UPDATED: AP sources: Trump says Price's travel becoming a distraction

[DonViejo]

Source: Associated Press



By JONATHAN LEMIRE and RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR
1 hour ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has been telling associates that his health chief has become a distraction, overshadowing his agenda and undermining his campaign promise to “drain the swamp” of corruption, according to people familiar with the discussions.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price was trying to hang on to his job Friday amid continuing questions over his use of private charter flights on official business at a cost of several hundred thousand dollars. Other cabinet secretaries scrambled to explain their own charter flights, and a House committee pressed ahead with a government-wide travel investigation.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke dismissed the controversy over charter flights as “a little BS over travel,” but he said that taxpayers do have the right to know official travel costs.

Price had offered public regrets and a partial repayment Thursday, but that didn’t seem to calm the furor, particularly in the White House.

Read more: https://apnews.com/8c77dc02b5fa44128647dc4a6780d66c/AP-sources:-Trump-says-Price's-travel-becoming-a-distraction

---

UPDATE:

Trump to make decision Friday on firing Price

BY BRANDON CARTER AND PETER SULLIVAN - 09/29/17 03:33 PM EDT

President Trump said Friday he would decide “tonight” whether to fire Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price.

“He’s a very fine man. We’re going to make a decision sometime tonight,” Trump told reporters, according to a White House pool report.

"I certainly don't like the optics. I'm not happy, I can tell you that. I'm not happy," Trump continued.

Price is under criticism for his use of private and military aircraft for government travel.

Politico reported that Price has used military flights for multiple overseas trips costing taxpayers more than $500,000, bringing his total travel tab to over $1 million since May.

more
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/353147-trump-on-whether-hell-fire-price-well-make-a-decision-tonight

[benld74]

1. HEY Donnie - Your WHOLE Effin Cabinet is doing the SAME DAMN Thing

[liberalmuse]

2. Says the perpetually distracted shitheel.

How about cancelling your 66th golf trip this year and getting your ass to work on saving lives in Puerto Rico?

I guess oversight was something we used to do when we had a democracy.

[TrollBuster9090]

3. A distraction from WHAT? Football culture wars?

But still, Price will probably be fired. NOBODY is allowed to 'upstage' Trump by wasting more money than he does.


WINGNUT WELFARE ALERT:
Hey, HERITAGE FOUNDATION! Start warming up a FELLOWSHIP CHAIR for this asshat. He'll be needing the salary before the year is out. Hey FOX NEWS...make room for another 'pundit.' Price is now your 'contributor' for healthcare issues.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

8. LOL, you hit it dead-on.

They keep their choir well fed, housed and clothed.

Residencies also available in thousands of corporate boardrooms. Golden parachutes abound!

[TrollBuster9090]

9. Yeah, they take care of their own with a steady flow of Koch money.

Wingnut Welfare explained:

If you were a reasonably dignified policy wonk, who served his plutocratic masters with lots of tax cuts and deregulation you get a FELLOWSHIP at the American Enterprise Institute. ie-Paul Wolfowitz, Condi Rice etc.

If you were a BIT of a culture war clown, you get a FELLOWSHIP at the HERITAGE FOUNDATION. ie-Jim DeMint.

If you were an embarrassing crook, convicted felon, or overall asshat...you get a PUNDIT job on Fox News. ie-Oliver North, Mark Furhman, etc.


I'm pretty sure Price will end up with a fellowship at AEI, and a chair on the boards of directors of UNH, AETNA and all the other HMO companies.

If you're a left winger Democrat, after you retire from politics the only thing you can look forward to is a PROFESSORSHIP someplace. But what the hell...at least you can retire with your DIGNITY and CONSCIENCE intact, knowing that you used your political career to HELP your fellow citizens; rather than carrying water for a bunch of trust fund brats like Eric Trump.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

11. Yes, our sickening plutocracy.

I think they look at taking over our government as a dirty job, but something that must be done and it's mandated by their leader billionaires.

I remember way back - probably in the 70s - when Heritage came about. We didn't pay them much mind and they operated mostly in secret. However, as with most organizations, leaks started coming out that revealed they were feeding news organizations with talking points AND to the White House and Congress - in other words, minders of our government even back then. But , we never heard Heritage's or AEI's - or Rupert Murdoch's - names mentioned.

I've always viewed the wealthy as existing in a universe apart from us, and it's global in nature. I don't thing many of them are really very nationalistic at heart since their well-being is tied more to a web of global financial and social interests, however they'll all toot a patriotic horn if it fits their business interests.

[Tanuki]

4. 45 is looking for a convenient scapegoat for his failure to repeal Obamacare.

He doesn't care about ripping off the public by flying private jets at taxpayer expense.

[Turbineguy]

5. So now he wants to focus on the Russia Scandal?

OK. We can do that too.

We are multitacular!

[FakeNoose]

6. I'm sure he's already decided

...to fire Price. But now he's just tweeting and dragging it out for the TV ratings.
What a complete a-hole he is.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

7. I'll bet tRump eventually excuses this behavior.....

by framing it like so:

"in order to get the brightest and best for our nation, we have to allow them many perks they were formerly accustomed to".

This bunch of elitist jerks with their golden spoon attitudes and a myriad of conflict of interest have no place in public service. Period.

[dalton99a]

12. Yep. It's bullshit