Archive for the ‘Obama’ Category

Texas woman granted clemency by Obama last year back in prison – Fox News

A Texas drug dealer is back in prison a year after she was granted clemency by President Obama.

Carol Denise Richardson, 49, was sentenced to 14 months in prison last week for violation the terms of her supervised release, according to the Department of Justice. Prosecutors say she committed five separate violations of those terms.

This defendant was literally given a second chance to become a productive member of society and has wasted it, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ted Imperatosaid in a statement. She has clearly shown a willful disregard for the law and must face the consequences for her crimes and actions.

OBAMA'S CLEMENCY DID NOT EXTEND TO BERGDAHL, SNOWDEN, OTHERS

After a drug dealing conviction, Richardson, who had a lengthy rap sheet, was sentenced to life in prison in June 2006. But she was released from prison last July after Obama commuted her sentence. Obama granted clemency to1,715 people-- many of them drug offenders -- during his eight years in office.

On July 28, she was a free woman.

But $60 worth of laundry detergent landed her back in jail in April. She was caught stealing the detergent in Pasadena, Calif. and planned to sell it to buy drugs,her attorney told the Houston Chronicle.

Mark Anthony Diaztold the newspaperthat his clients problems stem from her ongoing crack addiction.

Prosecutors say among other conditions Richardson violated are staying in contact with a probation officer and failing to report that she had moved.

OBAMA'S RECORD WAVE OF PARDONS, COMMUTATIONS

The nonprofit that took up Richardsons cause to receive clemency last year said the system has failed her once again. Clemency for All Nonviolent Drug Offenders, or CAN-DO,said in a statementreleased Sunday that Richardson was not given proper support after her release from prison.

It will be easy for some to point a finger at Carol and justify their support of harsh mandatory sentences as a necessity to keep people locked up, when we feel Carols current situation is proof that we desperately need to overhaul our current drug policy that treats addiction as a criminal issue, rather than a medical issue, the group said in a statement. Imagine locking up an alcoholic for life simply because they suffer from a disease that science claims is often genetic.

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Texas woman granted clemency by Obama last year back in prison - Fox News

McCain: America’s standing was better under Obama than Trump – USA TODAY

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., speaks at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing June 8, 2017. McCain has been a critic of both President Trump and former president Barack Obama.(Photo: Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)

WASHINGTON Sen. John McCain has given blistering reviews of President Obamas foreign policy in the past, but after President Trumps response to a terrorist attack in London, the Arizona Republican says Americas standing abroad was better off under the last president.

Earlier this month, Trump attacked Sadiq Khan, the first Muslim mayor of London,on Twitter less than 24 hours after eight people were killed and dozens were wounded during a terrorist attack in the city.

Pathetic excuse by London Mayor Sadiq Khan who had to think fast on his no reason to be alarmed statement, Trumptweeted. The quote Trump used mischaracterized remarks from Khan, who had urged Londoners to stay calm despite a larger police presence following the attack.

What do you think the message is? The message is that America doesnt want to lead, McCain said about Trump's statement,according to The Guardian. McCain has been a frequent critic of Trump, particularly on his handling of foreign policy.

McCain said America's standing with the world was better under the previous administration, as far as American leadership is concerned, yes."

His view of Trumps foreign policy must be pretty low, because McCain was no fan of Obamas approach. McCain told The Hill in 2016 that Obama deserved an F for his handling of foreign policy.

McCain is the head of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a leading voice in the Senate on foreign policy. He ran against Obama for the presidency in 2008.

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Sasha Obama spotted partying with ‘Real Housewives of Potomac’ star’s daughter – AOL

Where's Sasha?!

Since leaving the White House, Sasha Obama has remained out of the spotlight. However, the former first daughter was spotted for the first time in months at a Sweet Sixteen party with her pals, including the daughter of the "Real Housewives of Potomac" star Charrisse Jackson-Jordan.

The 16-year-old posed in a series of fun snapshots with her friends and family at the party. Sasha looked absolutely gorgeous in a slinky red dress that showed off a hint of cleavage, while wearing her brunette locks in a sleek-straight style.

Sasha was all smiles while posing for pictures with her parents, Michelle and Barack, but her sillier side came out in a fun photo booth session with her close pals! The brunette beauty stuck out her tongue in a sassy pose in one photo, while she flashed a gorgeous smile in another.

Though the identity of most of her friends remains unknown, one looks incredibly familiar. Skylar, who is the daughter of Charrisse Jackson-Jordan, was also included in the snapshot and she looked just as stunning in a striped strapless dress.

37 PHOTOS

Malia and Sasha Obama through the years

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Illinois U.S. Senate candidate Democrat Barack Obama (2nd R), wife Michelle and their daughters Malia (R), 3, and Sasha (L), 6, spend time in their Chicago hotel room, November 2, 2004. Obama faces Republican candidate Alan Keys in the first Senate race with two African American candidates.

(REUTERS/John Gress)

Michelle Obama and her daughters Sasha and Malia (R) listen as her husband Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) speaks during a campaign stop in Oskaloosa, Iowa, July 4, 2007. REUTERS/Keith Bedford (UNITED STATES)

Sasha Obama walks from Jorge's Sombrero restaurant after a meal with her father U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) and her sister Malia and mother Michelle in Pueblo, Colorado November 1, 2008. REUTERS/Jason Reed (UNITED STATES) US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN 2008 (USA)

Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) is cheered by supporters after winning the Democratic Iowa caucuses in Des Moines, Iowa January 3, 2008. Obama is seen with his wife Michelle and daughters Malia (L) and Sasha.

(REUTERS/Jim Young/UNITED STATES)

'U.S. first lady Michelle Obama laughs while her daughter Malia reads a book to patients at the Children's National Medical Center in Washington. Also is Obama's other daughter Sasha.

(Photo by Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images)

U..S President Barack Obama's daughters Malia and Sasha Obama watch the inaugural parade from their father's reviewing stand in Washington January 20, 2009. Barack Obama became the first black U.S. president on Tuesday and declared it is time to set aside petty differences and embark on a new era of responsibility to repair the country and its image abroad.

(REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/UNITED STATES)

Sasha Obama, the youngest daughter of U.S. President Barack Obama, smiles as she looks at her sister Malia as they wait to collect takeout lunch at Nancy's restaurant in Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard, August 26, 2009.

(REUTERS/Jason Reed/UNITED STATES POLITICS)

U.S. President Barack Obama's daughters Malia (L) and Sasha play with the first family's dog Bo as they wait for Obama's return to Washington after a day trip to Ohio and Pennsylvania, where he participated in economic rallies, September 15, 2009.

(REUTERS/Mike Theiler)

President Barack Obama speaks onstage as Michelle Obama, Sasha Obama and Malia Obama look on during TNT's 'Christmas in Washington 2010' at the National Building Museum on December 12, 2010 in Washington, DC.

(Theo Wargo via Getty Images)

Malia Obama and Sasha Obama attend the first White House Dance Series with their mother, First Lady Michelle Obama, in the East Room of the White House September 7, 2010 in Washington, DC. The dance event was a tribute to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Artistic Director Judith Jamison, a famous modern dancer, choreographer and muse to Alvin Ailey.

(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

U.S. President Barack Obama enjoys a "shaved ice" with his daughter Malia at Island Snow Hawaii while on vacation in Kailua January1, 2010.

(REUTERS/Hugh Gentry)

U.S. President Barack Obama walks with his daughter, Sasha, as they look at the White-Handed Gibbon at the Honolulu Zoo in Hawaii January 3, 2010.

(REUTERS/Larry Downing)

President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and their daughters, Sasha and Malia, sit for a family portrait in the Oval Office, Dec. 11, 2011.

(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

This official White House photograph is being made available only for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photograph. The photograph may not be manipulated in any way and may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House.

(Photo by Pete Souza/White House/Handout/Corbis via Getty Images)

11/23/12- The White House- Washington, DC

First Lady Michelle Obama, first daughters Malia and Sasha and first dog Bo receive the 2012 Christmas Tree.

(Photo by ImageCatcher News Service/Corbis via Getty Images)

11/21/12- The White House- Washington, DC

President Barack Obama and his daughters Malia and Sasha.

(Photo by ImageCatcher News Service/Corbis via Getty Images)

U.S. President Barack Obama celebrates with first lady Michelle Obama and their daughters Malia (R) and Sasha at their election night victory rally in Chicago, November 7, 2012.

(REUTERS/Jason Reed)

Sasha (L) and Malia Obama, daughters of US President Barack Obama, take a photo of themselves during the Presidential Inaugural Parade on January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC.

(JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images)

US President Barack Obama speaks to a cashier as he pays for books with daughter Malia at the Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington on November 30, 2013 as part of Small Business Saturday.

(NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

U.S. President Barack Obama walks from Marine One with his daughter Sasha as they return to the White House in Washington January 5, 2014. Obama and his daughters were returning from a two week holiday vacation.

(REUTERS/Joshua Roberts)

Malia Obama and Sasha Obama speak onstage at TNT Christmas in Washington 2014 at the National Building Museum on December 14, 2014 in Washington, DC.

(Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage)

U.S. President Barack Obama's daughters Sasha (L) and Malia listen to their father during the pardoning of the National Thanksgiving Turkey "Cheese" at the White House in Washington November 26, 2014.

(REUTERS/Gary Cameron)

Sasha Obama, daughter of U.S. President Barack Obama, participates in the turkey pardoning ceremony in the Rose Garden at the White House November 25, 2015 in Washington, DC. In a tradition dating back to 1947, the president pardons a turkey, sparing the tom -- and his alternate -- from becoming a Thanksgiving Day feast. This year, Americans were asked to choose which of two turkeys would be pardoned and to cast their votes on Twitter.

(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Malia Obama (R) and Sasha Obama after arrival at Malpensa Airport in Milan, on June 17, 2015.

(Photo by Andrea Spinelli/Corbis via Getty Images)

Malia Obama, daughter of U.S. President Barack Obama, participates in the turkey pardoning ceremony in the Rose Garden at the White House November 25, 2015 in Washington, DC. In a tradition dating back to 1947, the president pardons a turkey, sparing the tom -- and his alternate -- from becoming a Thanksgiving Day feast. This year, Americans were asked to choose which of two turkeys would be pardoned and to cast their votes on Twitter.

(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Malia and Sasha Obama attend the national Christmas tree lighting ceremony on the Ellipse south of the White House December 3, 2015 in Washington, DC. The lighting of the tree is an annual tradition attended by the president and the first family.

(Photo by Olivier Douliery- Pool/Getty Images)

US President Barack Obama and daughter Malia make their way to board Air Force One before departing from Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles on April 8, 2016. Obama is heading to San Francisco to take part in a Democratic National Committee roundtable discussion and to attend a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee fundraiser.

(MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

U.S. President Barack Obama and U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama and their daughters Malia (L) and Sasha (R) walk to Air Force One as they depart from Roswell, New Mexico, U.S., June 17, 2016.

(REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

U.S. President Barack Obama and his daughter Malia walk from Marine One to board Air Force One upon their departure from O'Hare Airport in Chicago April 7, 2016. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

U.S. President Barack Obama and First lady Michelle Obama's youngest daughter Sasha (C) picks up her food at the Z-burger chain during the "I'm with Hillary" promotion in Washington, U.S., October 28, 2016. Customers using the password received a free hamburger today. REUTERS/Gary Cameron

Sasha (L) and Malia Obama, the daughters of U.S. President Barack Obama and U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama walk to Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., June 17, 2016. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Malia Obama attends the 2016 Budweiser Made in America Festival at Benjamin Franklin Parkway on September 4, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

(Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Anheuser-Busch)

HAVANA, CUBA - MARCH 22: (L-R) Malia Obama, Sasha Obama, U.S. first lady Michelle Obama and President Barack Obama react to the first run scored during an exhibition game between the Cuban national baseball team and Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Devil Rays at the Estado Latinoamericano March 22, 2016 in Havana, Cuba. This is the first time a sitting president has visited Cuba in 88 years.

(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Malia Obama (L) and Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco attend an Iftar dinner at the royal palace in Marrakech, June 28, 2016. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal

Sasha Obama, daughter of U.S. President Barack Obama, attends her first State Dinner in honor of the Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau at the White House in Washington March 10, 2016.

(REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Malia Obama attends a State Dinner at the White House March 10, 2016 in Washington, D.C. Hosted by President and First Lady Obama, the dinner is in honor of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and First Lady Sophie Gregoire Trudeau of Canada.

(Photo by Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images)

U.S. President Barack Obama, U.S. first lady Michelle Obama and their daughters Malia (R) and Sasha (L) board Air Force One at Cape Cod Coast Guard Air Station in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, U.S., August 21, 2016.

(REUTERS/Joshua Roberts)

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In an interview, Skylar's mom got candid about her daughter's friendship with the youngest Obama:

"Skylar and Sasha Obama are friends ... Secret Service is standing there while they go to lunch," she revealed.

It's no surprise that Sasha and the reality star's daughter are such good friends, considering how well-known both of their parents are.

Charrisse is the ultimate social butterfly and is a power player in the D.C. social scene. She's still married to NBA player-turned-coach Eddie Jordan, though they're effectively separated. Jackson-Jordan openly weighs the decision of whether or not to get divorced from her husband, whom she's been with for 25 years, on "Real Housewives."

And if you recall, this isn't the first time Sasha's whereabouts have been questioned. Back in January, Sasha was nowhere to be found at her father's farewell speech in Chicago, and her absence sent the internet into a tizzy.

Her mother, Michelle, revealed Sasha missed the event because she had an exam the next day, but that didn't stop the internet from freaking out.

Meanwhile, Sasha's older sister, Malia, has been spotted in New York City since leaving the White House, for an internship with Harvey Weinstein.

33 PHOTOS

Malia Obama through the years

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US President Barack Obama and daughter Malia make their way to board Air Force One before departing from Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles on April 8, 2016. Obama is heading to San Francisco to take part in a Democratic National Committee roundtable discussion and to attend a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee fundraiser. / AFP / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 07: U.S. President Barack Obama walks with his daughter Malia toward Marine One while departing the White House April 7, 2016 in Washington, DC. President Obama was scheduled to speak at the University of Chicago Law School, where he was expected to urge senate Republicans to hold hearings on his Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

U.S. President Barack Obama congratulates his daughter Malia on her birthday during the Independence Day celebration at the White House in Washington U.S., July 4, 2016. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

US President Barack Obama and daughter Malia make their way to board Air Force One before departing from Chicago OHare International Airport in Chicago on April 7, 2016. Obama is heading to Los Angeles to attend fundraisers. / AFP / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

U.S. President Barack Obama's daughters Sasha (L) and Malia listen to their father during the pardoning of the National Thanksgiving Turkey "Cheese" at the White House in Washington November 26, 2014. REUTERS/Gary Cameron (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS SOCIETY)

U.S. President Barack Obama and his daughter Malia walk in the rain from Marine One to board Air Force One upon their departure from Los Angeles, California April 8, 2016. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

US President Barack Obama (R) and daughter Malia make their way across the South Lawn upon return to the White House on January 4, 2015 in Washington, DC. Obama and his family returned to Washington after spending the holidays in Hawaii. AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 19: Malia Obama (R) participates in a literacy service project at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington, DC to mark Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, January 19, 2015 in Washington, DC. The Obama family visited the Boys and Girls Club and helped paint murals and put together literacy kits. (Photo by Pool/Getty Images)

US First Lady Michelle Obama (C) and her daughter Malia joke with children during a lunch at the United States and Nato military base in Vicenza , northern Italy, on June 19, 2015. AFP PHOTO / ANDREAS SOLARO (Photo credit should read ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/Getty Images)

US President Barack Obama walks with daughter Malia (L) across Lafayette Park to Saint John's Episcopal Chuch for Sunday services on October 27, 2013 in Washington, DC. AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

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Sasha Obama spotted partying with 'Real Housewives of Potomac' star's daughter - AOL

Charity dinner attended by Barack Obama raises thousands of pounds – BBC News


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Charity dinner attended by Barack Obama raises thousands of pounds
BBC News
A charity dinner attended by former US President Barack Obama raised 670,000 for causes in Scotland. Mr Obama made his first trip to the country last month to speak in front of about 1,200 people, including Nicola Sturgeon, JK Rowling and Annie Lennox.

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Charity dinner attended by Barack Obama raises thousands of pounds - BBC News

Trump’s strain with Obama marks departure from presidential fraternity – CNN

They haven't spoken or seen each other since.

In the months after Trump and Obama carried out a peaceful hand off of power, the two have failed to develop any sort of working relationship, according to White House advisers and former administration officials.

Perhaps it's a predictable outcome for two men with a long and bitter history; to be sure, the ice-out is the product of deep-rooted enmity that extends well beyond differences in policy or style.

But in the scope of recent history, it's unprecedented for a sitting president and his predecessor to eschew even the faintest of ties.

"I don't think they have a relationship," said David Axelrod, who served as Obama's senior adviser during his first years in office. "President Obama did what he could to help during the transition but, obviously, there have been intervening events."

Cracks emerged before long, with Trump intervening in a dispute over Israeli settlements and later lashing out at the sitting President on Twitter. But on Inauguration Day, all appeared cheery as Obama and his wife welcomed the incoming first family to the White House for coffee.

Once Trump was installed in office, however, things progressively soured, culminating in Trump's March tweets accusing Obama of ordering surveillance of Trump Tower.

The baseless claim, which Obama's team denied, was said to irk and exasperate the former President. There was an effort to smooth things over, including in conversations between Trump's White House chief of staff, Reince Priebus, and Obama's former White House chief of staff, Denis McDonough.

But the talks never produced a phone call between the current and former presidents. And Trump, who hasn't backed down from his claim, continued his attacks on his predecessor.

"Well, he was very nice to me, but after that we've had some difficulties," Trump told CBS News in an interview in early May. "He was very nice to me with words and when I was with him. But after that there has been no relationship."

Since he made those comments, Trump has warily eyed Obama as he reemerges into public life. The two men were both in Europe last month, Obama for an appearance with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin and Trump for summit meetings with his new foreign counterparts.

Trump's first talks at NATO headquarters in Brussels had to be shifted to the afternoon to accommodate Merkel's schedule with Obama, according to people familiar with the meeting's planning.

This week, Obama met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after delivering remarks in Montreal that warned against authoritarianism -- remarks that were seen as veiled jabs at Trump.

Both Merkel and Trudeau participated in sometimes-tense G-7 meetings last month in Sicily, where Trump was isolated on issues like climate change.

Republicans close to Trump say Obama's active schedule with foreign leaders has caught the President's eye as he works to develop his own relationships with world leaders. But they stopped short of saying Trump has expressed worry about Obama's private conversations with foreign leaders.

"Even though President Trump may not like it, having Obama out there speaking with leaders, even if it's critical of Trump, is probably helpful," said Julian Zelizer, a presidential historian at Princeton. "He might be serving a diplomatic role that the administration itself is not fulfilling."

Presidents have long relied on their predecessors for advice on a job few could possibly understand. Sometimes they have called on members of the so-called Presidents Club to carry out tasks on behalf of the United States.

The current shutdown in ties between Trump and Obama amounts to the first time in decades a sitting president has closed off all communication with his predecessor -- and, by extension, one of the only individuals with direct knowledge of a role few have played.

"There are only six people on the planet who fully understand the demands of that job," Axelrod said. "It's often helpful, but certainly not mandatory, to be able to counsel with them. But that's totally up the discretion of the incumbent, who in this case has without evidence accused his predecessor of what would amount to a crime. That suggests to me that they're probably not chatting much."

As Bush's presidency wore on, he and Clinton developed friendly ties, speaking by phone with some regularity about the aspects of the job only they could understand.

Days before taking office, Obama convened all the living presidents to solicit advice about the job. Bush hosted the session in his private dining room. Historians said it was the first time all living presidents had convened at the White House.

About a month after later, Obama placed an unusual phone call to his predecessor to inform Bush he was planning to announce a withdrawal of troops from Iraq -- a conversation Obama's aides said was a "courtesy" to the man who began the war that Obama ran vowing to end.

The phone call, made from a holding room at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, was brief, but it did reflect open lines of communication between political and ideological opposites -- a channel that thus far hasn't been dug between Obama and Trump.

Last week, when Trump decided to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate accord, few even questioned whether Obama -- whose administration helped broker the landmark agreement -- would be given a heads up. Instead, Trump tore into Obama for negotiating, in his view, a humiliating deal that had foreign leaders laughing at the US.

Obama, in one of his first overly political statements since leaving office, declared Trump's decision to "reject the future" deeply misguided.

Withdrawing from the Paris agreement was one of the most consequential announcements of Trump's young presidency, which has been most successful in reversing Obama policies.

In taking those steps, Trump has made little effort to mask his disdain for his predecessor or his decisions, the open hostility reflecting a harsher tone than presidents past who took the country in new directions.

Even bitter rivals have found ways to reconcile.

Despite griping in private about each other's shortcomings, John F. Kennedy and Dwight D. Eisenhower carried out regular consultations about national security matters after Kennedy took power from the Army general in 1960.

Only three months after taking office, Kennedy was strolling the grounds of Camp David with Eisenhower discussing the botched Bay of Pigs invasion.

"No one knows how tough this job is until after he has been in it a few months," a bewildered Kennedy confessed to Eisenhower, according to his biographer Stephen E. Ambrose.

"If you will forgive me," Eisenhower replied, "I think I mentioned that to you three months ago."

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Trump's strain with Obama marks departure from presidential fraternity - CNN