trump helped commission the USS Gerald R. Ford on Saturday and declared that the most advanced aircraft carrier to join the Navy will cause America's enemies to "shake with fear" whenever they see its form cutting across the horizon.

"I hereby place United States Ship Gerald R. Ford in commission," Trump said after delivering a speech in which he praised the U.S. military and the American labor that went into building the 100,000 ton, $12.9 billion warship.

"May God bless and guide this warship and all who shall sail in her," Trump said.

He was followed shortly by Susan Ford Bales, the ship's sponsor and daughter of the 38th president, whom the ship honors.

"There is no one, absolutely no one, who would be prouder of the commissioning of this mighty ship than the president of the United States, Gerald R. Ford," she said. "I am honored to give the command: 'Officers and crew of the United States Gerald R. Ford, man our ship and bring her to life.'"

And with those few words, the ship was brought to life. "Anchors Aweigh" played and sailors who stood in formation in their crisp, white uniforms began filing off to their stations.

Sirens and bells sounds. Horns blared. The U.S. flag was raised to full mast.

Within minutes, the captain was informed that "the ship is manned and ready and reports for duty to the fleet."

Trump arrived aboard the carrier's steamy flight deck by the Marine One presidential helicopter and was greeted by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and other officials.

Trump, who visited the carrier in March to promote his plans for a military buildup, told Time magazine this year that the Navy should revert to using steam catapults to launch fighter jets because some of the state-of-the-art systems and technology aboard the USS Ford "costs hundreds of millions of dollars more money and it's no good."

Construction on the USS Ford started in 2009 and was to be completed by September 2015 at a cost of $10.5 billion. The Navy has attributed the delays and budget overruns to the ship's state-of-the-art systems and technology, including electromagnetic launch systems for jets and drones that will replace steam catapults.

The warship also has a smaller island that sits farther back on the ship to make it easier and quicker to refuel, re-arm and relaunch planes, and a nuclear power plant designed to allow cruising speeds of more than 30 knots and operation for 20 years without refueling.

The vessel completed sea trials in April but still will go through a battery of tests and workups at sea before becoming operational and ready for deployment, work that is expected to cost nearly $780 million and take more than four years to complete, congressional auditors said in a report this month.

The USS Ford is named after the country's 38th president, who rose to the rank of lieutenant commander in the Navy during World War II. After military service, Ford was elected to the House of Representatives, serving Michigan until he was tapped by President Richard M. Nixon to become vice president.

Ford became president after Nixon resigned during the Watergate scandal.

Docked at Naval Station Norfolk, the USS Ford eventually will house about 2,600 sailors, 600 fewer than the previous generation of aircraft carriers. The Navy says that will save more than $4 billion over the ship's 50-year lifespan.

The air wing to support the Ford could add more personnel to the ship, which is designed to house more than 4,600 crew members.

"I was with you four months ago and I knew that I had to be here today and I told you I'd be back to congratulate you and the crew and everybody involved in commissioning the newest, largest and most advanced aircraft carrier in the history of this world," Trump said Saturday. "That's a big achievement."

The return visit Saturday fell during what the White House has coined as "Made in America" week, during which Trump and other administration officials highlighted a wide assortment of products ranging from trucks and helicopters to baseball bats and glass bottles for pharmaceuticals that are manufactured in the United States.

"This is American craftsmanship at its biggest, at its best, at its finest," Trump said aboard the carrier during his previous visit. "American workers are the greatest anywhere in the world. This warship, and all who serve on it, should be a source of shared pride for our nation."

The Ford was built at Newport News Shipbuilding, the giant Navy contractor in Virginia. Trump tweeted before departing Saturday for the ceremony that the Ford is the largest aircraft carrier in the world.

See more here:
Donald Trump Says USS Gerald Ford Will Make Enemies 'Shake With Fear' - TIME