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Trump’s War With NFL Threatens to Overshadow Rollout of Tax Plan

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  • Trump’s War With NFL Threatens to Overshadow Rollout of Tax Plan

The big thing Wall Street and corporate America really want from President Donald Trump is a tax cut. And on the week when that plan is being revealed, Trump instead is asking Americans to choose sides between kneeling football players and the U.S. flag.

Trump opened the controversy by declaring that NFL players who protest police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem — and who are mostly black — should be fired, saying “get that son of a bitch off the field” at a political rally Friday. He followed it with a series of tweets. In response, NBA superstar LeBron James called Trump a “bum.” Robert Kraft, the owner of the NFL’s New England Patriots and a Trump confidant, said he was “deeply disappointed.”

It’s not the first time Trump has allowed unscripted attacks or personal slights to collide with his larger political goals. A week in August that was supposed to be focused on infrastructure development instead was consumed by the president’s on-and-off defense of white supremacists who violently rallied in Charlottesville, Virginia.

But this may be the most consequential distraction yet. Stocks have surged and companies have drawn up expansion plans on the prospect of billions of dollars in extra profits from a cut in the corporate tax rate. Even as business and Republican leaders have grown dismayed with the president’s personal behavior, they’ve clung to the promise of a tax overhaul.

As after Charlottesville, some of these supporters — like Kraft — are once again saying enough is enough.

“When it comes to this recent spat with the NFL, look, there are far more important things that we ought to be focusing on,” Senator Cory Gardner, a Colorado Republican, said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday.

Karl Rove, the former political adviser to President George W. Bush, was even more blunt.

“The president has two very valuable assets, his time and his voice,” Rove said on Fox News Sunday. “And this president wastes it when he engages in things like this.”

Business Reaction

Two White House advisory councils comprised of U.S. corporate chiefs disbanded following Charlottesville after several of their members criticized Trump. The first sign of discontent in the business community over the president’s NFL remarks came from the owners and executives of sports teams, including some who are personal friends or donors to Trump.

“Let’s stop vilifying athletes who stand up for issues they deem important,” former Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer, who now owns the Los Angeles Clippers NBA team, said on Twitter.

Former Buffalo Bills coach Rex Ryan, who supported Trump during the election, said he was “pissed off” and that Trump’s comments were “appalling to me and I’m sure it’s appalling to almost any other citizen in this country. It should be.”

Trump administration officials interviewed on Sunday morning news shows found themselves defending the president’s remarks on NFL player protests, rather than outlining the White House’s tax plan or boosting embattled legislation to repeal Obamacare.

‘Vast Majority’

“I think that the president is standing with the vast majority of Americans who believe that our flag should be respected,” Marc Short, the White House legislative director, said on Meet the Press.

“This is about respect for the military and the first responders and the country,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on ABC’s “This Week,” in remarks that drew particular scorn from Democrats. “They have the right to have their First Amendment off the field. This is a job and the employers have the right, when the players are working, to have rules.”

Larry Summers, the former director of President Barack Obama’s National Economic Council, said on Twitter that Mnuchin “may be the greatest sycophant in Cabinet history.”

“If I were president, I probably would not get involved in this,” Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Then came the visual retorts.

Locked Arms

Shahid Khan, the billionaire owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars who donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration committee, locked arms with his players on the field for the national anthem before the kickoff of his team’s game in London. Daniel Snyder, the owner of the Washington Redskins and another $1 million inaugural donor, also locked arms with his players before his team’s nationally broadcast game on NBC’s Sunday Night Football. Neither owner kneeled, though several of their players did.

The Redskins’ opponents, the Oakland Raiders, sat on their bench with their arms locked, grim-faced. NBC sideline reporter Michelle Tafoya said the team had wanted to remain in the locker room during the anthem but were told they’d forfeit the coin toss and would face a 15-yard penalty.

“I would just ask the president to consider apologizing for the SOB line,” NBC’s Sunday Night Football commentator Cris Collinsworth said.

Don’t count on it. Inside the White House, the latest controversy wasn’t entirely unwelcome to some aides, who regarded the president as being on the right side of public opinion. Protesting players were booed at at least one game, in Detroit. Top administration officials showed no signs of trying to distance themselves from or walk back Trump’s statements, and some of Trump’s outside advisers predicted the fight wouldn’t hurt his support.

The White House will try to pivot off the subject by mid-week when Trump plans a trip to Indiana for a speech on tax issues. Trump and congressional Republican leaders are preparing for a strong push in the next few months to pass the tax legislation, which comes after a series of defeats including their continuing failure to repeal Obamacare.

Is the CEO and Founder of Investors King Limited. He is a seasoned foreign exchange research analyst and a published author on Yahoo Finance, Business Insider, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur.com, Investorplace, and other prominent platforms. With over two decades of experience in global financial markets, Olukoya is well-recognized in the industry.

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Knocks, Kudos For Judiciary Over Stoppage of Allocations to Rivers State as Fubara Boasts of Coping Without FG’s Funds

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Siminalayi Fubara

A mixture of condemnation and praises has trailed a judgement of a Federal High Court that stopped the release of state allocations to the Rivers State Government.

Investors King had reported that Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of a Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, ordered the stoppage of the release of monthly federal allocations to Rivers State.

Justice Abdulmalik predicated her action on the grounds that the state government was in violation of the Constitution as regarding the state expenditures.

According to the judge, the current budget being operated by the state was not passed by a lawful arm of the Rivers State House of Assembly, therefore, Fubara is not entitled to allocations from the government at the centre.

Meanwhile, some stakeholders in the country have knocked the judiciary over the decision, calling on the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun to rein in on judges’ actions over the political crisis ravaging Rivers.

For former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the judiciary should be cautioned against setting the South-South State on fire.

In a statement by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, the former Vice President, said it was appalling that some elements loyal to the Federal Government were pulling the strings from behind.

Atiku wondered why Justice Joyce Abdulmalik issued the order when it was public knowledge that Rivers State had already challenged the Court of Appeal’s judgement on the legality of Rivers State’s 2024 budget.

He, however, called on Justice Kekere-Ekun to ensure that those found wanting are disciplined in order to restore the fading glory of the nation’s judiciary.

In the same vein, Chief Emeka Kalu, National Coordinator of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Coalition observed that the ongoing crisis plaguing Rivers State must be handled with caution to save it from unnecessarily being flamed in uncontrollable state of lawlessness.

Kalu in the statement said the judiciary is expected to maintain its integrity and protect her independence by working to avoid being politically purchased to harm democratic processes and the ethics of law.

According to him, the recent judgement by the Abuja Federal High Court division directing the RMAFC to stop releasing statutory monthly allocation to the State government was done out of bias and politically motivated plans to disrupt Fubara ‘s administration.

The group affirmed that it remains the height of injustice for a political party under the guise of personal interest to continue raising the dust of anarchy against the will of the people and the judiciary is expected to redeem and revitalize the failed system instead of allowing herself to be used to ruin the polity.

On the contrary, the National Democratic and Change Coalition has hailed the court for the judgment banning further release of allocations to Rivers and called on Governor Fubara to refund all monies spent without appropriation to the state coffers.

The coalition, while expressing satisfaction with the ruling, said the people of Rivers State have been vindicated and the long-awaited justice has been served on the governor.

Reacting via a press release by John Uloko, president of the coalition hailed Justice Joyce Abdulmalik for the judgment, saying that since January 2024, Rivers State had received and spent allocations based on an “illegitimate” budget, thereby describing it as a “constitutional aberration”.

The group, made up of lawyers, agreed with the court that Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s presentation of the 2024 budget before a four-member Rivers House of Assembly was an affront to the constitutional provision.

It added that the ruling is a victory for democracy and will teach rogue governors the bitter lesson that the Constitution of the Federal Republic must be respected and the sanctity of the nation’s democratic institutions upheld irrespective of their political desperation.

Nonetheless, the embattled Governor Fubara, on Wednesday said the restriction placed on the state allocations is “the least” of his problems.

Governor Fubara stated this during a special thanksgiving service organised by the state government to celebrate his administration’s resilience amid escalating political crises, which began with the arson attack on the State House of Assembly complex exactly one year ago.

Governor Fubara assured that despite the court order, his administration would continue payments to contractors and ensure workers’ salaries are disbursed from today (Thursday).

He also confirmed that allocations for the 23 Council Chairmen would be credited, as the Joint Accounts Allocation Committee procedures have been completed.

The governor encouraged his supporters to remain resilient, assuring them that all challenges are surmountable.

Reflecting on his administration’s success, Governor Fubara noted that despite predictions that his government would not last even a week, he has successfully led for over a year.

He said his administration has also conducted local government elections against all odds and maintained a full cabinet despite attempts to undermine his leadership through resignations.

Highlighting his administration’s progress, he mentioned ongoing project executions across the state, countering critics who claimed he would be unable to deliver.

He also cited recent reports that position Rivers State as one of the leaders in financial accountability and transparency.

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Court Bars FG From Giving Monthly Allocation To Rivers Government

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Siminalayi Fubara

The Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained the Federal Government of Nigeria from giving monthly constitutional allocation to Rivers State Government.

Specifically, the court presided over by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik stopped the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Accountant General of the Federation, Zenith Bank and Access Bank from further allowing Fubara to access money from the Consolidated Revenue and Federation Account.

Justice Abdulmalik stated while delivering the order on Wednesday that further release of monthly financial allocations to the Rivers State government is unconstitutional and an aberration.

The court maintained that the previous collection and disbursement of monthly allocations since January this year by Governor Siminalayi Fubara is a constitutional somersault and aberration that must not be allowed to continue.

The judge anchored his decision on the manner in which Governor Fubara presented the 2024 budget, stressing that the presentation of the fiscal document before a 4-member Rivers House of Assembly was an affront to the Constitutional provision.

He said that Fubara action in implementing unlawful budget smacked gross violations of the 1999 Constitution he swore to protect.

Abdulmalik then stopped the CBN, the Accountant General of the Federation, Zenith Bank and Access Bank from further allowing Fubara to access money from the Consolidated Revenue and Federation Account.

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Senate Postpones Screening Of Ministerial Nominees, Gives Reasons

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Senate President Akpabio

Nigerian Senate has shifted the scheduled screening for ministerial nominees, initially set for today.

The postponement of the exercise to Wednesday is to enable the nominees provide all needed documents as well as allow for sufficient time to complete their documentation and pre-screening processes.

The announcement was contained in a statement signed on Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters, Senator Basheer Lado.

According to Lado, the screening will hold on Wednesday, at 12:00 pm.

Lado, while explaining the reason for the postponement said the scheduled screening of ministerial nominees was shifted by the Senate, adding that it is to allow all nominees to conclude all aspects of documentation and pre-screening exercises.

He said the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Senate Matters thanked the public for their understanding and cooperation.

Recall that the Special Adviser to the President had on Monday disclosed in a statement that the screening will hold today.

President Tinubu had written the Senate, seeking the screening and subsequent confirmation of appointments of seven ministerial nominees announced in Abuja last Wednesday.

Tinubu’s request was contained in a letter addressed to the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and read last Thursday during plenary.

According to the letter, the ministerial nominees were Dr Nentawe Yilwatda, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction; Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, Minister of Labour and Employment; and Bianca Odinaka Odumegu-Ojukwu, Minister of State, Foreign Affairs.

Others were Dr Jumoke Oduwole, Minister of Industry, Trade and Development; Idi Muktar Maiha, Minister of Livestock Development; Rt Hon Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, Minister of State, Housing; and Dr Suwaiba Said Ahmad, Minister of State, Education.

President Tinubu in the letter had sought expeditious consideration of his request by the Senate.

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