Trump was scheduled to sign the order last Wednesday but pushed it back after his joint address to Congress received overwhelmingly positive reviews. "We want the (executive order) to have its own 'moment,' " a senior administration official told CNN on Tuesday. Sources told CNN that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense James Mattis and national security adviser H.R. McMaster have all advocated for Iraq to be removed from the administration's list of banned countries in the new executive order for diplomatic reasons, including Iraq's role in fighting ISIS. Homeland Security Secretary James Kelly also supported the move, but it remains unclear whether the White House has made a final decision on the issue.

Source: CNN March 04, 2017 21:01 UTC