This is very much a work in progress, as this president, and the people who make up his administration, demonstrate incompetence on a near daily basis. This is part I of the timeline, which is broken up into 6 sections (Pre-campaign Transgressions, Campaign Trail Transgressions, President Elect Transgressions, Pre-impeachment Transgressions, Post-impeachment/Pandemic Transgressions and Post 2020 Election Transgressions). Part II, Part III, Part IV and Part V can be found at the following links:
Trump Transgressions Timeline Part II - June 17, 2019 to March 1, 2020
Trump Transgressions Timeline Part III - March 1, 2020 to November 3, 2020
Trump Transgressions Timeline Part IV - November 4, 2020 to January 6, 2022
Trump Transgressions Timeline Part V - January 7, 2022 to March 29, 2023
Trump Transgressions Timeline Part VI - March 30, 2023 to the Present
Note to Donald Trump supporters: If you take issue with any of the entries in this timeline, then please try - if you can - to imagine the back side of a very large hand, and extending from that hand, straight up into the air, a lone middle finger. Only after you've conjured that image into your imagination will you have a clearer picture of what I think of your concerns.
- It was well known within the Trump campaign that Page was going to visit Russia in July of 2016.
- Page had claimed publicly that he never met with Russian government officials, but those statements were contradicted by his testimony.
- Page reported back to the campaign regarding his Russian contacts.
- Page also traveled to Budapest in the summer of 2016 where he met with Hungarian government officials, and the Hungarian ambassador to the United States.
November 6, 2017 - Lots of information surfaced about Devin P. Kelley, the Sutherland Springs church shooter. In 2012, Kelley was convicted for attacking his wife and infant stepson, which, among other transgressions, lead to him being kicked out of the Air Force with a bad conduct discharge. The Air Force, which was required to enter his name into an F.B.I. database because of the domestic assault conviction, failed to do so. The shooting itself was motivated by an ongoing domestic dispute Kelley had with his mother-in-law, who regularly attended the Sutherland Springs church, but wasn't there when the shooting occurred. In response to reporter's questions about the church attack yesterday, Trump claimed that "mental health was your problem here." Trump also told reporters "this isn't a guns situation. I mean, we could go into it, but it's a little bit too soon."
October 27, 2017 - Despite claiming for months that she was not acting at the behest of the Kremlin, records show that Natalia V. Veselnitskaya, the Russian lawyer who met with Trump Jr, met with one of Russia's most powerful officials in the months leading up to the June 2016 meeting. That official was Yuri Y. Chaika, Russia's prosecutor general. According to Stephen Blank, a senior fellow with the nonprofit American Foreign Policy Council in Washington, Veselnitskaya's actions "were coordinated from the very top."
October 17, 2017 - A third attempt by the Trump administration to ban travel from a handful of predominantly Muslim countries was halted today when Derrick K. Watson, a federal judge in Hawaii issued a nationwide freeze. Both previous attempts were halted on grounds they violated the Constitution or exceeded the president's authority, and those halt orders have all been upheld on appeal. Judge Watson's wrote in his decision that the ban "plainly discriminates based on nationality" and that the govt had not shown that the US national interests would be harmed by admitting travelers from the affected countries.
October 10, 2017 - Regarding news that Rex Tillerson called him a "fucking moron" Trump told Forbes magazine "I think it's fake news. But if he did that, I guess we'll have to compare IQ tests. And I can tell you who is going to win."
September 13, 2017 - News surfaced today that US congressional investigators are trying to determine if Michael Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser, worked in secret to promote a joint project with Russia to build nuclear power plants in the Middle East. Flynn is believed to have taken a trip to Russia in June of 2015 to promote the joint project, but omitted mentioning the trip and other foreign business contacts from an application to renew his security clearance in 2016. Flynn also concealed these foreign contacts from investigators who were performing a background check for his security clearance. The penalty for acts of this nature include prison time. Ironically, it was Flynn who led a chant of "lock her up" against Hillary Clinton at the Republican national convention.
September 12, 2017 - Hillary Clinton memoir titled "What Happened" hit bookstores today. In the memoir, Clinton compares Trump's war on truth to the Soviet Union and to George Orwell's 1984. In response to the book, and with no sense of irony, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Trump's White House press secretary, called Clinton's campaign "one of the most negative campaigns in history."
September 11, 2017 - US gains unanimous support among UN security council for sanctions against North Korea after offering a watered down version for fear that China would veto the initial offering.
August 14, 2017 - Out of apparent frustration over Trump's lackluster response to the prior weekend's terrorist attack and violence in Charlottesville, Kenneth Frazier, chief executive officer of pharmaceutical giant Merck, resigned from Donald Trump's business advisory panel. In a written statement, Frazier said the following: "America’s leaders must honor our fundamental values by clearly rejecting expressions of hatred, bigotry, and group supremacy, which run counter to the American ideal that all people are created equal. Our country’s strength stems from its diversity and the contributions made by men and women of different faiths, races, sexual orientations and political beliefs." Trump responded within a few hours on twitter with the following: "Now that Ken Frazier of Merck Pharma has resigned from President’s Manufacturing Council, he will have more time to LOWER RIPOFF DRUG PRICES!"
2. Academia - "Academia has served as a principle counter state node...creating future adherents to cultural Marxist narratives"
3. The Deep State - "A bureaucratic state beholden to no one, certainly not the American people"
4. Global Corporatists and Bankers - "Unfettered by...notions of personal morality and piety"
5. Democratic Leadership - "A counter-state enabler that facilitates a relentless expansion of the deep state"
6. Republican Leadership - "Afraid of being accused of being called a racist, sexist, homophobe or islamaphobe"
7. Islamists - "Seeks to divide American society itself with the forced imposition of islamist objectives"
July 19, 2017 - In a New York Times interview, Trump expressed frustration with Attorney General Jeff Sessions saying Sessions "should have never recused himself, and if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me before he took the job, and I would have picked somebody else."
July 18, 2017 - After congress failed for the third time to garner enough votes to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, Trump asked congress to repeal the health care program without passing a replacement. Repealing without a replacement would in the first year leave 18 million more U.S. citizens without health insurance coverage, and an additional 32 million by 2026 according to the CBO. When the repeal only option started to look like it would fail also, Trump made the following statement: "We'll let Obamacare fail, and then Democrats are going to come to us."
Bill Clinton - 50 bills.
George W Bush - 20 bills.
Barack Obama - 39 bills.
Harry Truman - 55 bills.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt - 76 bills.
July 16, 2017 - Regarding Trump Jr's meeting in June of 2016, Jay Sekulow, one of Trump Sr's attorneys, had this to say on ABC's This Week "Well, I wonder why the Secret Service, if this was nefarious, why the Secret Service allowed these people in." The secret service responded shortly afterword with the following statement: "Donald Trump Jr. was not a protectee of the USSS in June, 2016, thus we would not have screened anyone he was meeting with at that time."
Email #2: "And you don't know me. But I will know you. How dare you send me an email like that. I'm on you now. You are fucking with me now. Let's see who you are. Watch your back, bitch."
Email #4: "I'm Jewish. I presume you are too. I already know where you live I'm on you. You might as well call me. You will see me. I promise. Bro."
July 12, 2017 - Donald Trump tweeted the following regarding Donald Jr's email: "My son Donald did a good job last night. He was open, transparent and innocent. This is the greatest witch hunt in political history. Sad!"
March 1, 2017 - Segment is run on D.C. Fox affiliate where Republican lobbyist Jack Burkman advances the conspiracy theory that Seth Rich may have been murdered by the Russian government for knowing too much about Russian hacking of DNC emails.
February 28, 2017 - Trump blamed Barack Obama for organizing the ongoing opposition demonstrations taking place throughout the country, and blamed his own generals for the death of a US commando in a raid in Yemen, and gave his presidency a grade of A.
February 22, 2017 - Trump administration revokes federal guidelines specifying that transgender students have the right to use public school restrooms that match their gender identity.
February 21, 2017 - Despite research consistently showing lower levels of crime among immigrants than among native-born Americans, the Trump administration expanded the definition of "criminal aliens" while warning that such unauthorized immigrants "routinely victimize Americans" and thus "pose a threat" to people in communities across the United States.
AVOID: Climate change adaptation
February 15, 2017 - Backing away from a half century of American policy in the Middle East, Trump said he could live with a one state solution in Israel, sparking anger among Palestinians.
February 2, 2017 - In a phone call with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Trump was overheard bragging about the magnitude of his electoral college win, and 25 minutes into a planned 1 hour call, abruptly ended the call, calling it the worst call of the day.
January 30, 2017 - Acting Attorney General Sally Yates sent the following memo regarding the travel ban that was implemented over the weekend: "At present, I am not convinced that the defense of the executive order is consistent with these responsibilities nor am I convinced that the executive order is lawful." Within hours of sending her memo, Sally Yates was fired by Trump and replaced.
January 23, 2017 - Trump claims that between three million and five million unauthorized immigrants voted for his Democratic opponent in the election, thus robbing him of a majority vote victory. There is no evidence to support the claim, which has been repeatedly discredited by numerous fact checkers.
Note to Donald Trump supporters: If you take issue with any of the entries in this timeline, then please try - if you can - to imagine the back side of a very large hand, and extending from that hand, straight up into the air, a lone middle finger. Only after you've conjured that image into your imagination will you have a clearer picture of what I think of your concerns.
Pre-impeachment Transgressions Continued
June 14, 2019 - Trump made lots of news during an interview with Fox & Friends, first by stating that Tom Homan, a Fox News contributor and former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is being made "Border Czar", a position the Trump Administration created. Trump then stated "If I wasn't president, you would right now be in a major war with North Korea". Trump also called his wife Melania, the "new Jackie O". Trump also weighed in on the controversy over Kellyanne Conways violations of the Hatch Act saying he would not fire her, and that "It looks to me like they’re trying to take away her right on free speech". ABC released a clip in which George Stephanopoulos asked Trump about Don McGahn's testimony that Trump wanted Mueller fired. Trump responded by saying "The story on that very simply, number one, I was never going to fire Mueller. I never suggested firing Mueller". When Stephanopoulos asked "why would [McGahn] lie?" Trump responded "Because he wanted to make himself look like a good lawyer. Or he believed it because I would constantly tell anybody that would listen, including you, including the media, that Robert Mueller was conflicted. Robert Mueller had a total conflict of interest." Here are some reactions to Trump's statement on twitter:
"Trump expressly accuses Don McGahn of committing perjury at the same time he is actively preventing McGahn from testifying in front of Congress." - Susan Hennessey
"If you've served in the Trump Administration, do you lose your sense of patriotism and self-respect? Why doesn't Don McGahn simply issue a statement making clear he didn't, as Trump asserts, lie under oath to the Special Counsel? Doesn't he owe that to the nation--and to himself?" - Bill Kristol
The Japanese operator of one of two oil tankers attacked in the Gulf of Oman disputed US claims about the attack saying the ship was attacked by a flying object. The operator's president, Yutaka Katada, referred to accounts from the ship's crew saying "I do not think there was a time bomb or an object attached to the side of the ship". Iran's foreign minister, Javad Zarif, responded to Trump's claim that "Iran did do it" saying the US had "immediately jumped to make allegations against Iran without a shred of factual or circumstantial evidence".
"The #MuellerReport made it clear: A foreign government attacked our 2016 elections to support Trump, Trump welcomed that help, and Trump obstructed the investigation. Now, he said he’d do it all over again. It’s time to impeach Donald Trump." - Senator Elizabeth Warren
"It’s time for Congress to begin impeachment hearings" - Kirsten Gillibrand
"It is shocking to hear the President say outright that he is willing to put himself indebt to a foreign power... not to mention the foreign interference in an American election part." - Jerry Nadler
"What Donald Trump said is un-American, unpatriotic, and unbelievable." - Ted Lieu
"Stunning on the one hand and not at all surprising on the other. He's learned absolutely nothing." - Adam Schiff
June 11, 2019 - According to the New York Times, following the leak of internal polling data to Politico, which showed Trump support lagging behind Joe Biden in three key states, Trump instructed his aides to lie about the poll findings.
June 8, 2019 - Trump sent the following tweet: "MEXICO HAS AGREED TO IMMEDIATELY BEGIN BUYING LARGE QUANTITIES OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT FROM OUR PATRIOT FARMERS!" Directly contradicting the tweet, Mexican foreign minister Marcelo Ebrard, told reporters "We don't have a specific agreement on products of this kind."
June 7, 2019 - Today is National Gun Violence Awareness day. Activists across the country will be wearing orange as a symbolic call for safety and an end to shootings, and to pay tribute to Hadiya Pendleton, who died at 15 years of age in 2013 after being shot in Chicago.
- Following the hearing, Senator Lindsey Graham promised to "investigate whether the Obama-era Justice Department tried to influence the 2016 election in favor of Democrat Hillary Clinton".
April 30, 2019 - Erik Prince, the founder of Blackwater, a private war company, and brother to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, has come under scrutiny for testimony he gave to the House intelligence committee. According to Adam Schiff, the committee's chair, Prince gave false testimony, and "The evidence is so weighty that the Justice Department needs to consider this". According to a report from the Center for Public Integrity, the 2017 Tax and Jobs Act, which Trump heralded as "a middle class tax cut" actually delivered the biggest corporate tax cut in US history. Trump claimed at one point that the tax cut would bring the average American household "around a $4,000 pay raise", but, according to the report, the average pay increase is closer to $233. Trump has directed officials to again toughen rules for asylum seekers at the Southern border by introducing a fee for their applications, and by barring those who enter illegally from being able to work until their claim has been approved. Archi Pyati, chief of policy at Tahirih Justice Center called the policy "heartless" and added that "This scheme will fail to bring protection to those who need help, and will cripple the already broken system even further." According to the Guardian, A federal judge has ruled "that Democrats in Congress can move forward with their lawsuit alleging that President Trump’s private business violates the Constitution’s ban on gifts or payments from foreign governments." According to the Washington Post, Robert Mueller wrote a letter to William Barr criticizing him for his depiction of the special counsel's final report. Mueller's letter read in part "The summary letter the Department sent to Congress and released to the public late in the afternoon of March 24 did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance of this office’s work and conclusions. There is now public confusion about critical aspects of the results of our investigation. This threatens to undermine a central purpose for which the Department appointed the Special Counsel: to assure full public confidence in the outcome of the investigations." Jerry Nadler, the chairman of the Judiciary committee, is now demanding that attorney general William Barr turn over the letter he received from Mueller, and that Mueller be allowed to testify before his committee. Nadler also pointed out that when Barr was asked during testimony he gave on April 10, whether Mueller supported his conclusion, Barr had replied: "I don’t know whether Bob Mueller supported my conclusion." The letter from Mueller was dated March 27. In an effort to thwart efforts by House Democrats to gain access to his financial records, Trump filed a US federal lawsuit against Deutsche Bank and Capital One to force them to stop complying with subpoenas. According to the lawsuit "The subpoenas were issued to harass President Donald J Trump, to rummage through every aspect of his personal finances, his businesses, and the private information of the president and his family" and to "stumble upon something they can expose publicly and use as a political tool against the president". Amid a continuing power struggle, the NRA re-elected Wayne LaPierre as chief executive. Judge Richard Moore, a Virginia judge, has ruled that the Confederate statues in Charlottesville are protected by state law from being taken down because they are war monuments.
April 29, 2019 - Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, submitted a letter of resignation to Donald Trump. His last day will be May 11. Jeffrey Rosen, nominated to succeed Rosenstein, is awaiting Senate confirmation. According to fact checkers at the Washington Post, Donald Trump has made more than 10,000 false or misleading claims since becoming president. Approximately 1/5th of his misleading statements are about immigration, and his most often repeated falsehood is that his wall on the Southern border is already being built. It is not.
April 27, 2019 - Oliver North, the current president of the NRA, announced that he had been told he could not seek re-election as president. North's one year term ends April 29th. North had recently made allegations that NRA leaders engaged in financial improprieties, which according to the New Yorker included "financial mismanagement, nepotism, greed and self-dealing among employees of both the NRA and PR firm Ackerman McQueen, which has helped define the NRA’s strategy and talking points for decades." Protesters in dozens of countries throughout Europe participated in what is being called the Extinction Rebellion, which is an ongoing protest against the dangers and inaction on climate change. The form of protest is to stage die-ins at transport hubs, cultural centres and shopping centres. A spokesperson for the protests issued a statement saying "Our ecosystem is threatened by collapse, which will not only lead to mass extinction of countless species, the loss of soil fertility and more extreme weather but will also bring with it the social crises of famine, war and migration. The small efforts we are doing each and every day, [such as] using less packaging, buying organic food and clothes, stopping drinking with plastic straws are clearly not enough. We need our governments to take their responsibilities seriously in order to ensure a future worth living to the inhabitants of our world." In what is being called a hate crime, a 19 year-old man entered the Chabad of Poway synagogue near San Diego and opened fire, killing one, and injuring three others. John T Earnest, the shooter, posted an "open letter" online shortly beforehand filled with racist and antisemitic language, and in which the shooter claimed to be inspired by the Christchurch mosque shootings last month and also claimed he was responding to the "meticulously planned genocide of the European race". Trump responded to the shooting saying "We forcefully condemn the evil of anti-Semitism and hate, which must be defeated." Critics were quick to point out that just yesterday, Trump again defended white supremacists and neo-Nazis who chanted "blood and soil" and "Jews will not replace us" while marching in Charlottesville, Virginia in August of 2017. Donald Trump congratulated newly drafted San Francisco 49ers player Nick Bosa, saying on twitter: "Congratulations to Nick Bosa on being picked number two in the NFL Draft. You will be a great player for years to come, maybe one of the best. Big Talent! San Francisco will embrace you but most importantly, always stay true to yourself. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Bosa, who has been criticized for making "racist" tweets, and for describing Colin Kaepernick as a "clown" and as "Crappernick", scrubbed his twitter feed to remove these and other "conservative" posts after he discovered he might be drafted by "liberal" San Francisco. Bosa, who is white, was the NFL's second draft pick. The number one pick, who is black, did not receive a congratulatory tweet from Trump. A video surfaced from 1998 showing Republican Senator Lindsey Graham making the argument that a president's refusal to comply with congressional oversight is an impeachable offence. From the video: "The day Richard Nixon failed to answer that subpoena is the day he was subject to impeachment because he took the power from Congress over the impeachment process away from Congress, and he became the judge and jury". Trump held a campaign rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin where he referred to FBI and Department of Justice agents that have been forced out of government during his presidency as "scum" while the crowd chanted "lock her up". Trump also falsely accused Democrats of supporting the execution of babies, and at one point referred to the assembled press who were covering the rally as "sick people" and "fakers" as the crowd chanted "CNN sucks!
April 26, 2019 - Andrew Napolitano, a Fox News senior judicial analyst, and former superior court judge in New Jersey, argued in an op-ed that "Mueller laid out at least a half-dozen crimes of obstruction committed by Trump, from asking former deputy national security adviser KT McFarland to write an untruthful letter about the reason for Flynn’s chat with Kislyak, to asking [former campaign aide] Corey Lewandowski and then White House counsel Don McGahn to fire Mueller and McGahn to lie about it, to firing Comey to impede the FBI’s investigations, to dangling a pardon in front of Michael Cohen to stay silent, to ordering his aides to hide and delete records. The essence of obstruction, is deception or diversion – to prevent the government from finding the truth." According to the New York Times, Russian hackers gained access to at least one Florida elections network in 2016. Maxine Waters, a US Representative, responded on twitter to news that white supremacist Lt. Christopher P. Hasson was being released from jail saying "Outrage! Judge Day ordered release of a white supremacist who threatened to kill me, Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer, Rep. AOC, Rep. Omar, pres candidates, & journalists! 15 guns found in his home & he has ties to other neo-Nazis. Why is Barr silent? What must we do?" Speaking to the press shortly before boarding Air Force One, Trump made the following statement: "GDP is an incredible number. But remember this: Not only that, we have a great growth — which is growth. We have great growth and also very, very low inflation. Our economy is doing great. Number one in the world. We’re number-one economy right now in the world and it’s not even close." Dana Sabraw, a US district judge, has given the Trump administration 6 months to identify potentially thousands of children separated from their parents at the US-Mexico border. Trump administration officials say that it could take as long as 2 years to re-unite some of these children with their parents. Trump was asked today if there were "very fine people on both sides in Charlottesville", his response: "Oh, I’ve answered that question. And if you look at what I said, you will see that that question was answered perfectly. And I was talking about people that went because they felt very strongly about the monument to Robert E. Lee, a great general. Whether you like it or not, he was one of the great generals. I have spoken to many generals here, right at the White House, and many people thought — of the generals, they think that he was maybe their favorite general. People were there protesting the taking down of the monument of Robert E. Lee. Everybody knows that". While responding to a question about whether Don McGahn had lied to Mueller, Trump did not address the question asked, but made this claim: "We had 18 people that were Trump haters; that includes Mr. Mueller. He was a Trump hater." Maria Butina, the Russian gun rights activist that worked to infiltrate the NRA and other right wing groups has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for failing to register as a foreign agent. Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, made the following remarks regarding Russian interference in 2016: "There was overwhelming evidence that Russian operatives hacked American computers and defrauded American citizens, and that is only the tip of the iceberg of a comprehensive Russian strategy to influence elections, promote social discord, and undermine America, just like they do in many other countries". A new ABC/Washington Post poll found that a majority of Americans believe Trump lied to the American public about issues related to the Mueller probe, and that a majority oppose impeachment. Trump tweeted: "President Donald J. Trump is the greatest hostage negotiator that I know of in the history of the United States. 20 hostages, many in impossible circumstances, have been released in last two years. No money was paid.’ Cheif [sic] Hostage Negotiator, USA!" According to the Guardian, Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the NRA, wrote a letter to the NRA's Board telling them he has been instructed to resign, and that if he doesn't, "damaging allegations would be made to the board against him regarding sexual harassment of a staff member and financial improprieties, including expenses spent on his wardrobe and staff travel." According to LaPierre, the pressure is coming from the current president, Lt. Oliver North, and others. Trump addressed the NRA today, here are some of his more memorable statements:
"We believe in the rule of law and we will defend the constitution of the United States. There are some people running now – I don't think they have that number one on their list."
"Every day of my administration, we are taking power out of Washington, D.C. and returning it to the American people, where it belongs. And you see it now better than ever, with all of the resignations of all of the bad apples. They’re bad apples. They tried for a coup; didn’t work out so well. And I didn’t need a gun for that one, did I?All was taking place at the highest levels in Washington, D.C. You’ve been watching, you’ve been seeing. You’ve been looking at things that you wouldn’t have believed possible in our country. Corruption at the highest level — a disgrace. Spying, surveillance, trying for an overthrow. And we caught them. We caught them. Who would have thought in our country?"
"corruption at the highest levels. A disgrace. Spying. Surveillance. Trying for an overthrow, and we caught ‘em. We caught ‘em … Democrats are obsessed with hoaxes, delusions and witch-hunts. We can play the game just as well or better than they do."
"America’s future has never been brighter, and yet Democrats have never been angrier, especially now that their 'collusion delusion' has been exposed to the world as a complete and total fraud. It’s been the greatest political hoax ever in our country."
"Far-left radicals in Congress want to take away your voice, your jobs, your rights, and they especially want to take away your guns. You know that. They want to take away your guns."
"The level of dishonesty and corruption in the media is unbelievable."
During his speech to the NRA, to raucous cheers, Trump announced that the US will withdraw support from a United Nations treaty regulating the multi-billion dollar global arms trade. Here are a few select responses to Trump's withdrawal announcement:
"This is yet another myopic decision that jeopardizes US security based on false premises and fearmongering. While Americans from all walks of life have come to painfully understand the threat posed by not doing enough to prevent weapons from ending up in the wrong hands, it is disturbing to see this administration turn back the clock on the little progress we have made to prevent illicit arms transfers." - Bob Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate foreign relations committee
"Today the president once again walked away from America’s leadership role in the world and undermined international efforts to reduce human suffering caused by irresponsible and illegal arms transfers. Un-signing the treaty will undermine international peace and security, increase irresponsible and illegal sales of conventional weapons, and harm the American economy." - Rachel Stohl, the managing director of the Stimson Center thinktank in Washington, and a consultant to the arms trade treaty process
April 25, 2019 - A three-judge federal panel has ruled that congressional and legislative maps drawn up by Republicans in the state of Michigan in 2011 are unconstitutionally gerrymandered saying in part "Their primary goal was to draw maps that advantaged Republicans, disadvantaged Democrats and ensured that Republicans could enjoy durable majorities in Michigan’s congressional delegation and in both chambers of the Michigan legislature for the entire decade." News surfaced that North Korea billed the US $2m for the hospital care provided to Otto Warmbier, the US student who was imprisoned for stealing a political poster. Joe Biden, former vice president under Barack Obama, entered the 2020 race for president, saying that Trump's response to rcists marching in Charlottesville heavily influenced his decision. Donald Trump issued a tweet denying he ever told Don McGahn to fire Mueller saying "As has been incorrectly reported by the Fake News Media, I never told then White House Counsel Don McGahn to fire Robert Mueller, even though I had the legal right to do so. If I wanted to fire Mueller, I didn’t need McGahn to do it, I could have done it myself. Nevertheless, Mueller was NOT fired and was respectfully allowed to finish his work on what I, and many others, say was an illegal investigation (there was no crime), headed by a Trump hater who was highly conflicted, and a group of 18 VERY ANGRY Democrats. DRAIN THE SWAMP! Despite the fact that the Mueller Report was “composed” by Trump Haters and Angry Democrats, who had unlimited funds and human resources, the end result was No Collusion, No Obstruction. Amazing!" J.W. Verret, a former Trump transition staffer, said Trump should be impeached, saying "If you look at the report, it’s clear it’s a referral to Congress to begin impeachment proceedings. That was the only choice left to Mueller after the restrictions placed on him by DOJ policy". House Democrats have launched an inquiry into "unprecedented firings" at the Department of Homeland Security saying in part "We are deeply concerned that the firing and forced resignation of these officials puts the security of the American people at risk. We are also concerned that the President may have removed DHS officials because they refused his demands to violate federal immigration law and judicial orders." Lara Trump, Donald Trump's daughter in law, made some statement regarding refugees and Germany that brought about relentless mocking on twitter. According to Lara, accepting refugees was "one of the worst things that ever happened to Germany. It was the downfall of Germany. This president knows that. He’s trying to prevent that from happening here." One of the better responses on twitter to Lara's statement came from Josh Schwerin: "About 6 million dead Jews would strongly disagree".
April 24, 2019 - Donald Trump sent the following tweet: "The Mueller Report, despite being written by Angry Democrats and Trump Haters, and with unlimited money behind it ($35,000,000), didn’t lay a glove on me. I DID NOTHING WRONG. If the partisan Dems ever tried to Impeach, I would first head to the U.S. Supreme Court. Not only are there no 'High Crimes and Misdemeanors,' there are no Crimes by me at all. All of the Crimes were committed by Crooked Hillary, the Dems, the DNC and Dirty Cops - and we caught them in the act! We waited for Mueller and WON, so now the Dems look to Congress as last hope!" Critics were quick to point out that Mueller himself is a registered Republican, and the Supreme Court ruled in 1993 that it wouldn't intervene in an impeachment, as it is a matter that is exclusive to Congress. Trump once again accused the British government of eavesdropping on his election campaign in a tweet "'Former CIA analyst Larry Johnson accuses United Kingdom Intelligence of helping Obama Administration Spy on the 2016 Trump Presidential Campaign.' @OANN WOW! It is now just a question of time before the truth comes out, and when it does, it will be a beauty!" UK’s Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) denied the claim two years ago, and again today saying "As we have previously stated, the allegations that GCHQ was asked to conduct 'wire tapping' against the then President Elect are nonsense. They are utterly ridiculous and should be ignored." Andy McKean, The longest-serving Republican in the Iowa’s legislature, declared that after 40 years, he is switching parties and becoming a Democrat saying "With the 2020 presidential election looming on the horizon, I feel, as a Republican, that I need to be able to support the standard bearer of our party. Unfortunately, that’s something I’m unable to do." Trump proclaimed during a press conference that he will not be cooperating with any of the Democrats investigations saying "we’re fighting all the subpoenas", and then with no sense of irony declared his has been the "most transparent president and administration in the history of our country, by far." News surfaced that prior to being forced to resign, Kirstjen Nielsen, the former Department of Homeland Security secretary, was working to get the White House to focus on election security after becoming alarmed by the continued efforts by Russians to divide Americans through misinformation campaigns and other online tactics. Nielsen brought her concerns to Mick Mulvaney, the White House chief of staff in an attempt to organize a meeting of cabinet secretaries, but was told by Mulvaney that Trump equated any talk of Russian meddling with questions about the legitimacy of his victory, and so any discussions should be kept below Trump's level. Nielsen eventually gave up trying to coordinate a strategy to protect the 2020 elections. According to CNN "Measles cases in the United States have surpassed the highest number on record since the disease was declared eliminated nationwide in 2000."
April 23, 2019 - ISIS has claimed responsibility for the bombings in Sri Lanka, saying they are retaliation for the recent shootings in Christchurch. The Trump administration continues to claim that the US-Mexico border is at a "breaking point" due to the surge in Central American families fleeing poverty and violence. This is despite reports that many of the detention facilities are nearly empty. According to Michelle Brané, director of the migrant rights and justice program at the Women’s Refugee Commission "I think that the people making policy decisions don’t want [the system] to work … they want to create chaos. You could go through all of the policies since they’ve come in and they’ve all been about undermining or destroying the system we have in place for processing and screening people, so here we are." According to a new study published in Nature Communications, and being hailed by the Guardian as the most advanced study yet of the economic consequences of a melting Arctic, "the release of methane and carbon dioxide from thawing permafrost will accelerate global warming and add up to $70tn (£54tn) to the world’s climate bill." While Democrats are debating whether Trump should be impeached or not, Republican leadership has been silent on the matter. Here is a statement made by Mitch McConnell in 1999, speaking in favor of convicting Bill Clinton: "I am completely and utterly perplexed by those who argue that perjury and obstruction of justice are not high crimes and misdemeanors." The White House has ordered Trump administration officials to boycott the White House Correspondents Association dinner this coming Saturday, saying "The dinner is so boring and so negative that we’re going to hold a very positive rally". The annual dinner is meant to recognize and celebrate the First Amendment. After the UN removed references to sexual and reproductive health from a resolution on combatting rape in conflict, the US agreed to support the resolution, which passed. According to an FBI agent's sworn deposition, Larry Mitchell Hopkins, who was arrested after detaining migrant families at the US-Mexico border, was training to assassinate George Soros, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama, because of their support for Antifa. The Interior Department's watchdog has opened an investigation into 6 top officials there, following allegations of a "disturbing pattern of misconduct". News surfaced that the White House will fight the House Judiciary Committee subpoena of former counsel Don McGahn. Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, downplayed the Russia interference probe saying Mueller's investigation "had a much harsher impact on democracy than a bunch of Facebook ads." Carl Kline, the White House personnel security director, failed to show up for a hearing to investigate the handling of White House security clearances, after being ordered to not attend by a White House attorney. Elijah Cummings, the committee chairman, said he will schedule a contempt of congress vote against Kline. The Treasury Department missed its deadline to turn over Trump's tax returns. Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury Secretary, said the department will "take final action on the Committee's request by May 6."
April 22, 2019 - As part of its investigation into obstruction of justice, the House Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena for former White House Counsel, Don McGahn to testify. The US is threatening to veto a UN resolution on rape as a weapon of war over the inclusion of a phrase that "urges United Nations entities and donors to provide non-discriminatory and comprehensive health services, including sexual and reproductive health, psychosocial, legal and livelihood support and other multi-sectoral services for survivors of sexual violence, taking into account the specific needs of persons with disabilities." The kingdom of Brunei sent a letter to the European parliament explaining why death by stoning is necessary for those who engage in gay sex. In the letter, the kingdom asked for "tolerance, respect and understanding" explaining that the intent is "to safeguard the sanctity of family lineage and marriage to individual Muslims, particularly women". The kingdom also claimed the outcry against the penalty is due to a misconception of the law, which they explained has an "extremely high evidentiary threshold, requiring no less than two or four men of high moral standing and piety as witnesses, to the exclusion of every form of circumstantial evidence." Trump was asked by a reporter to respond to the tidbit in the Mueller Report regarding staff not following his orders. Trump's response: "Nobody disobeys my orders." According to CNN, Stephen Moore, Donald Trump's pick for the federal reserve, once wrote that "women should be barred from refereeing, announcing even selling beer at at men’s college basketball games". Donald Trump sent the following tweet today: "Only high crimes and misdemeanors can lead to impeachment. There were no crimes by me (No Collusion, No Obstruction), so you can’t impeach. It was the Democrats that committed the crimes, not your Republican President! Tables are finally turning on the Witch Hunt!" Trump sued Elijah Cummings, chairman of the House Oversight committee, in a bid to block a congressional subpoena of his financial records saying in part the "Democrats are singularly obsessed with finding something they can use to damage the President politically". Elijah Cummings responded to the suit saying "There is simply no valid legal basis to interfere with this duly authorized subpoena from Congress. This complaint reads more like political talking points than a reasoned legal brief, and it contains a litany of inaccurate information. The White House is engaged in unprecedented stonewalling on all fronts, and they have refused to produce a single document or witness to the Oversight Committee during this entire year". Elizabeth Warren, Senator and candidate for president in 2020, has proposed free college and a plan to wipe out student debt. Responding to Warren's proposal in an op-ed in the Washington Examiner, Philip Klein argued that " Elizabeth Warren's plan to cancel student loan debt would be a slap in the face to all those who struggled to pay off their loans". Klein's statement inspired a slew of mockery on twitter, some of which is posted here:
"imagine if someone looked you in the eyes and said "abolishing slavery was a slap in the face to all those who struggled as slaves" - Eddie Kim
"Child labor regulations a slap in the face to children who worked in coal mines" - Osita Nwanevu
"Like how antibiotics are a slap in the face to all the people who died of plague" - Evan DeSimone
"Fixing pothole is a slap in the face to all those who struggled to drive over it" - Judd Legum
April 21, 2019 - In a coordinated suicide bomber attack, eight bombs ripped through churches and hotels in Sri Lanka, killing nearly 300 people.
April 20, 2019 - According to the Guardian, Matt Shea, a Washington state Republican, engaged in online conversations which included talk of carrying out surveillance, "psyops", and violent attacks on political enemies like Antifa. One member of the online group suggested that a female who had been identified for surveillance, be handled with a "Fist full of hair, and face slam, to a Jersey barrier. Treat em like communist revolutionaries. Then shave her bald with a K-Bar USMC field knife." Larry Mitchell Hopkins, a member of an armed rightwing militia group that posted videos online of migrants being held at gunpoint by their group, has been arrested by the FBI for unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition. Hector Balderas, the New Mexico attorney general, responded to the arrest saying "Today’s arrest by the FBI indicates clearly that the rule of law should be in the hands of trained law enforcement officials, not armed vigilantes".
April 19, 2019 - Eboni Williams, a former Fox News host, criticized her former network during an interview on a nationally syndicated radio show called The Breakfast Club saying "Fox has a reputation for being bigoted and racist – all for a very good reason." Regarding Roger Ailes, the founder of Fox News, Williams said "This man very plainly, in plain sight, says that he is forming a network to speak to one thing and one thing only: the demonizing of the other. I don’t know what his beliefs were, but what he knew was it would be very profitable. Nobody had ever done this before … There was no conservative news network speaking to the fear of intrinsic devaluation of whiteness in this country. And Roger saw a void, and like any smart business person – what? Find a need and fill it." Gerard Araud, the outgoing French ambassador to the US, made the following statements regarding the Trump administration during an interview with the Guardian: "When they say ‘America first’, it’s America alone. Basically, this president and this administration don’t have allies, don’t have friends. It’s really [about] bilateral relationships on the basis of the balance of power and the defence of narrow American interest." Araud compared the Trump administration to the Obama administration saying of Trump's: "It’s like [trying] to analyse the court of Louis XIV. You have an old king, a bit whimsical, unpredictable, uninformed, but he wants to be the one deciding." In contrast "Obama was the ultimate bureaucrat: you know every night he was going to bed with 60 pages and in the morning they were coming back all annotated by the president." The night Trump was elected, Araud tweeted that the "world is collapsing before our eyes" but deleted the tweet within minutes of sending it. Regarding that tweet, Araud said: "looking at it in retrospect, of course I was right." A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that following the release of the Mueller Report, Trump's approval rating dropped from 40% to 37%. Despite declaring yesterday that the Mueller Report completely exonerated him, Trump lashed out at the report today, saying on twitter "Statements are made about me by certain people in the Crazy Mueller Report, in itself written by 18 Angry Democrat Trump Haters, which are fabricated & totally untrue. Watch out for people that take so-called “notes,” when the notes never existed until needed. Because I never agreed to testify, it was not necessary for me to respond to statements made in the 'Report' about me, some of which are total bullshit & only given to make the other person look good (or me to look bad). This was an Illegally Started Hoax that never should have happened, a big, fat, waste of time, energy and money - $30,000,000 to be exact. It is now finally time to turn the tables and bring justice to some very sick and dangerous people who have committed very serious crimes, perhaps even Spying or Treason. This should never happen again!" Sara Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, who was called out in the Mueller Report for lying to the press about the reaction by FBI agents to the firing of James Comey, told George Stephanopoulos that her statements were "heat of the moment". Stephanopoulos then pointed out that her claim was made multiple times over multiple days saying "That’s not a slip of the tongue Sarah, that’s a deliberate false statement." Sanders then replied "It was the heat of the moment, meaning that it wasn’t a scripted talking point. I’m sorry that I wasn’t a robot like the Democrat party that went out for two and a half years and stated time and time again that there was definitely Russia collusion between the president and his campaign." Jerrold Nadler, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena for the full un-redacted Mueller Report saying "My Committee needs and is entitled to the full version of the report and the underlying evidence consistent with past practice. The redactions appear to be significant. We have so far seen none of the actual evidence that the Special Counsel developed to make this case. Even the redacted version of the report outlines serious instances of wrongdoing by President Trump and some of his closest associates. It now falls to Congress to determine the full scope of that alleged misconduct and to decide what steps we must take going forward." Here are a few select responses to the Mueller Report:
"I am sickened at the extent and pervasiveness of dishonesty and misdirection by individuals in the highest office of the land, including the President. I am also appalled that, among other things," fellow citizens working in a campaign for the president welcomed help from Russia — including information that had been illegally obtained." - Mitt Romney, Republican Senator from Utah
"If this was any person other than the president of the United States, I can say as a former prosecutor, this would be a knock-down case for obstruction. I’ve charged and convicted on obstruction of justice based on a fraction of this evidence." Elie Honig, CNN legal analyst and former federal prosecutor
"The case is so detailed that it is hard to escape the conclusion that Mueller could have indicted and convicted Trump for obstruction of justice—if he were permitted to do so. And the reason he is not permitted to do so is very clear: Department of Justice policy prohibits the indictment of a sitting president." - Renato Mariotti, former federal prosecutor
"The Mueller report lays out facts showing that a hostile foreign government attacked our 2016 election to help Donald Trump and Donald Trump welcomed that help. Once elected, Donald Trump obstructed the investigation into that attack. Mueller put the next step in the hands of Congress: 'Congress has authority to prohibit a President’s corrupt use of his authority in order to protect the integrity of the administration of justice.' The correct process for exercising that authority is impeachment. To ignore a President’s repeated efforts to obstruct an investigation into his own disloyal behavior would inflict great and lasting damage on this country, and it would suggest that both the current and future Presidents would be free to abuse their power in similar ways. The severity of this misconduct demands that elected officials in both parties set aside political considerations and do their constitutional duty. That means the House should initiate impeachment proceedings against the President of the United States." Elizabeth Warren, Senator and 2020 Democratic presidential contender
"Prima Facie: Trump is guilty as hell." Rob Reiner, Director
April 18, 2019 - The ACLU of New Mexico sent a letter to the state's governor and attorney general asking them to investigate armed rightwing militia groups who have been detaining large groups of migrants at the US-Mexico border and posting videos online. The ACLU referred to the militia's actions as "kidnapping" saying "The Trump administration’s vile racism has emboldened white nationalists and fascists to flagrantly violate the law" and urged officials to "immediately investigate this atrocious and unlawful conduct". The militia group posting the videos calls themselves The United Constitutional Patriots. In a report released by conservation group Oceana, the group's analysis found "systemic failures" in oversight of offshore oil and gas drilling that is being made worse by the Trump administration's expansion of offshore drilling, and its repeal of Obama-era safety rules that were put in place after the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico. A North Korean spokesperson stated that Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, is no longer welcome to be included in nuclear talks. The spokesperson asked for someone "more careful and mature in communicating". According to the Reporters Without Borders (RWB) World Press Freedom Index, the US is now classified as a "problematic" country for journalists to work. According to Christophe Deloire, RWB's secretary general, "If the political debate slides surreptitiously or openly towards a civil war-style atmosphere, in which journalists are treated as scapegoats, then democracy is in great danger. Halting this cycle of fear and intimidation is a matter of the utmost urgency for all people of goodwill who value the freedoms acquired in the course of history." The US rankings now falls below countries like Romania, Chile and Botswana. William Barr, the attorney general, held a press conference where he gave a pre-summary of the Mueller Report, which he would be releasing by noon. During the press conference, Barr falsely claimed that the White House had "fully cooperated" with the special counsel, apparently forgetting that Trump had refused to be interviewed. Barr also advanced the theory that Trump being "frustrated and angered" by the investigations, helped explain away some of the obstruction claims. Prior to Barr's press conference, Trump sent the following tweets: "PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT!" and "The Greatest Political Hoax of all time! Crimes were committed by Crooked, Dirty Cops and DNC/The Democrats." and "No Collusion - No Obstruction!" After Barr's press conference, Jim Acosta, a journalist for CNN sent the following tweet: "Barr seems to have set a new legal standard for a president who is frustrated with an investigation into his conduct. Anger and frustration can now be the basis for lashing out at a probe of alleged wrongdoing in the White House." Responding to Barr's press conference, Jerrold Nadler, the chair of the House Judiciary committee, submitted a letter to Robert Mueller asking him to testify. Adam Schiff, the chair of the House intelligence committee has also penned a letter asking Mueller to testify. Also responding to Barr's press conference were House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer who put out a joint statement saying in part: "Attorney General Barr’s regrettably partisan handling of the Mueller report, including his slanted March 24 summary letter, his irresponsible testimony before Congress last week, and his indefensible plan to spin the report in a press conference [...] – hours before he allows the public or Congress to see it – have resulted in a crisis of confidence in his independence and impartiality." The 448 page Mueller Report was released as promised, here is a brief summary:
April 16, 2019 - Jose Gonzalez Carranza, the father of a 12-year-old girl, and whose wife Barbara Vieyra was killed in Afghanistan in 2010, was returned to Phoenix today after being deported last week by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The return to Phoenix occurred after the newspaper, the Arizona Republic, reported on his deportation, which caused widespread outrage. Donald Trump vetoed the bipartisan War Powers resolution that would have ended US support for the Saudi backed war in Yemen. William Barr, the attorney general, stripped the right of migrants who seek asylum from being released on bond, requiring instead that they be held in mandatory detention. The ACLU responded to the decision saying they plan to "sue the Justice Dept on this decision to hold asylum seekers without bond." The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded 555 cases of the measles across 20 states as of April 11th, which is a 20% increase since April 4th. John Kless, a Florida resident, and Trump supporter, was arrested after making threatening phone calls to California Congressman Eric Swalwell, Detroit Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker. In the message he left for Swalwell, Kless said the following: "You’re gonna die. Don’t wanna do that shit, boy. You’ll be [on] your deathbed, motherfucker, along with the rest of you Democrats. So if you want death, keep that shit up, motherfucker." In addition to threatening the Democrats, Kless ranted about gun control, immigration, gay people, black people and Muslims including Ilhan Omar, who has been the target of a sustained online attack by Donald Trump.
April 15, 2019 - Continuing his attack on representative Ilhan Omar, Trump sent the following tweet: "Before Nancy, who has lost all control of Congress and is getting nothing done, decides to defend her leader, Rep. Omar, she should look at the anti-Semitic, anti-Israel and ungrateful U.S. HATE statements Omar has made. She is out of control, except for her control of Nancy!" William Barr, the attorney general, announced that the Mueller report would be released later this week. Trump responded to the news with this tweet: "Mueller, and the A.G. based on Mueller findings (and great intelligence), have already ruled No Collusion, No Obstruction. These were crimes committed by Crooked Hillary, the DNC, Dirty Cops and others! INVESTIGATE THE INVESTIGATORS!" Trump also responded to the news with this tweet: "The Mueller Report, which was written by 18 Angry Democrats who also happen to be Trump Haters (and Clinton Supporters), should have focused on the people who SPIED on my 2016 Campaign, and others who fabricated the whole Russia Hoax. That is, never forget, the crime. Since there was no Collusion, why was there an Investigation in the first place! Answer - Dirty Cops, Dems and Crooked Hillary!" Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris burned today due to an accident by construction workers. While the cathedral burned, Trump tweeted the following advice: "So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out. Must act quickly!" The French civil defense agency responded to Trump's "flying water tankers" suggestion saying "Hundreds of firemen of the Paris Fire Brigade are doing everything they can to bring the terrible #NotreDame fire under control. All means are being used, except for water-bombing aircrafts which, if used, could lead to the collapse of the entire structure of the cathedral." Former GOP governor Bill Weld announced plans to challenge Trump in the 2020 Republican primary saying it would be a "political tragedy" if Trump was re-elected and that he would "fear for the republic" if the US had four more years of Trump. An ethics investigation has been launched to look into David Bernhardt, the newly confirmed secretary of the interior. According to the AP "Deputy interior inspector General Mary Kendall notified Democratic senators in a letter Monday that her office has begun to investigate whether Bernhardt violated ethics rules on conflicts of interest or other issues. The news comes days after the Senate confirmed Bernhardt, a former lobbyist for oil and gas and other large corporate interests to oversee the nation’s public resources." Audio surfaced of a conversation in 2015 between Larry Kudlow, Trump's top economic adviser, and Stephen Moore, Trump's pick for the Federal Reserve board. During the conversation, Kudlow compared Trump's immigration proposals to the worst parts of World War II and called Trump supporters "the nativist fringe". And Moore called Trump's immigration policies "extreme nativist", "crazy" and "dangerous". According to the World Health Organization, measles cases worldwide rose by 300% during the first three months of 2019 compared with the same period last year.
April 14, 2019 - Trump escalated his attack on Ilhan Omar by re-tweeting and pinning atop his twitter feed a video that misconstrues comments Omar made in March. When asked about the escalation, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, responded by blaming Omar saying "I find her comments to be absolutely disgraceful and unbefitting of a member of Congress, and I think that it’s a good thing the president is calling her out." Sanders also dismissed concerns that the president's actions may incite violence against Omar saying “The president is wishing no ill will and certainly not violence toward anyone. But the president is absolutely and should be calling out the congresswoman." Andrew Gillum, a former mayor of Tallahassee, responded to Trump's attack by saying "Obviously Ilhan has become a little bit of an easy target for this White House, for this administration. But I think his attack is beyond congresswoman Omar. This is about the fact that she looks a certain way, she is a woman of color, she happens to be of the Muslim faith. The president is setting, in my opinion, the groundwork for the kind of campaign he wants to run, which is to pit Americans against Americans, to turn brown and black people against his base." Ilhan Omar issued a statement saying "Since the president's tweet Friday evening, I have experienced an increase in direct threats on my life - many directly referencing or replying to the president's video".
April 13, 2019 - Ilhan Omar, US Representative, responded to the continuing attacks from Trump and Right Wing media which claims she is anti-American saying "No one person – no matter how corrupt, inept, or vicious – can threaten my unwavering love for America. I stand undeterred to continue fighting for equal opportunity in our pursuit of happiness for all Americans." Yemeni Bodegas in New York have begun a boycott against the New York Post for its attack on Ilhan Omar. In an open letter, the Yemeni American Merchants Association wrote that the Post's front page "provoked hatred” and “aims to harm Omar and her family and other people of the Islamic faith". The group also called for "all Yemeni American bodega and deli owners” as well as “our community and allies across New York City” to boycott the sale and purchase of the Post. Trump sent the following tweet today: "Just out: the USA has the absolute legal right to have apprehended illegal immigrants transferred to sanctuary cities. We hereby demand that they be taken care of at the highest level, especially by the state of California, which is well known or its poor management & high taxes!"
April 12, 2019 - Mike Pence, the Vice President, made the following statement regarding Trump's past praise of Wikileaks: "I think the President always, as you and the media do, always welcomes information. But that was in no way an endorsement of an organization that we now understand was involved in disseminating classified information by the United States of America." Critics were quick to point out that during an interview with Brian Kilmeade in 2010, Trump called Wikileaks "disgusting" and said the penalty for what they've done should be "like [the] death penalty or something." Pete Buttigeig, who is one of the Democratic contenders for president in 2020, and who is openly gay, criticized Mike Pence's open opposition to gay rights calling him "fanatical" and saying "That’s the thing I wish the Mike Pences of the world would understand: That if you have a problem with who I am, your quarrel is not with me. Your quarrel, sir, is with my creator." Pence responded to Buttigieg's comment saying "I think Pete’s quarrel is with the First Amendment. All of us in this country have the right to our religious beliefs. I’m a Bible-believing Christian". News surfaced that the Trump Administration has been considering a form of retribution against Democratically controlled "sanctuary cities" where migrants appearing at the border with Mexico would be put on buses destined for and dropped off in "sanctuary cities" like San Francisco. Nancy Pelosi responded to news of the busing scheme saying "The extent of this administration’s cynicism and cruelty cannot be overstated. Using human beings – including little children – as pawns in their warped game to perpetuate fear and demonize immigrants is despicable." George Gascon, San Francisco District Attorney, responded to the scheme saying "With immigrants being less likely to commit crimes than the U.S. born population, and with sanctuary jurisdictions being safer and more productive than non-sanctuary jurisdictions, the data damns this proposal as a politically motivated stunt that seeks to play politics with peoples’ lives. The fact that such a proposal is being peddled by the leader of the free world is an all-time low for American discourse, and it’s the clearest sign yet that the president fully intends to chart a path to reelection on the back of racist rhetoric and policies intended to divide us." When asked about the busing scheme, the White House responded in a press release that "This was just a suggestion that was floated and rejected, which ended any further discussion. Hours after the release of the official White House statement, Trump contradicted the statement by sending out the following tweet: "Due to the fact that Democrats are unwilling to change our very dangerous immigration laws, we are indeed, as reported, giving strong considerations to placing Illegal Immigrants in Sanctuary Cities only". The Trump administration's ban on transgender service members begins today. Hillary Clinton tweeted the following in response to the ban: "The administration's ban on transgender servicemembers begins today. It is abhorrent. Every American should be able to serve their country, and I can't believe we're still debating that in 2019. We have to reverse this as soon as we can." Sam Patten, a longtime associate of Paul Manafort, Trump's campaign chairman, was sentenced to 3 years probation today. Patten pleaded guilty to steering money from a pro-Russian Ukrainian politician to Trump’s inauguration. According to Politico, "The Trump administration has declined to name anyone to a UN committee on racism". According to CNN, Trump promised a pardon to Kevin McAleenan, the Customs Border and Protection commissioner, if he were jailed for illegally blocking asylum seekers from entering the United States.
April 11, 2019 - Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, who has been living in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for the last 7 years, was arrested today after his diplomatic status was revoked. The US is seeking his extradition over allegations he conspired with Chelsea Manning to download classified databases. Trump, who praised Wikileaks more than 160 times during his 2016 presidential campaign was asked by a reporter if he still loves Wikileaks. Trumps response: "I know nothing about WikiLeaks. It’s not my thing." For the first 3 months of 2019 Bernie Sanders leads his Democratic competitors in fundraising with $18.2m. Kamala Harris $12m. Beto O'Rourke $9.4m. Pete Buttigieg $7m. Elizabeth Warren $6m. Cory Booker $5m. The Senate voted to confirm David Bernhardt as Secretary of the Interior. Bernhardt, whose prior work was with a Washington law and lobbying firm on behalf of mining companies and oil and gas giants, is according to Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club, "a walking conflict of interest who is selling out our public lands to his former clients in the fossil fuel industry". A group of House and Senate Democrats have written a letter to attorney general Bill Barr demanding that he release the full, unredacted, Mueller report to Congress.
April 10, 2019 - Tom Ferrall, chairman of the Ohio Federation of College Republicans, sent a fundraising email that bore the subject line "AOC is a domestic terrorist". Responding with a screenshot of the email on Twitter, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wrote "This puts me in danger every time. Almost every time this uncalled for rhetoric gets blasted by conserv. grps, we get a spike in death threats to refer to Capitol Police. Multiple ppl have been arrested trying to harm me, Ilhan, & others.@GOP, what’s it going to take to stop?" Ron Vitiellohas, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, resigned. While talking with reporters outside the White House, Trump made the following claims regarding the Mueller investigation: "everything about it was crooked" and "It was an illegal investigation" and "It was started illegally. Everything about it was crooked. Every single thing about it." Trump also attacked Mueller's investigators calling them "dirty cops" and "very bad people". Trump also said "This was an attempted coup. This was an attempted takedown of a president. And we beat them. We beat them. What they did was treason. What they did was terrible." Trump also stated "I have not read the Mueller report. I haven’t seen the Mueller report. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t care about the Mueller report. I’ve been totally exonerated." While testifying before a Senate subcommittee, William Barr, the Attorney General, claimed there was "spying" on Trump's campaign during the 2016 presidential race. When asked to clarify, Barr said "I am not saying that improper surveillance occurred. I am saying that I am concerned about it and looking into it. That’s all." Trump claims he would love to release his tax returns saying "I would love to give them, but I’m not going to do it while I’m under audit. It’s very simple". The House passed legislation to reinstate net neutrality rules which were reversed in 2017 by the Federal Communications Commission. The bill passed 232-190, but is not expected to get through the Senate, where Republicans are in the majority. Twitter removed a campaign video posted by Donald Trump that used music from The Dark Knight Rises Batman movie. The Ohio legislature passed a bill banning abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected. Republican Governor Mike DeWine has promised to sign the legislation. Responding to the "heartbeat bill" the ACLU tweeted "If the governor signs, we'll see him in court." Education Secretary Betsy Devos, told a congressional committee today that she is "not familiar" with affirmative action rules that the administration reversed earlier this year. Today was the deadline for Trump to hand over his tax returns, but Steven Mnuchin, the treasury secretary, said he needed more time to assess the issues raised by the request. A new deadline has been set for April 24th. Dan Crenshaw, a Republican representative from Texas, shared a tweet that falsely claimed that Ilhan Omar "does not consider [September 11] a terrorist attack on the USA by terrorists". The tweet included a short video clip of Omar speaking to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (Cair), where Omar says in reference to September 11, 2001, "some people did something". The snippet of video in the tweet was cherry picked from a part of a speech in which Omar was talking about the effect of Islamophobia on all Muslims, because of the actions of a few, which brought about the founding of Cair. For proper context, here is Omar's statements surrounding the cherry picked phrase: "For far too long we have lived with the discomfort of being a second-class citizen and, frankly, I'm tired of it, and every single Muslim in this country should be tired of it. CAIR was founded after 9/11 because they recognized that some people did something and that all of us were starting to lose access to our civil liberties. So, you can't just say that today someone is looking at me strange and that I am trying to make myself look pleasant. You have to say that this person is looking at me strange, I am not comfortable with it, and I am going to talk to them and ask them why. Because that is the right you have." Ronna McDaniel, the Republican Party chairwoman, responded to the cherry picked clip to claim that Omar is "anti-American". The New York Post published a picture of the World Trade Center towers in flames with the cherry picked phrase of Omar's at the top, and the phrase "Here's Your Something 2,977 people dead by terrorism" at the bottom. Donald Trump re-tweeted a video of the cherry picked video snippet that was combined with imagery of the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Trump's words in the tweet were "WE WILL NEVER FORGET!" Here is a select group of the responses to the misleading attack on Omar:
April 8, 2019 - Trump announced that Randolph "Tex" Alles, the Secret Service director, will be stepping down and be replaced by James M Murray, a career member of the Secret Service. An anonymous official described the recent firings as a "near-systematic purge" at the Department of Homeland Security. In a ruling that was celebrated by immigration rights groups, Judge Richard Seeborg, of San Francisco, blocked the Trump administration's policy of returning asylum seekers to Mexico while they wait for an immigration court to hear their cases, saying the policy lacks sufficient protections to ensure migrants don't face "undue risk to their lives or freedom". The Trump administration introduced the policy in response to the large number of families who are showing up at the Mexico border while fleeing poverty and gang violence in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Responding to the ruling, Judy Rabinovitz, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, said "Try as it may, the Trump administration cannot simply ignore our laws in order to accomplish its goal of preventing people from seeking asylum in the United States". Archi Pyati, chief of policy for Tahirih Justice Center, claimed Trump's "Remain in Mexico" policy "leaves individuals and families fleeing persecution stranded on the other side of the border, when what they need and deserve under our laws is protection in America. Tahirih represents asylum seekers who have experienced domestic and sexual violence, and we know that they need legal and social services to effectively make their claims before an immigration judge. This policy goes against basic tenets of fairness, and makes it all but impossible for us to do our jobs. We are glad to see justice served." Charanya Krishnaswami, of Amnesty International USA, referred to the "Remain in Mexico" policy as "cruel and irresponsible". According to the Guardian, "Border patrol arrests have risen sharply over the last year, but are relatively low in historical terms after hitting a 46-year low in 2017. Stephen Yale-Loehr, a Cornell University Law School professor, and co-author of a 21-volume immigration treatise, had the following to say about the trump administration's immigration policies: "This administration doesn’t seem to have a coherent policy. It seems that the president simply wants to score political points by seeming to be tough on immigration without really thinking through the best way to get to the root cause of why people are fleeing violence in Central American countries to come to the United States. The rules are already stacked against immigrants in trying to stay in the United States, and this administration is trying to make it even harder but without thinking through the consequences." The Trump administration has formally designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization saying in part that the designation "recognizes the reality that Iran is not only a State Sponsor of Terrorism, but that the IRGC actively participates in, finances, and promotes terrorism as a tool of statecraft."
April 7, 2019 - Mick Mulvaney, acting White House chief of staff, told Fox News during an interview that Democrats in congress will "never" see Donald Trump's tax returns. According to Mulvaney "That is not going to happen and they know it". Mulvaney also referred to the tax return request as a "political stunt". Dan Kildee, a Michigan representative and member of the tax committee responded to Mulvaney's comments saying "It is not up to President Trump, it is not up to some lawyer that President Trump hires, to determine whether his tax returns can be sought. This is not an autocracy. The president does not get to decide for himself and for Congress what a legitimate subject of inquiry might be." Trump continues to repeat the claim that he can't release his taxes because he is under audit despite experts repeatedly pointing out that there is no restriction to releasing taxes that are under audit. Trump announced by tweet that Kirstjen Nielsen, the secretary of Homeland security, who oversees the Secret Service, would be stepping down and will be replaced by Kevin McAleenan, the current US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner.
April 6, 2019 - Patrick Carlineo Jr, an avid Fox News viewer, and Trump supporter, was arrested after he called the office of representative Ilhan Omar, one of the first Muslims elected to congress, and said to one of her aides: "Do you work for the Muslim Brotherhood? Why are you working for her, she's a fucking terrorist. I'll put a bullet in her fucking skull." During an interview with the FBI, Carlineo said that he is a patriot and that he "loves the president and that he hates radical Muslims in our government".
April 5, 2019 - Donald Trump sent out the following tweet today: "The press is doing everything within their power to fight the magnificence of the phrase, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! They can’t stand the fact that this Administration has done more than virtually any other Administration in its first 2yrs. They are truly the ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!"
April 4, 2019 - Trump backed off his plan to close the border with Mexico saying "We’re going to give them a one-year warning, and if the drugs don’t stop or largely stop, we’re going to put tariffs on Mexico and products, particularly cars. And if that doesn’t stop the drugs, we close the border." Trump added that "Mexico understands that we’re going to close the border or I’m going to tariff the cars. I’ll do one or the other. And probably start off with the tariffs." Trump also stated: “I don’t think we’ll ever have to close the border because the penalty of tariffs on cars coming into the United States from Mexico, at 25%, will be massive." Trump was asked about the request by the House ways and means committee for six years of Trump's tax returns, to which Trump responded: "Now, we're under audit, despite what people said. We're working that out. I'm always under audit, it seems. But I've been under audit because the numbers are big, and I guess when you have a name you're audited. But until such time as I'm not under audit, I would not be inclined to do that." According to Politico, House Democrats are also requesting financial information about Trump from Capital One. Despite Trump's claim that white nationalism is made up of a "small number of people that have very, very serious problems", Christopher Wray, the director of the FBI, called white nationalism a "persistent, pervasive threat" during a House appropriations committee hearing. The House voted 263-158 to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which bars people convicted of stalking or domestic violence from buying a gun. The NRA opposes the act. Only 33 Republicans voted with the Democratic majority. In what is seen as a bipartisan rebuke to Donald Trump, the House joined the Senate in passing a resolution to end US military assistance for Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen. This resolution marks the first time in history that Congress has invoked the 1973 War Powers Act to curb the executive's power to take the country into conflict without congressional approval. Trump responded to the New York Times story that portrayed the Mueller report as being more damaging than William Barr revealed, saying in a tweet: "The New York Times had no legitimate sources, which would be totally illegal, concerning the Mueller Report. In fact, they probably had no sources at all! They are a Fake News paper who have already been forced to apologize for their incorrect and very bad reporting on me!" According to Politifact, the New York Times has never apologized to their readers for their reporting on Trump.
April 3, 2019 - Trump claimed falsely that his father was born in Germany, saying "My father is German, was German, born in a very wonderful place in Germany, so I have a very great feeling for Germany." Trump has made this claim before, but as historians have pointed out, Trump's father was born in New York City. William Burns, a 30 year career diplomat, who served five previous American presidents, said this about Trump while speaking of Brexit: "He is a master of playing on people’s fears and anxieties, and a sense of the other, and you got the impression that Brexiteers did the same thing here. Like Trump, they did not pay a whole lot of attention to the economic or practical consequences." Six states and the District of Columbia filed suit against the US Department of Agriculture, claiming it "significantly weakened" nutritional standards in school breakfasts and lunches. Regarding the lawsuit, Letitia James, New York's attorney general, stated the following: "The Trump administration has undermined key health benefits for our children – standards for salt and whole grains in school meals – with deliberate disregard for science, expert opinion and the law." At a Royal Meteorological Society meeting on the climate of the Pliocene, it was pointed out that the last time CO2 levels were as high as they are now, over 2.6m years ago, sea levels were 15-20 metres deeper, and temperatures were 3-4C higher. A Canadian report on the effects of global warming on Canada, show the country is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world. According to the CDC, the US has seen more reports of measles cases in the first 3 months of 2019, than in all of 2018. For two days in a row, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross declined to personally attend hearings with the House and the Senate to discuss attempts to include a citizenship question on the 2020 Census. On twitter, the ongoing saga has been dubbedd the "empty chair" hearings. According to the New York Times, officials working for special counsel Robert Mueller, are saying that William Barr, the attorney general, "mischaracterized the results of their investigation". Richard Neal, the chairman of the House ways and means committee, issued a formal request for six years of Trump's personal tax returns. Senate Republicans executed the "nuclear option" which changes Senate rules to bypass minority opposition and confirm Trump's judicial picks via a simple majority vote.
April 2, 2019 - Dee Margo, the Republican mayor of El Paso responded to Trump's threat to shut down the US/Mexico border saying: "It would be a crippler. It would be exceptionally detrimental to our economy – I shudder to think about it". Margo also called the potential impact to the region as "detrimental, almost draconian". News surfaced that the children of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Kashoggi are receiving "blood money' payments from the Saudi Kingdom worth millions. At a Republican fundraising dinner, Trump made the following statement: "Hillary wanted to put up wind. Wind! If you have a windmill anywhere near your house, congratulations, your house just went down 75 percent in value. And they say the noise causes cancer. You tell me that one, okay?" According to health experts, there is no evidence that the noise from windmills causes cancer.
April 1, 2019 - A group of Catholic priests in Poland burned an assortment of books, including a Harry Potter novel, saying the books promote sorcery, then posted photos of the ceremony to facebook. Mockery on facebook was swift. After Google appointed Kay Coles James, the president of the Heritage Foundation, to its newly formed advisory council for "the responsible development of AI", more than 50 Google employees penned a letter demanding her removal. James has a history of fighting trans rights and LGBT protections, and publicly advocates for Trump's border wall. The letter stated in part "In selecting James, Google is making clear that its version of ‘ethics’ values proximity to power over the wellbeing of trans people, other LGBTQ people and immigrants". Liz Cheny, Congresswoman and daughter of former vice president Dick Cheney, attacked Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on twitter after Cortez made the claim that the 22nd amendment was created to prevent Roosevelt from getting another term, which happens to be true. Liz Cheney responded to Cortez's comments on twitter saying "We knew the Democrats let dead people vote. According to @AOC, they can run for President, too." Cortez responded on twitter with this: "Hey Rep. Cheney, I see from your dead people comment that you get your news from Facebook memes, but the National Constitution Center + Newsweek are just two of many places where you can clarify your misunderstanding of the history of the 22nd Amendment". In a letter to attorney general William Barr, Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, asked Barr not to support a move by Trump to eliminate Obamacare saying in part: "Rather than seeking to have the courts invalidate the ACA, the proper route for the administration to pursue would be to propose changes to the ACA or to once again seek its repeal. The administration should not attempt to use the courts to bypass Congress." Tricia Newbold, a White House security adviser, with nearly two decades of experience with security clearances, told the House Oversight and Reform Committee that the Trump administration overturned more than two dozen denials for security clearances saying "I feel that right now this is my last hope to really bring the integrity back into our office. I want it known that this is a systematic – it’s an office issue, and we’re not a political office, but these decisions were being continuously overrode [sic]." According to Newbold, the issues which were causing a denial of clearance included "foreign influence, conflicts of interest, concerning personal conduct, financial problems, drug use, and criminal conduct." Trump, who has threatened to cut off US aid to the three countries in the "Northern Triangle" of Central America; Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, due to an unprecedented wave of family migrations from those countries, has followed through with that threat. Trump cut off the aid because he believes the aid isn't working, thus the influx of migrants. Experts however, say that cutting off the aid will make the problem much worse, since the primary reasons people are fleeing those countries are economics and oppression, which aid can help reduce if used effectively.
March 31, 2019 - According to a new book that will be published April 2nd, Trump is "the world's worst cheat at golf." The book, which was written by Rick Reilly, an award winning former Sports Illustrated columnist, is called "Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump".
March 30, 2019 - According to court records in Virginia, Stephen Moore, Trump's pick for a seat on the Federal Reserve board, was found in contempt of court in November of 2012 for failing to pay more than $300,000 in spousal support, child support and other debts.
March 29, 2019 - Attorney general William Barr sent a note to lawmakers on Capitol Hill telling them that the Mueller Report will be released to them in mid-April, and that some parts will be redacted. Barr also said that while Trump has the right to assert executive privilege over parts of the report, he will not do so, but will instead defer to the attorney general. In a series of tweets, Donald Trump has threatened to close the border with Mexico saying "If Mexico doesn’t immediately stop ALL illegal immigration coming into the United States throug our Southern Border, I will be CLOSING the Border, or large sections of the Border, next week." Nick Jack Pappas, a comedy writer and political observer sent the following tweet in response to trump's border threat: "$558 billion in goods flow across the U.S.- Mexico border in both directions, making Mexico our third-biggest trading partner for goods. Closing the border would cost billions. Trump is a business failure, and America doesn't have a rich father to cover up our losses." US district court judge Sharon Gleason issued a ruling that Trump exceeded his authority when he issued an executive order to overturn Obama-era restrictions on offshore drilling in vast parts of the Arctic ocean. Alex Jones, a conspiracy theorist who is being sued by the family of a six-year-old who was murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012, claimed in a deposition that he "almost had like a form of psychosis back in the past where I basically thought everything was staged, even though I'm now learning a lot of things aren't staged". The Georgia house of representatives approved legislation outlawing abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected. The bill now goes to Governor Brian Kemp, who has voiced support for the legislation.
March 28, 2019 - Trump held a campaign rally in Grand Rapids Michigan where he falsely claimed "total exoneration, complete vindication" in the Mueller Report. Trump also called the investigation "ridiculous bullshit". Trump also attacked his political opponents saying "All of the Democrats, politicians, the media also - bad people. The crooked journalists, the totally dishonest TV pundits" helped perpetuate "the single greatest hoax in the history of politics". Trump also claimed the investigation "was nothing more than a sinister effort to undermine our historic election and to sabotage the will of the American people." Trump also called for "accountability" as the crowd chanted "lock them up". Trump also attacked the Green New Deal, falsely claiming that it calls for the elimination of airplanes and cows. Trump also falsely claimed that Democrats are pushing for a law that allows for the execution of newborn babies in Virginia. The defamation lawsuit by Sandy Hook parents against Infowars host Alex Jones brought to light emails from Mark Richardson, an NRA employee, listed on the NRA's official website as a "training counselor program coordinator", speculated using his official NRA email address, that the shooter in Parkland, Florida did not act alone, saying "just like [Sandy Hook], there is so much more to this story. He was not alone." Richardson also thanked Wolfgang Halbig, a contributor to Infowars "for all the information, and for what you do. STAY SAFE." On the same day that Richardson sent the email, Infowars published a post alleging a second shooter in the Parkland attack. Richardson has defended his email as raising a "legitimate question". Beginning April 3rd, Brunei will begin imposing death by stoning as the penalty for gay sex. This penalty stems for Brunei's implementation of sharia law. Gabriel, an Israeli company, has begun selling fire alarm-style panic buttons in the US as a way to reduce the death toll in mass shootings. According to a 2014 study by the Gun Violence Archive, a US not-for-profit, Americans suffer a mass shooting at more than 11 times the rate of any other developed country.
March 27, 2019 - James Fields, the self-described neo-Nazi, who rammed his car into a crowd of people who were protesting a white supremacist rally in Virginia in 2017, killing Heather Heyer, and injuring dozens of others, pleaded guilty to federal hate crimes. A study of tens of millions of tweets sent from US accounts between June 2015 and December 2017 found references to embarrassment rose 45% since Trump was elected president. The study, which was published by Frontiers in Communication, is called "The Politics of Embarrassment: Considerations on How Norm-Transgressions of Political Representatives Shape Nation-Wide Communication of Emotions on Social Media" According to court records, Stephen Moore, Trump's choice to fill a seat on the Federal Reserve board, owes the IRS $75,328 for taxes incurred in 2014. Greg Mankiw, an economics professor at Harvard University, has urged the senate to reject Moore saying he "does not have the intellectual gravitas" for the job. Moore is good friends with Paul Erickson, a Republican operative who has been indicted on federal charges of money laundering and tax fraud. Erickson's girlfriend is Maria Butina, who has pleaded guilty to working as a Russian agent. Beginning next week, Facebook will no longer allow content supporting white nationalism and white separatism. Trump told a group of Republican lawmakers that aid to Puerto Rico "is way out of proportion to what Texas and Florida and others have gotten" while arguing against sending further aid to the US territory. The budget submitted by Betsy Devos, the Education Secretary, eliminates the 17.6m the Education Department gives to Special Olympics, and adds 60m for charter schools. Responding to the Education budget, Vince Mancini posted to twitter: "Imagine you raise two kids with enough money to do anything, and one devotes her life to defunding public schools and the Special Olympics, and the other starts a global force of private mercenaries" A federal judge has blocked a Trump Administration program in Kentucky and Arkansas that added work requirements to Medicaid access, which removed health insurance from 18,000 people. Trump told reporters today: If the Supreme Court rules that Obamacare is out, we'll have a plan that is far better than Obamacare". Critics were quick to point out that Republicans do not currently have a replacement plan.
March 26, 2019 - Trump sent out the following tweet today: "The Mainstream Media is under fire and being scorned all over the World as being corrupt and FAKE. For two years they pushed the Russian Collusion Delusion when they always knew there was No Collusion. They truly are the Enemy of the People and the Real Opposition Party!" According to the Department of Defense, $1bn has been redirected to allow construction of 57 miles of 18ft fencing and other measures along the US-Mexico border. In a letter to Patrick Shanahan, the acting defense secretary, a group of Democratic senators who sit on committees related to defense, military construction and veterans affairs, said of the money transfer: "We strongly object to both the substance of the funding transfer, and to the Department implementing the transfer without seeking the approval of the congressional defense committees and in violation of provisions in the defense appropriation itself. The $1bn reprogramming that the department is implementing without congressional approval constitutes a dollar-for-dollar theft from other readiness needs of our Armed Forces." Mike Pompeo, secretary of state, announced an expansion of what's known as the global gag rule, begun under the Reagan administration, which bans funding for groups that conduct abortions or advocate for abortion rights. The expansion cuts funding to foreign non-governmental organisations directly involved in abortion or abortion rights advocacy, and also to those who fund or support other groups which provide or discuss abortion. Studies of the results of the gag rule show that where strictly enforced, the rule actually increases the number of abortions, because of the decreased access to contraceptives and other family planning support. According to Heather Boonstra, head of public policy at the Guttmacher Institute, a research and advocacy group on female reproductive health "This ideologically driven policy undermines the very goals of US foreign aid programs by harming the health of people in developing countries, violating medical ethics, and trampling on democratic values." The justice department announced that it is now backing a ruling in Texas that declared Obamacare unconstitutional. Prior to this shift, the justice department's position was that only part of the law was unconstitutional. Trump declared on twitter that "The Republican Party will become 'The Party of Healthcare!'" Nicholas Bagley, a University of Michigan law professor, reacted to the justice department's shift in position on the ACA saying "The sheer reckless irresponsibility is hard to overstate. The notion that you could gut the entire ACA and not wreak havoc on the lives of millions of people is insane". Rashida Tlaib, Democratic Representative, found a note on her door that was addressed to Ilhan Omar. The note said the following: "Rep Omar, Stop your disgusting Jew hatred. Your sign says "justice for all." That means Jews too. Your Jihad against Jews will fail." Tlaib responded on twitter with a photo of the note, and this response: "This is the hateful rhetoric & bullying on my door today. Stop the fear mongering & blantant lies. Come here w/ the value that all beings deserve human rights, including Palestinians. @IlhanMN & I fight for equality & justice for all. There's nothing antisemitic about that!" George Papadopoulos, Trump's former adviser, said his attorneys "have applied for a pardon from the president for me". Congress failed to put together enough votes to overturn Trump's first presidential veto. Trump's ban on bump stocks takes effect today. Bump stocks are used to allow semi-automatic weapons fire like a fully automatic weapon. Rocklan county, a suburb of New York City, has declared a state of emergency and banned unvaccinated children from public areas, after declaring an outbreak of 153 cases of measles since October, mostly affecting children who have not been vaccinated.
March 25, 2019 - Responding to the summary of the Mueller report, which was released yesterday, Jerrold Nadler, the chairman of the House judiciary committee tweeted: "In light of the very concerning discrepancies and final decision making at the Justice Department following the Special Counsel report, where Mueller did not exonerate the President, we will be calling Attorney General Barr in to testify before @HouseJudiciary in the near future." Dan Pfeiffer, a former senior adviser to Barack Obama, responded to the summary with this tweet: "Reading the coverage today one would assume that the release of the Mueller report ended the criminal investigations into Trump his inauguration, his business, and his foundation. It didn’t. He still has more criminal exposure than all the other presidents combined."
March 24, 2019 - William Barr, US attorney general, provided congress with a summary of the findings in Robert Mueller's report. Those findings released thus far:
March 22, 2019 - Robert Mueller, special counsel tasked with looking into "any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump" and anything arising from that investigation, has completed his work, and turned a report of his findings over to William Barr, the US attorney general. Barr notified Congress that he would inform them of the main conclusions "as soon as this weekend". Barr also said he was "committed to as much transparency as possible" and would consult with Mueller and Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, to determine what information from the report could be released to the public. The investigation, which Trump repeatedly referred to as a "witch hunt", led to the criminal convictions of Paul Manafort, Trump's campaign chairman, Rick Gates, Trump's former deputy chairman, Michael Cohen, Trump's personal attorney, George Papadopoulos, a former Trump adviser, Michael Flynn, a former Trump adviser, and Roger Stone, a former Trump adviser and longtime friend. The investigation also led to criminal indictments of more than two dozen Russians accused of involvement in Moscow's interference in the 2016 US election, which US intelligence agencies concluded was aimed at helping Trump win. The Trump White House announced that the ISIS caliphate in Syria has been 100% defeated, despite reports from Syrian Democratic Forces that they are "still encountering fighting in the caves under Baghouz", and despite observations by reporters in the area of ongoing airstrikes and the sound of heavy gunfire, and despite Trump making this same announcement many time previously. Trump was asked on the Fox Business Network why he is continuously criticizing a dead senator who can't defend himself, Trump responded by blaming the media saying: "When they ask me the question, I answer the question. But you people bring it up. I don’t bring it up." Critics were quick to point out that the attacks on McCain began without any prompting by the media. Responding to the attacks on her father, Bridget McCain made this statement: "We only said goodbye to him almost 7 months ago. Even if you were invited to my dad’s funeral, you would have only wanted to be there for the credit and not for any condolences. Unfortunately, you could not be counted on to be courteous, as you are a child in the most important role the world knows." News surfaced that Ivanka Trump, and others in the Trump administration continues use personal email accounts for official business. During an interview with Fox Business Network, Trump was asked about the Mueller probe, his response: "I have a deputy, appoints a man to write a report on me, to make a determination on my presidency. People will not stand for it."
March 21, 2019 - At a town hall meeting in Iowa, Steve King, a Republican congressman with a history of making racist remarks, made the following statement: "Here’s what FEMA tells me. We go to a place like New Orleans, and everybody’s looking around saying, ‘Who’s going to help me? Who’s going to help me?’ We go to a place like Iowa, and we go, we go see, knock on the door at, say, I’ll make up a name, John’s place, and say, ‘John, you got water in your basement, we can write you a check, we can help you.’ And John will say, ‘Well, wait a minute, let me get my boots. It’s Joe that needs help. Let’s go down to his place and help him.’ Iowans take care of each other". King's district in Iowa is about 95% white, and about 67% of the population of the city of New Orleans was black when Katrina hit. Responding to King's statement, Cedric Richmond, a Democratic congressman from Louisiana, stated the following: "My heart goes out to all Iowans. Though it unsettles me that Steve King would dare compare them to the countless victims of Katrina, many of whom lost their lives. When people show you who they are, believe them. Steve King is a white supremacist and I won’t stand for it" Jon Bel Edwards, the Democratic governor of Louisiana responded to King's comments saying: "These comments are disgusting and disheartening. When communities are affected by disasters, we come together to help each other, not tear each other down" Steve Scalise, a Republican representative from Louisiana responded to King's comments saying: "His comments about Katrina victims are absurd and offensive, and are a complete contradiction to the strength and resilience the people of New Orleans demonstrated to the entire nation in the wake of the total devastation they experienced" Trump signed an executive order requiring US colleges to protect free speech on campuses or risk losing federal research funding saying: "Even as universities have received billions and billions of dollars from taxpayers, many have become increasingly hostile to free speech and to the first amendment. These universities have tried to restrict free thought, impose total conformity and shut down the voices of great young Americans." Janet Napolitano, the president of the University of California, responded to trump's executive order saying "We do not need the federal government to mandate what already exists: our longstanding, unequivocal support for freedom of expression. This executive order will only muddle policies surrounding free speech, while doing nothing to further the aim of the first amendment." The American Council on Education responded to the executive order calling it "a solution in search of a problem".
March 20, 2019 - Trump declares to employees at an Ohio military tank plant regarding ISIS: "The caliphate is gone, as of tonight. Pretty good. That's pretty good, right?" Trump also continued his assault on the late John McCain saying "I have to be honest: I've never liked him much...probably never will." Trump went on to attack McCain over the Steele Dossier saying "What did he do? He didn’t call me. He turned it over to the FBI hoping to put me in jeopardy. That’s not the nicest thing to do." Turns out the FBI already had the dossier in their possession prior to McCain bringing it to their attention. Trump also claimed "I gave him the kind of funeral that he wanted … but I didn’t get a thank you." This claim was disputed by a spokesperson for the Washington National Cathedral who said: "No funeral at the Cathedral requires the approval of the president or any other government official". Trump also claimed, falsely, that it was he, not McCain, who established the Veterans Choice program, saying "McCain didn't get the job done for our great vets" and that "The vets were on my side because I got the job done. I got Choice, and I got accountability. ... For many decades, they couldn’t get it done. It was never done. I got it. Five months ago, I got it done. Choice." In reality, The Veterans Choice program was first established by co-sponsors John McCain and Bernie Sanders, and signed into law by President Obama in 2014. Then, McCain worked with others in Congress to expand the law, which was approved by Congress in May of 2018, and signed into law by Trump in June of 2018. The legislation is even named after McCain, it's called the "John S. McCain III, Daniel K. Akaka, and Samuel R. Johnson VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks Act of 2018".
March 19, 2019 - Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump made the following statement about the late Senator John McCain, who died from brain cancer more than 6 months ago: "I’m very unhappy that he didn’t repeal and replace Obamacare. I think that’s disgraceful, plus there are other things. I was never a fan of John McCain and I never will be." George T. Conway III, husband of Kellyanne Conway, one of Trump's top aides, has been very critical of Trump on twitter, and recently has been questioning Trump's mental health saying that Trump is a malignant narcissist who fits the profile for a narcissistic personality disorder. Trump, has responded to Conway calling him a "total loser" as well as a "stone cold LOSER & husband from hell!" When asked what changed his view of Trump, Conway responded: "I had assumed and hoped that the gravity of the office would lead him to something greater. That respect for the office, respect for history and the desire to leave a legacy would lead him to see that there is something beyond himself that he needs to achieve. But, on Day 1, his focus on the crowds, it was clear almost instantaneously that he’s not capable of it." Regarding the 2020 presidential race, Conway said "under no circumstances would I vote or support Trump." Jacinda Ardern, the New Zealand prime minister, urged the public to render the Christchurch terrorist attacker "nameless" by never speaking his name, and to speak the victims' names instead. During a press conference with visiting Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, Trump praised his counterpart saying "I'm very proud to hear the president use the term 'fake news'" Bolsonaro's comments included a plea for Brazil and the US to "stand side-by-side in their efforts to ensure liberty and respect for traditional family lifestyles with respect to God ... and against politically correct attitudes and against fake news".
March 18, 2019 - The ACLU presented a report to the UN human rights council regarding the Trump administration's refusal to engage with international human rights monitors regarding potential human rights violations inside the US. According to the ACLU "the Trump administration has escalated its hostility towards human rights bodies including the apparent severing of relationships with independent experts appointed to monitor and report on human rights violations". The ACLU also pointed out that under Trump, the US has failed to submit routine reports to two major treaty bodies, the UN committee on the elimination of racial discrimination (report due November 2017) and the UN committee against torture (report due November 2018). The ACLU also pointed out that John Bolton, Trump's national security adviser, had threatened officials of the international criminal court (ICC) with prosecution if they pursue cases against US citizens arising out of Afghanistan and other conflicts. And that Mike Pompeo, secretary of state, declared very recently that ICC personnel involved in investigating US forces would have their visas revoked or denied. The ACLU concluded its report by saying "These issues raise serious concerns regarding the US commitment to human rights and the international rule of law". Regarding the US position of ignoring human rights monitors, the New York Bar Association wrote a letter to Pompeo saying in part: "Repressive regimes, which require the strongest international scrutiny, may point to the United States’ practice as an excuse to keep out international observers". Devin Nunes, California Republican Representative, has filed a lawsuit against Twitter and a small group of Twitter users: Elizabeth Mair, "@DevinNunesMom" and "DevinCow." The suit accuses Twitter of "shadow-banning conservatives" and amplifying "abusive and hateful content". Trump claims media blames him for New Zealand shooting tweeting: "The Fake News Media is working overtime to blame me for the horrible attack in New Zealand. They will have to work very hard to prove that one. So Ridiculous!" George Conway, husband of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, sent the following tweet in reference to Donald Trump: "Don’t assume that the things he says and does are part of a rational plan or strategy, because they seldom are. Consider them as a product of his pathologies, and they make perfect sense. “*All* Americans should be thinking seriously *now* about Trump’s mental condition and psychological state, including and especially the media, Congress—and the Vice President and Cabinet." Trump referred to Joe Biden as "low I.Q. individual" in a tweet today. According to the Pew Research Center, Trump has the support of 69% of white evangelical protestants, the highest of any religious group. Meghan McCain, daughter of late Senator John McCain, responded to Trump's continuing attack on her father saying: "You life is spent on your weekends not with your family, not with your friends but obsessing, obsessing over great men you could never live up to. That tells you everything you need to know about his pathetic life right now. I genuinely feel bad for his family." The latest budget proposal from Donald Trump includes cutting all funding for both the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the National Endowment for the Arts. Andrew McDaniel, Republican State Representative of Missouri, introduced a bill that would require every resident of the state between ages 18 and 35 to own an AR-15.
March 17, 2019 - Trump sent the following tweet: "So it was indeed (just proven in court papers) 'last in his class' (Annapolis) John McCain that sent the Fake Dossier to the FBI and Media hoping to have it printed BEFORE the Election. He & the Dems, working together, failed (as usual). Even the Fake News refused this garbage!" Critics were quick to point out that the tweet contains at least two falsehoods, and possibly three. First, John McCain did not finish last in his class at Annapolis, he finished 5th from the bottom. Secondly, McCain was the one who alerted the FBI regarding the Steele dossier, but he did this in December of 2016, which was one month after the election, and five months after the counterintelligence investigation had already begun. Finally, there is no evidence that McCain provided the dossier to the news media. Meghan McCain, John McCain's daughter, tweeted the following in response to Trump's attack on her father: "No one will ever love you the way they loved my father. I wish I had been given more Saturdays with him. Maybe spend yours with your family instead of on twitter obsessing over mine?"
March 16, 2019 - The Australian government cancelled the visa of far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos for comments the provocateur made about the Shooting in Christchurch. David Coleman, the immigration minister said the comments were "appalling and foment hatred and division". Fraser Anning, the Australian senator who caused outrage when he blamed Muslim immigration for the shootings in Christchurch, punched a 17 year old boy after that boy broke an egg over his head during a press conference.
March 15, 2019 - More than 1 million students worldwide participated in more than 2,000 protests in 125 countries to demand action on climate change. The student movement was inspired by Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old from Sweden, who was recently nominated for a Nobel Prize. Measles, which was officially declared eliminated in 2000, is now at its highest level in the US since 1992. The reason according to the CDC is "vaccine hesitancy" brought about by a study that was published in 1998, then debunked and retracted in 2010. Donald Trump vetoed a resolution passed by both houses of congress to terminate his national emergency declaration. Anthony Romero, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union issued the following statement in response to Trump's veto: "Even members of President Trump's own party are beginning to realize he is a one-man constitutional crisis. The president's veto is as meaningless as his signature on the national emergency declaration. Congress has rejected the president's declaration, and now the courts will be the ultimate arbiter of its legality. We look forward to seeing him in court and to the shellacking that he will receive at the hands of an independent judiciary." While issuing his veto, Trump made the following remarks: "People hate the word invasion, but that's what it is. It's an invasion of drugs and criminals and people, we have no idea who they are". Critics were quick to point out that the New Zealand mosque shooter's manifesto also referred to nonwhite immigration as an "invasion". Trump was asked following his veto if white nationalism posed a growing threat, to which Trump responded: "Not really. I think it's a small group of people that have very, very serious problems." Fraser Anning, an Australian senator, sent tweets blaming the Christchurch shooting on Muslim immigration saying: "Does anyone still dispute the link between Muslim immigration and violence? As always, leftwing politicians and the media will rush to claim that the causes of today’s shootings lie with gun laws or those who hold nationalist views, but this is all cliched nonsense. The real cause of bloodshed on New Zealand streets today is the immigration program which allowed Muslim fanatics to migrate to New Zealand in the first place." A few selected responses to Anning's remarks:
March 13, 2019 - Paul Manafort, Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, was sentenced by a federal court in Washington DC to 3 and a half years in prison for conspiracy including money laundering and unregistered lobbying, and a second conspiracy count related to witness tampering. Manafort also violated a cooperation agreement with Robert Mueller by lying to investigators. Manafort was sentenced last week in a Virginia federal court too nearly four years in prison. US district judge Amy Berman Jackson told Manafort during sentencing that "Court is one of those places where facts still matter." Shortly after the sentencing, Manafort was charged in a 16-count indictment in New York state, including mortgage fraud, falsifying business records and conspiracy. The NAACP has requested that Congress hold hearings on the rising levels of domestic terrorism aimed at racial, ethnic and religious minorities in the US - which they attribute in part to the rhetoric of Donald Trump. Derrick Johnson, the president of the NAACP, released a statement saying in part "Sadly, many with racist beliefs have been emboldened by a national climate in which our nation’s highest office sanctions dog whistle politics and xenophobic rhetoric." In an interview with Breitbart News published today, Trump made this observation: "I have the support of the police, the support of the military, the support of the Bikers for Trump – I have the tough people, but they don’t play it tough – until they go to a certain point, and then it would be very bad, very bad." Many interpreted these remarks to be a call for violence against Trump's enemies should things not go Trump's way. Trump provided more clues about what he meant when he said this: "I actually think that the people on the right are tougher. But the left plays it cuter and tougher. Like with all the nonsense that they do in Congress ... with all this invest[igations] – that’s all they want to do is – you know, they do things that are nasty."According to a soon to be released book called Kushner Inc by journalist Vicky Ward, Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law, was challenged by Rex Tillerson, former secretary of state, and Gary Cohn, former top economic adviser, for "mixing his personal interests with US foreign policy".
March 11, 2019 - In an interview with the Washington Post, Nancy Pelosi, the House Speaker, made these comments about impeaching Donald Trump: "I’m not for impeachment. … Impeachment is so divisive to the country that unless there’s something so compelling and overwhelming and bipartisan, I don’t think we should go down that path, because it divides the country. He’s just not worth it." Trump unveiled a 2020 budget plan that includes $8.6bn for a wall on the border with Mexico, an increase in defense spending, and decreases in domestic programs by 5%, or 2.7tn over 10 years. Democrats dismissed the budget as "dead on arrival" and "breathtaking in its degree of cruelty". Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, responded to the proposal saying "The Trump administration’s latest budget proposal is a gut-punch to the American middle class and a handout to the wealthiest few and powerful special interests that would worsen income inequality. Its proposed cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and social security, as well as numerous other middle-class programs, are devastating, but not surprising." Reuven Rivlin, Israel's president, responded to recent comments made by prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying: "There are no first-class citizens, and there are no second-class voters. We are all equal in the voting booth. We are all represented at the Knesset".
March 10, 2019 - Roy Moore, the Alabama Republican who was accused of sexually assaulting or pursuing teenage girls while in his 30's, and who lost a US Senate race in 2017, partly because of those accusations, has announced he may run for Senate again. Representative Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House intelligence committee told Chuck Todd of NBC's Meet the Press, that it would be a misstep for Mueller to accept Trump's testimony in writing saying: "Ultimately it’s a mistake, because probably the best way to get the truth would be to put the president under oath. Because as he’s made plain in the past he feels it’s perfectly fine to lie to the public. After all he has said: ‘It’s not like I’m talking before a magistrate.’ Well maybe he should talk before a magistrate." Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and Democratic presidential contender, offered some thoughts regarding Vice President Mike Pence's support of Donald Trump, saying: "How could Pence allow himself to become the cheerleader of the porn star presidency? Is it that he stopped believing in scripture, when he started believing in Donald Trump? I don’t know. I don’t know." Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, raised eyebrows with this comment on Instagram: "Israel is not a state of all its citizens. According to the basic nationality law we passed, Israel is the nation state of the Jewish people – and only it." Israeli Arabs make up 17% of Israel's population.
March 9, 2019 - Trump called far right commentator Ann Coulter a "wacky nut job" on twitter for questioning his success on the Mexican border wall.
March 8, 2019 - According to the Guardian "Donald Trump’s inauguration received tens of thousands of dollars from shell companies that masked the involvement of a foreign contributor or others with foreign ties." Bill Shine, the White House's deputy chief of staff for communications, and former executive at Fox News, resigned. Weak job numbers in February, when only 20,000 jobs were created across America, have raised concerns that the global economy is weakening. Dana Sabraw, a federal judge who ordered that more than 2,700 children separated at the Mexico border be reunited with their parents, has expanded his authority to affect potentially thousands more. The prior order covered children in custody on June 26th of 2018. The new order covers children in custody after July 1st, 2017.
March 7, 2019 - A non binding resolution in the House condemning "antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism and other forms of bigotry" passed with votes from 407 members from both major political parties. 23 Republicans voted against it. The impetus for the resolution was in response to comments made by representative Ilhan Omar in which she accused some supporters of Israel of pushing people to have "allegiance to a foreign country". After being accused of making antisemitic statements, Omar apologized saying "antisemitism is real and I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of antisemitic tropes". Following the release of satellite images showing the North Koreans rebuilding a space launch site, the US is now demanding that North Korea destroy all of its nuclear, chemical and biological weapons before receiving any sanctions relief. Studies show that microplastic pollution, which can harbour harmful microbes, is a global problem. The possible health effects on people and ecosystems from microplastics is yet to be determined. Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign chairman, was sentenced to 47 months in prison by a federal judge in Virginia for bank and tax fraud. The judge raised eyebrows during sentencing when he expressed sympathy for Manafort saying "He's lived an otherwise blameless life." The light sentence caused outrage and claims of gross inequality of justice among the rich and the poor, and majority vs minority. Here are some select responses to Manafort's sentencing:
March 4, 2019 - Using twitter, Trump blamed the testimony of his former attorney, Michael Cohen, for the collapse of the Hanoi summit saying: "For the Democrats to interview in open hearings a convicted liar & fraudster, at the same time as the very important Nuclear Summit with North Korea, is perhaps a new low in American politics and may have contributed to the ‘walk'". Using public data issued by power plants as part of the so-called Coal Ash Rule - introduced in 2015 by the Obama administration, which requires power companies to monitor groundwater from wells near ash dumps - the Environmental Integrity Project found that 9 out of every 10 coal plants with reportable data have tainted nearby groundwater with at least one coal ash pollutant, with a majority having unsafe levels of at least four different toxins. The Trump administration has eased regulations regarding coal ash. Responding to the report, Lisa Evans, senior counsel with Earthjustice, who assisted with the report said "Using industry’s own data, our report proves that coal plants are poisoning groundwater nearly everywhere they operate. The Trump administration insists on hurting communities across the US by gutting federal protections. They are making a dire situation much worse." Newly appointed Attorney General, William Barr, will not be recusing himself from special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. News surfaced that Fox News was aware of hush payments made by Trump to Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election, but killed the story because Rupert Murdoch, the owner of Fox News, wanted Trump to win.
March 3, 2019 - A poster was found hanging outside the chamber of the West Virginia House of Delegates during a "WV GOP Day" that bore an image of the World Trade Center in flames, juxtaposed with a picture of Ilhan Omar, one of the first Muslim congresswomen ever elected. Written over the Twin Towers were the words "Never forget - You said", over the picture of Omar were the words "I am proof you have forgotten." Omar responded to the news on twitter saying "No wonder why I am on the ‘hitlist’ of a domestic terrorist and ‘Assassinate Ilhan Omar’ is written on my local gas stations. Look no further, the GOP’s anti-Muslim display likening me to a terrorist rocks in state capitols and no one is condemning them!" Beneath the poster was a table containing numerous pamphlets, some with statements like "Readin', Writin', And Jihadin', The Islamization of American Public Schools" and "The Four Stages of Islamic Conquest". Next to the display was a sign with the name of a group called Act for America, which has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Brigitte Gabriel, Act for America's leader, is known to have visited the Trump White House in 2017.
March 2, 2019 - Trump spoke at CPAC, where he made the following statement, which was interpreted by many to be an attack on foreign born members of Congress: "Right now we have people in Congress that hate our country and you know that. And we can name every one of ’em if they want. They hate our country. Sad. It’s very sad. When I see some of the things being made, the statements being made, it’s very, very sad. And find out, how did they do in their country? Just ask ’em, how did they do? Did they do well, were they succeeding? Just ask that question. Somebody would say, ‘Oh, that’s terrible that he brings that up.’ But that’s OK, I don’t mind, I’ll bring it up. How did they do in their country? Not so good, not so good." Trump also claimed that an announcement would be coming regarding the battle with ISIS, "probably today or tomorrow" that "we will actually have 100 percent of the caliphate in Syria". Trump has made a very similar announcement multiple times in recent months.
March 1, 2019 - The parents of Otto Warmbier responded to Trump's defense of Kim Jong-un regarding their son saying "We have been respectful during this summit process. Now we must speak out. Kim and his evil regime are responsible for unimaginable cruelty and inhumanity. No excuses or lavish praise can change that." Trump responded to the Warmbier's statement saying he had been "misinterpreted" when he stated he believed North Korea's leader was not responsible for the torture and death of Otto Warmbier. After news surfaced that Trump ordered a top-secret security clearance be granted to his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, despite concerns from intelligence officials, House Democrats are now demanding documents and details from the White House on how the president's closest advisers got their security clearances. Elijah Cummings, the chairman of the House oversight committee, penned a letter to White House counsel demanding that records be turned over by Monday. Here's an excerpt of Cumming's letter: "If true, these new reports raise grave questions about what derogatory information career officials obtained about Mr. Kushner to recommend denying him access to our nation’s most sensitive secrets, why President Trump concealed his role in overruling that recommendation, why [former White House chief of staff John] Kelly and [former White House counsel Don] McGahn both felt compelled to document these actions, and why your office is continuing to withhold key documents and witnesses from this Committee" Richard Neal, D-Mass, has asked the attorneys of the House ways and means committee to prepare a request to obtain Trump's tax returns. Regarding the tax return request, Ashley Etienne, spokeswoman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stated: "Every day the American people and Congress learn more about President Trump’s improprieties, from conflicts of interest to influence peddling, potential tax evasion and violations of the Constitution — all roads leading back to President Trump’s finances". While addressing US troops at Joint Base Elmmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, Trump made this statement: "We just took over, you know, you kept hearing it was 90%, 92%, the caliphate in Syria, now it's 100%. We just took over 100% caliphate, that means the area of the land we're just have 100%, so that's good". This announcement surprised US officials and regional allies, who insist that the fight to defeat ISIS is still ongoing.
February 28, 2019 - Denuclearization talks between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un ended hours earlier than planned as talks hit an impasse. At a press conference following the failed talks, Trump claimed the talks failed because North Korea wanted complete sanction relief. North Korea later disputed that claim saying they had only asked for partial sanction relief in return for closing Yongbyon. Trump defended Kim over the death of Otto Warmbier, who is believed to have been tortured before being returned to the US shortly before his death saying "Some really bad things happened to Otto. But Kim tells me that he didn’t know about it and I will take him at his word." Trump also stated "I don’t believe he knew about it. He felt very badly about it, I did speak to him. He knew about it, but he knew about it after. North Korea is a big country with a lot of people in those prisons and the camps – there are some bad people". Trump also stated "Those prisons are rough – they’re rough places, and bad things happen." These comments are in stark contrast to comments made by Trump at the State of the Union in January of 2017, where he looked up at the Warmbier family, whom he had invited to attend, and said to them "You are powerful witnesses to a menace that threatens our world, and your strength inspires us all. Tonight, we pledge to honour Otto’s memory with total American resolve. After a shameful trial, the dictatorship sentenced Otto to 15 years of hard labour, before returning him to America last June – horribly injured and on the verge of death." In a new Gallup poll, the US was found to be in a virtual tie with Russia in terms of global confidence. The US rating, which was at 48% the year before Trump was elected, has since fallen to its current level of 30%, which is an all-time low. Trump claimed Michael Cohen lied in his congressional testimony yesterday, and also claimed that Cohen had not lied when he testified that Trump had not colluded with the Russians, despite the fact that Cohen never once claimed Trump didn't collude, but instead had claimed that he himself had not seen "direct evidence" of collusion, but had his own suspicions.
February 27, 2019 - Fred Biery, a US district judge, has blocked election officials in Texas from checking the citizenship of a select group of registered voters and potentially purging them from electoral rolls. The Texas secretary of state's office was forced to concede that the data used to identify the voters being targeted was significantly flawed. Critics argued it discriminated against Hispanic Americans. Donald Trump, who is meeting with Kim Jong-un in Hanoi, Vietnam, called his North Korean counterpart, who leads one of the most repressive regimes in the world, "a great leader". The US House of Representatives passed legislation today that would require federal background checks for all firearms sales, including online and at gun shows, making it the first gun control measure passed by the House in nearly a quarter century. The measure is is not likely to be taken up for a vote in the Republican-controlled Senate. Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former lawyer and "fixer", testified today before the House oversight committee. Here are some of the more explosive claims that came out of Cohen's testimony:
February 25, 2019 - Trump responded on twitter to comments made the previous day by film maker Spike Lee, saying "Be nice if Spike Lee could read his notes or better yet not have to use notes at all when doing his racist hit on your president." Trump also claimed he had "done more for African Americans (Criminal Justice Reform, Lowest Unemployment numbers in History, Tax Cuts, etc) than almost any other Pres[ident]!" Janet Yellen, former Federal Reserve Chair, was asked in an interview if she thought Trump had a grasp on macroeconomic policy, to which Yellen responded "No, I do not." Alva Johnson, a former staff member of Trump's presidential campaign, filed a federal lawsuit against the president claiming he "grabbed her hand and wouldn't let go" then "leaned in to kiss her on the lips". She called the incident "super-creepy and inappropriate. I immediately felt violated because I wasn't expecting it or wanting it. I can still see his lips coming straight for my face." Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary called the allegation "absurd on its face". Sanders also claimed the event is "directly contradicted by multiple highly credible eye witness accounts." Harry Reid, former Senate Democratic Leader, who once called George W Bush the worst president the country ever had, says of the former president now "There's no question in my mind that George Bush would be Babe Ruth in this league that he's in with Donald Trump. Donald Trump wouldn't make the team." 58 former national security officials released an open letter denouncing Trump's national security declaration stating "Under no plausible assessment of the evidence is there a national emergency today that entitles the president to tap into funds appropriated for other purposes to build a wall at the southern border". Among the signatories are former secretary of state Madeline Albright, former defense secretary Chuck Hagel, former state department counselor Eliot Cohen, and Thomas Pickering, former ambassador to the United Nations.
February 24, 2019 - During his acceptance speech at the Oscars, Spike Lee, film maker, referenced the 2020 election saying "Let’s all be on the right side of history. Make the moral choice between love versus hate. Let’s do the right thing!" After the show, while Lee was talking about his film BlaKkKlansman at a press conference, he brought up the attack at a "Unite the Right" rally that left Heather Heyer dead saying "That car drove down that one street in Virginia, and the president of the United States did not reject, refute [or] did not denounce the Klan, ‘alt-right’ and neo-Nazis."
February 22, 2019 - The Trump administration issued a rule banning organizations that provide abortions or abortion referrals from getting federal family planning money, which could result in cuts of up to $60m from Planned Parenthood. Trump was asked about the situation in North Carolina where the State Board of Elections voted unanimously to order a new election due to voter fraud committed on behalf of the Republican candidate Mark Harris. Trump responded to the question with: "I condemn any voter fraud of any kind, whether it’s Democrat or Republican. But when you look at some of the things that happened in California in particular, when you look at what has happened in Texas with all of those votes that they recently found that were not exactly properly done. I condemn all of it." When a reporter interrupted to point out that the California and Texas cases have been proved false or misleading, Trump cut the reporter off saying "Excuse me, excuse me" and then continued shifting focus to the questionable allegations in California and Texas. Donald Trump nominated Kelly Knight Craft, who is currently the US ambassador to Canada, and whose husband is a billionaire Coal magnate, to be the United States ambassador to the United Nations. Craft was asked recently in a television interview if she believes in climate change, her answer: "I believe there are scientists on both sides who are accurate". Trump was asked about the neo-Nazi coast guard officer who is accused of planning acts of domestic terrorism, specifically whether his rhetoric may have played a role. Trump responded "No, I don't. I think my language is very nice". Devil's Due Comics announced that a special commemorative comic will be released in May, and will feature Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Freshman Force. With news spreading that special counsel Robert Mueller's report will be completed soon, the chairs of six House committees wrote to Attorney General Bill Barr saying "The public is entitled to know what the Special Counsel has found. We write to you to express, in the strongest possible terms, our expectation that the Department of Justice will release to the public the report Special Counsel Mueller submits to you—without delay and to the maximum extent permitted by law". Goodloe Sutton, the Alabama publisher who called for the lynchings of Alabama state politicians, is stepping down from his newspaper. When contacted and questioned about the situation, Sutton told a reporter "Lady, I don't give a shit. I'm quitting. You can tell everybody you ran me out of the newspaper business." Sutton also told the reporter he was "going to drink beer and sex young women. I am not going to do anything with it [the paper]. I’m going to be a deadbeat – an out-of-work deadbeat." Sutton handed the role of editor to Elecia R Dexter, an African American woman. Despite an announcement yesterday by Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House press secretary, that 200 troops will remain in Syria, senior White house officials are now declaring that approximately 400 troops will remain in Syria.
February 21, 2019 - Lt. Christopher P. Hasson, a member of the US Coast Guard, with over 28 years of military service, appeared in court on minor gun and drug possession charges. Prosecutors said additional charges would be coming soon, specifically, terrorism-related charges. Hasson, a self-described white nationalist, and student of extremist killers like the Unabomber, the Virginia Tech gunman, Anders Behring Breivik, and others, was found to be plotting attacks "to murder innocent civilians on a scale rarely seen in this country" along with prominent cable news journalists from MSNBC and CNN and Democratic politicians like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar, or anyone that fit his definition of "cultural Marxist/multiculturalist traitors". Roger Stone, former Trump adviser, was barred from speaking publicly about his case after posting a picture of judge Amy Berman on Instagram, which included crosshairs near her head. Stone claimed through his lawyers that he had thought the symbol was a Celtic cross, not crosshairs, and that he was very sorry, but the judge Berman responded that "Roger Stone fully understands the power of words and the power of symbols. And there's nothing ambiguous about crosshairs." Berman added that if Stone did not comply with the gag order, she'd find it necessary to "adjust your environment." North Carolina's elections board has ordered a new election in the still undecided congressional race from 2018. The State Board of Elections voted 5-0 to hold a new ballot after reviewing evidence that Leslie McCrae, an operative hired by Republican Mark Harris, operated an illegal "ballot harvesting" operation and may have tampered with mail-in ballots. Despite an earlier declaration that ISIS had been defeated and that the troops were coming home, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House press secretary, announced that approximately 200 troops will remain in Syria.
February 20, 2019 - Video surfaced of Tucker Carlson, a Fox News host, interviewing Rutger Bregman, a Dutch historian. During the interview, Bregman told Carlson that he's a "millionaire funded by billionaires" and that he's "part of the problem" and that his claims of being "against the globalist elite" are "not very convincing". Carlson responded with a litany of insults including "why don't you go fuck yourself, you tiny brain". Fox News has refused to air the segment.
February 19, 2019 - According to the New York Times, Trump asked acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker if "Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York and a Trump ally, could be put in charge of the widening investigation" into allegations that Trump had paid hush money to silence women during his 2016 campaign. Whitaker, who told a congressional committee that Trump had never pressured him over the various investigations, is now under scrutiny by House Democrats for possible perjury charges.
February 18, 2019 - Responding to a skit on Saturday Night Live in which Trump's emergency declaration was skewered, Trump sent the following tweet: "Nothing funny about tired Saturday Night Live on Fake News NBC! Question is, how do the Networks get away with these total Republican hit jobs without retribution? Likewise for many other shows? Very unfair and should be looked into. This is the real Collusion!" Trump then followed up with this tweet: "THE RIGGED AND CORRUPT MEDIA IS THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!" Some select responses to Trump's reaction:
February 15, 2019 - Donald Trump announced that he is using emergency powers to bypass congress to pursue funding for a border wall. According to the White House, the emergency would take about $3.6bn from the Pentagon’s military construction fund. Executive action will divert around $2.5bn from the Pentagon’s drug interdiction programme and $600m from the treasury’s drug forfeiture fund. While answering reporter's questions about the emergency, Trump made the following statement: "I went through Congress. I made a deal. I got almost $1.4bn when I wasn’t supposed to get $1. Not $1! He’s not going to get $1! Well, I got $1.4bn, but I’m not happy with it … I want to do it faster. I could do the wall over a longer period of time. I didn’t need to do this but I’d rather do it much faster. I don’t have to do it for the election. I’ve already done a lot of wall for the election: 2020. And the only reason we’re up here talking about this is because of the election, because they want to try and win an election which it looks like they’re not going to be able to do." Nancy Pelosi seized upon Trump's statement saying in a tweet: "He admits it’s a #FakeTrumpEmergency. Hear him say it: 'I *didn’t need* to do this, but I’d rather do it much faster.'" Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer released a joint statement saying "The president’s unlawful declaration over a crisis that does not exist does great violence to our constitution and makes America less safe, stealing from urgently needed defense funds for the security of our military and our nation. This is plainly a power grab by a disappointed president, who has gone outside the bounds of the law to try to get what he failed to achieve in the constitutional legislative process." Trump also claimed falsely, as he has many times before, that most of the drugs crossing the border come through points where there is no wall. According to Trump's own Drug Enforcement Agency, the vast majority of drugs come through points of entry or border patrol checkpoints. Regarding Trump's emergency declaration, critics were quick to point to a tweet Trump sent in 2014 regarding Obama's unilateral Executive action on immigration to protect Dreamers. Trump's tweet said "Repubs must not allow Pres Obama to subvert the Constitution of the US for his own benefit & because he is unable to negotiate w/ Congress." Trump also called the same action unconstitutional and impeachable during a 2014 interview on Fox and Friends. Jay Sekulow, Trump's own attorney, called Obama a despot, and his executive action in 2014 "tyrannical". Robert Mueller, special counsel, recommended that Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign chairman, should serve up to 24 years in prison for "serious, longstanding, and bold" financial crimes. According to Mueller "Manafort acted for more than a decade as if he were above the law, and deprived the federal government and various financial institutions of millions of dollars. The sentence here should reflect the seriousness of these crimes, and serve to both deter Manafort and others from engaging in such conduct." Mueller also disclosed that he has evidence that communications took place between Roger Stone and Wikileaks related to the release of hacked Democratic party emails. Bill Weld, former governor of Massachusetts, declares that he will run against Trump for Republican nomination for president. Gary Martin opened fire in an Aurora, Illinois business killing 5 and wounding 6. A background check of Martin failed to detect a felony conviction that should have prevented him from being able to purchase a gun.
February 14, 2019 - Goodloe Sutton, the editor and publisher of the Democrat-Reporter, a paper that serves the small town of Linden, Alabama, published an editorial with the headline "Klan needs to ride again." The article attacks the politicians who are attempting to raise taxes saying "Seems like the Klan would be welcome to raid the gated communities up there." The reaction to the editorial was swift. Alabama senator Doug Jones tweeted the following in response: "OMG! What rock did this guy crawl out from under? This editorial is absolutely disgusting and he should resign – NOW! I have seen what happens when we stand by while people-especially those with influence- publish racist, hateful views. Words matter. Actions matter. Resign now!" Sutton doubled down when asked about his views saying "If we could get the Klan to go up there and clean out DC, we’d all been better off. We’ll get the hemp ropes out, loop them over a tall limb and hang all of them." When asked why he was promoting a violent white supremacist organization, Sutton replied "A violent organization? Well, they didn’t kill but a few people. The Klan wasn’t violent until they needed to be." Terri Sewell, Congresswoman from Alabama's 7th district, responded with the following tweet: "For the millions of people of color who have been terrorized by white supremacy, this kind of ‘editorializing’ about lynching is not a joke – it is a threat. These comments are deeply offensive and inappropriate, especially in 2019. Mr Sutton should apologize and resign." In a 60 Minutes interview, Andrew McCabe, the former acting FBI director, said that after the firing of James Comey, he and other department of justice officials discussed whether Trump could be removed from office under the 25th amendment. McCabe also claimed that Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, agreed to wear a wire to record incriminating conversations with Trump. McCabe is promoting his new book The Threat: How the FBI Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump. Other claims by McCabe during the interview:
February 12, 2019 - According to immigration advocates in Texas, the Trump administration is still engaging in the practice of separating children from their parents at the border, despite formally ending the policy of family separations last summer. The FBI is investigating a fire at the Planned Parenthood-Columbia Health Center in Columbia Missouri as a possible hate crime.
February 11, 2019 - Readers of the comic strip Non Sequitur were surprised to find an Easter Egg in the print on one of the strips panels. The print read "We fondly say go fuck yourself to Trump." The author of the comic, Wiley Miller, regularly tweets angry missives about Trump, including the recent "Still waiting for President Fuckwit to name even one member of congress, in either house, who advocates for open borders." which was a response to Trump's constant claim that Democrats are for open borders. At least one Conservative paper has decided to discontinue carrying Non Sequitur. Lawyers for 8 immigrant families have filed suit against the US Government for the "inexplicable cruelty" faced by them and their children after being separated as part of the Trump Administration's "zero tolerance" policy at the Mexico border. Stanton Jones, an attorney representing some of the plaintiffs explained how "The government’s actual conduct of tearing children – often small children – away from their parents in a way that was designed to deliberately inflict emotional trauma on those people for the purpose of achieving a policy objective is unlawful." Ron Skeans, a BBC cameraman, was shoved violently at a Trump rally in El Paso Texas by a Trump supporter who had climbed up on the media platform. When Skean recovered and resumed filming, he captured the Trump supporter being restrained while screaming "fuck the media!" while the crowd of Trump supporters chanted "let him go!". Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary released a statement saying "President Trump condemns all acts of violence against any individual or group of people – including members of the press. We ask that anyone attending an event do so in a peaceful and respectful manner." Responding to the attack, press freedom group, Reporters without Borders, sent the following in a tweet: "As we continue to look into what happened, we firmly denounce all physical violence against reporters for doing their jobs. This is unacceptable in the country of the first amendment." During the rally, Trump claimed there were 10,000 people in attendance. A spokesperson for the El Paso fire department claimed later that only 6,500 people were allowed in, which is the building's capacity. A counter-rally was held nearby, and featured Beto O'Rourke as its headline speaker. Trump told his crowd that the counter-rally only had 200 to 300 people in attendance, but aw enforcement officials estimated a crowd size of 7,500.
February 8, 2019 - The acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker, appeared before the House Judiciary Committee. Whitaker claimed during the hearing that he has "not interfered in any way with the special counsel's investigation." Whitaker also claimed, falsely, that there was "no family separation policy" under the Trump administration. Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, and the owner of the Washington Post, revealed that employees of the National Enquirer were trying to blackmail him. According to Bezos, the Enquirer obtained text messages and photos of him and his mistress, some of which they published. After Bezos paid private investigators to look into how the Enquirer obtained the text messages and photos, the Enquirer threatened to publish more salacious photos if Bezos didn't back off. Video surfaced of Candace Owens, a black conservative pundit who is an outspoken advocate for Donald Trump, and a leader at Turning Point USA, responding to a question from a member of a London audience regarding nationalism in Western politics. Owen answered the question saying: "I actually don't have any problems at all with the word 'nationalism'. I think that the definition gets poisoned by elitists that actually want globalism. Globalism is what I don't want... Whenever we say nationalism, the first thing people think about, at least in America, is Hitler. He was a national socialist. But if Hitler just wanted to make Germany great and have things run well, OK, fine. The problem is that he wanted, he had dreams outside of Germany. He wanted to globalise. He wanted everybody to be German, everybody to be speaking German. Everybody to look a different way. To me, that's not nationalism."
February 7, 2019 - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez released a plan she calls the Green New Deal, which is being hailed as a blueprint for combating economic and racial injustice, while tackling climate change. Trump responded to news that the House Intelligence Committee would begin looking at his finances by calling Adam Schiff a "political hack" and by stating "No other politician has to go through that. It’s called presidential harassment. And it’s unfortunate. And it really does hurt our country." Trump also sent out various tweets on that theme, one of them saying "PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT! It should never be allowed to happen again!"
February 6, 2019 - According to NOAA, NASA and the World Meteorological Organization, 2018 was the 4th hottest year on record. The 3 years that were hotter were 2016, 2017 and 2015. City officials from El Paso, Texas sought to set the record straight regarding comments Trump made during his SOTU address. During the speech, Trump made this claim: "The border city of El Paso, Texas, used to have extremely high rates of violent crime – one of the highest in the country, and [was] considered one of our nation’s most dangerous cities. Now, with a powerful barrier in place, El Paso is one of our safest cities." Richard Wiles, El Paso's sheriff, released this statement: "It is sad to hear President Trump state falsehoods about El Paso, Texas, in an attempt to justify building a 2,000-mile wall. The facts are clear. While it is true that El Paso is one of the safest cities in the nation, it has never been considered one of our nation’s most dangerous cities and El Paso was a safe city long before any wall was built." Fernando Garcia, the executive director of the Border Network of Human Rights responded to Trump's comments saying "Trump lied to the nation about El Paso at the State of the Union. He openly distorted the facts and the reality of our border region to justify the unjustifiable: his absurd obsession of a border wall. El Paso is safe due to its people, the good community relation with law enforcement, and the trust of all communities in our local institutions. El Pasoans should be offended by the way the president used our community to advance his racist and xenophobic agenda." According to Adam Schiff, the House Intelligence Committee is launching a new investigation that will look at Russian interference in the 2016 election, and Donald Trump's foreign financial interests. Eric Porterfield, a Republican member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, came under fire for comments he made about the LGBTQ community. According to Porterfield "The LGBTQ is a modern-day version of the Ku Klux Klan, without wearing hoods, with their antics of hate." Porterfield also referred to them as a "terrorist group". When Porterfield was asked in an interview what he would do if he had a son or daughter who was gay, he responded with: "Well, I will address my daughter first. I would take her for a pedicure, I'd take her to get her nails done, and see if she could swim. If it was my son, I would probably take him hunting, I would take him fishing, then I'd see if he could swim."
February 5, 2019 - David Bernhardt, former oil and gas lobbyist, and acting secretary of the interior, is Trump's pick to replace Ryan Zinke to run the Interior Department. Donald Trump gave his second State of the Union speech. A meme was generated at the end of Trump's speech when Nancy Pelosi clapped for Trump by extending her arms out toward him with a look of dripping sarcasm on her face. Video of the clap is now trending on twitter as #PelosiClap.
February 4, 2019 - According to CNN, "Federal prosecutors in New York have subpoenaed the Trump inaugural committee for documents related to donors, vendors and finances."
February 3, 2019 - Regarding talk of impeachment by Democrats and others, Trump stated the following: "The only way they can win, because they can’t win the election, is to bring out the artificial way of impeachment." During an interview with CBS, Trump said of a base in Iraq "One of the reasons I want to keep it is because I want to be looking a little bit at Iran because Iran is a real problem." Bahram Sali, Iraq's president, responded to Trumo's comment saying "the US presence in Iraq is a part of an agreement between the two countries with a specific task which is to combat terrorism. Don't overburden Iraq with your own issues". In the same interview, Trump was asked what would happen if ISIS surged in areas where we are drawing down troops. Trump's answer: "We have very fast planes. We have very good cargo planes."
February 2, 2019 - According to Margaret Huang, the executive director of Amnesty International in the United States, the Trump Administration's "remain in Mexico" policy, which deters asylum seekers is "First and foremost the policy is a violation of US and international law and clearly a human rights violation. If the US recognized that an individual has a credible fear of prosecution you can’t send them somewhere else – it is on the obligation of the state to offer protection and not delegate it to some third party". A measles outbreak in the Pacific Northwest, in an area with low vaccination rates, has raised concerns about the growing anti-vaccination movement.
February 1, 2019 - New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, Democrat, declared that he will join the 2020 race for president. Kellyanne Conway, White House counselor, responded to Booker's declaration saying "What is wrong with the candidates that are already in there? What is your objection to Kamala Harris running, Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand, these others who have already announced, Tulsi Gabbard maybe? If he were a Republican running against them, they immediately would call him a sexist for running against these women in the Democratic field." Trump was asked in an interview "if he’s aware that his rhetoric has had global consequences, emboldening authoritarians to crack down on journalists." This was Trump's response: "I do notice that people are declaring more and more fake news, where they go 'fake news.' I even see it in other countries. I don’t necessarily attribute that to me. I think I can attribute the term to me. I think I was the one that started using it, I would say. But I do see that." Trump also said this: "I came from Jamaica, Queens, Jamaica Estates and I became president of the United States. I’m sort of entitled to a great story from my — just one — from my newspaper" According to the Labor Department, the US economy added 304,000 jobs in January, making it the 100th consecutive month of continuous job growth, the longest in US history. The previous record was 48 months, which ended in June of 1990.
January 31, 2019 - Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, made the following statement during an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network: "I think God calls all of us to fill different roles at different times and I think that he wanted Donald Trump to become president, and that's why he's there". Jim Acosta, the CNN correspondent who is frequently the target of Trump's "fake news" mantra, gave a speech at the Oxford Union in the UK where he said "this is a dangerous time to tell the truth in America." Acosta also described how during one of Trump's rallies, while Trump was praising Greg Gianforte for body slamming a reporter, one of Trump's supporters "started making body slam gestures and then he ran his thumb across my neck like he wanted to slit my throat. This is not the first time I felt threatened at his rallies.”
January 30, 2019 - Regarding the intelligence assessments provided to congress yesterday in which Trump was repeatedly contradicted, Trump sent out numerous tweets attacking the intelligence chiefs, all appointed by him, saying "The Intelligence people seem to be extremely passive and naive when it comes to the dangers of Iran. They are wrong!" And "Perhaps Intelligence should go back to school!" Trump also claimed that "ISIS was out of control in Syria" when he took over the presidency despite a US assessment in December of 2016 that 75% of ISIS fighters had been killed.
January 28, 2019 - Politico is reporting that Donald trump is very upset about a new book coming out tomorrow called Team of Vipers which was written by White House insider Cliff Sims. Sim's book describes the ever present "White House chaos, bickering and skullduggery." The White House announced that Sarah Huckabee Sanders will give an on-camera press briefing today, her first since December 18th. A new Washington Post/ABC poll shows that "nearly 6 out of 10 Americans have an unfavorable view of Trump as a person". A majority also "doubt his empathy, honesty and ability to make political deals." Matthew Whitaker, the acting Attorney General, stated today that he has been "fully briefed" on the special counsel's investigation, and it is "close to being completed." According to the CBO, the cost of the shutdown to the economy was $11bn. Regarding record low temperatures in the mid-west, Trump sent the following tweet: "In the beautiful Midwest, windchill temperatures are reaching minus 60 degrees, the coldest ever recorded. In coming days, expected to get even colder. People can’t last outside even for minutes. What the hell is going on with Global Waming? Please come back fast, we need you!"
- Emergency housing
- Food/water/first-aid/infant formula/fuel
- Disaster Recovery Centers
- Debris removal
Trump is directly threatening lives and our economy over an ignorant position on forest management that experts & firefighters have told him is wrong"
January 1, 2019 - Responding to comments made two days earlier by four star General Stanley McChrystal, Donald Trump sent the following tweet: "General' McChrystal got fired like a dog by Obama. Last assignment a total bust. Known for big, dumb mouth. Hillary lover!" Mitt Romney, incoming US senator for Utah, and former Republican presidential candidate, published an essay in the Washington Post that sharply criticizes president Trump saying "The appointment of senior persons of lesser experience, the abandonment of allies who fight beside us, and the president’s thoughtless claim that America has long been a ‘sucker’ in world affairs all defined his presidency down. On balance, his conduct over the past two years, particularly his actions this month, is evidence that the president has not risen to the mantle of the office."
December 31, 2018 - This year has been the worst year for stocks since 2008 with the Dow dropping 5.6%, S&P down 6.2% and the Nasdaq down 4%. Donald Trump declared himself a national hero via twitter, saying: "If anybody but Donald Trump did what I did in Syria, which was an Isis-loaded mess when I became president, they would be a national hero". Elizabeth Warren, Senator from Massachusetts, announced she is forming an exploratory committee for a run for the presidency in 2020. Responding to comments made earlier by outgoing chief of staff John Kelly, Trump sent the following tweet: "An all concrete Wall was NEVER ABANDONED, as has been reported by the media". US Strategic Command - which is the unified military force that controls the launch of nuclear weapons - sent the following tweet: "#TimesSquare tradition rings in the #NewYear by dropping the big ball...if ever needed, we are #ready to drop something much, much bigger". The tweet was later deleted, and a follow up tweet said the following: "Our previous NYE tweet was in poor taste & does not reflect our values. We apologize. We are dedicated to the security of America & allies." Louis C.K. - comedian who admitted in November of last year that he had engaged in sexual harassment and abuse of women for many years - is heard in newly released video mocking survivors of the February 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida: "Testify in front of Congress, these kids, what the fuck? What are you doing? Cause you went to a high school where kids got shot, why does that mean I have to listen to you? Why does that make you interesting? You didn't get shot. You pushed some fat kid in the way and now I gotta listen to you talking?" Some selected responses to Louis C.K.'s choice of comedy:
December 29, 2018 - Today is day 8 of the partial government shutdown. Trump, who is hunkered down in the White house, sent the following tweet: "Any deaths of children or others at the Border are strictly the fault of the Democrats and their pathetic immigration policies that allow people to make the long trek thinking they can enter our country illegally. They can’t. If we had a Wall, they wouldn’t even try!," Justin Goodman, a spokesman for senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, told reporters: "For the White House to try and blame anyone but the president for this shutdown doesn’t pass the laugh test." In an editorial in the Guardian, Robert Reich, a former US secretary of labor, called for the impeachment and removal of Donald Trump from the presidency. Trump also sent the following tweet: "For those that naively ask why didn’t the Republicans get approval to build the Wall over the last year, it is because IN THE SENATE WE NEED 10 DEMOCRAT VOTES, and they will gives us “NONE” for Border Security! Now we have to do it the hard way, with a Shutdown. Too bad! @FoxNews" Critics were quick to point out that an offer was put on the table by democrats offering 1.3 billion for border security, but Trump refused to accept that offer.
December 28, 2018 - Karen Castor, Democratic representative from Florida, was picked by Nancy Pelosi to lead the House panel on climate change, a newly restored committee which was axed by Republicans when they took over the house in 2011. On this 7th day of the partial government shutdown, affecting approximately 800,000 federal employees, Donald Trump sent the following tweet: "We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with. Hard to believe there was a Congress & President who would approve!" Mick Mulvaney, the incoming acting White House chief of staff, called Trump's threat "the only way we can get the democrat's attention". The Republican led congressional investigation that was looking into bias in the FBI and Justice Department over its handling of Hillary Clinton's emails has ended, unceremoniously, with a letter calling for the appointment of special counsel to investigate further saying that interviews and the reviews of thousands of documents "revealed troubling facts which exacerbated our initial questions and concerns." Adam Schiff, the top democrat on the House intelligence committee responded to the news saying the Republican investigation was ending "not with a bang, but with a Friday, buried-in-the-holidays whimper, and one foot out the door". A report issued earlier this year by the Justice Department's own inspector general found no political bias towards Hillary or Trump. The North Carolina election board has refused to certify the race between Republican Mark Harris and Democrat Dan McCready, while investigating irregularities concerning absentee ballots. The irregularities are related to operatives hired by the Harris campaign. According to a Harvard CAPS/Harris poll, 56% of respondents oppose Trump's border wall, while 44% support it. The poll also found that 61% of respondents oppose the notion of using a shutdown to secure money for border security. Trump sent the following tweet: "Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are doing nothing for the United States but taking our money. Word is that a new Caravan is forming in Honduras and they are doing nothing about it. We will be cutting off all aid to these 3 countries - taking advantage of U.S. for years!".
December 27, 2018 - On this 6th day of the partial government shutdown, Trump sent the following tweet: "Have the Democrats finally realized that we desperately need Border Security and a Wall on the Southern Border. Need to stop Drugs, Human Trafficking,Gang Members & Criminals from coming into our Country. Do the Dems realize that most of the people not getting paid are Democrats?" Following months of criticism for not visiting the troops, Donald Trump made a surprise visit to Iraq. While addressing a large group of troops at Al Asad Air Base, Trump said he had approved a 10% raise, which was later shown to be false when the Pentagon reported the raise would be 2.6%. Trump also told the gathering that this extra large raise was coming because they hadn't seen a raise in 10 years. Critics were quick to point out that the military has consistently received raises over each of the last 10 years. After departing Iraq aboard Air Force One, Trump posted a video to Twitter which showed Trump posing with members of SEAL Team Five. According to Malcolm Nance, a former U.S. Navy intelligence specialist: "Operational security is the most important aspect of personnel deployments. The real names, faces, and identities, of personnel involved in special operations or activities, are usually a closely held secret in a combat zone. Revealing them casually, through an unusual media exposure even if it’s the commander in chief, would prove a propaganda boom if any of this personnel are detained by a hostile government or captured by a terrorist group. There would be no denying who you are and what you do." Michael Williams, Republican state senator from Georgia, reported to jail after being indicted by a grand jury on charges that included insurance fraud and filing a false police report. Williams made national headlines earlier this year when he drove around during his failed gubernatorial campaign in a bus named the "deportation bus" which featured printed slogans like "Follow me to Mexico" and ironically "Danger: Murderers, rapists, kidnappers, child molestors [sic] and other criminals on board"
December 25, 2018 - US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported that Felipe Gomez Alonzo, a Guatemalan boy aged 8, has died while in their custody. This is the second death of a young child in CBP custody this month. The CBP promised "an independent and thorough review of the circumstances".
December 24, 2018 - Trump criticized the Federal Reserve in a tweet saying "The only problem our economy has is the Fed. They don’t have a feel for the market. The Fed is like a powerful golfer who can’t score because he has no touch – he can’t putt!" In a joint statement, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer accused Trump of "plunging the country into chaos" saying "The stock market is tanking and the president is waging a personal war on the Federal Reserve – after he just fired the Secretary of Defense. Instead of bringing certainty into people’s lives, he’s continuing the Trump Shutdown just to please rightwing radio and TV hosts. Different people from the same White House are saying different things about what the president would accept or not accept to end his Trump shutdown, making it impossible to know where they stand at any given moment. The president wanted the shutdown, but he seems not to know how to get himself out of it." More than 420,000 federal workers are working without pay during the current shutdown. Felipe Gonzalez Morales, the United Nations monitor who acts as a global watchdog on the treatment of migrants, has sent a formal complaint to US secretary of state Mike Pompeo calling for an in depth investigation into the death of Jakelin Caal Maquin, a seven-year-old Guatemalan girl who died in the custody of the US government. Beryl Howell, US district judge in Washington, ordered Pyongyang to pay $501m in damages to Fred and Cindy Warmbier for the death of their son Otto, who died while in their custody last year. Experts who analyzed Warmbier, found evidence the University of Virginia student had endured horrific torture. Trump took calls from the Norad Tracks Santa programme, and on one call, asked a 7 year-old girl "Are you still a believer in Santa?" After the girl responded "Yes sir!" Trump told her "because at seven, that's marginal, right?" The girl again responded "Yes, sir!" but later told reporters she had no idea what "marginal" meant.
December 23, 2018 - In what is considered payback for publicly criticizing the president in his resignation statement, Jim Mattis is being forced by Trump to depart 2 months prior to his agreed upon departure date. Trump sent the following tweet: "President Erdoğan of Turkey has very strongly informed me that he will eradicate whatever is left of Isis in Syria … and he is a man who can do it plus, Turkey is right ‘next door’. Our troops are coming home!" Reports coming out of Syria say that Turkish troops are currently massing near Manbij, which is a town held by Kurdish fighters. Reacting to the partial government shutdown, Bob Corker, Republican chair of Senate foreign relations committee, said "This is a made-up fight so the president can look like he’s fighting. This is something that is useless, it’s spectacle, it’s puerile." Nancy Pelosi, who will become speaker of the House in January, made the following statement regarding the shutdown: "Until President Trump can publicly commit to a bipartisan resolution, there will be no agreement before January when the new House Democratic majority will swiftly pass legislation to re-open government."
December 22, 2018 - Brett McGurk, the US envoy to forces fighting to defeat Islamic State resigned over Trump's decision to withdraw troops from Syria saying "The recent decision by the president came as a shock and was a complete reversal of policy that was articulated to us. It left our coalition partners confused and our fighting partners bewildered." When asked about McGurk, Trump responded that he did not know who he was. David Hogg, Parkland school shooting survivor, announced that he was accepted into Harvard where he will major in political science. The US government entered a partial government shutdown at midnight making this the first time in history that the government has been shutdown 3 times in one year. Despite saying days earlier that he would gladly shut the government down, and that he would not blame the democrats, Trump called it "a Democrat shutdown." Democrats Schumer and Pelosi responded to Trump saying: "Instead of honouring his responsibility to the American people, President Trump threw a temper tantrum and convinced House Republicans to push our nation into a destructive Trump shutdown in the middle of the holiday season. President Trump has said more than 25 times that he wanted a shutdown and now he has gotten what he wanted." Tom Steyer, a billionaire who has campaigned for Trump's impeachment, responded to the shutdown saying "just another example of why Trump is unfit for office. We need a president who fights for the American people and improves our country, not one who threatens the jobs and well-being of federal employees to promote his racist agenda." Video surfaced from a 2013 interview with Fox News where Trump was asked who should be fired if there is a government shutdown. Trump responded: "Well, if you say who gets fired, it always has to be the top. I mean, problems start from the top and they have to get solved from the top and the president’s the leader and he’s gotta get everyone in a room and he’s gotta lead. And, he [Obama] doesn’t do that, he doesn’t like doing that, that’s not his strength. And, that’s why you have this horrible situation going on in Washington. It’s a very, very bad thing and it’s very embarrassing worldwide." Trump also stated "A shutdown falls on the president's lack of leadership. He can't even control his party and get people together in a room. A shutdown means the president is weak."
December 21, 2018 - News surfaced that Trump's decision to pull troops out of Syria was triggered by a phone call with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president. Critics called it yet another example of Trump siding with authoritarian foreign leaders over the advice of US officials. David Phillips, a former senior state department official and author of The Great Betrayal: How America Abandoned the Kurds and Lost the Middle East, responded to the news saying "As soon as the US folds its tent and leaves, Turkey will immediately begin an air bombardment followed by a ground attack by the [Ankara-backed] Free Syrian army. Thousands will die, thousands will be displaced and will be given no haven within Syria. They will be turned away at the Turkish border. For more than three and a half years, they have been our boots on the ground and were the point of the spear in retaking [the Isis stronghold] Raqqa. Who is going to fight for us in the future when we throw our allies under the bus?" The supreme court agreed with lower court rulings which blocked the Trump administration from requiring asylum seekers to pass through official border crossings only. Reacting to the possibility of a government shutdown, along with other negative global news, the stock market sank to a 15 month low, and suffered its worst month since 2009. Measles cases are at the highest level they've been in 20 years in Europe due to the growing anti-vaccine movement. Video surfaced of a 2015 interview that incoming White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney did on CNN where he called Trump's views on a border wall "simplistic", "absurd" and "almost childish." Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, released a report accusing "Russia, China and Iran" of conducting "influence activities and messaging campaigns" during the 2018 elections. Donald Trump tweeted: "The Democrats are trying to belittle the concept of a Wall, calling it old fashioned. The fact is there is nothing else’s that will work, and that has been true for thousands of years. It’s like the wheel, there is nothing better. I know tech better than anyone, & technology"
December 20, 2018 - The Trump foundation has agreed to dissolve under judicial supervision after a a lawsuit exposed a "shocking pattern of illegality". According to the lawsuit, Trump had used the charity to pay off legal settlements within his business and even used $10,000 to buy a painting of himself to hang in one of his golf clubs. In a statement, Barbara Underwood, New York's attorney general said "Our petition detailed a shocking pattern of illegality involving the Trump Foundation – including unlawful coordination with the Trump presidential campaign, repeated and willful self-dealing, and much more. This amounted to the Trump Foundation functioning as little more than a checkbook to serve Mr Trump’s business and political interests. This is an important victory for the rule of law, making clear that there is one set of rules for everyone." Noah Bookbinder, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (Crew), responded to the announcement saying: "The Donald J Trump Foundation has abused the rules governing non-profit charitable foundations and admitted to breaking the law. It apparently operated for the sole purpose of benefiting Donald Trump. Crew filed complaints calling for investigations into the Foundation for improper political activity, lying on its tax returns, and self-dealing to benefit Donald Trump, among other problems. It is good to see this fraud is finally over." Responding to trump's planned withdrawal from Syria, the Syrian Democratic Forces, a group of Kurdish and Arab units raised by Washington specifically to fight Isis, claimed the move would have "dangerous implications for international stability." Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, welcomed the move, saying: "Donald is right, I agree with him." The Republican majority passed a stopgap spending bill to keep the government open, but Trump vowed he would not sign it saying "I’ve made my position very clear. Any measure that funds the government must include border security – has to. Not for political purposes but for our country, for the safety of our community. It is our sacred obligation. We have no choice." Emmet Sullivan, a US district judge, blocked Trump administration policies that prevented immigrants who were fleeing from gang violence or domestic abuse from seeking asylum saying, "it is the will of Congress - not the whims of the executive" that sets the standards for expedited removal. Jennifer Chang Newell, managing attorney of the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project, responded to the ruling saying "This ruling is a defeat for the Trump administration’s all-out assault on the rights of asylum seekers. The government’s attempt to obliterate asylum protections is unlawful and inconsistent with our country’s longstanding commitment to provide protection to immigrants fleeing for their lives." James Mattis, the US defense secretary, has resigned, over disagreement with Trump's treatment of allies and the US approach to "malign actors and strategic competitors" on the world stage. John Brennan, former CIA director, responded to Mattis' resignation on twitter saying: "Okay, Republicans. How much longer are you going to let this farcical ‘presidency’ continue? At a time of such political, economic, and geo-strategic turbulence – both nationally and globally – are you waiting for a catastrophe to happen before acting? Disaster looms!" Mark Warner, the senior Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee tweeted: "This is scary. Secretary Mattis has been an island of stability amidst the chaos of the Trump administration." Despite calls for Matt Whitaker, the acting attorney general, to recuse himself from the Mueller investigation because of previous public criticisms, has decided not to recuse himself. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking member of the Senate intelligence committee, responded to Whitaker's refusal on twitter saying "Matthew Whitaker’s reported refusal to follow the recommendation of ethics officials further indicates that he views his role as serving President Trump, not the American people." North Korea released a statement saying it will not denuclearize until US removes "threat" saying "The United States must now recognize the accurate meaning of the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, and especially, must study geography. When we talk about the Korean peninsula, it includes the territory of our republic and also the entire region of [South Korea] where the United States has placed its invasive force, including nuclear weapons. When we talk about the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, it means the removal of all sources of nuclear threat, not only from the South and North but also from areas neighboring the Korean peninsula."
December 19, 2018 - After a third trial, Nicholas Slatten, a former security guard for the US firm Blackwater, was found guilty of murder for his role in a massacre of unarmed civilians in downtown Baghdad in 2007. According to Derrick Carreon, a spokesman for the Phillipine drug enforcement agency (PDEA), between July of 2016, and the end of November this year, 5,050 lives have been lost in Duterte's drug war, mostly at the hands of police. According to estimates given by human rights groups, the number of deaths could be as high as 27,000. The international criminal court is investigating to determine if Duterte's drug war constitutes crimes against humanity. Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of 2,000 troops from Syria, saying on twitter: "We have won against ISIS. We've beaten them, and we've beaten them badly. We've taken back the land, and now it's time for our troops to come back home." The declaration is at odds with the Pentagon which reported in August that as many as 14,500 ISIS fighters remain in Syria. A few select responses to Trump's withdrawal order and declaration:
December 17, 2018 - In two separate reports put together by experts from Oxford University and by an Amercian cybersecurity firm called New Knowledge, it was revealed that the Internet Research Agency (IRA), aka the Russian government's "troll factory" actively targeted African Americans during the 2016 US election to suppress votes for Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump. According to the research, black turnout, which overwhelmingly votes Democrat, declined in 2016 to its lowest level in 20 years. This social media propaganda campaign, which was intended to inflame anger about skewed rates of poverty, incarceration and the use of force by police among black Americans, should be seen as the third front in Russia's interference in the 2016 election, together with the hack of Democratic party emails, and the attempt to hack online voting systems across the US. In impass over funding for a border wall is creating uncertainty over whether the government will be shut down at the end of the week. Despite Trump's campaign promise that Mexico would pay for a border wall, Trump is demanding that congress approve a $5bn down payment to help fulfill his campaign promise. According to Democratic leader Chuck Schumer: "He is not going to get the wall in any form".
December 16, 2018 - Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal lawyer, was asked during an interview with Fox News if Trump would be willing to do a face-to-face interview with special counsel. Giuliani responded "Yeah, good luck! After what they did to Flynn, the way they trapped him into perjury … over my dead body." Stephen Miller, senior adviser to the White House, was asked during an interview with CBS if the administration is willing to shut down the government over funding for a border wall. Miller's response: "If it comes to it, absolutely". Regarding Michael Cohen's willingness to talk with the FBI, Donald J Trump sent out the following tweet: "Remember, Michael Cohen only became a 'Rat' after the FBI did something which was absolutely unthinkable & unheard of until the Witch Hunt was illegally started. They BROKE INTO AN ATTORNEY’S OFFICE! Why didn’t they break into the DNC to get the Server, or Crooked’s office?" Critics were quick to point out that the FBI entered Cohen's office using a legitimately obtained search warrant. Others noted that the term "rat" when used to describe a person who aids the police to apprehend criminals, arose during the prohibition-era and was commonly used by gangsters like Alphonse Capone. Andy McCarthy, a former assistant US attorney and Fox News contributor responded to Trump's tweet with a tweet of his own: "Sir, in mobster lingo, a ‘rat’ is a witness who tells prosecutors real incriminating info. Perhaps a different word? Searches of lawyer’s offices common enough that DOJ has a procedure for them. Here it yielded evidence of crimes you said he should be jailed for. You should stop."
December 15, 2018 - Video surfaced showing Trump's new chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, calling Trump "a terrible human being". The videoed remarks occurred during a debate between Mulvaney and his Democrat opponent prior to the 2016 presidential election. A three-judge panel cited the Dr Seuss classic story The Lorax, in its decision to throw out a permit granted by the US Forest Service to an energy company to build a natural gas pipeline across two national forests. In their decision, the judges wrote "We trust the United States Forest Service to ‘speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues’". Ryan Zinke, Trump's interior secretary, is stepping down amidst a series of scandals in which he is being accused of using his position for personal gain. Acting successor to Zinke, until a permanent replacement is confirmed by the senate is David Bernhardt, a former energy lobbyist. Some select responses to news of Zinke's departure:
December 11, 2018 - An ethics complaint has been filed against Trump's acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker, for his role at World Patent Marketing, which was shut down in May by federal regulators after it surfaced that the company had cheated hopeful inventors out of millions of dollars. Whitaker worked as a paid member of the firm's advisory panel. According to the complaint, "Matthew G Whitaker allegedly aided and abetted a fraudulent marketing scheme that cheated thousands of consumers". Also included in the filing were emails, one being a threatening email that Whitaker sent to a customer of World Patent Marketing after that customer complained to the Better Business Bureau. Whitaker told the customer in the email "I am assuming you understand that there could be serious civil and criminal consequences for you. Understand that we take threats like this quite seriously." News surfaced that the Trump administration is planning to scale back the list of waterways which require permits to pollute, thus reversing Obama-era pollution protections known as the Waters of the US (WOTUS) rule, which was put into place to protect thousands of US streams and millions of acres of wetlands. Reacting to the proposal, Jon Devine, director of the federal water program at the Natural Resource Defense Council said "The Trump administration will stop at nothing to reward polluting industries and endanger our most treasured resources. This proposal is reckless, and we will fight to ensure it never goes into effect." During a televised argument between Donald Trump, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, Trump responded to the two Democrat's refusal to fund a border wall saying "I am proud to shut down the government for border security, Chuck, because the people of this country don’t want criminals and people that have lots of problems and drugs pouring into our country. So I will take the mantle. I will be the one to shut it down. I’m not going to blame you for it." Pelosi had this to say after the meeting "It’s like a manhood thing for him. As if manhood could ever be associated with him. This wall thing. It goes to show you: you get into a tickle contest with a skunk, you get tinkle all over you." The jury in the trial of James Alex Fields Jr recommended life in prison plus 419 years for the the 21 year-old Hitler admirer who rammed his car into a crowd of anti-fascist demonstrators, killing one and injuring dozens.
December 10, 2018 - The Trump administration gave a presentation at the UN climate talks in Poland in which they promoted the "unapologetic utilization" of "clean coal", oil, and gas. The presentation was met with laughter and chants of "shame on you". The supreme court has declined to hear a case about whether states can terminate Medicaid contracts with Planned Parenthood. Two lower courts in Kansas and Louisiana blocked attempts to withhold money from Planned Parenthood. Andrea Hvid, a Danish photographer, posted a photograph of himself and a model in a sexual pose on top of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Egyptian authorities are outraged, calling the act a "violation of public morality". Voyager 2 became the second human-made object to reach interstellar space, about 11 billion miles from Earth. Donald Trump, in a tweet, introduced the world to the phrase "Smocking Gun" tweeting "Democrats can’t find a Smocking Gun tying the Trump campaign to Russia after James Comey’s testimony. No Smocking Gun...No Collusion.” @FoxNews That’s because there was NO COLLUSION. So now the Dems go to a simple private transaction, wrongly call it a campaign contribution, which it was not (but even if it was, it is only a CIVIL CASE, like Obama’s - but it was done correctly by a lawyer and there would not even be a fine. Lawyer’s liability if he made a mistake, not me). Cohen just trying to get his sentence reduced. WITCH HUNT!" In the hours following the tweet, "smocking gun" began trending on twitter and became the subject of much derision and delight on the internet.
December 9, 2018 - According to research by the US Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) Center for Homeland Defense and Security, 2018 was by far the worst on record for gun violence in schools, with 94 school shooting incidents, which is a 60% increase over the previous high of 59 in 2006. Nick Ayers, Trump's first choice to replace outgoing chief of staff John Kelly, declined to take the role saying "I will be departing at the end of the year but will work with the #MAGA team to advance the cause." Saudi Arabia's foreign minister has rejected demands by Turkey to extradite suspects connected to the murder of journalist Jamal Kashoggi. Regarding the court filings that Donald Trump directed his then lawyer, Michael Cohen, to make hush payments to two women in an attempt to influence the 2016 election, the following select statements were made on today's news shows:
December 7, 2018 - Fired FBI director James Comey testified for 7 hours before the Republican led House intelligence committee. Comey told reporters after testifying that the Republicans were "talking again about Hillary Clinton’s emails, for heaven’s sakes". Documents filed in court by special counsel Robert Mueller reveal that Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former attorney and "fixer" spoke during the 2016 campaign with a Russian offering help from Moscow in the form of "political synergy" and "synergy on a government level", and that Trump directed Cohen to make illegal payments to two women who claimed to have had sexual relationships with Trump, thus implicating the president in the violation of campaign finance laws. The filings also reveal that Paul Manafort repeatedly lied about his relationship with an alleged former Russian intelligence operative, and about recent communications with the White House.Trump's response to the court filings was that it "totally clears" him, and he also sent out this tweet: "AFTER TWO YEARS AND MILLIONS OF PAGES OF DOCUMENTS (and a cost of over $30,000,000), NO COLLUSION!" Matthew Miller, a former justice department spokesman, responded to the filings with the following tweet: "The president and his lawyer violated campaign finance laws to influence the outcome of the election while his campaign chair was meeting with an intelligence asset of a foreign government that was trying to influence the outcome of the election. Not very legal and very cool". Responding to statements made the previous day by Rex Tillerson, Trump said "Mike Pompeo is doing a great job, I am very proud of him. His predecessor, Rex Tillerson, didn’t have the mental capacity needed. He was dumb as a rock and I couldn’t get rid of him fast enough. He was lazy as hell. Now it is a whole new ballgame, great spirit at State!" A US appeals court refused to allow the Trump administration's ban on asylum for immigrants who illegally cross the southern border of the US. Writing for the majority, Judge Jay Bybee wrote "Just as we may not, as we are often reminded, ‘legislate from the bench’, neither may the executive legislate from the Oval Office". Democrats announced that support for an infrastructure deal with Donald Trump will occur only if the deal includes measures to combat climate change. Donald Trump nominated William Barr for the position of Attorney General. Democrats are already calling for Barr to recuse himself from the Mueller probe because of previous statements he made publicly. In a Washington Post op-ed, Barr wrote that "Comey’s removal simply has no relevance to the integrity of the Russian investigation as it moves ahead". Richard Painter, former White House chief ethics lawyer responded to the nomination on twitter saying "Barr is a good pick but he should recuse from the Russia investigation. The president who nominated him has been a subject of the investigation for over a year before this nomination and has sought an AG who will end it. Unacceptable."
December 6, 2018 - Far right activist Milo Yiannopoulos attempted to use crowd funding site Patreon to raise funds, but was banned by the site. Patreon tweeted the following statement: "Milo Yiannopoulos was removed from Patreon as we don't allow association with or supporting hate groups on Patreon." Anish Kapoor, a sculptor from Britain, sued to have an image of one of his art pieces removed from an NRA video. According to Kapoor "I am disgusted to see my work — in truth the sculpture of the people of Chicago — used by the NRA to promote their vile message. Recent shootings in Florida, Las Vegas, Texas, and a number of other towns and cities, make it more urgent than ever that this organisation is held to account for its ongoing campaign of fear and hate in American society." Kapoor and the NRA reached an out of court settlement and Cloud Gate, known locally as "the Bean" was removed from the video. In an interview with Bob Schieffer, Rex Tillerson, former secretary of state, had the following to say about his former boss: "pretty undisciplined, doesn’t like to read, doesn’t read briefing reports ... doesn’t like to get into the details of a lot of things. I’d have to say to him, well Mr President, I understand what you want to do, but you can’t do it that way. It violates the law, it violates treaty. You know, he got really frustrated." Trump's pick to succeed Nikki Haley as ambassador to the United Nations is former Fox News anchor Heather Nauert. Nauert has no prior political or policy-making experience.
December 5, 2018 - In the snub seen around the world, Donald Trump greeted the Obama's at George HW Bush's funeral, but did not greet the Clintons. The state board of elections in North Carolina has refused to certify the results of the state's ninth district, stating there are "claims of numerous irregularities and concerted fraudulent activities related to absentee-by-mail ballots." In question are the activities of Leslie McCrae Dowless, who was working for the Republican campaign, and who was running an operation to collect absentee ballots for voters, which is illegal in North Carolina. According to satellite images, North Korea has significantly expanded and upgraded long-range missile sites. Vipin Narang, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology responded to these developments saying on twitter "[Trump] has to be well aware of these developments. He just doesn’t care. Kim pretends to disarm and Trump pretends to believe him. That’ll get everyone to halftime."
December 4, 2018 - Stock market drops over 3% following Trump's declaration that he is "a Tariff Man". Because he had provided "substantial assistance" to the Trump-Russia investigation and other inquiries, Robert Mueller recommended no prison time for ex-Trump adviser Michael Flynn. News surfaced that Republican administrations in Wisconsin and Michigan are seeking to strip power from government positions won by Democrats, before those positions are transitioned in January. Those actions are being denounced as blatantly undemocratic, and have sparked protests. In North Carolina there are allegations of voter fraud in a close congressional race that remains unresolved. In that state, Democratic voters in two counties state their absentee ballots were collected in unsealed envelopes by unidentified individuals. Reacting to the situation in Wisconsin, Scott Ross, One Wisconsin Now's executive director stated: "Republicans believe they lost the November election because too many people voted here, and are trying to undo the results of the vote by taking power from the elected governor and attorney general". Trump ally, Roger Stone, has invoked the Fifth Amendment saying he will never testify against Trump. Responding to Stone's statement, Trump sent out the following tweet, which many legal experts say could amount to criminal witness tampering: "I will never testify against Trump.” This statement was recently made by Roger Stone, essentially stating that he will not be forced by a rogue and out of control prosecutor to make up lies and stories about “President Trump.” Nice to know that some people still have “guts!" Gina Haspel, the CIA director, briefed a handful of leading senators from both parties regarding the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Some notable responses to the briefing:
December 1, 2018 - George HW Bush, 41st president of the US died. He was 94. Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state: "I have read every piece of intelligence that is in the possession of the United States government, and when it is done, when you complete that analysis, there’s no direct evidence linking [Prince Mohammed] to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. That is an accurate statement, it is an important statement, and it is the statement that we are making publicly today." According to the Wall Street Journal, the CIA has evidence that Prince Mohammed "sent at least 11 messages to his closest adviser, who oversaw the team that killed...Khashoggi, in the hours before and after the journalist's death". Jim Mattis, the secretary of defense, claimed there is "no smoking gun" in the Khashoggi murder.
November 30, 2018 - Donald Trump defended his pursuit of a business deal in Moscow during the 2016 presidential campaign saying it was "very legal & very cool".
November 29, 2018 - According to the World Meteorological Organization, which published its provisional statement on the State of the Climate in 2018, this year is expected to be the fourth warmest year on record. According to Elena Manaenkova, the WMO deputy secretary general, "These are more than just numbers. Every fraction of a degree of warming makes a difference to human health and access to food and fresh water, to the extinction of animals and plants, to the survival of coral reefs and marine life." According to Peter Taalas, the secretary general of the WMO, "We are not on track to meet climate targets and rein in temperature increases. If we exploit all known fossil fuel resources, the temperature rise will be considerably higher. We are the first generation to fully understand climate change and the last generation to be able to do something about it." Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former personal attorney and fixer for over a decade, pleaded guilty in federal court to lying about Trump's business dealings in Russia. Trump responded to the news saying Cohen was "a weak person and not a very smart person." Adam Schiff, the ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on intelligence responded to Cohen's guilty plea saying in part "Today's guilty plea obtained by the Special Counsel demonstrates that the President's associates were willing to lie to Congress about the Trump Organizations business interests in Russia. Significantly, they also make clear that the President's own denials during the campaign were false or misleading. These false statements regarding the continued pursuit of a Moscow Trump Tower deal during much of the presidential campaign underscore the importance of a thorough investigation into any financial entanglement between Trump and Russia." Opening statements were made in the murder trial of James Alex Fields, a 21-year-old from Ohio who is charged with killing Heather Heyer, a 31-year-old paralegal and civil rights activist, and injured many others when he rammed his car into a group of counter demonstrators during the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017. Field's has pleaded not guilty, and his defense lawyers are prepared to argue that Fields acted in self defense.
November 28, 2018 - During a visit to Paradise, California, a town that was razed by the so-called Camp fire which killed as many as 88 people, making it the deadliest fire in California history, Ryan Zinke, the interior secretary, called for new legislation that would allow for "thinning" of forests to prevent future wildfires. Chad Hansen, a forest ecologist who was involved in a major 2016 study that found that logged areas with lower environmental protections have the most intense, fast moving fires, responded to Zinke's comments saying "Donald Trump and Ryan Zinke are being dangerously dishonest. They are trying to use this tragedy to help logging interests, which is one of the most disgusting things I’ve seen in my career. They are trying to eliminate half a century of environmental protections and turn over forests to the logging industry." Barack Obama made some remarks today that some see as a swipe at his successor's legal troubles. Said Obama "Not only did I not get indicted, nobody in my administration got indicted, which by the way was the only administration in modern history that that can be said about. In fact, nobody came close to being indicted, partly because the people who joined us were there for the right reasons. We were there to serve." According to the Guardian "US special counsel Robert Mueller’s team believes a rightwing author and conspiracy theorist tipped off Roger Stone, a Donald Trump ally, months before WikiLeaks released thousands of emails stolen from Hillary Clinton’s campaign chair, according to a draft legal document." That conspiracy theorist is Jerome Corsi. Responding to criticism of her use of a personal email account, Ivanka Trump responded with "All of my emails are stored and preserved. There were no deletions. There is no attempt to hide. There's no equivalency to what my father's spoken about." In what is considered a significant rebuke to Donald Trump, the Republican majority Senate voted to proceed to a floor vote on a measure that would cut US military support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen by invoking the War Powers Resolution. According to US investigators, Ted Malloch, an ally of Nigel Farage, was asked by notorious "dirty trickster" Roger Stone, to obtain secret information from Wikileaks for Donald Trump's team during the 2016 election campaign. Three police officers have been found guilty in the extrajudicial killing of Kian Loyd delos Santos, a 17-year-old high school student in the Philippines. The killing is one of as many as 5,000 brought about by president Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs.
November 27, 2018 - According to the Guardian, Paul Manafort, Donald Trump's former campaign manager, "held secret talks with Julian Assange inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London, amd visited around the time he joined Trump's campaign." Assange described the story as a hoax. Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith won Mississippi's special election runoff for US Senate.
November 26, 2018 - When asked what he thought of the findings contained in the National Climate Assessment which is the product of 13 government agencies and was released last Friday, Donald Trump said "I don't believe it." Regarding the migrants who are fleeing violence and poverty in Central America, and who are massing at the Southern border of the US, Trump told rally goers in Mississippi "We don’t want those people in Mississippi. I'm sorry. Democrats have become the party of caravans and crime." Regarding the use of tear gas against the migrants, Trump said "We send a strong message to the caravans and the trespassers: Turn around, go back home." Paul Manafort, Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, breached a plea agreement he signed in September by "lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the special counsel's office on a variety of subject matters" according to a court filing by Robert Mueller.
November 25, 2018 - Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, responded to Trump's comments regarding the CIA's conclusions in the Jamal Kashoggi murder saying "I think the president is being dishonest with the American people," A request by George Papadopoulos to delay his two-week prison term was rejected. Declassified memos written by House Republicans and Democrats make clear that it was Papadopoulos's contacts with Russian intermediaries that sparked the Trump/Russia investigation.
November 23, 2018 - The Trump administration has requested that the supreme court fast-track cases addressing Trump's proposed ban on certain transgender people from serving in the military. A Manhattan judge ruled that a lawsuit against the Trump family charity can proceed, despite aruments by Trump's attorneys about presidential immunity and political bias. According to the New York state attorney general, the Trumps ran the Donald J Trump Foundation "in persistent violation" of state and federal law and used the charity as a "piggy bank". The White House responded to the US National Climate change assessment, which is the work of 300 scientists and 13 federal agencies saying the assessment ws "largely based on the most extreme scenario, which contradicts long-established trends by assuming that, despite strong economic growth that would increase greenhouse gas emissions, there would be limited technology and innovation, and a rapidly expanding population." Responding to the White House statement, Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist and co-author of the report tweeted "I wrote the climate scenarios chapter myself so I can confirm it considers ALL scenarios, from those where we go carbon negative before end of century to those where carbon emissions continue to rise. What WH says is demonstrably false."
November 22, 2018 - Responding to Trump's accusation that US district judge Jon Tigar is an "Obama Judge", John Roberts, the chief justice of the US supreme court said in a statement "We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges. What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them. That independent judiciary is something we should all be thankful for." This rebuke of the president by the chief justice is unprecedented in modern times. According to a World Meteorological Organization report: "The last time the Earth experienced a comparable concentration of CO2 was 3-5m years ago, when the temperature was 2-3C warmer and sea level was 10-20 metres higher than now. The science is clear. Without rapid cuts in CO2 and other greenhouse gases, climate change will have increasingly destructive and irreversible impacts on life on Earth. The window of opportunity for action is almost closed." Gavin McInnes, founder of the Proud Boys - a group categorized by the FBI as "an extremist group with ties to white nationalism" - claims to have quit the group. Former FBI chief James Comey said he will resist a subpoena to appear before the House judiciary committee unless the hearing happens publicly. Regarding the House Republicans, Comey tweeted: "I’ve seen enough of their selective leaking and distortion. Let’s have a hearing and invite everyone to see." Responding to questions about Ivanka Trump's use of a private email server to conduct official government business Trump had this to say: "There was no deletion of emails like the 33,000, plus probably another 100,000, that Hillary Clinton did after she got a subpoena. There was no anything, just innocent emails. There were no classified emails. It’s another fake news story." The 100,000 number used by Trump does not appear to be based on any repoted facts. When asked what he was thankful for this year, Trump responded "I made a tremendous difference in this country. This country is so much stronger now than it was when I took office and you wouldn’t believe it and when you see it, we’ve gotten so much stronger people don’t even believe it." When asked about the conclusion by the CIA that Mohammed bin Salman was responsible for the deth of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Trump responded "They didn’t conclude. No no, they didn’t conclude. I’m sorry. No they didn’t conclude. They did not come to a conclusion. They have feelings certain ways. I have the report … they have not concluded, I don’t know if anyone’s going to be able to conclude the crown prince did it. I will say this: I don’t know, I don’t know. But whether he did or whether he didn’t, he denies it vehemently. His father denies it, the king, vehemently. The CIA doesn’t say they did it, they do point out certain things and in pointing out those things you can conclude that maybe he did or maybe he didn’t."
November 21, 2018 - A "decision memorandum" released by the White House and signed by President Trump, expands authority of US troops at the US/Mexico border to "show or use force (including lethal force, where necessary)". This comes amid an outcry over the deployment of 5,900 active-duty troops to the south-west border that, according to the New York Times, is characterized by many Pentagon officials as "an expensive waste of time and resources".
November 20, 2018 - US district judge, Jon Tigar, issued an order today blocking Trump's November 9th asylum proclamation saying "Whatever the scope of the president’s authority, he may not rewrite the immigration laws to impose a condition that Congress has expressly forbidden". Responding to the ruling, ACLU attorney Lee Gelerent said "This ban is illegal, will put people’s lives in danger, and raises the alarm about President Trump’s disregard for separation of powers. There is no justifiable reason to flatly deny people the right to apply for asylum." Trump responded to the judges ruling saying "You go the 9th Circuit and it's a disgrace. And I'm going to put in a major complaint because you cannot win — if you're us — a case in the 9th Circuit and I think it's a disgrace. This was an Obama judge. And I'll tell you what, it's not going to happen like this anymore." Richard Blumenthal, Democratic member of the Senate Judiciary committee has called for an investigation into Ivanka Trump's use of private email to conduct official government business. Laurence Tribe, a constitutional law professor at Harvard responded to the news of Ivanka's email usage saying "You can’t make this stuff up. Not after that gang did the ‘Lock Her Up!’ chant against Hillary for two solid years so Ivanka could become First Daughter. Above the law, just like daddy. Disgusting hardly says it." Trump's lawyers submitted answers to nearly two dozen questions that were posed by special counsel Robert Mueller. News surfaced that Trump wanted to prosecute Hillary Clinton and ex-FBI director James Comey, but was talked out of it by then White House counsel Don McGahn. McGahn had warned Trump that doing so could bring serious consequences which could include impeachment. With criticism rising in the wake of journalist Jamal Khashoggi's assassination, and the CIA conclusion that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman himself ordered the hit, Trump released a 649-word statement defending the US relationship with Saudi Arabia titled "standing with Saudi Arabia". Here are some select excerpts from Trump's written statement:
November 18, 2018 - Trump claims in an interview that he is thinking of changing "three or four or five positions" but gave no more details. Adam Schiff, senior Democrat on the House intelligence committee called the appointment of Matthew Whitaker "unconstitutional" and vowed to expose any attempts he might make to thwart Robert Mueller's investigation. Schiff went on to say "It’s a flawed appointment, but the biggest flaw from my point of view is that he was chosen for the purpose of interfering with the Mueller investigation. He auditioned for the part by going on TV and saying he could hobble the investigation." Trump responded to Schiff's comments on Twitter saying "So funny to see little Adam Schitt (D-CA) talking about the fact that Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker was not approved by the Senate, but not mentioning the fact that Bob Mueller (who is highly conflicted) was not approved by the Senate!" To which Schiff responded via twitter: Wow, Mr. President, that’s a good one. Was that like your answers to Mr. Mueller’s questions, or did you write this one yourself?"
November 17, 2018 - The CIA concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. When asked what the White House would do if the crown prince was found responsible, Trump said "We’re taking a look at it. You know, we also have a great ally in Saudi Arabia. They give us a lot of jobs and a lot of business and economic development. They have been a truly spectacular ally in terms of jobs and economic development." Trump traveled to Paradise California to view the devastation left by the "Camp Fire", which is now considered the deadliest fire in California history. While touring the damaged areas, Trump spoke of a conversation he had with the president of Finland: "I was with the president of Finland and he said: ‘We have, much different, we are a forest nation.’ He called it a forest nation. And they spend a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things, and they don’t have any problem." The president of Finland, Sauli Ninisto, recalls the conversation Trump was talking about, but remembers it much differently, saying he told Trump "Finland is a country covered by forests, and that to avoid forest fires we have a good surveillance system and network." Some Finns found Trump's comments about raking to be rather humorous, and so memes began popping up on the internet like "Make America Rake Again" and tweets like this one from Malla Hadley "I grew up in Finland. a) it rains all year round. b) we have a lengthy and cold winter. c) Finland is a sparsely populated country with just over 5mil ppl, with land size ~3/4 of CA and most of it forests and lakes. d) no friggin body is raking the forests."
November 16, 2018 - US district Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, restored Jim Acosta's White House press credentials, calling Sarah Sanders initial statement on the reasons for revoking the press pass "likely untrue and at least partly based on evidence that was of questionable accuracy". He also said "This doesn’t end the legal battle over Acosta’s access to the White House, it simply means that it is restored for now". Trump claims he has answered written questions provided by Robert Mueller, but hasn't returned them yet. Trump also said "You have to always be careful when you answer questions with people that probably have bad intentions". Trump again blames forest mismanagement for California's wildfires saying "The big problem we have is management. You need management. I’m not saying that in a negative way, a positive I’m just saying the facts." Brian K Rice, president of California Professional Firefighters, responded to Trump's criticism saying "The president’s message attacking California and threatening to withhold aid to the victims of the cataclysmic fires is ill-informed, ill-timed and demeaning to those who are suffering as well as the men and women on the frontlines." John Allen Chau, a 26 year old from Washington state, was killed by members of the Sentinelese, a tribe believed to be at least 30,000 years old. Chau had written in his diary that the island where the Sentinelese live is "Satan's last stronghold" and that he wanted to go there to "declare Jesus" to the tribe.
November 15, 2018 - Trump continued making baseless claims regarding the Florida recount when he made the following statement to the Daily Caller "The Republicans don’t win and that’s because of potentially illegal votes. When people get in line that have absolutely no right to vote and they go around in circles. Sometimes they go to their car, put on a different hat, put on a different shirt, come in and vote again. Nobody takes anything. It’s really a disgrace what’s going on." Trump also called for a new national ID with the bizarre assertion that "If you buy a box of cereal – you have a voter ID." John Kerry, former US secretary of state under Barack Obama, spoke of Trump's failure to attend a key Armistice Day commemoration ceremony in Paris saying "I was appalled that rain drops prevented the president from going to pay honour to those that died in rain, gas, snow and mud. That was the reason he came to Paris. People are tired of the embarrassment of what took place in Paris in the last few days. We cannot have a truculent child president. We need something serious." Singer David Crosby had the following to say about Donald trump during a recent interview: "I think right now, it’s worse than the 60s because the guy we’ve got to deal with is worse. He’s more unrestrainedly bad. He’s like a spoiled child who got into his dad’s office and is peeing on all of the papers saying, ‘Ha, I’ll show you. The thing that bugs me the worst is that we’re not doing anything about climate change because of Trump and his tribe. Because of that, we’re doing something really awful to every other human being on the planet, all of them. I can’t imagine the karma is good on that one." Continuing a nearly daily attack on the Mueller investigation via Twitter, Trump sent the following tweet today: "The inner workings of the Mueller investigation are a total mess. They have found no collusion and have gone absolutely nuts. They are screaming and shouting at people, horribly threatening them to come up with the answers they want. They are a disgrace to our Nation and don’t care how many lives they can ruin." Edie Scarry, a reporter for the Washington Examiner, tweeted a picture of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez walking down a corridor. The picture was shot without Ocasio-Cortez's knowledge, and was accompanied by the following text: "Hill staffer sent me this pic of Ocasio-Cortez they took just now. I’ll tell you something: that jacket and coat don’t look like a girl who struggles." The snarky comment in the tweet is a reference to Ocasio-Cortez saying she can't afford an apartment in DC until she starts getting her congressional salary in January. Scarry's tweet, which was deleted after it became the subject of intense mockery, also became an immediate meme. Ocasio-Cortez responded with the following tweet: "If I walked into Congress wearing a sack, they would laugh & take a picture of my backside. If I walk in with my best sale-rack clothes, they laugh & take a picture of my backside. Dark hates light - that’s why you tune it out. Shine bright & keep it pushing." Video surfaced of Cindy Hyde-Smith, a Republican Senate candidate from Mississippi, making the following statement: "And then they remind me that there's a lot of liberal folks in those other schools who maybe we don't want to vote. Maybe we want to make it just a little more difficult. And I think that's a great idea."
November 14, 2018 - CNN reporter, Abby Phillip, asked Trump the following question regarding acting AG Matt Whitaker: "Do you want him to reign in Robert Mueller?" to which Trump responded "What a stupid question that is. What a stupid question. But I watch you a lot, and you ask a lot of stupid questions". Trump then turned and walked away with a look of disgust on his face. Lawyers for Trump and for CNN clashed in district court today in the case known as Cable News Network, Inc V Donald J Trump. CNN is accusing Trump and several of his aides of violating the US constitution's guarantee of freedom of the press, by revoking Jim Acosta's White House press pass. The argument made by Trump's lawyers is that Acosta's behavior was "objectionable" and "disruptive". CNN's lawyers argued that in terms of behavior, Trump was "the most aggressive, dare I say rude, person in the room". CNN also called the revocation of the press pass a "severe and unprecedented punishment" brought about because of a "culmination of years of hostility by President Trump against CNN and Acosta based on the contents of their reporting – an unabashed attempt to censor the press and exclude reporters from the White House who challenge and dispute the President’s point of view." Notably missing from the arguments made by Trump's legal team was any mention of the original reason given for revoking Acosta's press pass, which was that Acosta was guilty of "placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern". A photograph of the new incoming House members highlights the stark difference in diversity of Democrats vs Republicans. The proportion of Democrats who are white men will drop from 41% to 38%, while the proportion of Republicans who are white men will increase from 86% to 90%. New research found that climate change increased the rainfall intensity of recent hurricanes by as much as 10%. The research predicts that if temps rise by as much as they are predicted to this century, then rainfall form these storms could increase by a third, and windspeeds could increase by as much as 25 knots. When asked about Trump's twitter posts from the prior day, Benjamin Griveaux, a French government spokesman responded with "Yesterday was November 13. We were marking the murder of 130 of our people, so I'll reply in English: 'common decency' would have been appropriate." November 13 marked the third anniversary of the Bataclan attack in which 130 people were killed. As recounts are taking place in two counties in Florida, Trump, and others have repeatedly implied, without supporting evidence, that the voting system in Florida is ripe with voter fraud, and that officials in Florida were trying to rig the elections in favor of Democrats. Donald Trump Jr, the president's son, shared a headline on twitter that read "Nearly 200,000 Florida Voters May Not Be Citizens". Jr failed to mention that the article was more than 6 years old, and that the actual number had later been been reduced to 85. The state elections department, and the Florida department of law enforcement, both of which are run by Republican appointees, claim they have seen no evidence of voter fraud. A judge in Broward county has challenged anyone with evidence of fraud to file a report. The following are some select responses to the baseless claims being made by Trump and others in the Republican party regarding voter fraud in the Florida recounts:
November 11, 2018 - Democrats are calling the appointment of Matthew Whitaker to the position of acting attorney general illegal. Incoming chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Jerry Nadler, made the following statement "We will certainly hold a hearing on that. We will summon or if necessary subpoena Mr Whitaker to ask him about his expressed hostility to the investigation – how he can possibly oversee it when he has come out and said that the investigation is invalid." Nadler also claimed that Whitaker held "ridiculous legal opinions" and also claimed that Whitaker is "totally unqualified. The only qualifications seems to be that the president wants him to be a hatchet man to destroy Mueller’s investigation." Chuck Schumer, the House Minority Leader, said of Whitaker "If he stays there, he will create a constitutional crisis by inhibiting Mueller or firing Mueller." Florida Governor, Republican Rick Scott, has accused his opponent, Democrat Bill Nelson, of voter fraud. State election officials and law enforcement officials say they have seen no evidence to support Scott's claim. Adam Schiff, the lead Democrat on the House intelligence committee, says that congress will investigate whether Trump used the "the instruments of state power to punish the press" on two different fronts. First, did Trump try to increase the postal rates paid by Amazon. Amazon is owned by Jeff Bezos who owns the Washington Post, a frequent target of Trump's ire. Second, did he try to block the merger between AT&T and Time Warner. Time Warner owns CNN, another frequent target of Trump's ire. Schiff claims that Trump "was secretly meeting with the postmaster [general] in an effort to browbeat the postmaster [general] into raising postal rates on Amazon." Both acts could be considered political payback. At the World War I Armistice Day commemoration. French President Emmanuel Macron made the following statement: "Patriotism is the exact opposite of nationalism. Nationalism is a betrayal of patriotism. By saying our interests first, who cares about the others, we erase what a nation holds dearest, what gives it life, what makes it great and what is essential: its moral values." Many claimed this was a direct rebuke of Trump, who was in attendance. At the same ceremony, Russian President Putin shook Trump's hand, then gave him a thumbs up. Jemel Roberson, a 26 year old black security guard, was shot dead by a white Chicago police officer, after the officer arrived on a scene to find Roberson holding a gun to the back of a shooting suspect. Roberson was wearing a hat with Security written across the front. A civil rights lawsuit has been filed on behalf of Roberson's mother, Beatrice Roberson.
November 10, 2018 - News surfaced that the newly appointed acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker, was a paid advisory board member for World Patent Marketing (WPM), a firm that scammed US military veterans out of their life savings according to court filings and interviews. WPM had promoted itself as a champion of veterans saying in promotion materials in 2014 " Not only do we honor the veterans and soldiers of our armed forces but we are also celebrating what they are protecting - the American dream". Re-count begins in Florida races. Trump sent the following tweet regarding the on-going ballot counting in Florida for Governor Senate races: " Trying to STEAL two big elections in Florida! We are watching closely!" Senate candidate Andrew Gillum withdrew his election night concession saying "I am replacing my words of concession with an uncompromised and unapologetic call we count every single vote." Regarding wildfires burning in many parts of California, Trump sent the following tweet: "There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!" Critics were quick to point out that a large portion of the area that is burning is not forest. Scientists weighed in saying climate change, and human development patterns are the cause for worsening fires. In an upcoming memoir, Michelle Obama wrote that she would never forgive Trump for his part in the birther conspiracy saying "What if someone with an unstable mind loaded a gun and drove to Washington? What if that person went looking for our girls? Donald Trump, with his loud and reckless innuendos, was putting my family's safety at risk. And for this I'd never forgive him." Trump responded saying "I'll never forgive (President Barack Obama) for what he did to our US military. It was depleted, and I had to fix it. What he did to our military made this country very unsafe for you and you and you." Trump, who is visiting France for a weekend commemorating the 100 years since the end of the First World War, and who was scheduled to participate in a wreath laying ceremony at the Aisne-Marne American cemetery in the French village of Belleau, the site of a 1918 battle in which more than 1800 Americans died, cancelled because of rain. Here are some select responses to the cancellation:
November 8, 2018 - Donald Trump appointed Matthew Whitaker, Jeff Sessions' chief of staff, to the position of acting attorney general. Video surfaced from a Republican forum in 2014 where Whitaker claimed that judges need to have "a biblical view of justice" and also questioned the judgment of secular judges. Democrats are urging Whitaker to recuse himself from the Russia investigation because of critical comments he made about Mueller in the recent past. Whitaker made the following statement during a radio interview in March of 2017 "The left is trying to sow this theory that essentially Russians interfered with the US election, which has been proven false." Whitaker also made the following statement in a CNN interview "I could see a scenario where Jeff Sessions is replaced, it would [be a] recess appointment and that attorney general doesn’t fire Bob Mueller but he just reduces his budget to so low that his investigation grinds to almost a halt." Whitaker also told Jon Q Barret, a colleague of his, that he was regularly appearing on CNN and other media in an attempt to impress Trump. Whitaker says he will not recuse himself. 18 State attorneys general signed on to the following letter sent to Matthew Whitaker: "You must be aware that your public comments criticizing Mr. Mueller’s investigation have been widely circulated. At various opportunities – in print, on television, and through social media – you have suggested cutting the Special Counsel’s budget or limiting his authority to follow lines of inquiry. As prosecutors and law enforcement officials committed to the rule of law, we believe that the independent Special Counsel must have the full authority to investigate and, if warranted, prosecute any violations of federal law." Supreme court justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg was hospitalized today after breaking three ribs from a fall. The White House revoked Jim Acosta's credential pass saying " President Trump believes in a free press and expects and welcomes tough questions of him and his Administration. We will, however, never tolerate a reporter placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern. This conduct is absolutely unacceptable. It is also completely disrespectful to the reporter’s colleagues not to allow them an opportunity to ask a question … As a result of today’s incident, the White House is suspending the hard pass of the reporter involved until further notice." Video of the incident shows the intern reaching for the microphone while Acosta is asking his question, but Acosta puts the microphone out of reach and their arms come into contact very briefly. CNN released the following statement in response: "The White House announced tonight that it has revoked the press pass of CNN’s Chief White House Correspondent Jim Acosta. It was done in retaliation for his challenging questions at today’s press conference. In an explanation, Press Secretary Sarah Sanders lied. She provided fraudulent accusations and cited an incident that never happened. This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better. Jim Acosta has our full support." Sarah Huckabee Sanders shared a video on Twitter that was produced by Infowars, and was manipulated to make it look like Acosta was more aggressive with the intern than he actually was. The video prompted the following response from Matt Dornic, a CNN executive: "You released a doctored video – actual fake news. History will not be kind to you." US appeals court in California's 9th circuit ruled that the Trump administration must continue the "Dreamers" program a.k.a DACA. Thousands of protesters took to the streets in over 900 cities to protest the firing of Jeff Sessions and the possible adverse affect it could have on the Russia investigation. Trump sent the following tweet regarding vote counts in Florida: "Law Enforcement is looking into another big corruption scandal having to do with Election Fraud in #Broward and Palm Beach. Florida voted for Rick Scott!" He later tweeted: "Rick Scott was up by 50,000+ votes on Election Day, now they “found” many votes and he is only up 15,000 votes. “The Broward Effect.” How come they never find Republican votes?" NRA responds to gun violence report released earlier this month by the American College of Physicians with the following tweet: "Someone should tell self-important anti-gun doctors to stay in their lane. Half of the articles in Annals of Internal Medicine are pushing for gun control. Most upsetting, however, the medical community seems to have consulted NO ONE but themselves." The following are some notable responses to the NRA's tweet:
November 6, 2018 - Democrats gained 30 seats in the US House of Representatives during the midterms, giving them a majority. Republicans gained 2 seats in the US Senate, thus increasing their razor thin majority.
November 5, 2018 - Donald Trump's final message to voters regarding the mid-term elections that will take place tomorrow "If you want more caravans and more crime, vote Democrat".
November 3, 2018 - Steve West, a Republican who is running for the state general assembly for the 15th district in Missouri, has been accused by his two kids of being racist and antisemitic. According to the pair, "A lot of his views are just very out there. He’s made multiple comments that are racist and homophobic and how he doesn’t like the Jews." and "If he gets elected, it would legitimize him. Then he would become a state official, and he’s saying that Jews shouldn’t even have civil rights." West is on record saying "unfortunately, Hitler was right about what was taking place in Germany, and who was behind it". West claims his comments have been taken out of context. In a setback to Trump, a federal judge has denied justice department efforts to halt legal proceedings in a case in which Trump is accused of violating the emoluments clause of the US Constitution. The case now moves onto discovery, which opens the door to Trump's financial records related to the Trump International Hotel in Washington DC. Sonny Perdue, Trump's Agriculture Secretary, made the following statement today regarding the gubernatorial race in Florida as he campaigned for Ron DeSantis: "Public policy matters; leadership matters, and that is why this election is so cotton-pickin’ important to the state of Florida." DeSantis' opponent, Andrew Gillum, would be the first black governor of Florida should he win the race. Matt Shea, a Republican state representative from Washington, has come under fire over a document he wrote and distributed which uses the Bible as a basis for war, and includes the sentence "If they do not yield – kill all males." Shea also advocates for the conspiracy laden ideas expressed in a seven-page memo written by former Trump staffer Rich Higgins, who was fired when the memo was made public.
November 2, 2018 - Scott Paul Beierle, a self described misogynist, walked into a Yoga studio and opened fire, killing 2 and wounding 5. In videos posted to Youtube, Beierle described his hatred of women; women who dated black men; and women of color. In the videos, Beierle also advocated for the use of landmines to prevent Mexicans from crossing the border into the US. At a rally in Indianapolis, Trump made a reference to former president Barack "H" Obama where he drew the H in the air for emphasis. Critics called this a nod to Trump's previous support of birtherism.
October 31, 2018 - Trump sent the following tweet: "It is outrageous what the Democrats are doing to our Country. Vote Republican now!" Included in the tweet is a video that shows Luis Bracamontes bragging about killing two sheriff's deputies in 2014, and saying that soon he will break out of prison and kill more. Also included in the video is footage of large groups of Mexicans marching in the streets. Text over the top of the video says the following: "ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT LUIS BRACAMONTES KILLED OUR PEOPLE! DEMOCRATS LET HIM INTO OUR COUNTRY. DEMOCRATS LET HIM STAY. WHO ELSE WOULD DEMOCRATS LET IN?" Democratic and Republican politicians have denounced the video as racist. What isn't included in the video is that in 1998, Bracamontes was arrested by the office of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and released, and that the last time Bracamontes entered the country was in 2002, when George W Bush was president.
October 30, 2018 - The FBI is investigating reports that some women were offered money to fabricate stories about special counsel Robert Mueller in an attempt to discredit him and derail the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Thousands took to the streets of Pittsburgh to oppose a visiting Donald Trump. Pharrell Williams' lawyer sent a letter to Donald Trump demanding that he stop using the 2013 hit Happy at his political rallies saying "On the day of the mass murder of 11 human beings at the hands of a deranged ‘nationalist’, you played his song Happy to a crowd at a political event in Indiana. There was nothing ‘happy’ about the tragedy inflicted upon our country on Saturday and no permission was granted for your use of this song for this purpose." Trump declares that he will end birthright citizenship with an executive order. Birthright citizenship is enshrined in the 14th amendment to the US Constitution.
October 29, 2018 - Lynette Lederman, former president of the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrell Hill, Pittsburgh, called Trump a "purveyor of hate speech" and said he would not be welcome in Pittsburgh. An open letter signed by a coalition of Jewish leaders states in part "President Trump, you are not welcome in Pittsburgh until you fully denounce white nationalism." In tweets sent by Trump today, he called the press "the true Enemy of the People" and continued to foment fear of a caravan of immigrants who are a thousand miles away and carrying everything they own on their backs saying "This is an invasion of our Country and our Military is waiting for you!" Two hours before opening fire in the synagogue, Robert Bowers posted the following to Gab: “HIAS likes to bring invaders in that kill our people. I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going in." HIAS stands for Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, which is a not-for-profit organisation that helps refugees relocate to the US. Hatice Cengiz, fiancee of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, criticized Trump saying "President Trump should help reveal the truth and ensure justice be served. He should not pave the way for a cover-up of my fiance’s murder. Let’s not let money taint our conscience and compromise our values." Another pipe bomb package showed up today at CNN. The American College of Physicians released a report on gun violence in which they advocated for gun violence to be treated as a public health emergency, and they backed legislation to help control gun deaths. The report claims "Firearm violence continues to be a public health crisis in the United States that requires the nation's immediate attention."
October 27, 2018 - Robert Bowers, described by witnesses as a white man with a beard, is reported to have opened fire in the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh while yelling "All Jews must die!" Reports put the number of dead at eleven. Among six injured in the attack are four police officers. According to the Guardian, Bowers was active on Gab, an online site which is commonly referred to as "twitter for racists", and is frequented by members of the alt-right. Responding to a question about whether gun laws should be changed, Trump responded "If they had protection inside the results would have been far better. If they had some kind of a protection inside the temple, maybe it would have been a much different situation."
October 26, 2018 - More pipe bombs were discovered in the mail today; one addressed to New Jersey senator Cory Booker, one addressed to former intelligence chief James Clapper, one addressed to senator Kamala Harris, and one addressed to billionaire donor Tom Steyer. Trump sent out the following tweet today: "Republicans are doing so well in early voting, and at the polls, and now this ‘Bomb’ stuff happens and the momentum greatly slows – news not talking politics. Very unfortunate, what is going on. Republicans, go out and vote!" Police arrested Cesar Sayoc, a 56 year old man from Aventura, Florida as the man who sent more than a dozen explosive devices to critics of Trump. Sayoc, who was living in a van covered in stickers that are pro Trump, pro Alex Jones, and anti Democrat, is reported to have been kicked out of his parents home. Sayoc is now being called by many, the "MAGAbomber". FBI declares that the 13 bombs mailed around the country "are not hoax devices." At a rally in North Carolina, Trump told the crowd "We have seen an effort by the media in recent hours to use the sinister acts of one individual to score political points against me and the Republican party. The media’s constant unfair coverage, deep hostility and negative attacks only serve to drive people apart and to undermine healthy debate." The crowd responded by chanting "CNN sucks!" That same slogan was found on a sticker on Cesar Sayoc's van.
October 25, 2018 - Security personnel intercept a bomb that was sent to Robert De niro. Two bombs sent to Joe Biden were intercepted in mail facilities in Delaware. As news of additional bombs being found in the mail of Trump critics, Trump sent the following tweet: "A very big part of the Anger we see today in our society is caused by the purposely false and inaccurate reporting of the Mainstream Media that I refer to as Fake News. It has gotten so bad and hateful that it is beyond description. Mainstream Media must clean up its act, FAST!" Lou Dobbs, Fox News host and close friend of Trump sent the following tweet, which has now been deleted: "Fake News – Fake Bombs. Who could possibly benefit by so much fakery?" Donald Trump Jr likes a tweet that states "FAKE BOMBS MADE TO SCARE AND PICK UP BLUE SYMPATHY VOTE." Right Wing broadcaster Michael Savage states on his radio show "high probability that the whole thing had been set up as a false flag to gain sympathy for the Democrats." Dinesh D'sousa sent the following tweet: "Fake sexual assault victims. Fake refugees. Now fake mail bombs. We are all learning how the media left are masters of distortion, deflection & deception."
October 24, 2018 - The Secret Service intercepted a bomb that was sent to the home of Barrack Obama. A pipe bomb was found in the mail room of CNN which was addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan. A bomb is discovered in the office of Rep Debbie Wasserman Schultz that was addressed to former attorney general Eric Holder, but was sent to the wrong address. Schultz's address was listed as the return address. Two bombs were intercepted that were addressed to Rep. Maxine Waters. Regarding the news that a large number of Trump critics were receiving pipe bombs in the mail, Trump told and audience at a political rally in Wisconsin that the media has "a responsibility to set a civil tone and to stop the endless hostility and constant negative and oftentimes false attacks and stories." Ann Coulter, far right media personality, claims "bombs are a liberal tactic." Dinesh D'Sousa, author and film maker whose work claims there are parallels between Nazis and Democrats tweeted the following "I hear the FBI squeezed lemon juice on the suspicious packages and a very faint lettering revealed a single word: DEMOCRATS". Alex Jones of Infowars claimed the bombs were sent by leftist antifascist or “antifa groups”, in order to “smear conservatives who support President Trump”. Candace Owens, communications director at Turning Point USA, sent the following tweet: "I'm going to go ahead and state that there is a 0% chance that these "suspicious packages" were sent out by conservatives. The only thing "suspicious" about these packages, is their timing. Caravans, fake bomb threats--these leftists are going ALL OUT for midterms." Gregory A. Bush, a 51 year old white man, shot and killed two African Americans at a Kroger store in Kentucky. The shooting followed a failed attempt by Bush to enter a predominantly black church 10 minutes earlier. After the shooting, Bush told a white man in the Kroger parking lot that "Whites don't kill whites."
October 23, 2018 - Secret Service intercepted a bomb that was mailed to the New York home of Bill and Hillary Clinton. When asked for proof of his claims regarding the presence of gang members and Middle Easterners in the Northbound caravan, Trump responded "There’s no proof of anything. But there could very well be." According to divorce proceedings filed in Montana, Richard Spencer, the prominent white nationalist and vocal Trump supporter, has been accused of physical abuse by his wife Nina Koupriianova. According to Koupriianova, Spencer choked her, dragged her by her hair, and punched her while she was pregnant. Spencer is also reported to have told her that "The only language women understand is violence".
October 22, 2018 - A pipe bomb was discovered at the home of billionaire George Soros, a man who is often the focus of vitriol and conspiracy theories from the political right, many of it antisemitic in nature. Trump himself had recently accused Soros, without providing any evidence, of financing a caravan of immigrants walking North from Honduras. Trump sent out a tweet today that Democrats are to blame for the failure of congress to change the immigration laws, despite the fact that both houses are currently under the control of Republicans. Trump also claimed, without providing any evidence, that there were members of MS-13 and Middle Easterners among the Honduran caravan of about 7,000 people. Trump told reporters at the White House that he and the Republican Congress were working on a deal that would cut taxes for the middle class by 10%, and that this would be passed before the mid-term elections. Critics were quick to point out that this couldn't possibly be true, as congress is not currently in session, and would not be in session until after the election. Trump made the following statement at a campaign rally: "A globalist is a person that wants the globe to do well, frankly not caring about our country so much, and you know what, we can’t have that. I’m a nationalist. Ok? I’m a nationalist. Nationalist. Use that word."
October 21, 2018 - Trump sent the following tweet regarding a caravan of people who are walking north from Honduras: "Full efforts are being made to stop the onslaught of illegal aliens from crossing our Southern Border. People have to apply for asylum in Mexico first, and if they fail to do that, the U.S. will turn them away. The courts are asking the U.S. to do things that are not doable!" In response, Stephen King, horror novel author, responded with "Jesus, man--you act like the Red Chinese army was invading. They're just a bunch of scared and hungry people."
October 19, 2018 - Saudi sources say preliminary investigation shows that "altercation" and "fistfight" led to Khashoggi's death. Trump calls the Saudi explanation "credible" and says that he would prefer that any penalties against the Saudi regime over the killing not involve cancelling a $110 billion order for American made weapon systems because that would cost American jobs. Critics of Trump accused him of prioritizing the US/Saudi relationship over an apparent "extrajudicial execution carried out by members of an assassination squad with ties to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman." Trump heaped praise on Montana congressman Greg Gianforte who had assaulted Ben Jacobs, a reporter from the Guardian in March of this year saying "Any guy that can do a body slam, he's my guy. We endorsed Greg very early. But I heard that he body-slammed a reporter. This was the day of the election or just before, and I thought, ‘Oh, this is terrible! He’s going to lose the election. And then I said, ‘Wait a minute, I know Montana pretty well, I think it might help him.’ And it did. He’s a great guy. Tough cookie."
October 16, 2018 - Saudi consul general in Istanbul leaves Turkey for Saudi Arabia.
October 15, 2018 - Trump spoke by phone with the Saudi King regarding the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. When asked about the call by reporters, Trump said that Mohammed bin Salman "denies knowledge of whatever may have happened. The denial was very, very strong. It sounded to me like maybe these could have been rogue killers. Who knows?"
October 13, 2018 - Turkish media report that Khashoggi was "murdered and dismembered" inside the Saudi consulate. Trump was asked during an interview if he believed Jamal Khashoggi was murdered by the Saudis and that crown prince Mohammed bin Salman gave the order to kill him. Trump responded that "Nobody knows yet, but we’ll probably be able to find out. It’s being investigated, it’s being looked at very, very strongly, we would be very upset and angry if that were the case. As of this moment they deny it and they deny it vehemently. Could it be them? Yes.” Trump also stated "We’re going to get to the bottom of it and there will be severe punishment."
October 10, 2018 - The following news surfaced regarding the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi:
October 2, 2018 - Despite making conciliatory remarks yesterday about Christine Blasey Ford's testimony, Trump mocked the sexual assault victim at a rally in Southaven, Mississippi saying "I had one beer. Well, do you think it was -- nope, it was one beer. How did you get home? I don't remember. How'd you get there? I don't remember. Where is the place? I don't remember. How many years ago was it? I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. What neighborhood was it in? I don't know. Where's the house? I don't know. Upstairs, downstairs -- where was it? I don't know -- but I had one beer. That's the only thing I remember. Trump's comments were met with raucous laughter and applause. " Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent journalist who wrote for the Washington Post, and a harsh critic of Saudi Arabia, entered the Saudi consulate in Instanbul, Turkey to sign marriage papers while his fiancee waited outside, but never re-emerged.
October 1, 2018 - In an interview, Trump referred to Christine Blasey Ford as a "good witness" and also stated "With all of that you cannot say that we've done anything but be respectful, and I do. I respect her position very much. I respect her position very much."
September 28, 2018 - At a rally in West Virginia, Trump made the following comments about his evolving relationship with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un: "I was really being tough and so was he. And we would go back and forth. And then we fell in love. No really. He wrote me beautiful letters. They were great letters. And then we fell in love."
September 25, 2018 - While speaking at the United Nations, Trump opened his speech with the following claim " In less than two years, my administration has accomplished almost more than any other administration in the history of our country. So true" The General Assembly erupted in laughter. Trump then went on to criticize many of the nations, but offered praise for North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
September 5, 2018 - An anonymous essay is printed in the New York Times under the title: "I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration". According to Wikipedia "The op-ed criticizes Trump and says that many current members of the administration deliberately disobey or ignore his suggestions and orders for the good of the country. It also says that some cabinet members in the early days of the administration discussed using the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution as a way to remove the President from power." Trump's response to the essay has been described by insiders as "volcanic" anger.
August 29, 2018 - Ron DeSantis, Republican candidate for Governor in Florida, urges voters not to "monkey this up" by choosing Andrew Gillum, his opponent. Gillum is African American. After being accused of racism and of using dog whistles, DeSantis' campaign issued a statement saying the comment was about Gillum's policies, not Gillum, and "To characterize it as anything else is absurd".
August 27, 2018 - Flags at federal buildings throughout Washington, including at the Capitol, remain at half staff to honor John McCain, who died two days ago. Observers noticed the flag in front of the White House is fully raised. White House aides refuse to respond to requests to explain the disparity. After petitions of protest throughout the day from the nation's leading veteran's organizations, the White House released a proclamation that flags would remain at half-staff until McCain's burial next Sunday. Rick Davis, John McCain's former campaign manager, read a statement identified as McCain's final statement to the American people. The letter read in part: "We are citizens of the world’s greatest republic, a nation of ideals, not blood and soil. We are blessed and are a blessing to humanity when we uphold and advance those ideals at home and in the world. We weaken our greatness when we confuse our patriotism with tribal rivalries that have sown resentment and hatred and violence in all the corners of the globe. We weaken it when we hide behind walls rather than tear them down. When we doubt the power of our ideals, rather than trust them to be the great force for change they have always been.” The apparent references to Trump and to white nationalists did not go unnoticed. Word surfaced that McCain requested that Trump not attend his funeral.
August 25, 2018 - John McCain, US Senator, died. White House does not issue the customary proclamation honoring the late Senator.
June 19, 2018 - The Trump administration announced that the US is withdrawing from the United Nations human rights council, calling it a "cesspool of political bias". Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary general, tweeted in response: "Given the state of human rights in today's world, the US should be stepping up, not stepping back." Boris Johnson, the UK foreign secretary said of the US decision: "The United States’ decision to withdraw from the human rights council is regrettable. We’ve made no secret of the fact that the UK wants to see reform of the human rights council, but we are committed to working to strengthen the council from within". The Democratic National Committee responded to the US decision saying: "Trump’s withdrawal is especially disturbing given his persistent praise for despots and dictators with abysmal human rights records, not to mention his administration’s cruel mistreatment of immigrant families seeking asylum". Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch responded to the decision saying: "The Trump administration’s withdrawal is a sad reflection of its one-dimensional human rights policy: defending Israeli abuses from criticism takes precedence above all else. The UN human rights council has played an important role in such countries as North Korea, Syria, Myanmar and South Sudan, but all Trump seems to care about is defending Israel. Like last time when the US government stepped away from the Council for similar reasons, other governments will have to redouble their efforts to ensure the Council addresses the world’s most serious human rights problems."
June 14, 2018 - The Justice Department's inspector general released a much anticipated report regarding political bias in the FBI's handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation. According to Christopher Wray, the FBI director who was appointed by Trump to replace James Comey "this report did not find any evidence of political bias or improper considerations actually impacting the investigation under review."
June 13, 2018 - North Korean media hails Kim Jong-un the victor in the "meeting of the century". Regarding the nuclear summit, Trump sent the following tweet: "Just landed - a long trip, but everybody can now feel much safer than the day I took office. There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea. Meeting with Kim Jong Un was an interesting and very positive experience. North Korea has great potential for the future!" and "The World has taken a big step back from potential Nuclear catastrophe! No more rocket launches, nuclear testing or research! The hostages are back home with their families. Thank you to Chairman Kim, our day together was historic!"
June 12, 2018 - In addition to declaring it an "honour" to be sitting next to Kim Jong-un, Donald Trump ordered the suspension of US military exercises with South Korea. Stopping the joint exercises has been a priority for North Korea for decades. In return for the US concession, Kim Jong-un signed a joint statement committing to denuclearisation. The North Korean regime has made this same commitment several times before. When asked what made this commitment different, Trump responded "We got to know each other well in a very confined period of time. I know when somebody wants to deal and I know when somebody doesn’t." The concession was a surprise to both South Korean government and US forces. After the summit, when Trump was asked about North Korea's appalling human rights record, he had this to say: "Well, he is very talented. Anybody that takes over a situation like he did at 26 years of age and is able to run it and run it tough. I believe it is a rough situation over there. We will be doing something on it. It’s rough. It’s rough in a lot of places, by the way." Kelly Magsamen, a senior Pentagon official who dealt with Asian and Pacific security in the Obama administration said Trump's concession to Kim "continues his disturbing pattern of undermining our democratic alliances while praising adversaries".
June 11, 2018 - Attorney General Jeff Sessions reversed an immigration appeals court ruling which granted asylum to a Salvadorian woman who claimed she had been sexually, emotionally, and physically abused by her husband. According to Sessions, "Asylum claims have expanded too broadly to include victims of private violence, like domestic violence or gangs." Viewing this as a return to a time when domestic violence was considered a private matter, and not something government should get involved with, Karen Musalo, a defense lawyer from the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies at the University of California Hastings College of the Law went on record saying "What this decision does is yank us all back to the Dark Ages of human rights and women’s human rights and the conceptualization of it." The Federal Communications Commission's repeal of Obama era net neutrality rules becomes effective today. Responding to the repeal, Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democratic member of the commission stated "Internet service providers now have the power to block websites, throttle services and censor online content. They will have the right to discriminate and favor the internet traffic of those companies with whom they have pay-for-play arrangements and the right to consign all others to a slow and bumpy road." On the eve of his summit with North Korea, Trump tweeted the following: "We will all know soon if a real deal, unlike those of the past, can happen!" Peter Navarro, Trump's trade adviser, responded to the press conference held by Justin Trudeau the prior day, saying "There’s a special place in hell for any foreign leader that engages in bad faith diplomacy with President Donald J Trump and then tries to stab him in the back on the way out the door, and that’s what Bad Faith Justin Trudeau did with that stunt press conference." Here are some notable responses to the harsh language used over the last couple of days by trump and others in his administration towards Justin Trudeau:
June 9, 2018 - After agreeing to a statement in a communique at the G7 summit, Trump, who arrived late and left early, tweeted the following from Air Force One: "Based on Justin’s false statements at his news conference, and the fact that Canada is charging massive Tariffs to our U.S. farmers, workers and companies, I have instructed our U.S. Reps not to endorse the Communique as we look at Tariffs on automobiles flooding the U.S. Market!" and "PM Justin Trudeau of Canada acted so meek and mild during our @G7 meetings only to give a news conference after I left saying that, “US Tariffs were kind of insulting” and he “will not be pushed around.” Very dishonest & weak. Our Tariffs are in response to his of 270% on dairy!" Critics were quick to point out that this is yet another example of Trump using harsher language towards democratically-elected leaders of allied nations than he uses against strongmen leaders of enemy nations.
June 8, 2018 - The Group of 7 nations convened in La Malbaie Quebec. At the meeting, Trump proposed readmitting Russia, which was ousted after President Vladimir Putin violated international norms by seizing parts of Ukraine in 2014. Because of Trump's isolation at the meeting, some have dubbed it the Group of 6 + 1. Said Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, "The rules-based international order is being challenged, quite surprisingly, not by the usual suspects, but by its main architect and guarantor, the U.S." New charges have been filed by the special counsel against Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign chairman. According to prosecutors, Manafort was charged with obstruction, for attempts to coach witnesses. Also charged was an associate of Manafort, named Konstantin Kilimnik, who has ties to Russian intelligence.
June 6, 2018 - News surfaced that during a call with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Trump was asked how he could justify tariffs on national security grounds. Trump reportedly responded with the question "Didn't you guys burn down the White House?" According to historians, the White House was burned down by British troops in 1814, some 50 years before the founding of modern-day Canada.
June 5, 2018 - Trump disinvited the Philadelphia Eagles football team from an event meant to honor them for winning the Super Bowl after discovering that the majority of the players intended to boycott the event. In response to tariffs that went into effect on June 1st, Mexico responded by imposing tariffs of their own. The tariffs, worth about $3 billion, will be put on American pork, steel, cheese and other goods. Responding to Mexico's tariffs, Angela Hofmann, deputy director of Farmers for Free Trade had this to say: "Hog, apple, potato and dairy farmers are among those suddenly facing a 10 or 20 percent tax hike on the exports they depend on for their livelihoods. Farmers need certainty and open markets to make ends meet. Right now they are getting chaos and protectionism." David Hogg, a survivor of the Majorie Stoneman Douglas high school shooting in Parkland, FL, was the victim of a "swatting" prank. Someone called 911 to say that Hogg had been kidnapped and that there was someone in the home with a weapon. Neither Hogg nor any of his family were home when the Broward county Swat tem responded. Kelly Sadler, the White House aide who caused outrage in May for dismissing concerns by John McCain with a comment, "he's dying anyway", has left the White House. Betsy DeVos, the education secretary, stated that the federal commission on school safety that was set up after the shooting in Parkland, FL, would not be looking at the role of guns in school violence, saying: "That is not part of the commission’s charge per se". In response to DeVos' statement, Senator Patrick Leahy, Democrat of Vermont, stated, "So you are studying gun violence, but not considering the role of guns."
June 4, 2018 - Trump announced on twitter that the appointment of the special counsel is "totally UNCONSTITUTIONAL!" Trump also announced that he has the ability to pardon himself saying "As has been stated by numerous legal scholars, I have the absolute right to PARDON myself, but why would I do that when I have done nothing wrong? In the meantime, the never ending Witch Hunt, led by 13 very Angry and Conflicted Democrats (& others) continues into the mid-terms!" Here are some notable responses to Trump's tweet:
May 29, 2018 - Brian Valenti, a police officer in Coconut Creek, FL, was suspended after posting to facebook that David Hogg, a high school survivor of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school, should be run over by a car. News surfaced that the special counsel is investigating claims that Trump told Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, that he should reverse his decision to recuse himself from the Russia inquiry, and that Sessions refused. ABC cancelled the profitable reboot of sitcom "Roseanne" within hours of Roseanne Barr posting a racist tweet about Valerie Jarrett, who was a top adviser to President Obama. The tweet in question said "muslim brotherhood and planet of the apes had a baby=vj." ABC's entertainment president called the tweet "abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values." Barr explained the tweet saying "at 2 in the morning and I was ambien tweeting-it was memorial day too. I went 2 far & do not want it defended-it was egregious Indefensible.” A spokesperson for Ambien responded to Barr's explanation saying "People of all races, religions and nationalities work at Sanofi every day to improve the lives of people around the world. While all pharmaceutical treatments have side effects, racism is not a known side effect of any Sanofi medication." After 4 months of defiance, Eric Greitens, a decorated Navy SEAL, a Rhodes scholar, and current Republican governor of Missouri, resigned today amid an ongoing sex scandal involving his former hair dresser, and accusations that he misused his charity's donor list for political purposes. Rising levels of outrage by the electorate over family separations along the Southern border prompted Donald Trump to blame Democrats for the situation tweeting "Put pressure on the Democrats to end the horrible law that separates children from there parents once they cross the Border into the U.S. Critics were quick to point out that no such law exists. Some notable responses to Trump's attempt at deflecting blame for the new policy:
May 24, 2018 - Trump cancelled the June 12th nuclear summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un after a North Korean spokesperson responded to threats from Vice President Mike Pence (that Kim could meet the same fate as Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi if he doesn't make a deal), calling Pence a "political dummy" and threatening the US with a "nuclear-to-nuclear showdown." In a letter to Kim, Trump blamed the North's "tremendous anger and open hostility". Responding to the cancellation, Christopher S. Murphy, Democratic Senator from Connecticut called this incident "as discombobulated as everything else in this White House’s foreign policy". Lawmakers met with justice department officials to review sensitive material about the F.B.I's use of an informant in the Russia investigation. Democrats view this meeting as yet another attempt by Representative Devin Nunes and Donald Trump to undermine the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, and gain information about his inquiry. According to Adam B, Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, who was present at the meeting "Nothing we heard today has changed our view that there is no evidence to support any allegation that the F.B.I. or any intelligence agency placed a ‘spy’ in the Trump campaign, or otherwise failed to follow appropriate procedures and protocols".
May 23, 2018 - Naming it "Spygate", and calling it one of the "biggest political scandals in history" Trump accused federal investigators of using a spy inside his campaign, saying "Look how things have turned around on the Criminal Deep State. They go after Phony Collusion with Russia, a made up Scam, and end up getting caught in a major SPY scandal the likes of which this country may never have seen before! What goes around, comes around!" Trump later backed off a little saying "I hope it's not true, but it looks like it is." According to people familiar with the matter, the use of an informant was to glean information about what aides knew about Russian efforts to hack into Democratic emails, not to spy. James Comey, former FBI director, sent the following tweet in response to Trump's comments: "Facts matter. The FBI’s use of Confidential Human Sources (the actual term) is tightly regulated and essential to protecting the country. Attacks on the FBI and lying about its work will do lasting damage to our country. How will Republicans explain this to their grandchildren?" Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald, a federal judge in Manhattan, ruled that Trump's twitter feed is a public forum, and as a result, when Trump blocked 7 plaintiffs from viewing or replying to his posts, he violated the First Amendment. The NFL announced that it will fine teams if their players kneel on the field during the national anthem. A third lawsuit has been filed against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones - of Infowars - by families of eight Sandy Hook victims and an F.B.I. agent, seeking damages for defamation. According to the suit, Jones and his followers have "persistently perpetuated a monstrous, unspeakable lie: that the Sandy Hook shooting was staged, and that the families who lost loved ones that day are actors who faked their relatives’ deaths." Jones, who calls himself and his followers "the operating system of Trump" claims he is "making it safe for everybody else to speak out just like Trump’s doing, on a much bigger scale." Trump, who has praised Jones' reputation as "amazing", and who regularly echoes Jones' false claims, is credited with increasing Jones following significantly by appearing on his show during the 2016 campaign, and declaring that he will "never let you down" and "we'll be speaking a lot." Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, was granted permanent security clearance, making him eligible to view some of the United States' most closely guarded secrets.
May 22, 2018 - Evgeny A. Friedman, aka the Taxi King, a Russian immigrant who is a longtime business partner of Michael Cohen, agreed to cooperate with the government as a potential witness in a plea deal, after being charged with tax evasion, tax fraud and grand larceny. According to the Gaurdian, this is a "development that could be used as leverage to pressure Mr. Cohen to work with the special counsel examining Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election".
May 21, 2018 - The White House announced that the Department of Justice will "expand its investigation" into the 2016 election to include "any irregularities with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s or the Department of Justice’s tactics concerning the Trump campaign”. The White House also announced that chief of staff John Kelly "will immediately set up a meeting with the FBI, DoJ and DNI together with congressional leaders to review highly classified and other information they have requested”. Responding to the meeting announcement, Chuck Schumer, the top Senate Democrat said "The White House plan to arrange a meeting where ‘highly classified and other information’ will be shared with members of Congress is highly irregular and inappropriate. The president and his staff should not be involved in the viewing or dissemination of sensitive investigatory information involving any open investigation, let alone one about his own activities and campaign. However, if such a meeting occurs, it must be bipartisan in order to serve as a check on the disturbing tendency of the president’s allies to distort facts and undermine the investigation and the people conducting it.” Amanda Fugleberg, an 18 year-old high school senior from Orlando, is organizing a National Die-In Day, to protest government inaction on gun control. The Die-In will be held in Washington DC on June 12, the second anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, which left 49 people dead, and more then 50 injured. Trump swore in Gina Haspel as the new CIA director. Quoting Dan Bongino, a former secret service agent, Trump sent the following tweet attacking John Brennan, the former CIA director under Obama: "This guy is the genesis of this whole Debacle. This was a Political hit job, this was not an Intelligence Investigation. Brennan has disgraced himself, he’s worried about staying out of Jail." In a speech to the Heritage Foundation, a conservative thinktank in Washington, Mike Pompeo, secretary of state, threatened Iran with the "strongest sanctions in history" if it doesn't comply with a list of a dozen US demands, among them according to the Guardian: "demand Iran to give a full account of its alleged past work on nuclear weapons development; stop all uranium enrichment; halt launches of nuclear-capable ballistic missiles; end its support for Hamas, Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad; withdraw all forces under Iranian command from Syria; and end support for Houthi rebels in Yemen." Pompeo added that "The Iranian regime should know this is just the beginning" and as far as a time table, said this: "I can’t put a timeline on it, but at the end of the day, the Iranian people will decide the timeline. The Iranian people will get to make a choice about their leadership. If they make the decision quickly that will be wonderful. If they choose not to do so, we will stay hard at this until we achieve the outcomes that I set forth." What follows are some reactions to Pompeo's speech:
May 19, 2018 - According to the New York Times, Donald Trump Jr met with George Nader, an emissary for the crown princes of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Trump Tower on August 3rd of 2016 to discuss ways the foreign governments could help the Trump campaign. Also present at the meeting were Joel Zamel, an Israeli specialist in social media manipulation, and Erik Prince, the founder of Blackwater, a private military contractor. This is the first bit of evidence to surface showing that governments other than Russia were involved in attempts to influence the US election in favor of Donald Trump. Nader is cooperating with special counsel Mueller. Critics were quick to pint out that since the 2016 election, Trump has closely aligned himself with Israel, Saudia Arabia and the UAE, specifically on the exit from the Iran nuclear deal, which was championed by the three countries.
May 18, 2018 - Dimitrios Pagourtzis, a 17 year old student at Santa Fe high school in Santa Fe, Texas, opened fire on his classmates, killing 10, and wounding 10 more. The school employed two armed resource officers. One of them was wounded by a shotgun blast to the shoulder. Trump responded to the shooting saying "We are with you in this tragic hour and we will be with you forever. We will do everything we can to keep weapons out of our schools and out of the hands of those who should not have them." Dan Patrick, the Lieutenant Governor of Texas, offered this solution to the problem of gun violence in schools: "We may have to look at the design of our schools moving forward, and retrofitting schools that are already built. What I mean by that is that there are too many entrances and too many exits to our 8,000 campuses in Texas. … Now that will take a lot of work and a lot of money, but we have to do the work and do the money to protect our children the best we can." Art Acevedo, the Houston police chief, wrote the following on facebook in response to the shooting: "Please do not post anything about guns aren’t the problem and there’s little we can do … This isn’t a time for prayers, and study and inaction, it’s a time for prayers, action and the asking of God’s forgiveness for our inaction (especially the elected officials that ran to the cameras today, acted in a solemn manner, called for prayers, and will once again do absolutely nothing)." Trump was asked by a reporter about a comment made by national security adviser, John Bolton, that the "Libya model" be used as a template for a deal with North Korea. Here's Trump's response: "The model, if you look at that model with Gaddafi, that was a total decimation. We went in there to beat him. Now that model would take place if we don’t make a deal, most likely. But if we make a deal, I think Kim Jong-un is going to be very, very happy. This with Kim Jong-un would be something where he would be there. He would be running his country. His country would be very rich. We’re willing to do a lot, and he’s willing … to do a lot also, and I think we’ll actually have a good relationship, assuming we have the meeting and assuming something comes of it. And he’ll get protections that will be very strong.” Trump's answer seemed to be a reference to the overthrow of Gaddafi, not the nuclear deal with Gaddafi. The 2003 nuclear agreement required that Gaddafi completely surrender his nuclear weapons programme, including shipping his uranium centrifuges to the US. The overthrow occurred after a Nato intervention in 2011 in support of an uprising, which resulted in Gaddafi being killed by rebels. In a follow up question, Trump was asked if his comments meant he disagreed with his national security adviser. Trump demonstrated further ignorance of Bolton's reference saying "I think when John Bolton made that statement, he was talking about if we are going to be having a problem, because we cannot let that country have nukes. We just can’t do it." Joel Wit, a former US negotiator and senior fellow at the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University responded to Trump's comments saying: "This is probably the wrong time to be making threats, three weeks before the summit." Sergei Skripal, the former Russian spy who was poisoned 10 weeks ago, has been discharged from the hospital. Vladimir Putin responded to the news saying "If a military-grade poison had been used, the man would have died on the spot. Thank God he recovered and that he left."
May 17, 2018 - Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, revealed in a talk at a Gates Foundation event, that he had to explain twice to Donald Trump that there is a difference between HIV and HPV. According to Gates "I was able to explain that those were rarely confused with each other." Gates also revealed that Trump "was considering a commission to look into the ill effects of vaccines" to which Gates responded "no, that’s a dead end. That would be a bad thing, don’t do that." NOAA scientists announced that April was the 400th consecutive month with higher-than-average global temperatures. Mo Brooks, a Republican Representative on the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, explained sea level rise to Philip Duffy, a Climate Scientist and president of the Woods Hole Research Center in Massachusetts, saying that it was caused by rocks and silt accumulating in the ocean. According to Brooks "Every time you have that soil or rock or whatever it is that is deposited into the seas, that forces the sea levels to rise, because now you have less space in those oceans, because the bottom is moving up." Duffy responded by saying "I’m pretty sure that on human time scales those are minuscule effects."Michael Williams, a Republican candidate for Governor in Georgia has begun a campaign he calls the "Deportation Bus Tour." The bus, which Williams drives from campaign stop to campaign stop, has the following inscription painted on the back: "Murderers, rapists, kidnappers, child molestors [sic] and other criminals on board. Follow me to Mexico." On the side it says "Fill the bus with illegals. Vote Michael Williams." Summer Zervos, a former Apprentice contestant, can proceed with her defamation lawsuit against Trump, according to a ruling by a New York appellate court. The cost of crude oil reached $80 per barrel, the highest level since November 2014. There are many factors that explain the increase, but among them is Trump's decision to exit the Iran nuclear deal. Jeffrey Yohai, Paul Manafort's former son-in-law, has cut a deal with the justice department that requires his cooperation in other criminal investigations.
May 16, 2018 - In a financial disclosure released by Trump, there is an acknowledgement of payments of more than $100,000 to Michael Cohen, Trump's attorney, in 2017. The reference does not say what the payments were for. Noah Bookbinder, the executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington released a statement regarding the disclosure saying it "raises serious questions as to why it was not disclosed in last year’s filing." Rex Tillerson, former Secretary of State, who has been mostly secluded since being fired by Trump via a tweet, seemed to criticize Trump during a commencement address at the Virginia Military Institute saying "If our leaders seek to conceal the truth, or we as people become accepting of alternative realities that are no longer grounded in facts, then we as American citizens are on a pathway to relinquishing our freedom." Tillerson also gave this warning: "If we do not as Americans confront the crisis of ethics and integrity in our society and among our leaders in both the public and private sector — and regrettably at times even the nonprofit sector — then American democracy as we know it is entering its twilight years." Scott Pruitt, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, confirmed during his 3rd appearance before congress in a month, that he has established a legal defense fund to cover the costs of defending himself against 12 federal investigations that are currently looking into his spending and management decisions. Some lawmakers have called for Pruitt to resign, or be fired. During a White House meeting, Trump referred to California sanctuary cities as "deadly and unconstitutional." In testimony before the Senate Judiciary committee, Christopher Wylie, a former employee of Cambridge Analytica, testified that Steve Bannon was attempting "to build an arsenal of weapons to fight a culture war" and what provoked him (Wylie) to leave were "discussions of 'voter disengagement' and the idea of targeting African Americans." Wylie also stated "We exploited Facebook to harvest millions of people’s profiles. And built models to exploit what we knew about them and target their inner demons. That was the basis the entire company was built on."
May 15, 2018 - North Korea had agreed to a summit on June 12 between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump, but that may now be in jeopardy over comments made by national security adviser John Bolton, who said the dismantling of Libya's nuclear weapons program provides a playbook for North Korea denuclearization. North Korea responded to the comments saying "If the United States is trying to drive us into a corner to force our unilateral nuclear abandonment, we will no longer be interested in such dialogue and cannot but reconsider our proceeding to the D.P.R.K.-U.S. summit."
May 14, 2018 - In an affluent Jerusalem neighborhood, on the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel, the US held a ceremony to open its embassy in Jerusalem. Barely 40 miles away, in Gaza, tens of thousands of Palestinians protested the opening. During the protests, more than 2,700 Palestinians were injured, and nearly 60 were shot and killed by Israel Defense Forces (IDF), including six children and one paramedic. These deaths bring the death toll to nearly 100 since Trump announced the embassy move in December. During prepared remarks, Jared Kushner, senior White House adviser, said "As we have seen from the protests of the last month and even today, those provoking violence are part of the problem, and not part of the solution." Trump addressed the ceremony via video link saying the US is "a great friend of Israel and a partner in the cause of freedom and peace." Robert Jeffress, an evangelical pastor who has said of Jews in the past that they they would all "go to hell" and who has called Islam and Mormonism "heresy from the pit of hell" provided a blessing at the embassy ceremony. United Nations human rights experts urged Israel to halt excessive force against Palestinian protesters. Amnesty International accused Israel of violating international law.
May 13, 2018 - Speaking to the thinktank Chatham House in London, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, criticized Trump's move to pull the US out of the Iran deal saying "America has chosen to be part of the problem and not the solution so they have lost their role as international mediator. We cannot stop feeling like being in dark days of pre-world war two." When asked about Kelly Sadler's "he's dying anyway" comment at a White House press briefing, Sarah Huckabee Sanders refused to condemn the statement, saying instead she would not "validate a leak out of an internal staff meeting." The following quotes are responses to Sadler's comment:
May 10, 2018 - Kelly Sadler, special assistant to the president, was overheard dismissing concerns raised by John McCain regarding the confirmation of Gina Haspel, saying his opinion "doesn't matter, he's dying anyway". Senator McCain, who has brain cancer, and who was tortured over a 5 year period as a POW in Vietnam, opposes the promotion of Gina Haspel to CIA director, believing her involvement in the George W Bush torture program, and her refusal to call torture immoral, disqualifies her from holding the position. Oliver North, the newly selected president of the NRA, criticized the teenage student activists who survived the Parkland shooting, and who have become activists for stricter gun control, saying "They’re not activists – this is civil terrorism. This is the kind of thing that’s never been seen against a civil rights organization in America. You go back to the terrible days of Jim Crow and those kinds of things – even there you didn’t have this kind of thing." The terror faced by the NRA according to North, is having fake blood splashed on the home of an NRA official, and personal threats being made against NRA leaders. Critics were quick to point out that during Jim Crow, civil rights activists were often beaten and murdered.
May 8, 2018 - Saying "It didn't bring calm, it didn't bring peace, and it never will" Trump pulled the US out of the Iran nuclear deal - a signature foreign policy achievement of Barack Obama - which involved 7 countries, and took more than 2 years to negotiate. The withdrawal came despite concerns raised by our European allies, by the Secretary of Defense, James Mattis, and despite the fact that on-site inspectors have verified that Iran has been compliant with the terms of the agreement. In addition to withdrawing from the deal, Trump re-imposed the sanctions that were removed as part of the deal. Barack Obama responded to the withdrawal saying the world would be less safe, and that we may be left with "a losing choice between a nuclear Iran or another war in the Middle East." Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said of the sanctions "My expectation is not that oil prices will go higher." John Kerry, former Secretary of State under Obama, responded to the withdrawal saying "No rhetoric is required. The facts speak for themselves. Instead of building on unprecedented nonproliferation verification measures, this decision risks throwing them away and dragging the world back to the brink we faced a few years ago." Michael Avenatti, attorney for Stormy Daniels, claimed that Michael Cohen had received 500,000 from a company affiliated with Russian Oligarch, Viktor Vekselberg.
May 7, 2018 - Threats by Trump to pull the US out of the Iran nuclear deal is credited with pushing the price of crude oil above $70 a barrel for the first time since 2014. Trump will make a formal announcement of his decision tomorrow. Oliver North, a former Marine Corps lieutenant colonel and aide to President Ronald Reagan, who works as a political commentator on Fox News, and who was thrust into the spotlight in 1986 for his role in the Iran-contra scandal (a secret scheme to sell arms to Iran, and use the proceeds to aid right wing rebel forces in Nicaragua), has been appointed as the new president of the NRA. George Zimmerman, the man who sparked national outrage in 2012 after he shot Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17 year-old African American, has been charged with stalking a private investigator. In an attempt to reduce illegal border crossings, the Trump administration announced a new "zero tolerance" policy in which parents caught crossing the border illegally, will be separated from their children. The parents will then be criminally prosecuted, and their children will be placed in protective custody. This policy replaces the prior policy which consisted mostly of civil deportation proceedings. According to Jeff Sessions, the Attorney General: "If you cross the Southwest border unlawfully, then we will prosecute you. It’s that simple. If you are smuggling a child then we will prosecute you, and that child will be separated from you as required by law. If you don’t like that, then don’t smuggle children over our border." The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit to challenge the practice.
May 5, 2018 - According to the Guardian, Trump "hired an Israeli private intelligence agency to orchestrate a 'dirty ops' campaign against key individuals from the Obama administration who helped negotiate the Iran nuclear deal." Ben Rhodes, one of Obama's top national security advisers, and Colin Kahl, deputy assistant to Obama, were both targeted in an effort to discredit the deal. Responding to the report, Ben Rhodes said "I was not aware, though sadly am not surprised. I would say that digging up dirt on someone for carrying out their professional responsibilities in their positions as White House officials is a chillingly authoritarian thing to do." Jack Straw, former Foreign Secretary under Tony Blair, responded by saying "These are extraordinary and appalling allegations but which also illustrate a high level of desperation by Trump and [the Israeli prime minister] Benjamin Netanyahu, not so much to discredit the deal but to undermine those around it." Michael Avenatti, the attorney for Stormy Daniels, predicts the demise of the Trump presidency saying "Ultimately, he is going to be forced to resign. I don’t know how he will ultimately spin his departure, but I firmly believe there is going to be too much evidence of wrongdoing by him and those around him for him to be able to survive the balance of his term."
May 4, 2018 - Trump tried to walk back statements that were made by Rudy Giuliani regarding payments to Michael Cohen saying "Rudy is a great guy ... he’s working hard, learning the subject matter. He is a great guy. He started yesterday. He’ll get his facts straight. It’s actually very simple, there has been a lot of misinformation really." Trump told reporters today that he "would love to speak" to the special counsel. Trump added that he "would love to go. Nothing I want to do more, because we did nothing wrong. We ran a great campaign. We won easily." The Trump administration is ending temporary protection for an estimated 86,000 Hondurans who have been allowed to live and work in the United States since 1999, after a hurricane ravaged their country. The Hondurans have until January 2020 to get their affairs in order and depart the country. Donald Trump addressed the National Rifle Association in Dallas. Critics were quick to note that the event was a gun free zone during Trump's appearance.
May 3, 2018 - Ty Cobb, one of Trump's White House attorneys, announced that he will be retiring at the end of the month. Replacing him will be Emmet T. Flood. Flood represented Bill Clinton during Clinton's impeachment proceedings. Rudy Giuliani, the newest addition to Trump's legal team, told Sean Hannity of Fox News, that Donald Trump repaid Michael Cohen the $130,000 in hush money that was paid to porn star Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election saying "They funneled through a law firm, and the president repaid it. That was money that was paid by his lawyer. The president reimbursed that over the period of several months." Michael Avenatti, Daniel's attorney, reacted to the news by saying "This is exactly what we predicted would ultimately be shown. Every American, regardless of their politics, should be outraged." Trump admitted in a tweet that he paid a monthly retainer to Michael Cohen, which was used to settle non-disclosure agreements, or NDA's, and according to Trump: "These agreements are...very common among celebrities and people of wealth." Over 1100 economists, including 14 Nobel prize winners, joined together to send Trump a letter warning against his version of "economic protectionism", saying in part "In 1930, 1,028 economists urged Congress to reject the protectionist Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act. Today, Americans face a host of new protectionist activity, including threats to withdraw from trade agreements, misguided calls for new tariffs in response to trade imbalances, and the imposition of tariffs on washing machines, solar components, and even steel and aluminum used by US manufacturers. Congress did not take economists’ advice in 1930, and Americans across the country paid the price. The undersigned economists and teachers of economics strongly urge you not to repeat that mistake. Much has changed since 1930 – for example, trade is now significantly more important to our economy – but the fundamental economic principles as explained at the time have not."
May 2, 2018 - News surfaced that a doctor's note, purported to have been issued by Trump's personal physician shortly before the 2015 Republican primaries, was written by Trump himself. The note, in part said "If elected, Mr Trump, I can state unequivocally, will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency." Dr Harold Bornstein, the physician whose signature is on the note, stated that Trump "dictated that whole letter. I didn’t write that letter." Bornstein also stated that in February 2017, Trump's bodyguard, Keith Schiller, and two other men "raided" his office and took all of Trump's medical records. Bornstein claimed the raid left him "raped, frightened and sad." Kanye West, a black rapper and Trump apologist, told TMZ in an interview "When you hear about slavery for 400 years. For 400 years? That sounds like a choice." Cambridge Analytica, the political consulting firm that came under scrutiny for harvesting personal information from facebook for up to 87 million people, announced that it will cease most of its operations and file for bankruptcy. Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary general, urged Trump not to scrap the Iran nuclear deal saying "If one day there is a better agreement to replace it it’s fine, but we should not scrap it unless we have a good alternative."Mandy Manning, a teacher who was presented with the National Teacher of the Year award by Donald Trump in the White House, wore assorted politically charged badges on her dress. One promoted the Women's March, which followed Trump's inauguration, another said "Trans Equality Now." Trump did not appear to notice. 18 House Republicans penned a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee nominating Donald J Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, saying "Since taking office, President Trump has worked tirelessly to apply maximum pressure on North Korea to end its illicit weapons program and bring peace to the region."
May 1, 2018 - Responding to the Trump administration's proposal to draft a new set of regulations which would significantly weaken fuel economy standards that were put into place by the Obama administration in 2012, 17 states and the District of Columbia have filed suit, calling the effort unlawful, and a direct violation of the Clean Air Act. Speaking at a news conference about the lawsuit, Jerry Brown, the Governor of California, said that "States representing 140 million Americans are getting together to sue Outlaw Pruitt — not Administrator Pruitt, but Outlaw Pruitt." Rod J. Rosenstein, the Deputy Attorney General, responded to news that articles of impeachment were being drafted against him saying "the Department of Justice will not be extorted" and "if we were to just open our doors to allow Congress to come and rummage through the files, that would be a serious infringement on the separation of powers."
April 30, 2018 - Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, accused Iran of lying about its nuclear program, while displaying documents that he claimed were seized by Israeli spies in January. Netanyahu hoped the display would convince Trump to scrap the nuclear deal with Iran which was struck by Obama in 2015, the same deal that Trump has called a "major embarrassment." Stormy Daniels, the porn star who was paid $130,000 to stay quiet about an affair with Trump, filed a defamation lawsuit based on statements Trump made on twitter following Daniels release of a sketch of a man she claimed threatened her in 2011 to "leave Trump alone". Trump's tweet: "A sketch years later about a nonexistent man. A total con job, playing the Fake News Media for Fools (but they know it)!" John Kelly, White House chief of staff, is denying reports that on multiple occasions he has referred to Trump as an "idiot". The New York Times published over 40 questions it says the special counsel wants to ask Trump in an interview. The questions breech many subjects, including Trump's business dealings, collusion with the Russians, and obstruction of justice. News surfaced that members of the House Freedom Caucus have drafted articles of impeachment against Rod J. Rosenstein, the Deputy Attorney General. According to Rep. Mark Meadows, of North Carolina, the draft is in response to the justice department's "inability to respond to simple requests". Democrats see the move as an attempt to weaken special counsel Mueller's efforts, and to protect Trump.
April 28, 2018 - Michelle Wolf, comedian, performed at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner, which upset many conservatives. Regarding Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Wolf said "Every time Sarah steps up to the podium, I get excited. I’m not really sure what we’re going to get, you know? A press briefing, a bunch of lies or divided into softball teams. ‘It’s shirts and skins, and this time don’t be such a little bitch, Jim Acosta. I actually really like Sarah. I think she’s very resourceful. But she burns facts and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smokey eye. Like maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s lies. It’s probably lies." Regarding Trump's absence from the event, Wolf said "I would drag him here myself, but it turns out that the president of the United States is the one pussy you’re not allowed to grab. He said it first. Yeah, he did. You remember? Good." Regarding Ivanka Trump, Wolf said "She was supposed to be an advocate for women, but it turns out she’s about as helpful to women as an empty box of tampons. She’s done nothing to satisfy women. So I guess, like father like daughter." Regarding Kellyanne Conway, Wolf said "Man, she has the perfect name for what she does. Conway. It’s like if my last name was Michelle tells-jokes-frizzy-hair-small-tits." Sean Spicer, former White House spokesperson said of the performance "It was absolutely disgusting. The idea that people clapped at that. It’s one thing to celebrate the first amendment but that, tonight, was one of the most disgusting and deplorable things I’ve ever heard in my life. The language, the references were way over the line."
April 27, 2018 - House Intelligence Committee Republicans
released a 250 page report which claimed that no evidence of collusion between
the Trump campaign and Russia had been found. House Intelligence Committee
Democrats released a 100 page minority report which described the Republican
report as a whitewash.
April 20, 2018 - A federal lawsuit filed by the Democratic National Committee asserts that the Russian Government, the Trump campaign, and Wikileaks conspired together to swing the 2016 US presidential election. Some of those named in the lawsuit are Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, George Papadopoulos, Julian Assange, Roger Stone, and Aras and Emin Agalarov. Tom Perez, the DNC chairman, explained that "During the 2016 presidential campaign, Russia launched an all-out assault on our democracy, and it found a willing and active partner in Donald Trump’s campaign. This constituted an act of unprecedented treachery: the campaign of a nominee for president of the United States in league with a hostile foreign power to bolster its own chance to win the presidency."
April 17, 2018 - Neil Gorsuch, Trump's appointment to the Supreme Court, sided with the more liberal justices in a 5-4 decision that struck down part of a federal law that makes it easier to deport immigrants who have been convicted of crimes. A federal appeals court in San Francisco had struck the law down as too vague, Gorsuch and the liberals on the court agreed.
April 16, 2018 - In an interview with ABC News, James Comey was asked if Trump was fit to be president, his answer: "A person who sees moral equivalence in Charlottesville, who talks about and treats women like they’re pieces of meat, who lies constantly about matters big and small and insists the American people believe it, that person’s not fit to be president of the United States, on moral grounds."
April 3, 2018 - Trump announced plans to deploy the National Guard to the border with Mexico saying "We have horrible, horrible and very unsafe laws in the United States" and that "Until we can have a wall and proper security, we’re going to be guarding our border with the military." Kevin Appleby, the senior director of international migration policy at the Center for Migration Studies of New York, responded to Trump's order to place troops along the border by saying "He cannot get funding for his wall, so instead he irresponsibly misuses our military to save face."
March 19, 2018 - Responding to news that Andrew McCabe passed memos about conversations he had with Donald Trump to Robert Mueller, Trump sent the following tweet: "Spent very little time with Andrew McCabe, but he never took notes when he was with me. I don’t believe he made memos except to help his own agenda, probably at a later date. Same with lying James Comey. Can we call them Fake Memos?"
March 12, 2018 - Trump, who recently expressed support for raising the age limit for firearms purchases, and who chided his Republican colleagues for fearing the NRA, is now backing away from that support after meeting with the NRA, saying in a tweet "On 18 to 21 Age Limits, watching court cases and rulings before acting. Not much political support (to put it mildly)." Recent polling data shows that two-thirds of US adults favor raising the legal age to purchase firearms.
March 10, 2018 - According to a Pentagon memo, the military parade requested by Trump will take place on 11 November; will "include wheeled vehicles only" to "minimize damage to local infrastructure"; and will cost the taxpayers between $10m and $30m.
February 13, 2018 - New satellite data published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences shows that melting ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are speeding up, which is in line with predictions from the UN.
December 21, 2017 - Despite Trump's threat to cut aid to supporters of a UN resolution condemning the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the resolution was approved by a vote of 128 to 9.
June 14, 2019 - Trump made lots of news during an interview with Fox & Friends, first by stating that Tom Homan, a Fox News contributor and former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is being made "Border Czar", a position the Trump Administration created. Trump then stated "If I wasn't president, you would right now be in a major war with North Korea". Trump also called his wife Melania, the "new Jackie O". Trump also weighed in on the controversy over Kellyanne Conways violations of the Hatch Act saying he would not fire her, and that "It looks to me like they’re trying to take away her right on free speech". ABC released a clip in which George Stephanopoulos asked Trump about Don McGahn's testimony that Trump wanted Mueller fired. Trump responded by saying "The story on that very simply, number one, I was never going to fire Mueller. I never suggested firing Mueller". When Stephanopoulos asked "why would [McGahn] lie?" Trump responded "Because he wanted to make himself look like a good lawyer. Or he believed it because I would constantly tell anybody that would listen, including you, including the media, that Robert Mueller was conflicted. Robert Mueller had a total conflict of interest." Here are some reactions to Trump's statement on twitter:
"Trump expressly accuses Don McGahn of committing perjury at the same time he is actively preventing McGahn from testifying in front of Congress." - Susan Hennessey
"If you've served in the Trump Administration, do you lose your sense of patriotism and self-respect? Why doesn't Don McGahn simply issue a statement making clear he didn't, as Trump asserts, lie under oath to the Special Counsel? Doesn't he owe that to the nation--and to himself?" - Bill Kristol
The Japanese operator of one of two oil tankers attacked in the Gulf of Oman disputed US claims about the attack saying the ship was attacked by a flying object. The operator's president, Yutaka Katada, referred to accounts from the ship's crew saying "I do not think there was a time bomb or an object attached to the side of the ship". Iran's foreign minister, Javad Zarif, responded to Trump's claim that "Iran did do it" saying the US had "immediately jumped to make allegations against Iran without a shred of factual or circumstantial evidence".
The Ninth Circuit court of appeals has sent Trump's transgender military ban back to a lower court, saying the March 2018 policy requires heightened scrutiny.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) released an opinion that backs the Treasury Department's decision to withhold Trump's tax returns from Congress, saying in part "Under the facts and circumstances, the Secretary of the Treasury reasonably and correctly concluded that the Committee’s asserted interest in reviewing the Internal Revenue Service’s audits of presidential returns was pretextual and that its true aim was to make the President’s tax returns public, which is not a legitimate legislative purpose."
Trump campaign internal polling data was leaked from March of this year, which shows a double digit lead for Biden over Trump in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
A federal appeals court ruled today that the Trump administration cannot block undocumented minors in custody from getting abortions saying in part "a person has a constitutional right to terminate her pregnancy before fetal viability, and the government cannot unduly burden her decision".
June 13, 2019 - The US Office of Special Counsel (OSC) recommended today that White House counselor Kellyanne Conway should be removed from office for repeatedly violating the Hatch Act, a US law which bars government employees from engaging in political campaign activity. In a report addressed to the president - which was written by an ex-GOP staffer, and Trump nominee - the special counsel's office stated that "Ms Conway’s violations, if left unpunished, would send a message to all federal employees that they need not abide by the Hatch Act’s restrictions. Her actions thus erode the principal foundation of our democratic system: the rule of law." Noah Bookbinder, the executive director at CREW, issued a statement which said in part "Conway’s repeated violations and publicly expressed disdain for the law show a dangerous disregard for governmental ethics, the rule of law and the long-held understanding that government officials should not use their official positions to advance partisan politics". The White House responded to the OSC report by blaming "media pressure and liberal organizations". The House Oversight Committee has issued an invitation to Kellyanne Conway to a hearing next week regarding her a violations of the Hatch Act.
June 13, 2019 - The US Office of Special Counsel (OSC) recommended today that White House counselor Kellyanne Conway should be removed from office for repeatedly violating the Hatch Act, a US law which bars government employees from engaging in political campaign activity. In a report addressed to the president - which was written by an ex-GOP staffer, and Trump nominee - the special counsel's office stated that "Ms Conway’s violations, if left unpunished, would send a message to all federal employees that they need not abide by the Hatch Act’s restrictions. Her actions thus erode the principal foundation of our democratic system: the rule of law." Noah Bookbinder, the executive director at CREW, issued a statement which said in part "Conway’s repeated violations and publicly expressed disdain for the law show a dangerous disregard for governmental ethics, the rule of law and the long-held understanding that government officials should not use their official positions to advance partisan politics". The White House responded to the OSC report by blaming "media pressure and liberal organizations". The House Oversight Committee has issued an invitation to Kellyanne Conway to a hearing next week regarding her a violations of the Hatch Act.
The House Intelligence Committee has subpoenaed former campaign manager Rick Gates, and former White House National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to testify. Adam Schiff, the committee's chair, stated in part "As part of our oversight work, the House Intelligence Committee is continuing to examine the deep counterintelligence concerns raised in Special Counsel Mueller’s report, and that requires speaking directly with the fact witnesses. Both Michael Flynn and Rick Gates were critical witnesses for Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation, but so far have refused to cooperate fully with Congress."
Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, is claiming that Iran is responsible for an attack on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, saying "Iran is lashing out because the regime wants our successful maximum pressure campaign lifted. No economic sanctions entitle the Islamic Republic to attack innocent civilians disrupt global oil markets and engage in nuclear blackmail."
Donald Trump announced via twitter, that Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, will be leaving her post at the end of June saying "After 3 1/2 years, our wonderful Sarah Huckabee Sanders will be leaving the White House at the end of the month and going home to the Great State of Arkansas. She is a very special person with extraordinary talents, who has done an incredible job! I hope she decides to run for Governor of Arkansas - she would be fantastic. Sarah, thank you for a job well done!" NOTE: Critics pointed out that Sanders held her post for 2 1/2 years, not 3 1/2. They also pointed out that Sanders has not held a White House press briefing in 94 days.
A federal court declared that a raid on a Van Nuys factory by ICE agents, in which 130 people were detained and underwent interrogations without attorneys, some for more than 18 hours, without food or water, violated Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures.
Responding to Trump's comment yesterday that he would accept damaging information on his opponents from a foreign power, Ellen Weintraub, the Federal Election Commission chair, issued the following statement: "Let me make something 100% clear to the American public and anyone running for public office: It is illegal for any person to solicit, accept, or receive anything of value from a foreign national in connection with a U.S. election. This is not a novel concept. Electoral intervention from foreign governments has been considered unacceptable since the beginnings of our nation. Our Founding Fathers sounded the alarm about 'foreign Interference, Intrigue, and Influence. They knew that when foreign governments seek to influence American politics, it is always to advance their own interests, not America's. Anyone who solicits or accepts foreign assistance risks being on the wrong end of a federal investigation. Any political campaign that receives an offer of a prohibited donation from a foreign source should report that offer to the Federal Bureau of Investigation." Weintraub followed up her statement with this "I would not have thought I needed to say this."
Matt Furie, the cartoonist who created the character Pepe the Frog, successfully sued Infowars and its creator, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, for $15,000 for using his creation in far-right imagery and profiting from it.
June 12, 2019 - Trump sent the following tweet regarding reports of leaked internal polling numbers that show him behind Joe Biden in key states: "The Fake News has never been more dishonest than it is today. Thank goodness we can fight back on Social Media. Their new weapon of choice is Fake Polling, sometimes referred to as Suppression Polls (they suppress the numbers). Had it in 2016, but this is worse. The Fake (Corrupt) News Media said they had a leak into polling done by my campaign which, by the way and despite the phony and never ending Witch Hunt, are the best numbers WE have ever had. They reported Fake numbers that they made up & don’t even exist. WE WILL WIN AGAIN!" Trump issued this tweet after being asked why news of bad polling bothers him so much. To that question, Trump responded: "Because it's untrue. I like the truth. You know, I'm actually a very honest guy". NOTE: According to the Washington Post, Trump has made 10,796 false or misleading claims since becoming president.
June 12, 2019 - Trump sent the following tweet regarding reports of leaked internal polling numbers that show him behind Joe Biden in key states: "The Fake News has never been more dishonest than it is today. Thank goodness we can fight back on Social Media. Their new weapon of choice is Fake Polling, sometimes referred to as Suppression Polls (they suppress the numbers). Had it in 2016, but this is worse. The Fake (Corrupt) News Media said they had a leak into polling done by my campaign which, by the way and despite the phony and never ending Witch Hunt, are the best numbers WE have ever had. They reported Fake numbers that they made up & don’t even exist. WE WILL WIN AGAIN!" Trump issued this tweet after being asked why news of bad polling bothers him so much. To that question, Trump responded: "Because it's untrue. I like the truth. You know, I'm actually a very honest guy". NOTE: According to the Washington Post, Trump has made 10,796 false or misleading claims since becoming president.
The Trump administration has asserted executive privilege on specific documents subpoenaed in a probe to look into the inclusion of a citizenship question on the 2020 census, which the census bureau itself acknowledges will reduce participation.
Donald Trump Jr testified today in a closed door session of the Senate Intelligence committee. Trump was asked today about the ongoing issue of the citizenship question on the 2020 census, to which Trump responded "I think when you have a census and you’re not allowed to talk about when someone is a citizens or not, that doesn’t sound very good to me. I think it’s totally ridiculous that we would have a census that wouldn’t ask it...I think you have the right to ask." NOTE: Critics were quick to point out that a census is a measure of population, not a measure of citizenship.
House Democrats in the Oversight Committee, have voted to hold US attorney general William Barr, and commerce secretary Wilbur Ross, in contempt of congress for failing to supply documents related to the citizenship question on the 2020 census. The vote will now go to the full House.
Jerry Nadler, the House judiciary committee chair announced that Hope Hicks, a former aid to Donald Trump, will testify before his committee next week as part of its obstruction of justice investigation.
During an interview with George Stephanopoulos, Trump made the following statements after being asked whether his campaign would accept information about his opponent from a foreign power like China or Russia, or hand it over to the FBI: "I think Maybe you do both. I think you might want to listen, there isn't anything wrong with listening. If somebody called from a country, Norway, [and said] ‘we have information on your opponent' -- oh, I think I'd want to hear it." When Stephanopoulos called the information election interference, Trump responded "It's not an interference. They have information -- I think I'd take it. If I thought there was something wrong, I'd go maybe to the FBI -- if I thought there was something wrong. But when somebody comes up with oppo research, right, they come up with oppo research, 'oh let's call the FBI.' The FBI doesn't have enough agents to take care of it. When you go and talk, honestly, to congressman, they all do it, they always have, and that's the way it is. It's called oppo research." Stephanopoulos then said somewhat incredulously "Somebody comes up and says, ‘hey, I have information on your opponent,' do you call the FBI?" to which Trump responded "I'll tell you what, I've seen a lot of things over my life. I don't think in my whole life I've ever called the FBI. In my whole life. You don't call the FBI. You throw somebody out of your office, you do whatever you do. Oh, give me a break – life doesn't work that way." Stephanopoulos then told Trump "The FBI director said that is what should happen" to which Trump responded "The FBI director is wrong, because frankly it doesn't happen like that in life. Now maybe it will start happening, maybe today you'd think differently." Here are some select responses to Trump's admission that he would accept dirt on his political opponent from a foreign government:
"The #MuellerReport made it clear: A foreign government attacked our 2016 elections to support Trump, Trump welcomed that help, and Trump obstructed the investigation. Now, he said he’d do it all over again. It’s time to impeach Donald Trump." - Senator Elizabeth Warren
"It’s time for Congress to begin impeachment hearings" - Kirsten Gillibrand
"It is shocking to hear the President say outright that he is willing to put himself indebt to a foreign power... not to mention the foreign interference in an American election part." - Jerry Nadler
"What Donald Trump said is un-American, unpatriotic, and unbelievable." - Ted Lieu
"Stunning on the one hand and not at all surprising on the other. He's learned absolutely nothing." - Adam Schiff
June 11, 2019 - According to the New York Times, following the leak of internal polling data to Politico, which showed Trump support lagging behind Joe Biden in three key states, Trump instructed his aides to lie about the poll findings.
Vice president Mike Pence responded to criticism regarding Trump's decision to bar US embassies from flying the rainbow pride flag during LGBTQ pride month saying "We’re proud to be able to serve every American. But when it comes to the American flagpole, and American embassies, and capitals around the world, one American flag flies."
Trump sent the following tweet today "Mueller has spoken. He found No Collusion between the Trump Campaign and the Russians. The bottom line is what the Democrat House is doing is trying to destroy the Trump Presidency (which has been a tremendous success), and I can assure you that we’re done with the Mueller investigation in the Senate. They can talk to John Dean until the cows come home, we’re not doing anything in the Senate regarding the Mueller Report. We are going to harden our Infrastructure against 2020! @LindseyGrahamSC".
Four former Environmental Protection Agency administrators - Gina McCarthy, Christine Todd Whitman, William Reilly, and Lee Thomas - three of which are Republicans, and one is a Democrat, are testifying today before the House energy subcommittee on environmental policy under Donald Trump. According to these administrators, the Trump administration's rollbacks of key pollution safeguards are putting Americans at risk.
Trump spoke to a group of White House pool reporters where he waved a piece of paper that he said contained his deal with Mexico, and also said that "Without the tariffs, we would have had nothing."
Donald Trump Jr testified before the Republican-led Senate intelligence committee regarding inconsistencies about conversations he had with his father regarding the infamous June, 2016 Trump Tower meeting, and negotiations over a possible Trump Tower project in Moscow during the 2016 election.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), National Security Archive (the Archive) and Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations (SHAFR) filed a joint lawsuit alleging that Donald Trump and Jared Kushner have violated the Presidential Records Act and the Federal Records Act for failing to document meetings with Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-un and top Saudi officials. According to Noah Bookbinder, the executive director at CREW "It is clear that President Trump and White House officials have gone to great lengths to hold high-level meetings with foreign governments and carry out foreign policy objectives while blatantly ignoring record keeping laws and preventing national security officials and the American people from understanding what they are doing." The lawsuit says in part "The absence of records in these circumstances causes real, incalculable harm to our national security and poses a direct threat to transparency for the American public. We’re asking the court to compel White House officials to make and maintain these important records that let the public know what the government is up to and provide a safeguard to our history."
House Democrats passed a resolution that enables lawmakers to enforce subpoenas against Attorney General William Barr, and former White House counsel Don McGahn. Every Republican in the House voted against the measure. Jerry Nadler, the House judiciary committee chair told MSNBC's Ari Melber that Robert Mueller, the former special counsel, will testify before the committee before the end of the summer.
June 10, 2019 - Donald Trump sent the following tweet regarding a deal being worked out with Mexico to avoid imposing tariffs on that country: "We have fully signed and documented another very important part of the Immigration and Security deal with Mexico, one that the U.S. has been asking about getting for many years. It will be revealed in the not too distant future and will need a vote by Mexico’s Legislative body! We do not anticipate a problem with the vote but, if for any reason the approval is not forthcoming, Tariffs will be reinstated!"
June 10, 2019 - Donald Trump sent the following tweet regarding a deal being worked out with Mexico to avoid imposing tariffs on that country: "We have fully signed and documented another very important part of the Immigration and Security deal with Mexico, one that the U.S. has been asking about getting for many years. It will be revealed in the not too distant future and will need a vote by Mexico’s Legislative body! We do not anticipate a problem with the vote but, if for any reason the approval is not forthcoming, Tariffs will be reinstated!"
According to a story in the New York Times, key components of the immigration deal the Trump Administration struck with Mexico, were actually agreed to months ago, and not because of threats of tariffs. Trump responded to the New York Times story tweeting: "When will the Failing New York Times admit that their front-page story on the the new Mexico deal at the Border is a FRAUD and nothing more than a badly reported ‘hit job’ on me, something that has been going on since the first day I announced for the presidency! Sick Journalism." Beto O'Rourke, a presidential contender, responded to the New York Times story saying "I think the president has completely overblown what he purports to have achieved. These are agreements that Mexico had already made, in some cases, months ago. They might have accelerated the timetable but by and large the president achieved nothing except to jeopardize the most important trading relationship that the United States of America has."
John Dean, former White House counsel under Richard Nixon, who helped bring that presidency down through his testimony before the Senate Watergate Committee in 1973, is scheduled to testify today before the House judiciary committee. Trump responded to the news tweeting: "For two years all the Democrats talked about was the Mueller Report, because they knew that it was loaded up with 13 Angry Democrat Trump Haters, later increased to 18. But despite the bias, when the Report came out, the findings were No Collusion and facts that led to No Obstruction. The Dems were devastated - after all this time and money spent ($40,000,000), the Mueller Report was a disaster for them. But they want a Redo, or Do Over. They are even bringing in @CNN sleazebag attorney John Dean. Sorry, no Do Overs - Go back to work!"
Jerry Nadler, the House judiciary chairman announced that the DOJ "has agreed to begin complying with our committee’s subpoena by opening Robert Mueller’s most important files to us, providing us with key evidence that the Special Counsel used to assess" whether Trump obstructed justice.
Ken Cuccinelli has been named acting director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
In his testimony today, John Dean said of the Mueller report: "In many ways it is to Donald Trump what the ‘Watergate road map’ was to Nixon."
Professor Joyce White Vance, a former federal prosecutor from Alabama, testified today before the House judiciary committee regarding obstruction of justice charges against Trump saying "I would be willing to personally indict the case...and win on appeal."
Michigan law professor, and former US attorney Barb McQuade testified today that Trump asking McGahn to create a false document about their exchange regarding getting rid of Mueller is "the most serious allegation" against Trump, and "constitutes obstruction of justice".
The Washington Post is reporting that there was a data breach at US Customs and Border Protection and that photos of travelers were leaked.
A judge has granted a preliminary injunction in favor of the St Louis Planned Parenthood clinic, Missouri's only remaining clinic that provides abortions, allowing it to stay open until further order by the court.
When Emmanuel Macron visited the White House last year, he gave Trump an oak tree as a symbolic gift of "friendship", which was planted on the White House lawn. News surfaced today that the "friendship tree" has died.
June 8, 2019 - Trump sent the following tweet: "MEXICO HAS AGREED TO IMMEDIATELY BEGIN BUYING LARGE QUANTITIES OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT FROM OUR PATRIOT FARMERS!" Directly contradicting the tweet, Mexican foreign minister Marcelo Ebrard, told reporters "We don't have a specific agreement on products of this kind."
June 7, 2019 - Today is National Gun Violence Awareness day. Activists across the country will be wearing orange as a symbolic call for safety and an end to shootings, and to pay tribute to Hadiya Pendleton, who died at 15 years of age in 2013 after being shot in Chicago.
According to a NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll, 77% of Americans said they support keeping the Roe v Wade decision in place in some form, while 13% want it overturned.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, told a group of reporters that tariffs on Mexican goods are still set to take place saying "Our position hasn’t changed. Tariffs are going to take effect on Monday."
In 2017, the Trump Organization made this statement "No communications of the Organization, including social media accounts, will reference or otherwise be tied to [@realdonaldtrump's] role as President of the United States." Eric Trump said at the time: "There are lines that we would never cross, and that's mixing business with anything government." However, today, Trump's golf course in Doonbeg, Ireland, promoted Trump's stay there on twitter. After significant online criticism, Trump's Ireland golf course deleted the tweets promoting Trump's stay.
Trump stated during a recent Fox News interview that the head of NATO said "Without Donald Trump, maybe there would be no NATO." According to the Washington Post "There is no record of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who Trump called 'maybe Trump’s biggest fan,' saying any such thing."
According to the Washington Post, John Kelly, Trump's former Homeland Security secretary, directed FEMA to produce "feel-good reports" that "left out the serious problems in the agency’s emergency response".
Trump sent the following in a tweet today at 12:38 pm EST: "For all of the money we are spending, NASA should NOT be talking about going to the Moon - We did that 50 years ago. They should be focused on the much bigger things we are doing, including Mars (of which the Moon is a part), Defense and Science!" This seemingly out of nowhere tweet was found to have been inspired by a comment made by Neil Cavuto of Fox News at around 12:26 pm: "NASA is refocusing on the moon, the next sort of quest, if you will, but didn't we do this moon thing quite a few decades ago?"
As LGBT pride month approaches, US embassies from around the world are requesting permission to fly the rainbow pride flag as part of the celebration, as they did when Obama was president. So far, Israel, Germany, Brazil and Latvia have made the request. The Trump Administration is rejecting those requests.
June 6, 2019 - Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker, who has been resistant to impeachment of the president, told Jerry Nadler, the House Judiciary Committee chairman, who was pushing for impeachment proceedings to begin, "I don’t want to see him impeached, I want to see him in prison".
June 6, 2019 - Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker, who has been resistant to impeachment of the president, told Jerry Nadler, the House Judiciary Committee chairman, who was pushing for impeachment proceedings to begin, "I don’t want to see him impeached, I want to see him in prison".
Jessica Maxwell, a spokeswoman for the Defense Department, was asked about Trump's claim that transgender troops can’t serve in the military because service members are not allowed to take drugs. Maxwell's response: "The Military Health System covers all approved medically necessary treatments and prescription medications. If a service member has a hormone deficiency for any reason (such as hypogonadism, hypothyroidism, menopause, etc.), he or she would be prescribed hormones."
During an interview with Laura Ingraham, Trump was asked about Robert Mueller's statement last week that Trump wasn't charged with a crime because of Justice Department policy prohibiting the indictment of a sitting president. Trump's response: "Let me tell you, he made such a fool out of himself ... because what people don’t report is the letter he had to do to straighten out his testimony because his testimony was wrong". NOTE: After Mueller made his public statement, the Justice Department and the special counsel's office released a joint statement saying there was no conflict between Mueller's comments and Attorney General William Barr's remarks on the issue. Trump continued his response saying "Nancy Pelosi, I call her Nervous Nancy, Nancy Pelosi doesn’t talk about it. Nancy Pelosi is a disaster, ok? She’s a disaster. Let her do what she wants, you know what? I think they’re in big trouble." NOTE: This interview took place in the American cemetery at Normandy, with the graves of the fallen soldiers as the backdrop. Mueller himself served as a Marine in Vietnam in 1968, where he suffered from a gunshot wound.
Responding to Trump's threats of tariffs, Mexico has arrested two prominent organizers of migrant caravans, charging them with human trafficking.
Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser, has fired the lawyers who arranged his guilty plea.
According to The Hill "House Democrats have officially introduced a resolution to hold Attorney General William Barr and former White House counsel Don McGahn in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with congressional subpoenas. The contempt resolution allows House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) to go to court to seek civil enforcement of the subpoena for Barr to turn over special counsel Robert Mueller’s unredacted report and underlying evidence, as well as for McGahn to provide documents and public testimony."
Trump, who opposed giving any additional aid to Puerto Rico, but reluctantly agreed to do so to allow Senate Republicans to approve a broader relief package, sent the following tweet today: "Just signed Disaster Aid Bill to help Americans who have been hit by recent catastrophic storms. So important for our GREAT American farmers and ranchers. Help for GA, FL, IA, NE, NC, and CA. Puerto Rico should love President Trump. Without me, they would have been shut out!"
Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer responded to Trump's Puerto Rico claim saying "This is a lie. Without your interference, Puerto Rico and these other disaster-impacted areas would have received disaster relief aid months ago. Fortunately, Democrats remained resolute and got this done. Now get the money to the communities who need it ASAP."
Nancy Pelosi, who is in Normandy, France for the 75th anniversary of D-Day, was asked about statements Trump made earlier today. Her response: "I don’t talk about the president while I’m out of the country. That’s my principle."
According to CNN, interviews from 2015 have been uncovered in which Larry Kudlow, Trump's chief economic adviser, is very critical of the policies he now supports. Here are some statements Kudlow made in those interviews:
"This anti-immigration thing has gone way too far. For example, Donald Trump is blaming the government of Mexico several times for sending us these terrible people. First of all, the government of Mexico has nothing to do with sending us anybody."
"He [Trump] will destroy the dollar."
"Lower tariffs equals lower taxes equals growth. In the 1930s high tariffs, Smoot-Hawley tariffs, equals high taxes, equals depression. It’s that simple. Too many Republicans on the campaign trail are flirting with protectionism. Trump is the worst, but he’s not the only one."June 5, 2019 - After Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer predicted that Trump would not follow through on his proposal to put tariffs on Mexican goods, Trump responded with the following tweet: "Can you imagine Cryin’ Chuck Schumer saying out loud, for all to hear, that I am bluffing with respect to putting Tariffs on Mexico. What a Creep. He would rather have our Country fail with drugs & Immigration than give Republicans a win. But he gave Mexico bad advice, no bluff!"
News surfaced that on 5 separate occasions between 1981 and 1995, Trump floated false stories about the royal family to the press to gin up publicity for his properties.
According to Mark Weber, a spokesman for Health and Human Services, the Office of Refugee Resettlement is withdrawing federal funding for activities "not directly necessary for the protection of life and safety, including education services, legal services, and recreation" for immigrant kids held in shelters. A previous federal court ruling mandates education and recreation for minors in federal custody. There are currently 40,000 children in HHS custody. Most are teenagers traveling to the US on their own, but some are from the group of children who were taken from their parents during Trump's family separation policy.
Donald Trump claimed during an interview with Pierce Morgan that the ban on transgender military service members is due to prescription drugs used by transgender people during transition saying "You’re in the military, you’re not allowed to take any drugs". According to Jane Schacter, an expert on gender and sexuality law at Stanford University "This statement is incorrect. Many members of the military use prescription medication, and it is made available to them worldwide. Hormone therapy, in particular, is prescribed, including to manage the gynecological needs of non-transgender service members." Trump also dismissed climate change saying it was caused by a "change in weather" that "changes both ways" and also claimed the US has "among the cleanest climates there are".
The Trump Administration announced that government scientists will no longer be able to do research using human fetal tissue. According to the Associated Press "Research using fetal tissue that otherwise would be discarded has been funded by the government, under leadership of both political parties, for decades — and has led to life-saving advances including development of vaccines for rubella and rabies, and drugs for the HIV virus."
The Trump Administration is rolling back Obama-era regulations that require lenders to verify that borrowers can afford basic living expenses in addition to covering the payments on their loan. Payday lenders, which charge as much as 400% interest calculated annually, are the primary beneficiaries of the rollback.
Georgia Clark, a high school English teacher in Texas, sent tweets to Donald Trump saying that her school district "is loaded with illegal students from Mexico” and pushed for “removing illegals that are in the public school system". Clark, who claims that she did not know her tweets could be viewed by the public, was fired.
House speaker Nancy Pelosi responded to Trump's threat to impose tariffs on Mexico calling it "bad policy" then saying "I don’t even think it rises to the level of policy. I think it’s notion-mongering — again. And it’s really, well, let’s face what it is: It’s a distraction from the Mueller report. And it served its purpose, right? Here we are, here we are."
According to the Guardian, CNN has filed suit against the FBI to make public memos "outlining what more than 500 witnesses told Mueller’s investigators about Russian election interference, the role of the Trump campaign, and potential obstruction of justice. The FBI had refused to release them pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act".
During his interview with Pierce Morgan, Trump was asked if he wished he had served in Vietnam. Trump's response: "Well I was not a fan of that war I'll be honest with you. I thought it was a terrible war, I thought it was very far away, nobody ever... you know your talking about Vietnam and at that time, nobody had ever heard of that country. Today they're doing very well, in fact, on trade, they are brutal, they're very brutal, they're great negotiators, they're great business people. But nobody heard of Vietnam, and they were saying 'what are we doing? So many people are dying. What is happening over there?' So I was never a fan. This isn't like I'm fighting against Nazi Germany, we're fighting against Hitler. And I was like a lot of people. Now I wasn't out in the streets marching saying I'm going to move to Canada - which a lot of people did. But no, I was not a fan of that war."
Senator Tammy Duckworth, who lost both legs serving in Iraq, responded to Trump's statement about Vietnam saying on twitter: "#CadetBoneSpurs: no one cares whether you were a 'fan' of the Vietnam War. No one believes you were medically unfit to serve. You used your wealth & privilege to avoid serving your country five times, forcing another American to serve in your place each time. Now, you're stealing billions from @DeptofDefense's budget to fund a wall you promised Mexico would pay for. You're failing to support military families by taking away caregiver funding. You're kicking out Americans who *are* willing to serve only because they're transgender. Sane people aren't 'fans' of war—only #StableGeniuses would even think that. I’ve met many #WWII #DDay Vets. None ever said they were fans of war. They simply answered their nation’s call, regardless of what they thought. Especially during the draft—it wasn’t optional for them. These comments only make one thing clear: @realDonaldTrump got his deferments for the wrong thing. They shouldn't have been for his disappearing, imaginary bone spurs—they should have been for that yellow streak down his back. At least that would have been a real condition."
June 4, 2019 - Trump greeted Theresa May, the British prime minister, and in an awkward moment, extended a handshake to her husband, but not to her. During a meeting with May, Trump claimed that Britain is the United States' biggest trading partner, adding that this is a fact that many don't know. In reality, China is the United States' biggest trading partner. Britain is number 7. The Trump Administration imposed new restrictions on travel to Cuba, banning many education and recreational trips. Senate Republicans have threatened to block Trump's proposed tariffs on Mexico. Responding to the threat, Trump said "I don’t think they will do that. I think if they do, it’s foolish". Despite video footage of thousands in the streets of London protesting, Trump called news of the protests "fake news". News surfaced that the White House has directed former communications director Hope Hicks and former White House Lawyer Annie Donaldson to refuse to turn over documents to the House Judiciary Committee in response to subpoenas which expire today. Jerry Nadler, the House Judiciary Committee chair, responded to the news saying "As part of President Trump’s continued obstruction of Congress, the White House has instructed both Hope Hicks and Annie Donaldson not to turn over records in response to subpoenas issued by our committee last month. I note that Ms Hicks has agreed to turn over some documents to the committee related to her time working for the Trump campaign, and I thank her for that show of good faith. Federal law makes clear that the documents we requested – documents that left the White House months ago – are no longer covered by executive privilege, if they ever were. The president has no lawful basis for preventing these witnesses from complying with our request. We will continue to seek reasonable accommodation on these and all our discovery requests and intend to press these issues when we obtain the testimony of both Ms Hicks and Ms Donaldson." Kate Gilmore, the UN deputy high commissioner for human rights, offered this assessment of the numerous anti-abortion bills that have been passed in states across the country: "We have not called it out in the same way we have other forms of extremist hate, but this is gender-based violence against women, no question. It’s clear it’s torture – it’s a deprivation of a right to health. This is a crisis. It’s a crisis directed at women." Adam Schiff, the House Intelligence Committee chair had harsh words today for Attorney General William Barr, saying "We find ourselves, I think, for the first time with an attorney general who really is the president’s defense lawyer and spokesperson who’s quite good at it and has the veneer of respectability to camouflage what he’s doing. He is not the sophist that [presidential lawyer Rudy] Giuliani is, he’s much more dangerous, and I think he’s the second-most-dangerous man in the country." Amy Dalla Mura, a British right wing troll who goes by the name "Based Amy" stabbed the Trump baby balloon, and in the process cut herself, and was immediately arrested. Two female asylum seekers at the Mexican border have died in border patrol custody in the last 36 hours.
June 3, 2019 - US Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee, ruled that one chamber of Congress cannot sue the president: "While the Constitution bestows upon Members of the House many powers, it does not grant them standing to hale the Executive Branch into court claiming a dilution of Congress’s legislative authority." Elijah Cummings, the Oversight and Reform Chairman, announced in a letter that the House will be voting to hold Attorney General William Barr, and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in contempt over their failure to comply with subpoenas in an ongoing probe into the Trump Administration’s plan to ask a citizenship question in the 2020 census. In the letter, Cummings stated "The Trump Administration has been engaged in one of the most unprecedented cover-ups since Watergate, extending from the White House to multiple federal agencies and departments of the government and across numerous investigations. The tactics of this cover-up are now clear. The Administration has been challenging Congress’ core authority to conduct oversight under the Constitution, questioning the legislative bases for congressional inquiries, objecting to committee rules and precedents that have been in place for decades under both Republican and Democratic leadership, and making baseless legal arguments to avoid producing documents and testimony. This cover-up is being directed from the top." The Supreme Court rejected a request by the Trump Administration to fast-track a decision on whether it will hear a case over the administration’s dismantling of the Childhood Arrivals (Daca) program. Donald Trump is in London today, and activists there have been busy trolling him. One group projected a giant USS John McCain cap onto Madame Tussaud's, then tweeted a picture and accompanying text saying "Hey @realDonaldTrump, we read the story about the sailors on a US warship being ordered to hide from you because you’re triggered by the name on their hats. So we turned Madame Tussaud's into a giant USS John McCain baseball cap. Welcome to London!" Another group projected poll numbers of London citizens showing that Trump's approval of just 21%, is dwarfed by the 72% approval of Barack Obama. Also, hovering above throngs of protesters was Trump baby blimp. According to the Guardian, Elaine Chao, Trump's Transportation Secretary, and wife of Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, "asked federal officials to organize travel arrangements for at least one family member and included other relatives in high-level meetings with Chinese government officials during her first visit to China as a Trump cabinet member" triggering the State and Transportation Departments to raise ethics concerns. On March 27th, the city of El Paso, TX, billed Donald J Trump for President Inc. $470,417.05 for a campaign rally held in that city. The bill was due on April 26th, and as of today, the city is reporting it has not seen one dime of the amount owed. Donald Trump called Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, a "stone cold loser" in response to comments the mayor made two days ago. Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law, was interviewed by Axios, and asked about his father in law's foray into birtherism. Here's the exchange:
Jonathan Swan: "Was birtherism racist?"
Jared Kushner: "I wasn't really involved in that."
Jonathan Swan: "I know you weren't. Was it racist?"
Jared Kushner: "Like I said, I wasn't involved in that."
Jonathan Swan: "I know you weren't. Was it racist?"
Jared Kushner: "I know who the president is and I have not seen anything in him that is racist."
June 2, 2019 - Adam Schiff was asked on This Week with George Stephanopoulos about a statement Attorney General William Barr made a few days ago in which he implied wrong doing by the Obama Administration justice department, to which Schiff responded: "Well ironically of course, that statement you heard from Bill Barr is a perfect description of his own conduct. He's willing to cavalierly throw out terms like spying, and pretend he doesn't know just how pejorative that term is. He is a smart man and understands exactly how incendiary what his allegation is, and it's designed to be. That's why he is, I think, falling into such legitimate criticism for acting as effectively a henchman of the president. You don't talk cavalierly about intelligence agencies of the FBI spying on presidential campaigns. And given how much he misled the country about Mueller's own report and findings, we can sadly expect that given this power to declassify information now, he will do so in a selective way, designed to mislead the country in the president's service. And there may be no opportunity for rebuttal this time. There will be no further Mueller Report, that will set us straight this selective declassification, that he may put into effect. And the fact that he will say he doesn't want to speculate about what went on early in the investigation until he knows, but he's willing to speculate that it was spying, tells you all you need to know about how disingenuous he's being with the country." Mick Mulvaney, the White House chief of staff, was asked on NBC's Meet the Press about the USS John McCain incident. Mulvaney's response: "The fact some 23- or 24-year-old person went to that site and said, ‘Oh my goodness, there’s the John McCain, we all know how the president feels about the former senator, that’s not the best backdrop, can somebody look into moving it?’ That’s not an unreasonable thing to ask." According to Mulvaney, press interest in the story is "outrageous". Donald Trump sent the following tweet denying that he called Meghan Markle nasty saying "I never called Meghan Markle 'nasty.' Made up by the Fake News Media, and they got caught cold! Will @CNN, @nytimes and others apologize? Doubt it!" However, the Sun, which first reported the story, released a recording of the interview. Here's the exchange in the recording:
TOM NEWTON-DUNN - "[Markle] can’t make it because she’s got maternity leave. Are you sorry not to see her? Because she wasn’t so nice about you during the campaign. I don’t know if you saw that."
DONALD TRUMP - "I didn’t know that, no. I didn’t know that. No, I hope she’s OK. I did not know that, no."
TOM NEWTON-DUNN - "She said she’d move to Canada if you got elected. It turned out she moved to Britain."
DONALD TRUMP - "A lot of people moving here, so what can I say? No, I didn’t know that she was nasty."
June 1, 2019 - According to the Guardian, Donald Trump "defied diplomatic convention which dictates that leaders do not weigh in to the domestic politics of other nations, particularly ahead of visits, by backing [Boris] Johnson to succeed Theresa May in an interview with the Sun. He also used the interview to describe the Duchess of Sussex, as 'nasty'." Trump called Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex nasty after he was told she had been critical of him during his 2016 presidential campaign. Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, made the following statement about Donald Trump, who is scheduled to begin a state visit to London in two days: "President Donald Trump is just one of the most egregious examples of a growing global threat. The far right is on the rise around the world, threatening our hard-won rights and freedoms and the values that have defined our liberal, democratic societies for more than 70 years. Viktor Orbán in Hungary, Matteo Salvini in Italy, Marine Le Pen in France and Nigel Farage here in the UK are using the same divisive tropes of the fascists of the 20th century to garner support, but with new sinister methods to deliver their message. And they are gaining ground and winning power and influence in places that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. This is a man who also tried to exploit Londoners’ fears following a horrific terrorist attack on our city, amplified the tweets of a British far-right racist group, denounced as fake news the robust scientific evidence warning of the dangers of climate change, and is now trying to interfere shamelessly in the Conservative party leadership race by backing Boris Johnson because he believes it would enable him to gain an ally in Number 10 for his divisive agenda."
May 31, 2019 - According to Paul Rieckhoff, the founder and former head of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, many veterans are concerned about the possibility that Trump may politicize next week's 75th anniversary celebration of D-Day. According to Rieckhoff "It’s unfortunate we have to be even concerned that this historic commemoration will be overly politicized, but this is the command climate he’s created and the reality we have. We have to send our president. You go with the president we’ve got, and this is the president we’ve got. So we’re rightfully holding our breath for an event like this." Donald Trump announced plans for a 5% tariff on Mexican imports starting June 5th in response to a surge of asylum seekers at the southern border, many of which are fleeing poverty and violence in Guatemala and other Central American countries. Trump, who has labeled himself "Tariff Man" said the tariffs would increase monthly by 5%, up to a maximum of 25%, and remain there, until "the illegal immigration problem is remedied." News of the tariffs caused world financial markets to drop, some by as high as 1.6%. Defending his tariff announcement, Trump sent the following tweet: "Mexico has taken advantage of the United States for decades. Because of the Dems, our Immigration Laws are BAD. Mexico makes a FORTUNE from the U.S., have for decades, they can easily fix this problem. Time for them to finally do what must be done!" According to the New York Times, "only 11 employers have been prosecuted for hiring undocumented immigrants" over the last 12 months, while "112,000 undocumented immigrants were prosecuted for illegal entry or re-entry" during the same 12-month period. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the president of Mexico, has dispatched his foreign secretary to Washington to discuss the proposed tariffs on Mexican goods. Donald Trump sent the following tweet regarding Mexican tariffs: "In order not to pay Tariffs, if they start rising, companies will leave Mexico, which has taken 30% of our Auto Industry, and come back home to the USA. Mexico must take back their country from the drug lords and cartels. The Tariff is about stopping drugs as well as illegals!" Senator Chuck Grassley, Republican from Iowa, called the proposed tariffs on Mexico "a misuse of presidential authority". Jerry Nadler, the House Judiciary Committee chairman, made the following statement today: "Collusion, cooperation with the Russians is all over the place. It’s in plain sight. I would call that collusion." Amid reports that North Korea executed members of its nuclear negotiating team after the failed nuclear summit with Trump, Sarah Huckabee Sanders responded with the following when asked about the disturbing news "I’m not going to comment on intelligence one way or another,” she said Friday. “I can tell you we’re monitoring the situation and continue to stay focused on our ultimate goal, which is denuclearization." According to the Hill, the Pentagon which used to provide routine briefings, has now gone a full year without a single on-camera press briefing by its top spokesperson. Laura Ingraham has come under fire for calling white supremicist Paul Nehlen a "prominent voice" on the right who was "censored by social media." Nehlen, who has advocated for arming the border wall with machine guns, and to treat any approaching Mexican immigrant "as an enemy combatant", and whose rampant anti-Semitism led to the Republican Party cutting ties with him, was banned from facebook due to "dangerous" behavior. Fox News is defending Ingraham. Francis Stelzer, a Missouri judge, granted a request by Planned Parenthood for a restraining order blocking that state's effort to shut them down. The St Louis Planned Parenthood, Missouri's last remaining abortion provider, was being threatened with losing its license after the state charged it did not comply with a health department investigation. Officials at the clinic have described the state's demands as harassment and intimidation. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took up bartending this week at the same bar she worked at before running for Congress. AOC's goal is to raise support for living wage legislation. A city engineer in Virginia Beach, Virginia, entered the municipal building where he works, and opened fire on his co-workers with two 45 caliber pistols, killing 12, and wounding 4. According to CNN, the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general found "egregious" conditions at multiple facilities including "dangerous overcrowding" and unsanitary conditions at the El Paso Del Norte Processing Center in El Paso, Texas, during an unannounced inspection. Among their findings:
- 900 immigrants packed into the facility which is built to house 125.
- 76 detainees packed into a cell designed to hold no more than 12.
- 155 detainees in a cell designed to hold no more than 35.
- Mold and rotten food were found at four immigrant detention facilities.
- Raw chicken leaking blood over refrigeration units.
- Unusable toilets.
May 30, 2019 - Donald Trump sent the following tweet today: "The Greatest Presidential Harassment in history. After spending $40,000,000 over two dark years, with unlimited access, people, resources and cooperation, highly conflicted Robert Mueller would have brought charges, if he had ANYTHING, but there were no charges to bring!" Trump also tweeted this one: "Russia, Russia, Russia! That’s all you heard at the beginning of this Witch Hunt Hoax...And now Russia has disappeared because I had nothing to do with Russia helping me to get elected. It was a crime that didn’t exist. So now the Dems and their partner, the Fake News Media, say he fought back against this phony crime that didn’t exist, this horrendous false accusation, and he shouldn’t fight back, he should just sit back and take it. Could this be Obstruction? No, Mueller didn’t find Obstruction either. Presidential Harassment!" When asked by the press about his reference to Russia helping him get elected Trump responded with "Russia did not help me get elected. You know who got me elected? You know who got me elected? I got me elected. Russia did not help me at all." Trump was asked if he knew about measures taken to obscure the USS John McCain from his view in Japan, Trump's response "I was not a big fan of John McCain in any way, shape or form. He killed healthcare. I was never a fan, but I would never do anything like that. But someone did that, and they were well-meaning. But I would never do anything like that." Patrick Shanahan, the acting US secretary of defense, reacted to the USS McCain incident saying "I never authorized... any action around the movement or activity regarding that ship. Furthermore, I would never dishonor the memory of a great American patriot like Sen. McCain. I would never disrespect the young men and women that crew that ship." Meghan McCain, John McCain's daughter, responded to the USS McCain incident saying "Trump is a child who will always be deeply threatened by the greatness of my dads incredible life. There is a lot of criticism of how much I speak about my dad, but nine months since he passed, Trump won't let him RIP. So I have to stand up for him. It makes my grief unbearable." Donald Trump promised a "dramatic" statement about the southern border today saying "This is a big-league statement, but we are going to do something very dramatic on the border" Trump sent the following tweet today: "Robert Mueller came to the Oval Office (along with other potential candidates) seeking to be named the Director of the FBI. He had already been in that position for 12 years, I told him NO. The next day he was named Special Counsel - A total Conflict of Interest. NICE!" According to Devlin Barrett, a journalist for the Washington Post, who writes about national security and law enforcement "Bob Mueller is barred by law from serving again as the FBI Director. At the meeting POTUS mentions, White House officials told him, per sources, they were willing to push Congress to pass a new law to make Mueller's re-appointment possible." In what is being seen as another dig at the late senator John McCain, Trump sent the following tweet regarding the death of senator Thad Cochran: "Very sad to hear the news on the passing of my friend, Senator Thad Cochran. He was a real Senator with incredible values - even flew back to Senate from Mississippi for important Healthcare Vote when he was desperately ill. Thad never let our Country (or me) down!" According to new documents unearthed from the archive of Thomas Hofeller, known as the mastermind of the Republican gerrymander, the true intent behind including a citizenship question on the 2020 census, is that it "would be advantageous to Republicans and non-Hispanic whites" & "would clearly be a disadvantage to the Democrats". According to the New York Times "The disclosures represent the most explicit evidence to date that the Trump administration added the question to the census to advance Republican Party interests." The Trump administration, which argued last month before the US Supreme Court in favor of including the citizenship question, disingenuously framed the proposal as a defense of voting rights. The court has yet to issue a ruling on the citizenship question. During an interview with CBS News, Attorney General William Barr, said he "personally felt" that Robert Mueller "could've reached a decision" on obstruction of justice by President Trump. U.S. District Judge Haywood Gilliam, ruled that work on wall projects in Texas and Arizona using Defense Department funds cannot continue while an appeal is pending. According to the San Francisco Chronicle: "Gilliam, the first judge to consider lawsuits challenging the wall, ruled last Friday that Trump appeared to be defying the will of Congress, which must authorize all federal government appropriations. His injunction blocked administration from using $1 billion, which Congress had approved last year for Defense Department antidrug operations, to build walls in border areas near El Paso, Texas, and Yuma, Ariz." A Trump Tower condo belonging to Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign chair, was officially turned over to the US government today. It is now up to U.S. Marshals to dispose of the property. According to the Washington Post, Trump's soon to be made "big league" announcement is about threatening Mexico with tariffs in response to the surge of migrants seeking asylum at the southern border saying "Trump is planning to make the announcement Friday, but some White House aides are trying to talk him out of it, arguing that such a threat would rattle financial markets and potentially imperil passage of the USMCA trade agreement, according to these officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal administration plans." Trump was asked about the prospect of House Democrats launching impeachment proceedings, his response: "I never thought that would even be possible to be using that word. To me, it's a dirty word, the word impeach. It's a dirty, filthy, disgusting word". Trump then went on to attack Robert Mueller saying "I think he is a total conflicted person. I think Mueller is a true never Trumper, he's somebody that dislikes Donald Trump." Attorney General William Barr was asked if Obama Administration officials committed treason, as has been alleged by Donald Trump, regarding the investigation into his presidential campaign, and its contacts with Russia. Barr responded, "Not as a legal matter, no. Sometimes people can convince themselves that what they're doing is in the higher interest, better good. They don't realize that what they're doing is really antithetical to the democratic system we have"
May 29, 2019 - Louisiana became the latest state to pass an abortion bill that bans the procedure at around 6 weeks, with no exceptions for rape or incest. News surfaced that during Trump's visit to Japan, the White House wanted the USS John McCain out of sight, so a tarp was hung over the ship's name, and the sailors assigned to the ship were given the day off, as they wear caps bearing the ship's name when in uniform. According to Michael Wolff's forthcoming book Siege: Trump Under Fire, Steve Bannon, Trump's former White House adviser, predicted investigations into Trump's finances will be his political downfall when he is revealed to be "not the billionaire he said he was, just another scumbag". Bannon also referred to the Trump organization as a "criminal enterprise". According to the The U.S. Secret Service, a man lit himself on fire near the White House. In an act seen by many to be a signal to congress to act, Robert Mueller broke two years of silence to make a statement about his report, and to resign saying "We are formally closing the special counsel’s office and as well I’m resigning from the Department of Justice to return to private life". According to Mueller "If we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said that. We did not, however, make a determination as to whether the president did commit a crime." Mueller explained why he couldn't make that determination: "A president cannot be charged with a federal crime while he is in office. That is unconstitutional. Even if the charge is kept under seal and hidden from public view – that too is prohibited. The special counsel’s office is part of the Department of Justice and, by regulation, it was bound by that department policy. Charging the president with a crime was therefore not an option we could consider." Here are some select reactions to Mueller's statement:
"Special Counsel Robert Mueller just said that 'charging the president with a crime was not an option we could consider' under DOJ policy. It wasn't lack of evidence. It was DOJ policy. He said that this 'deserves the attention of every American.' He's right. Congress must act." - Representative Val Demings
"The ball is in our court, Congress." - Representative Justin Amash, Republican from Michigan
"Although Department of Justice policy prevented the Special Counsel from bringing criminal charges against the President, the Special Counsel has clearly demonstrated that President Trump is lying about the Special Counsel’s findings, lying about the testimony of key witnesses in the Special Counsel’s report, and is lying in saying that the Special Counsel found no obstruction and no collusion. Given that Special Counsel Mueller was unable to pursue criminal charges against the President, it falls to Congress to respond to the crimes, lies and other wrongdoing of President Trump – and we will do so. No one, not even the President of the United States, is above the law." - Jerry Nadler, House Judiciary Committee chair
"I’ve been asking for Mueller’s testimony—today he made his views clear. This Administration has continued to stonewall Congress’s oversight. Beginning impeachment proceedings is the only path forward." - Senator Cory Booker
"Mueller did his job. Now it's time to do ours. Impeachment hearings should begin tomorrow." - Seth Moulton
"What Robert Mueller basically did was return an impeachment referral. Now it is up to Congress to hold this president accountable. We need to start impeachment proceedings. It's our constitutional obligation." - Kamala Harris
"There must be consequences, accountability, and justice. The only way to ensure that is to begin impeachment proceedings." - Beto O'Rourke
"Mueller made clear this morning that his investigation now lays at the feet of Congress. No one is above the law—Congress should begin an impeachment inquiry." - Julian Castro
"If the House Judiciary Committee deems it necessary, I will support their decision to open an impeachment inquiry." - Bernie Sanders
"It’s time for Republicans and Democrats to begin impeachment hearings and follow the facts wherever they may lead." - Kirsten Gillibrand
"Mueller leaves no doubt:
1) He didn't exonerate the president because there is evidence he committed crimes.
2) Justice Department policy prevented him from charging the president with any crimes.
3) The Constitution leaves it up to Congress to act—and that's impeachment." - Elizabeth Warren
"The Special Counsel has completed the investigation, closed his office, and has closed the case. Mr. Mueller explicitly said that he has nothing to add beyond the report, and therefore, does not plan to testify before Congress. The report was clear—there was no collusion, no conspiracy—and the Department of Justice confirmed there was no obstruction." - Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House press secretary
"[Mueller] confirmed today what we knew months ago when his report was released: there was no collusion and no obstruction." - Doug Collins, ranking Republican on the House Judiciary committee
"Nothing changes from the Mueller Report. There was insufficient evidence and therefore, in our Country, a person is innocent. The case is closed! Thank you." - Donald J. Trump
May 28, 2019 - According to a new book called Trump Under Fire, by Michael Wolff, "Mueller's office drew up a three-count outline of the president's alleged abuses, under the title 'United States of America against Donald J Trump, Defendant'. The document sat on special counsel's desk for almost a year". A spokesperson for Robert Mueller claims the document does not exist. Kate Bedingfield, Joe Biden's deputy campaign manager, responded to one of Trump's tweets from this past weekend saying "The President’s comments are beneath the dignity of the office. To be on foreign soil, on Memorial Day, and to side repeatedly with a murderous dictator against a fellow American and former Vice President speaks for itself. And it’s part of a pattern of embracing autocrats at the expense of our institutions — whether taking Putin’s word at face value in Helsinki or exchanging ‘love letters’ with Kim Jong-un." Ted Sarandos, Netflix Chief Content Officer, made the following statement today regarding Georgia's proposed abortion law: "We have many women working on productions in Georgia, whose rights, along with millions of others, will be severely restricted by this law. It’s why we will work with the ACLU and others to fight it in court. Given the legislation has not yet been implemented, we’ll continue to film there — while also supporting partners and artists who choose not to. Should it ever come into effect, we’d rethink our entire investment in Georgia." James Comey, the former FBI director, published an oped in the Washington Post, which said in part "There is a reason the non-fringe media doesn’t spend much time on this “treason” and “corruption” business. The conspiracy theory makes no sense. The FBI wasn’t out to get Donald Trump. It also wasn’t out to get Hillary Clinton. It was out to do its best to investigate serious matters while walking through a vicious political minefield. But go ahead, investigate the investigators, if you must. When those investigations are over, they will find the work was done appropriately and focused only on discerning the truth of very serious allegations. There was no corruption. There was no treason. There was no attempted coup. Those are lies, and dumb lies at that. There were just good people trying to figure out what was true, under unprecedented circumstances."
May 26, 2019 - According to the Guardian: "Prominent figures on the Christian right in the US ranging from religious magazines to authors to elected politicians have warned that the fight over abortion rights could lead to a new civil war."
May 25, 2019 - Trump lashed out on twitter at a federal judge who ruled against him yesterday saying "Another activist Obama appointed judge has just ruled against us on a section of the Southern Wall that is already under construction. This is a ruling against Border Security and in favor of crime, drugs and human trafficking. We are asking for an expedited appeal!" Trump, who is currently in Japan, sent the following tweet today "North Korea fired off some small weapons, which disturbed some of my people, and others, but not me. I have confidence that Chairman Kim will keep his promise to me, & also smiled when he called Swampman Joe Biden a low IQ individual, & worse. Perhaps that’s sending me a signal?"
May 24, 2019 - Multiple videos of House speaker Nancy Pelosi began circulating online, which had been altered to make the speaker appear to be intoxicated, or ill. Among those circulating the altered video clips are Donald Trump, the president of the United States, and his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani posted one of the videos with the following caption: "What is wrong with Nancy Pelosi? Her speech pattern is bizarre." When news surfaced that the video had been altered, Giuliani deleted his post, then followed it up with the following incoherent post: "ivesssapology for a video which is allegedly is a caricature of an otherwise halting speech pattern, she should first stop, and apologize for, saying the President needs an 'intervention.' Are" Trump captioned his tweet of the video with: "PELOSI STAMMERS THROUGH NEWS CONFERENCE". Trump also sent the following tweet today "I don’t know why the Radical Left Democrats want Bob Mueller to testify when he just issued a 40 Million Dollar Report that states, loud & clear & for all to hear, No Collusion and No Obstruction (how do you Obstruct a NO crime?) Dems are just looking for trouble and a Do-Over!" The ACLU and Planned Parenthood Federation of America, filed a lawsuit today on behalf of Alabama abortion providers, challenging Alabama's recently passed anti-abortion legislation. The two groups have also filed suit against a ban in Ohio which denies women the right to an abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, and are planning a challenge to anti-abortion legislation in Georgia. A rule being proposed by the Trump administration's Health and Human Services Department, says that laws banning sex discrimination in health care don't apply to people's "gender identity." Mike Parson, the Republican governor of Missouri, signed an abortion bill today that bans the procedure on or beyond eight weeks of pregnancy. The legislation includes an exception for medical emergencies, but not for cases of rape and incest. Trump has filed an appeal to a court ruling that allows Deutsche Bank AG and Capital One Financial Corp to hand their financial records over to Democratic lawmakers. The Trump administration notified Congress that it plans to send 1,500 troops to the Middle East. Teresa May, the British prime minister, announced that she will resign June 7th. The US Supreme Court temporarily blocked lower court rulings that had ordered Republican legislators in Michigan and Ohio to redraw US congressional maps ahead of the 2020 elections after finding that the current districts were unconstitutionally gerrymandered to diminish the power of Democratic voters. Judge Carlton Reeves, a federal judge in Mississippi, blocked the implementation of that state's abortion law which outlaws abortions after about 6 weeks of pregnancy. Last year, Reeves struck down a similar law that outlawed abortion after 15 weeks. While ruling, Reeves stated "Doesn't it boil down to six is less than 15?" Reeves also said this new law "smacks of defiance to this court." Using a loophole in the Arms Control Export Act, Trump declared a national emergency, which will allow for the sale of military equipment to Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Jordan. Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, said the emergency declaration was needed as a deterrent to Iran. The Congress has been blocking these sales because of the high civilian death toll in the Saudi's air campaign against Yemen, and also because of the death of Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, at a Saudi consulate in Turkey. Senator Chris Murphy, Democrat, responded to the national emergency declaration saying "President Trump is only using this loophole because he knows Congress would disapprove ... There is no new ‘emergency’ reason to sell bombs to the Saudis to drop in Yemen, and doing so only perpetuates the humanitarian crisis there". Haywood Gilliam Jr, a US district judge, issued an order blocking Trump from building sections of his border wall with money secured by his declaration of a national emergency, saying in part "The position that when Congress declines the executive’s request to appropriate funds, the executive nonetheless may simply find a way to spend those funds ‘without Congress’ does not square with fundamental separation of powers principles dating back to the earliest days of our Republic"
May 23, 2019 - News surfaced that Rex Tillerson, Trump's former Secretary of State, told a Congressional committee earlier this week that Vladimir Putin was more prepared than Donald Trump for their 2017 meeting in Hamburg, Germany. Trump responded to the news by tweeting the following: "Rex Tillerson, a man who is 'dumb as a rock' and totally ill prepared and ill equipped to be Secretary of State, made up a story (he got fired) that I was out-prepared by Vladimir Putin at a meeting in Hamburg, Germany. I don’t think Putin would agree. Look how the U.S. is doing!" Steve Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary, announced that abolitionist Harriet Tubman, who was scheduled to appear on the $20 bill in 2020, under an Obama administration initiative, would not appear until after Trump leaves office. According to the New York Times, this delay was done out of concern that the president would cause an uproar. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump had voiced opposition to the Tubman re-design, saying that Tubman should be put on the $2 bill instead. Valerie Jarrett, a senior advisor to Barack Obama, responded to the delay saying "Not moving forward is an insult not just to the African American community, but to all Americans who believe we should honor an American who contributed so greatly to the nation’s history." Stephen Calk, the CEO of The Federal Savings Bank in Chicago, was charged by federal prosecutors for approving millions of dollars in high-risk loans to Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign chairman, with the hope it would pan out to a position in the Trump administration. This case is one of 14 referrals to other law enforcement agencies that came out of the Mueller investigation. During a news conference, Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker, expressed concern about Trump's well being saying "Again, I pray for the president of the United States. I wish that his family or his administration or staff would have an intervention for the good of the country." Trump announced today that his administration will be providing $16bn in aid to farmers who are hurt by his trade policies. The Justice Department announced that Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, is being charged with violating the Espionage Act. Donald Trump sent the following tweet defending his behavior during yesterday's infrastructure meeting saying "I was extremely calm yesterday with my meeting with Pelosi and Schumer, knowing that they would say I was raging, which they always do, along with their partner, the Fake News Media. Well, so many stories about the meeting use the Rage narrative anyway - Fake & Corrupt Press!" Trump followed up his tweet with a press conference where he called on multiple senior aides to vouch for his "calm" demeanor in the infrastructure meeting yesterday. During the press conference, Trump claimed, as he has in the past, that he is "an extremely stable genius". Pelosi responded to Trump's comments on twitter saying "When the 'extremely stable genius' starts acting more presidential, I'll be happy to work with him on infrastructure, trade and other issues."
May 22, 2019 - The Justice Department has agreed to begin handing over documents related to the Mueller probe to the House intelligence committee, prompting Adam Schiff, the chairman of that committee, to cancel an "enforcement meeting" in which he had planned to take action against Attorney General Bill Barr for refusing to supply requested documents. Following a meeting of the entire House Democratic caucus, Nancy Pelosi, the House majority leader, made the following statement: "We do believe that it’s important to follow the facts. We believe that no one is above the law, including the President of the United States, and we believe that the President of the United States is engaged in a cover-up — in a cover-up, and that was the nature of the meeting." A UN global assessment compiled over three years by more than 450 scientists and diplomats, which paints a bleak picture for Earth's natural-support systems due to climate change and environmental damage, was discussed today by a subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee. Among the attendees who were called to testify by House Republicans were Marc Morano and Patrick Moore, both are prominent climate deniers. Morano testified that the report "hypes and distorts biodiversity issues for lobbying purposes" and Moore argued that more carbon dioxide is actually good for the planet. According to search warrants executed against Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former fixer and lawyer-turned-convicted felon, Cohen exchanged more than 230 phone calls and 950 text messages with Andrew Intrater, a cousin of Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. Donald Trump called the press to the Rose Garden where they were met by a podium with multiple signs attached to it with various claims like "No Collusion" and "No Obstruction" and other Trump talking points regarding the Mueller investigation. Trump, whose schedule showed that he was supposed to be in an infrastructure meeting with top Democrats, walked up to the podium where he addressed the Mueller investigation by calling it a "witch hunt" and declared as he has many times in the past that "there was no collusion, there was no obstruction". Trump then went on to explain that he was supposed to have a meeting with Pelosi and Schumer to talk about infrastructure, which he'd "be really good at that" but he just "can't do it under these circumstances". Trump then told the press corps that he will only engage with Democrats about infrastructure or other policies once the investigations into him are over. Following the impromptu news conference, news surfaced that Trump had attended the scheduled infrastructure meeting, and according to the New York Times "When Pelosi and Senator Chuck Schumer arrived at the White House, Mr Trump was loaded for bear. He walked into the Cabinet Room, did not shake anyone’s hand or sit in his seat, according to a Democrat informed about the meeting. He said he wanted to advance legislation on infrastructure, trade and other matters, but that 'Speaker Pelosi said something terrible today and accused me of a cover-up,' according to the Democrat. After just three minutes, he left the room before anyone else could speak". Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi called an impromptu press conference to explain the aborted infrastructure meeting with Trump. According to Schumer, Trump was "looking for every excuse" on not improving the country's infrastructure. Pelosi added that "For some reason, maybe it was lack of confidence on his part" or maybe he "couldn't match the greatness of the challenge that we have. He just took a pass, and it just makes me wonder why he did that. In any event I pray for the president of the United States." Pelosi also penned a letter to her Democratic colleagues in which she stated that Trump "had a temper tantrum for us all to see". Judge Edgardo Ramos, a federal judge in Manhattan, declined to rule against Congress, opening the door for Deutsche Bank and Capitol One to begin releasing Trump's financial records. According to NBC News, Wells Fargo and TD Bank, two of nine financial institutions subpoenaed by the House financial services committee for documents related to dealings with the Trump Organization, have already turned over some records.
May 21, 2019 - Glen Casada, the Republican speaker of the House in Tennessee, has agreed to step down from his leadership position after it was revealed that he had exchanged sexually charged messages with his former chief of staff. A group of 23 states and cities have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for expanding what is known as the "conscience rule", which allows healthcare workers to refuse to participate in medical procedures they oppose for religious reasons, or on moral grounds, like Abortion and birth control. Donald Trump's attorneys are appealing a ruling that will force his accounting firm, Mazars USA, to hand over financial records to Congress. The attorney generals of 15 states have asked the Department of Labor to not adopt a Trump administration proposal to roll back overtime rules put in place by the Obama administration. If the rules are rolled back, up to 8 million workers could stop receiving overtime pay. Don McGahn, the former White House counsel, failed to show up to a House Judiciary Committee hearing, despite being subpoenaed. Jerry Nadler, the committee chairman, responded to McGahn's non-presence saying that Trump's behavior as outlined in the Mueller report "constitutes a crime." Nadler also stated that "The president took it upon himself to intimidate a witness who has a legal obligation to be here today. This conduct is not remotely acceptable. When the committee issues a subpoena, the witness must show up. Our subpoenas are not optional. Mr. McGahn has a legal obligation to be here. If McGahn does not immediately reverse course and agree to testify, this committee will have no choice but to enforce the subpoena against him". Nadler also accused Trump of continuing a "pattern of obstruction and cover-up" and declared "Let me be clear: this Committee will hear Mr. McGahn’s testimony, even if we have to go to court to secure it. We will not allow the President to stop this investigation, and nothing in these unjustified and unjustifiable legal attacks will stop us from pressing forward with our work on behalf of the American people. We will hold this President accountable - one way or the other." In response to Don McGahn's failure to appear at the hearing, Adam Schiff, the House Intelligence Committee chairman, said the case for impeaching Trump "gets stronger the more they stonewall. I think that the administration is certainly pushing the Congress in that direction." The House Judiciary Committee issued subpoenas today to the following individuals: Hope Hicks, the former White House communications director, and Annie Donaldson, the chief of staff to ex-White House counsel Don McGahn. Today has been dubbed "Stop the Bans" day by pro-choice organizations, which have organized more than 500 rallies across all 50 states to protest bans and restrictions being put on abortion in a growing number of states. Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian foreign minister, responded to news that Trump wants the Iranians to reach out to him saying they won't negotiate with the Trump administration unless it shows Iran "respect" by honoring its commitments under the nuclear deal that Trump scrapped. Zarif also said "Having all these military assets in a small area is in of itself prone to accidents, extreme prudence is required and the United States is playing a very, very dangerous game". Patrick Shanahan, the acting Defense Secretary, offered the following comment regarding alleged threats from Iran, without offering specifics, "We've put on hold the potential for attacks on Americans". Donald Trump sent the following tweet today "I am very disappointed that Mexico is doing virtually nothing to stop illegal immigrants from coming to our Southern Border where everyone knows that because of the Democrats, our Immigration Laws are totally flawed & broken. Mexico’s attitude is that people from other countries, including Mexico, should have the right to flow into the U.S. & that U.S. taxpayers should be responsible for the tremendous costs associated w/this illegal migration. Mexico is wrong and I will soon be giving a response!" Trump also sent this tweet today "So even though I didn’t have to do it with Presidential Privilege, I allowed everyone to testify, including White House Counsel Don McGahn (for over 30 hours), to Robert Mueller and the 18 Angry Trump-Hating Democrats, and they arrived at a conclusion of NO COLLUSION and NO OBSTRUCTION! The Dems were unhappy with the outcome of the $40M Mueller Report, so now they want a do-over." Representative Don Beyer sent out the following in via twitter today "The time has come for the House of Representatives to open an impeachment inquiry into the conduct of President Trump. Endorsing such a course is not easy, and I do not do so lightly, but I believe that the President has left Congress no other option. When I came to Congress I swore an oath ‘to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. President Trump has shown utter contempt for the Constitution from the moment he took office, but we are now faced with evidence of actions that strongly resemble high crimes and misdemeanors. Congressman Amash’s brave public statement makes support for an impeachment inquiry bipartisan, and I have privately spoken to other Republicans who believe he is right but are unwilling to say so publicly." The Washington Post obtained a confidential draft memo from the Internal Revenue Service that stated that Trump must invoke executive privilege to get out of providing his tax returns to Congress, which contradicts the reasoning used by Steven Mnuchin when he refused to turn the documents over. Trump has been looking to create a new position called "immigration czar", which will be responsible for coordinating immigration policy across government agencies. Kris Kobach, the former Kansas secretary of state, and former head of Trump's now disbanded voter fraud commission, is interested in the position, and has submitted to the White House a list of 10 conditions that must be met for him to take the job. Here is the list of those conditions:
1. Office in the West Wing.
2. Walk-in privileges with the president.
3. Assistant to the President rank - at highest pay level for WH senior staff.
4. Staff of 7 people (2 attorneys, 2 research analysts, 1 scheduler, 1 media person, 1 assistant).
5. POTUS sits down individually with Czar and the secretaries of Homeland Security, Defense, Justice, Ag, Interior, and Commerce, and tells each of the Secretaries to follow the directives of the Czar without delay, subject to appeal to the President in cases of disagreement.
6. 24/7 access to either a DHS or DOD jet. Czar must be on the border every week.
7. Ability to spend weekends in KS with family on way from border back to DC, unless POTUS needs Czar elsewhere.
8. Security detail if deemed necessary after security review.
9. Serve as the face of Trump immigration policy - the principal spokesman on television and in the media.
10. Promise that by November 1, 2019, the president will nominate Kris Kobach to be DHS Secretary, unless Kobach wishes to continue in Czar position.
During an appearance before the House Financial Services Committee today, Ben Carson, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and former brain surgeon, demonstrated what is being called "spectacular incompetence" after Carson was unable to answer basic questions, and had to have basic housing terms that are common to his area of oversight explained to him by Representative Katie Porter. Here are some of the exchanges that took place:
Porter: Do you know what the interest rate curtailment schedule is at FHA and how it’s different from the GSEs?
Carson: Well, we tend to try and maintain a lower interest rate at FHA
Porter: I’m not asking you about the interest rate, sir. I’m asking you about debenture interest curtailment penalties.
Carson: Explain.
In another exchange, Representative Porter asked Carson if he knew what an REO is:
Carson: An Oreo?
Porter: No, not an Oreo. An R-E-O, R-E-O.
Carson: Real estate.
Porter: What's the 'O' stand for?
Carson: E Organization?
Porter: Owned. Real Estate Owned.
At one point Carson was also asked about how HUD plans to change the conveyance process at FHA to address the loss recovery differential between FHA loans and GSE loan:
Carson: You’re getting way down in the weeds here. If I got down in the weeds on every issue I wouldn’t get very far.
Carson was also asked about a plan to evict undocumented immigrants and their US citizen children from subsidized housing, saying in part "It seems only logical that taxpaying American citizens should be taken care of first. It’s not that we’re cruel, mean-hearted. It’s that we are logical. This is common sense. You take care of your own first." After the meeting, Representative Porter made the following statement "In my role as monitor of the big bank settlement during the subprime mortgage meltdown, I saw the human devastation of the 2008 crisis up close. Secretary Carson’s ignorance of the agency he oversees is a slap in the face to the American public, which entrusts him to make sure it doesn’t happen again. I was willing to give Secretary Carson the benefit of the doubt, but his confusion over basic HUD functions was deeply distressing."
May 20, 2019 - According to a New York Times story, "anti-money-laundering specialists at Deutsche Bank recommended in 2016 and 2017 that multiple transactions involving legal entities controlled by Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, be reported to a federal financial-crimes watchdog". Lindsey Graham, a Republican US Senator, sent out the following tweet today "Just received a briefing from National Security Advisor Bolton about escalating tensions with Iran. It is clear that over the last several weeks Iran has attacked pipelines and ships of other nations and created threat streams against American interests in Iraq." Representative Ruben Gallego, responded to Graham's tweet saying "Again Lindsey and I get the same intel. That is not what is being said. This is total information bias to draw the conclusion he wants for himself and the media." Trump sent the following tweet today "If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran. Never threaten the United States again!" Bernie Sanders, Senator from Vermont, responded to Trump's tweet saying "Trump, the schoolyard bully, is threatening to take us into another war in the Middle East. Just what we need! But it will not be Trump's or his billionaire friend's kids and grandkids who fight and die in that war. It will be working-class kids. No war with Iran!" Don McGahn, former White House counsel, has been directed by Trump to defy a congressional subpoena and skip appearing before the House Judiciary Committee tomorrow. William Burck, Don McGahn's attorney, penned a letter to Jerry Nadler, the House Judiciary Committee chairman, saying in part "Mr. McGahn again finds himself facing contradictory instructions from two co-equal branches of government. Under these circumstances, and also conscious of the duties he, as an attorney, owes to his former client, Mr. McGahn must decline to appear at the hearing tomorrow." Seth Abramson, an attorney and professor at the University of New Hampshire, responded to the news that the White House is blocking Don McGahn from testifying before congress saying "It's settled law in DC federal court that there's no unqualified immunity for a former White House Counsel. Don McGahn doesn't work for the White House, and in fact Trump has no power to stop him from testifying tomorrow. If he doesn't show up, send the U.S. Marshals out. Period." The education department's Office of Inspector General released a report which identified ""limited" instances in which US education secretary Betsy Devos used her personal email account for official government business, and did not always properly save emails. Judge Amit Mehta, a federal judge in DC, ruled in favor of the House oversight committee in its quest to obtain 8 years of Trump's financial records from Mazars USA, one of Trump's accounting firms. According to the Washington Post, Jay Sekulow, one of Trump's lawyers, instructed Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal attorney, "to falsely claim in a 2017 statement to Congress that negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Moscow ended in January 2016". Those negotiations actually continued into June of 2016. The House intelligence committee voted today to make the transcripts of Michael Cohen's testimony public. According to Politico, Trump campaign internal polling shows support for Trump slipping in "three Rust Belt states that propelled him to the presidency". Those states are Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan, where support for Joe Biden is higher than support for Trump.
May 19, 2019 - In a series of tweets, Michigan U.S. Rep. Justin Amash became the first Republican congressman to say that Trump committed impeachable offenses. According to Amash, impeachment does not require that a crime has been committed, but instead "it simply requires a finding that an official has engaged in careless, abusive, corrupt, or otherwise dishonorable conduct." Trump responded to Amash on twitter saying "Never a fan of @justinamash, a total lightweight who opposes me and some of our great Republican ideas and policies just for the sake of getting his name out there through controversy. If he actually read the biased Mueller Report, 'composed' by 18 Angry Dems who hated Trump he would see that it was nevertheless strong on NO COLLUSION and, ultimately, NO OBSTRUCTION...Anyway, how do you Obstruct when there is no crime and, in fact, the crimes were committed by the other side? Justin is a loser who sadly plays right into our opponents hands!"
May 17, 2019 - A US appeals court in Virginia has struck down Trump's decision to end DACA, saying "DACA’s rescission is vacated as arbitrary and capricious, and the matter is remanded for further proceedings". The Missouri House passed a bill banning abortion at 8 weeks. The ban does not include exemptions for rape and incest, but does include a provision for medical emergencies. Representative Barry Hovis, one of the Republicans who voted for the abortion ban in Missouri, claimed during the legislative proceedings, that most of the rapes he encountered as a law enforcement official were date rapes and "consensual rape". The Equality Act passed today in the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives, which expands rights for LGBT Americans in things like housing, employment and education. 8 Republicans voted with 228 Democrats to pass the legislation. 173 Republicans voted against the measure. The legislation is not expected to be taken up by the Republican-controlled Senate. Steven Mnuchin, the treasury secretary, responded to the subpoena issued by the House Ways and Means committee for 6 years of Trump's tax returns with a letter saying in part "we have determined that the Committee's request lacks a legitimate legislative purpose". Richard Neal, chairman of the House Ways and Means committee, issued the following statement in response to Steven Mnuchin's letter saying in part "Last Friday, I issued subpoenas to the Treasury Secretary and IRS Commissioner after they refused to comply with the law. Issuance of these subpoenas should not have been necessary. The law provides clear statutory authority for the Chair of the Ways and Means Committee to request and receive access to tax returns and return information. The law, by its terms, does not allow for discretion as to whether to comply with a request for tax returns and return information. Given the Treasury Secretary’s failure to comply today, I am consulting with counsel on how best to enforce the subpoenas moving forward."
May 15, 2019 - Robert Chain, of Los Angeles, plead guilty today to seven counts of making threats towards employees of the Boston Globe, after that paper had called on media organizations nationwide to denounce Donald Trump's attacks on the media. An American official, speaking to the New York Times on the condition of anonymity, said "the ultimate goal of the yearlong economic sanctions campaign by the Trump administration was to draw Iran into an armed conflict with the United States." The Department of Homeland Security announced that it is suspending commercial flights between the US and Venezuela. Alabama Republicans passed the nation's strictest abortion ban, which makes it a criminal offense for physicians to perform an abortion, except in cases where the woman faces fatal complications. Here are some responses to the ban:
May 14, 2019 - John Heisdorffer, the chairman of the American Soybean Association, responded to the growing tariff war saying "The sentiment out in farm country is getting grimmer by the day. Our patience is waning, our finances are suffering and the stress from months of living with the consequences of these tariffs is mounting." Trump claimed that if China stops buying American products because of the tariffs, farmers will be compensated saying "This money will come from the massive tariffs being paid to the United States for allowing China, and others, to do business with us. The farmers have been ‘forgotten’ for many years. Their time is now!" Reporters asked Maj Gen Christopher Ghika, the top British general in the US-led coalition against ISIS - known as Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) - about the increased threat from Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria that the US has used as justification for a military buildup in the region. Ghika responded to the questions saying "No – there’s been no increased threat from Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria." US Central Command issued a statement refuting Ghika's comments saying "Recent comments from OIR’s deputy commander run counter to the identified credible threats available to intelligence from US and allies regarding Iranian-backed forces in the region."
May 13, 2019 - In what is seen as an escalation of the trade war between the US and China, the Chinese announced plans to raise tariffs on $60bn of US imports ranging from 5% to 25%. News of tariff retaliation by the Chinese caused the Dow Jones industrial average to drop by 610 points. Democratic congresswoman, Rashida Tlaib, was interviewed on Yahoo News' Skullduggery podcast this past weekend. During the interview, Tlaib was asked about a one-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, and her answer, which was very long, included the phrase "calming feeling". These two words were seized upon by many Republicans, including congresswoman Liz Cheney, Republican House minority whip Steve Scalize and Donald Trump, who accused Tlaib of anti-Semitism. Here are the accusations against Tlaib:
May 9, 2019 - Trump hosted the players of the Boston Red Sox to celebrate their World Series victory last season. Nearly a dozen players skipped the ceremony in protest, all of them people of color. In the official online announcement, the White House website misspelled the Red Sox as the "Red Socks". In a later press release, the Red Sox were listed as the "2018 World Cup Series Champions". Mick Mulvaney, the White House chief of staff, said it was "bad form" for a "Republican-led committee" to subpoena the President's son without advance warning. A three-judge panel in Washington DC has voted to disbar Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign chairman, for committing crimes of "moral turpitude". Having said earlier this week that Robert Mueller should not testify before Congress, Trump today said "I’m gonna leave that up to our very great attorney general, and he’ll make a decision on that." US Senator Kamala Harris, has issued a letter to attorney general William Barr asking that he clarify his answer to a question she asked him of whether anyone at the White House had ever instructed him to investigate anyone. Harris' letter was prompted by statements Trump made today when he publicly called for former secretary of state John Kerry to be prosecuted for continuing to meet with Iranian officials saying in part: "He’s talking to Iran and has has many meetings and many phone calls and he’s telling them what to do. And frankly, he should be prosecuted on that." Matt Summers, a spokesperson for John Kerry replied to Trump's comments saying Trump's "wrong about the facts, wrong about the law, and sadly he’s been wrong about how to use diplomacy to keep America safe". Summers went on to say "Secretary Kerry helped negotiate a nuclear agreement that worked to solve an intractable problem. The world supported it then and supports it still. We’d hope the president would focus on solving foreign policy problems for America instead of attacking his predecessors for theater."
May 8, 2019 - Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed a complaint with the special counsel's office regarding White House counselor Kellyanne Conway's repeated violations of the Hatch Act, for "unprompted attacks on 2020 presidential candidates while acting in her official government role in televised interviews". According to the complaint, these violations continue to occur despite the fact that Conway "received extensive training on how to follow the the law following a CREW complaint about her promotion of Ivanka Trump products." Conway responded to the complaint saying "If you’re trying to silence me through the Hatch Act, it’s not going to work. Let me know when the jail sentence starts." Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, gave a statement in which she declared that Trump is asserting executive privilege to prevent the release of the unredacted Mueller Report saying in part "Faced with Chairman Nadler’s blatant abuse of power, and at the Attorney General’s request, the President has no other option than to make a protective assertion of executive privilege". Jerrold Nadler, the chairman of the House judiciary committee, told the committee today that it is necessary to hold William Barr, the attorney general, in contempt of Congress saying "The President has stated that his Administration will oppose all subpoenas, and, in fact, virtually all document requests are going unsatisfied. Witnesses are refusing to show up to hearings. This is unprecedented. If allowed to go unchecked, this obstruction means the end of congressional oversight." Today marks 58 days without a formal White House briefing, which is a record. The prior record, also set by the Trump White House, was 42 days. The Senate intelligence committee has issued a subpoena for Donald Trump Jr to testify regarding his previous testimony on the Russia investigation. The House judiciary committee approved a resolution to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress in a party line vote of 24 to 16. Following the vote, Nadler told reporters "We have talked for a long time about approaching a constitutional crisis. We are now in it." Nadler also said that Barr "has taken a much greater step farther, in turning the entire Department of Justice into an instrument of Trump personally, rather than an instrument of justice." The House intelligence committee issued a subpoena today for "documents and materials related Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, including all counterintelligence and foreign intelligence materials produced during the Special Counsel’s investigation, the full unredacted report, and the underlying evidence." The due date for the materials is May 15. Donald Trump held a campaign rally in Panama City Beach, Florida, and during the rally, asked the audience rhetorically regarding thousands of migrants walking North to the border between Mexico and the United States "How do you stop these people?" A female audience member replied to the question by yelling "shoot them!" Trump laughed, as many in the crowd laughed and clapped. Trump then responded, "Only in the panhandle can you get away with that statement" which caused the crowd to laugh and clap much louder. No mention of the incident in the front page story of the rally in the city's local paper, the Panama City News Herald. Here are a few reactions to Trump's comment, and the reaction by his supporters at the rally:
May 6, 2019 - Steve Mnuchin, the treasury secretary, sent a letter to Congress denying their request for Trump's tax returns saying in part: "In reliance on the advice of the Department of Justice, I have determined that the Committee’s request lacks a legitimate legislative purpose, and ... the Department is therefore not authorized to disclose the requested returns and return information." Trump sent out a tweet threatening to dramatically increase tariffs on Chinese goods, which caused financial markets around the world to slide, and potentially put trade talks with China in jeopardy. Michael Cohen, Trump's former attorney and "fixer" will begin serving his three-year prison sentence today. According to John Bolton, a national security adviser to Donald Trump, the US is sending an aircraft carrier and a bombing task force to the Middle East in response to "escaltory indications" from Iran. The US House judiciary committee made its first move towards holding attorney general, William Barr, in contempt of Congress , after Barr failed to produce an unredacted copy of the Mueller Report by today's 9am deadline. Jerrold Nadler, the committee chairman released a statement saying "Even in redacted form, the Special Counsel’s report offers disturbing evidence and analysis that President Trump engaged in obstruction of justice at the highest levels. Congress must see the full report and underlying evidence to determine how to best move forward with oversight, legislation, and other constitutional responsibilities. The attorney general’s failure to comply with our subpoena, after extensive accommodation efforts, leaves us no choice but to initiate contempt proceedings in order to enforce the subpoena and access the full, unredacted report." Alex Cora, the Boston Red Sox manager, said he will be skipping a visit to the White House to celebrate his team's 2018 World Series win because of Trump's response to hurricane Maria. Cora is Puerto Rican. Doug Collins, the top Republican on the House Judiciary committee, angrily decried the plan to hold William Barr in contempt of Congress saying "Democrats have launched a proxy war smearing the attorney general when their anger actually lies with the president and the special counsel, who found neither conspiracy nor obstruction". Collins, who falsely claimed no obstruction was found by the special counsel, called the upcoming vote "illogical and disingenuous". According to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, 53% of Americans support getting rid of the Electoral College. Rick Scott, Republican US Senator and former Florida Governor, attacked a proposition by Democratic candidate Cory Booker that one should be required to register gun purchases, saying "What’s next? Will we have to register sharp knives? Maybe @AOC will make us register every time we buy meat as part of her #GreenNewDeal." Alexander Ocasio-Cortez, responded to Scott on twitter saying "That a sitting US Senator can say something lacking so much critical thinking + honesty is embarrassing to the institution. If you were a female candidate, maybe you’d be called 'unlikeable,' 'crazy,' or 'uninformed.' But since you’re not, this inadequacy is accepted as normal." A group of more than 800 former federal prosecutors released a collective statement critical of William Barr's assessment of the Mueller Report saying in part "Each of us believes that the conduct of President Trump described in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Report would, in the case of any other person not covered by the Office of Legal Counsel policy against indicting a sitting President, result in multiple felony charges for obstruction of justice. We emphasize that these are not matters of close professional judgment. Of course, there are potential defenses or arguments that could be raised in response to an indictment of the nature we describe here . . . But, to look at these facts and say that a prosecutor could not probably sustain a conviction for obstruction of justice — the standard set out in Principles of Federal Prosecution — runs counter to logic and our experience." The statement also says "The Mueller report describes several acts that satisfy all of the elements for an obstruction charge: conduct that obstructed or attempted to obstruct the truth-finding process, as to which the evidence of corrupt intent and connection to pending proceedings is overwhelming." Today marks the 2 year anniversary of Melania Trump's "Be Best" campaign, part of which is to speak out against bullying, both online, and in real life. When she announced the campaign 2 years ago in a White House ceremony, Melania stated that "It is our responsibility as adults to remind them, when using their voices, whether verbally or online, they must choose their words wisely, and speak with respect and compassion". On this anniversary, it seems appropriate to take a look back at a sampling of the words Melania's husband Donald has used over the last two years to describe his critics and political opponents:
Weirdo * Weak * Wacky * Stupid * Insane * Crooked * Dirty * Sick * Dumb * Crazy * Shifty * Sleazy * Pathetic * Lazy * Psycho * Incompetent * Loser * Low-Life * Terrible * Thugs * Nuts * Low-IQ * Lyin' * Flake * Deranged * Nut Job * Phony * Lacky * Disgusting * Bozo * Pocahontas * Sloppy * Lunatics * Shady * Dog * Punch Drunk * Conman * No Talent * Loser
May 5, 2019 - Through twitter, Trump criticized facebook and other social media outlets for banning far-right figures saying that he would "monitor the censorship of AMERICAN CITIZENS on social media platforms". Trump also sent out the following tweet: "After spending more than $35,000,000 over a two year period, interviewing 500 people, using 18 Trump Hating Angry Democrats & 49 FBI Agents - all culminating in a more than 400 page Report showing NO COLLUSION - why would the Democrats in Congress now need Robert Mueller to testify. Are they looking for a redo because they hated seeing the strong NO COLLUSION conclusion? There was no crime, except on the other side (incredibly not covered in the Report), and NO OBSTRUCTION. Bob Mueller should not testify. No redos for the Dems!" This tweet marks a reversal from Trump, who has previously claimed that he would support William Barr's decision on whether Mueller should testify, and Barr has said publicly that it would be fine if he did.
May 4, 2019 - North Korea fired multiple missiles as part of its first missile tests since the failed denuclearisation summit in Hanoi. Following the tests, Trump tweeted: "Anything in this very interesting world is possible, but I believe that Kim Jong Un fully realises the great economic potential of North Korea, & will do nothing to interfere or end it. He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen!"
May 3, 2019 - Kamala Harris, California Senator and Democratic presidential candidate, sent the following tweet "I’ll be frank: In this week’s hearing, Attorney General Barr refused to answer most of my questions -- and when he did, his answers were alarming. It’s time for him to resign. Add your name if you agree." Trump and Putin spoke on the phone for an hour today. According to Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the Mueller Report was discussed "very, very briefly, essentially in the context that it’s over and there was no collusion, which I’m pretty sure both leaders were both very well aware of long before this call took place." Trump tweeted about the discussion with Putin saying "Had a long and very good conversation with President Putin of Russia. As I have always said, long before the Witch Hunt started, getting along with Russia, China, and everyone is a good thing, not a bad thing. We discussed Trade, Venezuela, Ukraine, North Korea, Nuclear Arms Control and even the 'Russian Hoax.' Very productive talk!" When a journalist asked Trump if he told Putin "not to meddle in the next election", Trump called the reporter "very rude" and said: "We didn't discuss that." Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader was critical of Trump's failure to press Putin on the Mueller Report's extensive evidence that Russia hacked our elections saying "Trump's priorities are appalling and undermine democracy". Regarding Venezuela, Trump told reporters that Putin "is not looking at all to get involved in Venezuela" despite the fact that Putin has dispatched Russian troops to support its current president, Nicolas Maduro amid an anti-government uprising led by opposition leader Juan Guaido. A three-judge panel on a federal court has ruled that Ohio's congressional map's district boundaries were manipulated for partisan gain by Republican mapmakers and is therefore unconstitutional. The judges ordered a new map be drawn for the 2020 elections. Speaking to reporters, Trump made the following statement about his talk on the phone with Putin "He actually sort of smiled when he said something to the effect that it started off as a mountain and ended up being a mouse." According to the Guardian "A federal judge has ruled that a lawsuit challenging Donald Trump’s ban on immigrants from several Muslim-majority countries can continue, reviving an issue that was thought to be settled by the US supreme court last year." John Kelly, the former White House chief of staff, is now a member of the board of directors at Caliburn International, which is the parent company of Comprehensive Health Services, which operates the largest facility being used for unaccompanied migrant children. Kelly was a strong supporter of Trump's family separation policy at the US-Mexico border. Responding to the news about Kelly, Julian Castro, one of the 20+ Democratic candidates for president sent the following tweet: "After implementing one of the cruelest immigration agendas in our nation’s history, disgraced Trump Chief of Staff John Kelly will now profit from detaining immigrant children and families. Unbelievable." Delaney Marsco, ethics counsel at the nonprofit Campaign Legal Center, responded to news of Kelly's new position saying "The fact is that when he was in the White House, the government took action that swelled the population of people that were in these facilities, and that benefited his former employer. That’s the exact kind of situation that is why we have the ethics clause."
May 2, 2019 - Senator Kamala Harris again called for William Barr to resign saying "He's clearly biased. He is clearly reluctant to share the truth with the United States Congress and clearly unable to perform his duties as attorney general of the United States." William Barr, the attorney general, failed to show up for a hearing with the House judiciary committee, because he objected to the fact that staff lawyers would be allowed to ask questions. Jerry Nadler, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee cited the Justice Department's refusal to hand over an unredacted copy of the Mueller Report saying "We will have no choice but to move quickly to hold the attorney general in contempt if he stalls or fails to negotiate in good faith. The challenge we face is that the president of the United States wants desperately to prevent congress, a co-equal branch of government from providing any check whatsoever to even his most reckless decisions,” Nadler also said. “If we don’t stand up to him together today, we risk forever losing the power to stand up to any president in the future.” Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, responded to William Barr's testimony from the prior day saying Barr "lied to Congress. If anybody else did that, it would be considered a crime. Nobody is above the law. Not the President of the United States and not the attorney general." The Justice Department responded to Pelosi's comment calling Barr a liar saying "The baseless attack on the Attorney General is reckless, irresponsible and false." Stephen Moore, Trump's pick for a Federal Reserve board member, has withdrawn his name from consideration following criticism that he failed to pay his ex-wife tens of thousands in alimony, and over sexist comments he's made over the years. The Justice Department filed a legal brief today arguing that the affordable Care Act is unconstitutional. The Trump administration rolled out new religious exemptions for healthcare providers which allow workers to refuse to provide care if it violates their religious beliefs. Zackary Berger, MD, wrote on twitter "Media friends, can you stop writing credulous pro-Trump headlines? The new orders from HHS do not provide new 'religious and moral' protections for healthcare workers. They strip protections from patients". The military reports that sexual assaults jumped by 13% last year. The ACLU has filed a legal challenge to the Trump administration's new policy of denying asylum seekers bond hearings, saying in part "We are challenging Attorney General Barr's decision to eliminate bond hearings for asylum seekers. Hearings are central to due process. The Trump administration can't discard the Constitution just because it wants to punish asylum seekers". Facebook has banned several prominent right wing personalities because they "promote or engage in violence and hate" The banned personalities include conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, far right troll Milo Yiannopoulos, and anti-Muslim figurehead Laura Loomer.
May 1, 2019 - The White House responded to the House oversight committee's request for details regarding the process being used to grant security clearances, by sending a nine page letter refusing the request. Representative Elijah Cummings, the chair of the House Oversight Committee, responded to the Trump White House's refusal to turn over records related to the granting of security clearances saying "The lengths to which President Trump and his aides are going to keep this information from Congress raise grave concerns about what they are trying to hide—and why". The YouGov-Cambridge Globalism Project conducted a landmark global survey which found that "populists across the world are significantly more likely to believe in conspiracy theories about vaccinations, global warming and the 9/11 terrorist attacks." The House Judiciary Committee voted to allow an additional hour of questioning during William Barr's testimony at the House tomorrow, so that committee lawyers from both sides can ask questions. Barr, who objects to this particular format, has threatened not to appear because of it. William Barr did appear before the Senate judiciary committee today to answer questions about the Mueller Report, and his handling of it. Here are some takeaways from the hearing:
- In opening remarks, Lindsey Graham, the Senate Judiciary Chairman, falsely claimed that the Mueller Report found there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. The report states explicitly that it did not weigh in on the concept of "collusion" since collusion is not a legal term.
- William Barr said he offered special counsel Robert Mueller the chance to review his summary of the report, but "He declined".
- Senator Sheldon Whitehouse asked Barr about his usage of the term "spying" regarding "authorized surveillance" against the Trump campaign, saying that term is not typically used by the Justice Department in this context, to which Barr responded, "It's commonly used by me".
- Mazie Hirono, Senate Democrat of Hawaii, told Barr during the hearing: "You used every advantage of your office to create the impression that the president was cleared of misconduct. You lied to Congress. You knew. You lied. And now we know." Hirono then told Wiliam Barr he should resign.
- Barr claimed the president has the authority to terminate a "groundless" investigation and adds "We now know that he was being falsely accused".
- Barr referred to Robert Mueller's letter as "a bit snitty". He also said that after reading the letter, he called Mueller, had a conversation, and took notes. When asked if the committee could have his notes, Barr said "No, why should you have them?"
- Senator Richard Blumenthal says Barr "probably should resign".
- Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Cory Booker, all Democratic presidential candidates, have all called for Barr to resign.
June 4, 2019 - Trump greeted Theresa May, the British prime minister, and in an awkward moment, extended a handshake to her husband, but not to her. During a meeting with May, Trump claimed that Britain is the United States' biggest trading partner, adding that this is a fact that many don't know. In reality, China is the United States' biggest trading partner. Britain is number 7. The Trump Administration imposed new restrictions on travel to Cuba, banning many education and recreational trips. Senate Republicans have threatened to block Trump's proposed tariffs on Mexico. Responding to the threat, Trump said "I don’t think they will do that. I think if they do, it’s foolish". Despite video footage of thousands in the streets of London protesting, Trump called news of the protests "fake news". News surfaced that the White House has directed former communications director Hope Hicks and former White House Lawyer Annie Donaldson to refuse to turn over documents to the House Judiciary Committee in response to subpoenas which expire today. Jerry Nadler, the House Judiciary Committee chair, responded to the news saying "As part of President Trump’s continued obstruction of Congress, the White House has instructed both Hope Hicks and Annie Donaldson not to turn over records in response to subpoenas issued by our committee last month. I note that Ms Hicks has agreed to turn over some documents to the committee related to her time working for the Trump campaign, and I thank her for that show of good faith. Federal law makes clear that the documents we requested – documents that left the White House months ago – are no longer covered by executive privilege, if they ever were. The president has no lawful basis for preventing these witnesses from complying with our request. We will continue to seek reasonable accommodation on these and all our discovery requests and intend to press these issues when we obtain the testimony of both Ms Hicks and Ms Donaldson." Kate Gilmore, the UN deputy high commissioner for human rights, offered this assessment of the numerous anti-abortion bills that have been passed in states across the country: "We have not called it out in the same way we have other forms of extremist hate, but this is gender-based violence against women, no question. It’s clear it’s torture – it’s a deprivation of a right to health. This is a crisis. It’s a crisis directed at women." Adam Schiff, the House Intelligence Committee chair had harsh words today for Attorney General William Barr, saying "We find ourselves, I think, for the first time with an attorney general who really is the president’s defense lawyer and spokesperson who’s quite good at it and has the veneer of respectability to camouflage what he’s doing. He is not the sophist that [presidential lawyer Rudy] Giuliani is, he’s much more dangerous, and I think he’s the second-most-dangerous man in the country." Amy Dalla Mura, a British right wing troll who goes by the name "Based Amy" stabbed the Trump baby balloon, and in the process cut herself, and was immediately arrested. Two female asylum seekers at the Mexican border have died in border patrol custody in the last 36 hours.
June 3, 2019 - US Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee, ruled that one chamber of Congress cannot sue the president: "While the Constitution bestows upon Members of the House many powers, it does not grant them standing to hale the Executive Branch into court claiming a dilution of Congress’s legislative authority." Elijah Cummings, the Oversight and Reform Chairman, announced in a letter that the House will be voting to hold Attorney General William Barr, and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in contempt over their failure to comply with subpoenas in an ongoing probe into the Trump Administration’s plan to ask a citizenship question in the 2020 census. In the letter, Cummings stated "The Trump Administration has been engaged in one of the most unprecedented cover-ups since Watergate, extending from the White House to multiple federal agencies and departments of the government and across numerous investigations. The tactics of this cover-up are now clear. The Administration has been challenging Congress’ core authority to conduct oversight under the Constitution, questioning the legislative bases for congressional inquiries, objecting to committee rules and precedents that have been in place for decades under both Republican and Democratic leadership, and making baseless legal arguments to avoid producing documents and testimony. This cover-up is being directed from the top." The Supreme Court rejected a request by the Trump Administration to fast-track a decision on whether it will hear a case over the administration’s dismantling of the Childhood Arrivals (Daca) program. Donald Trump is in London today, and activists there have been busy trolling him. One group projected a giant USS John McCain cap onto Madame Tussaud's, then tweeted a picture and accompanying text saying "Hey @realDonaldTrump, we read the story about the sailors on a US warship being ordered to hide from you because you’re triggered by the name on their hats. So we turned Madame Tussaud's into a giant USS John McCain baseball cap. Welcome to London!" Another group projected poll numbers of London citizens showing that Trump's approval of just 21%, is dwarfed by the 72% approval of Barack Obama. Also, hovering above throngs of protesters was Trump baby blimp. According to the Guardian, Elaine Chao, Trump's Transportation Secretary, and wife of Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, "asked federal officials to organize travel arrangements for at least one family member and included other relatives in high-level meetings with Chinese government officials during her first visit to China as a Trump cabinet member" triggering the State and Transportation Departments to raise ethics concerns. On March 27th, the city of El Paso, TX, billed Donald J Trump for President Inc. $470,417.05 for a campaign rally held in that city. The bill was due on April 26th, and as of today, the city is reporting it has not seen one dime of the amount owed. Donald Trump called Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, a "stone cold loser" in response to comments the mayor made two days ago. Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law, was interviewed by Axios, and asked about his father in law's foray into birtherism. Here's the exchange:
Jonathan Swan: "Was birtherism racist?"
Jared Kushner: "I wasn't really involved in that."
Jonathan Swan: "I know you weren't. Was it racist?"
Jared Kushner: "Like I said, I wasn't involved in that."
Jonathan Swan: "I know you weren't. Was it racist?"
Jared Kushner: "I know who the president is and I have not seen anything in him that is racist."
June 2, 2019 - Adam Schiff was asked on This Week with George Stephanopoulos about a statement Attorney General William Barr made a few days ago in which he implied wrong doing by the Obama Administration justice department, to which Schiff responded: "Well ironically of course, that statement you heard from Bill Barr is a perfect description of his own conduct. He's willing to cavalierly throw out terms like spying, and pretend he doesn't know just how pejorative that term is. He is a smart man and understands exactly how incendiary what his allegation is, and it's designed to be. That's why he is, I think, falling into such legitimate criticism for acting as effectively a henchman of the president. You don't talk cavalierly about intelligence agencies of the FBI spying on presidential campaigns. And given how much he misled the country about Mueller's own report and findings, we can sadly expect that given this power to declassify information now, he will do so in a selective way, designed to mislead the country in the president's service. And there may be no opportunity for rebuttal this time. There will be no further Mueller Report, that will set us straight this selective declassification, that he may put into effect. And the fact that he will say he doesn't want to speculate about what went on early in the investigation until he knows, but he's willing to speculate that it was spying, tells you all you need to know about how disingenuous he's being with the country." Mick Mulvaney, the White House chief of staff, was asked on NBC's Meet the Press about the USS John McCain incident. Mulvaney's response: "The fact some 23- or 24-year-old person went to that site and said, ‘Oh my goodness, there’s the John McCain, we all know how the president feels about the former senator, that’s not the best backdrop, can somebody look into moving it?’ That’s not an unreasonable thing to ask." According to Mulvaney, press interest in the story is "outrageous". Donald Trump sent the following tweet denying that he called Meghan Markle nasty saying "I never called Meghan Markle 'nasty.' Made up by the Fake News Media, and they got caught cold! Will @CNN, @nytimes and others apologize? Doubt it!" However, the Sun, which first reported the story, released a recording of the interview. Here's the exchange in the recording:
TOM NEWTON-DUNN - "[Markle] can’t make it because she’s got maternity leave. Are you sorry not to see her? Because she wasn’t so nice about you during the campaign. I don’t know if you saw that."
DONALD TRUMP - "I didn’t know that, no. I didn’t know that. No, I hope she’s OK. I did not know that, no."
TOM NEWTON-DUNN - "She said she’d move to Canada if you got elected. It turned out she moved to Britain."
DONALD TRUMP - "A lot of people moving here, so what can I say? No, I didn’t know that she was nasty."
June 1, 2019 - According to the Guardian, Donald Trump "defied diplomatic convention which dictates that leaders do not weigh in to the domestic politics of other nations, particularly ahead of visits, by backing [Boris] Johnson to succeed Theresa May in an interview with the Sun. He also used the interview to describe the Duchess of Sussex, as 'nasty'." Trump called Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex nasty after he was told she had been critical of him during his 2016 presidential campaign. Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, made the following statement about Donald Trump, who is scheduled to begin a state visit to London in two days: "President Donald Trump is just one of the most egregious examples of a growing global threat. The far right is on the rise around the world, threatening our hard-won rights and freedoms and the values that have defined our liberal, democratic societies for more than 70 years. Viktor Orbán in Hungary, Matteo Salvini in Italy, Marine Le Pen in France and Nigel Farage here in the UK are using the same divisive tropes of the fascists of the 20th century to garner support, but with new sinister methods to deliver their message. And they are gaining ground and winning power and influence in places that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. This is a man who also tried to exploit Londoners’ fears following a horrific terrorist attack on our city, amplified the tweets of a British far-right racist group, denounced as fake news the robust scientific evidence warning of the dangers of climate change, and is now trying to interfere shamelessly in the Conservative party leadership race by backing Boris Johnson because he believes it would enable him to gain an ally in Number 10 for his divisive agenda."
May 31, 2019 - According to Paul Rieckhoff, the founder and former head of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, many veterans are concerned about the possibility that Trump may politicize next week's 75th anniversary celebration of D-Day. According to Rieckhoff "It’s unfortunate we have to be even concerned that this historic commemoration will be overly politicized, but this is the command climate he’s created and the reality we have. We have to send our president. You go with the president we’ve got, and this is the president we’ve got. So we’re rightfully holding our breath for an event like this." Donald Trump announced plans for a 5% tariff on Mexican imports starting June 5th in response to a surge of asylum seekers at the southern border, many of which are fleeing poverty and violence in Guatemala and other Central American countries. Trump, who has labeled himself "Tariff Man" said the tariffs would increase monthly by 5%, up to a maximum of 25%, and remain there, until "the illegal immigration problem is remedied." News of the tariffs caused world financial markets to drop, some by as high as 1.6%. Defending his tariff announcement, Trump sent the following tweet: "Mexico has taken advantage of the United States for decades. Because of the Dems, our Immigration Laws are BAD. Mexico makes a FORTUNE from the U.S., have for decades, they can easily fix this problem. Time for them to finally do what must be done!" According to the New York Times, "only 11 employers have been prosecuted for hiring undocumented immigrants" over the last 12 months, while "112,000 undocumented immigrants were prosecuted for illegal entry or re-entry" during the same 12-month period. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the president of Mexico, has dispatched his foreign secretary to Washington to discuss the proposed tariffs on Mexican goods. Donald Trump sent the following tweet regarding Mexican tariffs: "In order not to pay Tariffs, if they start rising, companies will leave Mexico, which has taken 30% of our Auto Industry, and come back home to the USA. Mexico must take back their country from the drug lords and cartels. The Tariff is about stopping drugs as well as illegals!" Senator Chuck Grassley, Republican from Iowa, called the proposed tariffs on Mexico "a misuse of presidential authority". Jerry Nadler, the House Judiciary Committee chairman, made the following statement today: "Collusion, cooperation with the Russians is all over the place. It’s in plain sight. I would call that collusion." Amid reports that North Korea executed members of its nuclear negotiating team after the failed nuclear summit with Trump, Sarah Huckabee Sanders responded with the following when asked about the disturbing news "I’m not going to comment on intelligence one way or another,” she said Friday. “I can tell you we’re monitoring the situation and continue to stay focused on our ultimate goal, which is denuclearization." According to the Hill, the Pentagon which used to provide routine briefings, has now gone a full year without a single on-camera press briefing by its top spokesperson. Laura Ingraham has come under fire for calling white supremicist Paul Nehlen a "prominent voice" on the right who was "censored by social media." Nehlen, who has advocated for arming the border wall with machine guns, and to treat any approaching Mexican immigrant "as an enemy combatant", and whose rampant anti-Semitism led to the Republican Party cutting ties with him, was banned from facebook due to "dangerous" behavior. Fox News is defending Ingraham. Francis Stelzer, a Missouri judge, granted a request by Planned Parenthood for a restraining order blocking that state's effort to shut them down. The St Louis Planned Parenthood, Missouri's last remaining abortion provider, was being threatened with losing its license after the state charged it did not comply with a health department investigation. Officials at the clinic have described the state's demands as harassment and intimidation. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took up bartending this week at the same bar she worked at before running for Congress. AOC's goal is to raise support for living wage legislation. A city engineer in Virginia Beach, Virginia, entered the municipal building where he works, and opened fire on his co-workers with two 45 caliber pistols, killing 12, and wounding 4. According to CNN, the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general found "egregious" conditions at multiple facilities including "dangerous overcrowding" and unsanitary conditions at the El Paso Del Norte Processing Center in El Paso, Texas, during an unannounced inspection. Among their findings:
- 900 immigrants packed into the facility which is built to house 125.
- 76 detainees packed into a cell designed to hold no more than 12.
- 155 detainees in a cell designed to hold no more than 35.
- Mold and rotten food were found at four immigrant detention facilities.
- Raw chicken leaking blood over refrigeration units.
- Unusable toilets.
May 30, 2019 - Donald Trump sent the following tweet today: "The Greatest Presidential Harassment in history. After spending $40,000,000 over two dark years, with unlimited access, people, resources and cooperation, highly conflicted Robert Mueller would have brought charges, if he had ANYTHING, but there were no charges to bring!" Trump also tweeted this one: "Russia, Russia, Russia! That’s all you heard at the beginning of this Witch Hunt Hoax...And now Russia has disappeared because I had nothing to do with Russia helping me to get elected. It was a crime that didn’t exist. So now the Dems and their partner, the Fake News Media, say he fought back against this phony crime that didn’t exist, this horrendous false accusation, and he shouldn’t fight back, he should just sit back and take it. Could this be Obstruction? No, Mueller didn’t find Obstruction either. Presidential Harassment!" When asked by the press about his reference to Russia helping him get elected Trump responded with "Russia did not help me get elected. You know who got me elected? You know who got me elected? I got me elected. Russia did not help me at all." Trump was asked if he knew about measures taken to obscure the USS John McCain from his view in Japan, Trump's response "I was not a big fan of John McCain in any way, shape or form. He killed healthcare. I was never a fan, but I would never do anything like that. But someone did that, and they were well-meaning. But I would never do anything like that." Patrick Shanahan, the acting US secretary of defense, reacted to the USS McCain incident saying "I never authorized... any action around the movement or activity regarding that ship. Furthermore, I would never dishonor the memory of a great American patriot like Sen. McCain. I would never disrespect the young men and women that crew that ship." Meghan McCain, John McCain's daughter, responded to the USS McCain incident saying "Trump is a child who will always be deeply threatened by the greatness of my dads incredible life. There is a lot of criticism of how much I speak about my dad, but nine months since he passed, Trump won't let him RIP. So I have to stand up for him. It makes my grief unbearable." Donald Trump promised a "dramatic" statement about the southern border today saying "This is a big-league statement, but we are going to do something very dramatic on the border" Trump sent the following tweet today: "Robert Mueller came to the Oval Office (along with other potential candidates) seeking to be named the Director of the FBI. He had already been in that position for 12 years, I told him NO. The next day he was named Special Counsel - A total Conflict of Interest. NICE!" According to Devlin Barrett, a journalist for the Washington Post, who writes about national security and law enforcement "Bob Mueller is barred by law from serving again as the FBI Director. At the meeting POTUS mentions, White House officials told him, per sources, they were willing to push Congress to pass a new law to make Mueller's re-appointment possible." In what is being seen as another dig at the late senator John McCain, Trump sent the following tweet regarding the death of senator Thad Cochran: "Very sad to hear the news on the passing of my friend, Senator Thad Cochran. He was a real Senator with incredible values - even flew back to Senate from Mississippi for important Healthcare Vote when he was desperately ill. Thad never let our Country (or me) down!" According to new documents unearthed from the archive of Thomas Hofeller, known as the mastermind of the Republican gerrymander, the true intent behind including a citizenship question on the 2020 census, is that it "would be advantageous to Republicans and non-Hispanic whites" & "would clearly be a disadvantage to the Democrats". According to the New York Times "The disclosures represent the most explicit evidence to date that the Trump administration added the question to the census to advance Republican Party interests." The Trump administration, which argued last month before the US Supreme Court in favor of including the citizenship question, disingenuously framed the proposal as a defense of voting rights. The court has yet to issue a ruling on the citizenship question. During an interview with CBS News, Attorney General William Barr, said he "personally felt" that Robert Mueller "could've reached a decision" on obstruction of justice by President Trump. U.S. District Judge Haywood Gilliam, ruled that work on wall projects in Texas and Arizona using Defense Department funds cannot continue while an appeal is pending. According to the San Francisco Chronicle: "Gilliam, the first judge to consider lawsuits challenging the wall, ruled last Friday that Trump appeared to be defying the will of Congress, which must authorize all federal government appropriations. His injunction blocked administration from using $1 billion, which Congress had approved last year for Defense Department antidrug operations, to build walls in border areas near El Paso, Texas, and Yuma, Ariz." A Trump Tower condo belonging to Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign chair, was officially turned over to the US government today. It is now up to U.S. Marshals to dispose of the property. According to the Washington Post, Trump's soon to be made "big league" announcement is about threatening Mexico with tariffs in response to the surge of migrants seeking asylum at the southern border saying "Trump is planning to make the announcement Friday, but some White House aides are trying to talk him out of it, arguing that such a threat would rattle financial markets and potentially imperil passage of the USMCA trade agreement, according to these officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal administration plans." Trump was asked about the prospect of House Democrats launching impeachment proceedings, his response: "I never thought that would even be possible to be using that word. To me, it's a dirty word, the word impeach. It's a dirty, filthy, disgusting word". Trump then went on to attack Robert Mueller saying "I think he is a total conflicted person. I think Mueller is a true never Trumper, he's somebody that dislikes Donald Trump." Attorney General William Barr was asked if Obama Administration officials committed treason, as has been alleged by Donald Trump, regarding the investigation into his presidential campaign, and its contacts with Russia. Barr responded, "Not as a legal matter, no. Sometimes people can convince themselves that what they're doing is in the higher interest, better good. They don't realize that what they're doing is really antithetical to the democratic system we have"
May 29, 2019 - Louisiana became the latest state to pass an abortion bill that bans the procedure at around 6 weeks, with no exceptions for rape or incest. News surfaced that during Trump's visit to Japan, the White House wanted the USS John McCain out of sight, so a tarp was hung over the ship's name, and the sailors assigned to the ship were given the day off, as they wear caps bearing the ship's name when in uniform. According to Michael Wolff's forthcoming book Siege: Trump Under Fire, Steve Bannon, Trump's former White House adviser, predicted investigations into Trump's finances will be his political downfall when he is revealed to be "not the billionaire he said he was, just another scumbag". Bannon also referred to the Trump organization as a "criminal enterprise". According to the The U.S. Secret Service, a man lit himself on fire near the White House. In an act seen by many to be a signal to congress to act, Robert Mueller broke two years of silence to make a statement about his report, and to resign saying "We are formally closing the special counsel’s office and as well I’m resigning from the Department of Justice to return to private life". According to Mueller "If we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said that. We did not, however, make a determination as to whether the president did commit a crime." Mueller explained why he couldn't make that determination: "A president cannot be charged with a federal crime while he is in office. That is unconstitutional. Even if the charge is kept under seal and hidden from public view – that too is prohibited. The special counsel’s office is part of the Department of Justice and, by regulation, it was bound by that department policy. Charging the president with a crime was therefore not an option we could consider." Here are some select reactions to Mueller's statement:
"Special Counsel Robert Mueller just said that 'charging the president with a crime was not an option we could consider' under DOJ policy. It wasn't lack of evidence. It was DOJ policy. He said that this 'deserves the attention of every American.' He's right. Congress must act." - Representative Val Demings
"The ball is in our court, Congress." - Representative Justin Amash, Republican from Michigan
"Although Department of Justice policy prevented the Special Counsel from bringing criminal charges against the President, the Special Counsel has clearly demonstrated that President Trump is lying about the Special Counsel’s findings, lying about the testimony of key witnesses in the Special Counsel’s report, and is lying in saying that the Special Counsel found no obstruction and no collusion. Given that Special Counsel Mueller was unable to pursue criminal charges against the President, it falls to Congress to respond to the crimes, lies and other wrongdoing of President Trump – and we will do so. No one, not even the President of the United States, is above the law." - Jerry Nadler, House Judiciary Committee chair
"I’ve been asking for Mueller’s testimony—today he made his views clear. This Administration has continued to stonewall Congress’s oversight. Beginning impeachment proceedings is the only path forward." - Senator Cory Booker
"Mueller did his job. Now it's time to do ours. Impeachment hearings should begin tomorrow." - Seth Moulton
"What Robert Mueller basically did was return an impeachment referral. Now it is up to Congress to hold this president accountable. We need to start impeachment proceedings. It's our constitutional obligation." - Kamala Harris
"There must be consequences, accountability, and justice. The only way to ensure that is to begin impeachment proceedings." - Beto O'Rourke
"Mueller made clear this morning that his investigation now lays at the feet of Congress. No one is above the law—Congress should begin an impeachment inquiry." - Julian Castro
"If the House Judiciary Committee deems it necessary, I will support their decision to open an impeachment inquiry." - Bernie Sanders
"It’s time for Republicans and Democrats to begin impeachment hearings and follow the facts wherever they may lead." - Kirsten Gillibrand
"Mueller leaves no doubt:
1) He didn't exonerate the president because there is evidence he committed crimes.
2) Justice Department policy prevented him from charging the president with any crimes.
3) The Constitution leaves it up to Congress to act—and that's impeachment." - Elizabeth Warren
"The Special Counsel has completed the investigation, closed his office, and has closed the case. Mr. Mueller explicitly said that he has nothing to add beyond the report, and therefore, does not plan to testify before Congress. The report was clear—there was no collusion, no conspiracy—and the Department of Justice confirmed there was no obstruction." - Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House press secretary
"[Mueller] confirmed today what we knew months ago when his report was released: there was no collusion and no obstruction." - Doug Collins, ranking Republican on the House Judiciary committee
"Nothing changes from the Mueller Report. There was insufficient evidence and therefore, in our Country, a person is innocent. The case is closed! Thank you." - Donald J. Trump
May 28, 2019 - According to a new book called Trump Under Fire, by Michael Wolff, "Mueller's office drew up a three-count outline of the president's alleged abuses, under the title 'United States of America against Donald J Trump, Defendant'. The document sat on special counsel's desk for almost a year". A spokesperson for Robert Mueller claims the document does not exist. Kate Bedingfield, Joe Biden's deputy campaign manager, responded to one of Trump's tweets from this past weekend saying "The President’s comments are beneath the dignity of the office. To be on foreign soil, on Memorial Day, and to side repeatedly with a murderous dictator against a fellow American and former Vice President speaks for itself. And it’s part of a pattern of embracing autocrats at the expense of our institutions — whether taking Putin’s word at face value in Helsinki or exchanging ‘love letters’ with Kim Jong-un." Ted Sarandos, Netflix Chief Content Officer, made the following statement today regarding Georgia's proposed abortion law: "We have many women working on productions in Georgia, whose rights, along with millions of others, will be severely restricted by this law. It’s why we will work with the ACLU and others to fight it in court. Given the legislation has not yet been implemented, we’ll continue to film there — while also supporting partners and artists who choose not to. Should it ever come into effect, we’d rethink our entire investment in Georgia." James Comey, the former FBI director, published an oped in the Washington Post, which said in part "There is a reason the non-fringe media doesn’t spend much time on this “treason” and “corruption” business. The conspiracy theory makes no sense. The FBI wasn’t out to get Donald Trump. It also wasn’t out to get Hillary Clinton. It was out to do its best to investigate serious matters while walking through a vicious political minefield. But go ahead, investigate the investigators, if you must. When those investigations are over, they will find the work was done appropriately and focused only on discerning the truth of very serious allegations. There was no corruption. There was no treason. There was no attempted coup. Those are lies, and dumb lies at that. There were just good people trying to figure out what was true, under unprecedented circumstances."
May 26, 2019 - According to the Guardian: "Prominent figures on the Christian right in the US ranging from religious magazines to authors to elected politicians have warned that the fight over abortion rights could lead to a new civil war."
May 25, 2019 - Trump lashed out on twitter at a federal judge who ruled against him yesterday saying "Another activist Obama appointed judge has just ruled against us on a section of the Southern Wall that is already under construction. This is a ruling against Border Security and in favor of crime, drugs and human trafficking. We are asking for an expedited appeal!" Trump, who is currently in Japan, sent the following tweet today "North Korea fired off some small weapons, which disturbed some of my people, and others, but not me. I have confidence that Chairman Kim will keep his promise to me, & also smiled when he called Swampman Joe Biden a low IQ individual, & worse. Perhaps that’s sending me a signal?"
May 24, 2019 - Multiple videos of House speaker Nancy Pelosi began circulating online, which had been altered to make the speaker appear to be intoxicated, or ill. Among those circulating the altered video clips are Donald Trump, the president of the United States, and his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani posted one of the videos with the following caption: "What is wrong with Nancy Pelosi? Her speech pattern is bizarre." When news surfaced that the video had been altered, Giuliani deleted his post, then followed it up with the following incoherent post: "ivesssapology for a video which is allegedly is a caricature of an otherwise halting speech pattern, she should first stop, and apologize for, saying the President needs an 'intervention.' Are" Trump captioned his tweet of the video with: "PELOSI STAMMERS THROUGH NEWS CONFERENCE". Trump also sent the following tweet today "I don’t know why the Radical Left Democrats want Bob Mueller to testify when he just issued a 40 Million Dollar Report that states, loud & clear & for all to hear, No Collusion and No Obstruction (how do you Obstruct a NO crime?) Dems are just looking for trouble and a Do-Over!" The ACLU and Planned Parenthood Federation of America, filed a lawsuit today on behalf of Alabama abortion providers, challenging Alabama's recently passed anti-abortion legislation. The two groups have also filed suit against a ban in Ohio which denies women the right to an abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, and are planning a challenge to anti-abortion legislation in Georgia. A rule being proposed by the Trump administration's Health and Human Services Department, says that laws banning sex discrimination in health care don't apply to people's "gender identity." Mike Parson, the Republican governor of Missouri, signed an abortion bill today that bans the procedure on or beyond eight weeks of pregnancy. The legislation includes an exception for medical emergencies, but not for cases of rape and incest. Trump has filed an appeal to a court ruling that allows Deutsche Bank AG and Capital One Financial Corp to hand their financial records over to Democratic lawmakers. The Trump administration notified Congress that it plans to send 1,500 troops to the Middle East. Teresa May, the British prime minister, announced that she will resign June 7th. The US Supreme Court temporarily blocked lower court rulings that had ordered Republican legislators in Michigan and Ohio to redraw US congressional maps ahead of the 2020 elections after finding that the current districts were unconstitutionally gerrymandered to diminish the power of Democratic voters. Judge Carlton Reeves, a federal judge in Mississippi, blocked the implementation of that state's abortion law which outlaws abortions after about 6 weeks of pregnancy. Last year, Reeves struck down a similar law that outlawed abortion after 15 weeks. While ruling, Reeves stated "Doesn't it boil down to six is less than 15?" Reeves also said this new law "smacks of defiance to this court." Using a loophole in the Arms Control Export Act, Trump declared a national emergency, which will allow for the sale of military equipment to Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Jordan. Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, said the emergency declaration was needed as a deterrent to Iran. The Congress has been blocking these sales because of the high civilian death toll in the Saudi's air campaign against Yemen, and also because of the death of Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, at a Saudi consulate in Turkey. Senator Chris Murphy, Democrat, responded to the national emergency declaration saying "President Trump is only using this loophole because he knows Congress would disapprove ... There is no new ‘emergency’ reason to sell bombs to the Saudis to drop in Yemen, and doing so only perpetuates the humanitarian crisis there". Haywood Gilliam Jr, a US district judge, issued an order blocking Trump from building sections of his border wall with money secured by his declaration of a national emergency, saying in part "The position that when Congress declines the executive’s request to appropriate funds, the executive nonetheless may simply find a way to spend those funds ‘without Congress’ does not square with fundamental separation of powers principles dating back to the earliest days of our Republic"
May 23, 2019 - News surfaced that Rex Tillerson, Trump's former Secretary of State, told a Congressional committee earlier this week that Vladimir Putin was more prepared than Donald Trump for their 2017 meeting in Hamburg, Germany. Trump responded to the news by tweeting the following: "Rex Tillerson, a man who is 'dumb as a rock' and totally ill prepared and ill equipped to be Secretary of State, made up a story (he got fired) that I was out-prepared by Vladimir Putin at a meeting in Hamburg, Germany. I don’t think Putin would agree. Look how the U.S. is doing!" Steve Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary, announced that abolitionist Harriet Tubman, who was scheduled to appear on the $20 bill in 2020, under an Obama administration initiative, would not appear until after Trump leaves office. According to the New York Times, this delay was done out of concern that the president would cause an uproar. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump had voiced opposition to the Tubman re-design, saying that Tubman should be put on the $2 bill instead. Valerie Jarrett, a senior advisor to Barack Obama, responded to the delay saying "Not moving forward is an insult not just to the African American community, but to all Americans who believe we should honor an American who contributed so greatly to the nation’s history." Stephen Calk, the CEO of The Federal Savings Bank in Chicago, was charged by federal prosecutors for approving millions of dollars in high-risk loans to Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign chairman, with the hope it would pan out to a position in the Trump administration. This case is one of 14 referrals to other law enforcement agencies that came out of the Mueller investigation. During a news conference, Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker, expressed concern about Trump's well being saying "Again, I pray for the president of the United States. I wish that his family or his administration or staff would have an intervention for the good of the country." Trump announced today that his administration will be providing $16bn in aid to farmers who are hurt by his trade policies. The Justice Department announced that Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, is being charged with violating the Espionage Act. Donald Trump sent the following tweet defending his behavior during yesterday's infrastructure meeting saying "I was extremely calm yesterday with my meeting with Pelosi and Schumer, knowing that they would say I was raging, which they always do, along with their partner, the Fake News Media. Well, so many stories about the meeting use the Rage narrative anyway - Fake & Corrupt Press!" Trump followed up his tweet with a press conference where he called on multiple senior aides to vouch for his "calm" demeanor in the infrastructure meeting yesterday. During the press conference, Trump claimed, as he has in the past, that he is "an extremely stable genius". Pelosi responded to Trump's comments on twitter saying "When the 'extremely stable genius' starts acting more presidential, I'll be happy to work with him on infrastructure, trade and other issues."
May 22, 2019 - The Justice Department has agreed to begin handing over documents related to the Mueller probe to the House intelligence committee, prompting Adam Schiff, the chairman of that committee, to cancel an "enforcement meeting" in which he had planned to take action against Attorney General Bill Barr for refusing to supply requested documents. Following a meeting of the entire House Democratic caucus, Nancy Pelosi, the House majority leader, made the following statement: "We do believe that it’s important to follow the facts. We believe that no one is above the law, including the President of the United States, and we believe that the President of the United States is engaged in a cover-up — in a cover-up, and that was the nature of the meeting." A UN global assessment compiled over three years by more than 450 scientists and diplomats, which paints a bleak picture for Earth's natural-support systems due to climate change and environmental damage, was discussed today by a subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee. Among the attendees who were called to testify by House Republicans were Marc Morano and Patrick Moore, both are prominent climate deniers. Morano testified that the report "hypes and distorts biodiversity issues for lobbying purposes" and Moore argued that more carbon dioxide is actually good for the planet. According to search warrants executed against Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former fixer and lawyer-turned-convicted felon, Cohen exchanged more than 230 phone calls and 950 text messages with Andrew Intrater, a cousin of Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. Donald Trump called the press to the Rose Garden where they were met by a podium with multiple signs attached to it with various claims like "No Collusion" and "No Obstruction" and other Trump talking points regarding the Mueller investigation. Trump, whose schedule showed that he was supposed to be in an infrastructure meeting with top Democrats, walked up to the podium where he addressed the Mueller investigation by calling it a "witch hunt" and declared as he has many times in the past that "there was no collusion, there was no obstruction". Trump then went on to explain that he was supposed to have a meeting with Pelosi and Schumer to talk about infrastructure, which he'd "be really good at that" but he just "can't do it under these circumstances". Trump then told the press corps that he will only engage with Democrats about infrastructure or other policies once the investigations into him are over. Following the impromptu news conference, news surfaced that Trump had attended the scheduled infrastructure meeting, and according to the New York Times "When Pelosi and Senator Chuck Schumer arrived at the White House, Mr Trump was loaded for bear. He walked into the Cabinet Room, did not shake anyone’s hand or sit in his seat, according to a Democrat informed about the meeting. He said he wanted to advance legislation on infrastructure, trade and other matters, but that 'Speaker Pelosi said something terrible today and accused me of a cover-up,' according to the Democrat. After just three minutes, he left the room before anyone else could speak". Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi called an impromptu press conference to explain the aborted infrastructure meeting with Trump. According to Schumer, Trump was "looking for every excuse" on not improving the country's infrastructure. Pelosi added that "For some reason, maybe it was lack of confidence on his part" or maybe he "couldn't match the greatness of the challenge that we have. He just took a pass, and it just makes me wonder why he did that. In any event I pray for the president of the United States." Pelosi also penned a letter to her Democratic colleagues in which she stated that Trump "had a temper tantrum for us all to see". Judge Edgardo Ramos, a federal judge in Manhattan, declined to rule against Congress, opening the door for Deutsche Bank and Capitol One to begin releasing Trump's financial records. According to NBC News, Wells Fargo and TD Bank, two of nine financial institutions subpoenaed by the House financial services committee for documents related to dealings with the Trump Organization, have already turned over some records.
May 21, 2019 - Glen Casada, the Republican speaker of the House in Tennessee, has agreed to step down from his leadership position after it was revealed that he had exchanged sexually charged messages with his former chief of staff. A group of 23 states and cities have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for expanding what is known as the "conscience rule", which allows healthcare workers to refuse to participate in medical procedures they oppose for religious reasons, or on moral grounds, like Abortion and birth control. Donald Trump's attorneys are appealing a ruling that will force his accounting firm, Mazars USA, to hand over financial records to Congress. The attorney generals of 15 states have asked the Department of Labor to not adopt a Trump administration proposal to roll back overtime rules put in place by the Obama administration. If the rules are rolled back, up to 8 million workers could stop receiving overtime pay. Don McGahn, the former White House counsel, failed to show up to a House Judiciary Committee hearing, despite being subpoenaed. Jerry Nadler, the committee chairman, responded to McGahn's non-presence saying that Trump's behavior as outlined in the Mueller report "constitutes a crime." Nadler also stated that "The president took it upon himself to intimidate a witness who has a legal obligation to be here today. This conduct is not remotely acceptable. When the committee issues a subpoena, the witness must show up. Our subpoenas are not optional. Mr. McGahn has a legal obligation to be here. If McGahn does not immediately reverse course and agree to testify, this committee will have no choice but to enforce the subpoena against him". Nadler also accused Trump of continuing a "pattern of obstruction and cover-up" and declared "Let me be clear: this Committee will hear Mr. McGahn’s testimony, even if we have to go to court to secure it. We will not allow the President to stop this investigation, and nothing in these unjustified and unjustifiable legal attacks will stop us from pressing forward with our work on behalf of the American people. We will hold this President accountable - one way or the other." In response to Don McGahn's failure to appear at the hearing, Adam Schiff, the House Intelligence Committee chairman, said the case for impeaching Trump "gets stronger the more they stonewall. I think that the administration is certainly pushing the Congress in that direction." The House Judiciary Committee issued subpoenas today to the following individuals: Hope Hicks, the former White House communications director, and Annie Donaldson, the chief of staff to ex-White House counsel Don McGahn. Today has been dubbed "Stop the Bans" day by pro-choice organizations, which have organized more than 500 rallies across all 50 states to protest bans and restrictions being put on abortion in a growing number of states. Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian foreign minister, responded to news that Trump wants the Iranians to reach out to him saying they won't negotiate with the Trump administration unless it shows Iran "respect" by honoring its commitments under the nuclear deal that Trump scrapped. Zarif also said "Having all these military assets in a small area is in of itself prone to accidents, extreme prudence is required and the United States is playing a very, very dangerous game". Patrick Shanahan, the acting Defense Secretary, offered the following comment regarding alleged threats from Iran, without offering specifics, "We've put on hold the potential for attacks on Americans". Donald Trump sent the following tweet today "I am very disappointed that Mexico is doing virtually nothing to stop illegal immigrants from coming to our Southern Border where everyone knows that because of the Democrats, our Immigration Laws are totally flawed & broken. Mexico’s attitude is that people from other countries, including Mexico, should have the right to flow into the U.S. & that U.S. taxpayers should be responsible for the tremendous costs associated w/this illegal migration. Mexico is wrong and I will soon be giving a response!" Trump also sent this tweet today "So even though I didn’t have to do it with Presidential Privilege, I allowed everyone to testify, including White House Counsel Don McGahn (for over 30 hours), to Robert Mueller and the 18 Angry Trump-Hating Democrats, and they arrived at a conclusion of NO COLLUSION and NO OBSTRUCTION! The Dems were unhappy with the outcome of the $40M Mueller Report, so now they want a do-over." Representative Don Beyer sent out the following in via twitter today "The time has come for the House of Representatives to open an impeachment inquiry into the conduct of President Trump. Endorsing such a course is not easy, and I do not do so lightly, but I believe that the President has left Congress no other option. When I came to Congress I swore an oath ‘to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. President Trump has shown utter contempt for the Constitution from the moment he took office, but we are now faced with evidence of actions that strongly resemble high crimes and misdemeanors. Congressman Amash’s brave public statement makes support for an impeachment inquiry bipartisan, and I have privately spoken to other Republicans who believe he is right but are unwilling to say so publicly." The Washington Post obtained a confidential draft memo from the Internal Revenue Service that stated that Trump must invoke executive privilege to get out of providing his tax returns to Congress, which contradicts the reasoning used by Steven Mnuchin when he refused to turn the documents over. Trump has been looking to create a new position called "immigration czar", which will be responsible for coordinating immigration policy across government agencies. Kris Kobach, the former Kansas secretary of state, and former head of Trump's now disbanded voter fraud commission, is interested in the position, and has submitted to the White House a list of 10 conditions that must be met for him to take the job. Here is the list of those conditions:
1. Office in the West Wing.
2. Walk-in privileges with the president.
3. Assistant to the President rank - at highest pay level for WH senior staff.
4. Staff of 7 people (2 attorneys, 2 research analysts, 1 scheduler, 1 media person, 1 assistant).
5. POTUS sits down individually with Czar and the secretaries of Homeland Security, Defense, Justice, Ag, Interior, and Commerce, and tells each of the Secretaries to follow the directives of the Czar without delay, subject to appeal to the President in cases of disagreement.
6. 24/7 access to either a DHS or DOD jet. Czar must be on the border every week.
7. Ability to spend weekends in KS with family on way from border back to DC, unless POTUS needs Czar elsewhere.
8. Security detail if deemed necessary after security review.
9. Serve as the face of Trump immigration policy - the principal spokesman on television and in the media.
10. Promise that by November 1, 2019, the president will nominate Kris Kobach to be DHS Secretary, unless Kobach wishes to continue in Czar position.
During an appearance before the House Financial Services Committee today, Ben Carson, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and former brain surgeon, demonstrated what is being called "spectacular incompetence" after Carson was unable to answer basic questions, and had to have basic housing terms that are common to his area of oversight explained to him by Representative Katie Porter. Here are some of the exchanges that took place:
Porter: Do you know what the interest rate curtailment schedule is at FHA and how it’s different from the GSEs?
Carson: Well, we tend to try and maintain a lower interest rate at FHA
Porter: I’m not asking you about the interest rate, sir. I’m asking you about debenture interest curtailment penalties.
Carson: Explain.
In another exchange, Representative Porter asked Carson if he knew what an REO is:
Carson: An Oreo?
Porter: No, not an Oreo. An R-E-O, R-E-O.
Carson: Real estate.
Porter: What's the 'O' stand for?
Carson: E Organization?
Porter: Owned. Real Estate Owned.
At one point Carson was also asked about how HUD plans to change the conveyance process at FHA to address the loss recovery differential between FHA loans and GSE loan:
Carson: You’re getting way down in the weeds here. If I got down in the weeds on every issue I wouldn’t get very far.
Carson was also asked about a plan to evict undocumented immigrants and their US citizen children from subsidized housing, saying in part "It seems only logical that taxpaying American citizens should be taken care of first. It’s not that we’re cruel, mean-hearted. It’s that we are logical. This is common sense. You take care of your own first." After the meeting, Representative Porter made the following statement "In my role as monitor of the big bank settlement during the subprime mortgage meltdown, I saw the human devastation of the 2008 crisis up close. Secretary Carson’s ignorance of the agency he oversees is a slap in the face to the American public, which entrusts him to make sure it doesn’t happen again. I was willing to give Secretary Carson the benefit of the doubt, but his confusion over basic HUD functions was deeply distressing."
May 20, 2019 - According to a New York Times story, "anti-money-laundering specialists at Deutsche Bank recommended in 2016 and 2017 that multiple transactions involving legal entities controlled by Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, be reported to a federal financial-crimes watchdog". Lindsey Graham, a Republican US Senator, sent out the following tweet today "Just received a briefing from National Security Advisor Bolton about escalating tensions with Iran. It is clear that over the last several weeks Iran has attacked pipelines and ships of other nations and created threat streams against American interests in Iraq." Representative Ruben Gallego, responded to Graham's tweet saying "Again Lindsey and I get the same intel. That is not what is being said. This is total information bias to draw the conclusion he wants for himself and the media." Trump sent the following tweet today "If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran. Never threaten the United States again!" Bernie Sanders, Senator from Vermont, responded to Trump's tweet saying "Trump, the schoolyard bully, is threatening to take us into another war in the Middle East. Just what we need! But it will not be Trump's or his billionaire friend's kids and grandkids who fight and die in that war. It will be working-class kids. No war with Iran!" Don McGahn, former White House counsel, has been directed by Trump to defy a congressional subpoena and skip appearing before the House Judiciary Committee tomorrow. William Burck, Don McGahn's attorney, penned a letter to Jerry Nadler, the House Judiciary Committee chairman, saying in part "Mr. McGahn again finds himself facing contradictory instructions from two co-equal branches of government. Under these circumstances, and also conscious of the duties he, as an attorney, owes to his former client, Mr. McGahn must decline to appear at the hearing tomorrow." Seth Abramson, an attorney and professor at the University of New Hampshire, responded to the news that the White House is blocking Don McGahn from testifying before congress saying "It's settled law in DC federal court that there's no unqualified immunity for a former White House Counsel. Don McGahn doesn't work for the White House, and in fact Trump has no power to stop him from testifying tomorrow. If he doesn't show up, send the U.S. Marshals out. Period." The education department's Office of Inspector General released a report which identified ""limited" instances in which US education secretary Betsy Devos used her personal email account for official government business, and did not always properly save emails. Judge Amit Mehta, a federal judge in DC, ruled in favor of the House oversight committee in its quest to obtain 8 years of Trump's financial records from Mazars USA, one of Trump's accounting firms. According to the Washington Post, Jay Sekulow, one of Trump's lawyers, instructed Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal attorney, "to falsely claim in a 2017 statement to Congress that negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Moscow ended in January 2016". Those negotiations actually continued into June of 2016. The House intelligence committee voted today to make the transcripts of Michael Cohen's testimony public. According to Politico, Trump campaign internal polling shows support for Trump slipping in "three Rust Belt states that propelled him to the presidency". Those states are Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan, where support for Joe Biden is higher than support for Trump.
May 19, 2019 - In a series of tweets, Michigan U.S. Rep. Justin Amash became the first Republican congressman to say that Trump committed impeachable offenses. According to Amash, impeachment does not require that a crime has been committed, but instead "it simply requires a finding that an official has engaged in careless, abusive, corrupt, or otherwise dishonorable conduct." Trump responded to Amash on twitter saying "Never a fan of @justinamash, a total lightweight who opposes me and some of our great Republican ideas and policies just for the sake of getting his name out there through controversy. If he actually read the biased Mueller Report, 'composed' by 18 Angry Dems who hated Trump he would see that it was nevertheless strong on NO COLLUSION and, ultimately, NO OBSTRUCTION...Anyway, how do you Obstruct when there is no crime and, in fact, the crimes were committed by the other side? Justin is a loser who sadly plays right into our opponents hands!"
May 17, 2019 - A US appeals court in Virginia has struck down Trump's decision to end DACA, saying "DACA’s rescission is vacated as arbitrary and capricious, and the matter is remanded for further proceedings". The Missouri House passed a bill banning abortion at 8 weeks. The ban does not include exemptions for rape and incest, but does include a provision for medical emergencies. Representative Barry Hovis, one of the Republicans who voted for the abortion ban in Missouri, claimed during the legislative proceedings, that most of the rapes he encountered as a law enforcement official were date rapes and "consensual rape". The Equality Act passed today in the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives, which expands rights for LGBT Americans in things like housing, employment and education. 8 Republicans voted with 228 Democrats to pass the legislation. 173 Republicans voted against the measure. The legislation is not expected to be taken up by the Republican-controlled Senate. Steven Mnuchin, the treasury secretary, responded to the subpoena issued by the House Ways and Means committee for 6 years of Trump's tax returns with a letter saying in part "we have determined that the Committee's request lacks a legitimate legislative purpose". Richard Neal, chairman of the House Ways and Means committee, issued the following statement in response to Steven Mnuchin's letter saying in part "Last Friday, I issued subpoenas to the Treasury Secretary and IRS Commissioner after they refused to comply with the law. Issuance of these subpoenas should not have been necessary. The law provides clear statutory authority for the Chair of the Ways and Means Committee to request and receive access to tax returns and return information. The law, by its terms, does not allow for discretion as to whether to comply with a request for tax returns and return information. Given the Treasury Secretary’s failure to comply today, I am consulting with counsel on how best to enforce the subpoenas moving forward."
May 15, 2019 - Robert Chain, of Los Angeles, plead guilty today to seven counts of making threats towards employees of the Boston Globe, after that paper had called on media organizations nationwide to denounce Donald Trump's attacks on the media. An American official, speaking to the New York Times on the condition of anonymity, said "the ultimate goal of the yearlong economic sanctions campaign by the Trump administration was to draw Iran into an armed conflict with the United States." The Department of Homeland Security announced that it is suspending commercial flights between the US and Venezuela. Alabama Republicans passed the nation's strictest abortion ban, which makes it a criminal offense for physicians to perform an abortion, except in cases where the woman faces fatal complications. Here are some responses to the ban:
"This ban is dangerous and exceptionally cruel—and the bill’s authors want to use it to overturn Roe v. Wade. I've lived in that America and let me tell you: We are not going back—not now, not ever. We will fight this. And we will win." Elizabeth Warren
"Outrageous news coming out of Alabama. This law would effectively ban abortions in the state and criminalize doctors for doing their jobs - providing health care to women." - Kamala Harris
"This bill in Alabama is effectively a ban on abortion. This is wrong. This is unconstitutional." - Amy Klobuchar
"The Alabama Senate just stripped women of health care rights by voting to make abortion procedures a felony. I will fight in solidarity with women to make sure rights guaranteed by Roe v. Wade will not be threatened by those who have no business making laws about their bodies." - Cory BookerAccording to the Guardian, nine additional state legislatures are considering anti-abortion legislation that is similar to the one just passed in Alabama, those states are: Louisiana, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Texas and West Virginia.
May 14, 2019 - John Heisdorffer, the chairman of the American Soybean Association, responded to the growing tariff war saying "The sentiment out in farm country is getting grimmer by the day. Our patience is waning, our finances are suffering and the stress from months of living with the consequences of these tariffs is mounting." Trump claimed that if China stops buying American products because of the tariffs, farmers will be compensated saying "This money will come from the massive tariffs being paid to the United States for allowing China, and others, to do business with us. The farmers have been ‘forgotten’ for many years. Their time is now!" Reporters asked Maj Gen Christopher Ghika, the top British general in the US-led coalition against ISIS - known as Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) - about the increased threat from Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria that the US has used as justification for a military buildup in the region. Ghika responded to the questions saying "No – there’s been no increased threat from Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria." US Central Command issued a statement refuting Ghika's comments saying "Recent comments from OIR’s deputy commander run counter to the identified credible threats available to intelligence from US and allies regarding Iranian-backed forces in the region."
May 13, 2019 - In what is seen as an escalation of the trade war between the US and China, the Chinese announced plans to raise tariffs on $60bn of US imports ranging from 5% to 25%. News of tariff retaliation by the Chinese caused the Dow Jones industrial average to drop by 610 points. Democratic congresswoman, Rashida Tlaib, was interviewed on Yahoo News' Skullduggery podcast this past weekend. During the interview, Tlaib was asked about a one-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, and her answer, which was very long, included the phrase "calming feeling". These two words were seized upon by many Republicans, including congresswoman Liz Cheney, Republican House minority whip Steve Scalize and Donald Trump, who accused Tlaib of anti-Semitism. Here are the accusations against Tlaib:
"Surely now @SpeakerPelosi & @LeaderHoyer will finally take action against vile anti-Semitism in their ranks. This must cross the line, even for them. Rashida Tlaib says thinking of the Holocaust provides her a “calming feeling” - Liz Cheney
"There is no justification for the twisted and disgusting comments made by Rashida Tlaib just days after the annual Day of Holocaust Remembrance. More than six million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust; there is nothing 'calming' about that fact." - Steve Scalise
"Democrat Rep. Tlaib is being slammed for her horrible and highly insensitive statement on the Holocaust. She obviously has tremendous hatred of Israel and the Jewish people. Can you imagine what would happen if I ever said what she said, and says?" - Donald J TrumpFor proper context, this is what Tlaib said:
"There’s kind of a calming feeling I always tell folks when I think of the Holocaust, and the tragedy of the Holocaust, and the fact that it was my ancestors, Palestinians, who lost their land and some lost their lives, their livelihood, their human dignity, their existence in many ways, have been wiped out, and some people’s passports.[...]May 10, 2019 - Trump raised tariffs on $200bn of Chinese goods from 10% to 25%. The International Monetary Fund warned that the tariff war posed a threat to the global economy. Trump responded to criticism that higher import costs would force US companies and farmers to lay off workers saying in a tweet: "Tariffs will bring in FAR MORE wealth to our country than even a phenomenal deal of the traditional kind. Also, much easier & quicker to do. Our Farmers will do better, faster, and starving nations can now be helped. Waivers on some products will be granted, or go to new source!" Trump also stated that he is preparing the "paperwork" to impose 25% tariffs on an additional $325bn worth of Chinese imports. Acting defense secretary, Patrick Shanahan, has confirmed that the defense department has shifted an additional $1.5bn of its budget to pay for 80 miles of wall at the US-Mexico border. This brings the total amount shifted from the defense budget to the border wall to $2.5bn. According to the Guardian "Actors and filmmakers are boycotting a major hub for television and film production in the US, Georgia, because of a strict abortion law passed there this week" and signed by Republican Governor Brian Kemp. Richard Neal, the Democratic chairman of the House Ways and Means committee, has issued subpoenas for six years of Trump’s tax returns. Steven Mnuchin, the treasury secretary, has already indicated that he will not be complying with the request. In response to Mnuchin's intent to refuse the request, Neal sent Mnuchin a letter which says in part "Compliance is not discretionary under any circumstance, even if the taxpayer is under audit. The Committee never has been denied a request made under [the law]." News surfaced that following the release of the Mueller Report, the Trump Administration asked former White House counsel, Don McGahn to state publicly that the president did not obstruct justice. According to the reports, McGahn declined the request. Joseph H McKinley Jr, a US district judge, struck down an anti-abortion law in Kentucky which was passed to halt a common second trimester procedure to end pregnancies, saying the law would create a "substantial obstacle" to a woman's constitutionally protected privacy rights.
I mean, just all of it was in the name of trying to create a safe haven for Jews, post-the Holocaust, post-the tragedy and the horrific persecution of Jews across the world at that time, and I love the fact that it was my ancestors that provided that, right, in many ways. But they did it in a way that took their human dignity away, right, and it was forced on them. And so when I think about a one-state, I think about the fact that, why couldn’t we do it in a better way?"
May 9, 2019 - Trump hosted the players of the Boston Red Sox to celebrate their World Series victory last season. Nearly a dozen players skipped the ceremony in protest, all of them people of color. In the official online announcement, the White House website misspelled the Red Sox as the "Red Socks". In a later press release, the Red Sox were listed as the "2018 World Cup Series Champions". Mick Mulvaney, the White House chief of staff, said it was "bad form" for a "Republican-led committee" to subpoena the President's son without advance warning. A three-judge panel in Washington DC has voted to disbar Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign chairman, for committing crimes of "moral turpitude". Having said earlier this week that Robert Mueller should not testify before Congress, Trump today said "I’m gonna leave that up to our very great attorney general, and he’ll make a decision on that." US Senator Kamala Harris, has issued a letter to attorney general William Barr asking that he clarify his answer to a question she asked him of whether anyone at the White House had ever instructed him to investigate anyone. Harris' letter was prompted by statements Trump made today when he publicly called for former secretary of state John Kerry to be prosecuted for continuing to meet with Iranian officials saying in part: "He’s talking to Iran and has has many meetings and many phone calls and he’s telling them what to do. And frankly, he should be prosecuted on that." Matt Summers, a spokesperson for John Kerry replied to Trump's comments saying Trump's "wrong about the facts, wrong about the law, and sadly he’s been wrong about how to use diplomacy to keep America safe". Summers went on to say "Secretary Kerry helped negotiate a nuclear agreement that worked to solve an intractable problem. The world supported it then and supports it still. We’d hope the president would focus on solving foreign policy problems for America instead of attacking his predecessors for theater."
May 8, 2019 - Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed a complaint with the special counsel's office regarding White House counselor Kellyanne Conway's repeated violations of the Hatch Act, for "unprompted attacks on 2020 presidential candidates while acting in her official government role in televised interviews". According to the complaint, these violations continue to occur despite the fact that Conway "received extensive training on how to follow the the law following a CREW complaint about her promotion of Ivanka Trump products." Conway responded to the complaint saying "If you’re trying to silence me through the Hatch Act, it’s not going to work. Let me know when the jail sentence starts." Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, gave a statement in which she declared that Trump is asserting executive privilege to prevent the release of the unredacted Mueller Report saying in part "Faced with Chairman Nadler’s blatant abuse of power, and at the Attorney General’s request, the President has no other option than to make a protective assertion of executive privilege". Jerrold Nadler, the chairman of the House judiciary committee, told the committee today that it is necessary to hold William Barr, the attorney general, in contempt of Congress saying "The President has stated that his Administration will oppose all subpoenas, and, in fact, virtually all document requests are going unsatisfied. Witnesses are refusing to show up to hearings. This is unprecedented. If allowed to go unchecked, this obstruction means the end of congressional oversight." Today marks 58 days without a formal White House briefing, which is a record. The prior record, also set by the Trump White House, was 42 days. The Senate intelligence committee has issued a subpoena for Donald Trump Jr to testify regarding his previous testimony on the Russia investigation. The House judiciary committee approved a resolution to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress in a party line vote of 24 to 16. Following the vote, Nadler told reporters "We have talked for a long time about approaching a constitutional crisis. We are now in it." Nadler also said that Barr "has taken a much greater step farther, in turning the entire Department of Justice into an instrument of Trump personally, rather than an instrument of justice." The House intelligence committee issued a subpoena today for "documents and materials related Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, including all counterintelligence and foreign intelligence materials produced during the Special Counsel’s investigation, the full unredacted report, and the underlying evidence." The due date for the materials is May 15. Donald Trump held a campaign rally in Panama City Beach, Florida, and during the rally, asked the audience rhetorically regarding thousands of migrants walking North to the border between Mexico and the United States "How do you stop these people?" A female audience member replied to the question by yelling "shoot them!" Trump laughed, as many in the crowd laughed and clapped. Trump then responded, "Only in the panhandle can you get away with that statement" which caused the crowd to laugh and clap much louder. No mention of the incident in the front page story of the rally in the city's local paper, the Panama City News Herald. Here are a few reactions to Trump's comment, and the reaction by his supporters at the rally:
"The president, who spent the day defying the other two branches of government, thinks it's hilarious that a member of the crowd suggested murdering families fleeing violence. The hate-fueled mob of 'fine people' surrounding him explode into uproarious laughter and falsetto hoots." - Walter Shaub
"United States president: 'So what do we do with these immigrants?!' Ignorant racists at rally: 'Shoot them!' US president: (laughs) 'Only in the Panhandle!' (laughs again) Me: We have an amoral monster sociopath in the Oval Office." - Andy Ostroy
"This is how massacres happen. And this is how the next domestic terrorist attack by a white supremacist against communities of color is legitamized and even encouraged by our President." - Erica ShekellMay 7, 2019 - According to a survey conducted by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the number of hate groups hit a 20-year high last year. Four years ago there were 784 active hate groups. Last year, that number had swelled to 1,020. Christopher Wray, the FBI director, testified at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing today, and was asked about Attorney General William Barr's assertion that the Trump campaign had been spied on during the 2016 election. Regarding Barr's use of the term "spying" for court-authorized surveillance. In response, Wray stated, "That's not the term I would use." The White House has ordered Don McGahn not to hand over documents that were subpoenaed by the House judiciary committee. Speaking today on the Senate floor, Senator Elizabeth Warren called for the impeachment of Donald Trump saying "We took an oath to protect and serve the Constitution of the United States of America, and the way we do that is we begin impeachment proceedings now against this president." Paul Rosenzweig, one of the signatories to a letter from former prosecutors who feel the special counsel collected sufficient evidence for multiple obstruction-of-justice charges to be brought against Donald Trump, and who worked for independent counsel Ken Starr during the Clinton years, wrote recently "For me, the question was one of intellectual consistency. Having held President Bill Clinton to this standard 20 years ago, I could not, in good conscience, decline to apply the same standard to President Trump." The New York Times obtained printouts from Donald Trump's IRS tax transcripts for the years 1985 through 1994, and found that over that time, Trump's businesses lost $1.17 billion, which allowed him to avoid paying taxes for eight of the ten years. Jerrold Nadler, the chairman of the House Committee on the Judiciary, threatened to hold Don McGahn in contempt if he fails to appear before the committee "unless the White House secures a court order directing otherwise".
May 6, 2019 - Steve Mnuchin, the treasury secretary, sent a letter to Congress denying their request for Trump's tax returns saying in part: "In reliance on the advice of the Department of Justice, I have determined that the Committee’s request lacks a legitimate legislative purpose, and ... the Department is therefore not authorized to disclose the requested returns and return information." Trump sent out a tweet threatening to dramatically increase tariffs on Chinese goods, which caused financial markets around the world to slide, and potentially put trade talks with China in jeopardy. Michael Cohen, Trump's former attorney and "fixer" will begin serving his three-year prison sentence today. According to John Bolton, a national security adviser to Donald Trump, the US is sending an aircraft carrier and a bombing task force to the Middle East in response to "escaltory indications" from Iran. The US House judiciary committee made its first move towards holding attorney general, William Barr, in contempt of Congress , after Barr failed to produce an unredacted copy of the Mueller Report by today's 9am deadline. Jerrold Nadler, the committee chairman released a statement saying "Even in redacted form, the Special Counsel’s report offers disturbing evidence and analysis that President Trump engaged in obstruction of justice at the highest levels. Congress must see the full report and underlying evidence to determine how to best move forward with oversight, legislation, and other constitutional responsibilities. The attorney general’s failure to comply with our subpoena, after extensive accommodation efforts, leaves us no choice but to initiate contempt proceedings in order to enforce the subpoena and access the full, unredacted report." Alex Cora, the Boston Red Sox manager, said he will be skipping a visit to the White House to celebrate his team's 2018 World Series win because of Trump's response to hurricane Maria. Cora is Puerto Rican. Doug Collins, the top Republican on the House Judiciary committee, angrily decried the plan to hold William Barr in contempt of Congress saying "Democrats have launched a proxy war smearing the attorney general when their anger actually lies with the president and the special counsel, who found neither conspiracy nor obstruction". Collins, who falsely claimed no obstruction was found by the special counsel, called the upcoming vote "illogical and disingenuous". According to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, 53% of Americans support getting rid of the Electoral College. Rick Scott, Republican US Senator and former Florida Governor, attacked a proposition by Democratic candidate Cory Booker that one should be required to register gun purchases, saying "What’s next? Will we have to register sharp knives? Maybe @AOC will make us register every time we buy meat as part of her #GreenNewDeal." Alexander Ocasio-Cortez, responded to Scott on twitter saying "That a sitting US Senator can say something lacking so much critical thinking + honesty is embarrassing to the institution. If you were a female candidate, maybe you’d be called 'unlikeable,' 'crazy,' or 'uninformed.' But since you’re not, this inadequacy is accepted as normal." A group of more than 800 former federal prosecutors released a collective statement critical of William Barr's assessment of the Mueller Report saying in part "Each of us believes that the conduct of President Trump described in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Report would, in the case of any other person not covered by the Office of Legal Counsel policy against indicting a sitting President, result in multiple felony charges for obstruction of justice. We emphasize that these are not matters of close professional judgment. Of course, there are potential defenses or arguments that could be raised in response to an indictment of the nature we describe here . . . But, to look at these facts and say that a prosecutor could not probably sustain a conviction for obstruction of justice — the standard set out in Principles of Federal Prosecution — runs counter to logic and our experience." The statement also says "The Mueller report describes several acts that satisfy all of the elements for an obstruction charge: conduct that obstructed or attempted to obstruct the truth-finding process, as to which the evidence of corrupt intent and connection to pending proceedings is overwhelming." Today marks the 2 year anniversary of Melania Trump's "Be Best" campaign, part of which is to speak out against bullying, both online, and in real life. When she announced the campaign 2 years ago in a White House ceremony, Melania stated that "It is our responsibility as adults to remind them, when using their voices, whether verbally or online, they must choose their words wisely, and speak with respect and compassion". On this anniversary, it seems appropriate to take a look back at a sampling of the words Melania's husband Donald has used over the last two years to describe his critics and political opponents:
Weirdo * Weak * Wacky * Stupid * Insane * Crooked * Dirty * Sick * Dumb * Crazy * Shifty * Sleazy * Pathetic * Lazy * Psycho * Incompetent * Loser * Low-Life * Terrible * Thugs * Nuts * Low-IQ * Lyin' * Flake * Deranged * Nut Job * Phony * Lacky * Disgusting * Bozo * Pocahontas * Sloppy * Lunatics * Shady * Dog * Punch Drunk * Conman * No Talent * Loser
May 5, 2019 - Through twitter, Trump criticized facebook and other social media outlets for banning far-right figures saying that he would "monitor the censorship of AMERICAN CITIZENS on social media platforms". Trump also sent out the following tweet: "After spending more than $35,000,000 over a two year period, interviewing 500 people, using 18 Trump Hating Angry Democrats & 49 FBI Agents - all culminating in a more than 400 page Report showing NO COLLUSION - why would the Democrats in Congress now need Robert Mueller to testify. Are they looking for a redo because they hated seeing the strong NO COLLUSION conclusion? There was no crime, except on the other side (incredibly not covered in the Report), and NO OBSTRUCTION. Bob Mueller should not testify. No redos for the Dems!" This tweet marks a reversal from Trump, who has previously claimed that he would support William Barr's decision on whether Mueller should testify, and Barr has said publicly that it would be fine if he did.
May 4, 2019 - North Korea fired multiple missiles as part of its first missile tests since the failed denuclearisation summit in Hanoi. Following the tests, Trump tweeted: "Anything in this very interesting world is possible, but I believe that Kim Jong Un fully realises the great economic potential of North Korea, & will do nothing to interfere or end it. He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen!"
May 3, 2019 - Kamala Harris, California Senator and Democratic presidential candidate, sent the following tweet "I’ll be frank: In this week’s hearing, Attorney General Barr refused to answer most of my questions -- and when he did, his answers were alarming. It’s time for him to resign. Add your name if you agree." Trump and Putin spoke on the phone for an hour today. According to Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the Mueller Report was discussed "very, very briefly, essentially in the context that it’s over and there was no collusion, which I’m pretty sure both leaders were both very well aware of long before this call took place." Trump tweeted about the discussion with Putin saying "Had a long and very good conversation with President Putin of Russia. As I have always said, long before the Witch Hunt started, getting along with Russia, China, and everyone is a good thing, not a bad thing. We discussed Trade, Venezuela, Ukraine, North Korea, Nuclear Arms Control and even the 'Russian Hoax.' Very productive talk!" When a journalist asked Trump if he told Putin "not to meddle in the next election", Trump called the reporter "very rude" and said: "We didn't discuss that." Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader was critical of Trump's failure to press Putin on the Mueller Report's extensive evidence that Russia hacked our elections saying "Trump's priorities are appalling and undermine democracy". Regarding Venezuela, Trump told reporters that Putin "is not looking at all to get involved in Venezuela" despite the fact that Putin has dispatched Russian troops to support its current president, Nicolas Maduro amid an anti-government uprising led by opposition leader Juan Guaido. A three-judge panel on a federal court has ruled that Ohio's congressional map's district boundaries were manipulated for partisan gain by Republican mapmakers and is therefore unconstitutional. The judges ordered a new map be drawn for the 2020 elections. Speaking to reporters, Trump made the following statement about his talk on the phone with Putin "He actually sort of smiled when he said something to the effect that it started off as a mountain and ended up being a mouse." According to the Guardian "A federal judge has ruled that a lawsuit challenging Donald Trump’s ban on immigrants from several Muslim-majority countries can continue, reviving an issue that was thought to be settled by the US supreme court last year." John Kelly, the former White House chief of staff, is now a member of the board of directors at Caliburn International, which is the parent company of Comprehensive Health Services, which operates the largest facility being used for unaccompanied migrant children. Kelly was a strong supporter of Trump's family separation policy at the US-Mexico border. Responding to the news about Kelly, Julian Castro, one of the 20+ Democratic candidates for president sent the following tweet: "After implementing one of the cruelest immigration agendas in our nation’s history, disgraced Trump Chief of Staff John Kelly will now profit from detaining immigrant children and families. Unbelievable." Delaney Marsco, ethics counsel at the nonprofit Campaign Legal Center, responded to news of Kelly's new position saying "The fact is that when he was in the White House, the government took action that swelled the population of people that were in these facilities, and that benefited his former employer. That’s the exact kind of situation that is why we have the ethics clause."
May 2, 2019 - Senator Kamala Harris again called for William Barr to resign saying "He's clearly biased. He is clearly reluctant to share the truth with the United States Congress and clearly unable to perform his duties as attorney general of the United States." William Barr, the attorney general, failed to show up for a hearing with the House judiciary committee, because he objected to the fact that staff lawyers would be allowed to ask questions. Jerry Nadler, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee cited the Justice Department's refusal to hand over an unredacted copy of the Mueller Report saying "We will have no choice but to move quickly to hold the attorney general in contempt if he stalls or fails to negotiate in good faith. The challenge we face is that the president of the United States wants desperately to prevent congress, a co-equal branch of government from providing any check whatsoever to even his most reckless decisions,” Nadler also said. “If we don’t stand up to him together today, we risk forever losing the power to stand up to any president in the future.” Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, responded to William Barr's testimony from the prior day saying Barr "lied to Congress. If anybody else did that, it would be considered a crime. Nobody is above the law. Not the President of the United States and not the attorney general." The Justice Department responded to Pelosi's comment calling Barr a liar saying "The baseless attack on the Attorney General is reckless, irresponsible and false." Stephen Moore, Trump's pick for a Federal Reserve board member, has withdrawn his name from consideration following criticism that he failed to pay his ex-wife tens of thousands in alimony, and over sexist comments he's made over the years. The Justice Department filed a legal brief today arguing that the affordable Care Act is unconstitutional. The Trump administration rolled out new religious exemptions for healthcare providers which allow workers to refuse to provide care if it violates their religious beliefs. Zackary Berger, MD, wrote on twitter "Media friends, can you stop writing credulous pro-Trump headlines? The new orders from HHS do not provide new 'religious and moral' protections for healthcare workers. They strip protections from patients". The military reports that sexual assaults jumped by 13% last year. The ACLU has filed a legal challenge to the Trump administration's new policy of denying asylum seekers bond hearings, saying in part "We are challenging Attorney General Barr's decision to eliminate bond hearings for asylum seekers. Hearings are central to due process. The Trump administration can't discard the Constitution just because it wants to punish asylum seekers". Facebook has banned several prominent right wing personalities because they "promote or engage in violence and hate" The banned personalities include conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, far right troll Milo Yiannopoulos, and anti-Muslim figurehead Laura Loomer.
May 1, 2019 - The White House responded to the House oversight committee's request for details regarding the process being used to grant security clearances, by sending a nine page letter refusing the request. Representative Elijah Cummings, the chair of the House Oversight Committee, responded to the Trump White House's refusal to turn over records related to the granting of security clearances saying "The lengths to which President Trump and his aides are going to keep this information from Congress raise grave concerns about what they are trying to hide—and why". The YouGov-Cambridge Globalism Project conducted a landmark global survey which found that "populists across the world are significantly more likely to believe in conspiracy theories about vaccinations, global warming and the 9/11 terrorist attacks." The House Judiciary Committee voted to allow an additional hour of questioning during William Barr's testimony at the House tomorrow, so that committee lawyers from both sides can ask questions. Barr, who objects to this particular format, has threatened not to appear because of it. William Barr did appear before the Senate judiciary committee today to answer questions about the Mueller Report, and his handling of it. Here are some takeaways from the hearing:
- In opening remarks, Lindsey Graham, the Senate Judiciary Chairman, falsely claimed that the Mueller Report found there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. The report states explicitly that it did not weigh in on the concept of "collusion" since collusion is not a legal term.
- William Barr said he offered special counsel Robert Mueller the chance to review his summary of the report, but "He declined".
- Senator Sheldon Whitehouse asked Barr about his usage of the term "spying" regarding "authorized surveillance" against the Trump campaign, saying that term is not typically used by the Justice Department in this context, to which Barr responded, "It's commonly used by me".
- Mazie Hirono, Senate Democrat of Hawaii, told Barr during the hearing: "You used every advantage of your office to create the impression that the president was cleared of misconduct. You lied to Congress. You knew. You lied. And now we know." Hirono then told Wiliam Barr he should resign.
- Barr claimed the president has the authority to terminate a "groundless" investigation and adds "We now know that he was being falsely accused".
- Barr referred to Robert Mueller's letter as "a bit snitty". He also said that after reading the letter, he called Mueller, had a conversation, and took notes. When asked if the committee could have his notes, Barr said "No, why should you have them?"
- Senator Richard Blumenthal says Barr "probably should resign".
- Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Cory Booker, all Democratic presidential candidates, have all called for Barr to resign.
- The following exchange took place between Bill Barr and Kamala Harris:
HARRIS: "Did anyone in your executive office review the evidence supporting the report?"
BARR: "No"
HARRIS: "Yet you represented to the America public that the evidence was not 'sufficient to support an obstruction of justice offense?'"
...
HARRIS: "Has the president or anyone at the White House ever asked or suggested you open an investigation into anyone?"
BARR: "Um, I wouldn’t, uh—"
HARRIS: "Yes or no"
BARR: "Could you repeat that question?"
HARRIS: "Has the president or anyone at the White House ever asked or suggested you open an investigation into anyone? Yes or no please, sir."
BARR: "Uh, the president or anyone else—"
HARRIS: "It seems you'd remember something like that and be able to tell us."
BARR: "I'm trying to grapple with the word 'suggest' . . . there have been discussions of matters out there that . . . they have not asked me to open an investigation but . . ."
HARRIS: "Perhaps they've suggested?"
BARR: "I wouldn't say suggested—"
HARRIS: "Hinted?"
BARR: "I don't know."
HARRIS: "Inferred?"
BARR: "I . . . don't know."
- Following the hearing, Senator Lindsey Graham promised to "investigate whether the Obama-era Justice Department tried to influence the 2016 election in favor of Democrat Hillary Clinton".
April 30, 2019 - Erik Prince, the founder of Blackwater, a private war company, and brother to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, has come under scrutiny for testimony he gave to the House intelligence committee. According to Adam Schiff, the committee's chair, Prince gave false testimony, and "The evidence is so weighty that the Justice Department needs to consider this". According to a report from the Center for Public Integrity, the 2017 Tax and Jobs Act, which Trump heralded as "a middle class tax cut" actually delivered the biggest corporate tax cut in US history. Trump claimed at one point that the tax cut would bring the average American household "around a $4,000 pay raise", but, according to the report, the average pay increase is closer to $233. Trump has directed officials to again toughen rules for asylum seekers at the Southern border by introducing a fee for their applications, and by barring those who enter illegally from being able to work until their claim has been approved. Archi Pyati, chief of policy at Tahirih Justice Center called the policy "heartless" and added that "This scheme will fail to bring protection to those who need help, and will cripple the already broken system even further." According to the Guardian, A federal judge has ruled "that Democrats in Congress can move forward with their lawsuit alleging that President Trump’s private business violates the Constitution’s ban on gifts or payments from foreign governments." According to the Washington Post, Robert Mueller wrote a letter to William Barr criticizing him for his depiction of the special counsel's final report. Mueller's letter read in part "The summary letter the Department sent to Congress and released to the public late in the afternoon of March 24 did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance of this office’s work and conclusions. There is now public confusion about critical aspects of the results of our investigation. This threatens to undermine a central purpose for which the Department appointed the Special Counsel: to assure full public confidence in the outcome of the investigations." Jerry Nadler, the chairman of the Judiciary committee, is now demanding that attorney general William Barr turn over the letter he received from Mueller, and that Mueller be allowed to testify before his committee. Nadler also pointed out that when Barr was asked during testimony he gave on April 10, whether Mueller supported his conclusion, Barr had replied: "I don’t know whether Bob Mueller supported my conclusion." The letter from Mueller was dated March 27. In an effort to thwart efforts by House Democrats to gain access to his financial records, Trump filed a US federal lawsuit against Deutsche Bank and Capital One to force them to stop complying with subpoenas. According to the lawsuit "The subpoenas were issued to harass President Donald J Trump, to rummage through every aspect of his personal finances, his businesses, and the private information of the president and his family" and to "stumble upon something they can expose publicly and use as a political tool against the president". Amid a continuing power struggle, the NRA re-elected Wayne LaPierre as chief executive. Judge Richard Moore, a Virginia judge, has ruled that the Confederate statues in Charlottesville are protected by state law from being taken down because they are war monuments.
April 29, 2019 - Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, submitted a letter of resignation to Donald Trump. His last day will be May 11. Jeffrey Rosen, nominated to succeed Rosenstein, is awaiting Senate confirmation. According to fact checkers at the Washington Post, Donald Trump has made more than 10,000 false or misleading claims since becoming president. Approximately 1/5th of his misleading statements are about immigration, and his most often repeated falsehood is that his wall on the Southern border is already being built. It is not.
April 27, 2019 - Oliver North, the current president of the NRA, announced that he had been told he could not seek re-election as president. North's one year term ends April 29th. North had recently made allegations that NRA leaders engaged in financial improprieties, which according to the New Yorker included "financial mismanagement, nepotism, greed and self-dealing among employees of both the NRA and PR firm Ackerman McQueen, which has helped define the NRA’s strategy and talking points for decades." Protesters in dozens of countries throughout Europe participated in what is being called the Extinction Rebellion, which is an ongoing protest against the dangers and inaction on climate change. The form of protest is to stage die-ins at transport hubs, cultural centres and shopping centres. A spokesperson for the protests issued a statement saying "Our ecosystem is threatened by collapse, which will not only lead to mass extinction of countless species, the loss of soil fertility and more extreme weather but will also bring with it the social crises of famine, war and migration. The small efforts we are doing each and every day, [such as] using less packaging, buying organic food and clothes, stopping drinking with plastic straws are clearly not enough. We need our governments to take their responsibilities seriously in order to ensure a future worth living to the inhabitants of our world." In what is being called a hate crime, a 19 year-old man entered the Chabad of Poway synagogue near San Diego and opened fire, killing one, and injuring three others. John T Earnest, the shooter, posted an "open letter" online shortly beforehand filled with racist and antisemitic language, and in which the shooter claimed to be inspired by the Christchurch mosque shootings last month and also claimed he was responding to the "meticulously planned genocide of the European race". Trump responded to the shooting saying "We forcefully condemn the evil of anti-Semitism and hate, which must be defeated." Critics were quick to point out that just yesterday, Trump again defended white supremacists and neo-Nazis who chanted "blood and soil" and "Jews will not replace us" while marching in Charlottesville, Virginia in August of 2017. Donald Trump congratulated newly drafted San Francisco 49ers player Nick Bosa, saying on twitter: "Congratulations to Nick Bosa on being picked number two in the NFL Draft. You will be a great player for years to come, maybe one of the best. Big Talent! San Francisco will embrace you but most importantly, always stay true to yourself. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Bosa, who has been criticized for making "racist" tweets, and for describing Colin Kaepernick as a "clown" and as "Crappernick", scrubbed his twitter feed to remove these and other "conservative" posts after he discovered he might be drafted by "liberal" San Francisco. Bosa, who is white, was the NFL's second draft pick. The number one pick, who is black, did not receive a congratulatory tweet from Trump. A video surfaced from 1998 showing Republican Senator Lindsey Graham making the argument that a president's refusal to comply with congressional oversight is an impeachable offence. From the video: "The day Richard Nixon failed to answer that subpoena is the day he was subject to impeachment because he took the power from Congress over the impeachment process away from Congress, and he became the judge and jury". Trump held a campaign rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin where he referred to FBI and Department of Justice agents that have been forced out of government during his presidency as "scum" while the crowd chanted "lock her up". Trump also falsely accused Democrats of supporting the execution of babies, and at one point referred to the assembled press who were covering the rally as "sick people" and "fakers" as the crowd chanted "CNN sucks!
April 26, 2019 - Andrew Napolitano, a Fox News senior judicial analyst, and former superior court judge in New Jersey, argued in an op-ed that "Mueller laid out at least a half-dozen crimes of obstruction committed by Trump, from asking former deputy national security adviser KT McFarland to write an untruthful letter about the reason for Flynn’s chat with Kislyak, to asking [former campaign aide] Corey Lewandowski and then White House counsel Don McGahn to fire Mueller and McGahn to lie about it, to firing Comey to impede the FBI’s investigations, to dangling a pardon in front of Michael Cohen to stay silent, to ordering his aides to hide and delete records. The essence of obstruction, is deception or diversion – to prevent the government from finding the truth." According to the New York Times, Russian hackers gained access to at least one Florida elections network in 2016. Maxine Waters, a US Representative, responded on twitter to news that white supremacist Lt. Christopher P. Hasson was being released from jail saying "Outrage! Judge Day ordered release of a white supremacist who threatened to kill me, Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer, Rep. AOC, Rep. Omar, pres candidates, & journalists! 15 guns found in his home & he has ties to other neo-Nazis. Why is Barr silent? What must we do?" Speaking to the press shortly before boarding Air Force One, Trump made the following statement: "GDP is an incredible number. But remember this: Not only that, we have a great growth — which is growth. We have great growth and also very, very low inflation. Our economy is doing great. Number one in the world. We’re number-one economy right now in the world and it’s not even close." Dana Sabraw, a US district judge, has given the Trump administration 6 months to identify potentially thousands of children separated from their parents at the US-Mexico border. Trump administration officials say that it could take as long as 2 years to re-unite some of these children with their parents. Trump was asked today if there were "very fine people on both sides in Charlottesville", his response: "Oh, I’ve answered that question. And if you look at what I said, you will see that that question was answered perfectly. And I was talking about people that went because they felt very strongly about the monument to Robert E. Lee, a great general. Whether you like it or not, he was one of the great generals. I have spoken to many generals here, right at the White House, and many people thought — of the generals, they think that he was maybe their favorite general. People were there protesting the taking down of the monument of Robert E. Lee. Everybody knows that". While responding to a question about whether Don McGahn had lied to Mueller, Trump did not address the question asked, but made this claim: "We had 18 people that were Trump haters; that includes Mr. Mueller. He was a Trump hater." Maria Butina, the Russian gun rights activist that worked to infiltrate the NRA and other right wing groups has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for failing to register as a foreign agent. Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, made the following remarks regarding Russian interference in 2016: "There was overwhelming evidence that Russian operatives hacked American computers and defrauded American citizens, and that is only the tip of the iceberg of a comprehensive Russian strategy to influence elections, promote social discord, and undermine America, just like they do in many other countries". A new ABC/Washington Post poll found that a majority of Americans believe Trump lied to the American public about issues related to the Mueller probe, and that a majority oppose impeachment. Trump tweeted: "President Donald J. Trump is the greatest hostage negotiator that I know of in the history of the United States. 20 hostages, many in impossible circumstances, have been released in last two years. No money was paid.’ Cheif [sic] Hostage Negotiator, USA!" According to the Guardian, Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the NRA, wrote a letter to the NRA's Board telling them he has been instructed to resign, and that if he doesn't, "damaging allegations would be made to the board against him regarding sexual harassment of a staff member and financial improprieties, including expenses spent on his wardrobe and staff travel." According to LaPierre, the pressure is coming from the current president, Lt. Oliver North, and others. Trump addressed the NRA today, here are some of his more memorable statements:
"We believe in the rule of law and we will defend the constitution of the United States. There are some people running now – I don't think they have that number one on their list."
"Every day of my administration, we are taking power out of Washington, D.C. and returning it to the American people, where it belongs. And you see it now better than ever, with all of the resignations of all of the bad apples. They’re bad apples. They tried for a coup; didn’t work out so well. And I didn’t need a gun for that one, did I?All was taking place at the highest levels in Washington, D.C. You’ve been watching, you’ve been seeing. You’ve been looking at things that you wouldn’t have believed possible in our country. Corruption at the highest level — a disgrace. Spying, surveillance, trying for an overthrow. And we caught them. We caught them. Who would have thought in our country?"
"corruption at the highest levels. A disgrace. Spying. Surveillance. Trying for an overthrow, and we caught ‘em. We caught ‘em … Democrats are obsessed with hoaxes, delusions and witch-hunts. We can play the game just as well or better than they do."
"America’s future has never been brighter, and yet Democrats have never been angrier, especially now that their 'collusion delusion' has been exposed to the world as a complete and total fraud. It’s been the greatest political hoax ever in our country."
"Far-left radicals in Congress want to take away your voice, your jobs, your rights, and they especially want to take away your guns. You know that. They want to take away your guns."
"The level of dishonesty and corruption in the media is unbelievable."
During his speech to the NRA, to raucous cheers, Trump announced that the US will withdraw support from a United Nations treaty regulating the multi-billion dollar global arms trade. Here are a few select responses to Trump's withdrawal announcement:
"This is yet another myopic decision that jeopardizes US security based on false premises and fearmongering. While Americans from all walks of life have come to painfully understand the threat posed by not doing enough to prevent weapons from ending up in the wrong hands, it is disturbing to see this administration turn back the clock on the little progress we have made to prevent illicit arms transfers." - Bob Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate foreign relations committee
"Today the president once again walked away from America’s leadership role in the world and undermined international efforts to reduce human suffering caused by irresponsible and illegal arms transfers. Un-signing the treaty will undermine international peace and security, increase irresponsible and illegal sales of conventional weapons, and harm the American economy." - Rachel Stohl, the managing director of the Stimson Center thinktank in Washington, and a consultant to the arms trade treaty process
April 25, 2019 - A three-judge federal panel has ruled that congressional and legislative maps drawn up by Republicans in the state of Michigan in 2011 are unconstitutionally gerrymandered saying in part "Their primary goal was to draw maps that advantaged Republicans, disadvantaged Democrats and ensured that Republicans could enjoy durable majorities in Michigan’s congressional delegation and in both chambers of the Michigan legislature for the entire decade." News surfaced that North Korea billed the US $2m for the hospital care provided to Otto Warmbier, the US student who was imprisoned for stealing a political poster. Joe Biden, former vice president under Barack Obama, entered the 2020 race for president, saying that Trump's response to rcists marching in Charlottesville heavily influenced his decision. Donald Trump issued a tweet denying he ever told Don McGahn to fire Mueller saying "As has been incorrectly reported by the Fake News Media, I never told then White House Counsel Don McGahn to fire Robert Mueller, even though I had the legal right to do so. If I wanted to fire Mueller, I didn’t need McGahn to do it, I could have done it myself. Nevertheless, Mueller was NOT fired and was respectfully allowed to finish his work on what I, and many others, say was an illegal investigation (there was no crime), headed by a Trump hater who was highly conflicted, and a group of 18 VERY ANGRY Democrats. DRAIN THE SWAMP! Despite the fact that the Mueller Report was “composed” by Trump Haters and Angry Democrats, who had unlimited funds and human resources, the end result was No Collusion, No Obstruction. Amazing!" J.W. Verret, a former Trump transition staffer, said Trump should be impeached, saying "If you look at the report, it’s clear it’s a referral to Congress to begin impeachment proceedings. That was the only choice left to Mueller after the restrictions placed on him by DOJ policy". House Democrats have launched an inquiry into "unprecedented firings" at the Department of Homeland Security saying in part "We are deeply concerned that the firing and forced resignation of these officials puts the security of the American people at risk. We are also concerned that the President may have removed DHS officials because they refused his demands to violate federal immigration law and judicial orders." Lara Trump, Donald Trump's daughter in law, made some statement regarding refugees and Germany that brought about relentless mocking on twitter. According to Lara, accepting refugees was "one of the worst things that ever happened to Germany. It was the downfall of Germany. This president knows that. He’s trying to prevent that from happening here." One of the better responses on twitter to Lara's statement came from Josh Schwerin: "About 6 million dead Jews would strongly disagree".
April 24, 2019 - Donald Trump sent the following tweet: "The Mueller Report, despite being written by Angry Democrats and Trump Haters, and with unlimited money behind it ($35,000,000), didn’t lay a glove on me. I DID NOTHING WRONG. If the partisan Dems ever tried to Impeach, I would first head to the U.S. Supreme Court. Not only are there no 'High Crimes and Misdemeanors,' there are no Crimes by me at all. All of the Crimes were committed by Crooked Hillary, the Dems, the DNC and Dirty Cops - and we caught them in the act! We waited for Mueller and WON, so now the Dems look to Congress as last hope!" Critics were quick to point out that Mueller himself is a registered Republican, and the Supreme Court ruled in 1993 that it wouldn't intervene in an impeachment, as it is a matter that is exclusive to Congress. Trump once again accused the British government of eavesdropping on his election campaign in a tweet "'Former CIA analyst Larry Johnson accuses United Kingdom Intelligence of helping Obama Administration Spy on the 2016 Trump Presidential Campaign.' @OANN WOW! It is now just a question of time before the truth comes out, and when it does, it will be a beauty!" UK’s Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) denied the claim two years ago, and again today saying "As we have previously stated, the allegations that GCHQ was asked to conduct 'wire tapping' against the then President Elect are nonsense. They are utterly ridiculous and should be ignored." Andy McKean, The longest-serving Republican in the Iowa’s legislature, declared that after 40 years, he is switching parties and becoming a Democrat saying "With the 2020 presidential election looming on the horizon, I feel, as a Republican, that I need to be able to support the standard bearer of our party. Unfortunately, that’s something I’m unable to do." Trump proclaimed during a press conference that he will not be cooperating with any of the Democrats investigations saying "we’re fighting all the subpoenas", and then with no sense of irony declared his has been the "most transparent president and administration in the history of our country, by far." News surfaced that prior to being forced to resign, Kirstjen Nielsen, the former Department of Homeland Security secretary, was working to get the White House to focus on election security after becoming alarmed by the continued efforts by Russians to divide Americans through misinformation campaigns and other online tactics. Nielsen brought her concerns to Mick Mulvaney, the White House chief of staff in an attempt to organize a meeting of cabinet secretaries, but was told by Mulvaney that Trump equated any talk of Russian meddling with questions about the legitimacy of his victory, and so any discussions should be kept below Trump's level. Nielsen eventually gave up trying to coordinate a strategy to protect the 2020 elections. According to CNN "Measles cases in the United States have surpassed the highest number on record since the disease was declared eliminated nationwide in 2000."
April 23, 2019 - ISIS has claimed responsibility for the bombings in Sri Lanka, saying they are retaliation for the recent shootings in Christchurch. The Trump administration continues to claim that the US-Mexico border is at a "breaking point" due to the surge in Central American families fleeing poverty and violence. This is despite reports that many of the detention facilities are nearly empty. According to Michelle Brané, director of the migrant rights and justice program at the Women’s Refugee Commission "I think that the people making policy decisions don’t want [the system] to work … they want to create chaos. You could go through all of the policies since they’ve come in and they’ve all been about undermining or destroying the system we have in place for processing and screening people, so here we are." According to a new study published in Nature Communications, and being hailed by the Guardian as the most advanced study yet of the economic consequences of a melting Arctic, "the release of methane and carbon dioxide from thawing permafrost will accelerate global warming and add up to $70tn (£54tn) to the world’s climate bill." While Democrats are debating whether Trump should be impeached or not, Republican leadership has been silent on the matter. Here is a statement made by Mitch McConnell in 1999, speaking in favor of convicting Bill Clinton: "I am completely and utterly perplexed by those who argue that perjury and obstruction of justice are not high crimes and misdemeanors." The White House has ordered Trump administration officials to boycott the White House Correspondents Association dinner this coming Saturday, saying "The dinner is so boring and so negative that we’re going to hold a very positive rally". The annual dinner is meant to recognize and celebrate the First Amendment. After the UN removed references to sexual and reproductive health from a resolution on combatting rape in conflict, the US agreed to support the resolution, which passed. According to an FBI agent's sworn deposition, Larry Mitchell Hopkins, who was arrested after detaining migrant families at the US-Mexico border, was training to assassinate George Soros, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama, because of their support for Antifa. The Interior Department's watchdog has opened an investigation into 6 top officials there, following allegations of a "disturbing pattern of misconduct". News surfaced that the White House will fight the House Judiciary Committee subpoena of former counsel Don McGahn. Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, downplayed the Russia interference probe saying Mueller's investigation "had a much harsher impact on democracy than a bunch of Facebook ads." Carl Kline, the White House personnel security director, failed to show up for a hearing to investigate the handling of White House security clearances, after being ordered to not attend by a White House attorney. Elijah Cummings, the committee chairman, said he will schedule a contempt of congress vote against Kline. The Treasury Department missed its deadline to turn over Trump's tax returns. Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury Secretary, said the department will "take final action on the Committee's request by May 6."
April 22, 2019 - As part of its investigation into obstruction of justice, the House Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena for former White House Counsel, Don McGahn to testify. The US is threatening to veto a UN resolution on rape as a weapon of war over the inclusion of a phrase that "urges United Nations entities and donors to provide non-discriminatory and comprehensive health services, including sexual and reproductive health, psychosocial, legal and livelihood support and other multi-sectoral services for survivors of sexual violence, taking into account the specific needs of persons with disabilities." The kingdom of Brunei sent a letter to the European parliament explaining why death by stoning is necessary for those who engage in gay sex. In the letter, the kingdom asked for "tolerance, respect and understanding" explaining that the intent is "to safeguard the sanctity of family lineage and marriage to individual Muslims, particularly women". The kingdom also claimed the outcry against the penalty is due to a misconception of the law, which they explained has an "extremely high evidentiary threshold, requiring no less than two or four men of high moral standing and piety as witnesses, to the exclusion of every form of circumstantial evidence." Trump was asked by a reporter to respond to the tidbit in the Mueller Report regarding staff not following his orders. Trump's response: "Nobody disobeys my orders." According to CNN, Stephen Moore, Donald Trump's pick for the federal reserve, once wrote that "women should be barred from refereeing, announcing even selling beer at at men’s college basketball games". Donald Trump sent the following tweet today: "Only high crimes and misdemeanors can lead to impeachment. There were no crimes by me (No Collusion, No Obstruction), so you can’t impeach. It was the Democrats that committed the crimes, not your Republican President! Tables are finally turning on the Witch Hunt!" Trump sued Elijah Cummings, chairman of the House Oversight committee, in a bid to block a congressional subpoena of his financial records saying in part the "Democrats are singularly obsessed with finding something they can use to damage the President politically". Elijah Cummings responded to the suit saying "There is simply no valid legal basis to interfere with this duly authorized subpoena from Congress. This complaint reads more like political talking points than a reasoned legal brief, and it contains a litany of inaccurate information. The White House is engaged in unprecedented stonewalling on all fronts, and they have refused to produce a single document or witness to the Oversight Committee during this entire year". Elizabeth Warren, Senator and candidate for president in 2020, has proposed free college and a plan to wipe out student debt. Responding to Warren's proposal in an op-ed in the Washington Examiner, Philip Klein argued that " Elizabeth Warren's plan to cancel student loan debt would be a slap in the face to all those who struggled to pay off their loans". Klein's statement inspired a slew of mockery on twitter, some of which is posted here:
"imagine if someone looked you in the eyes and said "abolishing slavery was a slap in the face to all those who struggled as slaves" - Eddie Kim
"Child labor regulations a slap in the face to children who worked in coal mines" - Osita Nwanevu
"Like how antibiotics are a slap in the face to all the people who died of plague" - Evan DeSimone
"Fixing pothole is a slap in the face to all those who struggled to drive over it" - Judd Legum
April 21, 2019 - In a coordinated suicide bomber attack, eight bombs ripped through churches and hotels in Sri Lanka, killing nearly 300 people.
April 20, 2019 - According to the Guardian, Matt Shea, a Washington state Republican, engaged in online conversations which included talk of carrying out surveillance, "psyops", and violent attacks on political enemies like Antifa. One member of the online group suggested that a female who had been identified for surveillance, be handled with a "Fist full of hair, and face slam, to a Jersey barrier. Treat em like communist revolutionaries. Then shave her bald with a K-Bar USMC field knife." Larry Mitchell Hopkins, a member of an armed rightwing militia group that posted videos online of migrants being held at gunpoint by their group, has been arrested by the FBI for unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition. Hector Balderas, the New Mexico attorney general, responded to the arrest saying "Today’s arrest by the FBI indicates clearly that the rule of law should be in the hands of trained law enforcement officials, not armed vigilantes".
April 19, 2019 - Eboni Williams, a former Fox News host, criticized her former network during an interview on a nationally syndicated radio show called The Breakfast Club saying "Fox has a reputation for being bigoted and racist – all for a very good reason." Regarding Roger Ailes, the founder of Fox News, Williams said "This man very plainly, in plain sight, says that he is forming a network to speak to one thing and one thing only: the demonizing of the other. I don’t know what his beliefs were, but what he knew was it would be very profitable. Nobody had ever done this before … There was no conservative news network speaking to the fear of intrinsic devaluation of whiteness in this country. And Roger saw a void, and like any smart business person – what? Find a need and fill it." Gerard Araud, the outgoing French ambassador to the US, made the following statements regarding the Trump administration during an interview with the Guardian: "When they say ‘America first’, it’s America alone. Basically, this president and this administration don’t have allies, don’t have friends. It’s really [about] bilateral relationships on the basis of the balance of power and the defence of narrow American interest." Araud compared the Trump administration to the Obama administration saying of Trump's: "It’s like [trying] to analyse the court of Louis XIV. You have an old king, a bit whimsical, unpredictable, uninformed, but he wants to be the one deciding." In contrast "Obama was the ultimate bureaucrat: you know every night he was going to bed with 60 pages and in the morning they were coming back all annotated by the president." The night Trump was elected, Araud tweeted that the "world is collapsing before our eyes" but deleted the tweet within minutes of sending it. Regarding that tweet, Araud said: "looking at it in retrospect, of course I was right." A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that following the release of the Mueller Report, Trump's approval rating dropped from 40% to 37%. Despite declaring yesterday that the Mueller Report completely exonerated him, Trump lashed out at the report today, saying on twitter "Statements are made about me by certain people in the Crazy Mueller Report, in itself written by 18 Angry Democrat Trump Haters, which are fabricated & totally untrue. Watch out for people that take so-called “notes,” when the notes never existed until needed. Because I never agreed to testify, it was not necessary for me to respond to statements made in the 'Report' about me, some of which are total bullshit & only given to make the other person look good (or me to look bad). This was an Illegally Started Hoax that never should have happened, a big, fat, waste of time, energy and money - $30,000,000 to be exact. It is now finally time to turn the tables and bring justice to some very sick and dangerous people who have committed very serious crimes, perhaps even Spying or Treason. This should never happen again!" Sara Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, who was called out in the Mueller Report for lying to the press about the reaction by FBI agents to the firing of James Comey, told George Stephanopoulos that her statements were "heat of the moment". Stephanopoulos then pointed out that her claim was made multiple times over multiple days saying "That’s not a slip of the tongue Sarah, that’s a deliberate false statement." Sanders then replied "It was the heat of the moment, meaning that it wasn’t a scripted talking point. I’m sorry that I wasn’t a robot like the Democrat party that went out for two and a half years and stated time and time again that there was definitely Russia collusion between the president and his campaign." Jerrold Nadler, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena for the full un-redacted Mueller Report saying "My Committee needs and is entitled to the full version of the report and the underlying evidence consistent with past practice. The redactions appear to be significant. We have so far seen none of the actual evidence that the Special Counsel developed to make this case. Even the redacted version of the report outlines serious instances of wrongdoing by President Trump and some of his closest associates. It now falls to Congress to determine the full scope of that alleged misconduct and to decide what steps we must take going forward." Here are a few select responses to the Mueller Report:
"I am sickened at the extent and pervasiveness of dishonesty and misdirection by individuals in the highest office of the land, including the President. I am also appalled that, among other things," fellow citizens working in a campaign for the president welcomed help from Russia — including information that had been illegally obtained." - Mitt Romney, Republican Senator from Utah
"If this was any person other than the president of the United States, I can say as a former prosecutor, this would be a knock-down case for obstruction. I’ve charged and convicted on obstruction of justice based on a fraction of this evidence." Elie Honig, CNN legal analyst and former federal prosecutor
"The case is so detailed that it is hard to escape the conclusion that Mueller could have indicted and convicted Trump for obstruction of justice—if he were permitted to do so. And the reason he is not permitted to do so is very clear: Department of Justice policy prohibits the indictment of a sitting president." - Renato Mariotti, former federal prosecutor
"The Mueller report lays out facts showing that a hostile foreign government attacked our 2016 election to help Donald Trump and Donald Trump welcomed that help. Once elected, Donald Trump obstructed the investigation into that attack. Mueller put the next step in the hands of Congress: 'Congress has authority to prohibit a President’s corrupt use of his authority in order to protect the integrity of the administration of justice.' The correct process for exercising that authority is impeachment. To ignore a President’s repeated efforts to obstruct an investigation into his own disloyal behavior would inflict great and lasting damage on this country, and it would suggest that both the current and future Presidents would be free to abuse their power in similar ways. The severity of this misconduct demands that elected officials in both parties set aside political considerations and do their constitutional duty. That means the House should initiate impeachment proceedings against the President of the United States." Elizabeth Warren, Senator and 2020 Democratic presidential contender
"Prima Facie: Trump is guilty as hell." Rob Reiner, Director
April 18, 2019 - The ACLU of New Mexico sent a letter to the state's governor and attorney general asking them to investigate armed rightwing militia groups who have been detaining large groups of migrants at the US-Mexico border and posting videos online. The ACLU referred to the militia's actions as "kidnapping" saying "The Trump administration’s vile racism has emboldened white nationalists and fascists to flagrantly violate the law" and urged officials to "immediately investigate this atrocious and unlawful conduct". The militia group posting the videos calls themselves The United Constitutional Patriots. In a report released by conservation group Oceana, the group's analysis found "systemic failures" in oversight of offshore oil and gas drilling that is being made worse by the Trump administration's expansion of offshore drilling, and its repeal of Obama-era safety rules that were put in place after the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico. A North Korean spokesperson stated that Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, is no longer welcome to be included in nuclear talks. The spokesperson asked for someone "more careful and mature in communicating". According to the Reporters Without Borders (RWB) World Press Freedom Index, the US is now classified as a "problematic" country for journalists to work. According to Christophe Deloire, RWB's secretary general, "If the political debate slides surreptitiously or openly towards a civil war-style atmosphere, in which journalists are treated as scapegoats, then democracy is in great danger. Halting this cycle of fear and intimidation is a matter of the utmost urgency for all people of goodwill who value the freedoms acquired in the course of history." The US rankings now falls below countries like Romania, Chile and Botswana. William Barr, the attorney general, held a press conference where he gave a pre-summary of the Mueller Report, which he would be releasing by noon. During the press conference, Barr falsely claimed that the White House had "fully cooperated" with the special counsel, apparently forgetting that Trump had refused to be interviewed. Barr also advanced the theory that Trump being "frustrated and angered" by the investigations, helped explain away some of the obstruction claims. Prior to Barr's press conference, Trump sent the following tweets: "PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT!" and "The Greatest Political Hoax of all time! Crimes were committed by Crooked, Dirty Cops and DNC/The Democrats." and "No Collusion - No Obstruction!" After Barr's press conference, Jim Acosta, a journalist for CNN sent the following tweet: "Barr seems to have set a new legal standard for a president who is frustrated with an investigation into his conduct. Anger and frustration can now be the basis for lashing out at a probe of alleged wrongdoing in the White House." Responding to Barr's press conference, Jerrold Nadler, the chair of the House Judiciary committee, submitted a letter to Robert Mueller asking him to testify. Adam Schiff, the chair of the House intelligence committee has also penned a letter asking Mueller to testify. Also responding to Barr's press conference were House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer who put out a joint statement saying in part: "Attorney General Barr’s regrettably partisan handling of the Mueller report, including his slanted March 24 summary letter, his irresponsible testimony before Congress last week, and his indefensible plan to spin the report in a press conference [...] – hours before he allows the public or Congress to see it – have resulted in a crisis of confidence in his independence and impartiality." The 448 page Mueller Report was released as promised, here is a brief summary:
Mueller Report Summary
- Trump repeatedly made efforts to "encourage witnesses not to cooperate with the investigation.
- Despite repeated claims by Trump during his campaign that he did not have any involvement with Russia, the Mueller report concluded that he, Ivanka, and Don Jr received regular updates regarding a Trump Tower Moscow project, potentially a billion-dollar deal, that was actively being pursued in 2015 and 2016.
- While the investigation did not establish that the Trump Campaign coordinated or conspired with the Russian government in its election-interference activities, the Russians did offer assistance to the Campaign. In some instances the Campaign was receptive to offers of assistance, while in other instances the Campaign shied away.
- While the Trump Tower meeting met some of the requirements for violating campaign finance laws, charges weren't filed because investigators did not believe they could prove that the people in the meeting knew they were breaking the law, which would be required for a conviction.
- The report describes Trump's reaction to the appointment of Special Counsel as one of anger and despair in which Trump declared "Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my Presidency. I'm fucked."
- The report describes how Trump lashed out at Jeff Sessions for recusing himself telling him "you were supposed to protect me". Trump then told Sessions he should resign as Attorney General.
- Manafort told Gates he had spoken to Trump's personal counsel, and was told "We'll be taken care of."
- Trump who brags often of having "one of the great memories of all time" responded with "I have no recollection" 37 times to Mueller's written questions. The report calls Trump's answers "inadequate".
- The report describes 11 separate instances in which there is evidence that Trump engaged in behaviors that could be considered obstruction of justice:
- 1) Trump's reaction to reports Russia was trying to interfere with 2016 election on Trump's behalf, including response to Wikileaks' dump of emails.
- 2) Trump's behavior regarding investigation into Michael Flynn.
- 3) Trump's reaction to start of FBI's investigation into potential links with Russia, including asking James Comey to "lift the cloud" from his presidency.
- 4) Firing of James Comey.
- 5) Trump's efforts to fire Robert Mueller.
- 6) Trump's efforts to curtail Mueller's investigation
- 7) Trump's efforts to prevent details of the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting from becoming public.
- 8) Trump's attempts to get Jeff Sessions to reverse his decision to recuse himself from the Russia inquiry.
- 9) Trump ordered White House counsel Don McGahn to fire Mueller in June 2017, then ordered McGahn to deny that he told him to do so.
- 10) Trump's change in behavior towards flynn after he began cooperating with authorities, including asking Flynn to give him a "heads up" if he knew "information that implicates the president".
- 11) Trump's conduct towards Michael Cohen, specifically after news surfced that he had "flipped" and began cooperating with investigators.
- The report describes instances in which Trump aides either refused or failed to carry out Trump's orders:
- 1) K.T. McFarland, the Deputy National Security Advisor refused to draft an internal letter stating that the President had not directed Flynn to discuss sanctions with Kislyak.
- 2) Rick Dearborn did not feel comfortable delivering a message to Jeff Sessions to limit the Special Counsel investigation to future elections, so he didn't follow through.
- 3) Chris Christie did not follow through with a request from Trump to call James Comey and tell him the President really likes him and still considers him part of the team. Christie decide the request was "nonsensical".
- 4) Trump urged McGahn to reach out to Rod Rosenstein about what he perceived to be conflicts of interest for Special Counsel. McGahn refused to reach out, and suggested Trump not reach out either.
- 5) Trump urged Porter to reach out to Rachel Brand, and talk to her about being Attorney General and taking over the investigation. Porter did not reach out to Bland, because he was uncomfortable with the request.
- The report describes a pattern of lying to the public about things that were happening behind the scenes:
- 1) Sarah Huckabee Sanders claimed to the press that rank-and-file FBI agents had lost confidence in Comey, but admitted to investigators that the comment was not founded on anything.
- 2) Sanders told the press that deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein decided "on his own" to bring concerns about Comey to the president.
Top Headlines of the Day
10 takeaways from Mueller's report - CNN
Mueller report: Democrats round on Barr over 'misleading' Trump exoneration - The Guardian
Mueller Details Multiple Contacts With Russians and Trump's Efforts to Thwart Inquiry - New York Times
Mueller lays out evidence against Trump on obstruction, Russia - Washington Post
Mueller report sparks tinderbox of subpoena threats, payback claims - Fox NewsApril 17, 2019 - Bill Weld, the former Governor of Massachusetts, who is challenging Trump for the Republican nomination for president, had this to say about Trump: "I’m not sure how serious Mr. Trump is about governing, honestly. He has a one-word environmental policy, ‘hoax.’ A one-word immigration policy, ‘wall.’ And you know, I think his lack of experience in preparation for the office shows." On the eve of the release of a redacted version of the Mueller Report, Trump sent out the following tweet: "Wow! FBI made 11 payments to Fake Dossier’s discredited author, Trump hater Christopher Steele. @OANN @JudicialWatch The Witch Hunt has been a total fraud on your President and the American people! It was brought to you by Dirty Cops, Crooked Hillary and the DNC." Despite Trump's claim that the Mueller Report totally exonerates him, news surfaced that his lawyers are working on a "counter report". Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, and adviser, asked a group of ambassadors to keep an "open mind" regarding his forthcoming Middle East peace proposal. Mohammad Shtayyeh, the prime minister of Palestine, has declared the peace proposal "born dead". According to a new AP-NORC Poll, 6 in 10 Americans believe Trump obstructed justice. Steven Choi, the executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition, responded to William Barr's order to prevent some asylum seekers from being released from detention on bail saying "Attorney General Barr's decision is basically the next step of the infamous 'zero tolerance' policy. This move is clearly meant to intimidate asylum seekers and undermine their right to due process and protections. These are human beings fleeing violence and persecution in their home countries, and they should be welcomed and protected. But the Trump Administration is locking them behind bars in overcrowded, inhumane detention centers, preventing them from getting out, and letting them suffer there for an indefinite amount of time. It's inhumane, nonsensical and completely gratuitous." According to the New York Times, the Department of Justice has held discussions with White House lawyers in recent days, which has aided them in preparing a rebuttal to the Mueller Report. Jerry Nadler, the House Judiciary Chairman, reacted to news the White House was briefed on the Mueller Report tweeting "I’m deeply troubled by reports that the WH is being briefed on the Mueller report AHEAD of its release. Now, DOJ is informing us we will not receive the report until around 11/12 tomorrow afternoon — AFTER Barr’s press conference. This is wrong. #ReleaseTheReport". Nadler also tweeted "Attorney General Barr wrote to me on April 1: "I do not believe it would be in the public’s interest for me to attempt to summarize the full report." I agree. So why is the AG holding a press conference tomorrow morning to go over the Mueller report? #ReleaseTheReport" Nadler then held a press conference where he stated "The Attorney General has taken unprecedented steps to spin Mueller's nearly two-year investigation ... It now appears the AG intends to once again put his own spin on the investigative work completed by the Special Counsel."
April 16, 2019 - Jose Gonzalez Carranza, the father of a 12-year-old girl, and whose wife Barbara Vieyra was killed in Afghanistan in 2010, was returned to Phoenix today after being deported last week by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The return to Phoenix occurred after the newspaper, the Arizona Republic, reported on his deportation, which caused widespread outrage. Donald Trump vetoed the bipartisan War Powers resolution that would have ended US support for the Saudi backed war in Yemen. William Barr, the attorney general, stripped the right of migrants who seek asylum from being released on bond, requiring instead that they be held in mandatory detention. The ACLU responded to the decision saying they plan to "sue the Justice Dept on this decision to hold asylum seekers without bond." The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded 555 cases of the measles across 20 states as of April 11th, which is a 20% increase since April 4th. John Kless, a Florida resident, and Trump supporter, was arrested after making threatening phone calls to California Congressman Eric Swalwell, Detroit Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker. In the message he left for Swalwell, Kless said the following: "You’re gonna die. Don’t wanna do that shit, boy. You’ll be [on] your deathbed, motherfucker, along with the rest of you Democrats. So if you want death, keep that shit up, motherfucker." In addition to threatening the Democrats, Kless ranted about gun control, immigration, gay people, black people and Muslims including Ilhan Omar, who has been the target of a sustained online attack by Donald Trump.
April 15, 2019 - Continuing his attack on representative Ilhan Omar, Trump sent the following tweet: "Before Nancy, who has lost all control of Congress and is getting nothing done, decides to defend her leader, Rep. Omar, she should look at the anti-Semitic, anti-Israel and ungrateful U.S. HATE statements Omar has made. She is out of control, except for her control of Nancy!" William Barr, the attorney general, announced that the Mueller report would be released later this week. Trump responded to the news with this tweet: "Mueller, and the A.G. based on Mueller findings (and great intelligence), have already ruled No Collusion, No Obstruction. These were crimes committed by Crooked Hillary, the DNC, Dirty Cops and others! INVESTIGATE THE INVESTIGATORS!" Trump also responded to the news with this tweet: "The Mueller Report, which was written by 18 Angry Democrats who also happen to be Trump Haters (and Clinton Supporters), should have focused on the people who SPIED on my 2016 Campaign, and others who fabricated the whole Russia Hoax. That is, never forget, the crime. Since there was no Collusion, why was there an Investigation in the first place! Answer - Dirty Cops, Dems and Crooked Hillary!" Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris burned today due to an accident by construction workers. While the cathedral burned, Trump tweeted the following advice: "So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out. Must act quickly!" The French civil defense agency responded to Trump's "flying water tankers" suggestion saying "Hundreds of firemen of the Paris Fire Brigade are doing everything they can to bring the terrible #NotreDame fire under control. All means are being used, except for water-bombing aircrafts which, if used, could lead to the collapse of the entire structure of the cathedral." Former GOP governor Bill Weld announced plans to challenge Trump in the 2020 Republican primary saying it would be a "political tragedy" if Trump was re-elected and that he would "fear for the republic" if the US had four more years of Trump. An ethics investigation has been launched to look into David Bernhardt, the newly confirmed secretary of the interior. According to the AP "Deputy interior inspector General Mary Kendall notified Democratic senators in a letter Monday that her office has begun to investigate whether Bernhardt violated ethics rules on conflicts of interest or other issues. The news comes days after the Senate confirmed Bernhardt, a former lobbyist for oil and gas and other large corporate interests to oversee the nation’s public resources." Audio surfaced of a conversation in 2015 between Larry Kudlow, Trump's top economic adviser, and Stephen Moore, Trump's pick for the Federal Reserve board. During the conversation, Kudlow compared Trump's immigration proposals to the worst parts of World War II and called Trump supporters "the nativist fringe". And Moore called Trump's immigration policies "extreme nativist", "crazy" and "dangerous". According to the World Health Organization, measles cases worldwide rose by 300% during the first three months of 2019 compared with the same period last year.
April 14, 2019 - Trump escalated his attack on Ilhan Omar by re-tweeting and pinning atop his twitter feed a video that misconstrues comments Omar made in March. When asked about the escalation, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, responded by blaming Omar saying "I find her comments to be absolutely disgraceful and unbefitting of a member of Congress, and I think that it’s a good thing the president is calling her out." Sanders also dismissed concerns that the president's actions may incite violence against Omar saying “The president is wishing no ill will and certainly not violence toward anyone. But the president is absolutely and should be calling out the congresswoman." Andrew Gillum, a former mayor of Tallahassee, responded to Trump's attack by saying "Obviously Ilhan has become a little bit of an easy target for this White House, for this administration. But I think his attack is beyond congresswoman Omar. This is about the fact that she looks a certain way, she is a woman of color, she happens to be of the Muslim faith. The president is setting, in my opinion, the groundwork for the kind of campaign he wants to run, which is to pit Americans against Americans, to turn brown and black people against his base." Ilhan Omar issued a statement saying "Since the president's tweet Friday evening, I have experienced an increase in direct threats on my life - many directly referencing or replying to the president's video".
April 13, 2019 - Ilhan Omar, US Representative, responded to the continuing attacks from Trump and Right Wing media which claims she is anti-American saying "No one person – no matter how corrupt, inept, or vicious – can threaten my unwavering love for America. I stand undeterred to continue fighting for equal opportunity in our pursuit of happiness for all Americans." Yemeni Bodegas in New York have begun a boycott against the New York Post for its attack on Ilhan Omar. In an open letter, the Yemeni American Merchants Association wrote that the Post's front page "provoked hatred” and “aims to harm Omar and her family and other people of the Islamic faith". The group also called for "all Yemeni American bodega and deli owners” as well as “our community and allies across New York City” to boycott the sale and purchase of the Post. Trump sent the following tweet today: "Just out: the USA has the absolute legal right to have apprehended illegal immigrants transferred to sanctuary cities. We hereby demand that they be taken care of at the highest level, especially by the state of California, which is well known or its poor management & high taxes!"
April 12, 2019 - Mike Pence, the Vice President, made the following statement regarding Trump's past praise of Wikileaks: "I think the President always, as you and the media do, always welcomes information. But that was in no way an endorsement of an organization that we now understand was involved in disseminating classified information by the United States of America." Critics were quick to point out that during an interview with Brian Kilmeade in 2010, Trump called Wikileaks "disgusting" and said the penalty for what they've done should be "like [the] death penalty or something." Pete Buttigeig, who is one of the Democratic contenders for president in 2020, and who is openly gay, criticized Mike Pence's open opposition to gay rights calling him "fanatical" and saying "That’s the thing I wish the Mike Pences of the world would understand: That if you have a problem with who I am, your quarrel is not with me. Your quarrel, sir, is with my creator." Pence responded to Buttigieg's comment saying "I think Pete’s quarrel is with the First Amendment. All of us in this country have the right to our religious beliefs. I’m a Bible-believing Christian". News surfaced that the Trump Administration has been considering a form of retribution against Democratically controlled "sanctuary cities" where migrants appearing at the border with Mexico would be put on buses destined for and dropped off in "sanctuary cities" like San Francisco. Nancy Pelosi responded to news of the busing scheme saying "The extent of this administration’s cynicism and cruelty cannot be overstated. Using human beings – including little children – as pawns in their warped game to perpetuate fear and demonize immigrants is despicable." George Gascon, San Francisco District Attorney, responded to the scheme saying "With immigrants being less likely to commit crimes than the U.S. born population, and with sanctuary jurisdictions being safer and more productive than non-sanctuary jurisdictions, the data damns this proposal as a politically motivated stunt that seeks to play politics with peoples’ lives. The fact that such a proposal is being peddled by the leader of the free world is an all-time low for American discourse, and it’s the clearest sign yet that the president fully intends to chart a path to reelection on the back of racist rhetoric and policies intended to divide us." When asked about the busing scheme, the White House responded in a press release that "This was just a suggestion that was floated and rejected, which ended any further discussion. Hours after the release of the official White House statement, Trump contradicted the statement by sending out the following tweet: "Due to the fact that Democrats are unwilling to change our very dangerous immigration laws, we are indeed, as reported, giving strong considerations to placing Illegal Immigrants in Sanctuary Cities only". The Trump administration's ban on transgender service members begins today. Hillary Clinton tweeted the following in response to the ban: "The administration's ban on transgender servicemembers begins today. It is abhorrent. Every American should be able to serve their country, and I can't believe we're still debating that in 2019. We have to reverse this as soon as we can." Sam Patten, a longtime associate of Paul Manafort, Trump's campaign chairman, was sentenced to 3 years probation today. Patten pleaded guilty to steering money from a pro-Russian Ukrainian politician to Trump’s inauguration. According to Politico, "The Trump administration has declined to name anyone to a UN committee on racism". According to CNN, Trump promised a pardon to Kevin McAleenan, the Customs Border and Protection commissioner, if he were jailed for illegally blocking asylum seekers from entering the United States.
April 11, 2019 - Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, who has been living in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for the last 7 years, was arrested today after his diplomatic status was revoked. The US is seeking his extradition over allegations he conspired with Chelsea Manning to download classified databases. Trump, who praised Wikileaks more than 160 times during his 2016 presidential campaign was asked by a reporter if he still loves Wikileaks. Trumps response: "I know nothing about WikiLeaks. It’s not my thing." For the first 3 months of 2019 Bernie Sanders leads his Democratic competitors in fundraising with $18.2m. Kamala Harris $12m. Beto O'Rourke $9.4m. Pete Buttigieg $7m. Elizabeth Warren $6m. Cory Booker $5m. The Senate voted to confirm David Bernhardt as Secretary of the Interior. Bernhardt, whose prior work was with a Washington law and lobbying firm on behalf of mining companies and oil and gas giants, is according to Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club, "a walking conflict of interest who is selling out our public lands to his former clients in the fossil fuel industry". A group of House and Senate Democrats have written a letter to attorney general Bill Barr demanding that he release the full, unredacted, Mueller report to Congress.
April 10, 2019 - Tom Ferrall, chairman of the Ohio Federation of College Republicans, sent a fundraising email that bore the subject line "AOC is a domestic terrorist". Responding with a screenshot of the email on Twitter, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wrote "This puts me in danger every time. Almost every time this uncalled for rhetoric gets blasted by conserv. grps, we get a spike in death threats to refer to Capitol Police. Multiple ppl have been arrested trying to harm me, Ilhan, & others.@GOP, what’s it going to take to stop?" Ron Vitiellohas, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, resigned. While talking with reporters outside the White House, Trump made the following claims regarding the Mueller investigation: "everything about it was crooked" and "It was an illegal investigation" and "It was started illegally. Everything about it was crooked. Every single thing about it." Trump also attacked Mueller's investigators calling them "dirty cops" and "very bad people". Trump also said "This was an attempted coup. This was an attempted takedown of a president. And we beat them. We beat them. What they did was treason. What they did was terrible." Trump also stated "I have not read the Mueller report. I haven’t seen the Mueller report. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t care about the Mueller report. I’ve been totally exonerated." While testifying before a Senate subcommittee, William Barr, the Attorney General, claimed there was "spying" on Trump's campaign during the 2016 presidential race. When asked to clarify, Barr said "I am not saying that improper surveillance occurred. I am saying that I am concerned about it and looking into it. That’s all." Trump claims he would love to release his tax returns saying "I would love to give them, but I’m not going to do it while I’m under audit. It’s very simple". The House passed legislation to reinstate net neutrality rules which were reversed in 2017 by the Federal Communications Commission. The bill passed 232-190, but is not expected to get through the Senate, where Republicans are in the majority. Twitter removed a campaign video posted by Donald Trump that used music from The Dark Knight Rises Batman movie. The Ohio legislature passed a bill banning abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected. Republican Governor Mike DeWine has promised to sign the legislation. Responding to the "heartbeat bill" the ACLU tweeted "If the governor signs, we'll see him in court." Education Secretary Betsy Devos, told a congressional committee today that she is "not familiar" with affirmative action rules that the administration reversed earlier this year. Today was the deadline for Trump to hand over his tax returns, but Steven Mnuchin, the treasury secretary, said he needed more time to assess the issues raised by the request. A new deadline has been set for April 24th. Dan Crenshaw, a Republican representative from Texas, shared a tweet that falsely claimed that Ilhan Omar "does not consider [September 11] a terrorist attack on the USA by terrorists". The tweet included a short video clip of Omar speaking to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (Cair), where Omar says in reference to September 11, 2001, "some people did something". The snippet of video in the tweet was cherry picked from a part of a speech in which Omar was talking about the effect of Islamophobia on all Muslims, because of the actions of a few, which brought about the founding of Cair. For proper context, here is Omar's statements surrounding the cherry picked phrase: "For far too long we have lived with the discomfort of being a second-class citizen and, frankly, I'm tired of it, and every single Muslim in this country should be tired of it. CAIR was founded after 9/11 because they recognized that some people did something and that all of us were starting to lose access to our civil liberties. So, you can't just say that today someone is looking at me strange and that I am trying to make myself look pleasant. You have to say that this person is looking at me strange, I am not comfortable with it, and I am going to talk to them and ask them why. Because that is the right you have." Ronna McDaniel, the Republican Party chairwoman, responded to the cherry picked clip to claim that Omar is "anti-American". The New York Post published a picture of the World Trade Center towers in flames with the cherry picked phrase of Omar's at the top, and the phrase "Here's Your Something 2,977 people dead by terrorism" at the bottom. Donald Trump re-tweeted a video of the cherry picked video snippet that was combined with imagery of the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Trump's words in the tweet were "WE WILL NEVER FORGET!" Here is a select group of the responses to the misleading attack on Omar:
"This is dangerous incitement, given the death threats I face. I hope leaders of both parties will join me in condemning it. My love and commitment to our country and that of my colleagues should never be in question. We are ALL Americans!" - Ilhan Omar, US Congresswoman
"The president is inciting violence against a sitting congresswoman – and an entire group of Americans based on their religion. It’s disgusting. It’s shameful. And any elected leader who refuses to condemn it shares responsibility for it." - Elizabeth Warren,US Senator and Democratic candidate for president
"After 9/11 we all said we were changed. That we were stronger and more united. That’s what ‘never forget’ was about. Now, a president uses that dark day to incite his base against a member of Congress, as if for sport. As if we learned nothing that day about the workings of hate." - Pete Buttigieg, Mayor of South Bend, Indiana and Democratic candidate for president
"No more silence, with NY Post and now Trump taking Ilhan’s words out of context to incite violence toward her, it’s time for more Dems to speak up. Clearly the GOP is fine with this shameful stunt, but we cannot stand by." - Rashida Tlaib, US congresswomanApril 9, 2019 - In a press conference, Trump falsely accused the Obama administration for child separations at the border saying "President Obama had child separation. Take a look. The press knows it, you know it, we all know it. I didn’t have, I’m the one that stopped it. President Obama had child separation." During the same press conference, Trump described child separation as a good thing saying "Now I’ll tell you something, once you don’t have it, that’s why you see many more people coming. They’re coming like it’s a picnic, because, ‘Let’s go to Disneyland.’" David Miliband, who leads the International Rescue Committee (IRC), which was founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, criticized the Trump administration's handling of border issues saying "The US government is failing in its most basic responsibilities, never mind as a global leader but as a local example of how a civilized country should behave". Miliband called Trump's approach "disorder by design" saying "The administration needs to create the evidence to justify its immigration policies – it is using the concept of crisis to create the justification for government by executive fiat." Miliband also criticized Trump's national emergency declaration in February calling it a "manufactured crisis" and saying that "By no standards of national or international precedent would you describe it as a crisis, even in the communities affected in the southern US." Miliband also voiced concern about the creation of a vicious circle saying "Bad policy already runs the risk of bad outcomes, and the fear then is that bad outcomes induce even worse policy." Warner Bros initiated legal action against Trump after he tweeted a 2020 re-election video that included music from The Dark Knight Rises Batman movie.
April 8, 2019 - Trump announced that Randolph "Tex" Alles, the Secret Service director, will be stepping down and be replaced by James M Murray, a career member of the Secret Service. An anonymous official described the recent firings as a "near-systematic purge" at the Department of Homeland Security. In a ruling that was celebrated by immigration rights groups, Judge Richard Seeborg, of San Francisco, blocked the Trump administration's policy of returning asylum seekers to Mexico while they wait for an immigration court to hear their cases, saying the policy lacks sufficient protections to ensure migrants don't face "undue risk to their lives or freedom". The Trump administration introduced the policy in response to the large number of families who are showing up at the Mexico border while fleeing poverty and gang violence in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Responding to the ruling, Judy Rabinovitz, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, said "Try as it may, the Trump administration cannot simply ignore our laws in order to accomplish its goal of preventing people from seeking asylum in the United States". Archi Pyati, chief of policy for Tahirih Justice Center, claimed Trump's "Remain in Mexico" policy "leaves individuals and families fleeing persecution stranded on the other side of the border, when what they need and deserve under our laws is protection in America. Tahirih represents asylum seekers who have experienced domestic and sexual violence, and we know that they need legal and social services to effectively make their claims before an immigration judge. This policy goes against basic tenets of fairness, and makes it all but impossible for us to do our jobs. We are glad to see justice served." Charanya Krishnaswami, of Amnesty International USA, referred to the "Remain in Mexico" policy as "cruel and irresponsible". According to the Guardian, "Border patrol arrests have risen sharply over the last year, but are relatively low in historical terms after hitting a 46-year low in 2017. Stephen Yale-Loehr, a Cornell University Law School professor, and co-author of a 21-volume immigration treatise, had the following to say about the trump administration's immigration policies: "This administration doesn’t seem to have a coherent policy. It seems that the president simply wants to score political points by seeming to be tough on immigration without really thinking through the best way to get to the root cause of why people are fleeing violence in Central American countries to come to the United States. The rules are already stacked against immigrants in trying to stay in the United States, and this administration is trying to make it even harder but without thinking through the consequences." The Trump administration has formally designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization saying in part that the designation "recognizes the reality that Iran is not only a State Sponsor of Terrorism, but that the IRGC actively participates in, finances, and promotes terrorism as a tool of statecraft."
April 7, 2019 - Mick Mulvaney, acting White House chief of staff, told Fox News during an interview that Democrats in congress will "never" see Donald Trump's tax returns. According to Mulvaney "That is not going to happen and they know it". Mulvaney also referred to the tax return request as a "political stunt". Dan Kildee, a Michigan representative and member of the tax committee responded to Mulvaney's comments saying "It is not up to President Trump, it is not up to some lawyer that President Trump hires, to determine whether his tax returns can be sought. This is not an autocracy. The president does not get to decide for himself and for Congress what a legitimate subject of inquiry might be." Trump continues to repeat the claim that he can't release his taxes because he is under audit despite experts repeatedly pointing out that there is no restriction to releasing taxes that are under audit. Trump announced by tweet that Kirstjen Nielsen, the secretary of Homeland security, who oversees the Secret Service, would be stepping down and will be replaced by Kevin McAleenan, the current US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner.
April 6, 2019 - Patrick Carlineo Jr, an avid Fox News viewer, and Trump supporter, was arrested after he called the office of representative Ilhan Omar, one of the first Muslims elected to congress, and said to one of her aides: "Do you work for the Muslim Brotherhood? Why are you working for her, she's a fucking terrorist. I'll put a bullet in her fucking skull." During an interview with the FBI, Carlineo said that he is a patriot and that he "loves the president and that he hates radical Muslims in our government".
April 5, 2019 - Donald Trump sent out the following tweet today: "The press is doing everything within their power to fight the magnificence of the phrase, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! They can’t stand the fact that this Administration has done more than virtually any other Administration in its first 2yrs. They are truly the ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!"
April 4, 2019 - Trump backed off his plan to close the border with Mexico saying "We’re going to give them a one-year warning, and if the drugs don’t stop or largely stop, we’re going to put tariffs on Mexico and products, particularly cars. And if that doesn’t stop the drugs, we close the border." Trump added that "Mexico understands that we’re going to close the border or I’m going to tariff the cars. I’ll do one or the other. And probably start off with the tariffs." Trump also stated: “I don’t think we’ll ever have to close the border because the penalty of tariffs on cars coming into the United States from Mexico, at 25%, will be massive." Trump was asked about the request by the House ways and means committee for six years of Trump's tax returns, to which Trump responded: "Now, we're under audit, despite what people said. We're working that out. I'm always under audit, it seems. But I've been under audit because the numbers are big, and I guess when you have a name you're audited. But until such time as I'm not under audit, I would not be inclined to do that." According to Politico, House Democrats are also requesting financial information about Trump from Capital One. Despite Trump's claim that white nationalism is made up of a "small number of people that have very, very serious problems", Christopher Wray, the director of the FBI, called white nationalism a "persistent, pervasive threat" during a House appropriations committee hearing. The House voted 263-158 to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which bars people convicted of stalking or domestic violence from buying a gun. The NRA opposes the act. Only 33 Republicans voted with the Democratic majority. In what is seen as a bipartisan rebuke to Donald Trump, the House joined the Senate in passing a resolution to end US military assistance for Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen. This resolution marks the first time in history that Congress has invoked the 1973 War Powers Act to curb the executive's power to take the country into conflict without congressional approval. Trump responded to the New York Times story that portrayed the Mueller report as being more damaging than William Barr revealed, saying in a tweet: "The New York Times had no legitimate sources, which would be totally illegal, concerning the Mueller Report. In fact, they probably had no sources at all! They are a Fake News paper who have already been forced to apologize for their incorrect and very bad reporting on me!" According to Politifact, the New York Times has never apologized to their readers for their reporting on Trump.
April 3, 2019 - Trump claimed falsely that his father was born in Germany, saying "My father is German, was German, born in a very wonderful place in Germany, so I have a very great feeling for Germany." Trump has made this claim before, but as historians have pointed out, Trump's father was born in New York City. William Burns, a 30 year career diplomat, who served five previous American presidents, said this about Trump while speaking of Brexit: "He is a master of playing on people’s fears and anxieties, and a sense of the other, and you got the impression that Brexiteers did the same thing here. Like Trump, they did not pay a whole lot of attention to the economic or practical consequences." Six states and the District of Columbia filed suit against the US Department of Agriculture, claiming it "significantly weakened" nutritional standards in school breakfasts and lunches. Regarding the lawsuit, Letitia James, New York's attorney general, stated the following: "The Trump administration has undermined key health benefits for our children – standards for salt and whole grains in school meals – with deliberate disregard for science, expert opinion and the law." At a Royal Meteorological Society meeting on the climate of the Pliocene, it was pointed out that the last time CO2 levels were as high as they are now, over 2.6m years ago, sea levels were 15-20 metres deeper, and temperatures were 3-4C higher. A Canadian report on the effects of global warming on Canada, show the country is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world. According to the CDC, the US has seen more reports of measles cases in the first 3 months of 2019, than in all of 2018. For two days in a row, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross declined to personally attend hearings with the House and the Senate to discuss attempts to include a citizenship question on the 2020 Census. On twitter, the ongoing saga has been dubbedd the "empty chair" hearings. According to the New York Times, officials working for special counsel Robert Mueller, are saying that William Barr, the attorney general, "mischaracterized the results of their investigation". Richard Neal, the chairman of the House ways and means committee, issued a formal request for six years of Trump's personal tax returns. Senate Republicans executed the "nuclear option" which changes Senate rules to bypass minority opposition and confirm Trump's judicial picks via a simple majority vote.
April 2, 2019 - Dee Margo, the Republican mayor of El Paso responded to Trump's threat to shut down the US/Mexico border saying: "It would be a crippler. It would be exceptionally detrimental to our economy – I shudder to think about it". Margo also called the potential impact to the region as "detrimental, almost draconian". News surfaced that the children of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Kashoggi are receiving "blood money' payments from the Saudi Kingdom worth millions. At a Republican fundraising dinner, Trump made the following statement: "Hillary wanted to put up wind. Wind! If you have a windmill anywhere near your house, congratulations, your house just went down 75 percent in value. And they say the noise causes cancer. You tell me that one, okay?" According to health experts, there is no evidence that the noise from windmills causes cancer.
April 1, 2019 - A group of Catholic priests in Poland burned an assortment of books, including a Harry Potter novel, saying the books promote sorcery, then posted photos of the ceremony to facebook. Mockery on facebook was swift. After Google appointed Kay Coles James, the president of the Heritage Foundation, to its newly formed advisory council for "the responsible development of AI", more than 50 Google employees penned a letter demanding her removal. James has a history of fighting trans rights and LGBT protections, and publicly advocates for Trump's border wall. The letter stated in part "In selecting James, Google is making clear that its version of ‘ethics’ values proximity to power over the wellbeing of trans people, other LGBTQ people and immigrants". Liz Cheny, Congresswoman and daughter of former vice president Dick Cheney, attacked Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on twitter after Cortez made the claim that the 22nd amendment was created to prevent Roosevelt from getting another term, which happens to be true. Liz Cheney responded to Cortez's comments on twitter saying "We knew the Democrats let dead people vote. According to @AOC, they can run for President, too." Cortez responded on twitter with this: "Hey Rep. Cheney, I see from your dead people comment that you get your news from Facebook memes, but the National Constitution Center + Newsweek are just two of many places where you can clarify your misunderstanding of the history of the 22nd Amendment". In a letter to attorney general William Barr, Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, asked Barr not to support a move by Trump to eliminate Obamacare saying in part: "Rather than seeking to have the courts invalidate the ACA, the proper route for the administration to pursue would be to propose changes to the ACA or to once again seek its repeal. The administration should not attempt to use the courts to bypass Congress." Tricia Newbold, a White House security adviser, with nearly two decades of experience with security clearances, told the House Oversight and Reform Committee that the Trump administration overturned more than two dozen denials for security clearances saying "I feel that right now this is my last hope to really bring the integrity back into our office. I want it known that this is a systematic – it’s an office issue, and we’re not a political office, but these decisions were being continuously overrode [sic]." According to Newbold, the issues which were causing a denial of clearance included "foreign influence, conflicts of interest, concerning personal conduct, financial problems, drug use, and criminal conduct." Trump, who has threatened to cut off US aid to the three countries in the "Northern Triangle" of Central America; Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, due to an unprecedented wave of family migrations from those countries, has followed through with that threat. Trump cut off the aid because he believes the aid isn't working, thus the influx of migrants. Experts however, say that cutting off the aid will make the problem much worse, since the primary reasons people are fleeing those countries are economics and oppression, which aid can help reduce if used effectively.
March 31, 2019 - According to a new book that will be published April 2nd, Trump is "the world's worst cheat at golf." The book, which was written by Rick Reilly, an award winning former Sports Illustrated columnist, is called "Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump".
March 30, 2019 - According to court records in Virginia, Stephen Moore, Trump's pick for a seat on the Federal Reserve board, was found in contempt of court in November of 2012 for failing to pay more than $300,000 in spousal support, child support and other debts.
March 29, 2019 - Attorney general William Barr sent a note to lawmakers on Capitol Hill telling them that the Mueller Report will be released to them in mid-April, and that some parts will be redacted. Barr also said that while Trump has the right to assert executive privilege over parts of the report, he will not do so, but will instead defer to the attorney general. In a series of tweets, Donald Trump has threatened to close the border with Mexico saying "If Mexico doesn’t immediately stop ALL illegal immigration coming into the United States throug our Southern Border, I will be CLOSING the Border, or large sections of the Border, next week." Nick Jack Pappas, a comedy writer and political observer sent the following tweet in response to trump's border threat: "$558 billion in goods flow across the U.S.- Mexico border in both directions, making Mexico our third-biggest trading partner for goods. Closing the border would cost billions. Trump is a business failure, and America doesn't have a rich father to cover up our losses." US district court judge Sharon Gleason issued a ruling that Trump exceeded his authority when he issued an executive order to overturn Obama-era restrictions on offshore drilling in vast parts of the Arctic ocean. Alex Jones, a conspiracy theorist who is being sued by the family of a six-year-old who was murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012, claimed in a deposition that he "almost had like a form of psychosis back in the past where I basically thought everything was staged, even though I'm now learning a lot of things aren't staged". The Georgia house of representatives approved legislation outlawing abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected. The bill now goes to Governor Brian Kemp, who has voiced support for the legislation.
March 28, 2019 - Trump held a campaign rally in Grand Rapids Michigan where he falsely claimed "total exoneration, complete vindication" in the Mueller Report. Trump also called the investigation "ridiculous bullshit". Trump also attacked his political opponents saying "All of the Democrats, politicians, the media also - bad people. The crooked journalists, the totally dishonest TV pundits" helped perpetuate "the single greatest hoax in the history of politics". Trump also claimed the investigation "was nothing more than a sinister effort to undermine our historic election and to sabotage the will of the American people." Trump also called for "accountability" as the crowd chanted "lock them up". Trump also attacked the Green New Deal, falsely claiming that it calls for the elimination of airplanes and cows. Trump also falsely claimed that Democrats are pushing for a law that allows for the execution of newborn babies in Virginia. The defamation lawsuit by Sandy Hook parents against Infowars host Alex Jones brought to light emails from Mark Richardson, an NRA employee, listed on the NRA's official website as a "training counselor program coordinator", speculated using his official NRA email address, that the shooter in Parkland, Florida did not act alone, saying "just like [Sandy Hook], there is so much more to this story. He was not alone." Richardson also thanked Wolfgang Halbig, a contributor to Infowars "for all the information, and for what you do. STAY SAFE." On the same day that Richardson sent the email, Infowars published a post alleging a second shooter in the Parkland attack. Richardson has defended his email as raising a "legitimate question". Beginning April 3rd, Brunei will begin imposing death by stoning as the penalty for gay sex. This penalty stems for Brunei's implementation of sharia law. Gabriel, an Israeli company, has begun selling fire alarm-style panic buttons in the US as a way to reduce the death toll in mass shootings. According to a 2014 study by the Gun Violence Archive, a US not-for-profit, Americans suffer a mass shooting at more than 11 times the rate of any other developed country.
March 27, 2019 - James Fields, the self-described neo-Nazi, who rammed his car into a crowd of people who were protesting a white supremacist rally in Virginia in 2017, killing Heather Heyer, and injuring dozens of others, pleaded guilty to federal hate crimes. A study of tens of millions of tweets sent from US accounts between June 2015 and December 2017 found references to embarrassment rose 45% since Trump was elected president. The study, which was published by Frontiers in Communication, is called "The Politics of Embarrassment: Considerations on How Norm-Transgressions of Political Representatives Shape Nation-Wide Communication of Emotions on Social Media" According to court records, Stephen Moore, Trump's choice to fill a seat on the Federal Reserve board, owes the IRS $75,328 for taxes incurred in 2014. Greg Mankiw, an economics professor at Harvard University, has urged the senate to reject Moore saying he "does not have the intellectual gravitas" for the job. Moore is good friends with Paul Erickson, a Republican operative who has been indicted on federal charges of money laundering and tax fraud. Erickson's girlfriend is Maria Butina, who has pleaded guilty to working as a Russian agent. Beginning next week, Facebook will no longer allow content supporting white nationalism and white separatism. Trump told a group of Republican lawmakers that aid to Puerto Rico "is way out of proportion to what Texas and Florida and others have gotten" while arguing against sending further aid to the US territory. The budget submitted by Betsy Devos, the Education Secretary, eliminates the 17.6m the Education Department gives to Special Olympics, and adds 60m for charter schools. Responding to the Education budget, Vince Mancini posted to twitter: "Imagine you raise two kids with enough money to do anything, and one devotes her life to defunding public schools and the Special Olympics, and the other starts a global force of private mercenaries" A federal judge has blocked a Trump Administration program in Kentucky and Arkansas that added work requirements to Medicaid access, which removed health insurance from 18,000 people. Trump told reporters today: If the Supreme Court rules that Obamacare is out, we'll have a plan that is far better than Obamacare". Critics were quick to point out that Republicans do not currently have a replacement plan.
March 26, 2019 - Trump sent out the following tweet today: "The Mainstream Media is under fire and being scorned all over the World as being corrupt and FAKE. For two years they pushed the Russian Collusion Delusion when they always knew there was No Collusion. They truly are the Enemy of the People and the Real Opposition Party!" According to the Department of Defense, $1bn has been redirected to allow construction of 57 miles of 18ft fencing and other measures along the US-Mexico border. In a letter to Patrick Shanahan, the acting defense secretary, a group of Democratic senators who sit on committees related to defense, military construction and veterans affairs, said of the money transfer: "We strongly object to both the substance of the funding transfer, and to the Department implementing the transfer without seeking the approval of the congressional defense committees and in violation of provisions in the defense appropriation itself. The $1bn reprogramming that the department is implementing without congressional approval constitutes a dollar-for-dollar theft from other readiness needs of our Armed Forces." Mike Pompeo, secretary of state, announced an expansion of what's known as the global gag rule, begun under the Reagan administration, which bans funding for groups that conduct abortions or advocate for abortion rights. The expansion cuts funding to foreign non-governmental organisations directly involved in abortion or abortion rights advocacy, and also to those who fund or support other groups which provide or discuss abortion. Studies of the results of the gag rule show that where strictly enforced, the rule actually increases the number of abortions, because of the decreased access to contraceptives and other family planning support. According to Heather Boonstra, head of public policy at the Guttmacher Institute, a research and advocacy group on female reproductive health "This ideologically driven policy undermines the very goals of US foreign aid programs by harming the health of people in developing countries, violating medical ethics, and trampling on democratic values." The justice department announced that it is now backing a ruling in Texas that declared Obamacare unconstitutional. Prior to this shift, the justice department's position was that only part of the law was unconstitutional. Trump declared on twitter that "The Republican Party will become 'The Party of Healthcare!'" Nicholas Bagley, a University of Michigan law professor, reacted to the justice department's shift in position on the ACA saying "The sheer reckless irresponsibility is hard to overstate. The notion that you could gut the entire ACA and not wreak havoc on the lives of millions of people is insane". Rashida Tlaib, Democratic Representative, found a note on her door that was addressed to Ilhan Omar. The note said the following: "Rep Omar, Stop your disgusting Jew hatred. Your sign says "justice for all." That means Jews too. Your Jihad against Jews will fail." Tlaib responded on twitter with a photo of the note, and this response: "This is the hateful rhetoric & bullying on my door today. Stop the fear mongering & blantant lies. Come here w/ the value that all beings deserve human rights, including Palestinians. @IlhanMN & I fight for equality & justice for all. There's nothing antisemitic about that!" George Papadopoulos, Trump's former adviser, said his attorneys "have applied for a pardon from the president for me". Congress failed to put together enough votes to overturn Trump's first presidential veto. Trump's ban on bump stocks takes effect today. Bump stocks are used to allow semi-automatic weapons fire like a fully automatic weapon. Rocklan county, a suburb of New York City, has declared a state of emergency and banned unvaccinated children from public areas, after declaring an outbreak of 153 cases of measles since October, mostly affecting children who have not been vaccinated.
March 25, 2019 - Responding to the summary of the Mueller report, which was released yesterday, Jerrold Nadler, the chairman of the House judiciary committee tweeted: "In light of the very concerning discrepancies and final decision making at the Justice Department following the Special Counsel report, where Mueller did not exonerate the President, we will be calling Attorney General Barr in to testify before @HouseJudiciary in the near future." Dan Pfeiffer, a former senior adviser to Barack Obama, responded to the summary with this tweet: "Reading the coverage today one would assume that the release of the Mueller report ended the criminal investigations into Trump his inauguration, his business, and his foundation. It didn’t. He still has more criminal exposure than all the other presidents combined."
March 24, 2019 - William Barr, US attorney general, provided congress with a summary of the findings in Robert Mueller's report. Those findings released thus far:
- No “Trump campaign official or associate conspired or knowingly co-ordinated” with Russian operatives during the 2016 campaign.
- No conclusion could be drawn "one way or the other" regarding whether Trump or anyone in his administration engaged in obstruction of justice. The Special Counsel report states that "while this report does not conclude the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him".
- In consultation with Robert Rosenstein, Barr does not recommend criminal charges be filed against Trump for obstruction charges.
March 22, 2019 - Robert Mueller, special counsel tasked with looking into "any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump" and anything arising from that investigation, has completed his work, and turned a report of his findings over to William Barr, the US attorney general. Barr notified Congress that he would inform them of the main conclusions "as soon as this weekend". Barr also said he was "committed to as much transparency as possible" and would consult with Mueller and Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, to determine what information from the report could be released to the public. The investigation, which Trump repeatedly referred to as a "witch hunt", led to the criminal convictions of Paul Manafort, Trump's campaign chairman, Rick Gates, Trump's former deputy chairman, Michael Cohen, Trump's personal attorney, George Papadopoulos, a former Trump adviser, Michael Flynn, a former Trump adviser, and Roger Stone, a former Trump adviser and longtime friend. The investigation also led to criminal indictments of more than two dozen Russians accused of involvement in Moscow's interference in the 2016 US election, which US intelligence agencies concluded was aimed at helping Trump win. The Trump White House announced that the ISIS caliphate in Syria has been 100% defeated, despite reports from Syrian Democratic Forces that they are "still encountering fighting in the caves under Baghouz", and despite observations by reporters in the area of ongoing airstrikes and the sound of heavy gunfire, and despite Trump making this same announcement many time previously. Trump was asked on the Fox Business Network why he is continuously criticizing a dead senator who can't defend himself, Trump responded by blaming the media saying: "When they ask me the question, I answer the question. But you people bring it up. I don’t bring it up." Critics were quick to point out that the attacks on McCain began without any prompting by the media. Responding to the attacks on her father, Bridget McCain made this statement: "We only said goodbye to him almost 7 months ago. Even if you were invited to my dad’s funeral, you would have only wanted to be there for the credit and not for any condolences. Unfortunately, you could not be counted on to be courteous, as you are a child in the most important role the world knows." News surfaced that Ivanka Trump, and others in the Trump administration continues use personal email accounts for official business. During an interview with Fox Business Network, Trump was asked about the Mueller probe, his response: "I have a deputy, appoints a man to write a report on me, to make a determination on my presidency. People will not stand for it."
March 21, 2019 - At a town hall meeting in Iowa, Steve King, a Republican congressman with a history of making racist remarks, made the following statement: "Here’s what FEMA tells me. We go to a place like New Orleans, and everybody’s looking around saying, ‘Who’s going to help me? Who’s going to help me?’ We go to a place like Iowa, and we go, we go see, knock on the door at, say, I’ll make up a name, John’s place, and say, ‘John, you got water in your basement, we can write you a check, we can help you.’ And John will say, ‘Well, wait a minute, let me get my boots. It’s Joe that needs help. Let’s go down to his place and help him.’ Iowans take care of each other". King's district in Iowa is about 95% white, and about 67% of the population of the city of New Orleans was black when Katrina hit. Responding to King's statement, Cedric Richmond, a Democratic congressman from Louisiana, stated the following: "My heart goes out to all Iowans. Though it unsettles me that Steve King would dare compare them to the countless victims of Katrina, many of whom lost their lives. When people show you who they are, believe them. Steve King is a white supremacist and I won’t stand for it" Jon Bel Edwards, the Democratic governor of Louisiana responded to King's comments saying: "These comments are disgusting and disheartening. When communities are affected by disasters, we come together to help each other, not tear each other down" Steve Scalise, a Republican representative from Louisiana responded to King's comments saying: "His comments about Katrina victims are absurd and offensive, and are a complete contradiction to the strength and resilience the people of New Orleans demonstrated to the entire nation in the wake of the total devastation they experienced" Trump signed an executive order requiring US colleges to protect free speech on campuses or risk losing federal research funding saying: "Even as universities have received billions and billions of dollars from taxpayers, many have become increasingly hostile to free speech and to the first amendment. These universities have tried to restrict free thought, impose total conformity and shut down the voices of great young Americans." Janet Napolitano, the president of the University of California, responded to trump's executive order saying "We do not need the federal government to mandate what already exists: our longstanding, unequivocal support for freedom of expression. This executive order will only muddle policies surrounding free speech, while doing nothing to further the aim of the first amendment." The American Council on Education responded to the executive order calling it "a solution in search of a problem".
March 20, 2019 - Trump declares to employees at an Ohio military tank plant regarding ISIS: "The caliphate is gone, as of tonight. Pretty good. That's pretty good, right?" Trump also continued his assault on the late John McCain saying "I have to be honest: I've never liked him much...probably never will." Trump went on to attack McCain over the Steele Dossier saying "What did he do? He didn’t call me. He turned it over to the FBI hoping to put me in jeopardy. That’s not the nicest thing to do." Turns out the FBI already had the dossier in their possession prior to McCain bringing it to their attention. Trump also claimed "I gave him the kind of funeral that he wanted … but I didn’t get a thank you." This claim was disputed by a spokesperson for the Washington National Cathedral who said: "No funeral at the Cathedral requires the approval of the president or any other government official". Trump also claimed, falsely, that it was he, not McCain, who established the Veterans Choice program, saying "McCain didn't get the job done for our great vets" and that "The vets were on my side because I got the job done. I got Choice, and I got accountability. ... For many decades, they couldn’t get it done. It was never done. I got it. Five months ago, I got it done. Choice." In reality, The Veterans Choice program was first established by co-sponsors John McCain and Bernie Sanders, and signed into law by President Obama in 2014. Then, McCain worked with others in Congress to expand the law, which was approved by Congress in May of 2018, and signed into law by Trump in June of 2018. The legislation is even named after McCain, it's called the "John S. McCain III, Daniel K. Akaka, and Samuel R. Johnson VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks Act of 2018".
March 19, 2019 - Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump made the following statement about the late Senator John McCain, who died from brain cancer more than 6 months ago: "I’m very unhappy that he didn’t repeal and replace Obamacare. I think that’s disgraceful, plus there are other things. I was never a fan of John McCain and I never will be." George T. Conway III, husband of Kellyanne Conway, one of Trump's top aides, has been very critical of Trump on twitter, and recently has been questioning Trump's mental health saying that Trump is a malignant narcissist who fits the profile for a narcissistic personality disorder. Trump, has responded to Conway calling him a "total loser" as well as a "stone cold LOSER & husband from hell!" When asked what changed his view of Trump, Conway responded: "I had assumed and hoped that the gravity of the office would lead him to something greater. That respect for the office, respect for history and the desire to leave a legacy would lead him to see that there is something beyond himself that he needs to achieve. But, on Day 1, his focus on the crowds, it was clear almost instantaneously that he’s not capable of it." Regarding the 2020 presidential race, Conway said "under no circumstances would I vote or support Trump." Jacinda Ardern, the New Zealand prime minister, urged the public to render the Christchurch terrorist attacker "nameless" by never speaking his name, and to speak the victims' names instead. During a press conference with visiting Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, Trump praised his counterpart saying "I'm very proud to hear the president use the term 'fake news'" Bolsonaro's comments included a plea for Brazil and the US to "stand side-by-side in their efforts to ensure liberty and respect for traditional family lifestyles with respect to God ... and against politically correct attitudes and against fake news".
March 18, 2019 - The ACLU presented a report to the UN human rights council regarding the Trump administration's refusal to engage with international human rights monitors regarding potential human rights violations inside the US. According to the ACLU "the Trump administration has escalated its hostility towards human rights bodies including the apparent severing of relationships with independent experts appointed to monitor and report on human rights violations". The ACLU also pointed out that under Trump, the US has failed to submit routine reports to two major treaty bodies, the UN committee on the elimination of racial discrimination (report due November 2017) and the UN committee against torture (report due November 2018). The ACLU also pointed out that John Bolton, Trump's national security adviser, had threatened officials of the international criminal court (ICC) with prosecution if they pursue cases against US citizens arising out of Afghanistan and other conflicts. And that Mike Pompeo, secretary of state, declared very recently that ICC personnel involved in investigating US forces would have their visas revoked or denied. The ACLU concluded its report by saying "These issues raise serious concerns regarding the US commitment to human rights and the international rule of law". Regarding the US position of ignoring human rights monitors, the New York Bar Association wrote a letter to Pompeo saying in part: "Repressive regimes, which require the strongest international scrutiny, may point to the United States’ practice as an excuse to keep out international observers". Devin Nunes, California Republican Representative, has filed a lawsuit against Twitter and a small group of Twitter users: Elizabeth Mair, "@DevinNunesMom" and "DevinCow." The suit accuses Twitter of "shadow-banning conservatives" and amplifying "abusive and hateful content". Trump claims media blames him for New Zealand shooting tweeting: "The Fake News Media is working overtime to blame me for the horrible attack in New Zealand. They will have to work very hard to prove that one. So Ridiculous!" George Conway, husband of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, sent the following tweet in reference to Donald Trump: "Don’t assume that the things he says and does are part of a rational plan or strategy, because they seldom are. Consider them as a product of his pathologies, and they make perfect sense. “*All* Americans should be thinking seriously *now* about Trump’s mental condition and psychological state, including and especially the media, Congress—and the Vice President and Cabinet." Trump referred to Joe Biden as "low I.Q. individual" in a tweet today. According to the Pew Research Center, Trump has the support of 69% of white evangelical protestants, the highest of any religious group. Meghan McCain, daughter of late Senator John McCain, responded to Trump's continuing attack on her father saying: "You life is spent on your weekends not with your family, not with your friends but obsessing, obsessing over great men you could never live up to. That tells you everything you need to know about his pathetic life right now. I genuinely feel bad for his family." The latest budget proposal from Donald Trump includes cutting all funding for both the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the National Endowment for the Arts. Andrew McDaniel, Republican State Representative of Missouri, introduced a bill that would require every resident of the state between ages 18 and 35 to own an AR-15.
March 17, 2019 - Trump sent the following tweet: "So it was indeed (just proven in court papers) 'last in his class' (Annapolis) John McCain that sent the Fake Dossier to the FBI and Media hoping to have it printed BEFORE the Election. He & the Dems, working together, failed (as usual). Even the Fake News refused this garbage!" Critics were quick to point out that the tweet contains at least two falsehoods, and possibly three. First, John McCain did not finish last in his class at Annapolis, he finished 5th from the bottom. Secondly, McCain was the one who alerted the FBI regarding the Steele dossier, but he did this in December of 2016, which was one month after the election, and five months after the counterintelligence investigation had already begun. Finally, there is no evidence that McCain provided the dossier to the news media. Meghan McCain, John McCain's daughter, tweeted the following in response to Trump's attack on her father: "No one will ever love you the way they loved my father. I wish I had been given more Saturdays with him. Maybe spend yours with your family instead of on twitter obsessing over mine?"
March 16, 2019 - The Australian government cancelled the visa of far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos for comments the provocateur made about the Shooting in Christchurch. David Coleman, the immigration minister said the comments were "appalling and foment hatred and division". Fraser Anning, the Australian senator who caused outrage when he blamed Muslim immigration for the shootings in Christchurch, punched a 17 year old boy after that boy broke an egg over his head during a press conference.
March 15, 2019 - More than 1 million students worldwide participated in more than 2,000 protests in 125 countries to demand action on climate change. The student movement was inspired by Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old from Sweden, who was recently nominated for a Nobel Prize. Measles, which was officially declared eliminated in 2000, is now at its highest level in the US since 1992. The reason according to the CDC is "vaccine hesitancy" brought about by a study that was published in 1998, then debunked and retracted in 2010. Donald Trump vetoed a resolution passed by both houses of congress to terminate his national emergency declaration. Anthony Romero, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union issued the following statement in response to Trump's veto: "Even members of President Trump's own party are beginning to realize he is a one-man constitutional crisis. The president's veto is as meaningless as his signature on the national emergency declaration. Congress has rejected the president's declaration, and now the courts will be the ultimate arbiter of its legality. We look forward to seeing him in court and to the shellacking that he will receive at the hands of an independent judiciary." While issuing his veto, Trump made the following remarks: "People hate the word invasion, but that's what it is. It's an invasion of drugs and criminals and people, we have no idea who they are". Critics were quick to point out that the New Zealand mosque shooter's manifesto also referred to nonwhite immigration as an "invasion". Trump was asked following his veto if white nationalism posed a growing threat, to which Trump responded: "Not really. I think it's a small group of people that have very, very serious problems." Fraser Anning, an Australian senator, sent tweets blaming the Christchurch shooting on Muslim immigration saying: "Does anyone still dispute the link between Muslim immigration and violence? As always, leftwing politicians and the media will rush to claim that the causes of today’s shootings lie with gun laws or those who hold nationalist views, but this is all cliched nonsense. The real cause of bloodshed on New Zealand streets today is the immigration program which allowed Muslim fanatics to migrate to New Zealand in the first place." A few selected responses to Anning's remarks:
"At a time for grieving and reflection, this Australian senator … fans the flames of violence and extremism" - Sajid Javid, UK home secretary
"The remarks by Senator Fraser Anning blaming the murderous attacks by a violent, rightwing, extremist terrorist in New Zealand on immigration are disgusting. Those views have no place in Australia, let alone the Australian parliament." - Scott Morrison, Australia's prime minister
"Fraser Anning’s comments today are contemptible. He is a disgrace to the Senate and, what is worse, by spreading hatred and turning Australians against each other, he is doing exactly what the terrorists want." - Malcolm Turnbull, former Australian prime ministerMarch 14, 2019 - Brenton Tarrant, a self proclaimed "fascist", opened fire in two mosques in Christchurch New Zealand, killing 50 and wounding nearly 50 more. Tarrant live streamed the massacre on social media. While driving to the mosques, Tarrant listened to a song that idolizes Radovan Karadzic, who was jailed for genocide and other crimes against Bosnian Muslims. Tarrant's weapons were covered in white-supremacist graffiti, including the name of Charles Martel, who is revered by white supremacists for defeating an invading Muslim force at the Battle of Tours in 732. The weapons also referenced Ebba Akerlund, an 11 year old girl killed in April 2017 when an Uzbek man, Rahkmat Akilov, rammed his truck into people in Stockholm. Tarrant posted a manifesto online called "the great replacement" where he raised concerns about an "invasion" of immigrants who would "replace white people" and where he claimed his intentions were "to take a stand to ensure a future for my people" and that he wanted to send a message that "nowhere in the world is safe" for Muslims. The manifesto also said the weapons chosen were for the effect they "would have on social discourse, the extra media coverage they would provide and the effect it could have on the politics of the United States and thereby the political situation of the world". Tarrant's manifesto also made references to American conservatives who espouse anti-immigration rhetoric. One of those conservatives, Candace Owens, warned media outlets that any depictions of her as the shooter's inspiration would be met with legal action. Robert Evans from Bellingcat responded to the reference to Owens saying: "It is possible, even likely, that the author was a fan of Owens’s videos; she certainly espouses anti-immigrant rhetoric. But, in context, [it] seems likely that his references to Owens were calculated to spark division, and perhaps even violence, between the left and the right." The manifesto also hailed Trump as "a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose." While speaking to a group of fossil fuel industry leaders about the Trump administration's plan to issue a proposal to open large portions of the Atlantic for oil and gas development, Joe Balash, the assistant secretary for land and minerals management made this statement: "One of the things that I have found absolutely thrilling in working for this administration, is the president has a knack for keeping the attention of the media and the public focused somewhere else while we do all the work that needs to be done on behalf of the American people." The Connecticut supreme court ruled that victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting can sue Remington Arms, on the grounds that the gun company irresponsibly marketed the gun used in the shooting to high-risk individuals. In a sharp rebuke to Donald Trump, 12 Republicans joined all of the Democrats in the Senate to pass a resolution overturning Trump's emergency declaration, which was meant to divert taxpayer funds to the US-Mexico border for a wall. Trump vowed to veto the resolution. The House voted unanimously - 420 to 0 - for a resolution calling for Robert Mueller's final report to be made public. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader in the Senate tried to bring the same resolution up for a vote in the Senate, but Lindsey Graham, the Senate judiciary committee chairman, objected. Beto O'Rourke announced his candidacy for president in 2020.
March 13, 2019 - Paul Manafort, Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, was sentenced by a federal court in Washington DC to 3 and a half years in prison for conspiracy including money laundering and unregistered lobbying, and a second conspiracy count related to witness tampering. Manafort also violated a cooperation agreement with Robert Mueller by lying to investigators. Manafort was sentenced last week in a Virginia federal court too nearly four years in prison. US district judge Amy Berman Jackson told Manafort during sentencing that "Court is one of those places where facts still matter." Shortly after the sentencing, Manafort was charged in a 16-count indictment in New York state, including mortgage fraud, falsifying business records and conspiracy. The NAACP has requested that Congress hold hearings on the rising levels of domestic terrorism aimed at racial, ethnic and religious minorities in the US - which they attribute in part to the rhetoric of Donald Trump. Derrick Johnson, the president of the NAACP, released a statement saying in part "Sadly, many with racist beliefs have been emboldened by a national climate in which our nation’s highest office sanctions dog whistle politics and xenophobic rhetoric." In an interview with Breitbart News published today, Trump made this observation: "I have the support of the police, the support of the military, the support of the Bikers for Trump – I have the tough people, but they don’t play it tough – until they go to a certain point, and then it would be very bad, very bad." Many interpreted these remarks to be a call for violence against Trump's enemies should things not go Trump's way. Trump provided more clues about what he meant when he said this: "I actually think that the people on the right are tougher. But the left plays it cuter and tougher. Like with all the nonsense that they do in Congress ... with all this invest[igations] – that’s all they want to do is – you know, they do things that are nasty."According to a soon to be released book called Kushner Inc by journalist Vicky Ward, Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law, was challenged by Rex Tillerson, former secretary of state, and Gary Cohn, former top economic adviser, for "mixing his personal interests with US foreign policy".
March 11, 2019 - In an interview with the Washington Post, Nancy Pelosi, the House Speaker, made these comments about impeaching Donald Trump: "I’m not for impeachment. … Impeachment is so divisive to the country that unless there’s something so compelling and overwhelming and bipartisan, I don’t think we should go down that path, because it divides the country. He’s just not worth it." Trump unveiled a 2020 budget plan that includes $8.6bn for a wall on the border with Mexico, an increase in defense spending, and decreases in domestic programs by 5%, or 2.7tn over 10 years. Democrats dismissed the budget as "dead on arrival" and "breathtaking in its degree of cruelty". Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, responded to the proposal saying "The Trump administration’s latest budget proposal is a gut-punch to the American middle class and a handout to the wealthiest few and powerful special interests that would worsen income inequality. Its proposed cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and social security, as well as numerous other middle-class programs, are devastating, but not surprising." Reuven Rivlin, Israel's president, responded to recent comments made by prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying: "There are no first-class citizens, and there are no second-class voters. We are all equal in the voting booth. We are all represented at the Knesset".
March 10, 2019 - Roy Moore, the Alabama Republican who was accused of sexually assaulting or pursuing teenage girls while in his 30's, and who lost a US Senate race in 2017, partly because of those accusations, has announced he may run for Senate again. Representative Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House intelligence committee told Chuck Todd of NBC's Meet the Press, that it would be a misstep for Mueller to accept Trump's testimony in writing saying: "Ultimately it’s a mistake, because probably the best way to get the truth would be to put the president under oath. Because as he’s made plain in the past he feels it’s perfectly fine to lie to the public. After all he has said: ‘It’s not like I’m talking before a magistrate.’ Well maybe he should talk before a magistrate." Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and Democratic presidential contender, offered some thoughts regarding Vice President Mike Pence's support of Donald Trump, saying: "How could Pence allow himself to become the cheerleader of the porn star presidency? Is it that he stopped believing in scripture, when he started believing in Donald Trump? I don’t know. I don’t know." Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, raised eyebrows with this comment on Instagram: "Israel is not a state of all its citizens. According to the basic nationality law we passed, Israel is the nation state of the Jewish people – and only it." Israeli Arabs make up 17% of Israel's population.
March 9, 2019 - Trump called far right commentator Ann Coulter a "wacky nut job" on twitter for questioning his success on the Mexican border wall.
March 8, 2019 - According to the Guardian "Donald Trump’s inauguration received tens of thousands of dollars from shell companies that masked the involvement of a foreign contributor or others with foreign ties." Bill Shine, the White House's deputy chief of staff for communications, and former executive at Fox News, resigned. Weak job numbers in February, when only 20,000 jobs were created across America, have raised concerns that the global economy is weakening. Dana Sabraw, a federal judge who ordered that more than 2,700 children separated at the Mexico border be reunited with their parents, has expanded his authority to affect potentially thousands more. The prior order covered children in custody on June 26th of 2018. The new order covers children in custody after July 1st, 2017.
March 7, 2019 - A non binding resolution in the House condemning "antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism and other forms of bigotry" passed with votes from 407 members from both major political parties. 23 Republicans voted against it. The impetus for the resolution was in response to comments made by representative Ilhan Omar in which she accused some supporters of Israel of pushing people to have "allegiance to a foreign country". After being accused of making antisemitic statements, Omar apologized saying "antisemitism is real and I am grateful for Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of antisemitic tropes". Following the release of satellite images showing the North Koreans rebuilding a space launch site, the US is now demanding that North Korea destroy all of its nuclear, chemical and biological weapons before receiving any sanctions relief. Studies show that microplastic pollution, which can harbour harmful microbes, is a global problem. The possible health effects on people and ecosystems from microplastics is yet to be determined. Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign chairman, was sentenced to 47 months in prison by a federal judge in Virginia for bank and tax fraud. The judge raised eyebrows during sentencing when he expressed sympathy for Manafort saying "He's lived an otherwise blameless life." The light sentence caused outrage and claims of gross inequality of justice among the rich and the poor, and majority vs minority. Here are some select responses to Manafort's sentencing:
"47 months. That’s all. A federal judge in Virginia gave Paul Manafort less prison time for eight counts of bank fraud, tax fraud, and failing to file a foreign bank account report than Crystal Mason got in Texas for voting once while on probation. America." - Jamil Smith
"For context on Manafort’s 47 months in prison, my client yesterday was offered 36-72 months in prison for stealing $100 worth of quarters from a residential laundry room." - Scott Hechinger
"As a former prosecutor, I'm embarrassed. As an American, I'm upset ... I am just as disappointed with Judge Ellis ... It's an outrage and it's disrespectful of the American people." - Glenn Kirschner, former federal prosecutor
"Crystal Mason, a Black woman in Texas, just started serving a sentence of five years for casting an illegal ballot because she didn’t know her felony made her ineligible. Paul Manafort will finish his sentence before Crystal Mason. Watch whiteness work." - Charlotte Clymer
"This is 181 months – or 15 years – shorter than what prosecutors recommended." - Kevin Robillard
"I’ve rarely been more disgusted by a judge’s transparently preferential treatment to a rich white guy who betrayed the law and the nation" - Laurence Tribe, constitutional law professor at Harvard
"Paul Manafort getting such little jail time for such serious crimes lays out for the world how it’s almost impossible for rich people to go to jail for the same amount of time as someone who is lower income. In our current broken system, “justice” isn’t blind. It’s bought." - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democratic US Representative
"Trump's campaign manager, Paul Manafort, commits bank and tax fraud and gets 47 months. A homeless man, Fate Winslow, helped sell $20 of pot and got life in prison. The words above the Supreme Court say "Equal Justice Under Law"—when will we start acting like it?" - Elizabeth Warren, Democratic US SenatorMarch 6, 2019 - News surfaced that North Korea has begun rebuilding a rocket launch site at Sohae that had been partially dismantled as a goodwill gesture after the Singapore summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un last year. According to the Guardian, "The US trade deficit hit a 10-year high in December, dealing a blow to Donald Trump's efforts to restrict imports, especially from China, with protectionist trade tariffs. The Democratic National Committee announced that it will prevent Fox News from televising any of its primary debates citing the networks deep ties to the Trump Administration which it said raised doubts that Fox could hold a "fair and neutral" debate on the Democratic primaries. Trump responded to the news saying "Democrats just blocked @FoxNews from holding a debate. Good, then I think I’ll do the same thing with the Fake News Networks and the Radical Left Democrats in the General Election debates!" Republican lawmakers showed up to a hearing on gun violence wearing pearl necklaces, which was interpreted as a way to mock those who were testifying. Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America responded to the Republican's "clutching their pearls" neckware stating "It really is shameful to behave that way when your constituents are being brave enough to share their stories. Watts posted a picture of the pearl wearers to twitter with the caption “Meanwhile, their constituents are in tears as they testify about gun suicides and domestic gun violence in their families." Here are some select responses to the pearl wearing lawmakers:
"Moms are not "clutching their pearls" over gun violence. They are BURYING their children over gun violence. These are preventable deaths save for your selfishness & greed, #NHPolitics. You should be ashamed. #MomsDemand" - Elizabeth Doyle
"Disappointed in the pearl clutching by @NHGOP. There are families who have lost loved ones here & this mocking prop shows how little they empathize with suicide." - Debra Altschiller
"Too many guns are falling into the hands of dangerous people, threatening kids’ lives and making our communities less safe. These moms are fighting to confront gun violence and protect our children. They don’t deserve to be mocked. We stand with you, @momsdemand." - Kamala HarrisMarch 5, 2019 - After Trump complained on twitter that Democrats were taking a "wrecking ball" to his life, Adam Schiff, the chair of the House Intelligence Committee, responded on twitter saying "Two years of a Republican Congress that did no oversight whatsoever. Every day we learn about new impropriety. For a president that talked about draining the swamp, he has filled the swamp to overflowing." A new Quinnipiac University poll finds that 64% of Americans believe Trump committed crimes before becoming president, and 45% believe he did so as president.
March 4, 2019 - Using twitter, Trump blamed the testimony of his former attorney, Michael Cohen, for the collapse of the Hanoi summit saying: "For the Democrats to interview in open hearings a convicted liar & fraudster, at the same time as the very important Nuclear Summit with North Korea, is perhaps a new low in American politics and may have contributed to the ‘walk'". Using public data issued by power plants as part of the so-called Coal Ash Rule - introduced in 2015 by the Obama administration, which requires power companies to monitor groundwater from wells near ash dumps - the Environmental Integrity Project found that 9 out of every 10 coal plants with reportable data have tainted nearby groundwater with at least one coal ash pollutant, with a majority having unsafe levels of at least four different toxins. The Trump administration has eased regulations regarding coal ash. Responding to the report, Lisa Evans, senior counsel with Earthjustice, who assisted with the report said "Using industry’s own data, our report proves that coal plants are poisoning groundwater nearly everywhere they operate. The Trump administration insists on hurting communities across the US by gutting federal protections. They are making a dire situation much worse." Newly appointed Attorney General, William Barr, will not be recusing himself from special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. News surfaced that Fox News was aware of hush payments made by Trump to Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election, but killed the story because Rupert Murdoch, the owner of Fox News, wanted Trump to win.
March 3, 2019 - A poster was found hanging outside the chamber of the West Virginia House of Delegates during a "WV GOP Day" that bore an image of the World Trade Center in flames, juxtaposed with a picture of Ilhan Omar, one of the first Muslim congresswomen ever elected. Written over the Twin Towers were the words "Never forget - You said", over the picture of Omar were the words "I am proof you have forgotten." Omar responded to the news on twitter saying "No wonder why I am on the ‘hitlist’ of a domestic terrorist and ‘Assassinate Ilhan Omar’ is written on my local gas stations. Look no further, the GOP’s anti-Muslim display likening me to a terrorist rocks in state capitols and no one is condemning them!" Beneath the poster was a table containing numerous pamphlets, some with statements like "Readin', Writin', And Jihadin', The Islamization of American Public Schools" and "The Four Stages of Islamic Conquest". Next to the display was a sign with the name of a group called Act for America, which has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Brigitte Gabriel, Act for America's leader, is known to have visited the Trump White House in 2017.
March 2, 2019 - Trump spoke at CPAC, where he made the following statement, which was interpreted by many to be an attack on foreign born members of Congress: "Right now we have people in Congress that hate our country and you know that. And we can name every one of ’em if they want. They hate our country. Sad. It’s very sad. When I see some of the things being made, the statements being made, it’s very, very sad. And find out, how did they do in their country? Just ask ’em, how did they do? Did they do well, were they succeeding? Just ask that question. Somebody would say, ‘Oh, that’s terrible that he brings that up.’ But that’s OK, I don’t mind, I’ll bring it up. How did they do in their country? Not so good, not so good." Trump also claimed that an announcement would be coming regarding the battle with ISIS, "probably today or tomorrow" that "we will actually have 100 percent of the caliphate in Syria". Trump has made a very similar announcement multiple times in recent months.
March 1, 2019 - The parents of Otto Warmbier responded to Trump's defense of Kim Jong-un regarding their son saying "We have been respectful during this summit process. Now we must speak out. Kim and his evil regime are responsible for unimaginable cruelty and inhumanity. No excuses or lavish praise can change that." Trump responded to the Warmbier's statement saying he had been "misinterpreted" when he stated he believed North Korea's leader was not responsible for the torture and death of Otto Warmbier. After news surfaced that Trump ordered a top-secret security clearance be granted to his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, despite concerns from intelligence officials, House Democrats are now demanding documents and details from the White House on how the president's closest advisers got their security clearances. Elijah Cummings, the chairman of the House oversight committee, penned a letter to White House counsel demanding that records be turned over by Monday. Here's an excerpt of Cumming's letter: "If true, these new reports raise grave questions about what derogatory information career officials obtained about Mr. Kushner to recommend denying him access to our nation’s most sensitive secrets, why President Trump concealed his role in overruling that recommendation, why [former White House chief of staff John] Kelly and [former White House counsel Don] McGahn both felt compelled to document these actions, and why your office is continuing to withhold key documents and witnesses from this Committee" Richard Neal, D-Mass, has asked the attorneys of the House ways and means committee to prepare a request to obtain Trump's tax returns. Regarding the tax return request, Ashley Etienne, spokeswoman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stated: "Every day the American people and Congress learn more about President Trump’s improprieties, from conflicts of interest to influence peddling, potential tax evasion and violations of the Constitution — all roads leading back to President Trump’s finances". While addressing US troops at Joint Base Elmmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, Trump made this statement: "We just took over, you know, you kept hearing it was 90%, 92%, the caliphate in Syria, now it's 100%. We just took over 100% caliphate, that means the area of the land we're just have 100%, so that's good". This announcement surprised US officials and regional allies, who insist that the fight to defeat ISIS is still ongoing.
February 28, 2019 - Denuclearization talks between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un ended hours earlier than planned as talks hit an impasse. At a press conference following the failed talks, Trump claimed the talks failed because North Korea wanted complete sanction relief. North Korea later disputed that claim saying they had only asked for partial sanction relief in return for closing Yongbyon. Trump defended Kim over the death of Otto Warmbier, who is believed to have been tortured before being returned to the US shortly before his death saying "Some really bad things happened to Otto. But Kim tells me that he didn’t know about it and I will take him at his word." Trump also stated "I don’t believe he knew about it. He felt very badly about it, I did speak to him. He knew about it, but he knew about it after. North Korea is a big country with a lot of people in those prisons and the camps – there are some bad people". Trump also stated "Those prisons are rough – they’re rough places, and bad things happen." These comments are in stark contrast to comments made by Trump at the State of the Union in January of 2017, where he looked up at the Warmbier family, whom he had invited to attend, and said to them "You are powerful witnesses to a menace that threatens our world, and your strength inspires us all. Tonight, we pledge to honour Otto’s memory with total American resolve. After a shameful trial, the dictatorship sentenced Otto to 15 years of hard labour, before returning him to America last June – horribly injured and on the verge of death." In a new Gallup poll, the US was found to be in a virtual tie with Russia in terms of global confidence. The US rating, which was at 48% the year before Trump was elected, has since fallen to its current level of 30%, which is an all-time low. Trump claimed Michael Cohen lied in his congressional testimony yesterday, and also claimed that Cohen had not lied when he testified that Trump had not colluded with the Russians, despite the fact that Cohen never once claimed Trump didn't collude, but instead had claimed that he himself had not seen "direct evidence" of collusion, but had his own suspicions.
February 27, 2019 - Fred Biery, a US district judge, has blocked election officials in Texas from checking the citizenship of a select group of registered voters and potentially purging them from electoral rolls. The Texas secretary of state's office was forced to concede that the data used to identify the voters being targeted was significantly flawed. Critics argued it discriminated against Hispanic Americans. Donald Trump, who is meeting with Kim Jong-un in Hanoi, Vietnam, called his North Korean counterpart, who leads one of the most repressive regimes in the world, "a great leader". The US House of Representatives passed legislation today that would require federal background checks for all firearms sales, including online and at gun shows, making it the first gun control measure passed by the House in nearly a quarter century. The measure is is not likely to be taken up for a vote in the Republican-controlled Senate. Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former lawyer and "fixer", testified today before the House oversight committee. Here are some of the more explosive claims that came out of Cohen's testimony:
- Donald Trump Jr signed check that was used to make a hush money payment to pornographic actor Stormy Daniels.
- Donald Trump received inside information from Roger Stone, days before the Democratic party convention, that Democratic emails, which were hacked by Russian operatives and given to Wikileaks, would be released soon in an attempt to damage Hillary Clinton's campaign.
- Cohen says that if Trump loses in 2020 "there will never be a peaceful transition of power".
- Donald Trump didn't release his tax returns because he "didn't want an entire group of think tanks, who are tax experts, to run through his returns".
- Trump is a "racist" a "conman" and a "cheat".
- Trump arranged for a straw bidder to purchase a portrait of himself at an auction for an inflated price, then reimbursed the bidder from the account of his non-profit charitable foundation.
- Trump knew about and directed the Trump Moscow project negotiations throughout his campaign, but lied to the American people about it.
- Trump ran for office, not to "make our country great" but to "market himself and to build his wealth and power."
- Trump often said of his campaign that it was going to be the "greatest infomercial in political history."
- Trump "inflated his total assets when it served his purposes, such as trying to be listed among the wealthiest people in Forbes, and deflated his assets to reduce his real estate taxes."
- Trump was aware of the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Trump associates, his son, and Russian lawyers with ties to the Kremlin.
- Trump once told Cohen that black people were "too stupid" to vote for him.
- Trump once told Cohen while driving through a poor area of Chicago that "only black people could live that way".
February 25, 2019 - Trump responded on twitter to comments made the previous day by film maker Spike Lee, saying "Be nice if Spike Lee could read his notes or better yet not have to use notes at all when doing his racist hit on your president." Trump also claimed he had "done more for African Americans (Criminal Justice Reform, Lowest Unemployment numbers in History, Tax Cuts, etc) than almost any other Pres[ident]!" Janet Yellen, former Federal Reserve Chair, was asked in an interview if she thought Trump had a grasp on macroeconomic policy, to which Yellen responded "No, I do not." Alva Johnson, a former staff member of Trump's presidential campaign, filed a federal lawsuit against the president claiming he "grabbed her hand and wouldn't let go" then "leaned in to kiss her on the lips". She called the incident "super-creepy and inappropriate. I immediately felt violated because I wasn't expecting it or wanting it. I can still see his lips coming straight for my face." Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary called the allegation "absurd on its face". Sanders also claimed the event is "directly contradicted by multiple highly credible eye witness accounts." Harry Reid, former Senate Democratic Leader, who once called George W Bush the worst president the country ever had, says of the former president now "There's no question in my mind that George Bush would be Babe Ruth in this league that he's in with Donald Trump. Donald Trump wouldn't make the team." 58 former national security officials released an open letter denouncing Trump's national security declaration stating "Under no plausible assessment of the evidence is there a national emergency today that entitles the president to tap into funds appropriated for other purposes to build a wall at the southern border". Among the signatories are former secretary of state Madeline Albright, former defense secretary Chuck Hagel, former state department counselor Eliot Cohen, and Thomas Pickering, former ambassador to the United Nations.
February 24, 2019 - During his acceptance speech at the Oscars, Spike Lee, film maker, referenced the 2020 election saying "Let’s all be on the right side of history. Make the moral choice between love versus hate. Let’s do the right thing!" After the show, while Lee was talking about his film BlaKkKlansman at a press conference, he brought up the attack at a "Unite the Right" rally that left Heather Heyer dead saying "That car drove down that one street in Virginia, and the president of the United States did not reject, refute [or] did not denounce the Klan, ‘alt-right’ and neo-Nazis."
February 22, 2019 - The Trump administration issued a rule banning organizations that provide abortions or abortion referrals from getting federal family planning money, which could result in cuts of up to $60m from Planned Parenthood. Trump was asked about the situation in North Carolina where the State Board of Elections voted unanimously to order a new election due to voter fraud committed on behalf of the Republican candidate Mark Harris. Trump responded to the question with: "I condemn any voter fraud of any kind, whether it’s Democrat or Republican. But when you look at some of the things that happened in California in particular, when you look at what has happened in Texas with all of those votes that they recently found that were not exactly properly done. I condemn all of it." When a reporter interrupted to point out that the California and Texas cases have been proved false or misleading, Trump cut the reporter off saying "Excuse me, excuse me" and then continued shifting focus to the questionable allegations in California and Texas. Donald Trump nominated Kelly Knight Craft, who is currently the US ambassador to Canada, and whose husband is a billionaire Coal magnate, to be the United States ambassador to the United Nations. Craft was asked recently in a television interview if she believes in climate change, her answer: "I believe there are scientists on both sides who are accurate". Trump was asked about the neo-Nazi coast guard officer who is accused of planning acts of domestic terrorism, specifically whether his rhetoric may have played a role. Trump responded "No, I don't. I think my language is very nice". Devil's Due Comics announced that a special commemorative comic will be released in May, and will feature Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Freshman Force. With news spreading that special counsel Robert Mueller's report will be completed soon, the chairs of six House committees wrote to Attorney General Bill Barr saying "The public is entitled to know what the Special Counsel has found. We write to you to express, in the strongest possible terms, our expectation that the Department of Justice will release to the public the report Special Counsel Mueller submits to you—without delay and to the maximum extent permitted by law". Goodloe Sutton, the Alabama publisher who called for the lynchings of Alabama state politicians, is stepping down from his newspaper. When contacted and questioned about the situation, Sutton told a reporter "Lady, I don't give a shit. I'm quitting. You can tell everybody you ran me out of the newspaper business." Sutton also told the reporter he was "going to drink beer and sex young women. I am not going to do anything with it [the paper]. I’m going to be a deadbeat – an out-of-work deadbeat." Sutton handed the role of editor to Elecia R Dexter, an African American woman. Despite an announcement yesterday by Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House press secretary, that 200 troops will remain in Syria, senior White house officials are now declaring that approximately 400 troops will remain in Syria.
February 21, 2019 - Lt. Christopher P. Hasson, a member of the US Coast Guard, with over 28 years of military service, appeared in court on minor gun and drug possession charges. Prosecutors said additional charges would be coming soon, specifically, terrorism-related charges. Hasson, a self-described white nationalist, and student of extremist killers like the Unabomber, the Virginia Tech gunman, Anders Behring Breivik, and others, was found to be plotting attacks "to murder innocent civilians on a scale rarely seen in this country" along with prominent cable news journalists from MSNBC and CNN and Democratic politicians like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar, or anyone that fit his definition of "cultural Marxist/multiculturalist traitors". Roger Stone, former Trump adviser, was barred from speaking publicly about his case after posting a picture of judge Amy Berman on Instagram, which included crosshairs near her head. Stone claimed through his lawyers that he had thought the symbol was a Celtic cross, not crosshairs, and that he was very sorry, but the judge Berman responded that "Roger Stone fully understands the power of words and the power of symbols. And there's nothing ambiguous about crosshairs." Berman added that if Stone did not comply with the gag order, she'd find it necessary to "adjust your environment." North Carolina's elections board has ordered a new election in the still undecided congressional race from 2018. The State Board of Elections voted 5-0 to hold a new ballot after reviewing evidence that Leslie McCrae, an operative hired by Republican Mark Harris, operated an illegal "ballot harvesting" operation and may have tampered with mail-in ballots. Despite an earlier declaration that ISIS had been defeated and that the troops were coming home, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House press secretary, announced that approximately 200 troops will remain in Syria.
February 20, 2019 - Video surfaced of Tucker Carlson, a Fox News host, interviewing Rutger Bregman, a Dutch historian. During the interview, Bregman told Carlson that he's a "millionaire funded by billionaires" and that he's "part of the problem" and that his claims of being "against the globalist elite" are "not very convincing". Carlson responded with a litany of insults including "why don't you go fuck yourself, you tiny brain". Fox News has refused to air the segment.
February 19, 2019 - According to the New York Times, Trump asked acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker if "Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York and a Trump ally, could be put in charge of the widening investigation" into allegations that Trump had paid hush money to silence women during his 2016 campaign. Whitaker, who told a congressional committee that Trump had never pressured him over the various investigations, is now under scrutiny by House Democrats for possible perjury charges.
February 18, 2019 - Responding to a skit on Saturday Night Live in which Trump's emergency declaration was skewered, Trump sent the following tweet: "Nothing funny about tired Saturday Night Live on Fake News NBC! Question is, how do the Networks get away with these total Republican hit jobs without retribution? Likewise for many other shows? Very unfair and should be looked into. This is the real Collusion!" Trump then followed up with this tweet: "THE RIGGED AND CORRUPT MEDIA IS THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!" Some select responses to Trump's reaction:
"One thing that makes America great is that people can laugh at you without retribution." - Ted Lieu, Congressman
"It’s worth remembering that no other president in decades publicly threatened ‘retribution’ against a television network because it satirized him." - Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent for the New York Times
"It’s called the First Amendment." - American Civil Liberties Union
"I wonder if a sitting President exhorting his followers that my role in a TV comedy qualifies me as an enemy of the people constitutes a threat to my safety and that of my family?" - Alec Baldwin, ActorFebruary 17, 2019 - Heather Nauert, Trump's nominee for US ambassador to the United Nations to replace outgoing ambassador Nicki Haley, has withdrawn her name from consideration citing family reasons. When Nauert was first named, criticism was swift regarding her lack of policy-making and negotiating experience, along with her facepalming moment in June in which she cited the D-Day landings as evidence of the strong, longstanding relationship between Washington and Berlin.
February 15, 2019 - Donald Trump announced that he is using emergency powers to bypass congress to pursue funding for a border wall. According to the White House, the emergency would take about $3.6bn from the Pentagon’s military construction fund. Executive action will divert around $2.5bn from the Pentagon’s drug interdiction programme and $600m from the treasury’s drug forfeiture fund. While answering reporter's questions about the emergency, Trump made the following statement: "I went through Congress. I made a deal. I got almost $1.4bn when I wasn’t supposed to get $1. Not $1! He’s not going to get $1! Well, I got $1.4bn, but I’m not happy with it … I want to do it faster. I could do the wall over a longer period of time. I didn’t need to do this but I’d rather do it much faster. I don’t have to do it for the election. I’ve already done a lot of wall for the election: 2020. And the only reason we’re up here talking about this is because of the election, because they want to try and win an election which it looks like they’re not going to be able to do." Nancy Pelosi seized upon Trump's statement saying in a tweet: "He admits it’s a #FakeTrumpEmergency. Hear him say it: 'I *didn’t need* to do this, but I’d rather do it much faster.'" Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer released a joint statement saying "The president’s unlawful declaration over a crisis that does not exist does great violence to our constitution and makes America less safe, stealing from urgently needed defense funds for the security of our military and our nation. This is plainly a power grab by a disappointed president, who has gone outside the bounds of the law to try to get what he failed to achieve in the constitutional legislative process." Trump also claimed falsely, as he has many times before, that most of the drugs crossing the border come through points where there is no wall. According to Trump's own Drug Enforcement Agency, the vast majority of drugs come through points of entry or border patrol checkpoints. Regarding Trump's emergency declaration, critics were quick to point to a tweet Trump sent in 2014 regarding Obama's unilateral Executive action on immigration to protect Dreamers. Trump's tweet said "Repubs must not allow Pres Obama to subvert the Constitution of the US for his own benefit & because he is unable to negotiate w/ Congress." Trump also called the same action unconstitutional and impeachable during a 2014 interview on Fox and Friends. Jay Sekulow, Trump's own attorney, called Obama a despot, and his executive action in 2014 "tyrannical". Robert Mueller, special counsel, recommended that Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign chairman, should serve up to 24 years in prison for "serious, longstanding, and bold" financial crimes. According to Mueller "Manafort acted for more than a decade as if he were above the law, and deprived the federal government and various financial institutions of millions of dollars. The sentence here should reflect the seriousness of these crimes, and serve to both deter Manafort and others from engaging in such conduct." Mueller also disclosed that he has evidence that communications took place between Roger Stone and Wikileaks related to the release of hacked Democratic party emails. Bill Weld, former governor of Massachusetts, declares that he will run against Trump for Republican nomination for president. Gary Martin opened fire in an Aurora, Illinois business killing 5 and wounding 6. A background check of Martin failed to detect a felony conviction that should have prevented him from being able to purchase a gun.
February 14, 2019 - Goodloe Sutton, the editor and publisher of the Democrat-Reporter, a paper that serves the small town of Linden, Alabama, published an editorial with the headline "Klan needs to ride again." The article attacks the politicians who are attempting to raise taxes saying "Seems like the Klan would be welcome to raid the gated communities up there." The reaction to the editorial was swift. Alabama senator Doug Jones tweeted the following in response: "OMG! What rock did this guy crawl out from under? This editorial is absolutely disgusting and he should resign – NOW! I have seen what happens when we stand by while people-especially those with influence- publish racist, hateful views. Words matter. Actions matter. Resign now!" Sutton doubled down when asked about his views saying "If we could get the Klan to go up there and clean out DC, we’d all been better off. We’ll get the hemp ropes out, loop them over a tall limb and hang all of them." When asked why he was promoting a violent white supremacist organization, Sutton replied "A violent organization? Well, they didn’t kill but a few people. The Klan wasn’t violent until they needed to be." Terri Sewell, Congresswoman from Alabama's 7th district, responded with the following tweet: "For the millions of people of color who have been terrorized by white supremacy, this kind of ‘editorializing’ about lynching is not a joke – it is a threat. These comments are deeply offensive and inappropriate, especially in 2019. Mr Sutton should apologize and resign." In a 60 Minutes interview, Andrew McCabe, the former acting FBI director, said that after the firing of James Comey, he and other department of justice officials discussed whether Trump could be removed from office under the 25th amendment. McCabe also claimed that Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, agreed to wear a wire to record incriminating conversations with Trump. McCabe is promoting his new book The Threat: How the FBI Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump. Other claims by McCabe during the interview:
- Deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein was ordered by Trump to write a memo justifying the firing of James Comey.
- McCabe believes he was fired to impede the investigation into Russian meddling.
- Trump was presented with advice from US intelligence sources regarding North Korea's nuclear capabilities, but said "I don't care. I believe Putin."
"Declaring a national emergency would be a lawless act, a gross abuse of the power of the presidency and a desperate attempt to distract from the fact that President Trump broke his core promise to have Mexico pay for his wall." - Joint statement from Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority leader and Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, in a joint statement.
"We have a crisis at our southern border, but no crisis justifies violating the constitution." - Marco Rubio, Republican from Florida
"I think declaring a national emergency where there is no national emergency is not good for the president to do and not good precedent for future presidents." - Steny Hoyer, House Majority leaderFebruary 13, 2019 - According to the Guardian, Paul Manafort, Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, "was found to have breached his plea deal by making false statements to the special counsel, the FBI, and a grand jury about his dealings with Konstantin Kilimnik." NASA confirmed that Opportunity, the Mars Rover that was launched in 2004 to study the Martian surface for a 90 day period, has stopped sending and responding to signals, and has been officially declared dead.
February 12, 2019 - According to immigration advocates in Texas, the Trump administration is still engaging in the practice of separating children from their parents at the border, despite formally ending the policy of family separations last summer. The FBI is investigating a fire at the Planned Parenthood-Columbia Health Center in Columbia Missouri as a possible hate crime.
February 11, 2019 - Readers of the comic strip Non Sequitur were surprised to find an Easter Egg in the print on one of the strips panels. The print read "We fondly say go fuck yourself to Trump." The author of the comic, Wiley Miller, regularly tweets angry missives about Trump, including the recent "Still waiting for President Fuckwit to name even one member of congress, in either house, who advocates for open borders." which was a response to Trump's constant claim that Democrats are for open borders. At least one Conservative paper has decided to discontinue carrying Non Sequitur. Lawyers for 8 immigrant families have filed suit against the US Government for the "inexplicable cruelty" faced by them and their children after being separated as part of the Trump Administration's "zero tolerance" policy at the Mexico border. Stanton Jones, an attorney representing some of the plaintiffs explained how "The government’s actual conduct of tearing children – often small children – away from their parents in a way that was designed to deliberately inflict emotional trauma on those people for the purpose of achieving a policy objective is unlawful." Ron Skeans, a BBC cameraman, was shoved violently at a Trump rally in El Paso Texas by a Trump supporter who had climbed up on the media platform. When Skean recovered and resumed filming, he captured the Trump supporter being restrained while screaming "fuck the media!" while the crowd of Trump supporters chanted "let him go!". Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary released a statement saying "President Trump condemns all acts of violence against any individual or group of people – including members of the press. We ask that anyone attending an event do so in a peaceful and respectful manner." Responding to the attack, press freedom group, Reporters without Borders, sent the following in a tweet: "As we continue to look into what happened, we firmly denounce all physical violence against reporters for doing their jobs. This is unacceptable in the country of the first amendment." During the rally, Trump claimed there were 10,000 people in attendance. A spokesperson for the El Paso fire department claimed later that only 6,500 people were allowed in, which is the building's capacity. A counter-rally was held nearby, and featured Beto O'Rourke as its headline speaker. Trump told his crowd that the counter-rally only had 200 to 300 people in attendance, but aw enforcement officials estimated a crowd size of 7,500.
February 8, 2019 - The acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker, appeared before the House Judiciary Committee. Whitaker claimed during the hearing that he has "not interfered in any way with the special counsel's investigation." Whitaker also claimed, falsely, that there was "no family separation policy" under the Trump administration. Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, and the owner of the Washington Post, revealed that employees of the National Enquirer were trying to blackmail him. According to Bezos, the Enquirer obtained text messages and photos of him and his mistress, some of which they published. After Bezos paid private investigators to look into how the Enquirer obtained the text messages and photos, the Enquirer threatened to publish more salacious photos if Bezos didn't back off. Video surfaced of Candace Owens, a black conservative pundit who is an outspoken advocate for Donald Trump, and a leader at Turning Point USA, responding to a question from a member of a London audience regarding nationalism in Western politics. Owen answered the question saying: "I actually don't have any problems at all with the word 'nationalism'. I think that the definition gets poisoned by elitists that actually want globalism. Globalism is what I don't want... Whenever we say nationalism, the first thing people think about, at least in America, is Hitler. He was a national socialist. But if Hitler just wanted to make Germany great and have things run well, OK, fine. The problem is that he wanted, he had dreams outside of Germany. He wanted to globalise. He wanted everybody to be German, everybody to be speaking German. Everybody to look a different way. To me, that's not nationalism."
February 7, 2019 - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez released a plan she calls the Green New Deal, which is being hailed as a blueprint for combating economic and racial injustice, while tackling climate change. Trump responded to news that the House Intelligence Committee would begin looking at his finances by calling Adam Schiff a "political hack" and by stating "No other politician has to go through that. It’s called presidential harassment. And it’s unfortunate. And it really does hurt our country." Trump also sent out various tweets on that theme, one of them saying "PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT! It should never be allowed to happen again!"
February 6, 2019 - According to NOAA, NASA and the World Meteorological Organization, 2018 was the 4th hottest year on record. The 3 years that were hotter were 2016, 2017 and 2015. City officials from El Paso, Texas sought to set the record straight regarding comments Trump made during his SOTU address. During the speech, Trump made this claim: "The border city of El Paso, Texas, used to have extremely high rates of violent crime – one of the highest in the country, and [was] considered one of our nation’s most dangerous cities. Now, with a powerful barrier in place, El Paso is one of our safest cities." Richard Wiles, El Paso's sheriff, released this statement: "It is sad to hear President Trump state falsehoods about El Paso, Texas, in an attempt to justify building a 2,000-mile wall. The facts are clear. While it is true that El Paso is one of the safest cities in the nation, it has never been considered one of our nation’s most dangerous cities and El Paso was a safe city long before any wall was built." Fernando Garcia, the executive director of the Border Network of Human Rights responded to Trump's comments saying "Trump lied to the nation about El Paso at the State of the Union. He openly distorted the facts and the reality of our border region to justify the unjustifiable: his absurd obsession of a border wall. El Paso is safe due to its people, the good community relation with law enforcement, and the trust of all communities in our local institutions. El Pasoans should be offended by the way the president used our community to advance his racist and xenophobic agenda." According to Adam Schiff, the House Intelligence Committee is launching a new investigation that will look at Russian interference in the 2016 election, and Donald Trump's foreign financial interests. Eric Porterfield, a Republican member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, came under fire for comments he made about the LGBTQ community. According to Porterfield "The LGBTQ is a modern-day version of the Ku Klux Klan, without wearing hoods, with their antics of hate." Porterfield also referred to them as a "terrorist group". When Porterfield was asked in an interview what he would do if he had a son or daughter who was gay, he responded with: "Well, I will address my daughter first. I would take her for a pedicure, I'd take her to get her nails done, and see if she could swim. If it was my son, I would probably take him hunting, I would take him fishing, then I'd see if he could swim."
February 5, 2019 - David Bernhardt, former oil and gas lobbyist, and acting secretary of the interior, is Trump's pick to replace Ryan Zinke to run the Interior Department. Donald Trump gave his second State of the Union speech. A meme was generated at the end of Trump's speech when Nancy Pelosi clapped for Trump by extending her arms out toward him with a look of dripping sarcasm on her face. Video of the clap is now trending on twitter as #PelosiClap.
February 4, 2019 - According to CNN, "Federal prosecutors in New York have subpoenaed the Trump inaugural committee for documents related to donors, vendors and finances."
February 3, 2019 - Regarding talk of impeachment by Democrats and others, Trump stated the following: "The only way they can win, because they can’t win the election, is to bring out the artificial way of impeachment." During an interview with CBS, Trump said of a base in Iraq "One of the reasons I want to keep it is because I want to be looking a little bit at Iran because Iran is a real problem." Bahram Sali, Iraq's president, responded to Trumo's comment saying "the US presence in Iraq is a part of an agreement between the two countries with a specific task which is to combat terrorism. Don't overburden Iraq with your own issues". In the same interview, Trump was asked what would happen if ISIS surged in areas where we are drawing down troops. Trump's answer: "We have very fast planes. We have very good cargo planes."
February 2, 2019 - According to Margaret Huang, the executive director of Amnesty International in the United States, the Trump Administration's "remain in Mexico" policy, which deters asylum seekers is "First and foremost the policy is a violation of US and international law and clearly a human rights violation. If the US recognized that an individual has a credible fear of prosecution you can’t send them somewhere else – it is on the obligation of the state to offer protection and not delegate it to some third party". A measles outbreak in the Pacific Northwest, in an area with low vaccination rates, has raised concerns about the growing anti-vaccination movement.
February 1, 2019 - New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, Democrat, declared that he will join the 2020 race for president. Kellyanne Conway, White House counselor, responded to Booker's declaration saying "What is wrong with the candidates that are already in there? What is your objection to Kamala Harris running, Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand, these others who have already announced, Tulsi Gabbard maybe? If he were a Republican running against them, they immediately would call him a sexist for running against these women in the Democratic field." Trump was asked in an interview "if he’s aware that his rhetoric has had global consequences, emboldening authoritarians to crack down on journalists." This was Trump's response: "I do notice that people are declaring more and more fake news, where they go 'fake news.' I even see it in other countries. I don’t necessarily attribute that to me. I think I can attribute the term to me. I think I was the one that started using it, I would say. But I do see that." Trump also said this: "I came from Jamaica, Queens, Jamaica Estates and I became president of the United States. I’m sort of entitled to a great story from my — just one — from my newspaper" According to the Labor Department, the US economy added 304,000 jobs in January, making it the 100th consecutive month of continuous job growth, the longest in US history. The previous record was 48 months, which ended in June of 1990.
January 31, 2019 - Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, made the following statement during an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network: "I think God calls all of us to fill different roles at different times and I think that he wanted Donald Trump to become president, and that's why he's there". Jim Acosta, the CNN correspondent who is frequently the target of Trump's "fake news" mantra, gave a speech at the Oxford Union in the UK where he said "this is a dangerous time to tell the truth in America." Acosta also described how during one of Trump's rallies, while Trump was praising Greg Gianforte for body slamming a reporter, one of Trump's supporters "started making body slam gestures and then he ran his thumb across my neck like he wanted to slit my throat. This is not the first time I felt threatened at his rallies.”
January 30, 2019 - Regarding the intelligence assessments provided to congress yesterday in which Trump was repeatedly contradicted, Trump sent out numerous tweets attacking the intelligence chiefs, all appointed by him, saying "The Intelligence people seem to be extremely passive and naive when it comes to the dangers of Iran. They are wrong!" And "Perhaps Intelligence should go back to school!" Trump also claimed that "ISIS was out of control in Syria" when he took over the presidency despite a US assessment in December of 2016 that 75% of ISIS fighters had been killed.
Top Headlines of the Day
Pro Russian twitter account used non-public Mueller info - CNN
Polar Vortex/Chicago set for coldest day ever recorded - The Guardian
Federal reserve signals end of rate increases - New York Times
Trump digs in on border wall funds, but democrats' opening bid is zero - Washington Post
Virginia governor faces backlash for comments on 3rd trimester abortion bill - Fox NewsJanuary 29, 2019 - Jussie Smollett, a 36 year old actor in a Fox series called Empire, was attacked in Chicago in what is being called a hate crime. According to Smollett, who is gay, two masked men yelled racial and homophobic slurs, wrapping a rope around his neck, beat him, and poured bleach over his head. The men also told Smollett this is "MAGA country!" The nation's top intelligence chiefs, Daniel Coates, Gina Haspell, and Christopher Wray, provided congress with international threat assessments, each of which contradicted recent comments made by Donald Trump. According to the intelligence chiefs "ISIS is intent on resurging and still commands thousands of fighters in Iraq and Syria". Iran is not undertaking "key activities" to develop nuclear weapons, and North Korea is not working to denuclearize.
January 28, 2019 - Politico is reporting that Donald trump is very upset about a new book coming out tomorrow called Team of Vipers which was written by White House insider Cliff Sims. Sim's book describes the ever present "White House chaos, bickering and skullduggery." The White House announced that Sarah Huckabee Sanders will give an on-camera press briefing today, her first since December 18th. A new Washington Post/ABC poll shows that "nearly 6 out of 10 Americans have an unfavorable view of Trump as a person". A majority also "doubt his empathy, honesty and ability to make political deals." Matthew Whitaker, the acting Attorney General, stated today that he has been "fully briefed" on the special counsel's investigation, and it is "close to being completed." According to the CBO, the cost of the shutdown to the economy was $11bn. Regarding record low temperatures in the mid-west, Trump sent the following tweet: "In the beautiful Midwest, windchill temperatures are reaching minus 60 degrees, the coldest ever recorded. In coming days, expected to get even colder. People can’t last outside even for minutes. What the hell is going on with Global Waming? Please come back fast, we need you!"
Top Headlines of the Day
Mueller's probe is 'close to being completed' - CNN
Huawei/US charges Chinese telecom giant with stealing trade secrets - The Guardian
US formally accuses Huawei executive of helping evade Iran sanctions - New York Times
Justice department charges Huawei with fraud, ratcheting up US - China tensions - Washington Post
Pelosi invites Trump to give state of the union address after shutdown chaos - Fox NewsJanuary 26, 2019 -
Top Headlines of the Day
Did he cave, or was it a master stroke? - CNN
End of shutdown/Workers left with debts, bad credit and shattered trust - The Guardian
Government reopens, but the clock is ticking - New York Times
'I hope we get some common sense': GOP feels political fallout from shutdown - Washington Post
State says it found 95,000 non-citizens on voter rolls, and 58,000 of them have voted - Fox NewsJanuary 25, 2019 - On this 35th day of the partial government shutdown, Trump agreed to sign a three week stop gap measure to re-open government, even though the measure does not include money for a border wall. Conservatives are furious. Responding to the agreement, Ann Coulter, right wing author and commentator tweeted "Good news for George Herbert Walker Bush: As of today, he is no longer the biggest wimp ever to serve as President of the United States." Roger Stone, a longtime adviser to Donald Trump, and self described "dirty trickster" was arrested today by the FBI, having been charged by Robert Mueller with obstruction, lying to Congress and witness tampering. Stone was released on $250,000 bail. After appearing in court, Stone stood on the courthouse steps while striking the infamous Richard Nixon double peace sign pose, while a crowd shouted "lock him up!" Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, responded to news of the arrest saying the charges had "nothing to do with the president." Reacting to Sander's statement, Dianne Feinstein, a senior Democratic senator, pointed out that the phrase "Trump campaign" appears 24 times in Stone’s indictment. Said Feinstein: “It’s time for President Trump and his top aides to be truthful with the American people."
Top Headlines of the Day
The shutdown is over for now - CNN
Trump signs bill to reopen government - for now - The Guardian
Trump backs down, ending longest shutdown in U.S. history - New York Times
Trump signs bill to end longest shutdown in history - Washington Post
Trump signs bill ending government shutdown, says he did not cave on border funding negotiations - Fox NewsJanuary 24, 2019 - News surfaced that the Trump administration is preparing a draft of an emergency declaration in the event that wall funding is not made available.
Top Headlines of the Day
White House preparing national emergency proclamation - CNN
Trump administration drafts emergency order for wall funding - The Guardian
Two competing plans to end shutdown fail in the Senate - New York Times
Trump signals support for 'reasonable' deal from Senate - Washington Post
Pelosi rejects Trump's call for 'down payment' on wall as Conway gives Dem new nickname - Fox NewsJanuary 23, 2019 - Mitch McConnel R-KY, Senate majority leader, blocked a bill passed in the House that would re-open the government. This is the 4th time McConnel has blocked a bill passed by the House since the shutdown began 33 days ago. None of the bills included money for a border wall. Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House, sent a letter to Trump barring him from giving his state of the union address in the House of Representatives while the government is shutdown. In the letter, Pelosi wrote: "I am writing to inform you that the House of Representatives will not consider a concurrent resolution authorizing the President’s State of the Union address in the House Chamber until government has opened. I look forward to welcoming you to the House on a mutually agreeable date for this address when government has been opened." Michael Cohen, Trump's former attorney/fixer, cancelled his appointment to testify before congress on February 7th, citing threats by the president, and the president's attorney. Lanny Davis, Cohen's attorney released a statement that said in part "Due to ongoing threats against his family from President Trump and Mr Giuliani, as recently as this weekend, as well as Mr Cohen’s continued cooperation with ongoing investigations, by advice of counsel, Mr Cohen’s appearance will be postponed to a later date." A Gallup poll shows that 7 million less Americans have health insurance than 4 years ago. Critics point to sustained attacks by Republicans against the Affordable Care Act and other government backed health schemes. The House oversight and reform committee has launched an investigation into the Trump administration's use of security clearances, accusing the White House and the 2016 transition team of "grave breaches." Elijah Cummings, the committee chairman, wrote in a letter to the White House "The goals of this investigation are to determine why the White House and Transition Team appear to have disregarded established procedures for safeguarding classified information, evaluate the extent to which the nation’s most highly guarded secrets were provided to officials who should not have had access to them, and develop reforms to remedy the flaws in current White House systems and practices".
Top Headlines of the Day
Trump dared Pelosi to cancel his State of the Union speech. So she did. - CNN
Venezuela/Trump recognizes opposition leader as president - The Guardian
Trump says he'll look for 'alternative' for state of the union - New York Times
Pelosi tells Trump: No state of the union address in the House until shutdown ends - Washington Post
President Trump's job approval ratings released amid partial government shutdown - Fox News
January 22, 2019 - Having gone a month
without pay due to the partial government shutdown, unexcused absences at the
TSA are more than double the norm with more than 10% of agents calling in sick.
BuzzFeed News has released documents showing that the Trump Tower in Moscow plan
was much more advanced than Trump has let on saying "By the time Donald Trump
signed the project’s letter of intent, he was four months into his presidential
campaign — running for the highest office in America while conducting private
business negotiations with a hostile nation." In a 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court
issued a stay on efforts to block Trump's transgender ban in the military, which
will allow the measure to go into effect while its legality is debated in the
lower courts. The 4 liberal justices voted against the stay. Wess Mitchell, the
state department’s top diplomat dealing with Europe, and an outspoken supporter
of Nato, announced his resignation. Responding to the news, Mike Pompeo, the
secretary of state said "I would argue that this disruption is a positive
development. We are embracing time-tested truths. Truths like this: Nations
matter. No international body can stand up for a people as well as their own
leaders can." Ivo Daalder, US ambassador to Nato in the Obama administration,
responded to the news saying "Having the top diplomat responsible for Europe
step down only adds to the uncertainty and concern among all of our
allies."
Top Headlines of the Day
What we know about the mystery company in a Mueller-related case - CNN
Report reveals Trump's plans for Luxe Moscow tower - The Guardian
Senate leaders plan competing bills on shutdown - New York Times
Hundreds of IRS employees skip work , could hamper tax refund processing - Washington Post
Hoyer's one word answer when asked about Trump giving state of the union address to House - Fox NewsJanuary 21, 2019 - Kamala Harris, Democratic Senator from California, announced her intention to run for president in 2020.
Top Headlines of the Day
Giuliani tries to clean up Trump Tower Moscow comments - CNN
Democrats/Kamala Harris officially enters presidential race - The Guardian
Shutdown pain cuts deep for homeless and other vulnerable Americans - New York Times
Shutdown in U.S., slowing growth in China fuel concerns over global economy - Washington Post
Ex-top FBI lawyer personally involved in Trump aide FISA warrant, other probe irregularities - Fox NewsJanuary 20, 2019 - Michael Steele, former chairman of the Republican national committee, responded to the overwhelming rebuke of racist statements made by fellow Republican Steve King, saying "In many respects, Steve King was the easier target to go after. The harder target is Donald Trump. We have had now three years of Donald Trump, as candidate for president and as president, espousing very similar views." Rick Wilson, a Republican strategist and author of the book Everything Trump Touches Dies, responded to the King rebuke saying "If you were to ask the most uncomfortable question to a Republican in DC today, it’s that the things King said are the exact equivalent of what Trump said. Now what? It leaves them in a very dark place justifying their support for a president who has many, many beliefs that are very, very racist." With almost 800,000 non-essential government employees not receiving paychecks due to the partial govt shutdown, many hardships are beginning to occur. According to The Guardian: "Crucial climate change monitoring and research has halted. Unpaid Coast Guard enlistees have had to turn to food banks to feed their families. Asylum seekers who have already waited years for an immigration court hearing now have to wait years longer. Theater workers and stage actors are threatened by an interruption in arts funding. Corrections officers can’t buy gas to get to work. Inmates say basic services are falling apart. Some federal employees have had to tap into their retirement plans."
Top Headlines of the Day
Giuliani: 'So what' if Trump and Cohen talked? - CNN
Shutdown/Trump 'amnesty' tweet angers right and fails to draw Democrats - The Guardian
Trump defends his shutdown offer even as Pence seems to hedge - New York Times
Trump lashes out at Pelosi amid stalled shutdown negotiations - Washington Post
Pence slams BuzzFeed 'obsession', tells Pelosi GOP is ready to make a deal over border funding - Fox NewsJanuary 19, 2019 - In a televised address to the nation, Trump proposed a deal to end the government shutdown that included temporary protections for young undocumented migrants brought to the US as children, known as Dreamers, and individuals from some Central American and African nations in exchange for 5.7bn for a border wall. Before Trump even began his address, Nancy Pelosi had already rejected it saying "Democrats were hopeful that the president was finally willing to re-open government and proceed with a much-need discussion to protect the border. Unfortunately … his proposal is a compilation of several previously rejected initiatives, each of which is unacceptable and in total do not represent a good faith effort to restore certainty to people’s lives. It is unlikely that any one of these provisions alone would pass the House, and taken together, they are a non-starter." Some of Trumps most ardent supporters rejected his proposal as "amnesty" for undocumented immigrants. In video posted to Youtube, Nathan Phillips, an elder of Nebraska's Omaha tribe and veteran of the Vietnam War, who holds an annual ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery to honor Native American veterans, is shown surrounded by students wearing Make America Great Again hats who mock him as he sings and plays his drum at the Lincoln Memorial. While wiping tears from his eyes, Phillips described the incident saying "I heard them saying ‘build that wall, build that wall’. These are indigenous lands, we’re not supposed to have walls. I wish I could see that energy of that young mass of young men, put that energy into making this country, really, really great, helping those that are hungry." The students, who were in Washington DC as part of an anti-abortion rally, are students at the private, all-male, Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills, Kentucky. Alyssa Milano tweeted that the footage "brought me to tears." Deb Haaland, a member of New Mexico’s Laguna Pueblo tribe, and Democratic US Congresswoman, tweeted that Phillips had risked his life for his country, and that the students showed “blatant hate, disrespect, and intolerance."
Top Headlines of the Day
Fact-checking Trump's border speech and his wall-for-DACA offer - CNN
Pelosi rejects Trump deal before president announces it - The Guardian
Trump offers deportation protections in exchange for wall funding - New York Times
Trump's pitch of wall funds with 'dreamers' protection gets thumbs down from democrats - Washington Post
Trump's immigration offer brings polarized reactions from democrats and republicans - Fox NewsJanuary 18, 2019 - Regarding a report by BuzzFeed that Donald Trump instructed Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about the Trump Tower project in Moscow, Rep Adam Schiff, the Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement: "On October 24, 2017, Michael Cohen testified before the House Intelligence Committee under oath. We now know that he made false statements about the efforts to consummate the Trump Tower Moscow deal during the campaign. Contrary to Mr. Cohen’s testimony, and notwithstanding Donald Trump’s many public denials of business dealings with the Russians during the campaign, those negotiations continued through at least the middle of 2016. Most significantly, and while espousing the relaxation of sanctions on Russia, Trump was seeking the Kremlin’s help to make this multimillion dollar project possible. It is now alleged that the President of the United States directed Michael Cohen to lie under oath to Congress about these matters in an effort to impede the investigation and to cover up his business dealings with Russia. These allegations may prove unfounded, but, if true, they would constitute both the subornation of perjury as well as obstruction of justice. Our committee is already working to secure additional witness testimony and documents related to the Trump Tower Moscow deal and other investigative matters. As a counterintelligence concern of the greatest magnitude, and given that these alleged efforts were intended to interfere with our investigation, our Committee is determined to get to the bottom of this and follow the evidence wherever it may lead." During his confirmation hearing for Attorney General, William Barr was asked the following question by Democrat Amy Klobuchar: "a president persuading a person to commit perjury would be obstruction, is that right?" Barr's response: "Yes." Regarding Trump's action to deny House Speaker Pelosi and her delegation use of military aircraft to travel to Afghanistan yesterday, Pelosi's spokesperson, Drew Hammill, released the following statement: "After President Trump revoked the use of military aircraft to travel to Afghanistan, the delegation was prepared to fly commercially to proceed with this vital trip to meet with our commanders and troops on the front lines. In the middle of the night, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service provided an updated threat assessment detailing that the President announcing this sensitive travel had significantly increased the danger to the delegation and to the troops, security, and other officials supporting the trip. In light of the grave threats caused by the President’s action, the delegation has decided to postpone the trip so as not to further endanger our troops and security personnel, or the other travelers on the flights." Trump announces that he will make a major announcement tomorrow about the shutdown and border security. A spokesperson for Robert Mueller's team took the unusual step of speaking publicly about the BuzzFeed report from yesterday saying "BuzzFeed’s description of specific statements to the Special Counsel’s Office, and characterization of documents and testimony obtained by this office, regarding Michael Cohen’s Congressional testimony are not accurate." Ben Smith, BuzzFeed's editor in chief, responded to the comment from special counsel saying "We stand by our reporting and the sources who informed it, and we urge the Special Counsel to make clear what he’s disputing." Trump responded to the special counsel's comment on Twitter saying "Fake News is truly the ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!"
Top Headlines of the Day
What happens next if bombshell report is true - CNN
Pelosi says Trump 'endangered lives' by leaking confidential details of war zone trip - The Guardian
Pelosi delays trip and aides accuse Trump Administration of leaking travel plans - New York Times
Pelosi abandons Afghan trip accuses Trump of increasing security risk - Washington Post
Pelosi's 'leak' charge undercut by details from Kabul cable, White House decries 'asinine' claim - Fox NewsJanuary 17, 2019 - In an act seen as retaliation, Donald Trump denied House Speaker Nancy Pelosi the use of military aircraft to visit troops in Afghanistan. The denial occurred while Pelosi was en-route to a military base to begin her undisclosed trip. Pelosi sent a letter to Trump yesterday asking that he delay his State of the Union speech due to the on-going shutdown, citing security concerns, and in response, Trump sent the following note to Pelosi today: "Due to the shutdown, I am sorry to inform you that your trip to Brussels, Egypt and Afghanistan has been postponed. In light of the 800,000 great American workers not receiving pay, I am sure you would agree that postponing this public relations event is totally appropriate. It would be better if you were in Washington negotiating with me and joining the Strong Border Security movement. If you would like to make your journey flying commercial, that would certainly be your prerogative." Adam Schiff responded to Trump's action saying "I think the president’s decision to disclose a trip the speaker’s making to a war zone was completely and utterly irresponsible in every way." Ryan Goodman, a former special counsel at the Pentagon responded to Trump's action saying "The president has now potentially endangered the speaker of the House and anyone who would travel with her by announcing that she plans to travel to a specific war zone in the near future." Senator Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina responded to Trump's action saying "One sophomoric response does not deserve another. Speaker Pelosi’s threat to cancel the State of the Union is very irresponsible and blatantly political. President Trump denying Speaker Pelosi military travel to visit our troops in Afghanistan, our allies in Egypt and Nato is also inappropriate." News surfaced that Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer/fixer, hired an IT firm called RedFinch Solutions to manipulate online polls to promote himself and Trump. Cohen responded to the news on Twitter saying " As for the @WSJ article on poll rigging, what I did was at the direction of and for the sole benefit of @realDonaldTrump @POTUS. I truly regret my blind loyalty to a man who doesn’t deserve it." According to the Guardian "Thousands more migrant children separated under Trump than previously known." Rudy Giuliani, made this stunning claim during an interview with CNN: "I never said there was no collusion between the campaign, or between people in the campaign. I said the president of the United States." Critics were quick to point out that on many occasions, both Giuliani and Trump have claimed there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians. Far right troll, Chuck Johnson, who met with Congressmen Andy Harris and Phil Roe to discuss DNA and genetics, posted on facebook that he believes Muslims are "genetically different in their propensity for violence or rape" and that African Americans possess a violence gene. When asked about his post, Johnson responded "Asking me to defend my views on Facebook is a little absurd." Representatives Harris and Roe claim they were unaware of Johnson's controversial views. After a public backlash, Richard A. Green, the editor of the Courier-Journal in Louisville, KY, apologized for his paper's action of omitting a line from an obituary for Frances Irene Finley Williams. The line the paper omitted from the $1684 obituary said: "Her passing was hastened by her continued frustration with the Trump administration." The paper will now re-print the obituary in full according to Green. BuzzFeed is reporting that Michael Cohen, Trump's former attorney/fixer, was instructed by Donald Trump to lie to Congress about the timeline of the Trump Tower project in Moscow, to make it seem that discussions had ended much earlier than they had. According to BuzzFeed "The special counsel’s office learned about Trump’s directive for Cohen to lie to Congress through interviews with multiple witnesses from the Trump Organization and internal company emails, text messages, and a cache of other documents. Cohen then acknowledged those instructions during his interviews with that office." Laura Ingraham, a Fox News host, claimed that newly elected Congresswoman, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, benefits from a widespread but little discussed phenomenon known as "minority privilege."
Top Headlines of the Day
Trump directed Cohen to lie to Congress, sources tell BuzzFeed - CNN
President intensifies feud with Pelosi by calling off her trip abroad - The Guardian
Trump blocks Pelosi trip as ill will over shutdown consumes Washington - New York Times
White House tries to minimize shutdown's effects as talks break down - Washington Post
Trump's cancellation of Dems' overseas trip sparks anger, confusion on Capitol Hill - Fox NewsJanuary 16, 2019 - One day after an overwhelming House vote to condemn white supremacy, two Representatives - Republicans Phil Roe and Andy Harris - are seen walking in the House with Chuck C. Johnson, who, according to The Guardian is "an alt-right activist and Holocaust denier who was removed from Twitter in 2015 after trying to crowdfund violence against Black Lives Matter leaders." The TSA acknowledged that absences are almost double what they were this same time last year, which has been attributed to employees calling in sick because of the ongoing shutdown. A DHS spokesman had claimed previously that this was "fake news" and was praised by Trump for doing so. An ISIS suicide bomber in Syria killed dozens of people, including 4 Americans a week after Trump declared that ISIS had been defeated. Mike Pence, the Vice President, made the same declaration today, a few hours after the bombing, saying "The caliphate is crumbling and Isis has been defeated." Karen Pence, wife of the Vice President, has taken a job teaching art at Immanuel Christian, an elementary school in northern Virginia that bans LGBT pupils and staff. The school requires new employees to sign a document promising not to engage in "premarital sex, cohabitation, extramarital sex, homosexual or lesbian sexual activity, polygamy, transgender identity, any other violation of the unique roles of male and female." Employees are also required to agree with the statement that "a wife is commanded to submit to her husband." JoDee Winterhof, senior vice-president for policy and political affairs at the Human Rights Campaign condemned the VP and his wife saying "The Pences never seem to miss an opportunity to show their public service only extends to some."
Top Headlines of the Day
Federal courts could run out of money in 9 days - CNN
State of the Union / Pelosi asks Trump to delay address, or deliver it in writing - The Guardian
Pelosi asks for state of the union delay, escalating border wall battle - New York Times
Killing of 4 Americans in Syria raises questions over Trump's policy - Washington Post
Elizabeth Warren won't name this prominent politician on the stump in runup to 2020 - Fox NewsJanuary 15, 2019 - Paul Manafort, Donald Trump's campaign chief, continued making contact with Konstantin Kilimnik after charges were filed against him, and then lied about the contacts when questioned by investigators. The contacts, according to the Guardian "would mean that Donald Trump’s campaign chief was working on a plan to settle Russia’s conflict with Ukraine on terms favourable for the Kremlin while the Russian government was interfering in the 2016 US election to help Trump." According to the Anti Defamation League (ADL), antisemitic incidents in the US are at the highest level in two decades. Kirsten Gillibrand, New York Democrat, has announced that she will run for president in 2020. In his confirmation hearing for attorney general, William Barr contradicted Trump claiming Robert Mueller would never be involved in a witch hunt. US district judge Jesse Furman ruled that the Trump administration cannot include a question about citizenship status on the 2020 census. Not because it violates the constitution, but because the commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross "failed to consider several important aspects of the problem; alternately ignored, cherry-picked, or badly misconstrued the evidence in the record before him; acted irrationally both in light of that evidence and his own stated decisional criteria; and failed to justify significant departures from past policies and practices" In a near unanimous vote, the US House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning racist remarks made by Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa. Responding to the vote, the resolution's author, Majority Whip Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C. said "the House of Representatives once again rejects White nationalism and White supremacy as hateful expressions of intolerance that are contradictory to the values that define the people of the United States."
Top Headlines of the Day
Ex-aide: El Chapo paid $100M to former Mexican President - CNN
Theresa May loses deal vote by majority of 230 - The Guardian
Brexit deal fails in parliament; May faces no-confidence vote - New York Times
To blunt shutdown's impact Trump administration calls nearly 50,000 back to work, unpaid - Washington Post
As new US-bound caravan grows to more than 2,000, Mexicans lash out against another wave of migrants - Fox NewsJanuary 14, 2019 - Judge Haywood Gilliam, a California judge, blocked Trump administration rules that would allow more companies, including publicly traded companies, to opt out of providing contraceptive coverage to women by claiming religious or moral objections. Reacting to the ruling, Xavier Becerra, the attorney general of California, stated "The law couldn’t be more clear – employers have no business interfering in women’s healthcare decisions. Today’s court ruling stops another attempt by the Trump administration to trample on women’s access to basic reproductive care."
Top Headlines of the Day
Steve King stripped of House committee assignments - CNN
Trump shows no sign of relenting on border wall - The Guardian
Republicans support Trump on the shutdown. But for how long? - The New York Times
Shutdown gives some Trump advisers what they've long wanted: smaller government - Washington Post
Trump doubles down on border wall as polls show voters turning on shutdown strategy - Fox NewsJanuary 13, 2019 - A poll taken by ABC News and the Washington Post show that 53% of Americans blame Trump and congressional Republicans for the ongoing shutdown, while 29% blame Democrats and 13% blame a combination of the two. Trump continues to claim the wall will be paid fro by Mexico through a trade deal, but that claim does not find support among non-partisan fact checkers. According to a story in the Washington Post, " President Trump has gone to extraordinary lengths to conceal details of his conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, including on at least one occasion taking possession of the notes of his own interpreter and instructing the linguist not to discuss what had transpired with other administration officials." Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat and vice-chair of the Senate intelligence committee, had this to say regarding Trump's communications with Putin: "I do think it’s curious that throughout that whole summer when these investigations started, you have Vladimir Putin policies almost being parroted by Donald Trump. You had Trump say only nice things about Putin – he never spoke ill about Russia. The Republican campaign doctrines softened on Russia and decreased their willingness to defend Ukraine." According to the Wall Street Journal, the White House requested plans last year from the Pentagon to attack Iran.
Top Headlines of the Day
How El Chapo got drugs into the US - CNN
Trump losing battle to avoid blame for record standoff, poll says - The Guardian
Trump confronts the prospect of a 'nonstop' war for survival - New York Times
Graham urges Trump to reopen government, declare national emergency later - Washington Post
Pictures show remote cabin as family says there was no prior contact with suspect - Fox NewsJanuary 12, 2019 - Today is the 22nd day of the partial government shutdown, making it the longest shutdown in the history of the US. Trump responded on twitter to a New York Times story that his firing of James Comey spawned an investigation to determine if he was working for the Russians, saying: "Wow, just learned in the Failing New York Times that the corrupt former leaders of the FBI, almost all fired or forced to leave the agency for some very bad reasons, opened up an investigation on me, for no reason & with no proof, after I fired Lyin’ James Comey, a total sleaze!" Trump also tweeted regarding the government shutdown saying "I do have a plan on the Shutdown. But to understand that plan you would have to understand the fact that I won the election, and I promised safety and security for the American people. Part of that promise was a Wall at the Southern Border. Elections have consequences!" James Comey responded on twitter to Trump's attacks on him saying "I ask you to judge me by the enemies I have made. FDR". During an interview on Fox News, Trump was asked if he had ever worked for Russia. Trump's response: "I think it’s the most insulting thing I’ve ever been asked." Regarding news that he is going to great lengths to keep his conversations with Putin secret, Trump said: "I’m not keeping anything under wraps, I couldn’t care less." Julian Castro, the federal housing secretary under Barack Obama, announced his candidacy for president in San Antonio. Two months after the release of a report by the Department of Health and Human Services warning of health concerns at the Tornillo temporary detention facility in West Texas, the facility is being shut down. Fernando Garcia, executive director of the Border Network for Human Rights said of the facility "[The Tornillo facility] was a symbol of this administration’s deep inhumanity as shown by their willingness to hold tens of thousands of migrant children in detention. Migrant children and families never should have been separated or held in detention." The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) called for Republican Steve King, to be stripped of committee assignments over controversial statements King made in a New York Times interview where he questioned why "white supremacy" would be considered offensive. Karen Bass, a California Democrat and chair of the CBC responded to the King controversy saying "Like Donald Trump, Steve King has sought again and again to give comfort to white supremacists, something that should never be allowed in the halls of Congress or the Oval Office. If Republicans really believe these racist statements have no place in our government, then their party must offer more than shallow temporary statements of condemnation.".
Top Headlines of the Day
Will I get my tax refund? Will my mail be delivered? - CNN
The president tweets his fury after bombshell FBI Russia report - The Guardian
Mr Trump unleashed on the F.B.I. after The Times report, making a series of false claims on Twitter - New York Times
We will be out for a long time, unless Democrats budge, says Trump - Washington Post
Neighbor who came to Jayme Closs' aid speaks about chilling moments leading to suspect's capture - Fox NewsJanuary 11, 2019 - News surfaced that after Trump fired FBI director James Comey, the FBI was so concerned about Trump's behavior and how it might threaten national security, that they opened an investigation to determine if Trump was acting knowingly, or unknowingly as a Russian asset. Writing on twitter, Jesse McKinley, a New York Times journalist said "It sounds like spy fiction but it is not: the FBI was investigating the president of the United States to see if he was working for the Russians." Trump backed away from his threat to declare a national emergency saying "What we're not looking to do right now is national emergency". Trump also said "This is where I ask the Democrats to come back to Washington and vote for money for the wall, the barrier. I don’t care what they name it. They can name it peaches." In a House speech, Steve King, the Republican congressman who said he didn't understand why the term "white supremacist" was offensive, declared himself an "American nationalist" in a House speech. Donald Trump tweeted a photo of a portion of existing border wall, and accompanying the photo, made this claim "The Fake News Media keeps saying we haven’t built any NEW WALL. Below is a section just completed on the Border. Anti-climbing feature included. Very high, strong and beautiful! Also, many miles already renovated and in service!" Critics were quick to point out that not a single mile of new wall has been built during the Trump administration. Estimates by S&P Global and Wells Fargo put the cost of the current shutdown at $2bn per week. Tulsi Gabbard, Iraq war veteran and US Democratic representative, announced her candidacy for president for 2020. Amnesty International called the US prison in Guantanamo Bay Cuba a "stain on the human rights record" of the US and the scene of ongoing human rights violations. Daphne Eviatar, Amnesty International's director of security with human rights said of the prison “Guantánamo continues to operate as a symbol of Islamophobia that embodies the fear-mongering and xenophobia that defines Trump’s presidency."
Top Headlines of the Day
Tulsi Gabbard will run for president - CNN
Trump backs away from threat to declare emergency over wall - The Guardian
F.B.I. opened inquiry into whether Trump secretly working for Russia - New York Times
Shutdown relief for mortgage lenders came after appeals to Treasury Dept. - Washington Post
Kidnapping suspect wasn't home when she fled 'appeared to be out looking for her' authorities say - Fox NewsJanuary 10, 2019 - While visiting the border city of McAllen, Texas, Trump repeated as he has many times over the last few days that he has "the absolute right to declare a national emergency. I haven’t done it yet, I may do it. If this doesn’t work out, probably I will do it. I would almost say definitely." Michael Cohen, Trump's longtime lawyer/fixer, accepted an invitation from House Democrats to testify publicly next month. Steve King, congressman from Iowa, and strong Trump ally, made some comments in a New York Times interview that are raising eyebrows, like "White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?" Referring to the new group of minorities that were recently sworn in to the new congress, King said "You could look over there and think the Democratic party is no country for white men." King has raised eyebrows before with tweets like "We can’t restore our civilization with somebody else’s babies" and "Cultural suicide by demographic transformation must end." There was also the incident in 2013 when King made this statement about granting legal status to DREAMers during an interview with Newsmax "For everyone who's a valedictorian, there's another 100 out there that weigh 130 pounds and they've got calves the size of cantaloupes because they're hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert. Those people would be legalized with the same act." Louie Gohmert, (R-TX) defended King's comments to the New York Times saying "[King] was talking about Western civilization, that, ‘When did Western civilization become a negative?’ and that’s a fair question. When did Western civilization become a negative?" New research indicates that the ocean's are warming faster than previously estimated, which will likely raise sea levels by 30cm by the end of the century. Donnie Romero, the evangelical pastor who made headlines in 2016 when he referred to the victims of the mass shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida as "scum" and said god should "finish the job" and kill the survivors, has admitted to sleeping with prostitutes among other "grievous sins" and has resigned his position at the Stedfast Baptist church. Mevlut Cavusoglu, the foreign minister of Turkey, threatened to launch an offensive against the US-backed Syrian Kurdish militia, saying " If the [pullout] is put off with ridiculous excuses like Turks are massacring Kurds, which do not reflect the reality, we will implement this decision." Despite claiming over 212 times during his campaign that Mexico would pay for the wall, Trump claims now that he never said Mexico would pay "directly" for the wall, saying "Obviously, I never said this, and I never meant they’re going to write out a check". Critics were quick to point out that Trump's campaign website specifically said that Trump would pressure Mexico into making "a one-time payment of $5-10 billion" and that this same language was included in a 2016 memo the Trump campaign provided to news outlets. Ted Lieu, Representative from California, sent the following tweet: "Today is Thursday. That means @realDonaldTrump is lying, again. Hard for Democrats to negotiate with @POTUS when he makes stuff up, changes his mind on a whim and lies repeatedly." Donald Trump read from prepared remarks: "The only [way] you’re going to have border security – there’s only [one] way. You can have all the technology in the world. I’m a professional at technology. But if you don’t have a steel barrier or a wall of some kind – strong, powerful – you’re going to have human trafficking; you’re going to have drugs pouring across the border; you’re going to have MS-13 and the gangs coming in."
Top Headlines of the Day
Graham: Trump should declare national emergency - CNN
President tours border after repeating threat to call national emergency - The Guardian
At the border and in Washington, White Hose digs in on wall - New York Times
White House lays ground work to declare national emergency for wall - Washington Post
President says Dems fighting over wall because they're scared of 2020, in Fox News interview - Fox NewsJanuary 9, 2019 - News surfaced that Rod Rosenstein, the deputy US attorney general, and boss of Robert Mueller, is planning to leave the US Department of Justice soon. Trump sent out the following tweet: "Billions of dollars are sent to the State of California for Forest fires that, with proper Forest Management, would never happen. Unless they get their act together, which is unlikely, I have ordered FEMA to send no more money. It is a disgraceful situation in lives & money!" The tweet baffled California officials considering the last time similar sentiment was tweeted by Trump it was thoroughly debunked and mocked relentlessly. California Senator Diane Feinstein responded to the tweet saying "It’s absolutely shocking for President Trump to suggest he would deny disaster assistance to communities destroyed by wildfire. Attacking victims is yet another low for this president." Judy Chu, representative from California responded with a tweet saying "FEMA funds go to:
- Emergency housing
- Food/water/first-aid/infant formula/fuel
- Disaster Recovery Centers
- Debris removal
Trump is directly threatening lives and our economy over an ignorant position on forest management that experts & firefighters have told him is wrong"
Top Headlines of the Day
Manafort intended for info to go to two oligarchs - CNN
Trump walks out on democrats as talks collapse - The Guardian
Trump Storms out of Meeting with Democrats on Shutdown - New York Times
Trump walks out of meeting after Democrats reject wall funds - Washington Post
Trump, Dems dig in their heels after president walks out of contentious White House meeting - Fox NewsJanuary 8, 2019 - Natalia Veselnitskaya, the Russian lawyer who in 2016 offered Donald Trump Jr damaging information about Hillary Clinton, has been accused of obstruction of justice for fabricating evidence in a US money-laundering case she was working on when she attended the 2016 Trump Tower meeting. Veselnitskaya is currently in Russia, but will no longer be able to travel to the US without risking arrest. Christian Bale, who played former vice president Dick Cheney in the movie Vice, gave a shout out to Satan during an acceptance speech at the Golden Globe awards, thanking him for providing inspiration for the role. Paul Manafort, Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, has been accused of sharing polling data on the 2016 election with Konstantin Kilimnik, a Russian who is linked to Russian intelligence agencies according to special counsel Robert Mueller. Manafort is also accused of covering up other meetings and contacts with Kilimnik.
Top Headlines of the Day Prior to Prime-Time
Address
Trump to address the nation tonight - CNN
Donald Trump to give Oval Office address on border wall - The Guardian
Trump to Address Nation About Border Security as Shutdown Continues - New York Times
Trump to make case for border wall in prime-time address - Washington Post
Trump to address nation from Oval Office on border security, partial shutdown - Fox News
Top Headlines of the Day After Prime-Time
Address
Pelosi: 'The president has chosen fear' - CNN
Trump claims crisis at the border in Oval Office speech - The Guardian
Fact-Checking Trump's Speech to the Nation on Border Security - New York Times
'A crisis of the heart and a crisis of the soul': Trump makes case for border wall in prime-time address - Washington Post
Trump demands solution to border 'crisis' as Pelosi, Schumer decry 'misinformation' - Fox NewsJanuary 7, 2019 - Trump claimed last week that one of the former living president's told him that he regretted not building a wall. Today, Jimmy Carter published a statement saying "I have not discussed the border wall with President Trump, and do not support him on the issue." With this statement, all four former living presidents have now denied having a wall conversation with Donald Trump. According to Politico, Trump approached both retired general Jack Keane and former senator Jon Kyl of Arizona to succeed James Mattis as secretary of defense. Both turned him down.
Top Headlines of the Day
Dems Consider Blocking all Legislation that Doesn't Reopen Government - CNN
Trump to Visit US-Mexico Border as Showdown Over Wall Continues - The Guardian
Trump Plans TV Address and Visit to Border to Make Case for Wall - New York Times
Trump to Deliver Prime-Time Address, Visit Southern Border as Shutdown Persists - Washington Post
Trump to Deliver Prime Time Address from Oval Office, Visit Border Amid Shutdown Standoff - Fox News
January 6, 2019 - Responding to Trump's
statement that he may declare a national emergency to secure funding for a
border wall and bypass congress in the process, Adam Schiff, a Democratic
leader, said: " If Harry Truman couldn’t nationalize the steel industry during
wartime, this president doesn’t have the power to declare an emergency and build
a multi-billion dollar wall on the border. So that’s a non-starter". Schiff, who
will be taking over the House intelligence committee, said he will be turning
over interviews to Robert Mueller that were withheld by Republicans when they
were in the majority. According to Schiff "as one of our first acts to make the
transcripts of our witnesses fully available to special counsel for any purpose,
including the bringing of perjury charges". Regarding the 800,000 workers
affected by the ongoing partial government shutdown, Trump said many "agree 100%
with what I’m doing". Regarding the potential hardship those workers face by not
receiving a paycheck, Trump said: "They will make an adjustment because they
want to see the border taken care of." One quarter of Trump's cabinet is
currently in an acting capacity. When asked about it, Trump said "I like acting.
It gives me more flexibility. Do you understand that? I like acting. So we have
a few that are acting. We have a great, great cabinet."
Top Headlines of the Day
Who will win big at the 2019 Golden Globes? - CNN
Shutdown/Trump threatens national emergency in 'next few days' over wall demand - The Guardian
Bolton puts conditions on Trump plan for rapid withdrawal from Syria - New York Times
Contradicting Trump, Bolton says US troops will stay in Syria until ISIS is eradicated - Washington Post
Ocasio-Cortez cheers far left ideology , says her mistakes don't compare to Trump's 'lies' - Fox NewsJanuary 5, 2019 - Former UN Ambassador Samantha Power responded to news that the Pentagon Chief of Staff had announced his resignation, saying on twitter: "It is [5 January] 2019: we have no Secretary of Defense & now no DoD chief of staff, no Attorney General & no evident guardrails in Trump’s inner circle. The President is unhinged – even GOP zealots know it. Rs inside & outside the admin must stop enabling Trump & protect America." According to the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank, in the first two years of Trump’s presidency there has been a 65% turnover rate among senior-level advisers. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responded to Republican criticism of comments made by Rashida Tlaib yesterday, tweeting: "Republican hypocrisy at its finest: saying that Trump admitting to sexual assault on tape is just 'locker room talk,' but scandalizing themselves into faux-outrage when my sis says a curse word in a bar. GOP lost entitlement to policing women’s behavior a long time ago. Next." Donald Trump responded on twitter to a story aired on Fox News that Jill Abramson's new book, Merchants of Truth, exposed anti-Trump bias at the New York Times. Trump's tweet regarding the story: "Ms Abramson is 100% correct. Horrible and totally dishonest reporting on almost everything they write. Hence the term[s] Fake News, Enemy of the People, and Opposition Party!". Jill Abramson, the editor of the New York Times from 2011 to 2014, responded to Trump's tweet, stating in an email: "Donald Trump is echoing a piece on Fox News (surprise) that distorts and takes what I wrote totally out of context. Both the NYT and [Washington Post] have had superb coverage of the corruption enveloping the Trump administration, the best investigative reporting I’ve seen. My book is full of praise for both papers." She also responded directly to Trump on Twitter saying: "Anyone who reads my book … will find I revere [the Times] and praise its tough coverage of you."
Top Headlines of the Day
How the Shutdown is Affecting Americans - CNN
Shutdown/Trump aides in "productive' talks to end shutdown as key services under threat - The Guardian
The Border Wall: How a Potent Symbol Is Now Boxing Trump In - New York Times
Pence leaves White House meeting with no breakthrough seen on shutdown - Washington Post
Hundreds pay tribute to California cop who was gunned down after stopping an illegal immigrant - Fox NewsJanuary 4, 2019 - Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian woman elected to Congress, relayed a conversation with her son shortly after being elected: "And when your son looks at you and says, ‘Mama, look, you won. Bullies don’t win,’ and I said, ‘Baby, they don’t’ – because we’re gonna go in there and we’re going to impeach the motherfucker." Responding to criticism from Republicans who were offended by Tlaib's comment, Tlaib tweeted: "I will always speak truth to power. #unapologeticallyMe". Trump responded to Tlaib's comment saying: "I thought her comments were disgraceful. This is a person that I don't know, I assume she's new. I think she dishonored herself and I think she dishonored her family. Using language like that in front of her son and whoever else was there, I thought that was a great dishonor to her and to her family." Trump also called her comments "highly disrespectful to the United States of America." Sarah Sanders, the White house Press Secretary, claimed Customs and Border Protection picked up nearly 4,000 known or suspected terrorists last year along "our southern border." However, according to the White House's own briefing sheet, the Department of Homeland Security prevented nearly 4,000 known or suspected terrorists from "traveling to or entering the United States" in 2017, across the globe, and mainly at airports. The US Court of Appeals for DC overturned a decision by a federal judge that blocked a Trump policy barring certain transgender people from serving in the armed forces. The Trump administration has discontinued cooperating with UN investigators over potential human rights violations occurring inside the US. According to Jamil Dakwar, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's human rights program: "They are sending a very dangerous message to other countries: that if you don’t cooperate with UN experts they will just go away. That’s a serious setback to the system created after World War II to ensure that domestic human rights violations could no longer be seen as an internal matter". After Democrat leader Chuck Schumer told reporters that Trump was willing to keep the government shutdown "for a very long time, even years", Trump was asked if he had said that. Trump responded: "Absolutely I said that". Trump was also asked if he had said he was willing to declare a national emergency to get funding for his wall. Trump responded: "I can do it if I want". Trump also claimed that the federal workers affected by the shutdown are "in many cases the biggest fans of what we’re doing" which contradicts a claim he made last week that "democrats" were mostly affected. Trump also told others in the meeting that he preferred the term "strike" rather than shutdown. Adam Schiff responded to Trump's claim that he can declare a national emergency to get his wall saying "When you push reckless policies that squander our resources, defy our values, leave 800,000 federal workers unpaid and millions of Americans without needed services, you don’t need to declare a national emergency. You are the national emergency." Regarding talk of Trump being impeached, Trump sent the following tweet: "How do you impeach a president who has won perhaps the greatest election of all time, done nothing wrong (no Collusion with Russia, it was the Dems that Colluded), had the most successful first two years of any president, and is the most popular Republican in party history 93%?". A twitter user named AnonymousQ posted a video of newly sworn in Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) dancing on the roof of a building. The video, which was taped while AOC was an undergraduate at Boston University, includes AOC and some friends mimicking some dance scenes in the movie Breakfast Club. Accompanying the posted video was the following text: "Here is America’s favorite commie know-it-all acting like the clueless nitwit she is...". The attempt to humiliate AOC failed spectacularly, as the video instead bolstered her popularity. After it became obvious that the video was a net plus for AOC, AnonymousQ deleted his/her twitter account. Here are some select responses to the posting of the video:
"She’ll never recover from the world seeing her … (watches video) … dancing adorably and having fun with her friends in high school?" - Patton Oswalt, Comedian
"The more politicians we have like AOC the sooner we’ll all be dancing." - Russell Crow, Actor
"Imagine what a major ass-head one would have to be to think that video of @AOC dancing is anything but adorable and endearing and charming." - Zach Braff
"I hear the GOP thinks women dancing are scandalous. Wait till they find out Congresswomen dance too! 💃🏽 Have a great weekend everyone :)" - Alexandria Ocasio-CortezJanuary 3, 2019 - Dow Jones Industrial average dropped 660 points over news of declining sales in China brought about by Trump's trade war. Trump during a press briefing: "You see what’s just been put out on social media, where thousands of people are rushing the border. Having a drone fly overhead — and I think nobody knows much more about technology, this kind of technology certainly, than I do. Having drones and various other form of sensors, they’re all fine, but they’re not going to stop the problems that this country has." Historic day on Capital Hill as new members of the House of Representatives are sworn in. Nancy Pelosi was elected House Speaker, and when Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (AOC) vote was read, she was booed by members of the GOP. AOC responded to the booing on twitter saying "Over 200 members voted for Nancy Pelosi today, yet the GOP only booed one: me. Don’t hate me cause you ain’t me, fellas 💁🏽♀️". During her acceptance speech, Nancy Pelosi quoted Ronald Reagan opposing nativism as un-American. When no members of the GOP applauded the line, Pelosi looked at them and said "no applause for Reagan?" Here are a few other highlights from the historic day:
Deb Haaland and Sharice Davids, both Democrats, are the the first two Native American women to be elected to Congress.
Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, both Democrats, are the first Muslim women elected to Congress. Omar is the first Somali American elected to Congress.
102 women are sworn in. The most ever in US history.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democrat, who at age 29, is the youngest woman to be elected to congress in the history of the US.January 2, 2019 - Trump responded on twitter to Mitt Romney's Washington Post essay from yesterday saying: "Here we go with Mitt Romney, but so fast! Question will be, is he a Flake? I hope not. Would much prefer that Mitt focus on Border Security and so many other things where he can be helpful. I won big, and he didn’t. He should be happy for all Republicans. Be a TEAM player & WIN!" During an interview with Fox News, Lindsey Graham offered this prediction for how the current partial government shutdown will end "I'll tell you exactly how this is going to end. The president is going to challenge the Democrats to compromise and if they continue to say no, they’re going to pay a price with the American people." Lindsey also said that if Trump caves, it will mark "the end of 2019 in terms of him being an effective president" and "probably the end of his presidency."
January 1, 2019 - Responding to comments made two days earlier by four star General Stanley McChrystal, Donald Trump sent the following tweet: "General' McChrystal got fired like a dog by Obama. Last assignment a total bust. Known for big, dumb mouth. Hillary lover!" Mitt Romney, incoming US senator for Utah, and former Republican presidential candidate, published an essay in the Washington Post that sharply criticizes president Trump saying "The appointment of senior persons of lesser experience, the abandonment of allies who fight beside us, and the president’s thoughtless claim that America has long been a ‘sucker’ in world affairs all defined his presidency down. On balance, his conduct over the past two years, particularly his actions this month, is evidence that the president has not risen to the mantle of the office."
December 31, 2018 - This year has been the worst year for stocks since 2008 with the Dow dropping 5.6%, S&P down 6.2% and the Nasdaq down 4%. Donald Trump declared himself a national hero via twitter, saying: "If anybody but Donald Trump did what I did in Syria, which was an Isis-loaded mess when I became president, they would be a national hero". Elizabeth Warren, Senator from Massachusetts, announced she is forming an exploratory committee for a run for the presidency in 2020. Responding to comments made earlier by outgoing chief of staff John Kelly, Trump sent the following tweet: "An all concrete Wall was NEVER ABANDONED, as has been reported by the media". US Strategic Command - which is the unified military force that controls the launch of nuclear weapons - sent the following tweet: "#TimesSquare tradition rings in the #NewYear by dropping the big ball...if ever needed, we are #ready to drop something much, much bigger". The tweet was later deleted, and a follow up tweet said the following: "Our previous NYE tweet was in poor taste & does not reflect our values. We apologize. We are dedicated to the security of America & allies." Louis C.K. - comedian who admitted in November of last year that he had engaged in sexual harassment and abuse of women for many years - is heard in newly released video mocking survivors of the February 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida: "Testify in front of Congress, these kids, what the fuck? What are you doing? Cause you went to a high school where kids got shot, why does that mean I have to listen to you? Why does that make you interesting? You didn't get shot. You pushed some fat kid in the way and now I gotta listen to you talking?" Some selected responses to Louis C.K.'s choice of comedy:
"To anyone who knows Louis C.K., please deliver this message for me. My daughter was killed in the Parkland shooting. My son ran from the bullets. My wife and I deal with loss every day. Why don't you come to my house and try out your new pathetic jokes?" - Fred Guttenburg, Parkland father
"It's a shame when you sink so low that your comeback plan is to make fun of school shooting survivors for speaking out" - Ryan Deitsch, Stoneman Douglas graduate
"Imagine thinking the best way to resurrect your career after admitting to sexual misconduct is to mock trans people and Parkland gun violence survivors." - Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand ActionDecember 30, 2018 - Today is day 9 of the partial government shutdown. Kellyanne Conway, Senior White House adviser, told CNN regarding the death of two Guatemalan children at the US/Mexico border: "I don’t like some of these Democrats using these deaths as political pawns. The president does not want these children taking these perilous journeys. Some of them are paying the ultimate price." Terry McAullife, former Virginia Governor, called Trump's reaction to the deaths of the children at the border "the lowest act I have ever seen [from] any president in the history of this country". John Kelly, outgoing chief of staff, was asked during an interview with the Los Angeles Times about Trump's campaign promise to build a border wall. Kelly responded "To be honest, it’s not a wall. The president still says ‘wall’ — oftentimes frankly he’ll say ‘barrier’ or ‘fencing,’ now he’s tended toward steel slats. But we left (the idea of) a solid concrete wall early on in the administration, when we asked people what they needed and where they needed it." Asked why he stayed in his role for 18 months, Kelly responded "Military people don't walk away". Critics were quick to point out that in two days, Kelly will be walking away. In an attempt to make an argument for his border wall, Trump sent the following tweet: "President and Mrs. Obama built/has a ten foot Wall around their D.C. mansion/compound. I agree, totally necessary for their safety and security. The U.S. needs the same thing, slightly larger version!" Photos of the Obama home show that it does not have a ten foot wall around it, but has the same type of fencing that all of the houses in the neighborood have. Stanley McChrystal, retired four star Army General, called Trump dishonest and immoral in an interview with CNN.
December 29, 2018 - Today is day 8 of the partial government shutdown. Trump, who is hunkered down in the White house, sent the following tweet: "Any deaths of children or others at the Border are strictly the fault of the Democrats and their pathetic immigration policies that allow people to make the long trek thinking they can enter our country illegally. They can’t. If we had a Wall, they wouldn’t even try!," Justin Goodman, a spokesman for senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, told reporters: "For the White House to try and blame anyone but the president for this shutdown doesn’t pass the laugh test." In an editorial in the Guardian, Robert Reich, a former US secretary of labor, called for the impeachment and removal of Donald Trump from the presidency. Trump also sent the following tweet: "For those that naively ask why didn’t the Republicans get approval to build the Wall over the last year, it is because IN THE SENATE WE NEED 10 DEMOCRAT VOTES, and they will gives us “NONE” for Border Security! Now we have to do it the hard way, with a Shutdown. Too bad! @FoxNews" Critics were quick to point out that an offer was put on the table by democrats offering 1.3 billion for border security, but Trump refused to accept that offer.
December 28, 2018 - Karen Castor, Democratic representative from Florida, was picked by Nancy Pelosi to lead the House panel on climate change, a newly restored committee which was axed by Republicans when they took over the house in 2011. On this 7th day of the partial government shutdown, affecting approximately 800,000 federal employees, Donald Trump sent the following tweet: "We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with. Hard to believe there was a Congress & President who would approve!" Mick Mulvaney, the incoming acting White House chief of staff, called Trump's threat "the only way we can get the democrat's attention". The Republican led congressional investigation that was looking into bias in the FBI and Justice Department over its handling of Hillary Clinton's emails has ended, unceremoniously, with a letter calling for the appointment of special counsel to investigate further saying that interviews and the reviews of thousands of documents "revealed troubling facts which exacerbated our initial questions and concerns." Adam Schiff, the top democrat on the House intelligence committee responded to the news saying the Republican investigation was ending "not with a bang, but with a Friday, buried-in-the-holidays whimper, and one foot out the door". A report issued earlier this year by the Justice Department's own inspector general found no political bias towards Hillary or Trump. The North Carolina election board has refused to certify the race between Republican Mark Harris and Democrat Dan McCready, while investigating irregularities concerning absentee ballots. The irregularities are related to operatives hired by the Harris campaign. According to a Harvard CAPS/Harris poll, 56% of respondents oppose Trump's border wall, while 44% support it. The poll also found that 61% of respondents oppose the notion of using a shutdown to secure money for border security. Trump sent the following tweet: "Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are doing nothing for the United States but taking our money. Word is that a new Caravan is forming in Honduras and they are doing nothing about it. We will be cutting off all aid to these 3 countries - taking advantage of U.S. for years!".
December 27, 2018 - On this 6th day of the partial government shutdown, Trump sent the following tweet: "Have the Democrats finally realized that we desperately need Border Security and a Wall on the Southern Border. Need to stop Drugs, Human Trafficking,Gang Members & Criminals from coming into our Country. Do the Dems realize that most of the people not getting paid are Democrats?" Following months of criticism for not visiting the troops, Donald Trump made a surprise visit to Iraq. While addressing a large group of troops at Al Asad Air Base, Trump said he had approved a 10% raise, which was later shown to be false when the Pentagon reported the raise would be 2.6%. Trump also told the gathering that this extra large raise was coming because they hadn't seen a raise in 10 years. Critics were quick to point out that the military has consistently received raises over each of the last 10 years. After departing Iraq aboard Air Force One, Trump posted a video to Twitter which showed Trump posing with members of SEAL Team Five. According to Malcolm Nance, a former U.S. Navy intelligence specialist: "Operational security is the most important aspect of personnel deployments. The real names, faces, and identities, of personnel involved in special operations or activities, are usually a closely held secret in a combat zone. Revealing them casually, through an unusual media exposure even if it’s the commander in chief, would prove a propaganda boom if any of this personnel are detained by a hostile government or captured by a terrorist group. There would be no denying who you are and what you do." Michael Williams, Republican state senator from Georgia, reported to jail after being indicted by a grand jury on charges that included insurance fraud and filing a false police report. Williams made national headlines earlier this year when he drove around during his failed gubernatorial campaign in a bus named the "deportation bus" which featured printed slogans like "Follow me to Mexico" and ironically "Danger: Murderers, rapists, kidnappers, child molestors [sic] and other criminals on board"
December 25, 2018 - US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported that Felipe Gomez Alonzo, a Guatemalan boy aged 8, has died while in their custody. This is the second death of a young child in CBP custody this month. The CBP promised "an independent and thorough review of the circumstances".
December 24, 2018 - Trump criticized the Federal Reserve in a tweet saying "The only problem our economy has is the Fed. They don’t have a feel for the market. The Fed is like a powerful golfer who can’t score because he has no touch – he can’t putt!" In a joint statement, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer accused Trump of "plunging the country into chaos" saying "The stock market is tanking and the president is waging a personal war on the Federal Reserve – after he just fired the Secretary of Defense. Instead of bringing certainty into people’s lives, he’s continuing the Trump Shutdown just to please rightwing radio and TV hosts. Different people from the same White House are saying different things about what the president would accept or not accept to end his Trump shutdown, making it impossible to know where they stand at any given moment. The president wanted the shutdown, but he seems not to know how to get himself out of it." More than 420,000 federal workers are working without pay during the current shutdown. Felipe Gonzalez Morales, the United Nations monitor who acts as a global watchdog on the treatment of migrants, has sent a formal complaint to US secretary of state Mike Pompeo calling for an in depth investigation into the death of Jakelin Caal Maquin, a seven-year-old Guatemalan girl who died in the custody of the US government. Beryl Howell, US district judge in Washington, ordered Pyongyang to pay $501m in damages to Fred and Cindy Warmbier for the death of their son Otto, who died while in their custody last year. Experts who analyzed Warmbier, found evidence the University of Virginia student had endured horrific torture. Trump took calls from the Norad Tracks Santa programme, and on one call, asked a 7 year-old girl "Are you still a believer in Santa?" After the girl responded "Yes sir!" Trump told her "because at seven, that's marginal, right?" The girl again responded "Yes, sir!" but later told reporters she had no idea what "marginal" meant.
December 23, 2018 - In what is considered payback for publicly criticizing the president in his resignation statement, Jim Mattis is being forced by Trump to depart 2 months prior to his agreed upon departure date. Trump sent the following tweet: "President Erdoğan of Turkey has very strongly informed me that he will eradicate whatever is left of Isis in Syria … and he is a man who can do it plus, Turkey is right ‘next door’. Our troops are coming home!" Reports coming out of Syria say that Turkish troops are currently massing near Manbij, which is a town held by Kurdish fighters. Reacting to the partial government shutdown, Bob Corker, Republican chair of Senate foreign relations committee, said "This is a made-up fight so the president can look like he’s fighting. This is something that is useless, it’s spectacle, it’s puerile." Nancy Pelosi, who will become speaker of the House in January, made the following statement regarding the shutdown: "Until President Trump can publicly commit to a bipartisan resolution, there will be no agreement before January when the new House Democratic majority will swiftly pass legislation to re-open government."
December 22, 2018 - Brett McGurk, the US envoy to forces fighting to defeat Islamic State resigned over Trump's decision to withdraw troops from Syria saying "The recent decision by the president came as a shock and was a complete reversal of policy that was articulated to us. It left our coalition partners confused and our fighting partners bewildered." When asked about McGurk, Trump responded that he did not know who he was. David Hogg, Parkland school shooting survivor, announced that he was accepted into Harvard where he will major in political science. The US government entered a partial government shutdown at midnight making this the first time in history that the government has been shutdown 3 times in one year. Despite saying days earlier that he would gladly shut the government down, and that he would not blame the democrats, Trump called it "a Democrat shutdown." Democrats Schumer and Pelosi responded to Trump saying: "Instead of honouring his responsibility to the American people, President Trump threw a temper tantrum and convinced House Republicans to push our nation into a destructive Trump shutdown in the middle of the holiday season. President Trump has said more than 25 times that he wanted a shutdown and now he has gotten what he wanted." Tom Steyer, a billionaire who has campaigned for Trump's impeachment, responded to the shutdown saying "just another example of why Trump is unfit for office. We need a president who fights for the American people and improves our country, not one who threatens the jobs and well-being of federal employees to promote his racist agenda." Video surfaced from a 2013 interview with Fox News where Trump was asked who should be fired if there is a government shutdown. Trump responded: "Well, if you say who gets fired, it always has to be the top. I mean, problems start from the top and they have to get solved from the top and the president’s the leader and he’s gotta get everyone in a room and he’s gotta lead. And, he [Obama] doesn’t do that, he doesn’t like doing that, that’s not his strength. And, that’s why you have this horrible situation going on in Washington. It’s a very, very bad thing and it’s very embarrassing worldwide." Trump also stated "A shutdown falls on the president's lack of leadership. He can't even control his party and get people together in a room. A shutdown means the president is weak."
December 21, 2018 - News surfaced that Trump's decision to pull troops out of Syria was triggered by a phone call with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president. Critics called it yet another example of Trump siding with authoritarian foreign leaders over the advice of US officials. David Phillips, a former senior state department official and author of The Great Betrayal: How America Abandoned the Kurds and Lost the Middle East, responded to the news saying "As soon as the US folds its tent and leaves, Turkey will immediately begin an air bombardment followed by a ground attack by the [Ankara-backed] Free Syrian army. Thousands will die, thousands will be displaced and will be given no haven within Syria. They will be turned away at the Turkish border. For more than three and a half years, they have been our boots on the ground and were the point of the spear in retaking [the Isis stronghold] Raqqa. Who is going to fight for us in the future when we throw our allies under the bus?" The supreme court agreed with lower court rulings which blocked the Trump administration from requiring asylum seekers to pass through official border crossings only. Reacting to the possibility of a government shutdown, along with other negative global news, the stock market sank to a 15 month low, and suffered its worst month since 2009. Measles cases are at the highest level they've been in 20 years in Europe due to the growing anti-vaccine movement. Video surfaced of a 2015 interview that incoming White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney did on CNN where he called Trump's views on a border wall "simplistic", "absurd" and "almost childish." Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, released a report accusing "Russia, China and Iran" of conducting "influence activities and messaging campaigns" during the 2018 elections. Donald Trump tweeted: "The Democrats are trying to belittle the concept of a Wall, calling it old fashioned. The fact is there is nothing else’s that will work, and that has been true for thousands of years. It’s like the wheel, there is nothing better. I know tech better than anyone, & technology"
December 20, 2018 - The Trump foundation has agreed to dissolve under judicial supervision after a a lawsuit exposed a "shocking pattern of illegality". According to the lawsuit, Trump had used the charity to pay off legal settlements within his business and even used $10,000 to buy a painting of himself to hang in one of his golf clubs. In a statement, Barbara Underwood, New York's attorney general said "Our petition detailed a shocking pattern of illegality involving the Trump Foundation – including unlawful coordination with the Trump presidential campaign, repeated and willful self-dealing, and much more. This amounted to the Trump Foundation functioning as little more than a checkbook to serve Mr Trump’s business and political interests. This is an important victory for the rule of law, making clear that there is one set of rules for everyone." Noah Bookbinder, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (Crew), responded to the announcement saying: "The Donald J Trump Foundation has abused the rules governing non-profit charitable foundations and admitted to breaking the law. It apparently operated for the sole purpose of benefiting Donald Trump. Crew filed complaints calling for investigations into the Foundation for improper political activity, lying on its tax returns, and self-dealing to benefit Donald Trump, among other problems. It is good to see this fraud is finally over." Responding to trump's planned withdrawal from Syria, the Syrian Democratic Forces, a group of Kurdish and Arab units raised by Washington specifically to fight Isis, claimed the move would have "dangerous implications for international stability." Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, welcomed the move, saying: "Donald is right, I agree with him." The Republican majority passed a stopgap spending bill to keep the government open, but Trump vowed he would not sign it saying "I’ve made my position very clear. Any measure that funds the government must include border security – has to. Not for political purposes but for our country, for the safety of our community. It is our sacred obligation. We have no choice." Emmet Sullivan, a US district judge, blocked Trump administration policies that prevented immigrants who were fleeing from gang violence or domestic abuse from seeking asylum saying, "it is the will of Congress - not the whims of the executive" that sets the standards for expedited removal. Jennifer Chang Newell, managing attorney of the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project, responded to the ruling saying "This ruling is a defeat for the Trump administration’s all-out assault on the rights of asylum seekers. The government’s attempt to obliterate asylum protections is unlawful and inconsistent with our country’s longstanding commitment to provide protection to immigrants fleeing for their lives." James Mattis, the US defense secretary, has resigned, over disagreement with Trump's treatment of allies and the US approach to "malign actors and strategic competitors" on the world stage. John Brennan, former CIA director, responded to Mattis' resignation on twitter saying: "Okay, Republicans. How much longer are you going to let this farcical ‘presidency’ continue? At a time of such political, economic, and geo-strategic turbulence – both nationally and globally – are you waiting for a catastrophe to happen before acting? Disaster looms!" Mark Warner, the senior Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee tweeted: "This is scary. Secretary Mattis has been an island of stability amidst the chaos of the Trump administration." Despite calls for Matt Whitaker, the acting attorney general, to recuse himself from the Mueller investigation because of previous public criticisms, has decided not to recuse himself. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking member of the Senate intelligence committee, responded to Whitaker's refusal on twitter saying "Matthew Whitaker’s reported refusal to follow the recommendation of ethics officials further indicates that he views his role as serving President Trump, not the American people." North Korea released a statement saying it will not denuclearize until US removes "threat" saying "The United States must now recognize the accurate meaning of the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, and especially, must study geography. When we talk about the Korean peninsula, it includes the territory of our republic and also the entire region of [South Korea] where the United States has placed its invasive force, including nuclear weapons. When we talk about the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, it means the removal of all sources of nuclear threat, not only from the South and North but also from areas neighboring the Korean peninsula."
December 19, 2018 - After a third trial, Nicholas Slatten, a former security guard for the US firm Blackwater, was found guilty of murder for his role in a massacre of unarmed civilians in downtown Baghdad in 2007. According to Derrick Carreon, a spokesman for the Phillipine drug enforcement agency (PDEA), between July of 2016, and the end of November this year, 5,050 lives have been lost in Duterte's drug war, mostly at the hands of police. According to estimates given by human rights groups, the number of deaths could be as high as 27,000. The international criminal court is investigating to determine if Duterte's drug war constitutes crimes against humanity. Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of 2,000 troops from Syria, saying on twitter: "We have won against ISIS. We've beaten them, and we've beaten them badly. We've taken back the land, and now it's time for our troops to come back home." The declaration is at odds with the Pentagon which reported in August that as many as 14,500 ISIS fighters remain in Syria. A few select responses to Trump's withdrawal order and declaration:
"This is a chaotic decision, hastily made with no consultation with anyone responsible for the actual nuts and bolts of withdrawal" - Nicholas Heras, a fellow at the Centre for a New American Security
"I strongly disagree. It has morphed into other forms of extremism and the threat is very much alive" - Tobias Ellwood, the UK's junior defense minister
"There will be much resentment and feeling of abandonment that will be directed toward American personnel" - Lindsey Graham, a senior Republican senator and Trump loyalist
"The decision to pull out of Syria was made despite overwhelming military advice against it. It is a major blunder. It it isn’t reversed it will haunt this administration & America for years to come." - Marco Rubio, Republicn SenatorDecember 18, 2018 - A newly discovered caecilian, an amphibian that burrows into the sand, has been named after president Trump. Aiden Bell, the boss of EnviroBuild, who purchased the rights to name the creature for $25,000, chose Dermophis donaldtrumpi. saying "It is the perfect name. Caecilian is taken from the Latin caecus, meaning ‘blind’, perfectly mirroring the strategic vision President Trump has consistently shown towards climate change". Michael Flynn, Donald Trump's former national security adviser, was granted a delay in sentencing for lying to the FBI about conversations he had with the Russian ambassador during the presidential transition period. The new sentencing date is set for March 13. During the hearing, US district judge Emmet Sullivan told Flynn: "I am going to be frank with you. This is a very serious offense. A high-ranking senior official of the government making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation while on the physical premises of the White House.” Sullivan also told Flynn: "I'm not hiding my disgust, my disdain, for this criminal offense." Sullivan also seized upon arguments made by Flynn's legal team that Flynn had not been advised before interviewing with the FBI that lying to them was illegal. Sullivan asked Flynn's lawyer, Bob Kelner, if he believed Flynn was entrapped by the FBI. Kelner responded "No, your honor". Sullivan then asked Flynn if he had been aware that lying to the FBI was illegal, to which Flyn responded: "I was aware." Prior to the hearing, Trump sent out the following tweet: "Good luck today in court to General Michael Flynn. Will be interesting to see what he has to say, despite tremendous pressure being put on him, about Russian Collusion in our great and, obviously, highly successful political campaign. There was no Collusion!" As Flynn left court, there were signs and shouts of "lock him up!" which was a nod back to a rally during the Trump campaign where Flynn had said of Hillary Clinton "We do not need a reckless president who believes SHE is above the law" and then when the crowd began to chant "lock her up" Flynn responded "lock her up. That's right. Yeah that's right, lock her up" all while standing in front of a large sign that read "MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN". Regarding the impasse to get funding for the border wall and the possibility of a government shutdown, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, told Fox News: "We have other ways that we can get to that $5bn. At the end of the day, we don’t want to shut down the government. We want to shut down the border from illegal immigration, from drugs coming into this country." Some advertisers have begun pulling ads from Fox News Host Tucker Carlson's show Tucker Carlson Tonight, following comments he made last week regarding immigrants saying "We have a moral obligation to admit the world’s poor, they tell us, even if it makes our country poorer and dirtier and more divided." Responding to the criticsm, Carlson accused the "Left" of using "tactics to silence and intimidate". Fox News released a statement regarding the controversy saying: "It is a shame that leftwing advocacy groups, under the guise of being supposed ‘media watchdogs’ weaponize social media against companies in an effort to stifle free speech." Andrew Anglin, the leader of the neo-Nazi website the Daily Stormer, has said of Carlson: "Tucker Carlson is basically 'Daily Stormer: The Show'. Other than the language used, he is covering all of our talking points." The State Department committed to investing billions of dollars in Central America, in what the Mexican president is calling a "Marshall Plan" to address the root causes of Central American Migration, which are poverty, violence and drug trafficking.
December 17, 2018 - In two separate reports put together by experts from Oxford University and by an Amercian cybersecurity firm called New Knowledge, it was revealed that the Internet Research Agency (IRA), aka the Russian government's "troll factory" actively targeted African Americans during the 2016 US election to suppress votes for Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump. According to the research, black turnout, which overwhelmingly votes Democrat, declined in 2016 to its lowest level in 20 years. This social media propaganda campaign, which was intended to inflame anger about skewed rates of poverty, incarceration and the use of force by police among black Americans, should be seen as the third front in Russia's interference in the 2016 election, together with the hack of Democratic party emails, and the attempt to hack online voting systems across the US. In impass over funding for a border wall is creating uncertainty over whether the government will be shut down at the end of the week. Despite Trump's campaign promise that Mexico would pay for a border wall, Trump is demanding that congress approve a $5bn down payment to help fulfill his campaign promise. According to Democratic leader Chuck Schumer: "He is not going to get the wall in any form".
December 16, 2018 - Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal lawyer, was asked during an interview with Fox News if Trump would be willing to do a face-to-face interview with special counsel. Giuliani responded "Yeah, good luck! After what they did to Flynn, the way they trapped him into perjury … over my dead body." Stephen Miller, senior adviser to the White House, was asked during an interview with CBS if the administration is willing to shut down the government over funding for a border wall. Miller's response: "If it comes to it, absolutely". Regarding Michael Cohen's willingness to talk with the FBI, Donald J Trump sent out the following tweet: "Remember, Michael Cohen only became a 'Rat' after the FBI did something which was absolutely unthinkable & unheard of until the Witch Hunt was illegally started. They BROKE INTO AN ATTORNEY’S OFFICE! Why didn’t they break into the DNC to get the Server, or Crooked’s office?" Critics were quick to point out that the FBI entered Cohen's office using a legitimately obtained search warrant. Others noted that the term "rat" when used to describe a person who aids the police to apprehend criminals, arose during the prohibition-era and was commonly used by gangsters like Alphonse Capone. Andy McCarthy, a former assistant US attorney and Fox News contributor responded to Trump's tweet with a tweet of his own: "Sir, in mobster lingo, a ‘rat’ is a witness who tells prosecutors real incriminating info. Perhaps a different word? Searches of lawyer’s offices common enough that DOJ has a procedure for them. Here it yielded evidence of crimes you said he should be jailed for. You should stop."
December 15, 2018 - Video surfaced showing Trump's new chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, calling Trump "a terrible human being". The videoed remarks occurred during a debate between Mulvaney and his Democrat opponent prior to the 2016 presidential election. A three-judge panel cited the Dr Seuss classic story The Lorax, in its decision to throw out a permit granted by the US Forest Service to an energy company to build a natural gas pipeline across two national forests. In their decision, the judges wrote "We trust the United States Forest Service to ‘speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues’". Ryan Zinke, Trump's interior secretary, is stepping down amidst a series of scandals in which he is being accused of using his position for personal gain. Acting successor to Zinke, until a permanent replacement is confirmed by the senate is David Bernhardt, a former energy lobbyist. Some select responses to news of Zinke's departure:
"Zinke’s days of plundering our lands and enriching himself and his friends are over. With an average of nearly one federal investigation opened into his conduct in office per month, Zinke’s highly questionable ethics have finally caught up with him. Now, he is just another name on Trump’s list of disgraced cabinet officials, which the Republican-led Congress has failed to hold accountable" - Nicole Ghio, senior fossil fuels program manager for Friends of the Earth
"the most scandal-plagued interior secretary in recent memory" - Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters
"Zinke has been a shameless handmaiden for the special interests. His staggering ethical abuses have delivered a serious and lasting blow to America’s public lands, environment, clean air and clean water. Americans are confronted with an administration of unprecedented corruption, cronyism and incompetence, which has shown zero respect for the office or taxpayers’ money" - Nancy Pelosi, Democratic speaker of the HouseDecember 14, 2018 - A 7 year-old Guatemalan girl died while in US border patrol custody. According to US Customs Border Patrol (CBP) records, the girl died from dehydration and shock after having "not eaten or consumed water for several days". Responding to the death, Cynthia Pompa, advocacy manager for the ACLU border rights centre said "This tragedy represents the worst possible outcome when people, including children, are held in inhumane conditions. Lack of accountability, and a culture of cruelty within CBP have exacerbated policies that lead to migrant deaths." Responding to Trump's claim that he never told Michael Cohen to break the law, Cohen responded "I don’t think there is anybody that believes that. First of all, nothing at the Trump organisation was ever done unless it was run through Mr Trump. He directed me to make the payments, he directed me to become involved in these matters. He knows the truth. I know the truth. Others know the truth, and here is the truth: people of the United States of America, people of the world, don’t believe what he is saying. The man doesn’t tell the truth. And it is sad that I should take responsibility for his dirty deeds." Mick Mulvaney, the acting budget director, has been selected to replace outgoing chief of staff John Kelly. Replacing Mulvaney at the OMB will be Russell Vought. US district Judge Reed O'Conner, an active member of the Federalist Society, a conservative organization, ruled the Affordable Care Act, Barack Obama's signature achievement, "invalid". According to O'Conner, the dismantling of the individual mandate by Republicans as part of the 2017 tax bill "sawed off the last leg" of the ACA, making it unconstitutional. Some select responses to today's ruling:
"an assault on 133 million Americans with pre-existing conditions, on the 20 million Americans who rely on the ACA for healthcare, and on America’s faithful progress toward affordable healthcare for all Americans" - Xavier Becerra, attorney general of California
"No one wants to go back to the days of 20% of the population uninsured and fewer patient protections, but this decision will move us in that direction" - Barbara McAneny, president of the AMA
"This is insanity in print, and it will not stand up on appeal" - Nicholas Bagley, an expert in health law at the University of Michigan Law SchoolDecember 13, 2018 - American Media Inc, the publisher of the National Enquirer, admitted to prosecutors that it worked "in concert" with the Trump's presidential campaign to pay hush money to former Playboy model, Karen McDougal. The payment deal, known as a "catch and kill" deal was made in an effort to keep McDougal's story "from influencing the election". According to prosecutors: "Despite the cover and article features to the agreement, AMI’s principal purpose in entering into the agreement was to suppress the model’s story so as to prevent it from influencing the election." In an ironic twist to the story, the Enquirer engaged in a series of false smears against Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election such as accusing her of covering up "sleazy affairs" and bribing reporters "to bury truth" and promised an "explosive story that will change the election". Michael Cohen, Trump's former attorney plead guilty for his involvement in the scheme. Donald Trump Jr, the president's eldest son said in an interview that his father was a "re-gifter" and that he "got re-gifted all the things that were monogrammed for him at times". Trump denied directing Michael Cohen, his former attorney, to break the law, saying "I never directed Michael Cohen to break the law. He was a lawyer and he is supposed to know the law". Trump also claimed prosecutors had cooked up the charges to "embarrass" him. Trump's lawyer, Rudy Giuliani downplayed the campaign finance violations saying "Nobody got killed, nobody got robbed. This was not a big crime." Maria Butina, a Russian national, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government for her attempts to infiltrate the National Rifle Association and relay intelligence on American politicians to a Russian government official. Responding to the plea, Ted Lieu, Democratic congressman tweeted: "The guilty plea of Russian operative Maria Butina today raises the questions of what did @NRA officials know and when did they know it? The plea also raises the issue of what GOP party members or electeds may have known. Oh, and in January, House Democrats control subpoena power." The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Manhattan based prosecutors are investigating Trump's inaugural committee, which managed a record sum of 107m. The investigation stems from information obtained in a raid on Michael Cohen's home and office in April. In a historic first, the US Senate passed a resolution calling for an end to US military support for the Saudi-led coalition in the Yemen war, thus invoking the 1973 War Powers Resolution for the first time ever, to curb the power of the president to take the US into armed conflict. The measure is seen as a significant bipartisan rebuke to the Trump administration. The science journal Nature Scientific Reports, published a paper called 'Methylation-based enrichment facilitates low-cost, noninvasive genomic scale sequences of populations from feces'. Unbeknownst to the editors, an illustration in the article included the likeness of Donald Trump's face on a piece of monkey feces. Responding to claims that Michael Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser, was unaware that lying to the FBI was a crime, Robert Mueller's legal team told a federal judge the following: "A sitting National Security Adviser, former head of an intelligence agency, retired Lieutenant General, and 33-year veteran of the armed forces knows he should not lie to federal agents. He does not need to be warned it is a crime to lie to federal agents to know the importance of telling them the truth. The defendant undoubtedly was aware, in light of his ‘many years’ working with the FBI, that lying to the FBI carries serious consequences." Trump sent the following tweet: "I often stated, 'One way or the other, Mexico is going to pay for the Wall.' This has never changed. Our new deal with Mexico (and Canada), the USMCA, is so much better than the old, very costly & anti-USA NAFTA deal, that just by the money we save, MEXICO IS PAYING FOR THE WALL!" Critics are quick to point out that there are no provisions in the USMCA for Mexico to pay for a border wall. Here are some select reactions to Trump's claim:
Even if we accept conceptually the argument that government revenue attributable to the revised trade agreement constitutes ‘Mexico paying for the wall,’ there are no plausible assumptions of USMCA’s impact that would see government revenue increase by $25 billion. Ultimately USMCA is very similar to NAFTA, and so we shouldn’t expect any substantial economic shifts from the new agreement. It’s difficult to argue that that NAFTA was ‘anti-USA’ and ‘very costly’ but that USMCA will save us lots of money, because there’s not a huge difference between the two agreements. - Geoffrey Gertz, a fellow in the Global Economy and Development program at the Brookings Institution and a research associate at the Global Economic Governance Programme at the University of Oxford
Relative to NAFTA, the Mexican government would not nearly lose enough tariff revenue that could be constituted as paying for the wall, at least the wall as previously envisioned by the Administration; nor would the U.S. government revenue increase enough based on a dynamic score. In fact, the additional revenue to U.S. relative to NAFTA would, optimistically, not cover annual maintenance and improvements of the wall much less the original build - Kent Smetters, a professor of business economics and public policy at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School
In economic terms, the new deal is not in fact better than the old one, but it may (only may) benefit US workers to a small extent. U.S. firms (except for a handful of dairy farmers who gain a little) will do worse, not better, since it increases their costs. I don’t see any way that it actually brings in money to our government. It is likely to hurt Mexico, as presumably intended, but not in a way that benefits us. So no, the statement [from Trump] does not make sense. - John W. Sweetland professor of international economics and professor of public policy at the University of MichiganDecember 12, 2018 - Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former personal attorney and "fixer" was sentenced to 3 years in prison for campaign law violations committed when he made hush payments to porn star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal, and for lying to congress. Cohen said that he acted "in coordination and at the direction of" Trump. While accepting responsibility for his crimes, Cohen said of Trump: "I have been living in a personal and mental incarceration ever since the day that I accepted the offer to work for a real estate mogul whose business acumen that I deeply admired. I know now, in fact, there is little to be admired.” and “I take full responsibility for each act that I pled guilty to. The personal ones to me and those involving the president of the United States of America … It was my duty to cover up his dirty deeds." Mika Brzezinski, co-host of MSNBC show Morning Joe, apologized for calling Mike Pompeo, secretary of state "a wannabe dictator's butt boy" in response to Pompeo's refusal to accept the CIA's conclusion that Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's crown prince, had ordered the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
December 11, 2018 - An ethics complaint has been filed against Trump's acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker, for his role at World Patent Marketing, which was shut down in May by federal regulators after it surfaced that the company had cheated hopeful inventors out of millions of dollars. Whitaker worked as a paid member of the firm's advisory panel. According to the complaint, "Matthew G Whitaker allegedly aided and abetted a fraudulent marketing scheme that cheated thousands of consumers". Also included in the filing were emails, one being a threatening email that Whitaker sent to a customer of World Patent Marketing after that customer complained to the Better Business Bureau. Whitaker told the customer in the email "I am assuming you understand that there could be serious civil and criminal consequences for you. Understand that we take threats like this quite seriously." News surfaced that the Trump administration is planning to scale back the list of waterways which require permits to pollute, thus reversing Obama-era pollution protections known as the Waters of the US (WOTUS) rule, which was put into place to protect thousands of US streams and millions of acres of wetlands. Reacting to the proposal, Jon Devine, director of the federal water program at the Natural Resource Defense Council said "The Trump administration will stop at nothing to reward polluting industries and endanger our most treasured resources. This proposal is reckless, and we will fight to ensure it never goes into effect." During a televised argument between Donald Trump, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, Trump responded to the two Democrat's refusal to fund a border wall saying "I am proud to shut down the government for border security, Chuck, because the people of this country don’t want criminals and people that have lots of problems and drugs pouring into our country. So I will take the mantle. I will be the one to shut it down. I’m not going to blame you for it." Pelosi had this to say after the meeting "It’s like a manhood thing for him. As if manhood could ever be associated with him. This wall thing. It goes to show you: you get into a tickle contest with a skunk, you get tinkle all over you." The jury in the trial of James Alex Fields Jr recommended life in prison plus 419 years for the the 21 year-old Hitler admirer who rammed his car into a crowd of anti-fascist demonstrators, killing one and injuring dozens.
December 10, 2018 - The Trump administration gave a presentation at the UN climate talks in Poland in which they promoted the "unapologetic utilization" of "clean coal", oil, and gas. The presentation was met with laughter and chants of "shame on you". The supreme court has declined to hear a case about whether states can terminate Medicaid contracts with Planned Parenthood. Two lower courts in Kansas and Louisiana blocked attempts to withhold money from Planned Parenthood. Andrea Hvid, a Danish photographer, posted a photograph of himself and a model in a sexual pose on top of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Egyptian authorities are outraged, calling the act a "violation of public morality". Voyager 2 became the second human-made object to reach interstellar space, about 11 billion miles from Earth. Donald Trump, in a tweet, introduced the world to the phrase "Smocking Gun" tweeting "Democrats can’t find a Smocking Gun tying the Trump campaign to Russia after James Comey’s testimony. No Smocking Gun...No Collusion.” @FoxNews That’s because there was NO COLLUSION. So now the Dems go to a simple private transaction, wrongly call it a campaign contribution, which it was not (but even if it was, it is only a CIVIL CASE, like Obama’s - but it was done correctly by a lawyer and there would not even be a fine. Lawyer’s liability if he made a mistake, not me). Cohen just trying to get his sentence reduced. WITCH HUNT!" In the hours following the tweet, "smocking gun" began trending on twitter and became the subject of much derision and delight on the internet.
December 9, 2018 - According to research by the US Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) Center for Homeland Defense and Security, 2018 was by far the worst on record for gun violence in schools, with 94 school shooting incidents, which is a 60% increase over the previous high of 59 in 2006. Nick Ayers, Trump's first choice to replace outgoing chief of staff John Kelly, declined to take the role saying "I will be departing at the end of the year but will work with the #MAGA team to advance the cause." Saudi Arabia's foreign minister has rejected demands by Turkey to extradite suspects connected to the murder of journalist Jamal Kashoggi. Regarding the court filings that Donald Trump directed his then lawyer, Michael Cohen, to make hush payments to two women in an attempt to influence the 2016 election, the following select statements were made on today's news shows:
What these indictments and filings show is that the president was at the center of a massive fraud – several massive frauds against the American people - Jerrold Nadler, New York Democrat
There’s a very real prospect that on the day Donald Trump leaves office, the justice department may indict him – that he may be the first president in quite some time to face the very real prospect of jail time - Adam Schiff, California DemocratDecember 8, 2018 - Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former personal attorney and fixer spoke with a Russian offering help from Moscow during the 2016 election campaign, according to filings in federal court. Also alleged in those filings is that Trump directed Cohen to make illegal payoffs to women who claimed to have had affairs with Trump, which if true, could be a violation of campaign finance laws. The recommendation is for Cohen to receive a prison sentence of four years. James Alex Fields Jr found guilty of first degree murder for intentionally driving his car into a crowd of people, killing Heather Heyer, and wounding dozens. Fields faces 20 years to life in prison. He is also facing federal hate crimes charges, which could carry the death penalty. Donald Trump announced that John Kelly will be leaving his role as chief of staff at the end of the year. Sources inside the White House say Trump and Kelly are barely on speaking terms with one another. Newly released public records reveal that Scott Pruitt, Trump's first EPA administrator, repeatedly violated agency policy by using personal email to conduct government business. When asked if he was open to discussing impeachment of the president, Congressman Joaquin Castro of Texas replied: “I think we have to be. Look, nobody runs for the House of Representatives or the US Senate because they want to impeach a president. But when the evidence becomes so clear that you very likely have a criminal sitting in the Oval Office, what is the Congress left to do at that point?" During a CNN interview, John Garamendi, a House Democrat, said that these may be "the opening days of an impeachment”. Trump “clearly has surrounded himself with criminals. During the campaign, laws were broken … And now we have the president implicated in that."
December 7, 2018 - Fired FBI director James Comey testified for 7 hours before the Republican led House intelligence committee. Comey told reporters after testifying that the Republicans were "talking again about Hillary Clinton’s emails, for heaven’s sakes". Documents filed in court by special counsel Robert Mueller reveal that Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former attorney and "fixer" spoke during the 2016 campaign with a Russian offering help from Moscow in the form of "political synergy" and "synergy on a government level", and that Trump directed Cohen to make illegal payments to two women who claimed to have had sexual relationships with Trump, thus implicating the president in the violation of campaign finance laws. The filings also reveal that Paul Manafort repeatedly lied about his relationship with an alleged former Russian intelligence operative, and about recent communications with the White House.Trump's response to the court filings was that it "totally clears" him, and he also sent out this tweet: "AFTER TWO YEARS AND MILLIONS OF PAGES OF DOCUMENTS (and a cost of over $30,000,000), NO COLLUSION!" Matthew Miller, a former justice department spokesman, responded to the filings with the following tweet: "The president and his lawyer violated campaign finance laws to influence the outcome of the election while his campaign chair was meeting with an intelligence asset of a foreign government that was trying to influence the outcome of the election. Not very legal and very cool". Responding to statements made the previous day by Rex Tillerson, Trump said "Mike Pompeo is doing a great job, I am very proud of him. His predecessor, Rex Tillerson, didn’t have the mental capacity needed. He was dumb as a rock and I couldn’t get rid of him fast enough. He was lazy as hell. Now it is a whole new ballgame, great spirit at State!" A US appeals court refused to allow the Trump administration's ban on asylum for immigrants who illegally cross the southern border of the US. Writing for the majority, Judge Jay Bybee wrote "Just as we may not, as we are often reminded, ‘legislate from the bench’, neither may the executive legislate from the Oval Office". Democrats announced that support for an infrastructure deal with Donald Trump will occur only if the deal includes measures to combat climate change. Donald Trump nominated William Barr for the position of Attorney General. Democrats are already calling for Barr to recuse himself from the Mueller probe because of previous statements he made publicly. In a Washington Post op-ed, Barr wrote that "Comey’s removal simply has no relevance to the integrity of the Russian investigation as it moves ahead". Richard Painter, former White House chief ethics lawyer responded to the nomination on twitter saying "Barr is a good pick but he should recuse from the Russia investigation. The president who nominated him has been a subject of the investigation for over a year before this nomination and has sought an AG who will end it. Unacceptable."
December 6, 2018 - Far right activist Milo Yiannopoulos attempted to use crowd funding site Patreon to raise funds, but was banned by the site. Patreon tweeted the following statement: "Milo Yiannopoulos was removed from Patreon as we don't allow association with or supporting hate groups on Patreon." Anish Kapoor, a sculptor from Britain, sued to have an image of one of his art pieces removed from an NRA video. According to Kapoor "I am disgusted to see my work — in truth the sculpture of the people of Chicago — used by the NRA to promote their vile message. Recent shootings in Florida, Las Vegas, Texas, and a number of other towns and cities, make it more urgent than ever that this organisation is held to account for its ongoing campaign of fear and hate in American society." Kapoor and the NRA reached an out of court settlement and Cloud Gate, known locally as "the Bean" was removed from the video. In an interview with Bob Schieffer, Rex Tillerson, former secretary of state, had the following to say about his former boss: "pretty undisciplined, doesn’t like to read, doesn’t read briefing reports ... doesn’t like to get into the details of a lot of things. I’d have to say to him, well Mr President, I understand what you want to do, but you can’t do it that way. It violates the law, it violates treaty. You know, he got really frustrated." Trump's pick to succeed Nikki Haley as ambassador to the United Nations is former Fox News anchor Heather Nauert. Nauert has no prior political or policy-making experience.
December 5, 2018 - In the snub seen around the world, Donald Trump greeted the Obama's at George HW Bush's funeral, but did not greet the Clintons. The state board of elections in North Carolina has refused to certify the results of the state's ninth district, stating there are "claims of numerous irregularities and concerted fraudulent activities related to absentee-by-mail ballots." In question are the activities of Leslie McCrae Dowless, who was working for the Republican campaign, and who was running an operation to collect absentee ballots for voters, which is illegal in North Carolina. According to satellite images, North Korea has significantly expanded and upgraded long-range missile sites. Vipin Narang, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology responded to these developments saying on twitter "[Trump] has to be well aware of these developments. He just doesn’t care. Kim pretends to disarm and Trump pretends to believe him. That’ll get everyone to halftime."
December 4, 2018 - Stock market drops over 3% following Trump's declaration that he is "a Tariff Man". Because he had provided "substantial assistance" to the Trump-Russia investigation and other inquiries, Robert Mueller recommended no prison time for ex-Trump adviser Michael Flynn. News surfaced that Republican administrations in Wisconsin and Michigan are seeking to strip power from government positions won by Democrats, before those positions are transitioned in January. Those actions are being denounced as blatantly undemocratic, and have sparked protests. In North Carolina there are allegations of voter fraud in a close congressional race that remains unresolved. In that state, Democratic voters in two counties state their absentee ballots were collected in unsealed envelopes by unidentified individuals. Reacting to the situation in Wisconsin, Scott Ross, One Wisconsin Now's executive director stated: "Republicans believe they lost the November election because too many people voted here, and are trying to undo the results of the vote by taking power from the elected governor and attorney general". Trump ally, Roger Stone, has invoked the Fifth Amendment saying he will never testify against Trump. Responding to Stone's statement, Trump sent out the following tweet, which many legal experts say could amount to criminal witness tampering: "I will never testify against Trump.” This statement was recently made by Roger Stone, essentially stating that he will not be forced by a rogue and out of control prosecutor to make up lies and stories about “President Trump.” Nice to know that some people still have “guts!" Gina Haspel, the CIA director, briefed a handful of leading senators from both parties regarding the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Some notable responses to the briefing:
If the crown prince went in front of a jury he would be convicted in 30 minutes. There is no way anyone with a straight face could say they didn’t know what happened - Bob Corker, Republican chair of the Senate foreign relations committee
There’s not a smoking gun, there’s a smoking saw. - Lindsey Graham, Republican senatorDecember 3, 2018 - Stock market rallies following Trump tweet that "Relations with China have taken a BIG leap forward!" Sir David Attenborough, in an address to the UN climate change summit in Poland, declared "Right now we are facing a man-made disaster of global scale, our greatest threat in thousands of years: climate change. If we don’t take action, the collapse of our civilizations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon."
December 1, 2018 - George HW Bush, 41st president of the US died. He was 94. Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state: "I have read every piece of intelligence that is in the possession of the United States government, and when it is done, when you complete that analysis, there’s no direct evidence linking [Prince Mohammed] to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. That is an accurate statement, it is an important statement, and it is the statement that we are making publicly today." According to the Wall Street Journal, the CIA has evidence that Prince Mohammed "sent at least 11 messages to his closest adviser, who oversaw the team that killed...Khashoggi, in the hours before and after the journalist's death". Jim Mattis, the secretary of defense, claimed there is "no smoking gun" in the Khashoggi murder.
November 30, 2018 - Donald Trump defended his pursuit of a business deal in Moscow during the 2016 presidential campaign saying it was "very legal & very cool".
November 29, 2018 - According to the World Meteorological Organization, which published its provisional statement on the State of the Climate in 2018, this year is expected to be the fourth warmest year on record. According to Elena Manaenkova, the WMO deputy secretary general, "These are more than just numbers. Every fraction of a degree of warming makes a difference to human health and access to food and fresh water, to the extinction of animals and plants, to the survival of coral reefs and marine life." According to Peter Taalas, the secretary general of the WMO, "We are not on track to meet climate targets and rein in temperature increases. If we exploit all known fossil fuel resources, the temperature rise will be considerably higher. We are the first generation to fully understand climate change and the last generation to be able to do something about it." Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former personal attorney and fixer for over a decade, pleaded guilty in federal court to lying about Trump's business dealings in Russia. Trump responded to the news saying Cohen was "a weak person and not a very smart person." Adam Schiff, the ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on intelligence responded to Cohen's guilty plea saying in part "Today's guilty plea obtained by the Special Counsel demonstrates that the President's associates were willing to lie to Congress about the Trump Organizations business interests in Russia. Significantly, they also make clear that the President's own denials during the campaign were false or misleading. These false statements regarding the continued pursuit of a Moscow Trump Tower deal during much of the presidential campaign underscore the importance of a thorough investigation into any financial entanglement between Trump and Russia." Opening statements were made in the murder trial of James Alex Fields, a 21-year-old from Ohio who is charged with killing Heather Heyer, a 31-year-old paralegal and civil rights activist, and injured many others when he rammed his car into a group of counter demonstrators during the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017. Field's has pleaded not guilty, and his defense lawyers are prepared to argue that Fields acted in self defense.
November 28, 2018 - During a visit to Paradise, California, a town that was razed by the so-called Camp fire which killed as many as 88 people, making it the deadliest fire in California history, Ryan Zinke, the interior secretary, called for new legislation that would allow for "thinning" of forests to prevent future wildfires. Chad Hansen, a forest ecologist who was involved in a major 2016 study that found that logged areas with lower environmental protections have the most intense, fast moving fires, responded to Zinke's comments saying "Donald Trump and Ryan Zinke are being dangerously dishonest. They are trying to use this tragedy to help logging interests, which is one of the most disgusting things I’ve seen in my career. They are trying to eliminate half a century of environmental protections and turn over forests to the logging industry." Barack Obama made some remarks today that some see as a swipe at his successor's legal troubles. Said Obama "Not only did I not get indicted, nobody in my administration got indicted, which by the way was the only administration in modern history that that can be said about. In fact, nobody came close to being indicted, partly because the people who joined us were there for the right reasons. We were there to serve." According to the Guardian "US special counsel Robert Mueller’s team believes a rightwing author and conspiracy theorist tipped off Roger Stone, a Donald Trump ally, months before WikiLeaks released thousands of emails stolen from Hillary Clinton’s campaign chair, according to a draft legal document." That conspiracy theorist is Jerome Corsi. Responding to criticism of her use of a personal email account, Ivanka Trump responded with "All of my emails are stored and preserved. There were no deletions. There is no attempt to hide. There's no equivalency to what my father's spoken about." In what is considered a significant rebuke to Donald Trump, the Republican majority Senate voted to proceed to a floor vote on a measure that would cut US military support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen by invoking the War Powers Resolution. According to US investigators, Ted Malloch, an ally of Nigel Farage, was asked by notorious "dirty trickster" Roger Stone, to obtain secret information from Wikileaks for Donald Trump's team during the 2016 election campaign. Three police officers have been found guilty in the extrajudicial killing of Kian Loyd delos Santos, a 17-year-old high school student in the Philippines. The killing is one of as many as 5,000 brought about by president Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs.
November 27, 2018 - According to the Guardian, Paul Manafort, Donald Trump's former campaign manager, "held secret talks with Julian Assange inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London, amd visited around the time he joined Trump's campaign." Assange described the story as a hoax. Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith won Mississippi's special election runoff for US Senate.
November 26, 2018 - When asked what he thought of the findings contained in the National Climate Assessment which is the product of 13 government agencies and was released last Friday, Donald Trump said "I don't believe it." Regarding the migrants who are fleeing violence and poverty in Central America, and who are massing at the Southern border of the US, Trump told rally goers in Mississippi "We don’t want those people in Mississippi. I'm sorry. Democrats have become the party of caravans and crime." Regarding the use of tear gas against the migrants, Trump said "We send a strong message to the caravans and the trespassers: Turn around, go back home." Paul Manafort, Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, breached a plea agreement he signed in September by "lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the special counsel's office on a variety of subject matters" according to a court filing by Robert Mueller.
November 25, 2018 - Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, responded to Trump's comments regarding the CIA's conclusions in the Jamal Kashoggi murder saying "I think the president is being dishonest with the American people," A request by George Papadopoulos to delay his two-week prison term was rejected. Declassified memos written by House Republicans and Democrats make clear that it was Papadopoulos's contacts with Russian intermediaries that sparked the Trump/Russia investigation.
November 23, 2018 - The Trump administration has requested that the supreme court fast-track cases addressing Trump's proposed ban on certain transgender people from serving in the military. A Manhattan judge ruled that a lawsuit against the Trump family charity can proceed, despite aruments by Trump's attorneys about presidential immunity and political bias. According to the New York state attorney general, the Trumps ran the Donald J Trump Foundation "in persistent violation" of state and federal law and used the charity as a "piggy bank". The White House responded to the US National Climate change assessment, which is the work of 300 scientists and 13 federal agencies saying the assessment ws "largely based on the most extreme scenario, which contradicts long-established trends by assuming that, despite strong economic growth that would increase greenhouse gas emissions, there would be limited technology and innovation, and a rapidly expanding population." Responding to the White House statement, Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist and co-author of the report tweeted "I wrote the climate scenarios chapter myself so I can confirm it considers ALL scenarios, from those where we go carbon negative before end of century to those where carbon emissions continue to rise. What WH says is demonstrably false."
November 22, 2018 - Responding to Trump's accusation that US district judge Jon Tigar is an "Obama Judge", John Roberts, the chief justice of the US supreme court said in a statement "We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges. What we have is an extraordinary group of dedicated judges doing their level best to do equal right to those appearing before them. That independent judiciary is something we should all be thankful for." This rebuke of the president by the chief justice is unprecedented in modern times. According to a World Meteorological Organization report: "The last time the Earth experienced a comparable concentration of CO2 was 3-5m years ago, when the temperature was 2-3C warmer and sea level was 10-20 metres higher than now. The science is clear. Without rapid cuts in CO2 and other greenhouse gases, climate change will have increasingly destructive and irreversible impacts on life on Earth. The window of opportunity for action is almost closed." Gavin McInnes, founder of the Proud Boys - a group categorized by the FBI as "an extremist group with ties to white nationalism" - claims to have quit the group. Former FBI chief James Comey said he will resist a subpoena to appear before the House judiciary committee unless the hearing happens publicly. Regarding the House Republicans, Comey tweeted: "I’ve seen enough of their selective leaking and distortion. Let’s have a hearing and invite everyone to see." Responding to questions about Ivanka Trump's use of a private email server to conduct official government business Trump had this to say: "There was no deletion of emails like the 33,000, plus probably another 100,000, that Hillary Clinton did after she got a subpoena. There was no anything, just innocent emails. There were no classified emails. It’s another fake news story." The 100,000 number used by Trump does not appear to be based on any repoted facts. When asked what he was thankful for this year, Trump responded "I made a tremendous difference in this country. This country is so much stronger now than it was when I took office and you wouldn’t believe it and when you see it, we’ve gotten so much stronger people don’t even believe it." When asked about the conclusion by the CIA that Mohammed bin Salman was responsible for the deth of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Trump responded "They didn’t conclude. No no, they didn’t conclude. I’m sorry. No they didn’t conclude. They did not come to a conclusion. They have feelings certain ways. I have the report … they have not concluded, I don’t know if anyone’s going to be able to conclude the crown prince did it. I will say this: I don’t know, I don’t know. But whether he did or whether he didn’t, he denies it vehemently. His father denies it, the king, vehemently. The CIA doesn’t say they did it, they do point out certain things and in pointing out those things you can conclude that maybe he did or maybe he didn’t."
November 21, 2018 - A "decision memorandum" released by the White House and signed by President Trump, expands authority of US troops at the US/Mexico border to "show or use force (including lethal force, where necessary)". This comes amid an outcry over the deployment of 5,900 active-duty troops to the south-west border that, according to the New York Times, is characterized by many Pentagon officials as "an expensive waste of time and resources".
November 20, 2018 - US district judge, Jon Tigar, issued an order today blocking Trump's November 9th asylum proclamation saying "Whatever the scope of the president’s authority, he may not rewrite the immigration laws to impose a condition that Congress has expressly forbidden". Responding to the ruling, ACLU attorney Lee Gelerent said "This ban is illegal, will put people’s lives in danger, and raises the alarm about President Trump’s disregard for separation of powers. There is no justifiable reason to flatly deny people the right to apply for asylum." Trump responded to the judges ruling saying "You go the 9th Circuit and it's a disgrace. And I'm going to put in a major complaint because you cannot win — if you're us — a case in the 9th Circuit and I think it's a disgrace. This was an Obama judge. And I'll tell you what, it's not going to happen like this anymore." Richard Blumenthal, Democratic member of the Senate Judiciary committee has called for an investigation into Ivanka Trump's use of private email to conduct official government business. Laurence Tribe, a constitutional law professor at Harvard responded to the news of Ivanka's email usage saying "You can’t make this stuff up. Not after that gang did the ‘Lock Her Up!’ chant against Hillary for two solid years so Ivanka could become First Daughter. Above the law, just like daddy. Disgusting hardly says it." Trump's lawyers submitted answers to nearly two dozen questions that were posed by special counsel Robert Mueller. News surfaced that Trump wanted to prosecute Hillary Clinton and ex-FBI director James Comey, but was talked out of it by then White House counsel Don McGahn. McGahn had warned Trump that doing so could bring serious consequences which could include impeachment. With criticism rising in the wake of journalist Jamal Khashoggi's assassination, and the CIA conclusion that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman himself ordered the hit, Trump released a 649-word statement defending the US relationship with Saudi Arabia titled "standing with Saudi Arabia". Here are some select excerpts from Trump's written statement:
"The world is a very dangerous place!"
"Our intelligence agencies continue to assess all information, but it could very well be that the crown prince had knowledge of this tragic event – maybe he did and maybe he didn’t! That being said, we may never know all of the facts surrounding the murder of Mr Jamal Khashoggi. In any case, our relationship is with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
They have been a great ally in our very important fight against Iran."
"King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman vigorously deny any knowledge of the planning or execution of the murder of Mr Khashoggi."
"representatives of Saudi Arabia say that Jamal Khashoggi was an ‘enemy of the state’ and a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. My decision is in no way based on that."Here are some select responses to Trump's statement:
"While Saudi Arabia is a strategic ally, the behavior of the crown prince – in multiple ways – has shown disrespect for the relationship and made him, in my view, beyond toxic." - Republican Senator Lindsey Graham
"The CIA has thoroughly investigated the murder of this innocent journalist and concluded with high confidence that it was directed by the crown prince. If there is reason to doubt the findings of the CIA, President Trump should immediately make that evidence public." - Fred Ryan, CEO of the Washington Post
"I never thought I'd see the day a White House would moonlight as a public relations firm for the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia." - Bob Corker, Republican Senator and chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee
"I'm pretty sure this statement is Saudi Arabia First, not America First" - Rand Paul, Republican Senator and member of the Foreign Relations Committee
"This Trump statement on the Khashoggi murder is beyond embarrassing. It is shameful. He is silent on our most important interest – justice." - Nicholas Burns, former under-secretary of state for political affairs under George W BushNovember 19, 2018 - Three Democratic US senators filed a lawsuit today that accuses Donald Trump of violating the US constitution by illegally appointing Matthew Whitaker as acting attorney general. The senators are Richard Blumenthal, Sheldon Whitehouse and Mazie Hirono. In a statement regarding the lawsuit, senator Blumenthal said the following: "President Trump is denying senators our constitutional obligation and opportunity to do our job: scrutinizing the nomination of our nation’s top law enforcement official. The reason is simple: Whitaker would never pass the advice and consent test. In selecting a so-called ‘constitutional nobody’ and thwarting every senator’s constitutional duty, Trump leaves us no choice but to seek recourse through the courts." After telling CNN that Jim Acosta's press pass would be revoked again after a 14-day reinstatement order from the courts expires, the White House reversed course, and now says they will not revoke the access, as long as Acosta and others follow a new set of rules for the press which includes a restriction on follow up questions. Despite the arrival in Tijuana of nearly 3,000 migrants who are walking across Mexico, the 5,900 troops that were sent to the US-Mexico border just prior to the mid-term elections to intercept this "invasion", are now preparing to be drawn down according to the Pentagon. This news prompted fierce criticism from many who called the ramping up of troops along the border a political stunt. In an editorial in the New York Times, Gordon Adams, Lawrence Wilkerson and Isaiah Wilson III, all with military and national security experience wrote: "The president used America’s military forces not against any real threat but as toy soldiers, with the intent of manipulating a domestic midterm election outcome, an unprecedented use of the military by a sitting president." Norman Ornstein, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute think tank, tweeted "Troops at border starting to withdraw. Proving again that this was a blatant misuse of our military and tax dollars for partisan political purposes by Trump." Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union argued in court today that the new asylum rule put into place by the Trump administration on November 9th violates the Immigration and Nationality Act, which states that any person present in the US can claim asylum irrespective of how they entered the country.
November 18, 2018 - Trump claims in an interview that he is thinking of changing "three or four or five positions" but gave no more details. Adam Schiff, senior Democrat on the House intelligence committee called the appointment of Matthew Whitaker "unconstitutional" and vowed to expose any attempts he might make to thwart Robert Mueller's investigation. Schiff went on to say "It’s a flawed appointment, but the biggest flaw from my point of view is that he was chosen for the purpose of interfering with the Mueller investigation. He auditioned for the part by going on TV and saying he could hobble the investigation." Trump responded to Schiff's comments on Twitter saying "So funny to see little Adam Schitt (D-CA) talking about the fact that Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker was not approved by the Senate, but not mentioning the fact that Bob Mueller (who is highly conflicted) was not approved by the Senate!" To which Schiff responded via twitter: Wow, Mr. President, that’s a good one. Was that like your answers to Mr. Mueller’s questions, or did you write this one yourself?"
November 17, 2018 - The CIA concluded that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. When asked what the White House would do if the crown prince was found responsible, Trump said "We’re taking a look at it. You know, we also have a great ally in Saudi Arabia. They give us a lot of jobs and a lot of business and economic development. They have been a truly spectacular ally in terms of jobs and economic development." Trump traveled to Paradise California to view the devastation left by the "Camp Fire", which is now considered the deadliest fire in California history. While touring the damaged areas, Trump spoke of a conversation he had with the president of Finland: "I was with the president of Finland and he said: ‘We have, much different, we are a forest nation.’ He called it a forest nation. And they spend a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things, and they don’t have any problem." The president of Finland, Sauli Ninisto, recalls the conversation Trump was talking about, but remembers it much differently, saying he told Trump "Finland is a country covered by forests, and that to avoid forest fires we have a good surveillance system and network." Some Finns found Trump's comments about raking to be rather humorous, and so memes began popping up on the internet like "Make America Rake Again" and tweets like this one from Malla Hadley "I grew up in Finland. a) it rains all year round. b) we have a lengthy and cold winter. c) Finland is a sparsely populated country with just over 5mil ppl, with land size ~3/4 of CA and most of it forests and lakes. d) no friggin body is raking the forests."
November 16, 2018 - US district Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, restored Jim Acosta's White House press credentials, calling Sarah Sanders initial statement on the reasons for revoking the press pass "likely untrue and at least partly based on evidence that was of questionable accuracy". He also said "This doesn’t end the legal battle over Acosta’s access to the White House, it simply means that it is restored for now". Trump claims he has answered written questions provided by Robert Mueller, but hasn't returned them yet. Trump also said "You have to always be careful when you answer questions with people that probably have bad intentions". Trump again blames forest mismanagement for California's wildfires saying "The big problem we have is management. You need management. I’m not saying that in a negative way, a positive I’m just saying the facts." Brian K Rice, president of California Professional Firefighters, responded to Trump's criticism saying "The president’s message attacking California and threatening to withhold aid to the victims of the cataclysmic fires is ill-informed, ill-timed and demeaning to those who are suffering as well as the men and women on the frontlines." John Allen Chau, a 26 year old from Washington state, was killed by members of the Sentinelese, a tribe believed to be at least 30,000 years old. Chau had written in his diary that the island where the Sentinelese live is "Satan's last stronghold" and that he wanted to go there to "declare Jesus" to the tribe.
November 15, 2018 - Trump continued making baseless claims regarding the Florida recount when he made the following statement to the Daily Caller "The Republicans don’t win and that’s because of potentially illegal votes. When people get in line that have absolutely no right to vote and they go around in circles. Sometimes they go to their car, put on a different hat, put on a different shirt, come in and vote again. Nobody takes anything. It’s really a disgrace what’s going on." Trump also called for a new national ID with the bizarre assertion that "If you buy a box of cereal – you have a voter ID." John Kerry, former US secretary of state under Barack Obama, spoke of Trump's failure to attend a key Armistice Day commemoration ceremony in Paris saying "I was appalled that rain drops prevented the president from going to pay honour to those that died in rain, gas, snow and mud. That was the reason he came to Paris. People are tired of the embarrassment of what took place in Paris in the last few days. We cannot have a truculent child president. We need something serious." Singer David Crosby had the following to say about Donald trump during a recent interview: "I think right now, it’s worse than the 60s because the guy we’ve got to deal with is worse. He’s more unrestrainedly bad. He’s like a spoiled child who got into his dad’s office and is peeing on all of the papers saying, ‘Ha, I’ll show you. The thing that bugs me the worst is that we’re not doing anything about climate change because of Trump and his tribe. Because of that, we’re doing something really awful to every other human being on the planet, all of them. I can’t imagine the karma is good on that one." Continuing a nearly daily attack on the Mueller investigation via Twitter, Trump sent the following tweet today: "The inner workings of the Mueller investigation are a total mess. They have found no collusion and have gone absolutely nuts. They are screaming and shouting at people, horribly threatening them to come up with the answers they want. They are a disgrace to our Nation and don’t care how many lives they can ruin." Edie Scarry, a reporter for the Washington Examiner, tweeted a picture of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez walking down a corridor. The picture was shot without Ocasio-Cortez's knowledge, and was accompanied by the following text: "Hill staffer sent me this pic of Ocasio-Cortez they took just now. I’ll tell you something: that jacket and coat don’t look like a girl who struggles." The snarky comment in the tweet is a reference to Ocasio-Cortez saying she can't afford an apartment in DC until she starts getting her congressional salary in January. Scarry's tweet, which was deleted after it became the subject of intense mockery, also became an immediate meme. Ocasio-Cortez responded with the following tweet: "If I walked into Congress wearing a sack, they would laugh & take a picture of my backside. If I walk in with my best sale-rack clothes, they laugh & take a picture of my backside. Dark hates light - that’s why you tune it out. Shine bright & keep it pushing." Video surfaced of Cindy Hyde-Smith, a Republican Senate candidate from Mississippi, making the following statement: "And then they remind me that there's a lot of liberal folks in those other schools who maybe we don't want to vote. Maybe we want to make it just a little more difficult. And I think that's a great idea."
November 14, 2018 - CNN reporter, Abby Phillip, asked Trump the following question regarding acting AG Matt Whitaker: "Do you want him to reign in Robert Mueller?" to which Trump responded "What a stupid question that is. What a stupid question. But I watch you a lot, and you ask a lot of stupid questions". Trump then turned and walked away with a look of disgust on his face. Lawyers for Trump and for CNN clashed in district court today in the case known as Cable News Network, Inc V Donald J Trump. CNN is accusing Trump and several of his aides of violating the US constitution's guarantee of freedom of the press, by revoking Jim Acosta's White House press pass. The argument made by Trump's lawyers is that Acosta's behavior was "objectionable" and "disruptive". CNN's lawyers argued that in terms of behavior, Trump was "the most aggressive, dare I say rude, person in the room". CNN also called the revocation of the press pass a "severe and unprecedented punishment" brought about because of a "culmination of years of hostility by President Trump against CNN and Acosta based on the contents of their reporting – an unabashed attempt to censor the press and exclude reporters from the White House who challenge and dispute the President’s point of view." Notably missing from the arguments made by Trump's legal team was any mention of the original reason given for revoking Acosta's press pass, which was that Acosta was guilty of "placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern". A photograph of the new incoming House members highlights the stark difference in diversity of Democrats vs Republicans. The proportion of Democrats who are white men will drop from 41% to 38%, while the proportion of Republicans who are white men will increase from 86% to 90%. New research found that climate change increased the rainfall intensity of recent hurricanes by as much as 10%. The research predicts that if temps rise by as much as they are predicted to this century, then rainfall form these storms could increase by a third, and windspeeds could increase by as much as 25 knots. When asked about Trump's twitter posts from the prior day, Benjamin Griveaux, a French government spokesman responded with "Yesterday was November 13. We were marking the murder of 130 of our people, so I'll reply in English: 'common decency' would have been appropriate." November 13 marked the third anniversary of the Bataclan attack in which 130 people were killed. As recounts are taking place in two counties in Florida, Trump, and others have repeatedly implied, without supporting evidence, that the voting system in Florida is ripe with voter fraud, and that officials in Florida were trying to rig the elections in favor of Democrats. Donald Trump Jr, the president's son, shared a headline on twitter that read "Nearly 200,000 Florida Voters May Not Be Citizens". Jr failed to mention that the article was more than 6 years old, and that the actual number had later been been reduced to 85. The state elections department, and the Florida department of law enforcement, both of which are run by Republican appointees, claim they have seen no evidence of voter fraud. A judge in Broward county has challenged anyone with evidence of fraud to file a report. The following are some select responses to the baseless claims being made by Trump and others in the Republican party regarding voter fraud in the Florida recounts:
"It’s just plain wrong. It’s unAmerican. Attempts to bully, threaten and cajole officials into not counting every vote is a large and dangerous step away from the democracy we all cherish. Trump and Scott must stop now." - Chuck Schumer, senior Democrat in the Senate
"trying to delegitimize election results is awfully dangerous. Maybe the most openly authoritarian move [Trump's] made so far." - Nate Silver, founder and editor in chief of FiveThirtyEight.com
"It’s disgusting. It’s so unAmerican. [Trump] just uses it to gin up his base; if Bill Nelson wins, this is about delegitimising the race. But you have to live and die by the rule and law, and not change the game in the middle." - Florida elected official who did not wish to be named
"Voters in Florida must be heard. Failure to do so goes against a fair and equitable electoral system and, most importantly, undermines the rights of those Floridians who voted." - Human Rights WatchNovember 13, 2018 - Jerome Corsi, a conservative author with ties to the conspiracy website Infowars, claims prosecutors working for Robert Mueller questioned him about Nigel Farage and Ted Malloch. Farage is a British politician who led the UK Independence Party (UKIP) from 2006 to 2009, and again from 2010 to 2016. Malloch is an American author, consultant, and television producer. In a move seen as unprecedented in the White House, Stephanie Grisham, who is Melania Trump's communications director, called for the firing of Mira Ricardel, who is the top aide to national security adviser, John Bolton. "It is the position of the Office of First Lady that [Ricardel] no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House". Ricardel is reported to have clashed with members of Melania Trump's staff over seating on a plane during a recent trip to Africa. Though violent crime in America is declining, newly released FBI data shows a sharp increase in the number of hate crimes, which increased by 17% in 2017. Antisemitic crimes increased more than any other category. Trump, who was upset with remarks made by Emmanuel Macron a few days earlier, sent the following tweet: "Emmanuel Macron suggests building its own army to protect Europe against the U.S., China and Russia. But it was Germany in World Wars One & Two - How did that work out for France? They were starting to learn German in Paris before the U.S. came along. Pay for NATO or not!" Trump followed soon after with this tweet: "On Trade, France makes excellent wine, but so does the U.S. The problem is that France makes it very hard for the U.S. to sell its wines into France, and charges big Tariffs, whereas the U.S. makes it easy for French wines, and charges very small Tariffs. Not fair, must change!" Guy Verhofstadt, the chief representative for the European parliament on Brexit responded with the following: "What Trump doesn’t seem to realize is that without French money, the USA would not even exist as France financed the American revolution. They even gave you the Statue of Liberty to celebrate this!" PBS journalist Yamiche Alcindor, a black journalist, had the following exchange with Donald Trump:
Yamiche: There are some people that say that now the Republican Party is seen as supporting white nationalists because of your rhetoric. What do you make of that?
TRUMP: Oh, I don't believe that. I don't believe that. I don't believe -- well, I don't know. Why do I have my highest poll numbers ever with African Americans? Why do I have among the highest poll numbers with African Americans? I mean, why do I have my highest poll numbers? That's such a racist question. Honestly, I mean, I know you have it written down, and you're going to tell me. Let me tell you: It's a racist question.
Yamiche: And Mr. President --
TRUMP: I love -- and you know what the word is? I love our country. I do. You call -- you have nationalists. You have globalists. I also love the world and I don't mind helping the world, but we have to straighten out our country first. We have a lot of problems.
Yamiche: And --
TRUMP: Excuse me. But to say that -- what you said is so insulting to me. It's a very terrible thing that you said.
Yamiche: And Mr. President -- Mr. President, people have --
TRUMP: Okay. Please, go ahead. Go ahead.
Yamiche: You've talked about --
TRUMP: Excuse me.November 12, 2018 - Video surfaced of Cindy Hyde-Smith, a Republican US senator from Mississippi, praising one of her supporters saying "If he invited me to a public hanging, I'd be on the front row." Hyde-Smith, who is a white Republican, is running against Mike Espy, a black Democrat. After being criticized for the language used in the video, Hyde-Smith responded that "any attempt to turn this into a negative connotation is ridiculous". Trump called for an end to the recount in Florida saying "The Florida Election should be called in favor of Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis in that large numbers of new ballots showed up out of nowhere, and many ballots are missing or forged. An honest vote count is no longer possible - ballots massively infected, Must go with Election Night!" Jack Tuter, a circuit judge, said he had seen no evidence of wrongdoing in the vote-counting in Florida, and asked that all sides "ramp down the rhetoric". Extracts from Michelle Obama's memoir "Becoming" became available today. In one, Michelle speaks of the pain of Donald Trump winning the presidency saying "I just wish more people had turned out to vote. And I will always wonder about what led so many women, in particular, to reject an exceptionally qualified female candidate and instead choose a misogynist as their president. But the result was now ours to live with." The Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) thinktank in Washington published satellite photos of a ballistic missile base in North Korea, near the demilitarized zone (DMZ) showing that it, along with 12 other missile sites, are still being maintained, and improved. Steve King, newly re-elected Representative from Iowa, dared the Weekly Standard, a conservative publication, to publish audio in which editors of the Standard claimed King can be heard referring to migrants as dirt. The Weekly Standard then published the audio, which included King joking that he'll need to pick up some "dirt from Mexico" to give his homegrown peppers a little more bite. Here's the exchange that follows:
FEMALE SUPPORTER: "Trust me, it's on its way"
STEVE KING: "Well, yeah, there’s plenty of dirt. It’s coming from the West Coast, too. And a lot of other places, besides. This is the most dirt we’ve ever seen."In response to the released audio, and the story in the Weekly Standard, Sarah Stevens, King's chief of staff, claimed King believed the supporter was referring to the "leftist media" not immigrants, like the Central American caravan currently making its way North. The Weekly Standard called Stevens' assertion "absurd" considering the media was never mentioned in the entire conversation. King then accused the Weekly Standard of "lying" to which the Standard responded "The Weekly Standard remains, proudly, a reporting-driven conservative journal of opinion. … There are no lies, willful or otherwise. … Our reporter wouldn’t focus on your bigotry if you weren’t a bigot."
November 11, 2018 - Democrats are calling the appointment of Matthew Whitaker to the position of acting attorney general illegal. Incoming chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Jerry Nadler, made the following statement "We will certainly hold a hearing on that. We will summon or if necessary subpoena Mr Whitaker to ask him about his expressed hostility to the investigation – how he can possibly oversee it when he has come out and said that the investigation is invalid." Nadler also claimed that Whitaker held "ridiculous legal opinions" and also claimed that Whitaker is "totally unqualified. The only qualifications seems to be that the president wants him to be a hatchet man to destroy Mueller’s investigation." Chuck Schumer, the House Minority Leader, said of Whitaker "If he stays there, he will create a constitutional crisis by inhibiting Mueller or firing Mueller." Florida Governor, Republican Rick Scott, has accused his opponent, Democrat Bill Nelson, of voter fraud. State election officials and law enforcement officials say they have seen no evidence to support Scott's claim. Adam Schiff, the lead Democrat on the House intelligence committee, says that congress will investigate whether Trump used the "the instruments of state power to punish the press" on two different fronts. First, did Trump try to increase the postal rates paid by Amazon. Amazon is owned by Jeff Bezos who owns the Washington Post, a frequent target of Trump's ire. Second, did he try to block the merger between AT&T and Time Warner. Time Warner owns CNN, another frequent target of Trump's ire. Schiff claims that Trump "was secretly meeting with the postmaster [general] in an effort to browbeat the postmaster [general] into raising postal rates on Amazon." Both acts could be considered political payback. At the World War I Armistice Day commemoration. French President Emmanuel Macron made the following statement: "Patriotism is the exact opposite of nationalism. Nationalism is a betrayal of patriotism. By saying our interests first, who cares about the others, we erase what a nation holds dearest, what gives it life, what makes it great and what is essential: its moral values." Many claimed this was a direct rebuke of Trump, who was in attendance. At the same ceremony, Russian President Putin shook Trump's hand, then gave him a thumbs up. Jemel Roberson, a 26 year old black security guard, was shot dead by a white Chicago police officer, after the officer arrived on a scene to find Roberson holding a gun to the back of a shooting suspect. Roberson was wearing a hat with Security written across the front. A civil rights lawsuit has been filed on behalf of Roberson's mother, Beatrice Roberson.
November 10, 2018 - News surfaced that the newly appointed acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker, was a paid advisory board member for World Patent Marketing (WPM), a firm that scammed US military veterans out of their life savings according to court filings and interviews. WPM had promoted itself as a champion of veterans saying in promotion materials in 2014 " Not only do we honor the veterans and soldiers of our armed forces but we are also celebrating what they are protecting - the American dream". Re-count begins in Florida races. Trump sent the following tweet regarding the on-going ballot counting in Florida for Governor Senate races: " Trying to STEAL two big elections in Florida! We are watching closely!" Senate candidate Andrew Gillum withdrew his election night concession saying "I am replacing my words of concession with an uncompromised and unapologetic call we count every single vote." Regarding wildfires burning in many parts of California, Trump sent the following tweet: "There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!" Critics were quick to point out that a large portion of the area that is burning is not forest. Scientists weighed in saying climate change, and human development patterns are the cause for worsening fires. In an upcoming memoir, Michelle Obama wrote that she would never forgive Trump for his part in the birther conspiracy saying "What if someone with an unstable mind loaded a gun and drove to Washington? What if that person went looking for our girls? Donald Trump, with his loud and reckless innuendos, was putting my family's safety at risk. And for this I'd never forgive him." Trump responded saying "I'll never forgive (President Barack Obama) for what he did to our US military. It was depleted, and I had to fix it. What he did to our military made this country very unsafe for you and you and you." Trump, who is visiting France for a weekend commemorating the 100 years since the end of the First World War, and who was scheduled to participate in a wreath laying ceremony at the Aisne-Marne American cemetery in the French village of Belleau, the site of a 1918 battle in which more than 1800 Americans died, cancelled because of rain. Here are some select responses to the cancellation:
"They died with their face to the foe and the pathetic inadequate @realDonaldTrump couldn't even defy the weather to pay his respects to The Fallen" - Nicolas Soames, grandson of Winston Churchill
"I helped plan all of President Obama's trips for 8 years. There is always a rain option." - Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser under President Barack Obama
"It’s incredible that a president would travel to France for this significant anniversary – and then remain in his hotel room watching TV rather than pay in person his respects to the Americans who gave their lives in France for the victory gained 100 years ago tomorrow. It’s not even 60 miles from central Paris to the monument. If the weather is too wet and windy for helicopters, a presidential motorcade could drive the distance in an hour.” - David Frum, former speechwriter for president George W BushNovember 9, 2018 - Trump sent the following tweet: "Matthew G Whitaker is a highly respected former US attorney from Iowa. He was chosen by Jeff Sessions to be his Chief of Staff. I did not know Mr Whitaker. Likewise, as Chief, I did not know Mr Whitaker except primarily as he traveled with AG Sessions. No social contact." This tweet directly contradicts an interview Trump did with Fox News in October in which Trump made the following statement: "I can tell you Matt Whitaker’s a great guy. I mean, I know Matt Whitaker." It also contradicts an article in the New York Times in September which described frequent visits to the Oval Office by Whitaker and said that Whitaker "is said to have an easy chemistry with Mr. Trump. On Monday morning, Mr. Trump himself called Mr. Whitaker, not with an explicit job offer but a reassurance that he has faith in him." The Trump administration issued a new rule that bans migrants from claiming asylum if they cross the border outside of a designated port of entry.
November 8, 2018 - Donald Trump appointed Matthew Whitaker, Jeff Sessions' chief of staff, to the position of acting attorney general. Video surfaced from a Republican forum in 2014 where Whitaker claimed that judges need to have "a biblical view of justice" and also questioned the judgment of secular judges. Democrats are urging Whitaker to recuse himself from the Russia investigation because of critical comments he made about Mueller in the recent past. Whitaker made the following statement during a radio interview in March of 2017 "The left is trying to sow this theory that essentially Russians interfered with the US election, which has been proven false." Whitaker also made the following statement in a CNN interview "I could see a scenario where Jeff Sessions is replaced, it would [be a] recess appointment and that attorney general doesn’t fire Bob Mueller but he just reduces his budget to so low that his investigation grinds to almost a halt." Whitaker also told Jon Q Barret, a colleague of his, that he was regularly appearing on CNN and other media in an attempt to impress Trump. Whitaker says he will not recuse himself. 18 State attorneys general signed on to the following letter sent to Matthew Whitaker: "You must be aware that your public comments criticizing Mr. Mueller’s investigation have been widely circulated. At various opportunities – in print, on television, and through social media – you have suggested cutting the Special Counsel’s budget or limiting his authority to follow lines of inquiry. As prosecutors and law enforcement officials committed to the rule of law, we believe that the independent Special Counsel must have the full authority to investigate and, if warranted, prosecute any violations of federal law." Supreme court justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg was hospitalized today after breaking three ribs from a fall. The White House revoked Jim Acosta's credential pass saying " President Trump believes in a free press and expects and welcomes tough questions of him and his Administration. We will, however, never tolerate a reporter placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern. This conduct is absolutely unacceptable. It is also completely disrespectful to the reporter’s colleagues not to allow them an opportunity to ask a question … As a result of today’s incident, the White House is suspending the hard pass of the reporter involved until further notice." Video of the incident shows the intern reaching for the microphone while Acosta is asking his question, but Acosta puts the microphone out of reach and their arms come into contact very briefly. CNN released the following statement in response: "The White House announced tonight that it has revoked the press pass of CNN’s Chief White House Correspondent Jim Acosta. It was done in retaliation for his challenging questions at today’s press conference. In an explanation, Press Secretary Sarah Sanders lied. She provided fraudulent accusations and cited an incident that never happened. This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better. Jim Acosta has our full support." Sarah Huckabee Sanders shared a video on Twitter that was produced by Infowars, and was manipulated to make it look like Acosta was more aggressive with the intern than he actually was. The video prompted the following response from Matt Dornic, a CNN executive: "You released a doctored video – actual fake news. History will not be kind to you." US appeals court in California's 9th circuit ruled that the Trump administration must continue the "Dreamers" program a.k.a DACA. Thousands of protesters took to the streets in over 900 cities to protest the firing of Jeff Sessions and the possible adverse affect it could have on the Russia investigation. Trump sent the following tweet regarding vote counts in Florida: "Law Enforcement is looking into another big corruption scandal having to do with Election Fraud in #Broward and Palm Beach. Florida voted for Rick Scott!" He later tweeted: "Rick Scott was up by 50,000+ votes on Election Day, now they “found” many votes and he is only up 15,000 votes. “The Broward Effect.” How come they never find Republican votes?" NRA responds to gun violence report released earlier this month by the American College of Physicians with the following tweet: "Someone should tell self-important anti-gun doctors to stay in their lane. Half of the articles in Annals of Internal Medicine are pushing for gun control. Most upsetting, however, the medical community seems to have consulted NO ONE but themselves." The following are some notable responses to the NRA's tweet:
We are not self-important: we are important to the care of others
We are not anti-gun: we are anti-bullet holes in our patients
We consult with everyone but extremists
Most upsetting, actually, is death and disability from gun violence that is unparalleled in the world - Esther Choo, MD MPH
As a Trauma Surgeon and survivor of #GunViolence I cannot believe the audacity of the @NRA to make such a divisive statement. We take care of these patients everyday. Where are you when I’m having to tell all those families their loved one has died.
Not only are we not going to “stay in our lane”, but we are going to do everything in our power to ensure that Americans in communities all across this nation our protected from these senseless tragedies. - Joseph Sakran,
you’re welcome to come along next time i have to tell a mother her child has been shot and killed. we deal with this tragedy on a daily basis. THIS👏IS👏OUR👏LANE👏. #docs4gunsense - Nahzinine Shakeri
Do you have any idea how many bullets I pull out of corpses weekly? This isn’t just my lane. It’s my fucking highway. - Judy Melinek, MDNovember 7, 2018 - Jeff Sessions resigned his position as US Attorney General after being asked to do so by Donald Trump. Trump told Jim Acosta, the White House news correspondent for CNN, that he is a "rude, terrible person" after Acosta challenged Trump's position that migrants on foot, hundreds of miles South of the border, are an invading force. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) announced that "the number of terror attacks by far-right perpetrators rose over the last decade, more than quadrupling between 2016 and 2017." and that "There has also been a rise in far-right attacks in Europe, jumping 43 percent between 2016 and 2017." Trump claims that his tax returns are so "extremely complex" that "people wouldn't understand them" if they were released.
November 6, 2018 - Democrats gained 30 seats in the US House of Representatives during the midterms, giving them a majority. Republicans gained 2 seats in the US Senate, thus increasing their razor thin majority.
November 5, 2018 - Donald Trump's final message to voters regarding the mid-term elections that will take place tomorrow "If you want more caravans and more crime, vote Democrat".
November 3, 2018 - Steve West, a Republican who is running for the state general assembly for the 15th district in Missouri, has been accused by his two kids of being racist and antisemitic. According to the pair, "A lot of his views are just very out there. He’s made multiple comments that are racist and homophobic and how he doesn’t like the Jews." and "If he gets elected, it would legitimize him. Then he would become a state official, and he’s saying that Jews shouldn’t even have civil rights." West is on record saying "unfortunately, Hitler was right about what was taking place in Germany, and who was behind it". West claims his comments have been taken out of context. In a setback to Trump, a federal judge has denied justice department efforts to halt legal proceedings in a case in which Trump is accused of violating the emoluments clause of the US Constitution. The case now moves onto discovery, which opens the door to Trump's financial records related to the Trump International Hotel in Washington DC. Sonny Perdue, Trump's Agriculture Secretary, made the following statement today regarding the gubernatorial race in Florida as he campaigned for Ron DeSantis: "Public policy matters; leadership matters, and that is why this election is so cotton-pickin’ important to the state of Florida." DeSantis' opponent, Andrew Gillum, would be the first black governor of Florida should he win the race. Matt Shea, a Republican state representative from Washington, has come under fire over a document he wrote and distributed which uses the Bible as a basis for war, and includes the sentence "If they do not yield – kill all males." Shea also advocates for the conspiracy laden ideas expressed in a seven-page memo written by former Trump staffer Rich Higgins, who was fired when the memo was made public.
November 2, 2018 - Scott Paul Beierle, a self described misogynist, walked into a Yoga studio and opened fire, killing 2 and wounding 5. In videos posted to Youtube, Beierle described his hatred of women; women who dated black men; and women of color. In the videos, Beierle also advocated for the use of landmines to prevent Mexicans from crossing the border into the US. At a rally in Indianapolis, Trump made a reference to former president Barack "H" Obama where he drew the H in the air for emphasis. Critics called this a nod to Trump's previous support of birtherism.
October 31, 2018 - Trump sent the following tweet: "It is outrageous what the Democrats are doing to our Country. Vote Republican now!" Included in the tweet is a video that shows Luis Bracamontes bragging about killing two sheriff's deputies in 2014, and saying that soon he will break out of prison and kill more. Also included in the video is footage of large groups of Mexicans marching in the streets. Text over the top of the video says the following: "ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT LUIS BRACAMONTES KILLED OUR PEOPLE! DEMOCRATS LET HIM INTO OUR COUNTRY. DEMOCRATS LET HIM STAY. WHO ELSE WOULD DEMOCRATS LET IN?" Democratic and Republican politicians have denounced the video as racist. What isn't included in the video is that in 1998, Bracamontes was arrested by the office of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and released, and that the last time Bracamontes entered the country was in 2002, when George W Bush was president.
October 30, 2018 - The FBI is investigating reports that some women were offered money to fabricate stories about special counsel Robert Mueller in an attempt to discredit him and derail the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Thousands took to the streets of Pittsburgh to oppose a visiting Donald Trump. Pharrell Williams' lawyer sent a letter to Donald Trump demanding that he stop using the 2013 hit Happy at his political rallies saying "On the day of the mass murder of 11 human beings at the hands of a deranged ‘nationalist’, you played his song Happy to a crowd at a political event in Indiana. There was nothing ‘happy’ about the tragedy inflicted upon our country on Saturday and no permission was granted for your use of this song for this purpose." Trump declares that he will end birthright citizenship with an executive order. Birthright citizenship is enshrined in the 14th amendment to the US Constitution.
October 29, 2018 - Lynette Lederman, former president of the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrell Hill, Pittsburgh, called Trump a "purveyor of hate speech" and said he would not be welcome in Pittsburgh. An open letter signed by a coalition of Jewish leaders states in part "President Trump, you are not welcome in Pittsburgh until you fully denounce white nationalism." In tweets sent by Trump today, he called the press "the true Enemy of the People" and continued to foment fear of a caravan of immigrants who are a thousand miles away and carrying everything they own on their backs saying "This is an invasion of our Country and our Military is waiting for you!" Two hours before opening fire in the synagogue, Robert Bowers posted the following to Gab: “HIAS likes to bring invaders in that kill our people. I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going in." HIAS stands for Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, which is a not-for-profit organisation that helps refugees relocate to the US. Hatice Cengiz, fiancee of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, criticized Trump saying "President Trump should help reveal the truth and ensure justice be served. He should not pave the way for a cover-up of my fiance’s murder. Let’s not let money taint our conscience and compromise our values." Another pipe bomb package showed up today at CNN. The American College of Physicians released a report on gun violence in which they advocated for gun violence to be treated as a public health emergency, and they backed legislation to help control gun deaths. The report claims "Firearm violence continues to be a public health crisis in the United States that requires the nation's immediate attention."
October 27, 2018 - Robert Bowers, described by witnesses as a white man with a beard, is reported to have opened fire in the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh while yelling "All Jews must die!" Reports put the number of dead at eleven. Among six injured in the attack are four police officers. According to the Guardian, Bowers was active on Gab, an online site which is commonly referred to as "twitter for racists", and is frequented by members of the alt-right. Responding to a question about whether gun laws should be changed, Trump responded "If they had protection inside the results would have been far better. If they had some kind of a protection inside the temple, maybe it would have been a much different situation."
October 26, 2018 - More pipe bombs were discovered in the mail today; one addressed to New Jersey senator Cory Booker, one addressed to former intelligence chief James Clapper, one addressed to senator Kamala Harris, and one addressed to billionaire donor Tom Steyer. Trump sent out the following tweet today: "Republicans are doing so well in early voting, and at the polls, and now this ‘Bomb’ stuff happens and the momentum greatly slows – news not talking politics. Very unfortunate, what is going on. Republicans, go out and vote!" Police arrested Cesar Sayoc, a 56 year old man from Aventura, Florida as the man who sent more than a dozen explosive devices to critics of Trump. Sayoc, who was living in a van covered in stickers that are pro Trump, pro Alex Jones, and anti Democrat, is reported to have been kicked out of his parents home. Sayoc is now being called by many, the "MAGAbomber". FBI declares that the 13 bombs mailed around the country "are not hoax devices." At a rally in North Carolina, Trump told the crowd "We have seen an effort by the media in recent hours to use the sinister acts of one individual to score political points against me and the Republican party. The media’s constant unfair coverage, deep hostility and negative attacks only serve to drive people apart and to undermine healthy debate." The crowd responded by chanting "CNN sucks!" That same slogan was found on a sticker on Cesar Sayoc's van.
October 25, 2018 - Security personnel intercept a bomb that was sent to Robert De niro. Two bombs sent to Joe Biden were intercepted in mail facilities in Delaware. As news of additional bombs being found in the mail of Trump critics, Trump sent the following tweet: "A very big part of the Anger we see today in our society is caused by the purposely false and inaccurate reporting of the Mainstream Media that I refer to as Fake News. It has gotten so bad and hateful that it is beyond description. Mainstream Media must clean up its act, FAST!" Lou Dobbs, Fox News host and close friend of Trump sent the following tweet, which has now been deleted: "Fake News – Fake Bombs. Who could possibly benefit by so much fakery?" Donald Trump Jr likes a tweet that states "FAKE BOMBS MADE TO SCARE AND PICK UP BLUE SYMPATHY VOTE." Right Wing broadcaster Michael Savage states on his radio show "high probability that the whole thing had been set up as a false flag to gain sympathy for the Democrats." Dinesh D'sousa sent the following tweet: "Fake sexual assault victims. Fake refugees. Now fake mail bombs. We are all learning how the media left are masters of distortion, deflection & deception."
October 24, 2018 - The Secret Service intercepted a bomb that was sent to the home of Barrack Obama. A pipe bomb was found in the mail room of CNN which was addressed to former CIA Director John Brennan. A bomb is discovered in the office of Rep Debbie Wasserman Schultz that was addressed to former attorney general Eric Holder, but was sent to the wrong address. Schultz's address was listed as the return address. Two bombs were intercepted that were addressed to Rep. Maxine Waters. Regarding the news that a large number of Trump critics were receiving pipe bombs in the mail, Trump told and audience at a political rally in Wisconsin that the media has "a responsibility to set a civil tone and to stop the endless hostility and constant negative and oftentimes false attacks and stories." Ann Coulter, far right media personality, claims "bombs are a liberal tactic." Dinesh D'Sousa, author and film maker whose work claims there are parallels between Nazis and Democrats tweeted the following "I hear the FBI squeezed lemon juice on the suspicious packages and a very faint lettering revealed a single word: DEMOCRATS". Alex Jones of Infowars claimed the bombs were sent by leftist antifascist or “antifa groups”, in order to “smear conservatives who support President Trump”. Candace Owens, communications director at Turning Point USA, sent the following tweet: "I'm going to go ahead and state that there is a 0% chance that these "suspicious packages" were sent out by conservatives. The only thing "suspicious" about these packages, is their timing. Caravans, fake bomb threats--these leftists are going ALL OUT for midterms." Gregory A. Bush, a 51 year old white man, shot and killed two African Americans at a Kroger store in Kentucky. The shooting followed a failed attempt by Bush to enter a predominantly black church 10 minutes earlier. After the shooting, Bush told a white man in the Kroger parking lot that "Whites don't kill whites."
October 23, 2018 - Secret Service intercepted a bomb that was mailed to the New York home of Bill and Hillary Clinton. When asked for proof of his claims regarding the presence of gang members and Middle Easterners in the Northbound caravan, Trump responded "There’s no proof of anything. But there could very well be." According to divorce proceedings filed in Montana, Richard Spencer, the prominent white nationalist and vocal Trump supporter, has been accused of physical abuse by his wife Nina Koupriianova. According to Koupriianova, Spencer choked her, dragged her by her hair, and punched her while she was pregnant. Spencer is also reported to have told her that "The only language women understand is violence".
October 22, 2018 - A pipe bomb was discovered at the home of billionaire George Soros, a man who is often the focus of vitriol and conspiracy theories from the political right, many of it antisemitic in nature. Trump himself had recently accused Soros, without providing any evidence, of financing a caravan of immigrants walking North from Honduras. Trump sent out a tweet today that Democrats are to blame for the failure of congress to change the immigration laws, despite the fact that both houses are currently under the control of Republicans. Trump also claimed, without providing any evidence, that there were members of MS-13 and Middle Easterners among the Honduran caravan of about 7,000 people. Trump told reporters at the White House that he and the Republican Congress were working on a deal that would cut taxes for the middle class by 10%, and that this would be passed before the mid-term elections. Critics were quick to point out that this couldn't possibly be true, as congress is not currently in session, and would not be in session until after the election. Trump made the following statement at a campaign rally: "A globalist is a person that wants the globe to do well, frankly not caring about our country so much, and you know what, we can’t have that. I’m a nationalist. Ok? I’m a nationalist. Nationalist. Use that word."
October 21, 2018 - Trump sent the following tweet regarding a caravan of people who are walking north from Honduras: "Full efforts are being made to stop the onslaught of illegal aliens from crossing our Southern Border. People have to apply for asylum in Mexico first, and if they fail to do that, the U.S. will turn them away. The courts are asking the U.S. to do things that are not doable!" In response, Stephen King, horror novel author, responded with "Jesus, man--you act like the Red Chinese army was invading. They're just a bunch of scared and hungry people."
October 19, 2018 - Saudi sources say preliminary investigation shows that "altercation" and "fistfight" led to Khashoggi's death. Trump calls the Saudi explanation "credible" and says that he would prefer that any penalties against the Saudi regime over the killing not involve cancelling a $110 billion order for American made weapon systems because that would cost American jobs. Critics of Trump accused him of prioritizing the US/Saudi relationship over an apparent "extrajudicial execution carried out by members of an assassination squad with ties to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman." Trump heaped praise on Montana congressman Greg Gianforte who had assaulted Ben Jacobs, a reporter from the Guardian in March of this year saying "Any guy that can do a body slam, he's my guy. We endorsed Greg very early. But I heard that he body-slammed a reporter. This was the day of the election or just before, and I thought, ‘Oh, this is terrible! He’s going to lose the election. And then I said, ‘Wait a minute, I know Montana pretty well, I think it might help him.’ And it did. He’s a great guy. Tough cookie."
October 16, 2018 - Saudi consul general in Istanbul leaves Turkey for Saudi Arabia.
October 15, 2018 - Trump spoke by phone with the Saudi King regarding the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. When asked about the call by reporters, Trump said that Mohammed bin Salman "denies knowledge of whatever may have happened. The denial was very, very strong. It sounded to me like maybe these could have been rogue killers. Who knows?"
October 13, 2018 - Turkish media report that Khashoggi was "murdered and dismembered" inside the Saudi consulate. Trump was asked during an interview if he believed Jamal Khashoggi was murdered by the Saudis and that crown prince Mohammed bin Salman gave the order to kill him. Trump responded that "Nobody knows yet, but we’ll probably be able to find out. It’s being investigated, it’s being looked at very, very strongly, we would be very upset and angry if that were the case. As of this moment they deny it and they deny it vehemently. Could it be them? Yes.” Trump also stated "We’re going to get to the bottom of it and there will be severe punishment."
October 10, 2018 - The following news surfaced regarding the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi:
- Hours prior to Khashoggi entering the Saudi consulate, the 28 locally hired employees had been told to take the rest of the day off because of an important diplomatic meeting.
- On the day of Khashoggi's disappearance, a 15 man Saudi intelligence team landed at Istanbul's Ataturk airport, and then proceeded to the consulate.
- Surveillance camera footage of movements in the consulate are said to have vanished.
October 2, 2018 - Despite making conciliatory remarks yesterday about Christine Blasey Ford's testimony, Trump mocked the sexual assault victim at a rally in Southaven, Mississippi saying "I had one beer. Well, do you think it was -- nope, it was one beer. How did you get home? I don't remember. How'd you get there? I don't remember. Where is the place? I don't remember. How many years ago was it? I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. What neighborhood was it in? I don't know. Where's the house? I don't know. Upstairs, downstairs -- where was it? I don't know -- but I had one beer. That's the only thing I remember. Trump's comments were met with raucous laughter and applause. " Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent journalist who wrote for the Washington Post, and a harsh critic of Saudi Arabia, entered the Saudi consulate in Instanbul, Turkey to sign marriage papers while his fiancee waited outside, but never re-emerged.
October 1, 2018 - In an interview, Trump referred to Christine Blasey Ford as a "good witness" and also stated "With all of that you cannot say that we've done anything but be respectful, and I do. I respect her position very much. I respect her position very much."
September 28, 2018 - At a rally in West Virginia, Trump made the following comments about his evolving relationship with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un: "I was really being tough and so was he. And we would go back and forth. And then we fell in love. No really. He wrote me beautiful letters. They were great letters. And then we fell in love."
September 25, 2018 - While speaking at the United Nations, Trump opened his speech with the following claim " In less than two years, my administration has accomplished almost more than any other administration in the history of our country. So true" The General Assembly erupted in laughter. Trump then went on to criticize many of the nations, but offered praise for North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
September 5, 2018 - An anonymous essay is printed in the New York Times under the title: "I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration". According to Wikipedia "The op-ed criticizes Trump and says that many current members of the administration deliberately disobey or ignore his suggestions and orders for the good of the country. It also says that some cabinet members in the early days of the administration discussed using the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution as a way to remove the President from power." Trump's response to the essay has been described by insiders as "volcanic" anger.
August 29, 2018 - Ron DeSantis, Republican candidate for Governor in Florida, urges voters not to "monkey this up" by choosing Andrew Gillum, his opponent. Gillum is African American. After being accused of racism and of using dog whistles, DeSantis' campaign issued a statement saying the comment was about Gillum's policies, not Gillum, and "To characterize it as anything else is absurd".
August 27, 2018 - Flags at federal buildings throughout Washington, including at the Capitol, remain at half staff to honor John McCain, who died two days ago. Observers noticed the flag in front of the White House is fully raised. White House aides refuse to respond to requests to explain the disparity. After petitions of protest throughout the day from the nation's leading veteran's organizations, the White House released a proclamation that flags would remain at half-staff until McCain's burial next Sunday. Rick Davis, John McCain's former campaign manager, read a statement identified as McCain's final statement to the American people. The letter read in part: "We are citizens of the world’s greatest republic, a nation of ideals, not blood and soil. We are blessed and are a blessing to humanity when we uphold and advance those ideals at home and in the world. We weaken our greatness when we confuse our patriotism with tribal rivalries that have sown resentment and hatred and violence in all the corners of the globe. We weaken it when we hide behind walls rather than tear them down. When we doubt the power of our ideals, rather than trust them to be the great force for change they have always been.” The apparent references to Trump and to white nationalists did not go unnoticed. Word surfaced that McCain requested that Trump not attend his funeral.
August 25, 2018 - John McCain, US Senator, died. White House does not issue the customary proclamation honoring the late Senator.
June 19, 2018 - The Trump administration announced that the US is withdrawing from the United Nations human rights council, calling it a "cesspool of political bias". Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary general, tweeted in response: "Given the state of human rights in today's world, the US should be stepping up, not stepping back." Boris Johnson, the UK foreign secretary said of the US decision: "The United States’ decision to withdraw from the human rights council is regrettable. We’ve made no secret of the fact that the UK wants to see reform of the human rights council, but we are committed to working to strengthen the council from within". The Democratic National Committee responded to the US decision saying: "Trump’s withdrawal is especially disturbing given his persistent praise for despots and dictators with abysmal human rights records, not to mention his administration’s cruel mistreatment of immigrant families seeking asylum". Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch responded to the decision saying: "The Trump administration’s withdrawal is a sad reflection of its one-dimensional human rights policy: defending Israeli abuses from criticism takes precedence above all else. The UN human rights council has played an important role in such countries as North Korea, Syria, Myanmar and South Sudan, but all Trump seems to care about is defending Israel. Like last time when the US government stepped away from the Council for similar reasons, other governments will have to redouble their efforts to ensure the Council addresses the world’s most serious human rights problems."
June 14, 2018 - The Justice Department's inspector general released a much anticipated report regarding political bias in the FBI's handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation. According to Christopher Wray, the FBI director who was appointed by Trump to replace James Comey "this report did not find any evidence of political bias or improper considerations actually impacting the investigation under review."
June 13, 2018 - North Korean media hails Kim Jong-un the victor in the "meeting of the century". Regarding the nuclear summit, Trump sent the following tweet: "Just landed - a long trip, but everybody can now feel much safer than the day I took office. There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea. Meeting with Kim Jong Un was an interesting and very positive experience. North Korea has great potential for the future!" and "The World has taken a big step back from potential Nuclear catastrophe! No more rocket launches, nuclear testing or research! The hostages are back home with their families. Thank you to Chairman Kim, our day together was historic!"
June 12, 2018 - In addition to declaring it an "honour" to be sitting next to Kim Jong-un, Donald Trump ordered the suspension of US military exercises with South Korea. Stopping the joint exercises has been a priority for North Korea for decades. In return for the US concession, Kim Jong-un signed a joint statement committing to denuclearisation. The North Korean regime has made this same commitment several times before. When asked what made this commitment different, Trump responded "We got to know each other well in a very confined period of time. I know when somebody wants to deal and I know when somebody doesn’t." The concession was a surprise to both South Korean government and US forces. After the summit, when Trump was asked about North Korea's appalling human rights record, he had this to say: "Well, he is very talented. Anybody that takes over a situation like he did at 26 years of age and is able to run it and run it tough. I believe it is a rough situation over there. We will be doing something on it. It’s rough. It’s rough in a lot of places, by the way." Kelly Magsamen, a senior Pentagon official who dealt with Asian and Pacific security in the Obama administration said Trump's concession to Kim "continues his disturbing pattern of undermining our democratic alliances while praising adversaries".
June 11, 2018 - Attorney General Jeff Sessions reversed an immigration appeals court ruling which granted asylum to a Salvadorian woman who claimed she had been sexually, emotionally, and physically abused by her husband. According to Sessions, "Asylum claims have expanded too broadly to include victims of private violence, like domestic violence or gangs." Viewing this as a return to a time when domestic violence was considered a private matter, and not something government should get involved with, Karen Musalo, a defense lawyer from the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies at the University of California Hastings College of the Law went on record saying "What this decision does is yank us all back to the Dark Ages of human rights and women’s human rights and the conceptualization of it." The Federal Communications Commission's repeal of Obama era net neutrality rules becomes effective today. Responding to the repeal, Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democratic member of the commission stated "Internet service providers now have the power to block websites, throttle services and censor online content. They will have the right to discriminate and favor the internet traffic of those companies with whom they have pay-for-play arrangements and the right to consign all others to a slow and bumpy road." On the eve of his summit with North Korea, Trump tweeted the following: "We will all know soon if a real deal, unlike those of the past, can happen!" Peter Navarro, Trump's trade adviser, responded to the press conference held by Justin Trudeau the prior day, saying "There’s a special place in hell for any foreign leader that engages in bad faith diplomacy with President Donald J Trump and then tries to stab him in the back on the way out the door, and that’s what Bad Faith Justin Trudeau did with that stunt press conference." Here are some notable responses to the harsh language used over the last couple of days by trump and others in his administration towards Justin Trudeau:
"Canada does not conduct its diplomacy through ad hominem attacks … and we refrain particularly from ad hominem attacks when it comes from a close ally." - Chrystia Freeland, Canadian foreign minister
"To our allies: bipartisan majorities of Americans remain pro-free trade, pro-globalization & supportive of alliances based on 70 years of shared values. Americans stand with you, even if our president doesn’t." - Senator John McCain, Repubublican from Arizon
"Friends do not treat friends with such contempt” - Frank McKenna, former Canadian ambassador to the U.S.June 10, 2018 - Before introducing Bruce Springsteen at the Tony Awards, Robert De Niro shouted "Fuck Trump! It's no longer 'Down with Trump!' It's just 'Fuck Trump!'" De Niro received a standing ovation.
June 9, 2018 - After agreeing to a statement in a communique at the G7 summit, Trump, who arrived late and left early, tweeted the following from Air Force One: "Based on Justin’s false statements at his news conference, and the fact that Canada is charging massive Tariffs to our U.S. farmers, workers and companies, I have instructed our U.S. Reps not to endorse the Communique as we look at Tariffs on automobiles flooding the U.S. Market!" and "PM Justin Trudeau of Canada acted so meek and mild during our @G7 meetings only to give a news conference after I left saying that, “US Tariffs were kind of insulting” and he “will not be pushed around.” Very dishonest & weak. Our Tariffs are in response to his of 270% on dairy!" Critics were quick to point out that this is yet another example of Trump using harsher language towards democratically-elected leaders of allied nations than he uses against strongmen leaders of enemy nations.
June 8, 2018 - The Group of 7 nations convened in La Malbaie Quebec. At the meeting, Trump proposed readmitting Russia, which was ousted after President Vladimir Putin violated international norms by seizing parts of Ukraine in 2014. Because of Trump's isolation at the meeting, some have dubbed it the Group of 6 + 1. Said Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, "The rules-based international order is being challenged, quite surprisingly, not by the usual suspects, but by its main architect and guarantor, the U.S." New charges have been filed by the special counsel against Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign chairman. According to prosecutors, Manafort was charged with obstruction, for attempts to coach witnesses. Also charged was an associate of Manafort, named Konstantin Kilimnik, who has ties to Russian intelligence.
June 6, 2018 - News surfaced that during a call with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Trump was asked how he could justify tariffs on national security grounds. Trump reportedly responded with the question "Didn't you guys burn down the White House?" According to historians, the White House was burned down by British troops in 1814, some 50 years before the founding of modern-day Canada.
June 5, 2018 - Trump disinvited the Philadelphia Eagles football team from an event meant to honor them for winning the Super Bowl after discovering that the majority of the players intended to boycott the event. In response to tariffs that went into effect on June 1st, Mexico responded by imposing tariffs of their own. The tariffs, worth about $3 billion, will be put on American pork, steel, cheese and other goods. Responding to Mexico's tariffs, Angela Hofmann, deputy director of Farmers for Free Trade had this to say: "Hog, apple, potato and dairy farmers are among those suddenly facing a 10 or 20 percent tax hike on the exports they depend on for their livelihoods. Farmers need certainty and open markets to make ends meet. Right now they are getting chaos and protectionism." David Hogg, a survivor of the Majorie Stoneman Douglas high school shooting in Parkland, FL, was the victim of a "swatting" prank. Someone called 911 to say that Hogg had been kidnapped and that there was someone in the home with a weapon. Neither Hogg nor any of his family were home when the Broward county Swat tem responded. Kelly Sadler, the White House aide who caused outrage in May for dismissing concerns by John McCain with a comment, "he's dying anyway", has left the White House. Betsy DeVos, the education secretary, stated that the federal commission on school safety that was set up after the shooting in Parkland, FL, would not be looking at the role of guns in school violence, saying: "That is not part of the commission’s charge per se". In response to DeVos' statement, Senator Patrick Leahy, Democrat of Vermont, stated, "So you are studying gun violence, but not considering the role of guns."
June 4, 2018 - Trump announced on twitter that the appointment of the special counsel is "totally UNCONSTITUTIONAL!" Trump also announced that he has the ability to pardon himself saying "As has been stated by numerous legal scholars, I have the absolute right to PARDON myself, but why would I do that when I have done nothing wrong? In the meantime, the never ending Witch Hunt, led by 13 very Angry and Conflicted Democrats (& others) continues into the mid-terms!" Here are some notable responses to Trump's tweet:
"No president has the power to pardon himself or herself, if they did the presidency would function above and outside the law. If a president can pardon himself, then it’s virtually a monarchy, as far as the president is concerned.” - Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York
"Politically, it would be a disaster. If I were president of the United States and I had a lawyer that told me I could pardon myself, I think I would hire a new lawyer.” Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of IowaMay 31, 2018 - Donald Trump pardoned conservative commentator Dinesh D'Souza, who in 2014 plead guilty to making illegal campaign contributions. The Trump administration announced that the nuclear summit with North Korea is back on. The unemployment rate hit 3.8%, the lowest rate sine early 2000. Despite stating himself that "this Russia thing" was on his mind when he fired James Comey, Trump sent the following tweet today "Not that it matters but I never fired James Comey because of Russia! The Corrupt Mainstream Media loves to keep pushing that narrative, but they know it is not true!"
May 29, 2018 - Brian Valenti, a police officer in Coconut Creek, FL, was suspended after posting to facebook that David Hogg, a high school survivor of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school, should be run over by a car. News surfaced that the special counsel is investigating claims that Trump told Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, that he should reverse his decision to recuse himself from the Russia inquiry, and that Sessions refused. ABC cancelled the profitable reboot of sitcom "Roseanne" within hours of Roseanne Barr posting a racist tweet about Valerie Jarrett, who was a top adviser to President Obama. The tweet in question said "muslim brotherhood and planet of the apes had a baby=vj." ABC's entertainment president called the tweet "abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values." Barr explained the tweet saying "at 2 in the morning and I was ambien tweeting-it was memorial day too. I went 2 far & do not want it defended-it was egregious Indefensible.” A spokesperson for Ambien responded to Barr's explanation saying "People of all races, religions and nationalities work at Sanofi every day to improve the lives of people around the world. While all pharmaceutical treatments have side effects, racism is not a known side effect of any Sanofi medication." After 4 months of defiance, Eric Greitens, a decorated Navy SEAL, a Rhodes scholar, and current Republican governor of Missouri, resigned today amid an ongoing sex scandal involving his former hair dresser, and accusations that he misused his charity's donor list for political purposes. Rising levels of outrage by the electorate over family separations along the Southern border prompted Donald Trump to blame Democrats for the situation tweeting "Put pressure on the Democrats to end the horrible law that separates children from there parents once they cross the Border into the U.S. Critics were quick to point out that no such law exists. Some notable responses to Trump's attempt at deflecting blame for the new policy:
"Your administration made the policy change to separate children from their parents. If you don’t have the courage to own up to it, then reverse it. Disgraceful & weak to blame others for your own evil policy." - Ted Lieu, Democratic Representative from California
"Deliberately separating children from parents to sow fear in parents as a deterrence is unprecedented and beyond cruel. Trump must stop lying to the public and end this barbaric policy. There are no ‘loopholes’ nor statutory requirements that children be ripped from their parents’ arms as a matter of routine practice.” - Ur Jaddou, the director of DHS Watch at America’s Voice
"The administration’s policy of separating children from their families as they attempt to cross into the United States without documentation is not only needless and cruel, it threatens the mental and physical health of both the children and their caregivers" - Jessica Henderson Daniel, president of The American Psychological Association
"It’s a purposeful attempt to harm children for a political objective" - David W. Leopold, who oversees the immigration law group at Ulmer & Berne.May 25, 2018 - Trump claims today that the June 12 nuclear summit with North Korea in Singapore may actually occur. In an act that the American Federation of Government Employees called "an assault on democracy", Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders making it easier to fire federal workers.
May 24, 2018 - Trump cancelled the June 12th nuclear summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un after a North Korean spokesperson responded to threats from Vice President Mike Pence (that Kim could meet the same fate as Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi if he doesn't make a deal), calling Pence a "political dummy" and threatening the US with a "nuclear-to-nuclear showdown." In a letter to Kim, Trump blamed the North's "tremendous anger and open hostility". Responding to the cancellation, Christopher S. Murphy, Democratic Senator from Connecticut called this incident "as discombobulated as everything else in this White House’s foreign policy". Lawmakers met with justice department officials to review sensitive material about the F.B.I's use of an informant in the Russia investigation. Democrats view this meeting as yet another attempt by Representative Devin Nunes and Donald Trump to undermine the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, and gain information about his inquiry. According to Adam B, Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, who was present at the meeting "Nothing we heard today has changed our view that there is no evidence to support any allegation that the F.B.I. or any intelligence agency placed a ‘spy’ in the Trump campaign, or otherwise failed to follow appropriate procedures and protocols".
May 23, 2018 - Naming it "Spygate", and calling it one of the "biggest political scandals in history" Trump accused federal investigators of using a spy inside his campaign, saying "Look how things have turned around on the Criminal Deep State. They go after Phony Collusion with Russia, a made up Scam, and end up getting caught in a major SPY scandal the likes of which this country may never have seen before! What goes around, comes around!" Trump later backed off a little saying "I hope it's not true, but it looks like it is." According to people familiar with the matter, the use of an informant was to glean information about what aides knew about Russian efforts to hack into Democratic emails, not to spy. James Comey, former FBI director, sent the following tweet in response to Trump's comments: "Facts matter. The FBI’s use of Confidential Human Sources (the actual term) is tightly regulated and essential to protecting the country. Attacks on the FBI and lying about its work will do lasting damage to our country. How will Republicans explain this to their grandchildren?" Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald, a federal judge in Manhattan, ruled that Trump's twitter feed is a public forum, and as a result, when Trump blocked 7 plaintiffs from viewing or replying to his posts, he violated the First Amendment. The NFL announced that it will fine teams if their players kneel on the field during the national anthem. A third lawsuit has been filed against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones - of Infowars - by families of eight Sandy Hook victims and an F.B.I. agent, seeking damages for defamation. According to the suit, Jones and his followers have "persistently perpetuated a monstrous, unspeakable lie: that the Sandy Hook shooting was staged, and that the families who lost loved ones that day are actors who faked their relatives’ deaths." Jones, who calls himself and his followers "the operating system of Trump" claims he is "making it safe for everybody else to speak out just like Trump’s doing, on a much bigger scale." Trump, who has praised Jones' reputation as "amazing", and who regularly echoes Jones' false claims, is credited with increasing Jones following significantly by appearing on his show during the 2016 campaign, and declaring that he will "never let you down" and "we'll be speaking a lot." Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, was granted permanent security clearance, making him eligible to view some of the United States' most closely guarded secrets.
May 22, 2018 - Evgeny A. Friedman, aka the Taxi King, a Russian immigrant who is a longtime business partner of Michael Cohen, agreed to cooperate with the government as a potential witness in a plea deal, after being charged with tax evasion, tax fraud and grand larceny. According to the Gaurdian, this is a "development that could be used as leverage to pressure Mr. Cohen to work with the special counsel examining Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election".
May 21, 2018 - The White House announced that the Department of Justice will "expand its investigation" into the 2016 election to include "any irregularities with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s or the Department of Justice’s tactics concerning the Trump campaign”. The White House also announced that chief of staff John Kelly "will immediately set up a meeting with the FBI, DoJ and DNI together with congressional leaders to review highly classified and other information they have requested”. Responding to the meeting announcement, Chuck Schumer, the top Senate Democrat said "The White House plan to arrange a meeting where ‘highly classified and other information’ will be shared with members of Congress is highly irregular and inappropriate. The president and his staff should not be involved in the viewing or dissemination of sensitive investigatory information involving any open investigation, let alone one about his own activities and campaign. However, if such a meeting occurs, it must be bipartisan in order to serve as a check on the disturbing tendency of the president’s allies to distort facts and undermine the investigation and the people conducting it.” Amanda Fugleberg, an 18 year-old high school senior from Orlando, is organizing a National Die-In Day, to protest government inaction on gun control. The Die-In will be held in Washington DC on June 12, the second anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, which left 49 people dead, and more then 50 injured. Trump swore in Gina Haspel as the new CIA director. Quoting Dan Bongino, a former secret service agent, Trump sent the following tweet attacking John Brennan, the former CIA director under Obama: "This guy is the genesis of this whole Debacle. This was a Political hit job, this was not an Intelligence Investigation. Brennan has disgraced himself, he’s worried about staying out of Jail." In a speech to the Heritage Foundation, a conservative thinktank in Washington, Mike Pompeo, secretary of state, threatened Iran with the "strongest sanctions in history" if it doesn't comply with a list of a dozen US demands, among them according to the Guardian: "demand Iran to give a full account of its alleged past work on nuclear weapons development; stop all uranium enrichment; halt launches of nuclear-capable ballistic missiles; end its support for Hamas, Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad; withdraw all forces under Iranian command from Syria; and end support for Houthi rebels in Yemen." Pompeo added that "The Iranian regime should know this is just the beginning" and as far as a time table, said this: "I can’t put a timeline on it, but at the end of the day, the Iranian people will decide the timeline. The Iranian people will get to make a choice about their leadership. If they make the decision quickly that will be wonderful. If they choose not to do so, we will stay hard at this until we achieve the outcomes that I set forth." What follows are some reactions to Pompeo's speech:
"The advantage of the JCPOA was that it had a very clear objective. It protected the world from an Iranian nuclear bomb, and in return it gave the Iranians some recognisable economic benefits. That was at the core of it. The Americans have walked away from that.” Boris Johnson, UK foreign secretary
"Secretary Pompeo’s speech has not demonstrated how walking away from the JCPOA has made or will make the region safer from the threat of nuclear proliferation or how it puts us in a better position to influence Iran’s conduct in areas outside the scope of JCPOA. There is no alternative to the JCPOA." Federica Mogherini, the European Union foreign policy chief
"Pompeo has not outlined a strategy, but rather a grab bag of wishful thinking that can only be interpreted as a call for regime change in Iran. Note that no other US president has openly sought to effect regime change in Iran. This is a first. This is no longer about Trump fulfilling campaign promises or trying to satisfy his own ego re: a ‘bigger, better deal.’ It’s his infantile approach to foreign policy that purports to solve intractable challenges through the application of maximalist pressure.” Suzanne Maloney, deputy director of the foreign policy program at the Brookings InstitutionMay 20, 2018 - News surfaced that an FBI informant was sent to talk to three Trump campaign aides. That same news was characterized by right wing commentators as spies being embedded in the Trump campaign. Trump responded to the right wing spin saying: "I hereby demand, and will do so officially tomorrow, that the Department of Justice look into whether or not the FBI/DOJ infiltrated or surveilled the Trump Campaign for Political Purposes, and if any such demands or requests were made by people within the Obama Administration!" Stephen I Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law, responded to Trump's order saying "I can’t think of a prior example of a sitting president ordering the Justice Department to conduct an investigation like this one. That’s little more than a transparent effort to undermine an ongoing investigation. If Mr. Trump were to follow through with the demand, it seems to me that the recipients of such an order should resign — and that we’re heading for another Saturday Night Massacre.” Barbara L McQuade, a former United States attorney in Michigan, responded to the tweet saying "This demand puts DAG Rod Rosenstein in a difficult position. He can’t open an investigation based on a political demand, but if he refuses and is fired or resigns, he loses control of the Mueller investigation. Maybe just what Trump wants."
May 19, 2018 - According to the New York Times, Donald Trump Jr met with George Nader, an emissary for the crown princes of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Trump Tower on August 3rd of 2016 to discuss ways the foreign governments could help the Trump campaign. Also present at the meeting were Joel Zamel, an Israeli specialist in social media manipulation, and Erik Prince, the founder of Blackwater, a private military contractor. This is the first bit of evidence to surface showing that governments other than Russia were involved in attempts to influence the US election in favor of Donald Trump. Nader is cooperating with special counsel Mueller. Critics were quick to pint out that since the 2016 election, Trump has closely aligned himself with Israel, Saudia Arabia and the UAE, specifically on the exit from the Iran nuclear deal, which was championed by the three countries.
May 18, 2018 - Dimitrios Pagourtzis, a 17 year old student at Santa Fe high school in Santa Fe, Texas, opened fire on his classmates, killing 10, and wounding 10 more. The school employed two armed resource officers. One of them was wounded by a shotgun blast to the shoulder. Trump responded to the shooting saying "We are with you in this tragic hour and we will be with you forever. We will do everything we can to keep weapons out of our schools and out of the hands of those who should not have them." Dan Patrick, the Lieutenant Governor of Texas, offered this solution to the problem of gun violence in schools: "We may have to look at the design of our schools moving forward, and retrofitting schools that are already built. What I mean by that is that there are too many entrances and too many exits to our 8,000 campuses in Texas. … Now that will take a lot of work and a lot of money, but we have to do the work and do the money to protect our children the best we can." Art Acevedo, the Houston police chief, wrote the following on facebook in response to the shooting: "Please do not post anything about guns aren’t the problem and there’s little we can do … This isn’t a time for prayers, and study and inaction, it’s a time for prayers, action and the asking of God’s forgiveness for our inaction (especially the elected officials that ran to the cameras today, acted in a solemn manner, called for prayers, and will once again do absolutely nothing)." Trump was asked by a reporter about a comment made by national security adviser, John Bolton, that the "Libya model" be used as a template for a deal with North Korea. Here's Trump's response: "The model, if you look at that model with Gaddafi, that was a total decimation. We went in there to beat him. Now that model would take place if we don’t make a deal, most likely. But if we make a deal, I think Kim Jong-un is going to be very, very happy. This with Kim Jong-un would be something where he would be there. He would be running his country. His country would be very rich. We’re willing to do a lot, and he’s willing … to do a lot also, and I think we’ll actually have a good relationship, assuming we have the meeting and assuming something comes of it. And he’ll get protections that will be very strong.” Trump's answer seemed to be a reference to the overthrow of Gaddafi, not the nuclear deal with Gaddafi. The 2003 nuclear agreement required that Gaddafi completely surrender his nuclear weapons programme, including shipping his uranium centrifuges to the US. The overthrow occurred after a Nato intervention in 2011 in support of an uprising, which resulted in Gaddafi being killed by rebels. In a follow up question, Trump was asked if his comments meant he disagreed with his national security adviser. Trump demonstrated further ignorance of Bolton's reference saying "I think when John Bolton made that statement, he was talking about if we are going to be having a problem, because we cannot let that country have nukes. We just can’t do it." Joel Wit, a former US negotiator and senior fellow at the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University responded to Trump's comments saying: "This is probably the wrong time to be making threats, three weeks before the summit." Sergei Skripal, the former Russian spy who was poisoned 10 weeks ago, has been discharged from the hospital. Vladimir Putin responded to the news saying "If a military-grade poison had been used, the man would have died on the spot. Thank God he recovered and that he left."
May 17, 2018 - Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, revealed in a talk at a Gates Foundation event, that he had to explain twice to Donald Trump that there is a difference between HIV and HPV. According to Gates "I was able to explain that those were rarely confused with each other." Gates also revealed that Trump "was considering a commission to look into the ill effects of vaccines" to which Gates responded "no, that’s a dead end. That would be a bad thing, don’t do that." NOAA scientists announced that April was the 400th consecutive month with higher-than-average global temperatures. Mo Brooks, a Republican Representative on the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, explained sea level rise to Philip Duffy, a Climate Scientist and president of the Woods Hole Research Center in Massachusetts, saying that it was caused by rocks and silt accumulating in the ocean. According to Brooks "Every time you have that soil or rock or whatever it is that is deposited into the seas, that forces the sea levels to rise, because now you have less space in those oceans, because the bottom is moving up." Duffy responded by saying "I’m pretty sure that on human time scales those are minuscule effects."Michael Williams, a Republican candidate for Governor in Georgia has begun a campaign he calls the "Deportation Bus Tour." The bus, which Williams drives from campaign stop to campaign stop, has the following inscription painted on the back: "Murderers, rapists, kidnappers, child molestors [sic] and other criminals on board. Follow me to Mexico." On the side it says "Fill the bus with illegals. Vote Michael Williams." Summer Zervos, a former Apprentice contestant, can proceed with her defamation lawsuit against Trump, according to a ruling by a New York appellate court. The cost of crude oil reached $80 per barrel, the highest level since November 2014. There are many factors that explain the increase, but among them is Trump's decision to exit the Iran nuclear deal. Jeffrey Yohai, Paul Manafort's former son-in-law, has cut a deal with the justice department that requires his cooperation in other criminal investigations.
May 16, 2018 - In a financial disclosure released by Trump, there is an acknowledgement of payments of more than $100,000 to Michael Cohen, Trump's attorney, in 2017. The reference does not say what the payments were for. Noah Bookbinder, the executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington released a statement regarding the disclosure saying it "raises serious questions as to why it was not disclosed in last year’s filing." Rex Tillerson, former Secretary of State, who has been mostly secluded since being fired by Trump via a tweet, seemed to criticize Trump during a commencement address at the Virginia Military Institute saying "If our leaders seek to conceal the truth, or we as people become accepting of alternative realities that are no longer grounded in facts, then we as American citizens are on a pathway to relinquishing our freedom." Tillerson also gave this warning: "If we do not as Americans confront the crisis of ethics and integrity in our society and among our leaders in both the public and private sector — and regrettably at times even the nonprofit sector — then American democracy as we know it is entering its twilight years." Scott Pruitt, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, confirmed during his 3rd appearance before congress in a month, that he has established a legal defense fund to cover the costs of defending himself against 12 federal investigations that are currently looking into his spending and management decisions. Some lawmakers have called for Pruitt to resign, or be fired. During a White House meeting, Trump referred to California sanctuary cities as "deadly and unconstitutional." In testimony before the Senate Judiciary committee, Christopher Wylie, a former employee of Cambridge Analytica, testified that Steve Bannon was attempting "to build an arsenal of weapons to fight a culture war" and what provoked him (Wylie) to leave were "discussions of 'voter disengagement' and the idea of targeting African Americans." Wylie also stated "We exploited Facebook to harvest millions of people’s profiles. And built models to exploit what we knew about them and target their inner demons. That was the basis the entire company was built on."
May 15, 2018 - North Korea had agreed to a summit on June 12 between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump, but that may now be in jeopardy over comments made by national security adviser John Bolton, who said the dismantling of Libya's nuclear weapons program provides a playbook for North Korea denuclearization. North Korea responded to the comments saying "If the United States is trying to drive us into a corner to force our unilateral nuclear abandonment, we will no longer be interested in such dialogue and cannot but reconsider our proceeding to the D.P.R.K.-U.S. summit."
May 14, 2018 - In an affluent Jerusalem neighborhood, on the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel, the US held a ceremony to open its embassy in Jerusalem. Barely 40 miles away, in Gaza, tens of thousands of Palestinians protested the opening. During the protests, more than 2,700 Palestinians were injured, and nearly 60 were shot and killed by Israel Defense Forces (IDF), including six children and one paramedic. These deaths bring the death toll to nearly 100 since Trump announced the embassy move in December. During prepared remarks, Jared Kushner, senior White House adviser, said "As we have seen from the protests of the last month and even today, those provoking violence are part of the problem, and not part of the solution." Trump addressed the ceremony via video link saying the US is "a great friend of Israel and a partner in the cause of freedom and peace." Robert Jeffress, an evangelical pastor who has said of Jews in the past that they they would all "go to hell" and who has called Islam and Mormonism "heresy from the pit of hell" provided a blessing at the embassy ceremony. United Nations human rights experts urged Israel to halt excessive force against Palestinian protesters. Amnesty International accused Israel of violating international law.
May 13, 2018 - Speaking to the thinktank Chatham House in London, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish president, criticized Trump's move to pull the US out of the Iran deal saying "America has chosen to be part of the problem and not the solution so they have lost their role as international mediator. We cannot stop feeling like being in dark days of pre-world war two." When asked about Kelly Sadler's "he's dying anyway" comment at a White House press briefing, Sarah Huckabee Sanders refused to condemn the statement, saying instead she would not "validate a leak out of an internal staff meeting." The following quotes are responses to Sadler's comment:
"I don’t understand what kind of environment you’re working in when that would be acceptable and then you could come to work the next day and still have a job" - Meghan McCain, daughter of John McCain
"John McCain makes America great. Father, grandfather, Navy pilot, POW hero bound by honor, an incomparable and irrepressible statesman. Those who mock such greatness only humiliate themselves and their silent accomplices." - Mitt Romney, 2012 Republican presidential candidate
"Pretty disgusting thing to say, if it was a joke, it was a terrible joke" - Lindsey Graham, Republican Senator from South CarolinaMay 12, 2018 - Responding to Kanye West's comment about slavery being a choice, Stevie Wonder compared those types of comments to Holocaust denial saying "There’s been a lot of talk about what was said by Kanye. I want people to understand that the truth is the truth and a lie is a lie. We all know that slavery was not a choice. So I just think that people need to understand that if you know your history, if you know the truth, you know that’s just foolishness."
May 10, 2018 - Kelly Sadler, special assistant to the president, was overheard dismissing concerns raised by John McCain regarding the confirmation of Gina Haspel, saying his opinion "doesn't matter, he's dying anyway". Senator McCain, who has brain cancer, and who was tortured over a 5 year period as a POW in Vietnam, opposes the promotion of Gina Haspel to CIA director, believing her involvement in the George W Bush torture program, and her refusal to call torture immoral, disqualifies her from holding the position. Oliver North, the newly selected president of the NRA, criticized the teenage student activists who survived the Parkland shooting, and who have become activists for stricter gun control, saying "They’re not activists – this is civil terrorism. This is the kind of thing that’s never been seen against a civil rights organization in America. You go back to the terrible days of Jim Crow and those kinds of things – even there you didn’t have this kind of thing." The terror faced by the NRA according to North, is having fake blood splashed on the home of an NRA official, and personal threats being made against NRA leaders. Critics were quick to point out that during Jim Crow, civil rights activists were often beaten and murdered.
May 8, 2018 - Saying "It didn't bring calm, it didn't bring peace, and it never will" Trump pulled the US out of the Iran nuclear deal - a signature foreign policy achievement of Barack Obama - which involved 7 countries, and took more than 2 years to negotiate. The withdrawal came despite concerns raised by our European allies, by the Secretary of Defense, James Mattis, and despite the fact that on-site inspectors have verified that Iran has been compliant with the terms of the agreement. In addition to withdrawing from the deal, Trump re-imposed the sanctions that were removed as part of the deal. Barack Obama responded to the withdrawal saying the world would be less safe, and that we may be left with "a losing choice between a nuclear Iran or another war in the Middle East." Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said of the sanctions "My expectation is not that oil prices will go higher." John Kerry, former Secretary of State under Obama, responded to the withdrawal saying "No rhetoric is required. The facts speak for themselves. Instead of building on unprecedented nonproliferation verification measures, this decision risks throwing them away and dragging the world back to the brink we faced a few years ago." Michael Avenatti, attorney for Stormy Daniels, claimed that Michael Cohen had received 500,000 from a company affiliated with Russian Oligarch, Viktor Vekselberg.
May 7, 2018 - Threats by Trump to pull the US out of the Iran nuclear deal is credited with pushing the price of crude oil above $70 a barrel for the first time since 2014. Trump will make a formal announcement of his decision tomorrow. Oliver North, a former Marine Corps lieutenant colonel and aide to President Ronald Reagan, who works as a political commentator on Fox News, and who was thrust into the spotlight in 1986 for his role in the Iran-contra scandal (a secret scheme to sell arms to Iran, and use the proceeds to aid right wing rebel forces in Nicaragua), has been appointed as the new president of the NRA. George Zimmerman, the man who sparked national outrage in 2012 after he shot Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17 year-old African American, has been charged with stalking a private investigator. In an attempt to reduce illegal border crossings, the Trump administration announced a new "zero tolerance" policy in which parents caught crossing the border illegally, will be separated from their children. The parents will then be criminally prosecuted, and their children will be placed in protective custody. This policy replaces the prior policy which consisted mostly of civil deportation proceedings. According to Jeff Sessions, the Attorney General: "If you cross the Southwest border unlawfully, then we will prosecute you. It’s that simple. If you are smuggling a child then we will prosecute you, and that child will be separated from you as required by law. If you don’t like that, then don’t smuggle children over our border." The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit to challenge the practice.
May 5, 2018 - According to the Guardian, Trump "hired an Israeli private intelligence agency to orchestrate a 'dirty ops' campaign against key individuals from the Obama administration who helped negotiate the Iran nuclear deal." Ben Rhodes, one of Obama's top national security advisers, and Colin Kahl, deputy assistant to Obama, were both targeted in an effort to discredit the deal. Responding to the report, Ben Rhodes said "I was not aware, though sadly am not surprised. I would say that digging up dirt on someone for carrying out their professional responsibilities in their positions as White House officials is a chillingly authoritarian thing to do." Jack Straw, former Foreign Secretary under Tony Blair, responded by saying "These are extraordinary and appalling allegations but which also illustrate a high level of desperation by Trump and [the Israeli prime minister] Benjamin Netanyahu, not so much to discredit the deal but to undermine those around it." Michael Avenatti, the attorney for Stormy Daniels, predicts the demise of the Trump presidency saying "Ultimately, he is going to be forced to resign. I don’t know how he will ultimately spin his departure, but I firmly believe there is going to be too much evidence of wrongdoing by him and those around him for him to be able to survive the balance of his term."
May 4, 2018 - Trump tried to walk back statements that were made by Rudy Giuliani regarding payments to Michael Cohen saying "Rudy is a great guy ... he’s working hard, learning the subject matter. He is a great guy. He started yesterday. He’ll get his facts straight. It’s actually very simple, there has been a lot of misinformation really." Trump told reporters today that he "would love to speak" to the special counsel. Trump added that he "would love to go. Nothing I want to do more, because we did nothing wrong. We ran a great campaign. We won easily." The Trump administration is ending temporary protection for an estimated 86,000 Hondurans who have been allowed to live and work in the United States since 1999, after a hurricane ravaged their country. The Hondurans have until January 2020 to get their affairs in order and depart the country. Donald Trump addressed the National Rifle Association in Dallas. Critics were quick to note that the event was a gun free zone during Trump's appearance.
May 3, 2018 - Ty Cobb, one of Trump's White House attorneys, announced that he will be retiring at the end of the month. Replacing him will be Emmet T. Flood. Flood represented Bill Clinton during Clinton's impeachment proceedings. Rudy Giuliani, the newest addition to Trump's legal team, told Sean Hannity of Fox News, that Donald Trump repaid Michael Cohen the $130,000 in hush money that was paid to porn star Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election saying "They funneled through a law firm, and the president repaid it. That was money that was paid by his lawyer. The president reimbursed that over the period of several months." Michael Avenatti, Daniel's attorney, reacted to the news by saying "This is exactly what we predicted would ultimately be shown. Every American, regardless of their politics, should be outraged." Trump admitted in a tweet that he paid a monthly retainer to Michael Cohen, which was used to settle non-disclosure agreements, or NDA's, and according to Trump: "These agreements are...very common among celebrities and people of wealth." Over 1100 economists, including 14 Nobel prize winners, joined together to send Trump a letter warning against his version of "economic protectionism", saying in part "In 1930, 1,028 economists urged Congress to reject the protectionist Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act. Today, Americans face a host of new protectionist activity, including threats to withdraw from trade agreements, misguided calls for new tariffs in response to trade imbalances, and the imposition of tariffs on washing machines, solar components, and even steel and aluminum used by US manufacturers. Congress did not take economists’ advice in 1930, and Americans across the country paid the price. The undersigned economists and teachers of economics strongly urge you not to repeat that mistake. Much has changed since 1930 – for example, trade is now significantly more important to our economy – but the fundamental economic principles as explained at the time have not."
May 2, 2018 - News surfaced that a doctor's note, purported to have been issued by Trump's personal physician shortly before the 2015 Republican primaries, was written by Trump himself. The note, in part said "If elected, Mr Trump, I can state unequivocally, will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency." Dr Harold Bornstein, the physician whose signature is on the note, stated that Trump "dictated that whole letter. I didn’t write that letter." Bornstein also stated that in February 2017, Trump's bodyguard, Keith Schiller, and two other men "raided" his office and took all of Trump's medical records. Bornstein claimed the raid left him "raped, frightened and sad." Kanye West, a black rapper and Trump apologist, told TMZ in an interview "When you hear about slavery for 400 years. For 400 years? That sounds like a choice." Cambridge Analytica, the political consulting firm that came under scrutiny for harvesting personal information from facebook for up to 87 million people, announced that it will cease most of its operations and file for bankruptcy. Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary general, urged Trump not to scrap the Iran nuclear deal saying "If one day there is a better agreement to replace it it’s fine, but we should not scrap it unless we have a good alternative."Mandy Manning, a teacher who was presented with the National Teacher of the Year award by Donald Trump in the White House, wore assorted politically charged badges on her dress. One promoted the Women's March, which followed Trump's inauguration, another said "Trans Equality Now." Trump did not appear to notice. 18 House Republicans penned a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee nominating Donald J Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, saying "Since taking office, President Trump has worked tirelessly to apply maximum pressure on North Korea to end its illicit weapons program and bring peace to the region."
May 1, 2018 - Responding to the Trump administration's proposal to draft a new set of regulations which would significantly weaken fuel economy standards that were put into place by the Obama administration in 2012, 17 states and the District of Columbia have filed suit, calling the effort unlawful, and a direct violation of the Clean Air Act. Speaking at a news conference about the lawsuit, Jerry Brown, the Governor of California, said that "States representing 140 million Americans are getting together to sue Outlaw Pruitt — not Administrator Pruitt, but Outlaw Pruitt." Rod J. Rosenstein, the Deputy Attorney General, responded to news that articles of impeachment were being drafted against him saying "the Department of Justice will not be extorted" and "if we were to just open our doors to allow Congress to come and rummage through the files, that would be a serious infringement on the separation of powers."
April 30, 2018 - Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, accused Iran of lying about its nuclear program, while displaying documents that he claimed were seized by Israeli spies in January. Netanyahu hoped the display would convince Trump to scrap the nuclear deal with Iran which was struck by Obama in 2015, the same deal that Trump has called a "major embarrassment." Stormy Daniels, the porn star who was paid $130,000 to stay quiet about an affair with Trump, filed a defamation lawsuit based on statements Trump made on twitter following Daniels release of a sketch of a man she claimed threatened her in 2011 to "leave Trump alone". Trump's tweet: "A sketch years later about a nonexistent man. A total con job, playing the Fake News Media for Fools (but they know it)!" John Kelly, White House chief of staff, is denying reports that on multiple occasions he has referred to Trump as an "idiot". The New York Times published over 40 questions it says the special counsel wants to ask Trump in an interview. The questions breech many subjects, including Trump's business dealings, collusion with the Russians, and obstruction of justice. News surfaced that members of the House Freedom Caucus have drafted articles of impeachment against Rod J. Rosenstein, the Deputy Attorney General. According to Rep. Mark Meadows, of North Carolina, the draft is in response to the justice department's "inability to respond to simple requests". Democrats see the move as an attempt to weaken special counsel Mueller's efforts, and to protect Trump.
April 28, 2018 - Michelle Wolf, comedian, performed at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner, which upset many conservatives. Regarding Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Wolf said "Every time Sarah steps up to the podium, I get excited. I’m not really sure what we’re going to get, you know? A press briefing, a bunch of lies or divided into softball teams. ‘It’s shirts and skins, and this time don’t be such a little bitch, Jim Acosta. I actually really like Sarah. I think she’s very resourceful. But she burns facts and then she uses that ash to create a perfect smokey eye. Like maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s lies. It’s probably lies." Regarding Trump's absence from the event, Wolf said "I would drag him here myself, but it turns out that the president of the United States is the one pussy you’re not allowed to grab. He said it first. Yeah, he did. You remember? Good." Regarding Ivanka Trump, Wolf said "She was supposed to be an advocate for women, but it turns out she’s about as helpful to women as an empty box of tampons. She’s done nothing to satisfy women. So I guess, like father like daughter." Regarding Kellyanne Conway, Wolf said "Man, she has the perfect name for what she does. Conway. It’s like if my last name was Michelle tells-jokes-frizzy-hair-small-tits." Sean Spicer, former White House spokesperson said of the performance "It was absolutely disgusting. The idea that people clapped at that. It’s one thing to celebrate the first amendment but that, tonight, was one of the most disgusting and deplorable things I’ve ever heard in my life. The language, the references were way over the line."
Natalia V. Veselnitskaya, who claimed in November of last
year that she is not a Kremlin operative, but a private attorney, has been found
through newly released emails to have a close relationship with Yuri Y. Chaika,
the prosecutor general. According to Veselnitskaya, "Since 2013, I have been
actively communicating with the office of the Russian prosecutor
general."
April 26, 2018 - Dr. Ronny L. Jackson withdrew himself from the running to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs.
April 26, 2018 - Dr. Ronny L. Jackson withdrew himself from the running to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Bill Cosby, once
hailed as "America's dad", was found guilty of drugging and sexually assaulting
a woman in 2004. More than 50 women have accused Cosby of sexual abuse.
Scott
Pruitt, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, testified on Capitol
Hill over allegations of ethical infractions and lavish spending.
Despite
denying repeatedly that he had any firsthand knowledge of a $130,000 payment to
Stormy Daniels, Trump acknowledged for the first time that Michael Cohen
represented him in a "deal" with Stormy Daniels, saying "He represents me, like
with this crazy Stormy Daniels deal, he represented me. From what I’ve seen, he
did absolutely nothing wrong. There were no campaign funds going into this,
which would have been a problem."
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved
legislation making it more difficult for Trump to fire Robert Mueller, the
special counsel. The provisions of the bill would delay the firing by ten days,
and allow the ousted special counsel to have a panel of federal judges review
the decision.
Mike Pompeo, the CIA director, was confirmed by the US Senate to
replace Rex Tillerson as secretary of state.
April 25, 2018 - Through a filing in federal court, Michael Cohen, Trump's personal attorney, claimed that he "will assert my 5th Amendment rights in connection with all proceedings in this case due to the ongoing criminal investigation by the F.B.I. and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York."
April 24, 2018 - The nomination of Dr. Ronny L. Jackson, Trump's nominee to lead the Veterans Affairs Department, may be in trouble over accusations that Jackson drank excessively, and that he handed out prescription drugs "like candy" to White House staff and news media flying on overseas trips. Other accusations involved "belittling, screaming" and "verbally abusing the staff". The White House responded to the accusations by calling Dr. Jackson's record "impeccable".
April 25, 2018 - Through a filing in federal court, Michael Cohen, Trump's personal attorney, claimed that he "will assert my 5th Amendment rights in connection with all proceedings in this case due to the ongoing criminal investigation by the F.B.I. and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York."
April 24, 2018 - The nomination of Dr. Ronny L. Jackson, Trump's nominee to lead the Veterans Affairs Department, may be in trouble over accusations that Jackson drank excessively, and that he handed out prescription drugs "like candy" to White House staff and news media flying on overseas trips. Other accusations involved "belittling, screaming" and "verbally abusing the staff". The White House responded to the accusations by calling Dr. Jackson's record "impeccable".
US district Judge John Bates ordered the Trump administration to restart the
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca), saying "Daca’s rescission was
arbitrary and capricious because the department failed adequately to explain its
conclusion that the program was unlawful." Judge Bates gave the administration
90 days to come up with a good defense for ending the program.
April 23, 2018 - Alek Minassian used a rented van to run down pedestrians over a 2 mile stretch of sidewalks in Toronto, Canada. Despite official statements that Minassian is white, "alt-right" provocateurs begin posting within minutes of the attack that the attacker is "Middle Eastern." After John Tory, Toronto's mayor called for community solidarity, Paul Joseph Watson of Infowars tweeted "A jihadist has just killed 9 people and the Mayor is already out virtue signalling." When no evidence emerged of a jihadist connection, some provocateurs used this as evidence of a deceptive conspiracy by the authorities.
April 23, 2018 - Alek Minassian used a rented van to run down pedestrians over a 2 mile stretch of sidewalks in Toronto, Canada. Despite official statements that Minassian is white, "alt-right" provocateurs begin posting within minutes of the attack that the attacker is "Middle Eastern." After John Tory, Toronto's mayor called for community solidarity, Paul Joseph Watson of Infowars tweeted "A jihadist has just killed 9 people and the Mayor is already out virtue signalling." When no evidence emerged of a jihadist connection, some provocateurs used this as evidence of a deceptive conspiracy by the authorities.
April 20, 2018 - A federal lawsuit filed by the Democratic National Committee asserts that the Russian Government, the Trump campaign, and Wikileaks conspired together to swing the 2016 US presidential election. Some of those named in the lawsuit are Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, George Papadopoulos, Julian Assange, Roger Stone, and Aras and Emin Agalarov. Tom Perez, the DNC chairman, explained that "During the 2016 presidential campaign, Russia launched an all-out assault on our democracy, and it found a willing and active partner in Donald Trump’s campaign. This constituted an act of unprecedented treachery: the campaign of a nominee for president of the United States in league with a hostile foreign power to bolster its own chance to win the presidency."
In a coordinated protest
against gun violence, thousands of students across the US walked out of their
classrooms today to mark the 19th anniversary of the mass shooting at Colorado's
Columbine High School.
Memos written by James Comey to document his interactions
with Donald Trump were released to the public.
April 19, 2018 - Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model, has reached an agreement with tabloid publisher American Media Inc that allows her to speak freely about her affair with Donald Trump.
April 19, 2018 - Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model, has reached an agreement with tabloid publisher American Media Inc that allows her to speak freely about her affair with Donald Trump.
Michael Cohen, Trump's personal attorney, has dropped
a libel suit against Buzzfeed and Fusion GPS. The suit was filed after Buzzfeed
published a dossier compiled for Fusion GPS by Christopher Steele, a former
British spy. In the dossier, Cohen is alleged to have met with Russian
operatives in Prague in 2016.
A joint statement released by officials in France,
Germany and the UK, urges US officials to convince Trump not to abandon the Iran
nuclear deal, saying "The US government threatens to abandon the JCPOA, although
Iran fulfills its obligations under the agreement, an exit from the US would
have fatal consequences."
Concerned about future pardons by Trump, Eric
Schneiderman, New York state attorney general, urged New York state lawmakers to
eliminate a loophole in the law that could be used to fight state charges by
anyone receiving a pardon under Trump for similar federal charges. According to
Schneiderman "Simply put, a defendant pardoned by the president for a serious
federal crime could be freed from all accountability under federal and state
criminal law, even though the president has no authority under the US
constitution to pardon state crimes."
Due to growing concern that Trump may fire
Mueller, and that riots may break out across the country, Pittsburgh detectives
have been instructed to begin wearing full uniform and carry riot gear "until
further notice."
Rudy Giuliani, former New York mayor, is joining Trump's legal
team. Giuliani says he will work to "quickly" resolve the Russian interference
investigation.
At the request of Democrat senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Arthur
Elkins, the Environmental Protection Agency's inspector general, announced that
he will launch an investigation into Scott Pruitt's use of his personal detail
on personal trips. Dozens of Democrat US senators have called on Pruitt to
resign over ethical lapses.
April 18, 2018 - Mike Pompeo, the director of the CIA, met secretly with Kim Jong-un in North Korea over Easter.
April 18, 2018 - Mike Pompeo, the director of the CIA, met secretly with Kim Jong-un in North Korea over Easter.
Stormy Daniels released a sketch of the man she said threatened her
to keep silent over her sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. Trump, on twitter,
called the sketch "A total con job playing the Fake News Media for Fools (but
they know it)!"
Former first lady, Barbara Bush died. Trump was asked by the
Bush family to not attend the funeral. Bush was 92.
Trump claims the Russia inquiry was not
behind the firing of James Comey, despite Trump claiming in an interview shortly after
the firing that "this Russia thing" was one of the primary
reasons.
April 17, 2018 - Neil Gorsuch, Trump's appointment to the Supreme Court, sided with the more liberal justices in a 5-4 decision that struck down part of a federal law that makes it easier to deport immigrants who have been convicted of crimes. A federal appeals court in San Francisco had struck the law down as too vague, Gorsuch and the liberals on the court agreed.
Fox News said today that Sean Hannity has it's "full support",
despite Hannity's close relationship with Michael Cohen, and his failure to
disclose that relationship while defending Cohen on his show.
Alex Jones, radio
host and owner of the website Infowars, is being sued for defamation by two of
the families who lost children in the Sandy Hook mass shooting. According to
Mark Bankston, the lead attorney for the families, "Our clients have been
tormented for five years by Mr Jones’s ghoulish accusations that they are actors
who faked their children’s deaths as part of a fraud on the American people.
Enough is enough."
Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, said he will not
allow a vote on a bi-partisan bill called the Special Counsel Independence and
Integrity Act, which would protect special counsel Robert Mueller from being
fired, saying "I don’t think he should fire Mueller and I don’t think he is
going to. So this is a piece of legislation that’s not necessary, in my
judgment. I’m the one who decides what we take to the floor. That’s my
responsibility as the majority leader and we will not be having this on the
floor of the Senate."
Three Kansas men were charged with a plot to blow up an
apartment complex housing 120 Muslim immigrants from Somalia. According to
assistant US attorney Anthony Mattivi, "Their ultimate goal was to wake people
up and to slaughter every man, woman and child in the
building."
April 16, 2018 - In an interview with ABC News, James Comey was asked if Trump was fit to be president, his answer: "A person who sees moral equivalence in Charlottesville, who talks about and treats women like they’re pieces of meat, who lies constantly about matters big and small and insists the American people believe it, that person’s not fit to be president of the United States, on moral grounds."
Judge Kimba M. Wood, refused
to grant Trump and Cohen exclusive first access to review the documents that
were taken in a raid on Cohen's office and home. A surprising revelation during
the hearing over the seized documents was the fact that Sean Hannity, a Fox News
host, had secretly been a client of Michael Cohen. Sean Hannity posted a
response to the revelation on twitter saying "Michael Cohen has never
represented me in any matter. I never retained him, received an invoice, or paid
legal fees. I have occasionally had brief discussions with him about legal
questions about which I wanted his input and perspective."
Maksim Borodin, a
Russian journalist, died after falling from the balcony of his fifth floor
apartment in Yekaterinburg. Borodin had recently reported about clandestine
Russian paramilitary groups in Syria.
April 14, 2018 - In a joint operation, the US, UK and France launched more than 100 missiles at sites alleged to be Syrian chemical weapons facilities. Russia, China and Iran condemned the strikes.
April 14, 2018 - In a joint operation, the US, UK and France launched more than 100 missiles at sites alleged to be Syrian chemical weapons facilities. Russia, China and Iran condemned the strikes.
In a protest against ecological destruction, David
Buckel, a prominent gay rights lawyer and environmental advocate, set himself on
fire in Brooklyn's Prospect Park. In a suicide note, Buckel said "Most humans on
the planet now breathe air made unhealthy by fossil fuels, and many die early
deaths as a result – my early death by fossil fuel reflects what we are doing to
ourselves."
April 13, 2018 - After details were leaked from a new book by James Comey, called "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership" in which Trump is described as "unethical and untethered to the truth" Trump tweeted that Comey is an "untruthful slime ball" and a "proven LEAKER & LIAR." Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House Press secretary said that Comey will "be forever known as a disgraced partisan hack that broke his sacred trust with the president of the United States."
April 13, 2018 - After details were leaked from a new book by James Comey, called "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership" in which Trump is described as "unethical and untethered to the truth" Trump tweeted that Comey is an "untruthful slime ball" and a "proven LEAKER & LIAR." Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House Press secretary said that Comey will "be forever known as a disgraced partisan hack that broke his sacred trust with the president of the United States."
Lawyers for Michael D.
Cohen, Trump's personal attorney who is known as "the fixer", tried to block
prosecutors from being able to read documents seized from their client in an
F.B.I. raid. Cohen's lawyers argued that the documents are protected by
"attorney-client privilege". Prosecutors argued that the focus of the
investigation is on Cohen's legal dealings, and that Cohen was "performing
little to no legal work, and that zero emails were exchanged with President
Trump."
Elliott Broidy, deputy finance chairman of the Republican National
Committee, resigned after it was revealed that he had agreed to pay $1.6 million
to Shera Bechard, a former Playboy model, who became pregnant during their
affair. The payment deal was arranged by Michael Cohen near the end of 2017.
Sean Simpson, a chemistry teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was
arrested and charged with failing to safely store a weapon after he mistakenly
left a loaded 9mm handgun in a beach-side public
restroom.
April 12, 2018 - Trump announced that the US is looking into re-joining the multi-country trade agreement known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership. This is the same trade agreement that Trump pulled the US out of days after winning the presidency.
April 12, 2018 - Trump announced that the US is looking into re-joining the multi-country trade agreement known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership. This is the same trade agreement that Trump pulled the US out of days after winning the presidency.
More than 300,000 people have
pledged to attend "rapid response" protests should Trump fire special counsel
Robert Mueller.
April 11, 2018 - Trump sent the following tweet "Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and ‘smart!’ You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!"
April 11, 2018 - Trump sent the following tweet "Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and ‘smart!’ You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!"
Paul Ryan, Republican Speaker of the House, announced that he will leave
congress next January.
April 10, 2018 - A class action lawsuit has been filed against Facebook, Cambridge Analytica and two other companies over misuse of personal date of more than 71 million people.
April 10, 2018 - A class action lawsuit has been filed against Facebook, Cambridge Analytica and two other companies over misuse of personal date of more than 71 million people.
David D Smith, the chairman of Sinclair Broadcast Group, the largest owner of
local TV in the US, met with Donald Trump in the White House to tell him about
technology that allows for targeted broadcasting to individual American's
phones. Smith reportedly told Trump during the 2016 election "We are here to
deliver your message".
Yulia Skripal has been discharged from the hospital in
Salisbury.
Tom Bossert, Trump's homeland security adviser, resigned.
In
reference to the F.B.I. raid on his lawyer, Trump raged on twitter claiming
"Attorney-client privilege is dead!" and calling the Russia investigation "A
TOTAL WITCH HUNT!!!" The twitter rant raised new concerns that Trump may be
poised to fire Robert Mueller.
News surfaced that the F.B.I. raid on Michael
Cohen also sought information on payments made to Playboy model Karen McDougal.
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's chief executive, testified before congress regarding
facebook's commitment to security.
Trump cancelled a trip to Lima, Peru, where
he was going to participate in the Summit of the Americas. According to Sarah
Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, "Trump will remain in the
United States to oversee the American response to Syria and to monitor
developments around the world." Responding to the cancellation, Richard E.
Feinberg, a senior Latin America fellow at the Brookings Institution and
professor at the University of California San Diego's School of Global Policy
and Strategy called Trump's actions "an appalling demonstration of disrespect
for Latin America. This has to be seen in the context of a president who has
been ranting and railing against Latin America continually for the last several
years. They’re his bête noire. They’re his scapegoat for everything that’s wrong
in America, from immigration to narcotics to alleged loss of jobs from trade."
Jamie Allman, a conservative commentator on radio and television, was forced to
resign from his Sinclair Broadcast Group owned shows after posting a tweet in
which he said "I’ve been hanging out getting ready to ram a hot poker up David
Hogg’s ass tomorrow." 17 year-old David Hogg is one of the survivors of the
shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School, and is an outspoken advocate
for gun control.
April 9, 2018 - The F.B.I. raided the office and hotel room of Michael Cohen, Trump's personal attorney. The items seized included documents related to payments to porn star Stormy Daniels, and communications with Trump. Trump angrily called the raid a "disgraceful situation" a "total witch hunt" and an "attack on our country".
April 9, 2018 - The F.B.I. raided the office and hotel room of Michael Cohen, Trump's personal attorney. The items seized included documents related to payments to porn star Stormy Daniels, and communications with Trump. Trump angrily called the raid a "disgraceful situation" a "total witch hunt" and an "attack on our country".
A video surfaced
recently which showed Sheriff Donny Youngblood of Kern county California, who is
currently running for re-election, telling rank-and-file officers in 2006 that
it is "better financially" for the county if officers kill suspects rather than
injure them. Kern county has the highest rate of killings by police officers in
the US.
Ian Mackay, an official with the National Union of Workers in Australia,
has been suspended for running a fake Black Lives Matter facebook page. The
page, which was taken down by facebook, had almost 700,000 followers and
garnered upwards of $100,000 in donations.
In a report released by the
Congressional Budget Office, the federal government's annual budget deficit is
expected to top $1 trillion in 2020. The national debt, which exceeds $21
trillion, is expected to climb to $33 trillion in
2028.
April 8, 2018 - Michael Anton, the spokesman for Trump's National Security Council, announced his resignation.
April 8, 2018 - Michael Anton, the spokesman for Trump's National Security Council, announced his resignation.
Dozens of
people were killed in the town of Douma, Syria, in what is being called a
chemical weapons attack. Trump announced that there will be a "big price to pay"
for the chemical weapons attack on Douma, which killed at least 42 people. Trump
added "We have a lot of options, militarily. And we’ll be letting you know
pretty soon. Probably after the fact."
April 6, 2018 - Donald Trump is considering an additional $100bn in additional tariffs on Chinese goods "in light of China's unfair retaliation". Ben Sasse, Senator from Nebraska, responded to Trump's comments saying "Hopefully the president is just blowing off steam again but, if he’s even half-serious, this is nuts. China is guilty of many things, but the president has no actual plan to win right now. He’s threatening to light American agriculture on fire."
April 6, 2018 - Donald Trump is considering an additional $100bn in additional tariffs on Chinese goods "in light of China's unfair retaliation". Ben Sasse, Senator from Nebraska, responded to Trump's comments saying "Hopefully the president is just blowing off steam again but, if he’s even half-serious, this is nuts. China is guilty of many things, but the president has no actual plan to win right now. He’s threatening to light American agriculture on fire."
The continued threat of
a US-China trade war caused stocks to tumble.
The Trump administration announced
new sanctions on seven Russian oligarchs and 17 top government officials for
"malign activity" which includes meddling in the 2016 US election.
News surfaced
that John F. Kelly, White House chief of staff, advised Trump last week to fire
Scott Pruitt over allegations of ethical infractions and spending irregularities
that includes $100,000 on taxpayer-funded first class travel. Trump refused to
fire Pruitt.
April 5, 2018 - Referring to the "caravan" of migrants walking across Mexico, Trump stated the following at a stop in West Virginia: "remember my opening remarks at Trump Tower when I opened. Everybody said, 'Oh, he was so tough.' And I used the word 'rape.' And yesterday it came out where, this journey coming up, women are raped at levels that nobody has ever seen before. They don't want to mention that." Trump provided no evidence for his rape claim, but critics were quick to point out that members of these caravans often fall victim to crimes committed by people they encounter along the way, but are not themselves the perpetrators of these crimes. Trump's remarks were directed at the migrants themselves.
April 5, 2018 - Referring to the "caravan" of migrants walking across Mexico, Trump stated the following at a stop in West Virginia: "remember my opening remarks at Trump Tower when I opened. Everybody said, 'Oh, he was so tough.' And I used the word 'rape.' And yesterday it came out where, this journey coming up, women are raped at levels that nobody has ever seen before. They don't want to mention that." Trump provided no evidence for his rape claim, but critics were quick to point out that members of these caravans often fall victim to crimes committed by people they encounter along the way, but are not themselves the perpetrators of these crimes. Trump's remarks were directed at the migrants themselves.
According to
the Guardian, Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign manager, "authorized a
secret media operation on behalf of Ukraine’s former president featuring 'black
ops', 'placed' articles in the Wall Street Journal and US websites and anonymous
briefings against Hillary Clinton."
Trump was asked by a reporter if he knew
about a payment of $130,000 to Stormy Daniels, to which Trump replied "No". When
asked why his personal lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, made the payment, Trump
responded "You’ll have to ask Michael Cohen. Michael is my attorney, and you’ll
have to ask Michael Cohen." Trump was also asked where Cohen got the money used
to make the payment, to which Trump replied "I don't know." Michael Avenatti,
Stormy Daniel's attorney, responded to Trump's denial on twitter saying "Good
(actually GREAT) things come to those who wait!!! The strength of our case just
went up exponentially. You can't have an agreement when one party claims to know
nothing about it."
Scott Pruitt, the chief of the Environmental Protection
Agency, has been getting a lot of attention lately due to his questionable
living arrangements, and lavish spending at taxpayer expense, which includes a
$25,000 sound proof booth in his office.
April 4, 2018 - China announced additional tariffs of 25% on 106 American products, including soybeans, cars and chemical products. These tariffs were in response to 25% tariffs on Chinese goods announced by the US only hours earlier.
April 4, 2018 - China announced additional tariffs of 25% on 106 American products, including soybeans, cars and chemical products. These tariffs were in response to 25% tariffs on Chinese goods announced by the US only hours earlier.
A report
released by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) advocacy group accused Sonny
Perdue, Trump's agriculture secretary, of "sidelining science and favoring
industry". Karen Perry Stillerman, the report's author, accused the secretary of
being "more interested in rewarding industry and agriculture than in protecting
the public health."
Facebook removed more than 100 accounts that it believes are
linked to the Russian based Internet Research Agency (IRA).
According to the
Guardian, Robert Mueller, the special counsel, has informed Trump's attorneys
that Trump is not a target of the Russia investigation.
Facebook raised its
estimate of users whose data was improperly used by Cambridge Analytica to 87
million.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House press secretary, dodged questions
about the urgency of deploying National Guard troops to the border, and also
refused to say if the deployment was in response to a Fox News story about "a
caravan" from Central America.
Juli Briskman, a cyclist who was fired from her
job after being photographed giving Donald Trump the middle finger, is
suing her former employer, government contractor
Akima.
April 3, 2018 - Trump announced plans to deploy the National Guard to the border with Mexico saying "We have horrible, horrible and very unsafe laws in the United States" and that "Until we can have a wall and proper security, we’re going to be guarding our border with the military." Kevin Appleby, the senior director of international migration policy at the Center for Migration Studies of New York, responded to Trump's order to place troops along the border by saying "He cannot get funding for his wall, so instead he irresponsibly misuses our military to save face."
Alex van der Zwaan,
son-in-law of a Russian billionaire, and former lawyer for an international law
firm, was sentenced to 30 days in prison, and fined $20,000 for lying to
investigators of Russian meddling in the 2016 election. According to court
documents, van der Zwaan lied about communications between Trump campaign
officials: Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, and also with Konstantin V. Kilimnik,
who is believed to be a Russian intelligence operative.
After receiving a
significant number of negative comments regarding its proposal to raise entrance
fees at 17 national parks to as high as $70, The Department of the Interior
announced it is re-thinking its proposal.
April 2, 2018 - The stock market has dropped over 10% since it peaked in January. Financial analysts place the blame on the uncertainty Trump has injected into the market.
April 2, 2018 - The stock market has dropped over 10% since it peaked in January. Financial analysts place the blame on the uncertainty Trump has injected into the market.
Trump claimed on twitter that "dangerous caravans" of migrants are
headed for the United States. Critics were quick to point out that the
"caravans" Trump referred to are part of an annual trek of hundreds of migrants
from Central America that march North, and mostly disperse by the time they
reach Mexico City. The "caravan" story has been a popular topic recently on Fox
News.
Trump declared via twitter that DACA is no more saying "DACA is dead
because the Democrats didn’t care or act, and now everyone wants to get onto the
DACA bandwagon." Representative Michelle Lujan Grisham, Democrat of New Mexico,
and chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said of Trump's comments
"Instead of working productively to find a bipartisan solution for Dreamers, the
president is attempting to rewrite history with a dangerous, anti-immigrant
gaslighting campaign aimed at confusing the American people, slandering the DACA
program and disparaging asylum seekers."
The White House confirmed that Trump
invited Putin to a "White House summit in the not-too-distant" future during his
congratulatory call last month.
April 1, 2018 - David Shulkin, the former secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, disputed the white House claim that he resigned, saying "I came here to fight for our veterans and I had no intention of giving up. There would be no reason for me to resign."
April 1, 2018 - David Shulkin, the former secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, disputed the white House claim that he resigned, saying "I came here to fight for our veterans and I had no intention of giving up. There would be no reason for me to resign."
Scott Pruitt, the administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency, has come under fire for his living arrangements. Pruitt pays
$50 a night for a room at a Capitol Hill condominium that belongs to the chief
executive of a lobbying firm.
Referring to a group of migrants from Central
America who are walking North across Mexico, some of whom may seek asylum at the
United States border, Trump tweeted that "These big flows of people are all
trying to take advantage of DACA. They want in on the act!" Critics were quick
to point out that only immigrants who have been living in the US since 2007,
qualify for DACA.
March 31, 2018 - Activists/survivors of the mass shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School announced their intent to hold town halls across the nation on April 7, with a goal of 535 of them, one for each member of Congress. Responding to the growing footprint of these student activists, the NRA claimed the real goal of "commonsense gun reform" is "a full repeal of the second amendment and a ban on all guns."
March 29, 2018 - Russia announced that it will be expelling 60 American diplomats, as well as an unspecified number of diplomats from other countries as an act of retaliation against those nations that expelled Russian diplomats.
March 31, 2018 - Activists/survivors of the mass shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School announced their intent to hold town halls across the nation on April 7, with a goal of 535 of them, one for each member of Congress. Responding to the growing footprint of these student activists, the NRA claimed the real goal of "commonsense gun reform" is "a full repeal of the second amendment and a ban on all guns."
March 29, 2018 - Russia announced that it will be expelling 60 American diplomats, as well as an unspecified number of diplomats from other countries as an act of retaliation against those nations that expelled Russian diplomats.
In a leaked 2016 memo, Andrew "Boz" Bosworth, a
vice-president at facebook, raised eyebrows with the following statement" "Maybe
it costs a life by exposing someone to bullies. Maybe someone dies in a
terrorist attack coordinated on our tools. It is literally just what we do. We
connect people. Period. That’s why all the work we do in growth is justified."
Mark Zuckerberg, facebook CEO responded to criticism stating "We’ve never
believed the ends justify the means. We recognize that connecting people isn’t
enough by itself."
March 28, 2018 - According to the White House, David J, Shulkin, secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, resigned today. Trump announced that his personal physician, Dr. Ronny L. Jackson, will replace Shulkin.
March 28, 2018 - According to the White House, David J, Shulkin, secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, resigned today. Trump announced that his personal physician, Dr. Ronny L. Jackson, will replace Shulkin.
Laura Ingraham, a Fox News host, taunted
Parkland, Fl shooting survivor David Hogg with the following tweet: "David Hogg
Rejected By Four Colleges to Which He Applied and Whines about it." Hogg
responded with the following tweet: "Soooo @IngrahamAngle what are your biggest
advertisers ... Asking for a friend. #BoycottIngramAdverts" As of this writing,
at least a dozen companies have announced their intent to pull ads from
Ingraham's show.
Trump sent the following tweet: "Great briefing this afternoon
on the start of our Southern Border WALL!" Included in the tweet is a series of
pictures that show work being done on a small portion of an existing border
wall, causing some to accuse Trump of tweeting a "fake border wall"
picture.
March 27, 2018 - In an OP-ED in the New York Times, John Paul Stevens, retired associate justice of the United States Supreme Court, called for a repeal of the second amendment, calling it a relic of the past.
March 27, 2018 - In an OP-ED in the New York Times, John Paul Stevens, retired associate justice of the United States Supreme Court, called for a repeal of the second amendment, calling it a relic of the past.
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's chief executive, has agreed to testify
before the United States Congress regarding the data harvesting scandal of more
than 50 million user's personal information.
In his first trip abroad, Kim
Jong-un made an unannounced visit to Beijing to meet with Xi Jinping, China's
President.
March 26, 2018 - Remington, one of the US's biggest gun-makers, has filed for bankruptcy protection. Gun sales have been declining since Trump became president, causing many to call the decline the "Trump slump".
March 26, 2018 - Remington, one of the US's biggest gun-makers, has filed for bankruptcy protection. Gun sales have been declining since Trump became president, causing many to call the decline the "Trump slump".
Trump ordered that 60 Russian diplomats be expelled in
response to the U.K. poisoning of Sergei and Yulia
Skripal.
March 25, 2018 - In a television appearance on CBS's 60 Minutes, Stormy Daniels claimed that she was threatened in 2011 after making arrangements to tell her story. According to Daniels, a guy who told her to "Leave Trump alone" also told her that she has a beautiful daughter and "it'd be a shame if something happened to her mom."
March 25, 2018 - In a television appearance on CBS's 60 Minutes, Stormy Daniels claimed that she was threatened in 2011 after making arrangements to tell her story. According to Daniels, a guy who told her to "Leave Trump alone" also told her that she has a beautiful daughter and "it'd be a shame if something happened to her mom."
Trump, who has insisted
for two years that Mexico will pay for a border wall, sent the following tweet:
"Because of the $700 & $716 Billion Dollars gotten to rebuild our Military,
many jobs are created and our Military is again rich. Building a great Border
Wall, with drugs (poison) and enemy combatants pouring into our Country, is all
about National Defense. Build WALL through M!" Trump advisers confirmed that the
"M" is a reference to the military.
March 24, 2018 - March for Our Lives, a student-led demonstration - the biggest youth-led protest since the Vietnam War era - took place today in cities across the United States, and in dozens of countries around the world. Estimates put the number of separate marches at over 800. The marchers, whose numbers were estimated to be between 200,000 and 800,000 in Washington DC alone, demanded stricter gun control laws. All of the speakers at the DC march were high schoolers or younger, and included survivors of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida. Responding to the event, NRA TV host Grant Stinchfield claimed that "March for Our Lives is backed by radicals with a history of violent threats, language and actions."
March 23, 2018 - Despite threatening to veto a $1.3 trillion spending bill, because it didn't contain funding for a border wall, Trump, who is hailed by his supporters as the "ultimate deal maker" signed the bill. After the signing ceremony, Trump angrily claimed "There are a lot of things that I'm unhappy about in this bill". Trump went on to insist "I will never sign another bill like this again - I'm not going to do it again." Trump even denigrated the bill he had just signed, calling it "crazy" and "ridiculous", and claimed that "Nobody read it".
March 24, 2018 - March for Our Lives, a student-led demonstration - the biggest youth-led protest since the Vietnam War era - took place today in cities across the United States, and in dozens of countries around the world. Estimates put the number of separate marches at over 800. The marchers, whose numbers were estimated to be between 200,000 and 800,000 in Washington DC alone, demanded stricter gun control laws. All of the speakers at the DC march were high schoolers or younger, and included survivors of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida. Responding to the event, NRA TV host Grant Stinchfield claimed that "March for Our Lives is backed by radicals with a history of violent threats, language and actions."
March 23, 2018 - Despite threatening to veto a $1.3 trillion spending bill, because it didn't contain funding for a border wall, Trump, who is hailed by his supporters as the "ultimate deal maker" signed the bill. After the signing ceremony, Trump angrily claimed "There are a lot of things that I'm unhappy about in this bill". Trump went on to insist "I will never sign another bill like this again - I'm not going to do it again." Trump even denigrated the bill he had just signed, calling it "crazy" and "ridiculous", and claimed that "Nobody read it".
In her first televised account of her affair with Donald
Trump, Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model, claims she had sex with the
president "many dozens of times" and that he offered her money after they had
sex.
Some of the students who survived the Parkland school shooting have
published a gun control manifesto called "Our manifesto to fix America's gun
laws." Here are the proposals:
- Ban semi-automatic weapons that fire high-velocity rounds.
- Ban accessories that simulate automatic weapons.
- Establish a database of gun sales and universal background checks.
- Change privacy laws to allow mental healthcare providers to communicate with law enforcement.
- Close gun show and secondhand sales loopholes.
- Allow the CDC to make recommendations for gun reform.
- Raise the firearm purchase age to 21.
- Dedicate more funds to mental health research and professionals.
- Increase funding for school security.
March 22, 2018 - John Dowd, Trump's lead lawyer in the Mueller investigation, resigned.
- Ban semi-automatic weapons that fire high-velocity rounds.
- Ban accessories that simulate automatic weapons.
- Establish a database of gun sales and universal background checks.
- Change privacy laws to allow mental healthcare providers to communicate with law enforcement.
- Close gun show and secondhand sales loopholes.
- Allow the CDC to make recommendations for gun reform.
- Raise the firearm purchase age to 21.
- Dedicate more funds to mental health research and professionals.
- Increase funding for school security.
March 22, 2018 - John Dowd, Trump's lead lawyer in the Mueller investigation, resigned.
At an anti-sexual assault event
at the University of Miami, Joe Biden, former Vice President under Obama, made
the following statement regarding Trump's history of sexual assault: "A guy who
ended up becoming our national leader said, ‘I can grab a woman anywhere and she
likes it.’ They asked me if I’d like to debate this gentleman, and I said ‘no.’
I said, ‘If we were in high school, I’d take him behind the gym and beat the
hell out of him." Trump responded to the Biden statement with the following tweet:
"Crazy Joe Biden is trying to act like a tough guy. Actually, he is weak, both
mentally and physically, and yet he threatens me, for the second time, with
physical assault. He doesn’t know me, but he would go down fast and hard, crying
all the way. Don’t threaten people Joe!"
Donald Trump accepted the resignation
of National Security Adviser, H. R. McMaster, and replaced him with John R.
Bolton, former ambassador to the United Nations in the George W. Bush
administration. Bolton, who derides diplomacy as a sign of weakness, has
advocated for war against both North Korea and Iran.
In a move that caused
financial markets to plunge, Trump called China an "economic enemy", and
announced that he will be imposing tariffs on about $60 billion worth of Chinese
goods. China responded to the announcement with a tariff announcement of its own
on 128 products from the United States, that it valued at $3 billion.
March 21, 2018 - Oregon passed a law that makes purchasing a gun more difficult for those who are convicted of domestic violence. The law closes a gap in federal law known as the "boyfriend loophole" by expanding the definition of domestic partner to "intimate partner". Allison Anderman, managing attorney at Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, explained the law this way: "A lot of people who commit domestic violence are dating partners, they’re not in relationships that are recognized under federal law as domestic relationships, and therefore those abusers are not prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms. It’s left up to the state to close that loophole."
March 21, 2018 - Oregon passed a law that makes purchasing a gun more difficult for those who are convicted of domestic violence. The law closes a gap in federal law known as the "boyfriend loophole" by expanding the definition of domestic partner to "intimate partner". Allison Anderman, managing attorney at Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, explained the law this way: "A lot of people who commit domestic violence are dating partners, they’re not in relationships that are recognized under federal law as domestic relationships, and therefore those abusers are not prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms. It’s left up to the state to close that loophole."
Alexander Nix, the
CEO of Cambridge Analytica, explained on secretly recorded conversations how his
company helped elect Donald Trump through a "defeat crooked Hillary" advertising
campaign saying "We just put information into the bloodstream of the internet
and then watch it grow, give it a little push every now and again over time to
watch it take shape. And so this stuff infiltrates the online community, but
with no branding, so it’s unattributable, untrackable." Hillary Clinton, former
first lady, and presidential candidate responded to the campaign saying "There
was a new kind of campaign that was being run on the other side, that nobody had
ever faced before. Because it wasn’t just all about me. It was about how to
suppress voters who were inclined to vote for me … when you have a massive
propaganda effort to prevent people from thinking straight, because they’re
being flooded with false information."
News surfaced that Trump was provided
with written materials regarding Putin's election victory with "DO NOT
CONGRATULATE" written across the page, but ignored the warning and congratulated
Putin anyway. Trump responded to criticism with the following tweet: "I called
President Putin of Russia to congratulate him on his election victory (in past,
Obama called him also). The Fake News Media is crazed because they wanted me to
excoriate him. They are wrong! Getting along with Russia (and others) is a good
thing, not a bad thing. They can help solve problems with North Korea, Syria,
Ukraine, ISIS, Iran and even the coming Arms Race. Bush tried to get along, but
didn’t have the 'smarts.' Obama and Clinton tried, but didn’t have the energy or
chemistry (remember RESET). PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH!"
March 20, 2018 - Sudan, known as the "gentle giant" died. He was the last male northern white rhinoceros. Conservationists hope the two remaining females will be able to save the species from extinction.
March 20, 2018 - Sudan, known as the "gentle giant" died. He was the last male northern white rhinoceros. Conservationists hope the two remaining females will be able to save the species from extinction.
Xi Jinping, the president of China, announced that he is ready "to fight bloody battles against our enemies"
Johnson Joy, chief information officer for HUD, resigned after the Guardian disclosed a link between him and a colleague accused of fraud. That colleague, Naved Jafry, resigned after being exposed for inflating his biography, and having been repeatedly sued for alleged fraud. In other HUD news, Katrina Hubbard, Joy's former executive assistant, says she was reassigned then terminated in January after issuing a complaint about the misuse of public funds. According to Hubbard "I reported information about fraud, waste and abuse, and as a result I was retaliated against."
Trump called Vladimir Putin, congratulating him on his fourth election victory and then told the press that he and Putin would "probably get together in the not too distant future so that we can discuss the arms race". In response to Trump's congratulatory call to Putin, John McCain made the following statement: "An American president does not lead the Free World by congratulating dictators on winning sham elections. And by doing so with Vladimir Putin, President Trump insulted every Russian citizen who was denied the right to vote in a free and fair election to determine their country’s future, including the countless Russian patriots who have risked so much to protest and resist Putin’s regime."
Less than 24 hours after Mississippi's Governor, Phil Bryant, signed the nation's most restrictive abortion law which bans most abortions after 15 weeks of gestation, US district judge, Carlton Reeves, issued a temporary restraining order saying "The supreme court says every woman has a constitutional right to ‘personal privacy’ regarding her body. That right protects her choice ‘to have an abortion before viability.’ States cannot ‘prohibit any woman from making the ultimate decision’ to do so."
Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model, claims to have had an affair with Trump in 2006, and is suing the National Enquirer's parent company, American Media Inc, to be released from a non-disclosure agreement. McDougal claims she was paid $150,000 for her silence.
Summer Zervos, a former contestant of the "Apprentice", won a victory in a Manhattan court when a move to block her defamation lawsuit by Trump attorneys was blocked. Zervos claims she was sexually harassed by Trump after appearing on his show. Trump has called her and over a dozen other women who have accused him of sexual harassment "liars."
Austin Wyatt Rollins, opened fire in Great Mills High School in Maryland, killing a 16 year-old girl whom he'd had a "prior relationship" and critically wounded a 14-year-old boy. Rollins then turned the gun on himself after being confronted by an armed deputy stationed at the school.
March 19, 2018 - Responding to news that Andrew McCabe passed memos about conversations he had with Donald Trump to Robert Mueller, Trump sent the following tweet: "Spent very little time with Andrew McCabe, but he never took notes when he was with me. I don’t believe he made memos except to help his own agenda, probably at a later date. Same with lying James Comey. Can we call them Fake Memos?"
Over concerns that Trump was planning to fire the special counsel, Adam Schiff, top Democrat on the House intelligence committee told ABC news "I would hope that it would prompt all Democrats and Republicans in the House to pass an independent counsel law and reinstate Bob Mueller. It undoubtedly would result in a constitutional crisis."
Trump sent a tweet saying the Mueller investigation team consists of "13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans … another Dem recently added. Does anyone think this is fair? And yet, there is NO COLLUSION!" NOTE: Mueller and McCabe are both registered Republicans.
A UN report on the state of the world's water predicts that as many as 5 billion people could suffer water shortages by 2050 due to climate change.
The Kremlin is demanding the UK prove Russia's role in poisoning the Skripals with nerve agent novichok, or apologize.
News surfaced that Florida officials had recommended in 2016 that Nikolas Cruz, the Parkland shooter, be forcibly committed for mental evaluation under Florida's Baker Act.
A pedestrian was killed after being hit by a self driving Uber car in Arizona. This is the first documented fatal crash involving an autonomous vehicle and a pedestrian.
According to the Guardian "A New York politician and local tenants’ group said on Monday they would launch an investigation into the real estate company formerly headed by Jared Kushner, a top aide to Donald Trump, over alleged falsification of building permits."
March 18, 2018 - News surfaced that the Kushner Companies routinely filed false paperwork regarding the rent-regulated status of tenants in the buildings it bought and sold, lying about their existence, then running them out with excessive noise and various other forms of disruption. According to Ritchie Torres, a New York City council member "The Kushners appear to be engaging in what I call the weaponization of construction."
March 18, 2018 - News surfaced that the Kushner Companies routinely filed false paperwork regarding the rent-regulated status of tenants in the buildings it bought and sold, lying about their existence, then running them out with excessive noise and various other forms of disruption. According to Ritchie Torres, a New York City council member "The Kushners appear to be engaging in what I call the weaponization of construction."
Regarding recent revelations regarding Cambridge Analytica, Democrats have called for Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, to testify regarding the company's misuse of data. According to Adam Schiff, top Democrat of the House intelligence committee, "This raises serious questions about the level of detail that Cambridge Analytica knew about users, whether it acquired that information illegally and whether it sought to abuse that information in support of President Trump’s political campaign in the United States or Brexit in the United Kingdom."
March 17, 2018 - Cambridge Analytica, a data analytics firm, which was hired by the Trump campaign, and was founded by Stephen K. Bannon and Robert Mercer, harvested the personal information of as many as 50 million facebook profiles without proper authorization in 2014.
March 17, 2018 - Cambridge Analytica, a data analytics firm, which was hired by the Trump campaign, and was founded by Stephen K. Bannon and Robert Mercer, harvested the personal information of as many as 50 million facebook profiles without proper authorization in 2014.
Less than two days before he was due to retire, and would have qualified for a full pension, Andrew McCabe, the former FBI director, was fired by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Trump gleefully called the firing a "great day for democracy". According to Sessions, McCabe "made an unauthorized disclosure to the news media and lacked candor". According to McCabe "They have every reason to believe that I could end up being a significant witness in whatever the special counsel comes up with, and so they are trying to create this counter-narrative that I am not someone who can be believed or trusted. And as someone who has been believed and trusted by really good people for 21 years, it’s just infuriating to me."
John Dowd, one of Trump's personal attorneys said he prayed Rosenstein "will follow the brilliant and courageous example of the FBI Office of Professional Responsibility [OPR] and attorney general Jeff Sessions and bring an end to alleged Russia collusion investigation manufactured by McCabe’s boss James Comey based upon a fraudulent and corrupt dossier." Responding to Dowd's comments, Senator Mark Warner, vice-chair of the Senate intelligence committee implored that "Every member of Congress, Republican and Democrat, needs to speak up in defense of the special counsel. Now."
In response to Trump's glee over the firing of McCabe, John Brennan, former CIA Director under Obama, sent the following tweet: "When the full extent of your venality, moral turpitude, and political corruption becomes known, you will take your rightful place as a disgraced demagogue in the dustbin of history. You may scapegoat Andy McCabe, but you will not destroy America … America will triumph over you."
HR McMaster is rumored to be the next person to be fired by the Trump Administration.
Trump lawyers argued in federal court that Stormy Daniels violated a non-disclosure agreement as many as 20 times, and are seeking $20m in damages. Michael Cohen, Trump's attorney, claims that he paid Daniels $130,000 and was not reimbursed by the Trump Organization or the Trump campaign. Michael Avenatti, Daniel's attorney, responded to the move by Trump's attorneys saying "The fact that a sitting president is pursuing over $20m in bogus ‘damages’ against a private citizen, who is only trying to tell the public what really happened, is truly remarkable. Likely unprecedented in our history. We are not going away and we will not be intimidated by these threats."
March 15, 2018 - According to a recording obtained by the Washington Post, Trump can be heard bragging that he made up facts while speaking to Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau: "Nice guy, good-looking guy, comes in – ‘Donald we have no trade deficit.’ He’s very proud because everybody else, you know, we’re getting killed … So he’s proud. I said, ‘Wrong Justin, you do.’ I didn’t even know … I had no idea." In reality, the US has an overall surplus in trade with Canada.
March 15, 2018 - According to a recording obtained by the Washington Post, Trump can be heard bragging that he made up facts while speaking to Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau: "Nice guy, good-looking guy, comes in – ‘Donald we have no trade deficit.’ He’s very proud because everybody else, you know, we’re getting killed … So he’s proud. I said, ‘Wrong Justin, you do.’ I didn’t even know … I had no idea." In reality, the US has an overall surplus in trade with Canada.
News surfaced that Robert S. Mueller III has issued subpoenas to the Trump Organization to turn over documents related to Russia.
Brian Ellison, Libertarian candidate for US Senate in Michigan, has proposed arming homeless people with pump-action shotguns as a crime reduction alternative.
Vanessa Trump, the wife of Donald Trump Jr, has filed for divorce.
March 14, 2018 - Stephen Hawking died today at age 76.
March 14, 2018 - Stephen Hawking died today at age 76.
Rodrigo Duterte, the president of the Philippines, announced his intent to withdraw the Philippines from the international criminal court (ICC) because of "baseless, unprecedented and outrageous attacks on my person."
Calling the nerve agent poisoning of the Skripals in Salisbury an "unlawful use of force by the Russian state against the United Kingdom", Theresa May, the prime minister, expelled 23 Russian diplomats saying "Their response has demonstrated complete disdain for the gravity of these events. There is no alternative conclusion other than the Russian state was responsible for the attempted murder of Mr Skripal and his daughter. We will not tolerate the threat to life of British people and others on British soil from the Russian government. Nor will we tolerate such a flagrant breach of Russia’s international obligations. We will freeze Russian state assets wherever we have evidence that they may be used to threaten the life or property of UK nationals or residents. There is no place for these people – or their money – in our country."
Despite repeated claims by Ben Carson, and his wife Candy that they knew nothing about an order for a $31,000 furniture set for Ben's office, an August 29 email released through a freedom of information request revealed that Carson and his wife "picked out" the furniture themselves.
Students from more than 3,000 schools across the US participated in an event called "Walkout Wednesday" to protest against an epidemic of gun violence, and to demand gun control reform that includes a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines, and the introduction of universal background checks. The walkout lasted 17 minutes, one minute for each of the 17 victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High school shooting in Parkland, FL.
Morgan Roof, the sister of Dylann Roof, the man who killed nine black churchgoers in South Carolina in 2015, was arrested for bringing a knife to school. In a snapchat post, Morgan had criticized the students who planned to walk out to protest gun violence saying "I hope it's a trap and y'all get shot. We know it's fixing to be nothing but black people walkin out anyway."
Trump announced that CNBC commentator Larry Kudlow, would be replacing Gary Cohn as the director of the White House's National Economic Council.
Dennis Alexander, a high school teacher in northern California, injured three students after a firearm accidentally discharged during a gun safety training course.
Joel and Mary Rich, the parents of Seth Rich, a Democratic National Committee employee who was murdered in 2016, have filed a federal lawsuit against Fox News for using "lies, misrepresentations and half-truths", to exploit the death of their son. In a statement, the Seth family said "No parent should ever have to live through what we have been forced to endure. The pain and anguish that comes from seeing your murdered son’s life and legacy treated as a mere political football is beyond comprehension."
March 13, 2018 - Trump fired secretary of state, Rex Tillerson. Tillerson, who had just returned from Africa, learned of the firing when he was shown a tweet sent by Trump. Under-secretary of state Steve Goldstein, who was also fired, responded that "The secretary did not speak to the president and is unaware of the reason, but he is grateful for the opportunity to serve, and still believes strongly that public service is a noble calling."
March 13, 2018 - Trump fired secretary of state, Rex Tillerson. Tillerson, who had just returned from Africa, learned of the firing when he was shown a tweet sent by Trump. Under-secretary of state Steve Goldstein, who was also fired, responded that "The secretary did not speak to the president and is unaware of the reason, but he is grateful for the opportunity to serve, and still believes strongly that public service is a noble calling."
Mike Pompeo, the CIA director, will be replacing Tillerson.
Trump's reason for firing Tillerson appears to be related to the Iran deal. According to Trump: "When you look at the Iran deal: I think it’s terrible, I guess he thought it was OK. I wanted to either break it or do something and he felt a little bit differently." Pompeo reportedly opposes the Iran deal that was established under Barack Obama in 2015.
Trump was asked twice by reporters if the reason he fired Tillerson was because Tillerson had called him a "fucking moron". In both instances, Trump said he couldn't hear the question, then went on talking about something else.
Replacing Pompeo will be Pompeo's deputy, Gina Haspel, who will be the CIA's first female director. Haspel has been criticized for her role in overseeing a black site prison in Thailand as part of the CIA's torture program under the Bush administration, and for ordering the destruction of CIA interrogation videos in 2005.
Critical of the elevation of Haspel, Larry Siems, the author of the book Torture Report, responded by saying "The fact that she’s been able to stay in the agency, rise in the agency and now is in line to be director should be deeply troubling."
John McCain, the Arizona senator who called the torture of detainees during the Bush era "one of the darkest chapters in American history", responded to Haspel's promotion saying "Ms Haspel needs to explain the nature and extent of her involvement in the CIA’s interrogation program during the confirmation process."
Michael Avenatti said it was "Time to buckle up" after a deadline set by adult film star Stormy Daniels passed in which she offered to return $130,000 in hush money to Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, for the freedom to speak out about her affair with the president.
Trump was met with protests while visiting California to inspect prototypes for a new border wall.
In a tweet, Trump criticized California's governor, Jerry Brown, as soft on crime. Brown responded on twitter writing "Thanks for the shout-out, @realDonaldTrump. But bridges are still better than walls. And California remains the 6th largest economy in the world and the most prosperous state in America. #Facts"
John Mcentee, a longtime personal aide to Donald Trump was fired today and escorted from the White House grounds. Mcentee told colleagues he had trouble gaining necessary security clearances. Mcentee was immediately hired by Trump's 2020 presidential campaign.
Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, called Britain's allegation of Moscow's involvement in the nerve agent poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter "Nonsense".
Brennan Gilmore, who was a witness to the murder of Heather Heyer at the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, and who posted video footage of the attack online and participated in news interviews, has filed suit against Alex Jones of Infowars, Jim Hoft of the Gateway Pundit, and five others, over their contribution to a massive harassment campaign against Gilmore. Said Gilmore "I naively wasn’t expecting any backlash from doing these interviews and condemning something that I thought we would universally condemn – the resurgence of Nazis. It was just sort of a full flood of hate mail, death threats and harassment." Gilmore's lawsuit claims he was accused by the defendants of being a "deep state" agent who helped orchestrate the violence in Charlottesville as part of a government operation.
March 12, 2018 - Trump, who recently expressed support for raising the age limit for firearms purchases, and who chided his Republican colleagues for fearing the NRA, is now backing away from that support after meeting with the NRA, saying in a tweet "On 18 to 21 Age Limits, watching court cases and rulings before acting. Not much political support (to put it mildly)." Recent polling data shows that two-thirds of US adults favor raising the legal age to purchase firearms.
When asked if she had seen first hand the struggling schools in her home state of Michigan, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos answered "I have not intentionally visited schools that are under-performing"
Porn star, Stormy Daniels, offered to return $130,000 she received from Michael Cohen, Trump's lawyer, to keep quiet about her affair with the president.
Britain's prime minister, Theresa May, called the poisoning of a former spy and his daughter "highly likely" the work of Moscow, and gave the Kremlin 24 hours to explain the attack. Russia has denied any responsibility for the poisoning.
House Intelligence Committee Republicans ended their investigation into Russian meddling with the declaration that no evidence of collusion had been found between the Donald Trump presidential campaign and Russia. They also declared that they "disagree with the narrative that they were trying to help Trump." Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the committee responded to the Republican conclusion saying "By ending its oversight role in the only authorized investigation in the House, the majority has placed the interests of protecting the president over protecting the country. And history will judge its actions harshly."
March 10, 2018 - According to a Pentagon memo, the military parade requested by Trump will take place on 11 November; will "include wheeled vehicles only" to "minimize damage to local infrastructure"; and will cost the taxpayers between $10m and $30m.
At a campaign rally outside of Pittsburgh, Trump said the following:
March 9, 2018 - Trump accepted an invitation to meet with Kim Jong-un to discuss the North Korean leader's nuclear missile program. The meeting is expected to happen by May.
- Called for the death penalty for drug dealers saying "I don’t know if this country is ready but I think it’s a discussion we have to start thinking about."
- Took credit for the success of the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea saying that South Korea's President Moon Jae-in told him: "Without Donald Trump, the Olympics would have been a total failure."
- Announced his 2020 campaign slogan will be "Keep America great" since he already "made America great again".
- Took credit for a congressional special election that was won by Republican Karen Handel, where he was deliberately kept away out of fear that he might alienate moderate Republican voters.
- Called NBC news host Chuck Todd a "sleepy son of a bitch"
- Called CNN "fake as hell"
- Called a Wall Street Journal columnist a "Neanderthal"
March 9, 2018 - Trump accepted an invitation to meet with Kim Jong-un to discuss the North Korean leader's nuclear missile program. The meeting is expected to happen by May.
Martin Shkreli, dubbed "the most hated man in America", and the "Pharma Bro" was sentenced to seven years in prison for multiple fraud charges.
Just days after insisting that he would defy any subpoena issued by the special counsel, Sam Nunberg appeared today, as scheduled, for a grand jury appearance.
Breaking with the NRA, Gov. Rick Scott, of Florida, signed into law new gun control legislation that includes raising the minimum age to purchase a firearm to 21, and extending the waiting period to 3 days.
March 8, 2018 - Oral arguments began in a free-speech lawsuit that accuses Trump of violating the first amendment rights of Figuero O'Reilly, whom Trump banned from his twitter account. The justice department, which is defending Trump, claims the president's account is personal in nature, and therefore, the president can block people at his leisure.
March 8, 2018 - Oral arguments began in a free-speech lawsuit that accuses Trump of violating the first amendment rights of Figuero O'Reilly, whom Trump banned from his twitter account. The justice department, which is defending Trump, claims the president's account is personal in nature, and therefore, the president can block people at his leisure.
In his official capacity, former press secretary Sean Spicer said of Trump's tweets: "They're considered official statements by the president of the United States."
Despite considerable opposition, even in his own party, Trump signed orders today imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum. Canada and Mexico are exempt from the tariffs. In response to the prospect of tariffs, the foreigner minister of China said they will make a "necessary response".
In the wake of the shooting in Parkland, Trump played host to executives from the video game industry, despite the many studies which failed to find any causal link between aggressive behavior and video games.
Regarding the Stormy Daniels lawsuit, White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders claimed "This case has already been won in arbitration". When pressed for more details, Sanders would only say, "I refer you to the president's outside counsel on any details beyond that."
The country added 313,000 jobs in February, which exceeded expectations.
March 7, 2018 - Mark Rowley, Scotland Yard assistant chief commissioner, told reporters that Sergei and Yulia Skripal, and the first police officer on the scene, were exposed to "a nerve agent".
March 7, 2018 - Mark Rowley, Scotland Yard assistant chief commissioner, told reporters that Sergei and Yulia Skripal, and the first police officer on the scene, were exposed to "a nerve agent".
Adam Purinton, a 52-year-old navy veteran, plead guilty to killing an Indian immigrant, and wounding two others after yelling "Get out of my country!"
Stephanie Clifford, the adult film star who performs under the name Stormy Daniels, filed a lawsuit against Trump to void a non-disclosure agreement that she says Trump never signed, which was used to silence her in the weeks leading up to the 2016 presidential election. Daniels alleges that she and Trump engaged in an "intimate relationship" in 2006, a year after Trump married Melania.
The European Union has threatened to retaliate against Trump's proposed tariffs with tariffs of their own on peanut butter, cranberries, and orange juice.
Robert Ussery, a conspiracy theorist, was arrested after threatening to "hang" the pastor of the First Baptist church in Texas. Ussery doesn't believe a shooting took place at the church in Sutherland Springs, despite the deaths of 26 people there in November, including the pastor's daughter.
107 Republican members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to Trump asking him to "reconsider the idea of broad tariffs to avoid unintended negative consequences."
Mike E. Noel, a Utah lawmaker, introduced a bill that would rename one of the state's most scenic routes to the Donald J, Trump Utah National Parks Highway. In response, Jim Dabakis, another Utah lawmaker, said that "If it gets to the Senate, I will present an amendment that the frontage road be designated as the Stormy Daniels rampway."
Two weeks after the phrase "a nation of immigrants" was removed from the mission statement of the USCIS, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development proposed a new mission statement which removes "inclusive" communities "free from discrimination".
Betsy DeVos, the US education secretary, toured the Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school campus, but refused to meet with students. In response, Aly Sheehy, a student at the school tweeted: "You came to our school just for the publicity and avoided our questions for the 90 minutes you were actually here. How about you actually do your job?"
March 6, 2018 - North Korea announced that it is willing to freeze nuclear tests if US agrees to talks.
March 6, 2018 - North Korea announced that it is willing to freeze nuclear tests if US agrees to talks.
The Centers for Disease Control reported that Opioid overdoses increased by 30% across the US in just 14 months (July 2016 to September 2017). In 2016 alone, overdoses killed 64,000 people. According to the Guardian, "neither Congress nor the White House has appropriated new funding to treat people affected by the opioid crisis, despite pleas from public health officials, some of whom have put a starting price tag at $6bn."
fter Ben Carson, the secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, claimed on twitter that allegations against him regarding his furniture purchase were unsubstantiated, Marcus Smallwood, Hud's director of records management, sent the following in an email to Carson: "Helen Foster is not the only person at Hud that has been persecuted in this witch-hunt under your watch. She is the only person who has been brave enough to stand on principle and put her career, reputation, and livelihood on the line. The rest of us have operated in fear. A week has gone by and it is now very clear that Helen Foster was not lying about the furniture purchases"
According to the US Office of Special Counsel, Kellyanne Conway violated federal law last year on at least two occasions when she "impermissibly mixed official government business with political views about the candidates in the Alabama special election" which is a violation of the 1939 Hatch Act.
Steve Huffman, the chief executive of Reddit, claimed the company has found and removed hundreds of accounts which are of Russian origin, or were linking to "known propaganda domains".
According to Forbes, Donald Trump's fortune has shrunk for the second consecutive year, moving him from 544th richest, to 766th.
Trump made the following statement at a press conference: "You know, I read where, ‘Oh, gee, maybe people don’t want to work for Trump.’ Believe me, everybody wants to work in the White House … I could take any position in the White House, and I’ll have a choice of the 10 top people having to do with that position. Everybody wants to be there." Two hours after making the statement, Gary D. Cohn, director of Trump's National Economic Council, resigned. Cohn had warned last week that he might resign if Trump follows through on his tariffs, which Cohn believes could jeopardize economic growth.
British police suspect the Russian government may have been involved in the poisoning of Sergei Skripal, and his daughter Yulia.
United Nations investigators linked Russia to war crimes carried out in Syria.
The US justice department is suing the state of California over its sanctuary policies, which the justice department claims interfere with the enforcement of immigration laws.
March 5, 2018 - In response to Trump's proposed steel and aluminum tariffs, AshLee Strong, spokeswoman for Republican leader Paul Ryan, said "We are extremely worried about the consequences of a trade war and are urging the White House to not advance the plan."
March 5, 2018 - In response to Trump's proposed steel and aluminum tariffs, AshLee Strong, spokeswoman for Republican leader Paul Ryan, said "We are extremely worried about the consequences of a trade war and are urging the White House to not advance the plan."
Trump sent the following tweet: "Why did the Obama Administration start an investigation into the Trump Campaign (with zero proof of wrongdoing) long before the Election in November? Wanted to discredit so Crooked H[illary Clinton] would win. Unprecedented. Bigger than Watergate! Plus, Obama did NOTHING about Russian meddling."
Former Trump adviser, Sam Nunberg, who was fired in August of 2015 over racially charged facebook posts, challenged Robert Mueller to subpoena him, saying he would "tear up" any subpoenas, and also stated that Trump "may have done something" illegal during the election, but he doesn't "know that for sure"
Anastasia Vashukevich, a Belarusian escort with ties to Russian oligarch Oleg V. Deripaska, claims to have more than 16 hours of audio recordings that could shed light on Russian meddling in the United States. Vashukevich, who is currently behind bars in Bangkok, offered the recordings in exchange for "protection" from the United States.
March 4, 2018 - Responding to the indictment of 13 Russians for meddling in the 2016 election, Vladimir Putin insisted that Russia would "never" extradite its citizens saying "Russia does not extradite its citizens to anyone."
March 4, 2018 - Responding to the indictment of 13 Russians for meddling in the 2016 election, Vladimir Putin insisted that Russia would "never" extradite its citizens saying "Russia does not extradite its citizens to anyone."
Sergei V. Skripal, a former Russian intelligence agent, and his daughter, Yulia Skripal, are found in a catatonic state on a park bench in Salisbury, England.
March 3, 2018 - Roy Moore, the disgraced former Alabama judge, is asking his supporters for financial assistance to defend himself against a lawsuit filed by Leigh Corfman, who claims Moore molested her when she was 14. In the lawsuit, Corfman claims Moore and his recent US Senate campaign defamed her. In his appeal for financial support, Moore claimed "Gays, lesbians, and transgenders have joined forces with those who believe in abortion, sodomy, and destruction of all that we hold dear. Unless we stand together we will lose our country."
March 3, 2018 - Roy Moore, the disgraced former Alabama judge, is asking his supporters for financial assistance to defend himself against a lawsuit filed by Leigh Corfman, who claims Moore molested her when she was 14. In the lawsuit, Corfman claims Moore and his recent US Senate campaign defamed her. In his appeal for financial support, Moore claimed "Gays, lesbians, and transgenders have joined forces with those who believe in abortion, sodomy, and destruction of all that we hold dear. Unless we stand together we will lose our country."
Trump responded to European Union threats of tariff retaliation by threatening to slap tariffs on cars made in Europe.
A man stood in front of the White House today, pulled out a gun, and killed himself.
Trump reacted to news of China's move towards a one-man dictatorship with praise for Xi Jinping saying "I think it's great. Maybe we'll give that a shot some day."
According to the Washington Post, US intelligence has intercepted communications where foreign government officials discussed ways to exploit the business interests of Jared Kushner.
March 2, 2018 - Chris Cox, chief lobbyist of the National Rifle Association, tweeted after a meeting with Trump that Trump doesn't "want gun control" and that Trump "supports strong due process".
March 2, 2018 - Chris Cox, chief lobbyist of the National Rifle Association, tweeted after a meeting with Trump that Trump doesn't "want gun control" and that Trump "supports strong due process".
A non-partisan, 2 year study released by the Rand Corporation, estimates that a universal background check law could prevent 1,100 homicides each year, and estimates that raising the age limit for buying firearms could prevent 1,600 homicides and suicides.
Jean-Claude Juncker, the European commission president, warned that "If the Americans impose tariffs on steel and aluminum, then we must treat American products the same way." Juncker also described which products would be targeted saying "We will put tariffs on Harley-Davidson, on bourbon and on blue jeans - Levi's."
The International Monetary Fund warned that "The import restrictions announced by the US President are likely to cause damage not only outside the US, but also to the US economy itself, including to its manufacturing and construction sectors, which are major users of aluminum and steel."
Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, called Trump's proposed tariffs "absolutely unacceptable".
Japan's steel industry warned that Trump's proposal could have "seriously harmful effects" on trade worldwide.
Responding to critics of his tariff proposal, Trump claimed that "Trade wars are good, and easy to win."
Carl Icahn, a former special adviser to Donald Trump, reportedly sold $31.3m of shares in a company that is heavily dependent on steel imports, shortly before Trump announced the new tariffs.
According to research published in the journal Scientific Reports "Spring is arriving earlier, and the Arctic is experiencing greater advances of spring than lower latitudes". Current data shows the Arctic spring is arriving 16 days earlier than it did a decade ago, and three times faster than indicated by previous studies.
March 1, 2018 - Hope Hicks, the White House communications director, and longtime aide to Donald Trump, announced her resignation.
March 1, 2018 - Hope Hicks, the White House communications director, and longtime aide to Donald Trump, announced her resignation.
During a meeting at the White House, Trump endorsed expanded background checks, removing guns from the hands of the mentally ill, increased security on school campuses, and increasing the legal age for purchasing certain weapons from 18 to 21. Trump also accused Republican lawmakers who were present of being "petrified of the NRA". Trump also suggested that guns should be taken from individuals without court approval saying "Take the guns first, go through due process second." Trump also claimed he was going to issue an executive order banning bump stocks saying "You don’t have to worry about bump stocks. Shortly that will be gone, I’ll do it".
Responding to Trump's call for arming teachers, Jesse Wasmer, a former guidance counselor at Perry Hill High School in Baltimore, stated "I think as educators we’re trained to nurture kids and foster kids, and our first instinct is to not shoot or harm them. What we need is more caring adults in these kids’ lives, not more guns."
Dick's Sporting Goods Inc announced that it plans to discontinue the sale of assault-style weapons in its stores. Walmart announced that it is raising the minimum age for purchasing firearms and ammunition to 21 years.
Responding to Delta's decision to discontinue a promotional discount for members of the NRA, Georgia lawmakers stripped a $50 million sales tax exemption on jet fuel sought by Delta out of a bill that is expected to be signed by the state's Governor.
Marine Le Pen, the leader of France's far-right Front National, was charged with circulating "violent messages that incite terrorism or pornography or seriously harm human dignity" because of images she shared on twitter which showed gruesome images of purported atrocities by Islamic State. If convicted, Le Pen could face up to three years in prison.
Responding to the growing ethics controversy, Ben Carson, the US secretary for housing and urban development, attempted to cancel an order for a $31,000 dining set for his Washington office, claiming he had no knowledge of the purchase. In a statement released by Carson he claimed that "Nobody was more surprised than me."
Donald Trump announced that the United States would impose tariffs of 25% on steel imports and 10% on imported aluminum. The announcement, which signaled to many that a trade war could be looming, caused world markets to tumble.
An investigation into leaked text messages of conversations between Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Adam Waldman, a Russian-connected lawyer, found that members of the House Intelligence Committee, under chairman Devin Nunes, were the source of the leak. The text messages, which were published by Fox News, were presented as evidence that Warner was surreptitiously trying to make contact with former British spy, Christopher Steele. The leak, which is considered a serious breach of protocol, is being characterized by the Guardian as a "partisan attack by one intelligence committee against the other." Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida, pointed out in a tweet that the text messages had been "disclosed" to the Senate Intelligence Committee four months prior to the leak, and have "had zero impact on our work."
Vladimir Putin, president of Russia, told an audience at his annual state of the nation address that Russia has in its possession "invincible" intercontinental cruise missiles and nuclear torpedoes that can outsmart all American defenses.
Roberta Jacobson, the US ambassador to Mexico, resigned amid strained US-Mexico relations.
February 28, 2018 - Security experts have begun voicing concerns that Jared Kushner cannot be effective in his role as a senior adviser without a top secret security clearance. According to Richard Painter, who served under George W Bush as the chief White House ethics lawyer, under any other administration, Kushner "would have been shown the door".
February 28, 2018 - Security experts have begun voicing concerns that Jared Kushner cannot be effective in his role as a senior adviser without a top secret security clearance. According to Richard Painter, who served under George W Bush as the chief White House ethics lawyer, under any other administration, Kushner "would have been shown the door".
Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign manager, pleaded not guilty to new charges brought against him in the Russian meddling investigation. Manafort's trial is scheduled to begin on 17 September in the US district court for the District of Columbia.
News surfaced that Hope Hicks, the White House communications director, and longtime confidant of Donald Trump, admitted during testimony to a House intelligence panel that she had occasionally told "white lies" for Trump.
News surfaced that Democrats asked for a subpoena after Hicks refused to answer questions - saying she was advised not to answer - but Republicans declined to issue one. When asked about Hick's refusal to answer some of the questions put to her, Sara Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary responded with "we are cooperating because as the president has said repeatedly there is no collusion, and we’re going to continue to cooperate, and hopefully they’ll wrap this up soon."
Congress opened an investigation into claims that a HUD official was demoted for refusing to approve expensive decorations for Ben Carson's office.
According to a new study led by Harvard Medical School and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, gun injuries declined by 20% during the NRA's annual convention. According to the researchers "Fewer people using guns means fewer gun injuries, which in some ways is not surprising. But the drop in gun injuries during these large meetings attended by thousands of well-trained gun owners seems to refute the idea that gun injuries stem solely from lack of experience and training in gun use."
February 27, 2018 - Helen Foster, a senior official in the US Department of Housing and Urban Development claims she faced retaliation for refusing to break the law and for exposing a $10m budget shortfall. Through her attorney, Foster claimed she was demoted and replaced after refusing to exceed price limits for improvements to Ben Carson's HUD office. These allegations accompany news that despite proposed cuts of $6.8bn to Hud's annual budget, the department has agreed to spend $165,000 on new lounge furniture and an additional $31,000 for a dining set for Ben Carson's office.
February 27, 2018 - Helen Foster, a senior official in the US Department of Housing and Urban Development claims she faced retaliation for refusing to break the law and for exposing a $10m budget shortfall. Through her attorney, Foster claimed she was demoted and replaced after refusing to exceed price limits for improvements to Ben Carson's HUD office. These allegations accompany news that despite proposed cuts of $6.8bn to Hud's annual budget, the department has agreed to spend $165,000 on new lounge furniture and an additional $31,000 for a dining set for Ben Carson's office.
Trump named Brad Parscale the campaign manger for his 2020 re-election campaign.
Hope Hicks, Trump's longtime aide, met with the House intelligence committee for a closed-door interview as part of the Russian meddling investigation. After the meeting, Denny Heck, a Washington Democrat claimed "We got Bannoned" which was a reference to Steve Bannon's refusal to answer some of the questions posed to him when he testified. Hicks had also refused to answer questions about events and conversations since Trump took office.
Trump tweeted that the Russia investigation is a "WITCH HUNT!"
The Anti-Defamation League reported that antisemitic incidents in 2017 were up by 57% over the prior year, making this the largest yearly increase since the group began collecting data in 1979.
Joseph Yun, the state department's point-man for contact with the North Korean government, will retire this week. Yun claims the reasons for retiring are his own.
Adm Mike Rogers, director of the National Security Agency, testified before the Senate armed services committee that Trump had not granted him the authority to counter Russian cyber attacks. According to Rogers "I need a policy decision that indicates there is specific direction to do that. The president ultimately would make this decision in accordance with a recommendation from the secretary of defense."
Special counsel dropped nearly two dozen criminal fraud charges against Rick Gates, a former aide to the Trump campaign, in exchange for his cooperation in the Russian meddling investigation.
Norway has announced that it will ban semi-automatic weapons as of 2021. The ban comes 10 years after right wing extremist, Anders Breivik, killed 69 people, most of whom were teenagers at a Labour party youth camp.
Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, has been stripped of his top-secret security clearance. This downgrade is the result of an overhaul to the security clearance process for White House staff by John F. Kelly, the White House chief of staff. F.B.I. background checks for Kushner and other White House aides are still pending.
According to the Washington Post, "Officials in at least four countries have privately discussed ways they can manipulate Jared Kushner... by taking advantage of his complex business arrangements, financial difficulties and lack of foreign policy experience."
February 26, 2018 - Public-lands advisory groups have begun voicing frustration that they are being ignored by the head of the department of the interior, Ryan Zinke. In January, 10 of the 12 members of the National Park System advisory board resigned after Zinke refused to meet with them.
February 26, 2018 - Public-lands advisory groups have begun voicing frustration that they are being ignored by the head of the department of the interior, Ryan Zinke. In January, 10 of the 12 members of the National Park System advisory board resigned after Zinke refused to meet with them.
The communist party of China announced that it was considering the removal of the term limit rule for president and vice president, causing many to voice concern that Xi Jinping, China's 64-year-old leader, was positioning himself to be "dictator - for life."
South Korean officials announced that North Korea is willing to engage in direct talks with the US.
The Supreme Court refused a request by the White House to immediately rule on whether the Trump administration can shut down DACA, the program that protects more than 700,000 immigrants from deportation. Appeals courts have yet to rule on the issue.
Trump called the "inaction" of Scot Peterson and three other deputies of the Broward County Sheriff's office "frankly, disgusting" and claimed that he personally would have run into the school "even if" he didn't have a weapon. Trump also vowed to ban "bump stocks", but did not mention raising the age to purchase a rifle to 21, as he had in previous days, which is something the NRA opposes.
After being asked by an interviewer if she believed her father's accusers, Ivanka Trump responded: "I don't think that's a question you would ask many other daughters. I believe my father. I know my father. So, I think I have that right as a daughter to believe my father."
A new study published in Nature Climate Change issued a warning that 70% of the king penguins could be affected in this century by climate change.
Responding to a petition on the website "We the People" which calls for Trump to release his tax returns, and has been signed by over 1.1M people, the White House responded that the tax-return question "is not within the scope" of the government's feedback site because the issue "does not address an action or policy of the federal government". Critics were quick to point out that the administration has also refused to respond to a petition calling for Trump to place his holdings in a blind trust, which does fit into the category of a policy of the federal government.
The Trump Organization claimed it had given the profits from foreign government spending at its hotels to the US Treasury, just as Trump had promised they would do, but provided no evidence of the transaction. Critics of the claim called the lack of details another example of the secrecy surrounding Trump's pledges to separate his administration from his business. Noah Bookbinder, the executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington said that "even if they had given every dime they made from foreign governments to the treasury, the taking of those payments would still be a problem under the constitution."
Responding to Delta's decision to sever ties with the NRA. Casey Cagle, the lieutenant governor in Georgia, sent the following tweet: "I will kill any tax legislation that benefits @Delta unless the company changes its position and fully reinstates its relationship with @NRA. Corporations cannot attack conservatives and expect us not to fight back."
February 25, 2018 - The Democratic response to the Nunes memo was released after weeks of wrangling over which parts should be redacted. The Democratic memo calls out the Nunes memo as a "transparent effort to undermine" ongoing investigations into Russian meddling.
February 25, 2018 - The Democratic response to the Nunes memo was released after weeks of wrangling over which parts should be redacted. The Democratic memo calls out the Nunes memo as a "transparent effort to undermine" ongoing investigations into Russian meddling.
Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House intelligence panel tweeted "Some time ago, Republicans on our committee released a declassified memo that omitted and distorted key facts in order to mislead the public and impugn the integrity of the FBI. We can now tell you what they left out."
Trump attacked Schiff on Fox News and twitter by calling him a "bad guy" and a "total phony". Schiff responded: "Wait a minute, Mr President. Am I a phony, or sleazy, a monster or little? Surely you know the key to a good playground nickname is consistency. I thought you were supposed to be good at this."
Trump said he backs raising the legal age for purchasing assault style weapons to 21 saying "It should be at 21, and the NRA will back it."
Oprah Winfrey offered praise for survivors of the shooting in Florida who have become gun control activists, calling them "warriors of the light."
February 24, 2018 - Delta and United Airlines joined with more than a dozen businesses who are severing partnerships with the NRA. In response, the NRA released the following statement: "The law-abiding members of the NRA had nothing at all to do with the failure of that school’s security preparedness, the failure of America’s mental health system, the failure of the National Instant Check System or the cruel failures of both federal and local law enforcement. Despite that, some corporations have decided to punish NRA membership in a shameful display of political and civic cowardice."
February 24, 2018 - Delta and United Airlines joined with more than a dozen businesses who are severing partnerships with the NRA. In response, the NRA released the following statement: "The law-abiding members of the NRA had nothing at all to do with the failure of that school’s security preparedness, the failure of America’s mental health system, the failure of the National Instant Check System or the cruel failures of both federal and local law enforcement. Despite that, some corporations have decided to punish NRA membership in a shameful display of political and civic cowardice."
Contained within the new charges filed against Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign manager, are accusations that in 2012 and 2013 he secretly funded the "Hapsburg Group" which included former top European officials who took "positions favourable to Ukraine" while giving the appearance of providing "independent assessments of Government of Ukraine actions".
According to the Washington Post, Enrique Pena Nieto, Mexico's president, postponed a planned visit to the White House after Trump refused to "publicly affirm Mexico's position that it would not fund construction of the wall along the US-Mexico border."
February 23, 2018 - Rick Gates plead guilty to charges of conspiracy and making false statements, and has agreed to cooperate with special counsel. In a statement, Gates said "Despite my initial desire to vigorously defend myself, I've had a change of heart." In response, former confidant, Paul Manafort, remained defiant, saying "Notwithstanding that Rick Gates plead today, I continue to maintain my innocence. I had hoped and expected my business colleague would have had the strength to continue the battle to prove our innocence. For reasons yet to surface he chose to do otherwise. This does not alter my commitment to defend myself against the untrue piled-up charges contained in the indictments against me."
February 23, 2018 - Rick Gates plead guilty to charges of conspiracy and making false statements, and has agreed to cooperate with special counsel. In a statement, Gates said "Despite my initial desire to vigorously defend myself, I've had a change of heart." In response, former confidant, Paul Manafort, remained defiant, saying "Notwithstanding that Rick Gates plead today, I continue to maintain my innocence. I had hoped and expected my business colleague would have had the strength to continue the battle to prove our innocence. For reasons yet to surface he chose to do otherwise. This does not alter my commitment to defend myself against the untrue piled-up charges contained in the indictments against me."
Responding to a speech by Trump at CPAC, Republican strategist Steve Schmidt sent the following tweet: "This speech at CPAC is demagogic, vapid, intellectually dishonest and just plain old fashioned idiotic. If someone delivered this speech from the end of a bar most people would think that person was an imbecile."
Responding to increased pressure following the mass shooting in Florida last week, some companies began severing ties with the NRA. Those companies are Hertz, Best Western, Wyndham Hotels, Chubb, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and First National Bank of Omaha.
News surfaced that the F.B.I. and the Broward County sheriff's office received warnings that Nikolas Cruz was a ticking timebomb, and that he "could be a school shooter in the making." Neither followed up on the warnings.
February 22, 2018 - Trump proposed arming teachers as a solution to end gun violence in public schools. Critics were quick to point to this tweet sent by Trump in May of 2016 during the presidential election: "Crooked Hillary said that I want guns brought into the school classroom. Wrong!"
February 22, 2018 - Trump proposed arming teachers as a solution to end gun violence in public schools. Critics were quick to point to this tweet sent by Trump in May of 2016 during the presidential election: "Crooked Hillary said that I want guns brought into the school classroom. Wrong!"
Responding to Trump's call to arm teachers, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers union issued the following statement: "Anyone who wants guns in schools has no understanding of what goes on inside them - or worse, doesn't care."
Video footage from outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shows the onsite armed guard, Scot Peterson, standing outside throughout the duration of the shooting that killed 17 students. Peterson resigned after being told he was suspended for failing to engage the shooter.
Wayne LaPierre, the head of the N.R.A. warned that gun control advocates were part of a socialist plot to "eradicate all individual freedoms".
New charges against Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort were unsealed. The new charges, 32 in total, include tax and bank fraud.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) re-wrote its mission statement. The old statement identified America as "a nation of immigrants". The new statement does not.
February 21, 2018 - Alex van der Zwaan, a lawyer who worked with Paul Manafort, plead guilty to making false statements to the special counsel.
February 21, 2018 - Alex van der Zwaan, a lawyer who worked with Paul Manafort, plead guilty to making false statements to the special counsel.
Billy Graham died, age 99.
Shlomo Filber, a former confidant of Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has agreed to turn state witness.
Special counsel, Robert Mueller, has filed new charges against ex-Trump aides Manafort and Gates. As of this writing, the new charges have remained sealed.
While meeting with students and parents from Parkland Florida, where a former student killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School with an AR-15 rifle, Trump pledged to strengthen background checks and to enhance mental health measures. During the meeting, Trump was photographed holding a piece of paper with apparent crib notes written on it for help in expressing empathy, like "What would you most want me to know about your experience?" and "What can we do to help you feel safe?" and "I hear you".
February 20, 2018 - Responding to criticism about his response to the school shooting in Florida, Trump insisted that school safety is a top priority for his administration saying "We can do more to protect our children."
February 20, 2018 - Responding to criticism about his response to the school shooting in Florida, Trump insisted that school safety is a top priority for his administration saying "We can do more to protect our children."
Trump ordered the justice department to draw up regulations to ban "bump stocks" but gave no indication that any other action would be taken.
Despite evidence to the contrary, Trump tweeted today that he has "been much tougher on Russia than Obama, just look at the facts."
Police in Israel have arrested several of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's friends and close associates.
Rachel Crooks, a former Trump Tower employee, who has accused Trump of forcibly kissing her, urged Trump to release security footage "from the hallway outside the 24th floor residential elevator bank on the morning of January 11, 2006."
February 19, 2018 - According to numerous news outlets, Rick Gates, a former Trump campaign aide and lobbyist, has struck a deal with Robert Mueller, and, in exchange for leniency, will testify against longtime business associate Paul Manafort.
February 19, 2018 - According to numerous news outlets, Rick Gates, a former Trump campaign aide and lobbyist, has struck a deal with Robert Mueller, and, in exchange for leniency, will testify against longtime business associate Paul Manafort.
Students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school have become increasingly angered by Trump's "divisive" response to the shooting at their school, and are now calling for a national walkout in support of gun control, and a "March for Our Lives" protest in Washington DC. David Hogg, a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas voiced some of that anger on NBC's Meet the Press saying "You're the president. You're supposed to bring this nation together, not divide us. How dare you."
Dozens of teen students protested against gun violence today in front of the White House by laying down on the street.
Regarding the indictment of 13 Russians, Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee claimed the indictment "tore any veneer off the argument that the Russians were not involved".
Trump Forest, a project launched last year, has received pledges of over 1 million trees to be planted by people all over the world. According to the group's website "We're planting a global forest to offset Trump's monumental stupidity."
February 18, 2018 - In a tweet today, Trump referred to Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, as the "leaking monster of no control".
February 18, 2018 - In a tweet today, Trump referred to Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, as the "leaking monster of no control".
Slide Fire Solutions, a manufacturer of bump stocks, is offering a 10% discount on President's Day, to purchasers of bump stocks who use promotional code MAGA.
February 17, 2018 - Referring to the 37 page indictment against 13 Russians and 3 Russian companies, the Trump White House falsely claimed the indictments proved there was no collusion.
February 16, 2018 - Harry Harris, head of US Pacific Command in Hawaii, warned Congress that America must prepare for the possibility of war with China. According to Harris, "China's intent is crystal clear. We ignore it at our peril." This concern comes from China's significant buildup of military might in the South China Sea, and increased military strength that, according to Harris, could soon rival America's "across almost every domain".
February 17, 2018 - Referring to the 37 page indictment against 13 Russians and 3 Russian companies, the Trump White House falsely claimed the indictments proved there was no collusion.
February 16, 2018 - Harry Harris, head of US Pacific Command in Hawaii, warned Congress that America must prepare for the possibility of war with China. According to Harris, "China's intent is crystal clear. We ignore it at our peril." This concern comes from China's significant buildup of military might in the South China Sea, and increased military strength that, according to Harris, could soon rival America's "across almost every domain".
Ernest Moniz, former US energy secretary under Barrack Obama, warned that the odds of a country using a nuclear weapon "is higher than it's been since the Cuban missile crisis".
Referring to the false alarm recently in Hawaii, Ernest Moniz said "We know we’ve had those warnings many times in history and we’ve managed so far to dodge the bullet. But dodging the bullets is more difficult when there’s not significant communications going on and a lot of tensions between the countries."
Mitt Romney, former Republican presidential nominee, and harsh Trump critic, announced his candidacy for a US Senate seat in Utah.
News surfaced of another extramarital affair by Trump, this one ending in April of 2007, after 9 months. According to the New Yorker, the affair was with Karen McDougal, who was a Playboy model at the time. According to the report, a tabloid publisher, American Media Inc, purchased the rights to McDougal's story for $150,000, then declined to publish it, thus burying the story. Trump and his third wife Melania were married in 2005.
News surfaced that the F.B.I. was warned last month that Nikolas Cruz might kill people at a school, but the agency failed to follow up on the tip.
Florida's governor, Rick Scott, has called for the resignation of FBI director, Christopher A. Wray.
The special counsel issued an indictment today against 13 Russians and 3 companies who stole the identities of American citizens, posed as political activists, and used immigration, religion and race to manipulate voters. According to the indictment, some of those who were indicted were in contact with "unwitting individuals associated with the Trump campaign." According to Rod J. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, "The indictment alleges that the Russian conspirators want to promote discord in the United States and undermine public confidence in democracy. We must not allow them to succeed."
Kentucky Governor, Matt Bevin, placed the blame for gun violence on video games saying "guns are not the problem, We have a cultural problem in America... You look at the culture of death that is being celebrated. There are video games, that yes, are listed for mature audiences, but kids play them and everybody knows it and there's nothing to prevent the child from playing them, that celebrate the slaughtering of people."
February 15, 2018 - According to analysis by Media Matters for America, network news coverage of climate change increased significantly in 2017 thanks in large part to Donald Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement.
February 15, 2018 - According to analysis by Media Matters for America, network news coverage of climate change increased significantly in 2017 thanks in large part to Donald Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement.
Trump sent the following tweet today, which many interpreted as victim blaming: "So many signs that the Florida shooter was mentally disturbed, even expelled from school for bad and erratic behavior. Neighbors and classmates knew he was a big problem. Must always report such instances to authorities, again and again!" Joseph Crowley, Representative of New York, responded to Trump's tweet with this "The onus is not on children to #EndGunViolence. When will you lead, Mr. President?"
In an address to the nation, Trump directed the following statement to America's children: "I want you to know that you are never alone and you never will be. You have people who care about you, who love you and who will do anything at all to protect you. If you need help, turn to a teacher, a family member, a local police officer or a faith leader. Answer hate with love, answer cruelty with kindness." Trump went on to say that he would make school safety a "top priority." Trump's prepared remarks made no mention of guns.
February 14, 2018 - Donald Trump's attorney, Michael Cohen, claims that it was he who paid Stormy Daniels $130,000 "which was lawful, and was not a campaign contribution or a campaign expenditure by anyone." Cohen also claimed he was not reimbursed by the Trump Organization. Responding to Cohen's comments, Gina Rodriguez, Daniels manager, replied that "Everything is off now, and Stormy is going to tell her story" Daniels had claimed in a 2011 interview with In Touch magazine, that she and Trump had a sexual encounter in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, a year after Trump's marriage to his current wife, Melania.
February 14, 2018 - Donald Trump's attorney, Michael Cohen, claims that it was he who paid Stormy Daniels $130,000 "which was lawful, and was not a campaign contribution or a campaign expenditure by anyone." Cohen also claimed he was not reimbursed by the Trump Organization. Responding to Cohen's comments, Gina Rodriguez, Daniels manager, replied that "Everything is off now, and Stormy is going to tell her story" Daniels had claimed in a 2011 interview with In Touch magazine, that she and Trump had a sexual encounter in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, a year after Trump's marriage to his current wife, Melania.
The Taliban released a letter that calls upon the "American people" and "peace-loving congressmen" to pressure Trump into negotiations.
Armed with an AR-15 rifle, Nikolas Cruz, a 19-year-old who had been expelled from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, entered that same school and opened fire, killing 17, and wounding many others.
Despite constant claims by Trump, and Republican supporters that there is no evidence of collusion or obstruction, Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee claimed that "There is certainly an abundance of non-public information that we've gathered in the investigation. And I think some of that non-public evidence is evidence on the issue of collusion and some ... on the issue of obstruction." Regarding what should be done to protect against outside meddling going forward, Schiff said "Probably the most significant thing that we can do to protect ourselves in 2018 requires a couple of things. It requires the commander in chief to decide this is a priority and to instruct all of its relevant cabinet officials to develop a game plan to protect against foreign interference in our elections. It requires that we develop a nonpartisan, bipartisan consensus that if a foreign power meddles again we will all reject their interference no matter who it helps or who it hurts."
Following days of intense pressure to say something about domestic violence, Trump stated that he is "totally opposed to domestic violence of any kind, everyone knows that, and it almost wouldn't even have to be said."
Lloyd Blankfein, the Goldman Sachs boss, warned that Trump's 1.5tn tax cut could over-stimulate an already healthy economy saying "The odds of a bad outcome have gone up."
Speaking to the House budget committee, Mick Mulvaney, the White House budget chief, claimed the military parade requested by Trump could cost between $10m and $30m. At the same hearing, Democratic congresswoman Barbara Lee stated "You know the parade is very similar to those held in authoritarian countries like North Korea."
February 13, 2018 - New satellite data published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences shows that melting ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are speeding up, which is in line with predictions from the UN.
According to top US intelligence officials who are testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Russia is already meddling in the midterm elections using fake accounts on social media to spread disinformation. According to Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, "We expect Russia to continue using propaganda, social media, false-flag personas, sympathetic spokespeople and other means of influence to try to exacerbate social and political fissures in the United States. There should be no doubt that Russia perceives its past efforts as successful and views the 2018 U.S. midterm elections as a potential target for Russian influence operations."
Christopher A. Wray, the F.B.I. director, testified that the F.B.I. had provided the White House with the results of its background check on Rob Porter in January, which directly contradicted statements made by Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, who claimed when pressed by reporters last week that Porter's background check was still underway. According to Wray, White House officials were updated in March, July, and again in November of 2017, regarding the progress of Porter's background check. The abuse allegations were included in the July update. Sanders had insisted earlier this week that senior West Wing officials were not made aware of the allegations against Porter until an article appeared in the Daily Mail on February 6th.
Anthony Scaramucci, former White House communications director weighed in on the Porter controversy saying chief of staff John Kelly "almost certainly knew about credible allegations against Rob Porter at least 6 months ago - then recently forced others to lie about the timeline. Inexcusable. Kelly must resign."
After a yearlong investigation, the Israeli police recommended that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be charged with bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. Netanyahu addressed the nation saying in part "You know I do everything with only one thing in mind — the good of the country. Not for cigars from a friend, not for media coverage, not for anything. Only for the good of the state. Nothing has made me deviate, or will make me deviate, from this sacred mission."
Gun manufacturer Remington filed for bankruptcy following a sharp decline in gun sales. According to Robert Spitzer, author of five books on guns, "They call it the Trump slump" referring to Donald Trump's gun-friendly presidency.
February 12, 2018 - Scott Pruitt, the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, made the following statement regarding climate change during an interview with KSNV in Las Vegas "Is it an existential threat? Is it something that is unsustainable, or what kind of effect or harm is this going to have? I mean, we know that humans have most flourished during times of what? Warming trends. I think there's assumptions made that because the climate is warming, that that necessarily is a bad thing. Do we really know what the ideal surface temperature should be in the year 2100? In the year 2018? I mean it's fairly arrogant for us to think that we know exactly what it should be in 2100."
February 12, 2018 - Scott Pruitt, the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, made the following statement regarding climate change during an interview with KSNV in Las Vegas "Is it an existential threat? Is it something that is unsustainable, or what kind of effect or harm is this going to have? I mean, we know that humans have most flourished during times of what? Warming trends. I think there's assumptions made that because the climate is warming, that that necessarily is a bad thing. Do we really know what the ideal surface temperature should be in the year 2100? In the year 2018? I mean it's fairly arrogant for us to think that we know exactly what it should be in 2100."
Philippines president, Rodrigo Duterte, was back in the news after imploring soldiers to shoot female communist rebels in the vagina, saying "There’s a new order coming from the mayor, ‘We will not kill you. We will just shoot you in the vagina’” Duterte added that without their vaginas, the women would be “useless". Carlos H Conde, the Philippines researcher for Human Rights Watch called the comments "mysogynist, derogatory and demeaning" towards women, adding that the comments encourage "state forces to commit sexual violence during armed conflict, which is a violation of international humanitarian law."
A study by the Insight Crime Thinktank warns that the Trump administration is bolstering the image of La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, by politicizing the gang. MS-13 has become a major talking point by Trump when he talks immigration policy.
February 11, 2018 - White House communications director, and former Ralph Lauren model, Hope Hicks, has been interviewed by Robert Mueller's special counsel, according to ABC News. Hicks, who has been a personal assistant of Trump's for many years, is reported to have been in a relationship with outgoing secretary, and accused spousal abuser, Rob Porter. Hicks is also reported to have had a relationship with one of Trump's early campaign strategists, Corey Lewandowski.
February 11, 2018 - White House communications director, and former Ralph Lauren model, Hope Hicks, has been interviewed by Robert Mueller's special counsel, according to ABC News. Hicks, who has been a personal assistant of Trump's for many years, is reported to have been in a relationship with outgoing secretary, and accused spousal abuser, Rob Porter. Hicks is also reported to have had a relationship with one of Trump's early campaign strategists, Corey Lewandowski.
The Trump administration has not appointed a White House adviser on violence against women, a position that was created by the Obama administration. Regarding that reality, Caroline Bettinger-Lopez, who served in that role during the Obama years, responded saying "When a sexual predator-in-chief is leading our country from the White House, one would not think his highest priority would be to have an adviser on violence against women. I think it's a real sign of values."
According to the Washington Post, "the Trump administration is considering turning the International Space Station over to private enterprise."
February 10, 2018 - In the wake of two aides resigning from the White House over accusations of domestic abuse, Trump sent the following tweet: "People’s lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation. Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused - life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?" Critics were quick to point out that Porter resigned after a picture was made public showing his first wife with a black eye, and that her story of abuse had been corroborated by others.
February 9, 2018 - For the second time in three weeks, the government was shut down over a failure of the Republican led congress to reach a budget agreement. This shutdown lasted only a few hours.
February 10, 2018 - In the wake of two aides resigning from the White House over accusations of domestic abuse, Trump sent the following tweet: "People’s lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation. Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused - life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?" Critics were quick to point out that Porter resigned after a picture was made public showing his first wife with a black eye, and that her story of abuse had been corroborated by others.
February 9, 2018 - For the second time in three weeks, the government was shut down over a failure of the Republican led congress to reach a budget agreement. This shutdown lasted only a few hours.
Police in Sacramento have been accused of sympathizing with and seeking help from white supremacists to go after counter-protesters of a June 2016 white nationalist rally. Yvette Felarca, a Berkeley teacher who participated in, and helped organize a counter protest at the June 2016 rally, and who was stabbed and bludgeoned in the head, expressed her frustration by saying "It is shocking and really angering to see the level of collusion and the amount to which the police covered up for the Nazis. The people who were victimized by the Nazis were then victimized by the police and district attorneys."
David Sorensen, a speech writer for Trump, became the second White House staff member to resign this week over allegations of abuse by a former spouse.
In an about face regarding sensitive data, Trump blocked the release of the Democrats' rebuttal to the Nunes memo, saying the memo contains "classified and sensitive passages". Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, responded to Trump's action by saying "The President’s double standard when it comes to transparency is appalling. The rationale for releasing the Nunes memo, transparency, vanishes when it could show information that’s harmful to him. Millions of Americans are asking one simple question: what is he hiding?"
Rachel Brand, the No 3 official at the US justice department, is planning to resign to take a job as general counsel in the private sector. According to the Guardian, This move is seen by many as a "sign of turmoil at US law agencies which have come under sustained attack by Trump and his Republican allies in recent months."
Kim Jong-un's Sister Kim Yo-jong, became the first member of Pyongyang's ruling dynasty to travel to South Korea since the Korean war. The visit was in response to an invitation that was extended by South Korea's president, Moon Jae-in to come and see the Olympic games.
Figures released by the EPA show that enforcement against polluters has dropped to its lowest level in a decade. Eric Schaeffer, executive director of the Environmental Integrity Project, responded to the lower enforcement numbers, saying "President Trump campaigned on a promise of 'law and order', but apparently law enforcement for big polluters is not what he had in mind".
February 8, 2018 - The international criminal court (ICC) is looking into allegations of crimes against humanity by the Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte's "war on drugs" is alleged to have killed over 8,000 people since 1988.
February 8, 2018 - The international criminal court (ICC) is looking into allegations of crimes against humanity by the Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte's "war on drugs" is alleged to have killed over 8,000 people since 1988.
Nancy Pelosi, the minority leader in the US House of Representatives, spoke for eight hours, with no breaks, and in high heels, in an attempt to persuade Republicans to allow a vote on protecting Dreamers (Young undocumented migrants brought to the US as children).
News surfaced today that John Kelly, chief of staff, Joe Hagin, deputy chief of staff for operations, and Donald McGahn II, White House counsel, were all aware since late fall that abuse accusations had been leveled against Rob Porter, the White House staff secretary, by his two ex-wives. This seemed to contradict a statement issued yesterday by John Kelly that he was "shocked by the new allegations." Kelly had also defended Porter in recent days, calling him a "man of true integrity". It was also revealed that the top security clearance needed by Porter to do his job, had been held up by the F.B.I. since they first learned of the allegations in January, during an interview with Porter's ex-wives. According to Rob Cromwell, a former F.B.I. agent, when allegations of this nature come to light "The F.B.I would notify the White House right away. You're having a person exposed to classified material, and that's a risk. The customer is notified, and the customer, in this case, is the White House."
Omarosa Manigault Newman, who resigned from her position as presidential adviser in December, told a fellow participant on the show "Big Brother" "It's going to not be OK. It's not. It's so bad" after being asked if we should "be worried" about Trump's presidency.
Analysis of public sector wage data by the Contently Foundation, found that women earn 10% less median income than men.
February 7, 2018 - Rob Porter, Donald Trump's staff secretary, resigned today over allegations that he physically and emotionally abused his two ex-wives.
February 7, 2018 - Rob Porter, Donald Trump's staff secretary, resigned today over allegations that he physically and emotionally abused his two ex-wives.
Gloria Copeland, a member of Trump's faith advisory council, admonished parishoners to skip the flu shot in favor of prayer, despite this being one of the worst flu seasons ever recorded, with pediatric deaths sitting at 53 so far.
A three judge panel on the ninth circuit court of appeals ruled unanimously to uphold a $25m settlement against Trump over his now-defunct Trump University.
Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to begin planning a military parade, reportedly saying "I want a parade like the one in France". Some notable responses to the parade order:
"Donald Trump has continually shown himself to have authoritarian tendencies, and this is just another worrisome example. Unfortunately, we do not have a commander in chief right now as much as have a wannabe banana republic strongman." - Paul Eaton, senior adviser to Vote Vets
"Oh my god ... he wants to be Kim Jong-un." - Joy Reid, JournalistFebruary 6, 2018 - In defiance of a subpoena requiring him to appear before the intelligence committee of the US House of Representatives, Steve Bannon is refusing to appear.
According to a new study from the University of Oxford's Computational Propaganda Project, the distribution of "extremist, sensationalist, conspiratorial, masked commentary, fake news and other forms of junk news" is "unevenly spread across the ideological spectrum" with Trump supporters and extreme hard right groups "circulating more junk news than all the other groups put together" on both Twitter and Facebook.
SpaceX launched a Falcon Heavy rocket, and put a Tesla Roadster into space, which is expected to orbit the sun for hundreds of millions of years.
News surfaced that after hurricane Maria, FEMA awarded a $156 million dollar contract to a company made up of a single woman, to provide 30 million meals to Puerto Rico. Only 50,000 meals had been delivered when the contract was canceled. Tiffany Brown, the recipient of the contract, had no prior experience in large-scale disaster relief, and had at least five canceled government contracts in her past.
February 5, 2018 - Research conducted by the Guardian found that in the months leading up to the 2016 election, YouTube's algorithm was "six times more likely to recommend videos that were damaging to Clinton than to Trump, and also tended to amplify wild conspiracy theories about the former secretary of state." Responding to the research, Senator Mark Warner, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee warned that YouTube's recommendation algorithm may be "optimising for outrageous, salacious and often fraudulent content" or susceptible to "manipulation by bad actors, including foreign intelligence entities".
February 5, 2018 - Research conducted by the Guardian found that in the months leading up to the 2016 election, YouTube's algorithm was "six times more likely to recommend videos that were damaging to Clinton than to Trump, and also tended to amplify wild conspiracy theories about the former secretary of state." Responding to the research, Senator Mark Warner, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee warned that YouTube's recommendation algorithm may be "optimising for outrageous, salacious and often fraudulent content" or susceptible to "manipulation by bad actors, including foreign intelligence entities".
Kim Jong-un accepted an invitation from Moon Jae-in, South Korea's president, to send a North Korean delegation to the Olympic Games, which will take place later this week in Pyeongchang.
Trump, who was angered that Democrats did not applaud him during his state of the union address, referred to them as "un-American" and "treasonous" during a speech at a factory in Ohio.
On twitter, Trump launched into a tirade against Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee, saying "Little Adam Schiff, who is desperate to run for higher office, is one of the biggest liars and leakers in Washington, right up there with Comey, Warner, Brennan and Clapper!" Schiff, who has been critical of Republican actions to derail the investigation into Russian meddling, responded with a tweet of his own: "Mr President, I see you’ve had a busy morning of ‘Executive Time’. Instead of tweeting false smears, the American people would appreciate it if you turned off the TV and helped solve the funding crisis, protected Dreamers or … really anything else."
During an interview with Fox and Friends, Devin Nunes, the author of the Nunes memo, falsely claimed that no evidence existed that Trump had ever met George Papadopoulos, despite the existence of a photograph with the two of them sitting together at the same table. The source of the photograph was the Trump campaign, which posted the photo to Instagram in March 2016.
Paul Ryan, Republican House speaker, expressed support for the release of the Democrat memo "If it is scrubbed to ensure it does not reveal sources and methods of our intelligence gathering".
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the sole Republican on the ballot for the third congressional district of Illinois is Art Jones, a neo-Nazi Holocaust denier. Jones was removed from the ballot in the same district in 2016 after every signature he provided for qualification was found to be invalid.
February 4, 2018 - Regarding the release of the Nunes memo, Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the intelligence committee, told ABC's This Week that his Republican colleagues were carrying out "a political hit job on the FBI in the service of the president"
February 4, 2018 - Regarding the release of the Nunes memo, Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the intelligence committee, told ABC's This Week that his Republican colleagues were carrying out "a political hit job on the FBI in the service of the president"
With speculation swirling that Trump might try to use the Nunes memo as an excuse to fire special counsel Robert Mueller, or deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein, Dick Durbin, the number two Democrat in the Senate, claimed that the firing of either man would "precipitate a constitutional crisis".
Responding to a key assertion in the Nunes memo that law enforcement relied too heavily on a dossier that was put together by former M16 agent Christopher Steele at the behest of the Democrat party, Trey Gowdy, the Republican chairman of the House oversight committee responded that "There is a Russia investigation without the dossier. The dossier has nothing to do with the meeting at Trump Tower. The dossier has nothing to do with an email sent by Cambridge Analytica. The dossier has nothing to do with George Papadopoulos's meeting in Great Britain. It also doesn't have anything to do with obstruction of justice. So there's going to be a Russia probe, even without a dossier".
Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, issued a challenge to Trump to release a rebuttal to the Nunes memo that was crafted by Democrats.
In a Guardian interview, documentary-maker, Alex Gibney, had this to say regarding Trump's appearance in Dirty Money, a new six-part series he produced for Netflix: "The essence of Trump’s appeal was that he’s a great businessman, so therefore he’ll be a great president. We thought, OK then, let’s take a focused look at what he was like as a businessman. He was an absolutely terrible businessman. Every business he touched withered and died and he would always leave someone else holding the bag. You look at the trail of slime he left behind and just shake your head and wonder."
February 3, 2018 - Trump claims in tweet regarding Nunes memo "This memo totally vindicates 'Trump' in probe. But the Russian Witch Hunt goes on, and on. Their (sic) was no collusion and there was no Obstruction (the word now used because, after one year of looking endlessly and finding NOTHING, collusion is dead). This is an American disgrace!"
February 3, 2018 - Trump claims in tweet regarding Nunes memo "This memo totally vindicates 'Trump' in probe. But the Russian Witch Hunt goes on, and on. Their (sic) was no collusion and there was no Obstruction (the word now used because, after one year of looking endlessly and finding NOTHING, collusion is dead). This is an American disgrace!"
Paul Manafort, Donald Trump's former campaign manager, filed a lawsuit in which he claims deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein, exceeded his legal authority to "grant Mr Mueller carte blanche to investigate and pursue criminal charges in connection with anything he stumbles across". Responding to the lawsuit, a justice department filing to the court stated "These claims lack merit. The special counsel's investigation and prosecutions are entirely lawful".
February 2, 2018 - Hundreds of thousands of acres of land that was once part of Bears Ears national monument, and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monument before Trump shrunk them both last year, are being opened today to mining claims for uranium and other minerals.
February 2, 2018 - Hundreds of thousands of acres of land that was once part of Bears Ears national monument, and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monument before Trump shrunk them both last year, are being opened today to mining claims for uranium and other minerals.
Trump declassified and approved the release of a memo that was authored by Devin Nunes, despite warnings from the Department of Justice that releasing the "misleading" memo would be "reckless" due to the memo's many omissions and inaccuracies. Hours after the release of the Nunes memo, the FBI director, Christopher Wray, sent an internal memo which read in part "Talk is cheap; the work you do is what will endure. We speak through our work. One case at a time. One decision at a time. Remember; keep calm and tackle hard." Democrats have put together a response to the memo, which has yet to be released. Here are some notable responses to the release of the "Nunes Memo":
February 1, 2018 - Despite an uproar from the intelligence community regarding the "misleading" nature of a Republican memo, President Trump cleared the way for its release to the public, which could happen tomorrow.
January 31, 2018 - The F.B.I. expressed "grave concerns" regarding the accuracy of a Republican memo which accuses the bureau of mishandling the Russia inquiry.
"The latest attacks on the FBI and Department of Justice serve no American interests – no party’s, no president’s, only Putin’s. The American people deserve to know all of the facts surrounding Russia’s ongoing efforts to subvert our democracy, which is why special counsel Mueller’s investigation must proceed unimpeded. Our nation’s elected officials, including the president, must stop looking at this investigation through the warped lens of politics and manufacturing partisan sideshows." - John McCain, Republican Senator
"FBI special agents have not, and will not, allow partisan politics to distract us from our solemn commitment to our mission" - FBI Agents Association
"Tellingly, when asked whether the Republican staff who wrote the memo had coordinated its drafting with the White House, the chairman refused to answer" - Adam Schiff, leading Democrat on the House Intelligence committee
"That’s it? Dishonest and misleading memo wrecked the House intel committee, destroyed trust with intelligence community, damaged relationship with Fisa court, and inexcusably exposed classified investigation of an American citizen. For what? DOJ & FBI must keep doing their jobs." - James Comey, former FBI director
"I’ve read both memos. What’s clear to me is that the sole intent of the #NunesMemo is to give the Trump administration cover to fire Rosenstein." - Ruben Gallego, Democratic representative
February 1, 2018 - Despite an uproar from the intelligence community regarding the "misleading" nature of a Republican memo, President Trump cleared the way for its release to the public, which could happen tomorrow.
January 31, 2018 - The F.B.I. expressed "grave concerns" regarding the accuracy of a Republican memo which accuses the bureau of mishandling the Russia inquiry.
Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, the acting director of the Centers for Disease Control, resigned today amid criticism of her financial investments in tobacco and health care companies.
January 30, 2018 - Trump gave his first State of the Union Address.
January 29, 2018 - Andrew G. McCabe, the F.B.I.'s deputy director, stepped down today.
January 30, 2018 - Trump gave his first State of the Union Address.
January 29, 2018 - Andrew G. McCabe, the F.B.I.'s deputy director, stepped down today.
News surfaced of a secret memo being passed among Republicans, who many believe are hoping to use the memo to undermine the Russian inquiry, with Deputy Attorney General Rod J, Rosenstein as one of its potential targets.
The Cleveland Indians announced that their current logo, Chief Wahoo, will be removed from uniforms and ballpark displays by 2019.
January 26, 2018 - News surfaced that Trump had ordered the firing of Robert Mueller last year, but backed off after White House counsel threatened to resign. Trump denied the report as "fake news."
January 25, 2018 - Citing the threat posed by nuclear war, and climate change, the nonprofit Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists advanced the Doomsday Clock by 30 minutes to 2 minutes before midnight. The last time the clock was this close to midnight was in 1953, during the Cold War.
January 24, 2018 - Trump told reporters today that he is willing to be interviewed by Robert S. Mueller III saying "I would love to do that."
January 26, 2018 - News surfaced that Trump had ordered the firing of Robert Mueller last year, but backed off after White House counsel threatened to resign. Trump denied the report as "fake news."
January 25, 2018 - Citing the threat posed by nuclear war, and climate change, the nonprofit Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists advanced the Doomsday Clock by 30 minutes to 2 minutes before midnight. The last time the clock was this close to midnight was in 1953, during the Cold War.
January 24, 2018 - Trump told reporters today that he is willing to be interviewed by Robert S. Mueller III saying "I would love to do that."
According to the Washington Post, Trump asked deputy F.B.I. director Andrew G. McCabe who he voted for in the 2016 election. When asked about the report, Trump responded "I don't think so; no, I don't think I did. I don't know what's the big deal with that."
Trump told reporters today that while running for president, he "was one of the greatest candidates" and that he is open to a pathway to citizenship for "Dreamers."
January 23, 2018 - News surfaced today that Attorney General Jeff Sessions was questioned for several hours last week as part of the special counsel investigation, making him the first member of Trump's cabinet to be interviewed in the inquiry.
January 23, 2018 - News surfaced today that Attorney General Jeff Sessions was questioned for several hours last week as part of the special counsel investigation, making him the first member of Trump's cabinet to be interviewed in the inquiry.
A 15 year old student opened fire today at Marshall County High School in Benton, KY, killing two and wounding more than a dozen. This is the 11th high school shooting to take place since January 1st.
Brandon Griesemer, 19, was arrested in Michigan for making dozens of threatening calls to CNN's headquarters in Atlanta. During the calls, Griesemer referred to CNN as "fake news" and in one exchange said "I am on my way right now to gun the fuckin' CNN cast down...I am coming to kill you." Critics were quick to point out that Trump regularly attacks CNN and other media outlets as "fake news."
January 22, 2018 - Congress ended a three day government shutdown today with a bill that funds the government through February 8. The bill also extends the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIPs) for another six years. Democrats joined with Republicans to fund the government after Republican leaders promised to address the fate of the young undocumented immigrants known as Dreamers.
January 22, 2018 - Congress ended a three day government shutdown today with a bill that funds the government through February 8. The bill also extends the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIPs) for another six years. Democrats joined with Republicans to fund the government after Republican leaders promised to address the fate of the young undocumented immigrants known as Dreamers.
Despite complaints over the weekend that Trump had remained "invisible" through the negotiations, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, insisted that he was the one responsible for the deal saying "What the president did clearly worked."
Trump imposed steep tariffs on imports of washing machines and solar energy cells and panels.
January 21, 2018 - Trump, who is angry that Democrat support for a spending bill hinges on protecting "Dreamers", began running a television ad that says Democrats will be "complicit" in any murders committed by undocumented immigrants.
January 21, 2018 - Trump, who is angry that Democrat support for a spending bill hinges on protecting "Dreamers", began running a television ad that says Democrats will be "complicit" in any murders committed by undocumented immigrants.
A recording on the White House comment line has raised eyebrows with ethics lawyers. The message, which was put into place in response to the government shutdown, stated "Unfortunately, we cannot answer your call today because congressional Democrats are holding government funding for our troops and other national security priorities hostage to an unrelated immigration debate. Due to this obstruction, the government is shut down." Norm Eisen, who served as an ethics lawyer under Barack Obama, called the message "quite a bit North of definitely wrong, but just South, or on the borderline, of illegal."
January 20, 2018 - To mark the anniversary of Trump's 1st year in office, tens of thousands of people across America took to the streets in protest. One notable sign read "I've seen better Cabinets at Ikea".
January 20, 2018 - To mark the anniversary of Trump's 1st year in office, tens of thousands of people across America took to the streets in protest. One notable sign read "I've seen better Cabinets at Ikea".
For the first time in five years, and for the first time ever when the same party control all three branches of government, the government was shut down after Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress failed to approve a funding bill. Five Democrats voted to approve the bill, while four Republicans voted against it. Democrats overwhelmingly opposed the bill because it did not address nearly 700,000 young undocumented migrants known as Dreamers. The White House issued an official statement saying "this is the behavior of obstructionist losers, not legislators". Trump had publicly stated that he would sign whatever bill was presented to him, but then refused to sign two different bipartisan bills. Chuck Schumer, Senate minority leader, said dealing with Trump was "like negotiating with Jello" because Trump "can't stick to terms".
Here are some significant numbers from Trump's first year in office:
- 58 judicial nominees, 47 were men.
- 11 weekends were spent at Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
- 73 days were spent playing golf.
- 117 days were spent visiting Trump properties.
- 0 miles of border wall built.
- 0 mentions of climate change in the National Security Strategy.
- 15 White House officials have resigned or been fired.
- 1 billion is the estimated savings for Trump from the recently signed tax cuts.
- 1 trillion is the estimated amount the tax cuts will add to the deficit.
January 19, 2018 - The Supreme Court announced that it will review a challenge to Trump's 3rd attempt at limiting travel from 8 countries, 6 of which are predominantly Muslim. The case is Trump v. Hawaii.
January 18, 2018 - NASA declared 2017 to be the second-warmest year on record, and according to the group Berkely Earth, the warmest year on record without an El Nino. Based on temperature analyses by both NASA and NOAA, 17 of the 18 warmest years since modern record-keeping began, have occurred since 2001.
- 58 judicial nominees, 47 were men.
- 11 weekends were spent at Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
- 73 days were spent playing golf.
- 117 days were spent visiting Trump properties.
- 0 miles of border wall built.
- 0 mentions of climate change in the National Security Strategy.
- 15 White House officials have resigned or been fired.
- 1 billion is the estimated savings for Trump from the recently signed tax cuts.
- 1 trillion is the estimated amount the tax cuts will add to the deficit.
January 19, 2018 - The Supreme Court announced that it will review a challenge to Trump's 3rd attempt at limiting travel from 8 countries, 6 of which are predominantly Muslim. The case is Trump v. Hawaii.
January 18, 2018 - NASA declared 2017 to be the second-warmest year on record, and according to the group Berkely Earth, the warmest year on record without an El Nino. Based on temperature analyses by both NASA and NOAA, 17 of the 18 warmest years since modern record-keeping began, have occurred since 2001.
Chief of staff John Kelly said Trump's campaign promise to build a border wall was not "fully informed" and that Trump had "evolved" on the issue. Contradicting his chief of staff, Trump responded on twitter saying "The Wall is the Wall, it has never changed or evolved from the first day I conceived it."
January 17, 2018 - In a sign considered by many to be a sign of cooperation, Stephen Bannon agreed to be interviewed by the special counsel, thus avoiding testifying before a grand jury.
January 16, 2018 - Stephen Bannon, Trump's former chief strategist, has been summoned to testify before a grand jury.
January 14, 2018 - Chelsea Manning, former US army private who was imprisoned for leaking close to 700,000 documents to Wikileaks in 2010, was pardoned by Barack Obama in January of 2017, and was called a "TRAITOR...who should never have been released from prison" by Donald Trump, confirmed she is running for US senate in Maryland as a Democrat, in a video hashtagged #WeGotThis.
January 17, 2018 - In a sign considered by many to be a sign of cooperation, Stephen Bannon agreed to be interviewed by the special counsel, thus avoiding testifying before a grand jury.
January 16, 2018 - Stephen Bannon, Trump's former chief strategist, has been summoned to testify before a grand jury.
January 14, 2018 - Chelsea Manning, former US army private who was imprisoned for leaking close to 700,000 documents to Wikileaks in 2010, was pardoned by Barack Obama in January of 2017, and was called a "TRAITOR...who should never have been released from prison" by Donald Trump, confirmed she is running for US senate in Maryland as a Democrat, in a video hashtagged #WeGotThis.
Trump declared today that he is not a racist saying "I am the least racist person you have ever interviewed, that I can tell you."
Two Republican senators, David Purdue of Georgia, and Tom Cotton of Arkansas, implied that Durbin and Graham were misrepresenting Trump's words, saying they do "not recall the president saying these comments specifically." Senator Jeff Flake, an Arizona Republican, said he was told by people in the room that Trump had used derogatory language "before the account even went public." Other Republicans at the meeting have remained silent about what they heard. Mia Love, a Hatian-American Republican representative from Utah responded "Well, yes" when asked if Trump's comments were racist. Love also said that Trump apologizing for his comments "would show real leadership." John Lewis, Georgia representative and civil rights campaigner said of Trump's "shithole" comment "I think he is a racist. We have to stand up, speak up and not sweep it under the rug."
January 13, 2018 - While giving a speech on gender equality to the Fabian Society in central London, Sadiq Khan, London's mayor, was interrupted repeatedly by a group calling themselves the White Pendragons. The group claims to support Brexit and Donald Trump, and according to the Guardian, claim "Sadiq Khan has no right to be Mayor of London, referencing his religion." They also claim "to be neither racist, nor a far-right group." After the protesters were escorted out of the building, Khan told the audience "It is a pleasure to be here even though we were distracted by the actions of what some would call very stable geniuses."
January 13, 2018 - While giving a speech on gender equality to the Fabian Society in central London, Sadiq Khan, London's mayor, was interrupted repeatedly by a group calling themselves the White Pendragons. The group claims to support Brexit and Donald Trump, and according to the Guardian, claim "Sadiq Khan has no right to be Mayor of London, referencing his religion." They also claim "to be neither racist, nor a far-right group." After the protesters were escorted out of the building, Khan told the audience "It is a pleasure to be here even though we were distracted by the actions of what some would call very stable geniuses."
Porn star Alana Evans told the Daily Beast she was asked by Stormy Daniels to join her and Donald Trump in a hotel room in 2006. The Daily Beast is also reporting that another adult film star, Jessica Drake, is subject to a non-disclosure agreement regarding "any and every mention of Trump."
Anti-Trump protesters projected images of "poop" emojis and the words "This place is a shithole" on the front of Trump International, a hotel in downtown Washington.
An alert went out over television, radio, and cellphones, that a ballistic missile was inbound to Hawaii. The alert, which sent Hawaiian residents scrambling for cover, was a mistake. A correction to the error was issued 38 minutes later.
January 12, 2018 - Trump denied making derogatory comments about other countries during a meeting yesterday, saying he had only used "tough" language. Dick Durbin, democratic senator from Illinois, who was present at the meeting, responded that Trump said "things which were hate-filled, vile and racist" and "did so repeatedly." Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator, who was also present, called the reports of the comments "basically accurate."
January 12, 2018 - Trump denied making derogatory comments about other countries during a meeting yesterday, saying he had only used "tough" language. Dick Durbin, democratic senator from Illinois, who was present at the meeting, responded that Trump said "things which were hate-filled, vile and racist" and "did so repeatedly." Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator, who was also present, called the reports of the comments "basically accurate."
Trump announced on twitter that he won't be traveling to Britain next month to open the new embassy as planned because he is "not a big fan of the Obama Administration having sold perhaps the best located and finest embassy in London for 'peanuts,' only to build a new one in an off location for 1.2 billion dollars. Bad deal. Wanted me to cut ribbon-NO!" Critics were quick to point out that the old embassy was determined to be at high risk for terror attacks, and that the decision to move from Mayfair to Nine Elms occurred during the George W Bush administration.
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, responded to Trump's cancelled trip saying "It appears that President Trump got the message from many Londoners who love and admire America and Americans but find his policies and actions the polar opposite of our city's values of inclusion, diversity and tolerance."
While being briefed by an intelligence analyst regarding a sensitive issue, Trump asked the analyst where she was from. The analyst is reported to have responded that she was from New York. Trump then asked where "your people" are from, to which the analyst explained her parents are Korean. Trump then asked an adviser why the "pretty Korean lady" wasn't involved in negotiations with North Korea.
According to the Wall Street Journal, President Trump paid an adult-film star $130,000 as part of an agreement that "precludes her from publicly discussing an alleged sexual encounter with Mr. Trump" that occurred while he was married to his third and current wife Melania. The porn star's name is Stephanie Clifford, who performs under the name Stormy Daniels. The payment to Daniels took place approximately one month before the election.
In a letter of resignation, John Feeley, the US ambassador to Panama, said he could no longer "serve faithfully the president and his administration in an apolitical fashion." Feeley's resignation will be effective on March 9th.
Trump signed a proclamation today honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. After the ceremony, Trump was asked by a reporter if he is a "racist." Trump ignored the question and immediately left the room. Trump insisted vaguely on Twitter that his remarks in the immigration meeting were "tough, but this was not the language used."
January 11, 2018 - During a meeting in which lawmakers discussed restoring protections for immigrants from countries that have been removed from temporary protected status by the Trump administration, Donald Trump made a disparaging reference to El Salvador, Haiti and some African nations under consideration saying "Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?" According to lawmakers who were present, Trump then suggested the United States should instead bring more people from countries like Norway. When asked about the comments, the White House responded "Like other nations that have merit-based immigration, President Trump is fighting for permanent solutions that make our country stronger by welcoming those who can contribute to our society, grow our economy and assimilate into our great nation." As with previous off the cuff comments by Trump, these created a firestorm of criticism. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), responded that "They [Republicans] don't believe in immigration - its always been about people of color and keeping them out of this country." Rep. Cedric L. Richmond (D-La.), chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus responded that Trump's remarks "are further proof that his Make America Great Again agenda is really a Make America White Again Agenda." Responding to Trump's comments, Haiti's ambassador to the US said their government had "formally summoned" US officials to explain Trump's comments. The former president of Mexico, Vicente Fox Quesada responded to Trump's comment with "your mouth is the foulest shithole in the world." The 55-nation African Union called Trump's remarks "clearly racist." The US charge d'affaires to Haiti, Robin Diallo, was summoned by Haitian president Jovenel Moise to explain Trump's remarks. Boniface Mwangi, a social activist in Kenya tweeted "Africa isn't a shithole. It's the most beautiful continent in the world. Beautiful hardworking people. We have diamonds, gold, iron, cobalt, uranium, copper, bauxite, silver, petroleum, cocoa, coffee, tea etc. Sadly we have #shithole leaders like Trump shitting on us everyday."
January 11, 2018 - During a meeting in which lawmakers discussed restoring protections for immigrants from countries that have been removed from temporary protected status by the Trump administration, Donald Trump made a disparaging reference to El Salvador, Haiti and some African nations under consideration saying "Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?" According to lawmakers who were present, Trump then suggested the United States should instead bring more people from countries like Norway. When asked about the comments, the White House responded "Like other nations that have merit-based immigration, President Trump is fighting for permanent solutions that make our country stronger by welcoming those who can contribute to our society, grow our economy and assimilate into our great nation." As with previous off the cuff comments by Trump, these created a firestorm of criticism. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), responded that "They [Republicans] don't believe in immigration - its always been about people of color and keeping them out of this country." Rep. Cedric L. Richmond (D-La.), chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus responded that Trump's remarks "are further proof that his Make America Great Again agenda is really a Make America White Again Agenda." Responding to Trump's comments, Haiti's ambassador to the US said their government had "formally summoned" US officials to explain Trump's comments. The former president of Mexico, Vicente Fox Quesada responded to Trump's comment with "your mouth is the foulest shithole in the world." The 55-nation African Union called Trump's remarks "clearly racist." The US charge d'affaires to Haiti, Robin Diallo, was summoned by Haitian president Jovenel Moise to explain Trump's remarks. Boniface Mwangi, a social activist in Kenya tweeted "Africa isn't a shithole. It's the most beautiful continent in the world. Beautiful hardworking people. We have diamonds, gold, iron, cobalt, uranium, copper, bauxite, silver, petroleum, cocoa, coffee, tea etc. Sadly we have #shithole leaders like Trump shitting on us everyday."
Eric Grietens, Governor of Missouri, and rising Republican star, admitted that he had an extramarital affair, but denied allegations that he photographed his lover in a compromising position, and then threatened to release the photo publicly if she ever revealed their relationship.
January 10, 2018 - William Alsup, a District judge in San Francisco, blocked the Trump administration from ending DACA, saying that the Trump administration must "maintain the Daca program on a nationwide basis" as various legal challenges make their way through the court system. In his ruling, Alsup said the decision was reached by drawing "a plausible inference that racial animus towards Mexicans and Latinos was a motivating factor in the decision to end DACA." In response to the ruling, Trump called the courts "Broken and unfair."
January 9, 2018 - A panel of federal judges passed down a ruling in Common Cause v. Rucho that the Republican-controlled NC General Assembly created an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander when drawing new congressional maps in 2016. The General Assembly was ordered to re-draw the maps more fairly by January 24, or face having them re-drawn for them. The current maps were created after the prior maps were ruled to be unconstitutionally drawn along racial lines. Representative David Lewis stated publicly after the prior ruling that the maps would be re-drawn using "political data...to gain partisan advantage on the map."
January 10, 2018 - William Alsup, a District judge in San Francisco, blocked the Trump administration from ending DACA, saying that the Trump administration must "maintain the Daca program on a nationwide basis" as various legal challenges make their way through the court system. In his ruling, Alsup said the decision was reached by drawing "a plausible inference that racial animus towards Mexicans and Latinos was a motivating factor in the decision to end DACA." In response to the ruling, Trump called the courts "Broken and unfair."
January 9, 2018 - A panel of federal judges passed down a ruling in Common Cause v. Rucho that the Republican-controlled NC General Assembly created an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander when drawing new congressional maps in 2016. The General Assembly was ordered to re-draw the maps more fairly by January 24, or face having them re-drawn for them. The current maps were created after the prior maps were ruled to be unconstitutionally drawn along racial lines. Representative David Lewis stated publicly after the prior ruling that the maps would be re-drawn using "political data...to gain partisan advantage on the map."
Former chief strategist to Donald Trump, Stephen K. Bannon stepped down today as executive chairman of Breitbart News, after being ostracized by his fellow conservatives over disparaging comments he made about Trump and his family, which were exposed in the book "Fire and Fury."
Trump's lawyers have been informed by the special counsel that Trump himself will probably be questioned.
Dianne Feinstein, Senator and top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, released a transcript of an interview with Glenn R. Simpson, one of the founders of Fusion GPS, the company that produced the Trump-Russia dossier. The transcript was released at the request of Simpson and Peter Fritsch, who argued in an Op-Ed essay in the New York Times that Republicans were smearing them and their work. According to Simpson's testimony, the F.B.I. reached out to Christopher Steele in September, nearly two months after an investigation had begun looking into Russian meddling.
January 8, 2018 - The Trump administration announced an end to Temporary Protection Status (TPS) for 200,000 Salvadoran refugees who were granted protection after a horrific 2001 earthquake. The refugees are now required to leave the United States by Sept. 9, 2019, or find a way to obtain a green card.
January 7, 2018 - Amid heavy criticism from Trump and his allies, and declining support from major Republican donors, Steve Bannon issued a statement today saying his comments to Michael Wolff "were aimed at Paul Manafort, a seasoned campaign professional with experience and knowledge of how the Russians operate. He should have known they are duplicitous, cunning and not our friends. To reiterate, those comments were not aimed at Don Jr." Bannon also expressed his "unwavering support for the president and his agenda" and even expressed regret for taking so long to respond, saying "I regret that my delay in responding to the inaccurate reporting regarding Don Jr has diverted attention from the president's historical accomplishments in the first year of his presidency."
January 8, 2018 - The Trump administration announced an end to Temporary Protection Status (TPS) for 200,000 Salvadoran refugees who were granted protection after a horrific 2001 earthquake. The refugees are now required to leave the United States by Sept. 9, 2019, or find a way to obtain a green card.
January 7, 2018 - Amid heavy criticism from Trump and his allies, and declining support from major Republican donors, Steve Bannon issued a statement today saying his comments to Michael Wolff "were aimed at Paul Manafort, a seasoned campaign professional with experience and knowledge of how the Russians operate. He should have known they are duplicitous, cunning and not our friends. To reiterate, those comments were not aimed at Don Jr." Bannon also expressed his "unwavering support for the president and his agenda" and even expressed regret for taking so long to respond, saying "I regret that my delay in responding to the inaccurate reporting regarding Don Jr has diverted attention from the president's historical accomplishments in the first year of his presidency."
According to Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Trump's nuclear button comment was meant to "keep Kim on his toes."
Trump announced today that his "MOST DISHONEST & CORRUPT MEDIA AWARDS OF THE YEAR" will not be taking place tomorrow as promised, but instead will take place on January 17th.
January 6, 2018 - Trump insisted during a news conference today that Mexico, "in some form" will pay for a border wall, despite asking lawmakers yesterday for $18bn to build a 316 mile wall, and to fortify 407 miles of existing barriers.
January 6, 2018 - Trump insisted during a news conference today that Mexico, "in some form" will pay for a border wall, despite asking lawmakers yesterday for $18bn to build a 316 mile wall, and to fortify 407 miles of existing barriers.
Defending himself against claims that he is mentally unstable, Trump claimed through twitter today that "throughout my life, my two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart." Trump also claimed he "would qualify as not smart, but genius ... and a very stable genius at that!"
Some additional claims that are contained in Michael Wolff's book "Fire and Fury":
- Claims that president Trump's lawyers believed the false statement dictated by the president aboard Air Force One in July in response to news surfacing that a meeting took place with the Russians in Trump Tower, was "an explicit attempt to throw sand into the investigation's gears," and that it led to at least one Trump spokesperson to quit because he believed it constituted obstruction of justice.
- Steve Bannon said "They're going to crack Don Junior like an egg on national TV."
- Rupert Murdoch called Trump "a fucking idiot" over his incoherent views on immigration policy.
- Thomas Barrack Jr, one of Trump's oldest associates told a friend that Trump is "not only crazy, he's stupid."
- Melania Trump was "in tears" over Trump's election victory, and "not of joy."
- Gary Cohn called Trump "dumb as shit"January 5, 2018 - Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, and Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who are both Republican members of the Judiciary Committee, have urged the Justice Department to investigate Christopher Steele, who put together a dossier that detailed Russia's interference in the election, and the Trump campaign's complicity in the matter. The two Senator's allege that Steele lied to federal authorities about his contacts with reporters.
Trump has demanded that the Justice Department reopen the investigation that looked into Hillary Clinton's emails during the 2016 presidential election, and also that they investigate the Clinton Foundation to see if donations were exchanged for political favors while Hillary Clinton was serving as secretary of state. Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, a Democrat, called these efforts an attempt to "deflect attention from what should be the committee's top priority: determining whether there was collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia to influence the 2016 election, and whether there was subsequent obstruction of justice."
Michael Wolff, author of Fire and Fury, called the administration's attempts to block the release of his book "extraordinary." Wolff also responded to Trump's attacks on his credibility saying "My credibility is being questioned by a man who has less credibility than, perhaps, anyone who has ever walked on earth at this point." Wolff also described how Trump's associates referred to Trump as a "moron" and an "idiot" and almost unanimously described him as being "like a child." According to Wolff "What they mean by that is he has a need for immediate gratification. It's all about him."
Trump sent the following tweet regarding the book, Fire and Fury "I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book. Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that don’t exist. Look at this guy’s past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!" Author Wolff responded: "What was I doing there if he didn't want me there?"
Veteran Washington Post reporter, Carl Bernstein, summarized Fire and Fury as being about Trump's "stability."
Responding to news that Steve Bannon is losing support among financial donors, Trump tweeted that Bannon "cried when he got fired and begged for his job. Now sloppy Steve has been dumped like a dog by almost everyone. Too bad!"
When asked why she and other psychiatrists are speaking out about Trump, Bandy Lee, whose career is focused on studying, predicting, and preventing violence, said that she and other professionals feel "the danger has become imminent. He’s shown an attraction to powerful weapons and war and provoked a hostile nation that already has an unstable leader and nuclear power. All these signs are not just signs of dangerousness, but of the most cataclysmic kind of violence that could put an end to human life as we know it."
The Labor Department reported an increase of 148,000 jobs last month.
January 4, 2018 - Lawyers for Donald Trump have threatened to sue if the book "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" is released. Michael Wolff, author of Fire and Fury, moved the release date to tomorrow, and even thanked Trump on twitter for his role in generating such immense interest saying "Here we go. You can buy it (and read it) tomorrow. Thank you, Mr President."
January 4, 2018 - Lawyers for Donald Trump have threatened to sue if the book "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" is released. Michael Wolff, author of Fire and Fury, moved the release date to tomorrow, and even thanked Trump on twitter for his role in generating such immense interest saying "Here we go. You can buy it (and read it) tomorrow. Thank you, Mr President."
News surfaced that Bandy Lee, an assistant clinical professor at the Yale School of Medicine, briefed a dozen members of Congress last month regarding Trump's behavior. According to Lee "From a medical perspective, when we see someone unraveling like this, it's an emergency." Lee also stated that "Mr. Trump is showing signs of impairment that the average person could not see. He is becoming very unstable very quickly. There is a need for neuropsychiatric evaluation that would demonstrate his capacity to serve." Lee added that "As he is unraveling he seems to be losing his grip on reality and reverting to conspiracy theories. There are signs that he is going into attack mode when he is under stress. That means he has the potential to become impulsive and very volatile."
Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland has introduced a bill called the "Oversight Commission on Presidential Capacity Act" which would use the 25th Amendment of the Constitution to create a "body" to determine whether the president is unable to execute the powers and duties of his office.
The Trump administration announced it will open most of the country's offshore waters to oil and gas drilling.
The New York Times revealed today that 4 days before Trump fired James Comey, one of Jeff Sessions aides had asked a congressional staff member if he had any damaging information about James Comey. Also included in the report was news that "President Trump gave firm instructions in March to the White House's top lawyer: stop the attorney general, Jeff Sessions, from recusing himself in the Justice Department's investigation into whether Mr. Trump's associates had helped a Russian campaign to disrupt the 2016 election."
In a follow up to his Monday twitter attack on Pakistan, Trump suspended $1,9bn in U.S. aid to that country.
January 3, 2018 - The Guardian published excerpts from a yet to be published book called "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House," by Michael Wolff, which created a firestorm. In the excerpt, former chief strategist Steve Bannon is said to have called the Trump Tower meeting with the Russians "treasonous" and "unpatriotic." Bannon also apparently called Ivanka Trump "dumb as a brick." Trump, according to sources inside the White House, is "furious." In a written statement, Trump called Bannon a "self-promoting exaggerator" who had "very little to do with our historic victory." Trump also said of Bannon: "When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind."
January 3, 2018 - The Guardian published excerpts from a yet to be published book called "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House," by Michael Wolff, which created a firestorm. In the excerpt, former chief strategist Steve Bannon is said to have called the Trump Tower meeting with the Russians "treasonous" and "unpatriotic." Bannon also apparently called Ivanka Trump "dumb as a brick." Trump, according to sources inside the White House, is "furious." In a written statement, Trump called Bannon a "self-promoting exaggerator" who had "very little to do with our historic victory." Trump also said of Bannon: "When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind."
Former Trump campaign chairman, Paul Manafort has filed a lawsuit against the special counsel, saying the mandate is too broad.
After hearing that Kim Jong-un stated that the nuclear button is on his desk at all times, Trump tweeted "Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!"
Representative Jim Himes, Democrat of Connecticut, reacted to Trump's button tweet, saying: "I guess the president regards this as a show of strength, but as everybody who’s ever been in a, you know, first grade playground recognizes, it’s usually the person who’s most aggressively pounding their chest that is in fact the weak one on the playground."
Eliot A. Cohen, who was counselor to Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice under President George W. Bush, said of Trump's tweet: "Spoken like a petulant ten year old. But one with nuclear weapons — for real — at his disposal. How responsible people around him, or supporting him, can dismiss this or laugh it off is beyond me."
Michael Flynn Jr, son of disgraced former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn, called Trump's tweet "just awesome."
Democrats Doug Jones and Tina Smith were sworn in as senators today, leaving G.O.P. with a 51-49 majority.
Trump disbanded the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity saying, without offering any evidence, "Despite substantial evidence of voter fraud, many states have refused to provide the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity with basic information relevant to its inquiry. Rather than engage in endless legal battles at taxpayer expense, today I signed an executive order to dissolve the commission, and have asked the Department of Homeland Security to review these issues and determine next courses of action." Regarding Trump's fraud claim according to the Guardian "no state has uncovered significant evidence to support the president's claim, and election officials, including many Republicans, have strongly rejected it."
Vanita Gupta, the president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights said of the election integrity commission "The commission's entire purpose was to legitimize voter suppression. The abrupt abandonment of the commission makes clear that it had become a thoroughly discredited body that could not find evidence of mass voter fraud. The commission itself was unable to justify its existence as a result."
On moving the investigation of voter fraud to the Department of Homeland Security, Mr, Dunlap, a member of the panel said "Homeland security operates very much in the dark. Any chance of having this investigation done in a public forum is now lost, and I think people should be, frankly, frightened by that."
January 2, 2018 - Orrin Hatch, Republican Senator from Utah, and one of Trump's strongest allies, announced his plans to retire at the end of this year.
January 2, 2018 - Orrin Hatch, Republican Senator from Utah, and one of Trump's strongest allies, announced his plans to retire at the end of this year.
Trump started off the New Year by attacking "Crooked Hillary" and calling for her top aid, Huma Abedin, to be jailed. He also attacked the Justice Department, calling it a "deep state." Trump also announced via twitter an upcoming awards ceremony to be held next Monday: "I will be announcing THE MOST DISHONEST & CORRUPT MEDIA AWARDS OF THE YEAR on Monday at 5:00 o’clock. Subjects will cover Dishonesty & Bad Reporting in various categories from the Fake News Media. Stay tuned!"
January 1, 2018 - Donald Trump's first tweet of the year attacked Pakistan, saying: "The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!" Imran Khan, a Pakistani politician responded to the tweet saying "Despite Pakistan clearing up North Waziristan, still half of Afghanistan is in Taliban hands. So, who is responsible for this? To make Pakistan the scapegoat of a failed strategy in Afghanistan is not just a travesty of justice, it is deeply insulting and humiliating."
December 30, 2017 - The event which triggered the investigation into the Trump campaign's Russian connections - which is being reported on Fox News and other right wing outlets as being caused by the Steele dossier - was revealed by the New York Times to be due to comments made by George Papadopoulos to Australia's top diplomat in Britain, while the two were drinking in an upscale London bar in May of 2016. Papadopoulos told the diplomat that Moscow had in their possession thousands of emails that would embarrass Clinton. This information was not public knowledge at the time. Two months later, the Australian diplomat shared his conversation with Papadopoulos with his superiors, who passed that information on to the FBI.
December 29, 2017 - Breitbart editor, Alex Marlow, admitted that Breitbart's coverage of Roy Moore was skewed on purpose to protect Donald Trump, saying "it's not just about Judge Moore, it is not even just about establishment, anti-establishment. It's about what's coming next for President Trump."
January 1, 2018 - Donald Trump's first tweet of the year attacked Pakistan, saying: "The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!" Imran Khan, a Pakistani politician responded to the tweet saying "Despite Pakistan clearing up North Waziristan, still half of Afghanistan is in Taliban hands. So, who is responsible for this? To make Pakistan the scapegoat of a failed strategy in Afghanistan is not just a travesty of justice, it is deeply insulting and humiliating."
December 30, 2017 - The event which triggered the investigation into the Trump campaign's Russian connections - which is being reported on Fox News and other right wing outlets as being caused by the Steele dossier - was revealed by the New York Times to be due to comments made by George Papadopoulos to Australia's top diplomat in Britain, while the two were drinking in an upscale London bar in May of 2016. Papadopoulos told the diplomat that Moscow had in their possession thousands of emails that would embarrass Clinton. This information was not public knowledge at the time. Two months later, the Australian diplomat shared his conversation with Papadopoulos with his superiors, who passed that information on to the FBI.
December 29, 2017 - Breitbart editor, Alex Marlow, admitted that Breitbart's coverage of Roy Moore was skewed on purpose to protect Donald Trump, saying "it's not just about Judge Moore, it is not even just about establishment, anti-establishment. It's about what's coming next for President Trump."
The National Marine Fisheries Service issued a 3,700 page opinion on three organophosphate pesticides - chlorpyrifos, diazinon and malathion, which warned that the widely used pesticides pose a threat to dozens of endangered and threatened species including salmon, sturgeon and orca in the Pacific north-west. The release of the opinion was made possible when a federal court struck down the Trump administration's attempt to delay its release for two years.
December 28, 2017 - On a day in which the world as a whole is warmer than usual, but the Northern US is colder than usual, Trump sent the following tweet: "In the East, it could be the COLDEST New Year’s Eve on record. Perhaps we could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming that our Country, but not other countries, was going to pay TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS to protect against. Bundle up!" Critics were quick to compare the ignorance displayed in the tweet with the February day in 2015 when Republican Senator James Inhofe brought a snowball into the Senate chambers as evidence that global warming couldn't be happening because "It's very, very cold out."
December 28, 2017 - On a day in which the world as a whole is warmer than usual, but the Northern US is colder than usual, Trump sent the following tweet: "In the East, it could be the COLDEST New Year’s Eve on record. Perhaps we could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming that our Country, but not other countries, was going to pay TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS to protect against. Bundle up!" Critics were quick to compare the ignorance displayed in the tweet with the February day in 2015 when Republican Senator James Inhofe brought a snowball into the Senate chambers as evidence that global warming couldn't be happening because "It's very, very cold out."
A judge dismissed Roy Moore's lawsuit, allowing Alabama officials to certify Doug Jones as the winner of this month's Senate election. Roy Moore, who has not conceded his loss to Doug Jones, has also never conceded his losses in the 2006 or 2010 Republican primaries for governor.
Simon and Schuster released documents which include the publisher's notes regarding Milo Yiannopoulos's autobiography Dangerous. Yiannopoulos, who was permanently banned from Twitter for his role in the online harassment of Ghostbusters actor Leslie Jones, sued when the publisher backed out of the book deal. Some of the publisher's notes include these gems:
December 27, 2017 - Yisrael Katz, an Israeli cabinet minister, proposed putting Trump's name on a new train station in the Old City as a tribute for recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
"stronger argument against feminism than saying that they are ugly and sexless and have cats."
"The use of phrases like ‘two-faced backstabbing bitches’ diminishes your overall point."
"Don’t start chapter with accusation that feminists = fat. It destroys any seriousness of purpose."
"if you want to make a case for gay men going back into the closet and marrying women just to have children, you’re going to have to employ a lot more intellectual rigor than you use here."Yiannopoulos self published Dangerous in July of 2017.
December 27, 2017 - Yisrael Katz, an Israeli cabinet minister, proposed putting Trump's name on a new train station in the Old City as a tribute for recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Former Gov. of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, sent out a tweet that compared Trump to Winston Churchill saying "Churchill was hated by his own party, opposition party, and press. Feared by King as reckless, and despised for his bluntness. But unlike Neville Chamberlain, he didn't retreat. We had a Chamberlain for 8 yrs; in @realDonaldTrump we have a Churchill." Many historians were quick to call the claim "ridiculous", but no one captured the moment better than Kristian Tonning Riise, a member of Norway's Parliament, who sent out this tweet: "Sure. Churchill served his country 55 years in parliament, 31 years as a minister and 9 as pm. He was present in 15 battles and received 14 medals of bravery. He was one of history's most gifted orators and won the Nobel Literature Prize for his writing. Totally same thing..."
Roy Moore filed a lawsuit alleging he was the victim of "systematic voter fraud" in the Alabama Senate election, and accused Alabama authorities of not responding adequately. In his filing, he cited "experts" like Richard Charnin, who regularly floats conspiracy theories about John F Kennedy and murdered Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich. Also cited was James Condit Jr, a man who regularly espouses antisemitic views and promotes conspiracy theories about a Jewish takeover of the Vatican.
An annual Gallup poll found that Barack Obama was the most admired man in America in 2017, and that Hillary Clinton was the most admired woman. Obama beat Trump for the honor 17% to 14%.
December 24, 2017 - The Secret Service is investigating a package that was addressed to US treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin. The package, which had been dropped off at a neighbor's house, was marked as being from "The American People" and was filled with horse manure.
December 23, 2017 - In a Vanity Fair interview, Steve Bannon, former chief strategist for Donald Trump, laid bare some of the divisions within the White House, calling Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump Javanka, and saying the two were "the railhead of all bad decisions."
December 24, 2017 - The Secret Service is investigating a package that was addressed to US treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin. The package, which had been dropped off at a neighbor's house, was marked as being from "The American People" and was filled with horse manure.
December 23, 2017 - In a Vanity Fair interview, Steve Bannon, former chief strategist for Donald Trump, laid bare some of the divisions within the White House, calling Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump Javanka, and saying the two were "the railhead of all bad decisions."
Ivanka Trump raised eyebrows during an interview on Fox when she claimed that the vast majority of taxpayers will be doing their taxes on a form the size of a postcard. Critics pointed out that this notion was simply a publicity stunt by Trump in pushing through his tax bill, but was never actually true. A headline in the Washington post read "Once again, Ivanka Trump shows off her cluelessness." According to columnist Jennifer Rubin "She’s a walking advertisement for the danger of nepotism, an exemplar of class privilege and a perfect representative for Republican know-nothingism. She was supposed to be the brains of the family and the moral ballast; instead, she’s a self-righteous enabler."
Regarding the tax bill, Trump is reported to have told a group of wealthy friends at Mar-a-Lago "you all just got a lot richer."
December 22, 2017 - 9th Circuit Court ruled against Trump's third attempt at a travel ban.
December 22, 2017 - 9th Circuit Court ruled against Trump's third attempt at a travel ban.
In a fashion that has become typical, Trump signed the unpopular 1.5 trillion tax bill into law after inviting journalists into the Oval Office to watch and take pictures, then refused to answer any of their questions.
The Washington Post editorial board said of the tax bill "This bill is a win for know-nothing anti-intellectualism. Bruce Bartlett, writing for USA Today said of the tax bill "President Trump believes he has just won a great victory in Congress with final passage of huge tax cuts in sight. He should not be so cheerful; it could mark the beginning of the end for him and his party." Miles Kampf-Lassin writing in In These Times said "It's a new front in the class war."
The U.N. Security Council voted 15 to 0 to impose new sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear program. The new sanctions significantly reduce the country's fuel supplies, and requires North Koreans working abroad to return to North Korea within two years, thus cutting off needed cash.
Since Trump took office, more than 700 employees have left the Environmental Protection Agency. The goal of the administration is to reduce EPA positions by a total of 3,200.
Three months after Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico, over a million people are still without power. Some areas still do not have drinking water.
Pete Hoekstra, Trump's selection for ambassador to the Netherlands, who was sworn in on December 11th, raised eyebrows during a recent news interview. Hoekstra was asked by Wouter Zwart, a reporter from current affairs programme Nieuwsuur about comments he made during a debate where he claimed there were "no-go zones in the Netherlands, and that cars and politicians are being set on fire in the Netherlands." Hoekstra responded to the question by saying he had never made those claims, that it was all "fake news." At that point, Zwart played a clip for Hoekstra which showed him making the following statement: "The Islamic movement has now gotten to a point where they have put Europe into chaos. Chaos in the Netherlands, there are cars being burnt, there are politicians that are being burnt ... and yes there are no-go zones in the Netherlands." Zwart then challenged Hoekstra on his claim that this was fake news, to which Hoekstra responded "I didn’t call that fake news. I didn’t use the words today. I don’t think I did."
Despite a multi-pronged effort to sabotage the Affordable Care Act, 8.8 million Americans signed up for coverage for 2018. Last year, 9.2 million enrolled.
December 21, 2017 - Despite Trump's threat to cut aid to supporters of a UN resolution condemning the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the resolution was approved by a vote of 128 to 9.
According to Grist, new research published in the journal Science adds to the growing body of evidence "that climate change exacerbates poverty, conflict, and other factors that force people from their homes."
Right Wing artist Sabo admitted that it was he who peppered many public places in Los Angeles with posters of Meryl Streep containing the slogan "she knew," The posters appeared after Streep claimed publicly that she didn't know about Harvey Weinstein's history of sexual misconduct. Sabo admitted that he didn't know if Streep actually knew, this was simply payback for Streep's public criticisms of Donald Trump. According to Sabo " She’s swiping at us so we’re swiping back."
December 20, 2017 - On a strict party line vote, Congressional Republicans passed a 1.5 trillion tax bill today, which provides corporations with large permanent tax cuts, while providing individual taxpayers with modest, temporary cuts. The bill also eliminates the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate, which required individuals to have health insurance or pay a penalty, and also opened up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil and gas drilling. Polls put support for the bill among Americans at about 24%. Democratic Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, called the bill "theft - monumental, brazen theft from the American middle class and from every person who aspires to reach it."
December 20, 2017 - On a strict party line vote, Congressional Republicans passed a 1.5 trillion tax bill today, which provides corporations with large permanent tax cuts, while providing individual taxpayers with modest, temporary cuts. The bill also eliminates the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate, which required individuals to have health insurance or pay a penalty, and also opened up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil and gas drilling. Polls put support for the bill among Americans at about 24%. Democratic Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, called the bill "theft - monumental, brazen theft from the American middle class and from every person who aspires to reach it."
Trump threatened to cut aid to any country voting in favor of a resolution at the U.N. General Assembly denouncing his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Cardinal Bernard Law died today. Law's reputation as a warrior for social justice issues was tarnished in 2002 by revelations that he had used his position in the church to protect priests who engaged in child molestation.
December 18, 2017 - In a strong rebuke to president Trump, the UN security council voted 14 to 1 on a resolution calling for the withdrawal of Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The US was the only no vote. Nikki Haley, the US ambassador, called the vote "an insult that would not be forgotten."
December 18, 2017 - In a strong rebuke to president Trump, the UN security council voted 14 to 1 on a resolution calling for the withdrawal of Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The US was the only no vote. Nikki Haley, the US ambassador, called the vote "an insult that would not be forgotten."
In a move that critics claim will raise the prospect of nuclear war, Trump unveiled his National Security Strategy where he expressed support for a wider role of nuclear weapons against "non-nuclear strategic attacks." In September, the deputy secretary of defense, Rob Soofer, included "cyber-attacks against US infrastructure" in the category of non-nuclear strategic threats.
December 17, 2017 - Trump allies have been attacking the special counsel led by Robert Mueller, and those attacks have been increasing, as the special counsel is being accused of being partisan, and recently, as having improperly obtaining emails from the Trump transition team. The Mueller team has so far refrained from publicly commenting on these attacks, but in a rare move today issued the following statement: "When we have obtained emails in the course of our ongoing criminal investigation, we have secured either the account owner’s consent or appropriate criminal process."
December 16, 2017 - Amid increased Republican criticism of special counsel Mueller and the Justice Department, Adam Schiff, the leading Democrat on the House intelligence committee, said he is "increasingly worried Republicans will shut down the House intelligence committee investigation at the end of the month." The increased criticism stems from the discovery that Mueller had removed a member of his team last summer after learning that the teammate had exchanged anti-Trump text messages with a friend.
December 17, 2017 - Trump allies have been attacking the special counsel led by Robert Mueller, and those attacks have been increasing, as the special counsel is being accused of being partisan, and recently, as having improperly obtaining emails from the Trump transition team. The Mueller team has so far refrained from publicly commenting on these attacks, but in a rare move today issued the following statement: "When we have obtained emails in the course of our ongoing criminal investigation, we have secured either the account owner’s consent or appropriate criminal process."
December 16, 2017 - Amid increased Republican criticism of special counsel Mueller and the Justice Department, Adam Schiff, the leading Democrat on the House intelligence committee, said he is "increasingly worried Republicans will shut down the House intelligence committee investigation at the end of the month." The increased criticism stems from the discovery that Mueller had removed a member of his team last summer after learning that the teammate had exchanged anti-Trump text messages with a friend.
Another of Trump's judicial picks raised eyebrows, and in this instance became a nationwide laughingstock after he was unable to define the most basic of legal terms during his confirmation hearing on live television. Matthew Petersen, who was nominated by Trump to the US district court for the District of Columbia, withdrew his nomination.
December 14, 2017 - One of Donald Trump's few African American allies departed the White House today after tendering her resignation. According to Omarosa Manigault Newman, she had "seen things that have made me uncomfortable, that have upset me, that have affected me deeply and emotionally, that has affected my community and my people."
December 14, 2017 - One of Donald Trump's few African American allies departed the White House today after tendering her resignation. According to Omarosa Manigault Newman, she had "seen things that have made me uncomfortable, that have upset me, that have affected me deeply and emotionally, that has affected my community and my people."
Despite a chorus of criticism, the F.C.C voted to dismantle the Obama-era net neutrality rules, rules that have prohibited U.S. internet service providers from blocking websites or charging for higher-quality delivery.
Without any sense of irony whatsoever, Roy Moore released a video today in which he claimed that "immorality sweeps over our land."
According to a report in the Washington Post, policy analysts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were instructed not to use the following words in official documents being created for the 2018 budget: "vulnerable," "entitlement," "diversity," "transgender," "fetus," "evidence-based," and "science-based." Some choice reactions to the CDC's word ban:
"To pretend and insist that transgender people do not exist, and to allow this lie to infect public health research and prevention is irrational and very dangerous. The Trump administration is full of dangerous science deniers who have no business near American public health systems like the CDC. They are actually going to kill Americans if they do not stop." - Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality
"You cannot fight against the Zika virus, or improve women's and fetal health, if you are unable to use the word 'fetus.' You must be able to talk about science and evidence if you are to research cures for infectious diseases such as Ebola. You must be able to acknowledge the humanity of transgender people in order to address their health care needs. You cannot erase health inequities faced by people of color simply by forbidding the use of the words 'vulnerable' or 'diversity'." - Dana Singiser, vice president of public policy and government affairs for Planned Parenthood Federation of America
"Here's a word that's still allowed, Ridiculous." - Rush Holt, chief executive officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.December 13, 2017 - Trump, who first backed Luther Strange in the Alabama primary - who went one to lose to Roy Moore - then endorsed Moore in the special election - who went on to lose to Doug Jones - claimed that he had said all along that "Roy Moore will not be able to win the General Election. I was right!"
Because Roy Moore showed up to vote on the back of a horse yesterday, the phrase "fuck you and the horse you rode in on" became very common today on many social media sites.
Roy Moore's loss has given Democrats hope that they can take the Senate in the 2018 midterm elections.
Donald Trump's continuous use of the phrase "fake news" for anything critical of him and his administration has now become a common refrain among dictators across the globe. According to the Guardian "In China, Russia Turkey, Thailand and many other countries, leaders are using it to silence critics and thwart media scrutiny. For strongmen like President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines, 'fake news' provides the leeway to ignore democratic norms."
Senator Chuck Grassley told reporters that he doesn't anticipate the confirmation of two of Trump's judicial nominees. Those nominees are Brett Talley and Jeff Mateer. Investigative reporting by online magazine Slate uncovered writings by Talley that were sympathetic regarding the early history of the white supremacist group known as the Ku Klux Klan. Transcripts of speeches Mateer made in 2015 were uncovered in which he referred to transgender children as being part of "Satan's plans."
December 12, 2017 - In response to calls for his resignation from a female senator and three male senators, Donald Trump sent the following tweet, which referenced the female senator only: "Lightweight Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a total flunky for Chuck Schumer and someone who would come to my office ‘begging’ for campaign contributions not so long ago (and would do anything for them), is now in the ring fighting against Trump." Responding only minutes later, Gillibrand sent the following tweet: "You cannot silence me or the millions of women who have gotten off the sidelines to speak out about the unfitness and shame you have brought to the Oval Office." Gillibrand told reporters Trump's response was a "sexist smear to silence my voice. It's part of the president's effort at name-calling." When asked about the tweet and its obvious sexual reference, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders responded "Only if your mind is in the gutter would you have read it that way." and also "He's not alleging anything. There's no way that this is sexist at all."
December 12, 2017 - In response to calls for his resignation from a female senator and three male senators, Donald Trump sent the following tweet, which referenced the female senator only: "Lightweight Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a total flunky for Chuck Schumer and someone who would come to my office ‘begging’ for campaign contributions not so long ago (and would do anything for them), is now in the ring fighting against Trump." Responding only minutes later, Gillibrand sent the following tweet: "You cannot silence me or the millions of women who have gotten off the sidelines to speak out about the unfitness and shame you have brought to the Oval Office." Gillibrand told reporters Trump's response was a "sexist smear to silence my voice. It's part of the president's effort at name-calling." When asked about the tweet and its obvious sexual reference, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders responded "Only if your mind is in the gutter would you have read it that way." and also "He's not alleging anything. There's no way that this is sexist at all."
In response to the Gillibrand controversy, Elizabeth Warren, a Democratic senator from Massachusetts sent the following tweet: "Are you really trying to bully, intimidate and slut-shame @SenGillibrand? Do you know who you’re picking a fight with? Good luck with that, @realDonaldTrump."
Jay Sekulow, one of Trump's attorneys, is calling for the appointment of a second special counsel to investigate the special counsel overseeing the investigation of the Trump campaign and its ties to Russia. According to Sekulow, there are potential conflicts of interest within Robert Mueller's team.
In a shocking defeat for Trump, Roy Moore lost in the Alabama special election to replace Jeff Sessions in the Senate by a margin of 49.9% to 48.4%. Doug Jones, the winner of the seat, became the first Democrat in a decade to win any statewide office in Alabama. In his victory speech, Doug Jones said "This entire race has been about dignity and respect. This campaign has been about the rule of law. This campaign has been about common courtesy and decency and making sure everyone in this state, regardless of what zip code you live in, is going to get a fair shake." Roy Moore refused to concede the race.
The editor in chief of Christianity Today raised concerns in an essay published today that the overwhelming white evangelical support for Roy Moore will cause decades long harm to the Christian faith saying "No one will believe a word we say, perhaps for a generation. Christianity's integrity is severely tarnished."
December 11, 2017 - Three of the more than a dozen women who have accused Donald Trump of various forms of sexual assault are demanding that Congress open an investigation. In response to the women's demand, New York senator Kirsten Gillibrand called for Trump to resign saying ""These allegations are credible, they are numerous. I've heard these women's testimony, and many of them are heartbreaking." When asked by a reporter "Is the official White House position that all of these women are lying?" Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders responded: "Yeah, we've been clear on that from the beginning, and the president has spoken to it."
December 11, 2017 - Three of the more than a dozen women who have accused Donald Trump of various forms of sexual assault are demanding that Congress open an investigation. In response to the women's demand, New York senator Kirsten Gillibrand called for Trump to resign saying ""These allegations are credible, they are numerous. I've heard these women's testimony, and many of them are heartbreaking." When asked by a reporter "Is the official White House position that all of these women are lying?" Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders responded: "Yeah, we've been clear on that from the beginning, and the president has spoken to it."
The pentagon announced that it would allow transgender people to enlist in the military beginning January 1st despite Trump's opposition vocally, and on twitter.
Regarding Roy Moore, Ivanka Trump says "there is a special place in hell for those that prey on children."
At a rally on the eve of the Alabama special election for a Senate seat, Roy Moore's wife Kayla, rejected accusations against her husband of antisemitism, saying "Fake news would tell you that we don't care for Jews...One of our attorneys is a Jew." At the same rally, Breitbart News head, and former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon responded to Ivanka Trump's criticism saying "There's a special place in hell for Republicans that know better."
Basketball hall of famer Charles Barkley pleaded with his fellow Alabamians" "At some point we've got to stop looking like idiots to the nation."
December 8, 2017 - At a campaign rally in Florida, Donald Trump continued his backing for accused child molester Roy Moore saying "We want jobs, jobs, jobs, so get out and vote for Roy Moore." Moore, who was twice removed from office as Alabama's chief justice for defying federal courts, blamed the sexual assault allegations on a conspiracy that includes "lesbians, gays, bisexuals and socialists".
December 7, 2017 - As predicted, violence broke out today in the West Bank in response to Trump's announcement yesterday that the U.S. will now recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and that the U.S. embassy will be moved there from Tel Aviv. At least four Palestinians are dead from clashes that have broken out with Israeli forces, hundreds have been injured.
December 7, 2017 - As predicted, violence broke out today in the West Bank in response to Trump's announcement yesterday that the U.S. will now recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and that the U.S. embassy will be moved there from Tel Aviv. At least four Palestinians are dead from clashes that have broken out with Israeli forces, hundreds have been injured.
On the floor of the senate, Al Franken spoke of his resignation saying "I of all people am aware that there is some irony in the fact that I am leaving while a man who has bragged on tape about his history of sexual assault sits in the Oval Office, and a man who has repeatedly preyed on young girls campaigns for the Senate with the full support of his party."
Despite years of conservative resistance, Australia's Parliament voted overwhelmingly to legalize same sex marriage.
Lindsey Vonn, the most decorated female skier of all time, told CNN in an interview that she wants to "represent the people of the United States, not the president." When asked if she would accept an invitation to the White House, Vonn responded "Absolutely not."
December 6, 2017 - In a reversal of nearly seven decades of U.S. foreign policy, Donald J Trump, who has vowed to broker the "ultimate deal" between Israelis and Palestinians, fulfilled a campaign promise to evangelical voters and pro-Israel American Jews by formally recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, saying "Today we finally acknowledge the obvious." In his prepared remarks, Trump called the move "a long overdue step to advance the peace process." The recognition was offered despite a chorus of warnings from nations across the globe, that doing so would stir unrest in the region, and jeopardize the prospect of lasting peace among Israelis and Palestinians.
December 6, 2017 - In a reversal of nearly seven decades of U.S. foreign policy, Donald J Trump, who has vowed to broker the "ultimate deal" between Israelis and Palestinians, fulfilled a campaign promise to evangelical voters and pro-Israel American Jews by formally recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, saying "Today we finally acknowledge the obvious." In his prepared remarks, Trump called the move "a long overdue step to advance the peace process." The recognition was offered despite a chorus of warnings from nations across the globe, that doing so would stir unrest in the region, and jeopardize the prospect of lasting peace among Israelis and Palestinians.
Democratic Senator, Al Franken, announced today that he will be resigning from the Senate in response to calls from his party to do so after being accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct.
December 5, 2017 - According to Handelsblatt, Deutsche Bank, Germany's largest, has been served subpoenas to provide financial information about Donald Trump as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russian meddling. Jay Sekulow, one of Trump's attorneys, claimed "No subpoena has been issued or received."
December 5, 2017 - According to Handelsblatt, Deutsche Bank, Germany's largest, has been served subpoenas to provide financial information about Donald Trump as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russian meddling. Jay Sekulow, one of Trump's attorneys, claimed "No subpoena has been issued or received."
In a move that is expected to ignite unrest in the Middle East, Trump declared that the US is poised to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
The International Olympic Committee has barred Russia from the 2018 Winter Games which will be held in South Korea. The ban is punishment for a sophisticated and widespread doping scheme.
The Republican National Committee resumed their support for accused child molester Roy Moore after cutting ties with him three weeks ago over sexual assault allegations.
December 4, 2017 - In a move that could open up millions of acres of protected land to logging, mining and fossil fuel industries, Donald J Trump signed a proclamation today that significantly reduces the size of two of Utah's national monuments. Those monuments are Bears Ears, and Grand Staircase-Escalante. Native Americans and environmental groups have threatened legal action.
December 4, 2017 - In a move that could open up millions of acres of protected land to logging, mining and fossil fuel industries, Donald J Trump signed a proclamation today that significantly reduces the size of two of Utah's national monuments. Those monuments are Bears Ears, and Grand Staircase-Escalante. Native Americans and environmental groups have threatened legal action.
Trump complained that the F.B.I had ruined Michael Flynn's life, and claimed, without offering any evidence, that "Hillary Clinton lied to the F.B.I. many times, but nothing happened to her."
Trump, who has up to now refrained from making a formal endorsement of accused child molester Roy Moore, today endorsed him saying "We need his vote on stopping crime, illegal immigration, Border Wall, Military, Pro Life, V.A., Judges, 2nd Amendment and more."
The Supreme Court allowed the third iteration of Trump's Muslim travel ban to go into effect. Legal challenges to the ban continue.
December 3, 2017 - During an interview on Meet the Press, California Senator Dianne Feinstein had the following to say regarding Trump's tweet from yesterday: "what we’re beginning to see is the putting together of a case of obstruction of justice. I see it most importantly in what happened with the firing of Director Comey, and it is my belief that that is directly because he did not agree to lift the cloud of the Russia investigation. That’s obstruction of justice." One of Trump's attorneys, Jon Dowd, claimed that it was he who wrote the prior day's incriminating tweet on Donald Trump's official twitter account, which according to him was "sloppy." The lawyer's claim, if true, calls into question the competence of an attorney that would post a messages online that incriminate his client.
December 2, 2017 - Donald Trump tweeted today regarding his reasons for firing Michael Flynn, saying "I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!" This tweet is problematic for the president according to many sources, as it was the following day that Trump asked then F.B.I. director Comey to "let this go" regarding Flynn.
December 3, 2017 - During an interview on Meet the Press, California Senator Dianne Feinstein had the following to say regarding Trump's tweet from yesterday: "what we’re beginning to see is the putting together of a case of obstruction of justice. I see it most importantly in what happened with the firing of Director Comey, and it is my belief that that is directly because he did not agree to lift the cloud of the Russia investigation. That’s obstruction of justice." One of Trump's attorneys, Jon Dowd, claimed that it was he who wrote the prior day's incriminating tweet on Donald Trump's official twitter account, which according to him was "sloppy." The lawyer's claim, if true, calls into question the competence of an attorney that would post a messages online that incriminate his client.
December 2, 2017 - Donald Trump tweeted today regarding his reasons for firing Michael Flynn, saying "I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!" This tweet is problematic for the president according to many sources, as it was the following day that Trump asked then F.B.I. director Comey to "let this go" regarding Flynn.
According to Laurence Tribe, a professor in constitutional law at Harvard University, knowing that Flynn had committed a felony, and then asking Comey to "let this go" and then firing him for not doing so, makes this tweet "a confession of deliberate, corrupt obstruction of justice."
December 1, 2017 - Michael T. Flynn, President Trump's disgraced former national security adviser, whom Trump appointed to "help restore America's leadership position in the world" pleaded guilty to lying to the F.B.I. about conversations he had with the Russian ambassador. Flynn, who led a chant of "lock her up" at the Republican National Convention, also pledged to cooperate with the investigation into election meddling by the Russians.
December 1, 2017 - Michael T. Flynn, President Trump's disgraced former national security adviser, whom Trump appointed to "help restore America's leadership position in the world" pleaded guilty to lying to the F.B.I. about conversations he had with the Russian ambassador. Flynn, who led a chant of "lock her up" at the Republican National Convention, also pledged to cooperate with the investigation into election meddling by the Russians.
According to ABC News, Flynn "is prepared to testify that Donald Trump directed him to make contact with the Russians." This revelation conflicts with officials in the White House who painted Flynn as a rogue actor in his communications with the Russian ambassador.
Trump called reports that he would soon be firing Rex Tillerson "fake news."
November 30, 2017 - Senior White House officials are telling the press that Rex Tillerson will be replaced soon by C.I.A. director Mike Pompeo, possibly by the end of the year.
November 29, 2017 - Donald Trump generated a firestorm of racially charged controversy and outrage when he re-tweeted three inflammatory anti-Muslim videos that had been initially tweeted by a fringe British ultra-nationalist group called Britain First. The title for one of the videos: "Muslim migrant beats up dutch boy on crutches" purports to show a Muslim immigrant beating another man. However, neither of the men in the video are immigrants. The embassy of the Netherlands in Washington responded to Trump's tweet with the following tweet: "Facts do matter." The other two videos are four years old and lack proper context, suggesting the purpose for posting them was simply to generate anger towards all Muslims. Senator Jeff Flake, Republican of Arizona called the re-tweet "highly inappropriate." Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina said that Trump is "legitimizing religious bigotry. We need Muslim allies in the war on terror. I can only imagine how some of our Muslim allies must feel when the president gives legitimacy to it." Prime Minister Theresa May, the leader of the conservative party, denounced Trump, saying "It is wrong for the president to have done this. Britain First seeks to divide communities by their use of hateful narratives that peddle lies and stoke tensions." David Lammy, a Labour Party member of Parliament also condemned Trump saying "Trump sharing Britain First. Let that sink in. The President of the United States is promoting a fascist, racist, extremist hate group whose leaders have been arrested and convicted. He is no ally or friend of ours." Former Klu Klux Klan leader David Duke wrote on twitter: "Thank God for Trump! That's why we love him!"
November 30, 2017 - Senior White House officials are telling the press that Rex Tillerson will be replaced soon by C.I.A. director Mike Pompeo, possibly by the end of the year.
November 29, 2017 - Donald Trump generated a firestorm of racially charged controversy and outrage when he re-tweeted three inflammatory anti-Muslim videos that had been initially tweeted by a fringe British ultra-nationalist group called Britain First. The title for one of the videos: "Muslim migrant beats up dutch boy on crutches" purports to show a Muslim immigrant beating another man. However, neither of the men in the video are immigrants. The embassy of the Netherlands in Washington responded to Trump's tweet with the following tweet: "Facts do matter." The other two videos are four years old and lack proper context, suggesting the purpose for posting them was simply to generate anger towards all Muslims. Senator Jeff Flake, Republican of Arizona called the re-tweet "highly inappropriate." Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina said that Trump is "legitimizing religious bigotry. We need Muslim allies in the war on terror. I can only imagine how some of our Muslim allies must feel when the president gives legitimacy to it." Prime Minister Theresa May, the leader of the conservative party, denounced Trump, saying "It is wrong for the president to have done this. Britain First seeks to divide communities by their use of hateful narratives that peddle lies and stoke tensions." David Lammy, a Labour Party member of Parliament also condemned Trump saying "Trump sharing Britain First. Let that sink in. The President of the United States is promoting a fascist, racist, extremist hate group whose leaders have been arrested and convicted. He is no ally or friend of ours." Former Klu Klux Klan leader David Duke wrote on twitter: "Thank God for Trump! That's why we love him!"
News surfaced that Trump privately questions the authenticity of the "Access Hollywood" tape, despite apologizing for it on the campaign trail, and also questions the authenticity of Barack Obama's birth certificate, despite acknowledging its veracity shortly after it was released.
NBC fired Matt Lauer over sexual harassment claims.
Minnesota Public Radio fired Garrison Keillor over inappropriate behavior.
Roy Moore calls all his accusers liars, saying he never met any of them. Two of Moore's accusers have produced hand written notes that contain the verified signature of Roy Moore.
November 28, 2017 - North Korea launched an ICBM today that experts are calling its most powerful weapon to date, saying it was capable of reaching anywhere in the United States.
November 28, 2017 - North Korea launched an ICBM today that experts are calling its most powerful weapon to date, saying it was capable of reaching anywhere in the United States.
US district judge Timothy Kelly, sided with Trump's pick for director of the CFPB, Mick Mulvaney, a man who once called the agency "a joke."
A Washington Post reporter uncovered a sting operation by the misnamed organization Project Veritas, which is an extreme Right Wing organization run by a guy named James O'Keefe. The organization's claim to fame is engaging in various forms of deception (i.e. editing video footage to make something innocent look nefarious) to make liberals look bad. A girl working for O'Keefe approached the Post claiming Roy Moore impregnated her when she was 15, then forced her to have an abortion. In the process of doing due diligence to verify the story, the reporter uncovered a plot by the woman to get the Post to print a false story about Moore in an attempt to embarrass and discredit the Post, as well as discredit those who are accusing Moore of sexual misconduct.
November 27, 2017 - During a White House ceremony honoring a group of native Americans who worked as code talkers during the second world war, Trump made the following statement: "You were here long before any of us were here. Although we have a representative in Congress who they say was here a long time ago. They call her Pocahontas." The Pocahontas reference was meant as a dig at Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who once claimed Cherokee ancestry. Trump regularly mocked Warren during his presidential campaign by referring to her as Pocahontas while his supporters cheered and jeered. Warren responded, saying it was "deeply unfortunate" that "the President of the United States cannot even make it through a ceremony honoring these heroes without having to throw out a racial slur."
November 27, 2017 - During a White House ceremony honoring a group of native Americans who worked as code talkers during the second world war, Trump made the following statement: "You were here long before any of us were here. Although we have a representative in Congress who they say was here a long time ago. They call her Pocahontas." The Pocahontas reference was meant as a dig at Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who once claimed Cherokee ancestry. Trump regularly mocked Warren during his presidential campaign by referring to her as Pocahontas while his supporters cheered and jeered. Warren responded, saying it was "deeply unfortunate" that "the President of the United States cannot even make it through a ceremony honoring these heroes without having to throw out a racial slur."
Employees of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), an agency created in the fallout of the 2008 financial crisis, were treated to a bit of email drama this morning. The director, Leandra English, who was appointed on Friday by the outgoing director, sent an email that read "I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving. With Thanksgiving in mind, I wanted to take a moment to share my gratitude to all of you for your service." A response to her email came from Mick Mulvaney, who was appointed by Trump on Friday for the same job. His email read: "It has come to my attention that Ms English has reached out to many of you this morning via email in an attempt to exercise certain duties of the acting director. This is unfortunate but, in the atmosphere of the day, probably not unexpected. Please disregard any instructions you receive from Ms English in her presumed capacity as acting director. I apologize for this being the very first thing you hear from me. However, under the circumstances I suppose it is necessary. If you’re at 1700 G Street today, please stop by the fourth floor to say hello and grab a doughnut." A federal judge is reviewing the situation to determine which of the two can legally claim the title of acting director.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are engaged. Wedding will be in the spring.
November 26, 2017 - Tobacco companies will begin placing ads in newspapers and on television starting today to correct decades of lies and deception about the safety of their product. The order to place the ads comes from an eleven year old legal decision. In the 1,683 page decision, US district judge Gladys Kessler said the tobacco companies involved in the suit have caused "a staggering number of deaths per year, an immeasurable amount of human suffering and economic loss, and a profound burden on our national health care system." The decision found that companies like RJ Reynolds and Phillip Morris broke anti-racketeering laws, lied about how cigarettes harmed health, and denied their efforts to market cigarettes to children. It took this long for enforcement of the decision due to 11 years of legal wrangling by the tobacco industry.
November 26, 2017 - Tobacco companies will begin placing ads in newspapers and on television starting today to correct decades of lies and deception about the safety of their product. The order to place the ads comes from an eleven year old legal decision. In the 1,683 page decision, US district judge Gladys Kessler said the tobacco companies involved in the suit have caused "a staggering number of deaths per year, an immeasurable amount of human suffering and economic loss, and a profound burden on our national health care system." The decision found that companies like RJ Reynolds and Phillip Morris broke anti-racketeering laws, lied about how cigarettes harmed health, and denied their efforts to market cigarettes to children. It took this long for enforcement of the decision due to 11 years of legal wrangling by the tobacco industry.
Trump re-affirmed his support for accused child molester Roy Moore in the Alabama senate race saying "Can’t let Schumer/Pelosi win this race. Liberal Jones would be BAD!"
November 25, 2017 - Trump has regularly attacked CNN as a purveyor of fake news, which writes many articles that are critical of the president, and regularly praises FOX News whose coverage is mostly favorable. Today, Trump sent out the following tweet: "@FoxNews is MUCH more important in the United States than CNN, but outside of the U.S., CNN International is still a major source of (Fake) news, and they represent our Nation to the WORLD very poorly. The outside world does not see the truth from them!" CNN responded on twitter with "It's not CNN's job to represent the U.S. to the world. That's yours. Our job is to report the news. #FactsFirst."
November 25, 2017 - Trump has regularly attacked CNN as a purveyor of fake news, which writes many articles that are critical of the president, and regularly praises FOX News whose coverage is mostly favorable. Today, Trump sent out the following tweet: "@FoxNews is MUCH more important in the United States than CNN, but outside of the U.S., CNN International is still a major source of (Fake) news, and they represent our Nation to the WORLD very poorly. The outside world does not see the truth from them!" CNN responded on twitter with "It's not CNN's job to represent the U.S. to the world. That's yours. Our job is to report the news. #FactsFirst."
Regarding Time Magazine's Man of the Year, Trump tweeted the following: "Time Magazine called to say that I was PROBABLY going to be named 'Man (Person) of the Year,' like last year. But I would have to agree to an interview and a major photo shoot. I said probably is no good and took a pass. Thanks anyway!" Time Magazine sent the following tweets in response: "The president is incorrect about how we choose Person of the Year. Time does not comment on our choice until publication, which is December 6." and "amazing. Not a speck of truth here."
November 24, 2017 - Lawyers for former national security adviser Michael T Flynn, have notified Trump's legal team that they would no longer be communicating with them about the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. This move is seen as a sign that Flynn may be cooperating with special counsel Mueller, and possibly trying to negotiate a deal.
November 24, 2017 - Lawyers for former national security adviser Michael T Flynn, have notified Trump's legal team that they would no longer be communicating with them about the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. This move is seen as a sign that Flynn may be cooperating with special counsel Mueller, and possibly trying to negotiate a deal.
Julia Poff is linked to a bomb that was mailed to Barack Obama through a cat hair that was found under the address label. The bomb was intercepted by the Secret Service.
November 22, 2017 - An anonymous twitter user tweeted out a nude photo of Texas Republican Representative Joe Barton, who had posed for the photo with an erection, and had emailed the photo to a prior sex partner. Accompanying the photo were the contents of the email message, which read: "I want u soo bad. Right now. Deep and hard." The anonymous person who posted the photo claims to also have in their possession video of Barton masturbating. Barton, who has already begun a re-election bid, is now saying he may reconsider.
November 22, 2017 - An anonymous twitter user tweeted out a nude photo of Texas Republican Representative Joe Barton, who had posed for the photo with an erection, and had emailed the photo to a prior sex partner. Accompanying the photo were the contents of the email message, which read: "I want u soo bad. Right now. Deep and hard." The anonymous person who posted the photo claims to also have in their possession video of Barton masturbating. Barton, who has already begun a re-election bid, is now saying he may reconsider.
Trump, who regularly criticized Obama for golfing during his presidency, played his 35th round of golf today. Obama had 24 rounds under his belt at this point in his presidency. While Trump was golfing, his White House staff insisted the entire day was filled up with "a full schedule of meetings and phone calls."
November 21, 2017 - The F.C.C. unveiled a plan to repeal net neutrality rules, which currently require broadband providers to give consumers equal access to all content on the web. Ajit Pai, the current chairman of the F.C.C, who is a Trump appointee, says the change will allow government to stop "micromanaging the internet."
November 21, 2017 - The F.C.C. unveiled a plan to repeal net neutrality rules, which currently require broadband providers to give consumers equal access to all content on the web. Ajit Pai, the current chairman of the F.C.C, who is a Trump appointee, says the change will allow government to stop "micromanaging the internet."
After keeping it a secret for a year, Uber announced that hackers had made off with personal data of more than 57 million drivers and riders.
Trump called the father of a UCLA basketball player an "ungrateful fool" and stated that he should have left three basketball players in jail in China after the father failed to extend gratitude to the president. The father of one of the basketball players, Lavar Ball, questioned Trump's assertion that it was Trump who was responsible for freeing his son from Chinese authorities after his son was caught shoplifting. According to Mr Ball, Trump was taking credit for something that was already in the works.
The Trump administration announced an end to Temporary Protection Status for 60,000 Haitian refugees who were granted protection after a horrific 2010 earthquake. The refugees are now required to return home by July of 2019. Responding to the announcement, Tom Perez, Democratic National Committee Chairman, tweeted that "Donald Trump's cruelty knows no bounds. As the proud son of two immigrants who fled an oppressive regime, I'm disgusted at the President's heartlessness. With this decision, Trump is tearing families apart and turning his back on the values that have made our country great."
November 20, 2017 - Trump added North Korea to a list of state sponsors of terrorism. They were on the list from 1987 to 2008, but were removed by George W. Bush who was trying to salvage a nuclear deal.
November 19, 2017 - Charles Manson died. He was 83.
November 16, 2017 - News surfaced today that documents turned over to investigators by Jared Kushner are incomplete, as they do not include documents that are known to exist through other sources. According to the Senate Judiciary committee, some of the missing documents relate to a "Russian backdoor overture and dinner invite" and also emails related to the Trump campaign's contacts with WikiLeaks, which are known to have been forwarded by Kushner to others in the Trump campaign.
November 20, 2017 - Trump added North Korea to a list of state sponsors of terrorism. They were on the list from 1987 to 2008, but were removed by George W. Bush who was trying to salvage a nuclear deal.
November 19, 2017 - Charles Manson died. He was 83.
November 16, 2017 - News surfaced today that documents turned over to investigators by Jared Kushner are incomplete, as they do not include documents that are known to exist through other sources. According to the Senate Judiciary committee, some of the missing documents relate to a "Russian backdoor overture and dinner invite" and also emails related to the Trump campaign's contacts with WikiLeaks, which are known to have been forwarded by Kushner to others in the Trump campaign.
A leak in the Keystone Pipeline spilled about 5,000 barrels, or 210,000 gallons of crude oil in a field near Amherst, SD.
Four more women have come forward to accuse Roy Moore of sexual assault. Trump, who has remained silent about Moore, and has himself been accused of sexual assault by over a dozen women, lashed out on Twitter at Al Franken after he was accused of sexual assault for forcibly kissing and groping a girl in 2006. Franken admitted that the incident occurred, and apologized to the victim. That apology has been accepted.
November 15, 2017 - President Trump refused to answer any questions about Roy Moore and the growing accusations of sexual assault against teen girls.
November 15, 2017 - President Trump refused to answer any questions about Roy Moore and the growing accusations of sexual assault against teen girls.
Puerto Rico's power grid is at less than 50% capacity.
November 14, 2017 - Despite testifying in October that he knew of no campaign contacts with the Russians, Attorney General Jeff Sessions testified today that he now remembers a round-table discussion that he himself led last year, in which campaign aide, George Papadopoulos, discussed his own Russian ties and suggested setting up a meeting between Trump and Putin. Sessions said he did not intentionally mislead anyone in his prior testimony, saying it was unfair of his colleagues to "accuse me of lying about that." In January, during his confirmation hearing, Sessions claimed he had not had any contact with Russians, but later had to admit that he had met privately with the Russian ambassador.
November 13, 2017 - News surfaced that Donald Trump Jr had multiple online conversations with WikiLeaks during the 2016 campaign that continued through much of this year. The correspondence included requests from WikiLeaks for the campaign to both comment on and push stories regarding emails that were hacked from DNC servers, and subsequently released by WikiLeaks. Mark Warner, a Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee called the correspondence "one more example of Russians, Russian agents - in this case WikiLeaks - reaching out to senior officials in the Trump Organization or Trump campaign."
November 14, 2017 - Despite testifying in October that he knew of no campaign contacts with the Russians, Attorney General Jeff Sessions testified today that he now remembers a round-table discussion that he himself led last year, in which campaign aide, George Papadopoulos, discussed his own Russian ties and suggested setting up a meeting between Trump and Putin. Sessions said he did not intentionally mislead anyone in his prior testimony, saying it was unfair of his colleagues to "accuse me of lying about that." In January, during his confirmation hearing, Sessions claimed he had not had any contact with Russians, but later had to admit that he had met privately with the Russian ambassador.
November 13, 2017 - News surfaced that Donald Trump Jr had multiple online conversations with WikiLeaks during the 2016 campaign that continued through much of this year. The correspondence included requests from WikiLeaks for the campaign to both comment on and push stories regarding emails that were hacked from DNC servers, and subsequently released by WikiLeaks. Mark Warner, a Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee called the correspondence "one more example of Russians, Russian agents - in this case WikiLeaks - reaching out to senior officials in the Trump Organization or Trump campaign."
A chorus of Republican leaders are asking Roy Moore to drop out of the Alabama Senate race now that a 5th woman has come forward with accusations of sexual misconduct. Beverly Young Nelson claims Moore attacked her in his car when she was 16, and told her afterwards "You're just a child. I'm the district attorney of Etowah County, and if you tell anyone about this, no one will ever believe you."
Trump met with Rodrigo Duterte, the President of the Philippines, saying they have a "great relationship." When asked whether Trump had brought up the issue of human rights with Duterte regarding his "nation's war on drugs" which has claimed the lives of thousands of suspected drug addicts and dealers, Sarah Huckabee Sanders answered that "Human rights briefly came up." Despite this claim, a spokesperson for Duterte said "The issue of human rights did not arise; it was not brought up." Here are some of Duterte's darker public statements:
"At the age of 16 I had already killed someone. When we were about to graduate from San Beda, I shot a person."
"I got angry because she was raped, yes that's part of it, but she's beautiful and the mayor should be the first one."
"You can maybe mess with Miss Universe. Maybe I would even congratulate you for having the balls to rape somebody when you know that you're going to die."
"Merry Christmas to all the criminals, thieves, corrupt criminals, and those making the Filipinos' lives miserable. If you do not want to stop, and violence continues, it'll be your last Merry Christmas."
"I would kill all of you making the life of the Filipinos miserable."
"Hitler massacred 3 million Jews. Now, there are 3 million drug addicts in the Philippines. I'd be happy to slaughter them."
"You are free to kill the idiots. That is my order to you. Always in the performance of a duty."
"And when I was mayor, I was already the favorite whipping boy of human rights [advocates]. Look, it can never be a crime to say that I will kill you if you destroy my country. That is a very legitimate statement."November 12, 2017 - In a press conference, Trump claimed he was "with our agencies" on the issue of Russian interference in the 2016 election, contradicting previous public statements made about the matter.
Former CIA director John Brennan responded to Trump's criticism from the previous day saying "I think it demonstrates to Mr Putin that Donald Trump can be played by foreign leaders who are going to appeal to his ego and try to play upon his insecurities, which is very, very worrisome from a national security standpoint."
November 11, 2017 - Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that special counsel Mueller is leading an "artificial Democratic hit job" which could cost "millions and millions of lives" by interfering with diplomatic efforts with Russia.
November 11, 2017 - Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that special counsel Mueller is leading an "artificial Democratic hit job" which could cost "millions and millions of lives" by interfering with diplomatic efforts with Russia.
In reference to Putin, Trump said: "Every time he sees me, he says, 'I didn't do that.' And I believe - I really believe that when he tells me that, he means it."
Trump tweeted criticism of "haters and fools" and claimed that "having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing" because he wants "to solve North Korea, Syria, Ukraine, terrorism, and Russia can greatly help!"
Trump called former director of national intelligence James Clapper and former CIA director John Brennan "political hacks" for their support of an intelligence agency consensus that Russia meddled in the US election.
Senator John McCain tweeted that there was "nothing America First about taking the word of KGB colonel [Putin]" over the US intelligence community.
November 10, 2017 - Conservative radio host Sean Hannity asked Roy Moore during an interview "Would it be unusual for you as a 32-year-old guy to have dated a woman as young as 17?" Moore responded "Not generally no. if I did, I’m not going to dispute anything, but I don’t remember anything like that.” Following the interview, two Republican Senators publicly withdrew support for Moore. Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah tweeted that “having read the detailed description of the incidents, as well as the response from Judge Moore and his campaign,” he could “no longer endorse his candidacy for the US Senate.” Republican Senator Steve Daines of Montana tweeted that he would be “pulling my endorsement and support for Roy Moore for U.S. Senate.” While many conservatives are publicly distancing themselves from Roy Moore, others are defending him and his actions:
November 10, 2017 - Conservative radio host Sean Hannity asked Roy Moore during an interview "Would it be unusual for you as a 32-year-old guy to have dated a woman as young as 17?" Moore responded "Not generally no. if I did, I’m not going to dispute anything, but I don’t remember anything like that.” Following the interview, two Republican Senators publicly withdrew support for Moore. Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah tweeted that “having read the detailed description of the incidents, as well as the response from Judge Moore and his campaign,” he could “no longer endorse his candidacy for the US Senate.” Republican Senator Steve Daines of Montana tweeted that he would be “pulling my endorsement and support for Roy Moore for U.S. Senate.” While many conservatives are publicly distancing themselves from Roy Moore, others are defending him and his actions:
“Take Mary and Joseph. Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter. They became parents of Jesus. There’s just nothing immoral or illegal here. Maybe just a little bit unusual” - Jim Zeigler, Alabama State Auditor
“You cannot tell me there hasn’t been an opportunity through the years to make these accusations with as many times as [Moore has] run [for office] and been in the news. You can’t be a victim 40 years later, in my opinion.” - Ed Henry, State Representative, who has also called for Moore's accusers to be prosecuted.
“We do have Ten Commandments. One of the Commandments is, ‘Thou shalt not bear false witness.’ We know human beings break, with regularity, the other nine commandments. Did they break this one? I mean, it’s something to think about” - Sean Hannity
“It was 40 years ago. He was 32. She was supposedly 14. She’s not saying that anything happened other than they kissed.” - David Hall, Marion County GOP ChairNovember 9, 2017 - Roy S. Moore, the Republican nominee for Senate in Alabama, has been accused by multiple women of making sexual advances towards teenage girls during the 1970s and the 1980s. The accusations range from forcible kissing to groping of teenage girls as young as 14 years old.
Trump, who repeatedly accused China of "raping" the US economy during his presidential campaign, had this to say today in the Great Hall of the People: "Trade between China and the United States has not been, over the last many, many years, a very fair one for us." Then he placed blame saying "Right now, unfortunately, it is a very one-sided and unfair [relationship]. But - but - I don't blame China. After all, who can blame a country for taking advantage of another country for the benefit of its own citizens? I give China great credit. But in actuality I do blame [US] administrations for allowing this out of control trade deficit to take place and to grow."
November 7, 2017 - In the wake of the New York bike path attack, Trump had called for extreme vetting for immigrants to combat terrorism, so a reporter asked Trump if he would support extreme vetting for gun purchases. In response, Trump explained that extreme vetting for guns would have made the church shooting worse, possibly pushing the death toll into the hundreds rather than 26. His reasoning: with extreme vetting, there may not have been a bystander with a gun available to shoot the suspect. The suspect was shot by a bystander, but this occurred after the shooter had run out of ammunition inside the church during his killing spree.
November 7, 2017 - In the wake of the New York bike path attack, Trump had called for extreme vetting for immigrants to combat terrorism, so a reporter asked Trump if he would support extreme vetting for gun purchases. In response, Trump explained that extreme vetting for guns would have made the church shooting worse, possibly pushing the death toll into the hundreds rather than 26. His reasoning: with extreme vetting, there may not have been a bystander with a gun available to shoot the suspect. The suspect was shot by a bystander, but this occurred after the shooter had run out of ammunition inside the church during his killing spree.
Syria agreed to sign the Paris climate agreement making the US the only country that has rejected the pact.
A transcript of Carter Page's private testimony before the House Intelligence Committee was released today. Here are the major takeaways:
- It was well known within the Trump campaign that Page was going to visit Russia in July of 2016.
- Page had claimed publicly that he never met with Russian government officials, but those statements were contradicted by his testimony.
- Page reported back to the campaign regarding his Russian contacts.
- Page also traveled to Budapest in the summer of 2016 where he met with Hungarian government officials, and the Hungarian ambassador to the United States.
November 6, 2017 - Lots of information surfaced about Devin P. Kelley, the Sutherland Springs church shooter. In 2012, Kelley was convicted for attacking his wife and infant stepson, which, among other transgressions, lead to him being kicked out of the Air Force with a bad conduct discharge. The Air Force, which was required to enter his name into an F.B.I. database because of the domestic assault conviction, failed to do so. The shooting itself was motivated by an ongoing domestic dispute Kelley had with his mother-in-law, who regularly attended the Sutherland Springs church, but wasn't there when the shooting occurred. In response to reporter's questions about the church attack yesterday, Trump claimed that "mental health was your problem here." Trump also told reporters "this isn't a guns situation. I mean, we could go into it, but it's a little bit too soon."
President Trump, who is presently in Japan, urged its leader, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to purchase billions of dollars worth of American weapons to protect his country from North Korea.
November 5, 2017 - Dressed in black, and wearing a tactical vest, Devin Patrick Kelley, 26, entered the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, TX, then opened fire with an AR556 military style rifle, killing at least 26 people and injuring more than 20. Trump tweeted the following in response to the shooting: "May God be w/ the people of Sutherland Springs, Texas. The FBI & law enforcement are on the scene. I am monitoring the situation from Japan."
November 5, 2017 - Dressed in black, and wearing a tactical vest, Devin Patrick Kelley, 26, entered the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, TX, then opened fire with an AR556 military style rifle, killing at least 26 people and injuring more than 20. Trump tweeted the following in response to the shooting: "May God be w/ the people of Sutherland Springs, Texas. The FBI & law enforcement are on the scene. I am monitoring the situation from Japan."
Billionaire hedge manager, Tom Steyer, launched an "eight figure" ad campaign aimed at impeaching Donald Trump. The ad demands that elected officials in his party "take a stand" on removing Trump from office. Steyer has a list of reasons for wanting to impeach Trump, which include the following:
- Trump has put the country on a path toward nuclear war.
- Trump obstructed justice by firing FBI director, James Comey.
- Trump violated the emoluments clause by taking money from foreign governments.
- Trump threatened to close news organizations whose reporting he doesn't like.
According to a new Washington Post-ABC poll, 59% of the country disapproves of Trump's handling of the presidency. This is the lowest approval rating at this point in a presidency since modern polling began.
November 3, 2017 - Humans are the dominant cause of the global temperature rise that has created the warmest period in the history of civilization according to the National Climate Assessment, a congressionally mandated review conducted every four years by 13 federal agencies. The report, which directly contradicts much of the Trump administration's positions on climate change, is considered the United States' most definitive statement on climate change science. According to the report, global average temperatures have increased 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit over the last 115 years. Despite the scientific consensus on climate change, the Trump administration's E.P.A. has scrubbed references to climate change from its website, and has barred its scientists from presenting scientific reports on the subject. Scott Pruitt, the E.P.A. administrator, has said carbon dioxide is not a primary contributor to warming.
- Trump has put the country on a path toward nuclear war.
- Trump obstructed justice by firing FBI director, James Comey.
- Trump violated the emoluments clause by taking money from foreign governments.
- Trump threatened to close news organizations whose reporting he doesn't like.
According to a new Washington Post-ABC poll, 59% of the country disapproves of Trump's handling of the presidency. This is the lowest approval rating at this point in a presidency since modern polling began.
November 3, 2017 - Humans are the dominant cause of the global temperature rise that has created the warmest period in the history of civilization according to the National Climate Assessment, a congressionally mandated review conducted every four years by 13 federal agencies. The report, which directly contradicts much of the Trump administration's positions on climate change, is considered the United States' most definitive statement on climate change science. According to the report, global average temperatures have increased 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit over the last 115 years. Despite the scientific consensus on climate change, the Trump administration's E.P.A. has scrubbed references to climate change from its website, and has barred its scientists from presenting scientific reports on the subject. Scott Pruitt, the E.P.A. administrator, has said carbon dioxide is not a primary contributor to warming.
A contractor at Twitter, who was working his last shift, shut down Trump's Twitter account. Service was restored 11 minutes later.
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the soldier who walked off his base in Afghanistan in 2009, was dishonorably discharged from the Army, receiving no prison time in his sentence. Trump responded to the decision on Twitter, calling it a "complete and total disgrace to our Country and to our Military." Trump also called for prosecutors to investigate Hillary Clinton and members of the Obama administration.
November 2, 2017 - Summer Zervos, a former contestant of Trump's reality show "The Apprentice", filed suit against the president for defamation. The suit is a response to insults made by Trump following Zervos' allegations that Trump made unwanted sexual advances towards her while she was a contestant on the show.
November 1, 2017 - In direct contrast to his refusal to "talk policy" regarding gun control in the days following the Las Vegas massacre, Trump was eager to talk immigration policy today following the New York attack that happened yesterday. Trump called on congress to cancel the diversity visa immigrant program that allowed Sayfullo Saipov into the country in 2010. Trump also denounced the American criminal justice system as "a joke" and "a laughingstock", and posted on Twitter that Saipov "SHOULD GET DEATH PENALTY!" Criminal justice experts warned that Trump's comments could jeopardize the prosecution of Saipov, since his defense team can now argue that a fair trial isn't possible, since the head of the executive branch has already advocated for the ultimate punishment before a shred of evidence has been heard by a judge and/or a jury.
November 2, 2017 - Summer Zervos, a former contestant of Trump's reality show "The Apprentice", filed suit against the president for defamation. The suit is a response to insults made by Trump following Zervos' allegations that Trump made unwanted sexual advances towards her while she was a contestant on the show.
November 1, 2017 - In direct contrast to his refusal to "talk policy" regarding gun control in the days following the Las Vegas massacre, Trump was eager to talk immigration policy today following the New York attack that happened yesterday. Trump called on congress to cancel the diversity visa immigrant program that allowed Sayfullo Saipov into the country in 2010. Trump also denounced the American criminal justice system as "a joke" and "a laughingstock", and posted on Twitter that Saipov "SHOULD GET DEATH PENALTY!" Criminal justice experts warned that Trump's comments could jeopardize the prosecution of Saipov, since his defense team can now argue that a fair trial isn't possible, since the head of the executive branch has already advocated for the ultimate punishment before a shred of evidence has been heard by a judge and/or a jury.
Charlie Rose was fired by PBS over allegations of sexual harassment.
Today is the first day of the signup period for the /affordable care act. The sign up period this year has been cut in half from what it was last year due to changes by the Trump administration.
October 31, 2017 - Trump tried to diminish the role of former foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, saying on twitter "Few people knew the young, low level volunteer named George, who has already proven to be a liar. Check the DEMS!" NOTE: When Trump appointed Papadopoulos as one of 5 foreign policy advisers in March of 2016, he had this to say "He's an energy and oil consultant, excellent guy."
October 31, 2017 - Trump tried to diminish the role of former foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, saying on twitter "Few people knew the young, low level volunteer named George, who has already proven to be a liar. Check the DEMS!" NOTE: When Trump appointed Papadopoulos as one of 5 foreign policy advisers in March of 2016, he had this to say "He's an energy and oil consultant, excellent guy."
Lawyers for Facebook, Google and Twitter testified on Capital Hill regarding Russian activities to influence the 2016 presidential election by spreading misinformation and propaganda. Their testimony revealed that Russian agents created posts that reached as many as 126 million Facebook users. They also revealed that Russian agents published more than 131,000 messages on Twitter, and posted more than 1,000 videos on Youtube.
Sayfullo Saipov, an Uzbekistan immigrant, used a truck rented from Home Depot to run down bikers on a bike trail in New York city, killing 8 and injuring 12. Trump tweeted the following in response to the truck attack: "In NYC, looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person. Law enforcement is following this closely. NOT IN THE U.S.A.!" Trump also called for "extreme vetting" to be incorporated into immigration processing.
October 30, 2017 - Robert S. Mueller announced charges today against three Trump campaign advisers. Two of those charged are former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and deputy campaign chairman Rick Gates, who are both charged with the following crimes:
The charges carry the potential of nearly 20 years in prison. Manafort and Gates plead not guilty to all charges. Both were put under house arrest.
The third person charged is Trump foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, who pleaded guilty to lying to the F.B.I. about contacts he had during the campaign with Russian operatives. Court documents show that campaign officials knew that Papadopoulos was developing contacts in Russia, and at least one email rejects a formal meeting between Trump and the Russians saying that a meeting should be with "someone low level in the campaign so as not to send a signal." Trump's response to the arrests was through twitter where he said that the special inquiry should focus on "Crooked Hillary and the Dems."
October 30, 2017 - Robert S. Mueller announced charges today against three Trump campaign advisers. Two of those charged are former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and deputy campaign chairman Rick Gates, who are both charged with the following crimes:
Count 1
Conspiracy Against the United States
Count 2
Conspiracy to Launder Money
Count 3 thru 6
Failure to File Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts for Calendar Years 2011-2014
Count 7 thru 9
Failure to File Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts for Calendar Years 2011-2013
Count 10
Unregistered Agent of a Foreign Principal
Count 11
False and Misleading FARA Statements
Count 12
False Statements
The third person charged is Trump foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, who pleaded guilty to lying to the F.B.I. about contacts he had during the campaign with Russian operatives. Court documents show that campaign officials knew that Papadopoulos was developing contacts in Russia, and at least one email rejects a formal meeting between Trump and the Russians saying that a meeting should be with "someone low level in the campaign so as not to send a signal." Trump's response to the arrests was through twitter where he said that the special inquiry should focus on "Crooked Hillary and the Dems."
The F.B.I. is investigating a $300 million contract to rebuild Puerto Rico's power grid that was awarded to a small Montana firm with only two full time employees when hurricane Maria hit the island. Also of concern, Whitefish Energy has close ties to Trump's secretary of the interior, Ryan Zinke. Puerto Rico's Governor, Ricardo A. Rossello, announced today that he will cancel the disaster-recovery deal with Whitefish.
In an interview with Fox News, White House chief of staff, John Kelly praised Robert E. Lee as an "honorable man who gave up his country to fight for his state" and also claimed the Civil War happened because of the "the lack of an ability to compromise." NOTE: Historians were quick to point out that Robert E. Lee participated in an armed revolt to overthrow the United States government, the same one Kelly has taken an oath to defend. Also pointed out was the history of compromise leading up to the Civil War, like the removal of the anti-slave-trade passage in the Declaration of Independence; the three-fifths, slave-trade, fugitive-slave, and Electoral College clauses of the Constitution; the Northwest Ordinance, the Missouri Compromise, the Compromise of 1850, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and the proposed Crittenden Compromise just prior to the start of the war.
Trump's ban on transgender troops was blocked by US district judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly who wrote "As a form of government action that classifies people based on their gender identity, and disfavors a class of historically persecuted and politically powerless individuals, the president's directives are subject to a fairly searching form of scrutiny."
October 27, 2017 - Despite claiming for months that she was not acting at the behest of the Kremlin, records show that Natalia V. Veselnitskaya, the Russian lawyer who met with Trump Jr, met with one of Russia's most powerful officials in the months leading up to the June 2016 meeting. That official was Yuri Y. Chaika, Russia's prosecutor general. According to Stephen Blank, a senior fellow with the nonprofit American Foreign Policy Council in Washington, Veselnitskaya's actions "were coordinated from the very top."
The Commerce Department reported that GDP had expanded at an annual rate of 3% in the third quarter.
October 25, 2017 - News surfaced today that the "Steel dossier", which includes salacious claims about Trump and his connections with Russia, was at least partially funded by the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign and the DNC.
October 24, 2017 - From the Senate floor, Senator Jeff Flake announced that he will not seek re-election in 2018, and then went after Trump: "We must stop pretending that the degradation of our politics and the conduct of some in our executive branch are normal. They are not normal. Reckless, outrageous and undignified behavior has become excused and countenanced as telling it like it is when it is actually just reckless, outrageous and undignified. And when such behavior emanates from the top of our government, it is something else. It is dangerous to a democracy.” Flake said he could "no longer be complicit or silent" and accused Trump of "flagrant disregard for truth and decency."
October 25, 2017 - News surfaced today that the "Steel dossier", which includes salacious claims about Trump and his connections with Russia, was at least partially funded by the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign and the DNC.
October 24, 2017 - From the Senate floor, Senator Jeff Flake announced that he will not seek re-election in 2018, and then went after Trump: "We must stop pretending that the degradation of our politics and the conduct of some in our executive branch are normal. They are not normal. Reckless, outrageous and undignified behavior has become excused and countenanced as telling it like it is when it is actually just reckless, outrageous and undignified. And when such behavior emanates from the top of our government, it is something else. It is dangerous to a democracy.” Flake said he could "no longer be complicit or silent" and accused Trump of "flagrant disregard for truth and decency."
Trump continued his attacks on Senator Bob Corker, tweeting that Corker is "incompetent" and that he "couldn't get elected dog catcher in Tennessee." Senator Corker responded that Trump "has great difficulty with the truth #AlertTheDaycareStaff" Corker also claimed Trump's "governing model is to divide."
October 23, 2017 - Myeshia Johnson, the widow of Sgt La David T. Johnson, confirmed the events described last week by Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, saying in an interview with ABC News's George Stephanopoulos: "The president said, ‘He knew what he signed up for, but it hurts anyway' It made me cry because I was very angry at the tone in his voice and how he said it." She also stated that Trump "couldn’t remember my husband’s name. The only way he remembered my husband’s name is because he told me he had my husband’s report in front of him and that’s when he actually said ‘La David.’ I heard him stumbling on trying to remember my husband’s name. And that’s what hurt me the most because if my husband is out here fighting for our country, and he risked his life for our country, why can’t you remember his name?" Trump responded to the interview on Twitter "I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation!"
October 23, 2017 - Myeshia Johnson, the widow of Sgt La David T. Johnson, confirmed the events described last week by Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, saying in an interview with ABC News's George Stephanopoulos: "The president said, ‘He knew what he signed up for, but it hurts anyway' It made me cry because I was very angry at the tone in his voice and how he said it." She also stated that Trump "couldn’t remember my husband’s name. The only way he remembered my husband’s name is because he told me he had my husband’s report in front of him and that’s when he actually said ‘La David.’ I heard him stumbling on trying to remember my husband’s name. And that’s what hurt me the most because if my husband is out here fighting for our country, and he risked his life for our country, why can’t you remember his name?" Trump responded to the interview on Twitter "I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation!"
News surfaced that Bill O'Reilly was offered a $100 million dollar deal with Fox after settling as many as six sexual harassment claims through multi-million dollar payments - one for as high as $32 million.
October 22, 2017 - Florida Congresswoman Frederica Wilson demanded an apology from the Trump White House for false claims made about her by senior officials. Ms Wilson also referred to the incident in Niger on October 4th which took the lives of four Green Beret as "Trump's Benghazi."
October 22, 2017 - Florida Congresswoman Frederica Wilson demanded an apology from the Trump White House for false claims made about her by senior officials. Ms Wilson also referred to the incident in Niger on October 4th which took the lives of four Green Beret as "Trump's Benghazi."
Former president Jimmy Carter says he is willing to go to North Korea to broker a peace deal.
In a C-Span interview, Senator John McCain complained about Americans who avoided the draft for the Vietnam war saying "One aspect of the conflict, by the way, that I will never, ever countenance is that we drafted the lowest income level of America and the highest income level found a doctor that would say they had a bone spur. That is wrong. That is wrong. If we are going to ask every American to serve, every American should serve." NOTE: Trump received five deferments from service in Vietnam: four for academic reasons, and one for bone spurs in his heels.
October 20, 2017 - Video surfaced of a 2015 speech given by Representative Frederica S. Wilson at the dedication of a South Florida F.B.I. building revealing that John F. Kelly, the White House chief of staff, had misrepresented the remarks that were made by the Florida Representative. In the video, Ms Wilson did not take credit for raising money for the building, but did take credit for helping pass legislation naming the building after two fallen agents. She also acknowledged the help of several Republicans, including John A. Boehner, Mario Diaz-Balart, Carlos Curbelo, and Marco Rubio. In response to reporter's questions, Wilson said the following: "I feel very sorry for him because he feels such a need to lie on me and I’m not even his enemy. I just can’t even imagine why he would fabricate something like that. That is absolutely insane. I’m just flabbergasted because it’s very easy to trace." Of the administration as a whole, Wilson said "They are making themselves look like fools. They have no credibility. They are trying to assassinate my character, and they are assassinating their own because everything they say is coming out and shown to be a lie." Despite the video evidence, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended Kelly's previous day's statements referring to Representative Wilson as "all hat, no cattle." When pressed by reporters regarding the discrepancy between Kelly's comments and the video evidence, Sanders said "if you want to get into a debate with a four-star Marine general, I think that that’s something highly inappropriate."
October 20, 2017 - Video surfaced of a 2015 speech given by Representative Frederica S. Wilson at the dedication of a South Florida F.B.I. building revealing that John F. Kelly, the White House chief of staff, had misrepresented the remarks that were made by the Florida Representative. In the video, Ms Wilson did not take credit for raising money for the building, but did take credit for helping pass legislation naming the building after two fallen agents. She also acknowledged the help of several Republicans, including John A. Boehner, Mario Diaz-Balart, Carlos Curbelo, and Marco Rubio. In response to reporter's questions, Wilson said the following: "I feel very sorry for him because he feels such a need to lie on me and I’m not even his enemy. I just can’t even imagine why he would fabricate something like that. That is absolutely insane. I’m just flabbergasted because it’s very easy to trace." Of the administration as a whole, Wilson said "They are making themselves look like fools. They have no credibility. They are trying to assassinate my character, and they are assassinating their own because everything they say is coming out and shown to be a lie." Despite the video evidence, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended Kelly's previous day's statements referring to Representative Wilson as "all hat, no cattle." When pressed by reporters regarding the discrepancy between Kelly's comments and the video evidence, Sanders said "if you want to get into a debate with a four-star Marine general, I think that that’s something highly inappropriate."
In response to Sanders comment, Perry O'Brien, a former army medic who served in Afghanistan, said "I don’t think most generals would say a star on your shoulder makes you immune from criticism."
Four weeks after Hurricane Maria, 80% of Puerto Rico is still without electricity.
In an attempt to verify Trumps claim that he always makes contact with Gold Star families, the Associated Press reached out to the families of the 43 soldiers who have died since Trump became president, finding that of the 20 they were able to reach, only half had heard from Trump.
October 19, 2017 - Chief of Staff John Kelly made an appearance in the White House briefing room to defend and explain Trump's phone call to the widow of La David T Johnson, an act which has become known in some circles as "Trumpsplaining." According to General Kelly, Trump was only trying to convey what Kelly said he himself had been told when his son died, that he "was doing exactly what he wanted to do when he was killed. He knew what he was getting into by joining that 1 percent. He knew what the possibilities were, because we were at war." Kelly also used the occasion to launch into an attack on Representative Frederica S. Wilson, calling her an "empty barrel" and a "publicity seeking opportunist". He also said that her "willingness to breach the confidentiality of the president's words" were evidence of a broader decline in the values of an American society saying "When I was a kid growing up, a lot of things were sacred in our country. Women were sacred, looked upon with great honor. That’s obviously not the case anymore as we see from recent cases. Life, the dignity of life, is sacred. That’s gone. Religion, that seems to be gone as well. Gold Star families, I think that left in the convention over the summer." The irony that Kelly would make this particular point in defense of Trump was not lost on those in attendance. Kelly also implied the congresswoman had secretly listened in on the call saying "It stuns me that a member of Congress would have listened in on that conversation - absolutely stuns me." Kelly continued his attack on Ms Wilson saying that she had crassly claimed political credit for getting funding for an F.B.I building in Miami that was named for fallen agents.
October 19, 2017 - Chief of Staff John Kelly made an appearance in the White House briefing room to defend and explain Trump's phone call to the widow of La David T Johnson, an act which has become known in some circles as "Trumpsplaining." According to General Kelly, Trump was only trying to convey what Kelly said he himself had been told when his son died, that he "was doing exactly what he wanted to do when he was killed. He knew what he was getting into by joining that 1 percent. He knew what the possibilities were, because we were at war." Kelly also used the occasion to launch into an attack on Representative Frederica S. Wilson, calling her an "empty barrel" and a "publicity seeking opportunist". He also said that her "willingness to breach the confidentiality of the president's words" were evidence of a broader decline in the values of an American society saying "When I was a kid growing up, a lot of things were sacred in our country. Women were sacred, looked upon with great honor. That’s obviously not the case anymore as we see from recent cases. Life, the dignity of life, is sacred. That’s gone. Religion, that seems to be gone as well. Gold Star families, I think that left in the convention over the summer." The irony that Kelly would make this particular point in defense of Trump was not lost on those in attendance. Kelly also implied the congresswoman had secretly listened in on the call saying "It stuns me that a member of Congress would have listened in on that conversation - absolutely stuns me." Kelly continued his attack on Ms Wilson saying that she had crassly claimed political credit for getting funding for an F.B.I building in Miami that was named for fallen agents.
Trump sent the following tweet: "The Fake News is going crazy with wacky Congresswoman Wilson(D), who was SECRETLY on a very personal call, and gave a total lie on content!"
In speeches that did not mention Trump's name, George W Bush and Barack Obama made not so subtle attacks on the current president:
"We’ve seen nationalism distorted into nativism, forgotten the dynamism that immigration has always brought to America. We see a fading confidence in the value of free markets and international trade, forgetting that conflict, instability and poverty follow in the wake of protectionism. We’ve seen the return of isolationist sentiments, forgetting that American security is directly threatened by the chaos and despair of distant places." - George W Bush
"What we can’t have is the same old politics of division that we have seen so many times before that dates back centuries. Some of the politics we see now, we thought we put that to bed. That has folks looking 50 years back. It’s the 21st century, not the 19th century. Come on!" - Barack ObamaOctober 18, 2017 - In a televised interview, Florida Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson criticized Trump for being insensitive towards the widow of La David T Johnson, one of four Green Berets killed in Niger on October 4th. According to Ms Wilson, Trump told the widow her husband "knew what he signed up for" and during the call never referred to him by name, but only called him "your guy." Trump denied he was disrespectful, saying "I didn't say what the congresswoman said, and she knows it", saying he "had a very nice conversation with the woman, with the wife, who sounded like a lovely woman" and also added that he "has proof", but did not say what that proof is. Sgt Johnson's mother, who also heard the call, corroborated the congresswoman's version of events saying "Yes, he did state that comment" and also that "President Trump did disrespect my son and my daughter, also me and my husband."
Congresswoman Wilson continued her criticisms of Trump calling him a "sick man" and in a tweet said "I still stand by my account of the call b/t @realDonaldTrump and Myeshia Johnson. That is her name, Mr Trump. Not 'the woman' or 'the wife'"
When asked if Trump has called every family of service members who have been killed on his watch, Sarah Huckabee Sanders would only say that Trump has made "contact" with every family.
Stories began to surface today regarding Trump's relationships with Gold Star families, like when Trump offered to send the family of Sgt. Dillon Baldridge $25,000. Trump had offered the money to Sgt. Baldridge's father during a phone call in June, but didn't send the money until a story was published this week in the Washington Post. "For somebody to tell me they were going to give me something and then not come through, it feels like kicking me when I'm down" said Sgt. Baldridge's father Chris.
Jeff Sessions testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that he knew of nobody in the Trump campaign who had contacts with Russians saying "And I don't believe it happened."
October 17, 2017 - A third attempt by the Trump administration to ban travel from a handful of predominantly Muslim countries was halted today when Derrick K. Watson, a federal judge in Hawaii issued a nationwide freeze. Both previous attempts were halted on grounds they violated the Constitution or exceeded the president's authority, and those halt orders have all been upheld on appeal. Judge Watson's wrote in his decision that the ban "plainly discriminates based on nationality" and that the govt had not shown that the US national interests would be harmed by admitting travelers from the affected countries.
Trump's nominee for drug czar, Tom Marino, Republican Representative from Pennsylvania, withdrew his name from consideration after news surfaced that he had done the bidding of the pharmaceutical industry in its efforts to undercut drug control enforcement efforts.
Trump escalated his attack on Obama regarding Obama's handling of Gold Star families saying "You could ask General Kelly, did he get a call from Obama? I believe his policy was somewhat different than my policy. I can tell you my policy is I called every one of them."
October 16, 2017 - During a news conference in the Rose Garden, a reporter asked Trump why he hadn't said anything publicly about four Green Berets who were killed in an ambush in Niger two weeks prior. Rather than answer the question, Trump claimed he had written letters to the families and planned to call them in the coming week, then made the following statement regarding his predecessors: "If you look at President Obama and other presidents, most of them didn’t make calls. A lot of them didn’t make calls. I like to call when it’s appropriate." Responses to Trump's comments were swift, and angry:
October 14, 2017 - In an interview on Fox & Friends, Mike Pence responds to accusations the Trump campaign is in cahoots with Wikileaks saying "Nothing could be further from the truth. I think all of us have, you know, had concerns about WikiLeaks over the years."
October 13, 2017 - Trump disavows Iran nuclear deal saying he will not certify Iran's compliance, and now congress must decide whether to reimpose sanctions, which could threaten the agreement. Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and President Emmanuel Macron of France said in a joint statement that they "stand committed" to the 2015 deal and that preserving it is "in our shared national security interest." The joint statement also called the deal a "culmination of 13 years of diplomacy and was a major step towards ensuring that Iran's nuclear program is not diverted for military purposes." Germany's foreign minister, Sigmar Gabriel, called Trump's comments "a difficult and also from our point of view dangerous signal" because deals like the one with Iran are necessary to "convince countries like North Korea, and maybe others, that it is possible to create security without acquiring nuclear weapons. Destroying this agreement would, worldwide, mean that others could no longer rely on such agreements - that's why it is a danger that goes further than Iran." Iran's president, Hassan Rouhani, called Trump's comments "nothing but abuse and threats against the people of Iran."
October 16, 2017 - During a news conference in the Rose Garden, a reporter asked Trump why he hadn't said anything publicly about four Green Berets who were killed in an ambush in Niger two weeks prior. Rather than answer the question, Trump claimed he had written letters to the families and planned to call them in the coming week, then made the following statement regarding his predecessors: "If you look at President Obama and other presidents, most of them didn’t make calls. A lot of them didn’t make calls. I like to call when it’s appropriate." Responses to Trump's comments were swift, and angry:
"This is an outrageous and disrespectful lie even by Trump standards. Also Obama never attacked a Gold Star family.” - Benjamin J. Rhodes, former deputy national security adviser to President Obama
"Trump is a deeply disturbed ignoramus who is a pathological liar, but Mitch McConnell is cool with it cuz tax cuts or something." - Dan Pfeiffer, former White House communications director and senior adviser to President Obama
"That's a fucking lie. to say president obama (or past presidents) didn't call the family members of soldiers KIA - he's a deranged animal" - Alyssa Mastromonaco, former deputy chief of staff for operations to President Obama
"Stop the damn lying - you’re the President. I went to Dover AFB with 44 and saw him comfort the families of both the fallen military & DEA." - Eric Holder, former Attorney General under President ObamaWhen asked later about his Obama claim, Trump said "I don't know if he did. I was told that he didn't often. A lot of presidents don't, they write letters. I do a combination of both. President Obama, I think, probably did sometimes and maybe sometimes he didn't. That's what I was told, All I can do is ask my generals."
October 14, 2017 - In an interview on Fox & Friends, Mike Pence responds to accusations the Trump campaign is in cahoots with Wikileaks saying "Nothing could be further from the truth. I think all of us have, you know, had concerns about WikiLeaks over the years."
October 13, 2017 - Trump disavows Iran nuclear deal saying he will not certify Iran's compliance, and now congress must decide whether to reimpose sanctions, which could threaten the agreement. Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and President Emmanuel Macron of France said in a joint statement that they "stand committed" to the 2015 deal and that preserving it is "in our shared national security interest." The joint statement also called the deal a "culmination of 13 years of diplomacy and was a major step towards ensuring that Iran's nuclear program is not diverted for military purposes." Germany's foreign minister, Sigmar Gabriel, called Trump's comments "a difficult and also from our point of view dangerous signal" because deals like the one with Iran are necessary to "convince countries like North Korea, and maybe others, that it is possible to create security without acquiring nuclear weapons. Destroying this agreement would, worldwide, mean that others could no longer rely on such agreements - that's why it is a danger that goes further than Iran." Iran's president, Hassan Rouhani, called Trump's comments "nothing but abuse and threats against the people of Iran."
The White House announced it will discontinue subsidy payments to insurers as part of the Affordable Care Act, which is expected to drive up premiums.
October 12, 2017 - Trump signed an executive order to scrap up to $7bn in federal subsidies to insurance companies to help them cover the medical needs of low-income Americans. Trump claimed that the subsidies - which are an essential aspect of the ACA - are illegal. The attorney generals of both California and New York have threatened to file suit. Eric Schneiderman, the attorney general of New York accused Trump of using "New York families as political pawns in his dangerous partisan campaign to eviscerate the Affordable Care Act at any cost". A study by the Congressional Budget Office found that terminating these cost-sharing subsidies would lead to a 20% rise in the average cost of the most popular plans offered by the ACA, as well as increasing the federal deficit by almost $200m.
October 12, 2017 - Trump signed an executive order to scrap up to $7bn in federal subsidies to insurance companies to help them cover the medical needs of low-income Americans. Trump claimed that the subsidies - which are an essential aspect of the ACA - are illegal. The attorney generals of both California and New York have threatened to file suit. Eric Schneiderman, the attorney general of New York accused Trump of using "New York families as political pawns in his dangerous partisan campaign to eviscerate the Affordable Care Act at any cost". A study by the Congressional Budget Office found that terminating these cost-sharing subsidies would lead to a 20% rise in the average cost of the most popular plans offered by the ACA, as well as increasing the federal deficit by almost $200m.
Trump signed an executive order that opens the door to cheaper less comprehensive insurance which experts predict will increase the price of plans for the sick.
NOTE: Other actions taken by Trump before today to derail the ACA: shortening the sign-up period for insurance by half; cutting funding for outreach, shutting down for maintenance the site used by people to sign up for health insurance.
October 11, 2017 - News surfaced today about the meeting on July 20th in which Rex Tillerson referred to Donald Trump as a "fucking moron." According to 3 sources who were present at the meeting, Trump told those present that he wanted to increase the size of the nuclear arsenal to 1960's levels, which would be a tenfold increase over its current size. According to the sources, Trump's comments were in response to a presentation about the US's nuclear arsenal, and the history behind the declining numbers. After Trump made his comment, pentagon officials had to explain the legal and practical impediments to a nuclear buildup. In response to the news, which was brought to light by NBC, Trump tweeted out the following threat: "With all of the Fake News coming out of NBC and the Networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their License? Bad for country!"
October 11, 2017 - News surfaced today about the meeting on July 20th in which Rex Tillerson referred to Donald Trump as a "fucking moron." According to 3 sources who were present at the meeting, Trump told those present that he wanted to increase the size of the nuclear arsenal to 1960's levels, which would be a tenfold increase over its current size. According to the sources, Trump's comments were in response to a presentation about the US's nuclear arsenal, and the history behind the declining numbers. After Trump made his comment, pentagon officials had to explain the legal and practical impediments to a nuclear buildup. In response to the news, which was brought to light by NBC, Trump tweeted out the following threat: "With all of the Fake News coming out of NBC and the Networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their License? Bad for country!"
FEMA officials confirm that the govt is providing 200,000 meals a day in Puerto Rico, which is a daily shortfall of between 1.8m and 5.8m meals needed by the 2 million people on the island in the wake of hurricane Maria. Also, more than a third of Puerto Ricans are still without drinking water.
October 10, 2017 - Regarding news that Rex Tillerson called him a "fucking moron" Trump told Forbes magazine "I think it's fake news. But if he did that, I guess we'll have to compare IQ tests. And I can tell you who is going to win."
Jimmy Kimmel joked that he's "not sure Donald Trump could finish the maze on the back of a Denny’s kids’ menu."
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell weighed in on NFL player kneeling protests saying "Like many of our fans, we believe that everyone should stand for the national anthem. It is an important moment in our game. We want to honor our flag and our country, and our fans expect that of us."
Responding to comments made by Mike Ditka yesterday, five-time pro bowl receiver Steve Smith tweeted the following: "Really? Civil rights act of 1964. Voting act of 1965, Rosa Parks 1955, #mikeditka go sit ur dumb a$$ down somewhere. I respect my elders. But to say this gives us a peek into your heart. Jim crow laws, brown v Board of education. Great coach......Clueless person."
Carter Page, a former foreign policy adviser to Donald Trump, says he will not cooperate with requests to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee, and if forced to do so, will plead the fifth.
Despite claiming on previous occasions that she has "thick skin" Melania Trump made the following statement through her communications director regarding comments made yesterday by Ivana Trump: "Mrs. Trump has made the White House a home for Barron and the President. She loves living in Washington, DC, and is honored by her role as first lady of the United States. She plans to use her title and role to help children, not sell books. There is clearly no substance to this statement from an ex, this is unfortunately only attention-seeking and self-serving noise."
A rap video featuring Eminem which was aired at the BET awards attacked Trump for being "racist" and "orange."
Continuing his twitter attack on Bob Corker, Trump went after his height calling him "Liddle Bob." Trump also accused the New York Times of tricking Corker by recording his comments without his knowledge, despite part of the recording including comments by Corker where he confirms that the reporter is in fact recording him.
In a tweet, Trump threatened a change to federal tax law that would punish the NFL over players who kneel in protest during the national anthem saying "Why is the NFL getting massive tax breaks while at the same time disrespecting our Anthem, Flag and Country? Change tax law!"
October 9, 2017 - Harvey Weinstein was fired from his production company and expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences over allegations of sexual misconduct.
October 9, 2017 - Harvey Weinstein was fired from his production company and expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences over allegations of sexual misconduct.
Concerning an ongoing war of words between Trump and Senator Bob Corker, former Representative Thomas M. Reynolds, Republican of New York had this to say "Under the normal, traditional rules of politics of the last 40 years of my life, a president would not poke a senator in the eye when he has a two-seat majority and a major legislative agenda needing to be accomplished."
Representative Michelle Lujan Grisham, Democrat of New Mexico, called the new White House immigration framework "immoral."
"The war on coal is over" declared Scott Pruitt, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, while speaking to a group in Hazard, Kentucky. The declaration was part of a statement in which Pruitt explained that the Trump administration would be rolling back the Clean Power Plan, one of Barack Obama's signature achievements to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
Trumps first wife, Ivana, who was the victim of Trump's affair with Marla Maples, called herself "first lady" in an interview regarding her new book "Raising Trump."
News surfaced today that Mike Pence had told reporters prior to yesterday's football game that they didn't need to follow him into the stadium because he wouldn't be inside very long, thus exposing the walkout as a pre-planned publicity stunt. Estimated cost to taxpayers for the stunt - somewhere North of $200,000 dollars.
Hall of Fame coach Mike Ditka weighed in on the kneeling protests saying "All of a sudden, it’s become a big deal now, about oppression. There has been no oppression in the last 100 years that I know of."
The NFL Players Association released the following statement regarding players kneeling during the national anthem:
"NFL players are union members and part of the labor movement that has woven the fabric of America for generations. Our men and their families are also conscientious Americans who continue to be forces for good through our communities and some have decided to use their platform to peacefully raise awareness to issues that deserve attention.
It is a source of enormous pride that some of the best conversations about these issues have taken place in our locker rooms in a respectful, civil and thoughtful way that should serve as a model for how all of us can communicate with each other.October 8, 2017 - In response to multiple rebukes from Trump on twitter, in which Trump accused Tennessee Republican Bob Corker of not having "the guts" to run for re-election, Corker fired back with "It’s a shame the White House has become an adult day care center. Someone obviously missed their shift this morning." Corker also told a reporter that Trump's "recklessness" could lead to "world war III" and also added "I know for a fact that every single day at the White House, it’s a situation of trying to contain him."
We should not stifle these discussions and cannot allow our rights to become subservient to the very opinions our Constitution protects. That is what makes us the land of the free and home of the brave."
Vice President Mike Pence walked out of an NFL football game after multiple players knelt for the national anthem. Trump sent a tweet a short time later saying: "I asked @VP Pence to leave stadium if any players kneeled, disrespecting our country. I am proud of him and @SecondLady Karen."
White House issued a "framework" for immigration that would protect "Dreamers," which are undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children. The framework demands a wall across the southern border, 10,000 new immigrant agents, tougher laws for those seeking asylum, denial of federal grants to "sanctuary cities," and an end to people bringing their extended family into the United States. Stephen Miller, senior policy adviser to Trump, is believed to be the driving force behind the new immigration demands.
October 7, 2017 - Trump tweets that "only one thing will work" with North Korea. When asked by reporters what that one thing is, Trump responded with "you'll figure that out pretty soon." Rep Pramila Jayapal called Trump's comments "incredibly irresponsible" stated that they undermine "all of his negotiators" and also said that Trump is "itching to go to war."
October 7, 2017 - Trump tweets that "only one thing will work" with North Korea. When asked by reporters what that one thing is, Trump responded with "you'll figure that out pretty soon." Rep Pramila Jayapal called Trump's comments "incredibly irresponsible" stated that they undermine "all of his negotiators" and also said that Trump is "itching to go to war."
50 Neo-Nazi's led by Richard Spencer held a 10 minute rally in Emancipation Park in Charlottesville, VA. Carrying tiki torches, the group chanted "you will not replace us, you will not erase us." During the rally, they accused the city of suppressing their speech. In response to the rally, Charlottesville's mayor, Mike Signor, tweeted: "Another despicable visit by Neo-Nazi cowards. You're not welcome here! Go home! Meantime we're looking at all our legal options. Stay tuned."
October 6, 2017 - According to the bureau of Labor Statistics, the US economy lost 33,000 jobs in September, marking the first decline in employment in seven years. The loss was attributed to impact from the previous months hurricanes.
October 6, 2017 - According to the bureau of Labor Statistics, the US economy lost 33,000 jobs in September, marking the first decline in employment in seven years. The loss was attributed to impact from the previous months hurricanes.
The Trump administration expanded the definition of companies that are able to opt out of a contraception mandate under ACA that the Obama administration had limited to religious organizations. The new opt out rule applies to any publicly traded for-profit company, allowing them to claim religious belief as a reason to opt out. The administration itself acknowledged the change "will result in persons covered in plans of newly exempt entities not receiving coverage or payments for contraceptive services." The contraception mandate had no effect on the cost of coverage.
Jeff Sessions issued a directive that undercuts federal protections for LGBT people, telling agencies to do as much as possible to accommodate those who claim their religious freedoms are violated. LGBT rights advocates called the directive a "license to discriminate."
Speaking at Faulkner University, a private Christian college, Donald Trump Jr lashed out at college campuses, saying they teach young Americans to "hate their country" and "hate their religion." He also lashed out at "safe spaces" for women, minorities and LGBT students. Regarding the events in Charlottesville, he reiterated his father's comments that both sides were to blame for violence, but made no mention of the girl who was killed, and the others who were injured when a white supremacist rammed into them with his car.
October 5, 2017 - Trump summoned reporters to the State Dining Room where he was throwing a dinner party for military leaders and their spouses, then said to the gathered press, "You guys know what this represents? Maybe it's the calm before the storm." After being asked by the press repeatedly "what storm?" Trump simply praised the "world's great military people" and excused the reporters from the room leaving many to speculate this may have been a cryptic message regarding North Korea or Iran.
October 5, 2017 - Trump summoned reporters to the State Dining Room where he was throwing a dinner party for military leaders and their spouses, then said to the gathered press, "You guys know what this represents? Maybe it's the calm before the storm." After being asked by the press repeatedly "what storm?" Trump simply praised the "world's great military people" and excused the reporters from the room leaving many to speculate this may have been a cryptic message regarding North Korea or Iran.
Tennessee Republican Bob Corker implies that Trump is an agent of "chaos" by telling reporters that Gens John Kelly and James Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson are the "people that help separate our country from chaos."
October 4, 2017 - Trump visited Las Vegas in response to the mass shooting over the weekend, stating clumsily "it's a very, very sad day for me, personally."
October 4, 2017 - Trump visited Las Vegas in response to the mass shooting over the weekend, stating clumsily "it's a very, very sad day for me, personally."
News surfaced that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had considered resigning, and had called Trump a "fucking moron" after a meeting in July. When asked about the incident, Tillerson did not deny it, saying "I'm not going to deal with petty stuff like that." Trump dismissed the story as "fake news." The incident is now known on the internet as moron-gate.
October 3, 2017 - Donald Trump visited hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico today where he tossed paper towels to locals in jump shot fashion as you would a basketball, and told authorities there that they should be proud only 16 died in Hurricane Maria, unlike the thousands killed in a "real catastrophe like Katrina." Carmen Yulin Cruz, the mayor of San Juan, whom Trump had lashed out at via twitter, said of Trump "I would hope that the president of the United States stops spouting out comments that really hurt the people of Puerto Rico, because rather than commander in chief, he sort of becomes mis-communicator in chief." By the time Trump departed Puerto Rico, the official death toll had risen to 34. When asked about Trump's performance in Puerto Rico, Tony Schwartz, Trump's co-author for Art of the Deal had this to say "I was horrified by the absolute insensitivity and lack of empathy in a situation in which comforting is what ought to be happening, but he's incapable of comforting." In the same interview, Schwartz said "He is not fit to lead, that, he has made clear, and that's what frightens me the most."
October 3, 2017 - Donald Trump visited hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico today where he tossed paper towels to locals in jump shot fashion as you would a basketball, and told authorities there that they should be proud only 16 died in Hurricane Maria, unlike the thousands killed in a "real catastrophe like Katrina." Carmen Yulin Cruz, the mayor of San Juan, whom Trump had lashed out at via twitter, said of Trump "I would hope that the president of the United States stops spouting out comments that really hurt the people of Puerto Rico, because rather than commander in chief, he sort of becomes mis-communicator in chief." By the time Trump departed Puerto Rico, the official death toll had risen to 34. When asked about Trump's performance in Puerto Rico, Tony Schwartz, Trump's co-author for Art of the Deal had this to say "I was horrified by the absolute insensitivity and lack of empathy in a situation in which comforting is what ought to be happening, but he's incapable of comforting." In the same interview, Schwartz said "He is not fit to lead, that, he has made clear, and that's what frightens me the most."
Today was the release date of the book "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump." This book consists of essays by 27 psychiatrists regarding the mental health of president Trump. The book has caused many on the right to cry foul while pointing out that a code of ethics instituted by the American Psychiatric Association, known as the Goldwater Rule, prevents psychiatrists from commenting on the mental health of public figures without having examined them in person. Lee Bandy, the editor of the book, believes the Goldwater rule is outdated, and that she and other professionals have a "duty to inform."
October 2, 2017 - Facebook provided congressional panels with more than 3,000 Russia-linked ads that were purchased during the 2016 presidential campaign.
October 2, 2017 - Facebook provided congressional panels with more than 3,000 Russia-linked ads that were purchased during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Trump called the mass killing in Las Vegas "Pure evil" and called the shooter "sick, but probably smart." These comments represent a departure from previous comments about attacks involving Muslims, where Trump typically refers to the perpetrators as "losers". The Las Vegas shooter is not a Muslim.
When gun-control was brought up by members of the press during a White House briefing, Sara Huckabee Sanders responded that "There's a time and place for a political debate, but now is the time to unite as a country. There is currently an open and ongoing law enforcement investigation. A motive is yet to be determined. And it would be premature for us to discuss policy when we don't fully know all the facts, or what took place last night."
October 1, 2017 - Regarding news that Rex Tillerson is working through direct lines of communication with North Korea to resolve escalating tensions between them and the US, Trump sent the following tweet: "I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful secretary of state, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man."
October 1, 2017 - Regarding news that Rex Tillerson is working through direct lines of communication with North Korea to resolve escalating tensions between them and the US, Trump sent the following tweet: "I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful secretary of state, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man."
From the window of his rented room on the 32nd floor of the Las Vegas Mandalay Bay Hotel, local resident Stephen Paddock, 64, fired thousands of rounds of ammunition into a crowd of tens of thousands who were attending the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival, killing 58, and wounding nearly 500. Trump tweeted the following in response to the shooting: "My warmest condolences and sympathies to the victims and families of the terrible Las Vegas shooting. God bless you!"
Despite Trump's previous comments about NFL anthem protests, the protests continued this week.
September 30, 2017 - In a twitter response to comments made by San Juan's mayor yesterday, Trump, who is spending the weekend at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, accused the mayor of having "poor leadership ability" saying she and others were not "able to get their workers to help" adding that "they want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort." He also accused her of political motives in her criticism saying "The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump."
September 30, 2017 - In a twitter response to comments made by San Juan's mayor yesterday, Trump, who is spending the weekend at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, accused the mayor of having "poor leadership ability" saying she and others were not "able to get their workers to help" adding that "they want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort." He also accused her of political motives in her criticism saying "The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump."
Trump attacked the media saying "Fake News CNN and NBC are going out of their way to disparage our great First Responders as a way to get Trump. Not fair to FR or effort!"
Carmen Yulin Cruz responded to Trump's tweets with a tweet of her own saying "The goal is one: saving lives. This is the time to show our 'true colors'. We cannot be distracted by anything else."
Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of the play Hamilton, directed the following tweets at Trump: "You're going straight to hell, @RealDonaldTrump No long lines for you. Someone will say 'Right this way sir' They'll clear a path." and "She has been working 24/7. You have been GOLFING. You're going straight to hell. Fastest golf cart you ever took." and "Did you tweet this one from the first hole, 18th hole, or the club? Anyway, it's a lie. You are a congenital liar."
Regarding NFL anthem protests, Trump tweeted the following: "Very important that NFL players STAND tomorrow, and always, for the playing of our National Anthem. Respect our Flag and our Country!"
September 29, 2017 - Health and Human Services secretary Tom Price was forced to resign today after days of intense scrutiny over excessive charges for travel on private flights costing over $400,000. Other cabinet members are also currently being scrutinized for excessive travel costs, they are: EPA administrator Scott Pruitt, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin. In response to the excess travel costs, Noah Bookbinder, the executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington had this to say "This administration seems to believe the government and the taxpayers serve them rather than the other way around."
September 29, 2017 - Health and Human Services secretary Tom Price was forced to resign today after days of intense scrutiny over excessive charges for travel on private flights costing over $400,000. Other cabinet members are also currently being scrutinized for excessive travel costs, they are: EPA administrator Scott Pruitt, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin. In response to the excess travel costs, Noah Bookbinder, the executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington had this to say "This administration seems to believe the government and the taxpayers serve them rather than the other way around."
There has been a rising chorus of criticism over the Trump administration's response to hurricane ravaged Puerto Rico, comparing it to Bush's botched response to hurricane Katrina. Trump has called the response "Very, very good", but today, the mayor of San Juan, Carmen Yulin Cruz, responded to comments made by the acting head of Homeland Security Elaine Duke who called the response "a good news story" saying "Dammit, this is not a good news story, it's a people are dying story."
Trump claimed his proposed tax plan will be "rocket fuel" for economic growth, but according to a report released by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, Trump's proposed "middle-class" tax cuts would overwhelmingly benefit the wealthiest Americans and corporations.
September 28, 2017 - The White House has launched an internal investigation to look into claims that Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and other senior officials, used personal email accounts for official business. Jared Kushner failed to reveal this use of a private email account during testimony in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Ironically, a major theme of Trump's presidential campaign was that Hillary Clinton's use of private email was illegal, which lead to the much repeated mantra of "lock her up" by Trump supporters.
September 27, 2017 - Trump deleted all of his tweets expressing support for Luther Strange after Strange was defeated in an Alabama primary against ultraconservative judge Roy Moore.
September 26, 2017 - Senator Mitch McConnell announced today that the latest attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act would not be brought up for a vote as Republicans were unable to garner the 50 votes needed for passage.
September 25, 2017 - North Korea's foreign minister, Ri Yong-ho, said that Trump's comments and threats amount to a "declaration of war" and says North Korea now has the right to shoot down U.S. warplanes. White House spokeswoman, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, denies the U.S. has declared war on North Korea.
September 28, 2017 - The White House has launched an internal investigation to look into claims that Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and other senior officials, used personal email accounts for official business. Jared Kushner failed to reveal this use of a private email account during testimony in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Ironically, a major theme of Trump's presidential campaign was that Hillary Clinton's use of private email was illegal, which lead to the much repeated mantra of "lock her up" by Trump supporters.
September 27, 2017 - Trump deleted all of his tweets expressing support for Luther Strange after Strange was defeated in an Alabama primary against ultraconservative judge Roy Moore.
September 26, 2017 - Senator Mitch McConnell announced today that the latest attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act would not be brought up for a vote as Republicans were unable to garner the 50 votes needed for passage.
Senator Susan Collins announced she will oppose Republican health care bill.
September 24, 2017 - In response to Trump's criticism of football players at a rally in Alabama, dozens of additional football players from many different teams knelt in protest during the playing of the national anthem. Some sports personalities responded verbally: LeBron James called Trump a "bum", Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy called Trump an "asshole"
September 23, 2017 - At a campaign rally in Huntsville, Alabama, Trump criticized professional football players who have been protesting racial injustice by kneeling during the playing of the national anthem, saying their method of protest is disrespectful to the flag and our American values. Trump called the protesters son of a bitches, and suggested that team owners ought to fire them. Ironically, in October of 2013, after Barack Obama urged the Washington Redskins to change their name over protests by indigenous peoples, Trump sent the following tweet: "President should not be telling the Washington Redskins to change their name-our country has far bigger problems! FOCUS on them, not nonsense." Trump also leveled a series of verbal attacks against Hillary Clinton as the crowd cheered "lock her up."
September 24, 2017 - In response to Trump's criticism of football players at a rally in Alabama, dozens of additional football players from many different teams knelt in protest during the playing of the national anthem. Some sports personalities responded verbally: LeBron James called Trump a "bum", Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy called Trump an "asshole"
September 23, 2017 - At a campaign rally in Huntsville, Alabama, Trump criticized professional football players who have been protesting racial injustice by kneeling during the playing of the national anthem, saying their method of protest is disrespectful to the flag and our American values. Trump called the protesters son of a bitches, and suggested that team owners ought to fire them. Ironically, in October of 2013, after Barack Obama urged the Washington Redskins to change their name over protests by indigenous peoples, Trump sent the following tweet: "President should not be telling the Washington Redskins to change their name-our country has far bigger problems! FOCUS on them, not nonsense." Trump also leveled a series of verbal attacks against Hillary Clinton as the crowd cheered "lock her up."
Trump sent the following tweet: "Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N. If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won't be around much longer!" Trump also sent the following tweet about an Iranian missile launch: "Iran just test-fired a Ballistic Missile capable of reaching Israel. They are also working with North Korea. Not much of an agreement we have!" The problem is that the missile launch did not occur.
September 22, 2017 - The latest Affordable Care Act repeal effort, a proposal by Senator Bill Cassidy (R) and Lindsey Graham (R), seems to be on life support now that Senator John McCain has come out against it. The proposal is considered by far the most radical of the proposals on health care put forth by Republicans this year.
September 22, 2017 - The latest Affordable Care Act repeal effort, a proposal by Senator Bill Cassidy (R) and Lindsey Graham (R), seems to be on life support now that Senator John McCain has come out against it. The proposal is considered by far the most radical of the proposals on health care put forth by Republicans this year.
In a personal statement, Kim Jong-un called Trump a "mentally deranged U.S. dotard." Trump responds by calling Kim a "madman."
September 21, 2017 - North Korea's foreign minister calls Trump's speech at the U.N. "the noise of a dog barking."
September 21, 2017 - North Korea's foreign minister calls Trump's speech at the U.N. "the noise of a dog barking."
Facebook is providing the congressional committee investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election with 3,000 Russia-linked ads.
Twitter announced it will be briefing the Senate Intelligence Committee behind closed doors regarding information it has about Russian interference in the 2016 election.
September 19, 2017 - Speaking at the UN, Trump issued the following threat: "The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime."
September 19, 2017 - Speaking at the UN, Trump issued the following threat: "The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime."
Three democratic members of Congress were arrested outside of Trump Tower in New York, as they protested the termination of DACA. Those representatives are Raúl Grijalva of Arizona, Luis Gutiérrez of Illinois and Adriano Espaillat of New York. They were arrested after they refused to move after sitting down on 5th avenue.
Fox News commentator, Scottie Nell Hughes, filed suit against Fox alleging that she was raped by host Charles Payne, then blacklisted after approaching Fox lawyers about the alleged rape.
September 18, 2017 - In a leaked memo, interior secretary Ryan Zinke recommended boundary changes for 10 national monuments, as well as modifications to rules restricting mining, logging and hunting. Environmental groups vow to fight if these recommendations are turned into action.
September 18, 2017 - In a leaked memo, interior secretary Ryan Zinke recommended boundary changes for 10 national monuments, as well as modifications to rules restricting mining, logging and hunting. Environmental groups vow to fight if these recommendations are turned into action.
News surfaced that once again Republicans on Capital Hill are scrambling to repeal the Affordable Care Act prior to September 30th, which is when reconciliation expires. After that date, budgetary legislation will require 60 votes, not the simple majority allowed under reconciliation.
September 17, 2017 - At a campaign rally in Florence, AL, Roy Moore was asked by one of the only African Americans in attendance when he thought America was last "great". Moore's response: "I think it was great at the time when families were united — even though we had slavery — they cared for one another…. Our families were strong, our country had a direction."
September 16, 2017 - Trump supporters held what they called the "Mother of All Rallies" on the national mall in Washington DC, which organizers promised would draw "thousands" of Trump supporters from across the nation. According to observers, the crowd was contained in an area no bigger than a football field, and included no more than 500 people. On the opposite end of the mall, Insane Clown Posse fans, also known as Juggalos, held a rally to denounce the FBI for designating them a gang. That rally was attended by more than 1500. Clowns to the left of me and jokers to the right...
September 15, 2017 - British novelist Martin Amis says he believes Trump is suffering from dementia saying "If you look at old tapes of him on Charlie Rose, he's using words like chagrin correctly. And with a certain amount of ironic reserve." Amis also believes Trump is preparing for the possibility of an untimely end to his presidency by "trying to stock up an army of neo-Nazis who, if he gets ousted before his term is over, are going to think its a coup."
September 17, 2017 - At a campaign rally in Florence, AL, Roy Moore was asked by one of the only African Americans in attendance when he thought America was last "great". Moore's response: "I think it was great at the time when families were united — even though we had slavery — they cared for one another…. Our families were strong, our country had a direction."
September 16, 2017 - Trump supporters held what they called the "Mother of All Rallies" on the national mall in Washington DC, which organizers promised would draw "thousands" of Trump supporters from across the nation. According to observers, the crowd was contained in an area no bigger than a football field, and included no more than 500 people. On the opposite end of the mall, Insane Clown Posse fans, also known as Juggalos, held a rally to denounce the FBI for designating them a gang. That rally was attended by more than 1500. Clowns to the left of me and jokers to the right...
September 15, 2017 - British novelist Martin Amis says he believes Trump is suffering from dementia saying "If you look at old tapes of him on Charlie Rose, he's using words like chagrin correctly. And with a certain amount of ironic reserve." Amis also believes Trump is preparing for the possibility of an untimely end to his presidency by "trying to stock up an army of neo-Nazis who, if he gets ousted before his term is over, are going to think its a coup."
UK prime minister Theresa May called Trump's twitter comments "pure speculation" after the US president tweeted that a recent attack involved "sick and demented people who were in the sights of Scotland Yard." At the time of Trump's tweet, there were no suspects identified, and no individuals or groups had yet claimed responsibility. May added "I never think it’s helpful for anybody to speculate on what is an ongoing investigation."
US warns that if sanctions against North Korea don't work to stop further nuclear and missile tests, then a military option may come into play. Cui Tiankai, China's ambassador to Washington, says the US "should refrain from issuing more threats. They should do more to find effective ways to resume dialogue and negotiation."
A federal judge ruled that Attorney General Jeff Sessions cannot withhold public safety grant money from sanctuary cities for refusing to impose new tough immigration policies.
September 14, 2017 - In response to new sanctions that put a ceiling on oil imports and blocked textile exports, North Korea says "We will sink Japan and turn US to ashes and darkness."
September 14, 2017 - In response to new sanctions that put a ceiling on oil imports and blocked textile exports, North Korea says "We will sink Japan and turn US to ashes and darkness."
For the 10th time this year, North Korea conducted a ballistic missile test, firing a missile over the Northern tip of Japan.
Trump again resorted to attributing blame on those who opposed the neo-Nazis in Charlottesville. Of the opponents, Trump said "Especially in light of the advent of Antifa, if you look at what's going on there, you know, you have some pretty bad dudes on the other side also."
Details emerged today regarding a heated meeting that occurred with Trump and Jeff Sessions back in May after the appointment of a special counsel. In the meeting, Trump blamed Sessions' recusal for the appointment; called Sessions disloyal, and unleashed a barrage of insults. Sessions later told associates it was the most humiliating experience in his decades of public life.
Trump confirmed today that he is working on a deal with Democrats to protect young undocumented immigrants previously protected by DACA, contradicting White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who insisted the night before that no such deal was in the works. This deal has upset Trump's most ardent supporters because it doesn't include funding for a border wall, despite repeated assurances by Trump on the campaign trail that Mexico would pay for a border wall. In response to the deal, conservative agitator Ann Coulter, tweeted the following: "At this point, who DOESN'T want Trump impeached?" According to Breitbart, the self declared platform of the alt-right, reports that some Trump supporters are burning their Make America Great Again hats in protest.
Motel 6 confirmed that locations in Arizona have been sending daily guest lists to US immigration officials.
A group of people were removed from Fenway Park after they unfurled a large banner that read "Racism is as American as baseball."
September 13, 2017 - News surfaced today that US congressional investigators are trying to determine if Michael Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser, worked in secret to promote a joint project with Russia to build nuclear power plants in the Middle East. Flynn is believed to have taken a trip to Russia in June of 2015 to promote the joint project, but omitted mentioning the trip and other foreign business contacts from an application to renew his security clearance in 2016. Flynn also concealed these foreign contacts from investigators who were performing a background check for his security clearance. The penalty for acts of this nature include prison time. Ironically, it was Flynn who led a chant of "lock her up" against Hillary Clinton at the Republican national convention.
Trump was asked if the rich will benefit from the tax plan that Republicans are currently working on, to which he responded "The rich will not be gaining at all with this plan. We are looking for the middle class and we are looking for jobs — jobs being the economy."
Martin Shkreli, the pharmaceutical executive who became known, and hated, for increasing the price of Daraprim by 5,000 percent, and who is awaiting sentencing after being convicted in August on three counts of fraud, was jailed today for offering $5,000 to anyone who could "grab a hair" from Hillary Clinton's head during her book tour. Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto, a Federal District Court judge in Brooklyn, called Shkreli's request a threat, saying "That is solicitation to assault in exchange for money that is not protected by the First Amendment."
September 12, 2017 - Hillary Clinton memoir titled "What Happened" hit bookstores today. In the memoir, Clinton compares Trump's war on truth to the Soviet Union and to George Orwell's 1984. In response to the book, and with no sense of irony, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Trump's White House press secretary, called Clinton's campaign "one of the most negative campaigns in history."
September 11, 2017 - US gains unanimous support among UN security council for sanctions against North Korea after offering a watered down version for fear that China would veto the initial offering.
Jamele Hill, co-host of SportsCenter, sent the following tweet: "Trump is the most ignorant, offensive president of my lifetime. His rise is a direct result of white supremacy. Period." Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary called the comment a "fireable offense."
September 10, 2017 - During an interview with 60 Minutes, Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist called the firing of FBI director James Comey "the biggest mistake in modern political history."
September 8, 2017 - Janet Napolitano, the creator of DACA, and currently the president of the University of California, filed a lawsuit that accuses the White House of violating administrative procedures and constitutional due process by abruptly ending DACA.
September 10, 2017 - During an interview with 60 Minutes, Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist called the firing of FBI director James Comey "the biggest mistake in modern political history."
September 8, 2017 - Janet Napolitano, the creator of DACA, and currently the president of the University of California, filed a lawsuit that accuses the White House of violating administrative procedures and constitutional due process by abruptly ending DACA.
According to the Washington Post, the White House has been notified by special counsel Robert Mueller that his team will seek interviews with former press secretary Sean Spicer, former chief of staff Reince Priebus, interim communications director Hope Hicks, White House counsel Don McGahn; one of his deputies James Burnham; and White House spokesman Josh Raffel.
In a joint statement, all four of New Hampshire's congressional delegation urged Bill Gardner, New Hampshire Secretary of State, to resign from Trump's Election Integrity Commission, after Kris Kobach, the vice chairman of the commission, made false claims about voter fraud in New Hampshire during the 2016 election. "Secretary Gardner’s association with this partisan commission risks tarnishing his long legacy of fighting for the New Hampshire Primary and promoting voter participation, and it would be in keeping with his distinguished record to immediately relinquish any role with this commission." Gardner refused to quit the commission. Kobach's claim insinuated that votes from out of state voters who attend college in New Hampshire were equivalent to voter fraud, despite those votes being considered perfectly legal in New Hampshire.
September 7, 2017 - In closed door testimony to Senate investigators, Donald Trump Jr denied colluding with the Russians, and without any sense of irony, said that his June 2016 meeting was set up because of his concerns about Clinton's "fitness" to be president.
September 7, 2017 - In closed door testimony to Senate investigators, Donald Trump Jr denied colluding with the Russians, and without any sense of irony, said that his June 2016 meeting was set up because of his concerns about Clinton's "fitness" to be president.
Without specifying what would change, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said her administration would rewrite Obama-era rules that were written to give greater protection to victims of sexual assault saying the existing rules "pushed schools to overreach."
Credit reporting agency Equifax disclosed today that sometime in July, hackers compromised personal information of nearly half of the American population. News also surfaced that three senior executives, including the chief financial officer, sold $1.8 million worth of shares in the days following the discovery of the breach.
John Le Carre, former British spy turned novelist, spoke today of the parallels between the rise of Trump and the rise of 1930s fascism, saying "These stages that Trump is going through in the United States and the stirring of racial hatred … a kind of burning of the books as he attacks, as he declares real news as fake news, the law becomes fake news, everything becomes fake news. I think of all things that were happening across Europe in the 1930s, in Spain, in Japan, obviously in Germany. To me, these are absolutely comparable signs of the rise of fascism and it’s contagious, it’s infectious. Fascism is up and running in Poland and Hungary. There’s an encouragement about. Even today, Ang Sang Suu Kyi is speaking of 'fake news' in Burma. These are infectious forms of demagogic behavior, and they are toxic."
September 6, 2017 - Facebook disclosed that it had identified $100,000 worth of divisive ads that were purchased by a Russian company linked to the Kremlin during the 2016 campaign.
September 5, 2017 - Trump ends the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA, an Obama-era program, which shielded nearly 800,000 young undocumented immigrants from deportation. Trump claimed to be driven by concern for "the millions of Americans victimized by this unfair system." Jeff Sessions claimed the program had "denied jobs to hundreds of thousands of Americans by allowing those same illegal aliens to take those jobs." The decision led to protests in Washington DC and across the nation. Former President Barack Obama called the decision "wrong," "self-defeating" and "cruel." Reacting to the angry response, Trump later called on Congress to "legalize DACA."
September 3, 2017 - North Korea detonated a hydrogen bomb with an estimated yield of 250 kilotons.
September 1, 2017 - Special counsel, Robert Mueller, obtained a copy of a letter that Trump's lawyers had blocked Trump from sending to James Comey explaining why he was being fired.
September 6, 2017 - Facebook disclosed that it had identified $100,000 worth of divisive ads that were purchased by a Russian company linked to the Kremlin during the 2016 campaign.
September 5, 2017 - Trump ends the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA, an Obama-era program, which shielded nearly 800,000 young undocumented immigrants from deportation. Trump claimed to be driven by concern for "the millions of Americans victimized by this unfair system." Jeff Sessions claimed the program had "denied jobs to hundreds of thousands of Americans by allowing those same illegal aliens to take those jobs." The decision led to protests in Washington DC and across the nation. Former President Barack Obama called the decision "wrong," "self-defeating" and "cruel." Reacting to the angry response, Trump later called on Congress to "legalize DACA."
September 3, 2017 - North Korea detonated a hydrogen bomb with an estimated yield of 250 kilotons.
September 1, 2017 - Special counsel, Robert Mueller, obtained a copy of a letter that Trump's lawyers had blocked Trump from sending to James Comey explaining why he was being fired.
The New York Times reported that as many as 21 state voting systems were targeted in the 2016 election by Russian hackers.
Labor department reported that 156,000 jobs were added in August.
The Department of Health and Human Services announced that it is cutting the advertising budget for the upcoming open enrollment period for individual insurance policies by 90%. This is a reduction of 90 million dollars.
August 30, 2017 - North Korea announces that missile launch yesterday was a prelude to military operations directed towards the US territory of Guam. Trump says "Talking not the answer" to North Korean crisis.
August 29, 2017 - Special counsel Robert Mueller has issued subpoenas to Paul Manafort's spokesman, Jason Maloni, and a former lawyer, Melissa Laurenza.
August 30, 2017 - North Korea announces that missile launch yesterday was a prelude to military operations directed towards the US territory of Guam. Trump says "Talking not the answer" to North Korean crisis.
August 29, 2017 - Special counsel Robert Mueller has issued subpoenas to Paul Manafort's spokesman, Jason Maloni, and a former lawyer, Melissa Laurenza.
Donald Trump Jr agreed to be interviewed in private by the Senate judiciary committee.
North Korea launched a missile into the Pacific that flies directly over Japan, further increasing tensions. Trump warns that "all options are on the table."
Trump visited flood ravaged areas of Texas caused by hurricane Harvey, talks gleefully about the epic size of the storm, but makes no mention of its victims.
Judge dismissed Sarah Palin's defamation lawsuit against the New York Times.
August 28, 2017 - Despite claiming repeatedly that he didn't have any connections to Russia, business or otherwise, information surfaced today that Trump lawyer, Michael Cohen, exchanged emails with Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dimitry Peskov, during the presidential campaign regarding a Trump real estate project in Moscow.
August 28, 2017 - Despite claiming repeatedly that he didn't have any connections to Russia, business or otherwise, information surfaced today that Trump lawyer, Michael Cohen, exchanged emails with Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dimitry Peskov, during the presidential campaign regarding a Trump real estate project in Moscow.
In a dossier of allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian officials that was put together by Christopher Steele, a British intelligence official, Peskov is cited as being in charge of a Kremlin operation to damage Hillary Clinton and promote Trump. In an email exchange between Cohen and Felix Sater, who is an employee of Trump, Sater tells Cohen regarding the business deal, "I will get Putin on this program, and we will get Donald elected."
Six transgender service members filed a lawsuit arguing that Trump's transgender ban violates the constitution.
In direct defiance of Trump's threats, North Korea launched a ballistic missile that traveled over Japan's air space and plunged into the Pacific Ocean.
Obama-era restrictions on military hardware for police departments is being reversed by Trump, meaning police departments will be able to obtain and use things like grenade launchers, armored vehicles and bayonets.
Philippines' president, Rodrigo Duterte, ordered police to kill "idiots" who resist arrest.
August 25, 2017 - In an act described by some as impeachable, Donald Trump pardoned former sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio had been convicted of criminal contempt for refusing to comply with a federal judges' order to discontinue his practice of racial profiling Latinos, which he continued to do for another year and a half after being ordered to stop. Arpaio had previously gained notoriety for creating a Tent City jail that he himself referred to as a "concentration camp", where inmates were fed only twice a day, and were required to wear pink underwear. In a statement, Senator John McCain said that Trump's action "undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law."
August 25, 2017 - In an act described by some as impeachable, Donald Trump pardoned former sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio had been convicted of criminal contempt for refusing to comply with a federal judges' order to discontinue his practice of racial profiling Latinos, which he continued to do for another year and a half after being ordered to stop. Arpaio had previously gained notoriety for creating a Tent City jail that he himself referred to as a "concentration camp", where inmates were fed only twice a day, and were required to wear pink underwear. In a statement, Senator John McCain said that Trump's action "undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law."
The American Civil Liberties Union tweeted the following message: "By pardoning Joe Arpaio, Donald Trump has sent another disturbing signal to an emboldened white nationalist movement that this White House supports racism and bigotry."
Harvard law professor Noah Feldman called the pardon of a person who defies a judges order to discontinue engaging in unconstitutional behavior "an assault on the federal judiciary, the constitution, and the rule of law itself."
Trump approved a directive today that prohibits transgender people from enlisting in the military.
Fed Chair Janet Yellen criticized Trump's plan to "do a big number" on the regulations that are part of Dodd-Frank, a law that was put into place in response to the global financial crisis of 2008. According to Yellen, “The core reforms we have put in place have substantially boosted resilience without unduly limiting credit availability or economic growth.”
Trump adviser, Sebastian Gorka, was relieved of his White House position.
A proposal by Trump's Interior Secretary, Ryan Zinke, could reopen national monuments to mining or drilling.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that one of Trump's supporters reached out to hackers regarding Hillary Clinton's deleted emails, and dropped Michael Flynn's name in the process.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Gary Cohn, the National Economic Counsel director made the following statement regarding the violence in Charlottesville: "Citizens standing up for equality and freedom can never be equated with white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and the KKK. I believe this administration can and must do better in consistently and unequivocally condemning these groups and do everything we can to heal the deep divisions that exist in our communities. As a Jewish American, I will not allow neo-Nazis ranting 'Jews will not replace us' to cause this Jew to leave his job."
August 24, 2017 - Daniel Kammen, a University of California-Berkeley energy professor, resigned from his position as a State Department science envoy in protest over Trump's handling of Charlottesville. The first letter of each paragraph of Kammen's resignation letter spell out IMPEACH. In his letter, Kammen addressed Trump's response to Charlottesville saying in part "Particularly troubling to me is how your response to Charlottesville is consistent with a broader pattern of behavior that enables sexism and racism, and disregards the welfare of all Americans, the global community and the planet."
August 24, 2017 - Daniel Kammen, a University of California-Berkeley energy professor, resigned from his position as a State Department science envoy in protest over Trump's handling of Charlottesville. The first letter of each paragraph of Kammen's resignation letter spell out IMPEACH. In his letter, Kammen addressed Trump's response to Charlottesville saying in part "Particularly troubling to me is how your response to Charlottesville is consistent with a broader pattern of behavior that enables sexism and racism, and disregards the welfare of all Americans, the global community and the planet."
Data-tracking watchdog group, Environmental Data & Governance Initiative reports dozens of instances in which references to climate change have been removed from the website of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Similar deletions have occurred on the websites of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy.
August 23, 3017 - Ex-intelligence chief James Clapper called Trump's access to the nuclear codes "pretty damn scary." Clapper also questioned Trump's "fitness to be in this office" in response to Trump's erratic and "disturbing" performance at a rally in Phoenix.
August 23, 3017 - Ex-intelligence chief James Clapper called Trump's access to the nuclear codes "pretty damn scary." Clapper also questioned Trump's "fitness to be in this office" in response to Trump's erratic and "disturbing" performance at a rally in Phoenix.
In a joint letter, four coalitions of Rabbis - representing over 4,000 rabbis and congregations - denounced Trump's response to Charlottesville, and announced that they would be boycotting a traditional conference call with the president.
August 22, 2017 - In response to intense criticism regarding privacy, the Trump administration backed away from an effort to obtain user data from an anti-Trump site hosted by DreamHost. The action to obtain the data has been widely criticized as a "fishing expedition" for political dissidents.
August 22, 2017 - In response to intense criticism regarding privacy, the Trump administration backed away from an effort to obtain user data from an anti-Trump site hosted by DreamHost. The action to obtain the data has been widely criticized as a "fishing expedition" for political dissidents.
Trump held a campaign rally in Phoenix, where he threatened to shut the government down if congress won't provide funding for his wall, despite claiming repeatedly for nearly two years that Mexico will pay for it. Trump also tried to re-write the history of his response to Charlottesville by repeating his initial comments, but selectively omitting the "many sides" reference that brought condemnation from across the political spectrum. Trump also attacked the media, calling them "sick people" who he believes "don't like our country" and are "trying to take away our culture" and our "history" raising fears among journalists that his inflammatory rhetoric could at some point translate into violence against journalists.
August 21, 2017 - In a proactive move to head off the type of violence that occurred in Charlottesville, the University of Texas at Austin removed numerous Confederate monuments in the middle of the night.
August 21, 2017 - In a proactive move to head off the type of violence that occurred in Charlottesville, the University of Texas at Austin removed numerous Confederate monuments in the middle of the night.
Officials in Charlottesville issued four warrants for the arrest of Christopher Cantwell, one of the white supremacists involved in violence in Charlottesville.
According to the director of the Secret Service, the agency is running out of money protecting Trump and his family. At the current rate of spending, they are expected to exceed their yearly budget by early September, due in part to the number of family members under their protection, and also due to the frequent trips made by Trump to his many properties up and down the coast. This is true despite the constant criticism Trump leveled against Obama while campaigning for president. At one campaign stop, Trump stated the following: "I wouldn’t leave the White House. You know, Obama always leaves the White House. Think of it, you’re elected president, you’re in the White House, why would you want to leave?"
U.S. Navy boatswain's mate, Joshua Witt, claimed he was stabbed by a black man because he looks like a neo-Nazi. The story goes viral on Conservative media as an example of how violent the left is. Police later determined that Witt made up the story after accidentally stabbing himself. Witt has been charged with filing a false report.
August 19, 2017 - Trump announces that he will not be attending the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors awards ceremony after two of the five honorees announced they would be boycotting the reception the following day at the White House in response to Trump's handling of Charlottesville.
August 18, 2017 - Now that she's seen video of Trump blaming the left for violence in Charlottesville, the mother of Heather Heyer says she will refuse to speak to Donald Trump should he decide to call her.
August 19, 2017 - Trump announces that he will not be attending the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors awards ceremony after two of the five honorees announced they would be boycotting the reception the following day at the White House in response to Trump's handling of Charlottesville.
August 18, 2017 - Now that she's seen video of Trump blaming the left for violence in Charlottesville, the mother of Heather Heyer says she will refuse to speak to Donald Trump should he decide to call her.
Steve Bannon was fired from his position as chief strategist. Bannon returned to work at Breitbart, the place he calls a platform for the alt-right.
The UN committee charged with tackling racism has issued an "early warning" over conditions in the US saying "We are alarmed by the racist demonstrations, with overtly racist slogans, chants and salutes by white nationalists, neo-Nazis, and the Ku Klux Klan, promoting white supremacy and inciting racial discrimination and hatred.”
Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn) attacked Trump's fitness for office saying "The president has not yet been able to demonstrate the stability nor some of the competence that he needs to demonstrate in order to be successful."
The remaining 16 members of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities resigned in protest over Trump's handling of Charlottesville. Embedded in the resignation letter is the word RESIST which is spelled out by the first letter of each paragraph. Here's an excerpt from the letter: "Reproach and censure in the strongest possible terms are necessary following your support of the hate groups and terrorists who killed and injured fellow Americans in Charlottesville. The false equivalencies you push cannot stand. The Administration's refusal to quickly and unequivocally condemn the cancer of hatred only further emboldens those who wish America ill. We cannot sit idly by, the way that your West Wing advisors have, without speaking out against your words and actions."
August 17, 2017 - Echoing the sentiment of those who oppose the removal of Confederate monuments, Trump said he was "sad" about the removal of "our beautiful statues and monuments."
August 17, 2017 - Echoing the sentiment of those who oppose the removal of Confederate monuments, Trump said he was "sad" about the removal of "our beautiful statues and monuments."
In response to terror attacks in Barcelona, Trump sent a tweet that invokes a myth regarding General Pershing. The myth's purpose is to push the notion that brutal war tactics work against terrorism, but according to historians, Pershing's success came from "winning hearts and minds", which is exactly the opposite approach pushed by the myth.
Valerie Plame, the former undercover CIA agent that was outed by the Bush administration in an attempt to discredit her husband, started a GoFundMe campaign to purchase a controlling share of twitter, which could then be used to shut down Trump's twitter account. An official response by the White House accused Plame of trying to "shut down" Trump's first amendment.
August 16, 2017 - In response to the violence in Charlottesville, the city of Baltimore removed multiple statues of Confederate figures from parks and public squares overnight.
August 16, 2017 - In response to the violence in Charlottesville, the city of Baltimore removed multiple statues of Confederate figures from parks and public squares overnight.
Two of Trump's business advisory groups - Manufacturing Council and Strategy & Policy Forum - disbanded due to mass defections by CEOs of major companies who were outraged by Trump's remarks on Charlottesville yesterday. Jeffrey Sonnenfield, a professor of organizational behavior at the Yale School of Management quipped "In American history, we've never had business leaders decline national service when requested by the president. They've now turned their backs on him."
Strong rebukes of the neo-Nazis in Charlottesville were made by top military leaders, including this one from Charles E Schmidt, the national commander of the American Legion "Americans fought fascism and crushed the Nazis in World War II, and anyone who waves a Nazi flag on our soil is, by very definition, anti-American."
Shepard Smith, a Fox News host, said on air that he could not find a single Republican who would come on-air to defend Trump's Charlottesville remarks.
Gallup Poll puts Trump approval rating at 34%.
The F.B.I. interviewed "Profexer", a Ukranian malware expert who is a possible witness to Russian hacking.
Valerie Plame, the former CIA operative whose cover was blown by members of the Bush administration in an act of retaliation for her husband Joseph Wilson's criticisms of the Iraq invasion, has started a GoFundMe campaign to raise one billion dollars which will be used to ban Trump from Twitter. Plame's concern is that Trump's inability to control his impulses when he tweets could escalate an otherwise minor skirmish into all out nuclear war.
August 15, 2017 - Four CEO's resigned from Trump's Council on Manufacturing. They are: AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, CEO of Under Armour Kevin Plank, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, and Scott Paul of the Alliance of American Manufacturing. Some of the resignations followed a press conference in which Trump walked back the prepared statement he read yesterday condemning neo-Nazis and the KKK. In the press conference, Trump said that the counter protesters were "very, very violent" said there is blame "on both sides" and referred to the left as the "alt-left." In a tweeted statement, Richard Trumka said the following: "I cannot sit on a council for a president that tolerates bigotry and domestic terrorism; I resign, effective immediately."
August 15, 2017 - Four CEO's resigned from Trump's Council on Manufacturing. They are: AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, CEO of Under Armour Kevin Plank, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, and Scott Paul of the Alliance of American Manufacturing. Some of the resignations followed a press conference in which Trump walked back the prepared statement he read yesterday condemning neo-Nazis and the KKK. In the press conference, Trump said that the counter protesters were "very, very violent" said there is blame "on both sides" and referred to the left as the "alt-left." In a tweeted statement, Richard Trumka said the following: "I cannot sit on a council for a president that tolerates bigotry and domestic terrorism; I resign, effective immediately."
Trump voiced criticism of the intent to remove the Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville saying "This week it is Robert E. Lee and this week Stonewall Jackson. Is it George Washington Next? You have to ask yourself, where does it stop?"
Doug McMillon, Walmart's chief executive accused Trump of missing "a critical opportunity to help bring our country together."
The CBO reports that if Trump lets "Obamacare implode", as he has promised to do, premiums will rise by as much as 20%. And if he cuts subsidies, as he has also threatened to do, he will increase the deficit by 194 billion over the next 10 years.
In a rebuke to Trump's "fire and fury" approach to North Korea, South Korea's president, Moon Jae-in stated that "No one should be allowed to decide on a military action on the Korean Peninsula without South Korean agreement."
August 14, 2017 - Out of apparent frustration over Trump's lackluster response to the prior weekend's terrorist attack and violence in Charlottesville, Kenneth Frazier, chief executive officer of pharmaceutical giant Merck, resigned from Donald Trump's business advisory panel. In a written statement, Frazier said the following: "America’s leaders must honor our fundamental values by clearly rejecting expressions of hatred, bigotry, and group supremacy, which run counter to the American ideal that all people are created equal. Our country’s strength stems from its diversity and the contributions made by men and women of different faiths, races, sexual orientations and political beliefs." Trump responded within a few hours on twitter with the following: "Now that Ken Frazier of Merck Pharma has resigned from President’s Manufacturing Council, he will have more time to LOWER RIPOFF DRUG PRICES!"
Amid a growing storm of criticism and pressure, Trump read a prepared statement using a teleprompter to condemn the "KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other hate groups."
According to a Gallup poll released today, Trump's approval rating has fallen to a record low of 34%.
More than a thousand protesters gathered outside Trump tower in New York as Trump made his first visit since becoming president. Maribeth Whitehouse, a teacher from New Rochelle, New York, said this regarding the large number of protesters: "I wish I could say that it would result in a deep reflection into his soul, but that’s a shallow pool, and I don’t think there’s going to be a lot of reflection going on in that.”
August 13, 2017 - Trump's failure to directly blame white supremacists for the violence in Charlottesville yesterday caused many on the right and left to criticize him, including prominent Republicans like Marco Rubio, and Chris Christie. For many, Trumps failure to condemn the white nationalists amounted to implicit approval of them. This view was also expressed by white nationalists themselves who posted the following to the neo-Nazi site The Daily Stormer: "Trump comments were good. He didn’t attack us. He just said the nation should come together. Nothing specific against us. He said that we need to study why people are so angry, and implied that there was hate … on both sides! So he implied the antifa [anti-fascists] are haters. There was virtually no counter-signaling of us at all."
August 13, 2017 - Trump's failure to directly blame white supremacists for the violence in Charlottesville yesterday caused many on the right and left to criticize him, including prominent Republicans like Marco Rubio, and Chris Christie. For many, Trumps failure to condemn the white nationalists amounted to implicit approval of them. This view was also expressed by white nationalists themselves who posted the following to the neo-Nazi site The Daily Stormer: "Trump comments were good. He didn’t attack us. He just said the nation should come together. Nothing specific against us. He said that we need to study why people are so angry, and implied that there was hate … on both sides! So he implied the antifa [anti-fascists] are haters. There was virtually no counter-signaling of us at all."
Jason Kessler, the organizer of the "Unite the Right" rally, attempted to hold a news conference in downtown Charlottesville alongside white nationalist Richard Spencer, but was shouted down by an angry mob of over 200 people, and was eventually forced to flee when anti-far-right protesters rushed the improvised podium he was standing behind.
August 12, 2017 - At least one person was killed and many others injured during violent confrontations at a "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, VA. The rally, believed to be the largest gathering of white nationalists in decades, brought together various white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and alt-right groups to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. Speaking at the rally, former KKK leader David Duke made the following statement: "This represents a turning point for the people of this country. we are determined to take our country back and to fulfill the promises of Donald Trump. That's why we voted for Donald Trump, because he said he's going to take our country back." At one point during the confrontations, 20 year old Ohio native and white nationalist James Alex Fields Jr, drove his car into a group of counter-protesters, killing 32 year-old Heather Heyer immediately, and causing life threatening injuries to many others. Photos of Fields at the rally show him standing with members of a racist group called Vanguard America. Strong messages of condemnation against the white nationalists came from politicians on the right and the left, with the exception of Donald Trump, who condemned "this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides - on many sides." A neo-Nazi leader described the rally as "an absolutely stunning success."
August 12, 2017 - At least one person was killed and many others injured during violent confrontations at a "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, VA. The rally, believed to be the largest gathering of white nationalists in decades, brought together various white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and alt-right groups to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. Speaking at the rally, former KKK leader David Duke made the following statement: "This represents a turning point for the people of this country. we are determined to take our country back and to fulfill the promises of Donald Trump. That's why we voted for Donald Trump, because he said he's going to take our country back." At one point during the confrontations, 20 year old Ohio native and white nationalist James Alex Fields Jr, drove his car into a group of counter-protesters, killing 32 year-old Heather Heyer immediately, and causing life threatening injuries to many others. Photos of Fields at the rally show him standing with members of a racist group called Vanguard America. Strong messages of condemnation against the white nationalists came from politicians on the right and the left, with the exception of Donald Trump, who condemned "this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides - on many sides." A neo-Nazi leader described the rally as "an absolutely stunning success."
Barack Obama responded on Twitter to the events in Charlottesville with a quote from Nelson Mandela, which became the most liked tweet in Twitter's history. The quote is the following: "No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion..." Accompanying the tweet was a picture of Obama standing outside a window where a diverse set of babies are looking through from the inside.
August 11, 2017 - Trump ratchets up the rhetoric with North Korea tweeting "Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely."
August 11, 2017 - Trump ratchets up the rhetoric with North Korea tweeting "Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely."
Large gathering of white supremacists march across the campus of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, carrying torches, giving Nazi salutes, and chanting "blood and soil" and "you will not replace us" and "white lives matter."
August 10, 2017 - In retaliation for sanctions imposed by Congress, that were reluctantly signed by Trump, Vladimir Putin ordered the seizure of two American diplomatic properties last month, and ordered the number of American Embassy staff be cut by one half. That order caused a reduction in American Embassy staff of 755 people. Today, Donald J Trump offered gratitude to Vladimir Putin for the reduction in staff saying: "I want to thank him because we’re trying to cut down on payroll, and as far as I’m concerned, I’m very thankful that he let go of a large number of people, because now we have a smaller payroll ... There’s no real reason for them to go back. So I greatly appreciate the fact that we’ve been able to cut our payroll of the United States. We’ll save a lot of money." The comment continues a pattern of Trump being incapable of criticizing Vladimir Putin. Michael A. McFaul, who was ambassador to Russia under Barack Obama, responded to Trump's comments thusly: "Cutting our staff by 755 people will do tremendous damage to our diplomatic mission in Russia. That our president does not appreciate this obvious fact suggests he doesn’t understand what embassies do in the pursuit of American national interests." Representative Kathleen Rice, Democrat of New York, responded to Trump's comments with this: "This is insulting to US diplomats. Also, really, really stupid. Diplomats don't get fired for getting kicked out of a hostile foreign country."
August 10, 2017 - In retaliation for sanctions imposed by Congress, that were reluctantly signed by Trump, Vladimir Putin ordered the seizure of two American diplomatic properties last month, and ordered the number of American Embassy staff be cut by one half. That order caused a reduction in American Embassy staff of 755 people. Today, Donald J Trump offered gratitude to Vladimir Putin for the reduction in staff saying: "I want to thank him because we’re trying to cut down on payroll, and as far as I’m concerned, I’m very thankful that he let go of a large number of people, because now we have a smaller payroll ... There’s no real reason for them to go back. So I greatly appreciate the fact that we’ve been able to cut our payroll of the United States. We’ll save a lot of money." The comment continues a pattern of Trump being incapable of criticizing Vladimir Putin. Michael A. McFaul, who was ambassador to Russia under Barack Obama, responded to Trump's comments thusly: "Cutting our staff by 755 people will do tremendous damage to our diplomatic mission in Russia. That our president does not appreciate this obvious fact suggests he doesn’t understand what embassies do in the pursuit of American national interests." Representative Kathleen Rice, Democrat of New York, responded to Trump's comments with this: "This is insulting to US diplomats. Also, really, really stupid. Diplomats don't get fired for getting kicked out of a hostile foreign country."
Taran Singh Brar erected a 30 foot inflatable chicken near the White House, with an uncanny resemblance to Donald Trump. When asked to explain the chicken, Brar explained that Trump is a "weak and ineffective leader. He's afraid to release his tax returns, too afraid to stand up to Vladimir Putin, and playing chicken with North Korea."
In response to criticism from throughout the world over his "fire and fury" comment, Trump doubles down saying maybe the statement wasn't "tough enough." Trump supporter and CNN contributor Jeffrey Lord is fired today for tweeting a Nazi salute of "Sieg Heil!" at a liberal activist. A spokesperson from CNN said of the firing "Nazi salutes are indefensible."
August 9, 2017 - In a sign that special counsel is broadening its investigation, and does not trust former campaign chair Paul Manafort to fully cooperate with it, news surfaced today that the FBI performed an early morning raid on Manafort's home last month.
August 9, 2017 - In a sign that special counsel is broadening its investigation, and does not trust former campaign chair Paul Manafort to fully cooperate with it, news surfaced today that the FBI performed an early morning raid on Manafort's home last month.
Global markets dropped today in response to the heated back and forth between Trump and North Korea.
August 8, 2017 - In response to North Korea's threats over U.N. sanctions, Trump said this: "North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen." Some Democrats referred to Trump's comments as "bombastic" and "unhinged." Others worry that his comments may have sabotaged Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's peaceful diplomatic efforts. North Korea responded to Trump's inflammatory rhetoric by announcing that it is "seriously reviewing" a "plan to strike near the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam."
August 8, 2017 - In response to North Korea's threats over U.N. sanctions, Trump said this: "North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen." Some Democrats referred to Trump's comments as "bombastic" and "unhinged." Others worry that his comments may have sabotaged Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's peaceful diplomatic efforts. North Korea responded to Trump's inflammatory rhetoric by announcing that it is "seriously reviewing" a "plan to strike near the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam."
U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley refused to comment on a Fox News story about U.S. satellites detecting the movements of anti-ship missiles in North Korea, saying it contains leaked, classified information. A few hours prior to Haley's declaration, Trump had promoted the same story on his twitter feed.
August 7, 2017 - North Korea responds to U.N. sanctions with an official statement vowing to respond with a "severe lesson" that includes nuclear force if Washington were to take military action against it.
August 6 , 2017 - During an appearance on ABC's This Week, Senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway refused to say whether or not Trump would commit to not firing special counsel Bob Mueller. What she did say is that the investigations into Trump and Russia were "a completely false and fabricated lie" and that "so far you've got...no collusion. And anybody that denies that is lying."
August 5, 2017 - News surfaced today that Fox News has suspended Eric Bolling over allegations that he sent unsolicited pictures of male genitalia to female colleagues. Bolling's show The Specialists debuted after the departure of Bill O'Reilly, who was forced out over sexual harassment allegations. The first edition of the Specialists featured a segment where Bolling interviewed Donald Trump, who later tweeted about Bolling's book The Swamp: Washington’s Murky Pool of Corruption and Cronyism and How Trump Can Drain It. One of Bolling's accusers, Caroline Heldman, posted a lengthy description of the situation at Fox on facebook, describing a "culture of sexual harassment."
August 7, 2017 - North Korea responds to U.N. sanctions with an official statement vowing to respond with a "severe lesson" that includes nuclear force if Washington were to take military action against it.
August 6 , 2017 - During an appearance on ABC's This Week, Senior White House adviser Kellyanne Conway refused to say whether or not Trump would commit to not firing special counsel Bob Mueller. What she did say is that the investigations into Trump and Russia were "a completely false and fabricated lie" and that "so far you've got...no collusion. And anybody that denies that is lying."
August 5, 2017 - News surfaced today that Fox News has suspended Eric Bolling over allegations that he sent unsolicited pictures of male genitalia to female colleagues. Bolling's show The Specialists debuted after the departure of Bill O'Reilly, who was forced out over sexual harassment allegations. The first edition of the Specialists featured a segment where Bolling interviewed Donald Trump, who later tweeted about Bolling's book The Swamp: Washington’s Murky Pool of Corruption and Cronyism and How Trump Can Drain It. One of Bolling's accusers, Caroline Heldman, posted a lengthy description of the situation at Fox on facebook, describing a "culture of sexual harassment."
Mike Pence called a New York Times article "disgraceful and offensive" because it stated that he was engaged in a "shadow campaign" for the 2020 presidential nomination since Trump's prospects were looking increasingly remote.
Dar Al Farooq mosque in Bloomington, Minnesota bombed. No one is injured, but this incident adds to the growing number of anti-Muslim incidents occurring in the United States, which have seen a sharp rise over the last year. While Trump always finds time to comment on terror acts committed by Muslims, he remains silent about this one.
The U.N. approves tough sanctions against North Korea.
August 4, 2017 - Trump has claimed for years that he doesn't take vacations. He stated as much in one of his books. While campaigning for president, Trump stated that he "would not be a president who took vacations." And during Obama's presidency, Trump criticized him relentlessly whenever he took a vacation. Today, Trump departed for a 17 day vacation. It turns out that at this point in Obama's presidency, Obama had been away from the White House 21 days. Trump thus far, has been away 41 days.
August 3, 2017 - Word surfaced today that special counsel, Robert Mueller, has convened a grand jury regarding his investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 campaign.
August 4, 2017 - Trump has claimed for years that he doesn't take vacations. He stated as much in one of his books. While campaigning for president, Trump stated that he "would not be a president who took vacations." And during Obama's presidency, Trump criticized him relentlessly whenever he took a vacation. Today, Trump departed for a 17 day vacation. It turns out that at this point in Obama's presidency, Obama had been away from the White House 21 days. Trump thus far, has been away 41 days.
August 3, 2017 - Word surfaced today that special counsel, Robert Mueller, has convened a grand jury regarding his investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 campaign.
At a rally in Huntington, West Virginia, Trump asked the crowd in a mocking tone "Have you seen any Russians in West Virginia or Ohio or Pennsylvania? Are there any Russians here tonight, any Russians? They can’t beat us at the voting booths so they’re trying to cheat you out of the future and the future that you want. They’re trying to cheat you out of the leadership that you want with a fake story that is demeaning to all of us and most importantly demeaning to our country and demeaning to our constitution." He also told the crowd "Most people know there were no Russians in our campaign; there never were. We didn’t win because of Russia. We won because of you.”
The Washington Post published transcripts of two contentious calls Trump had with foreign leaders shortly after taking office. Despite claiming throughout his campaign that Mexico would be paying for a border wall, Trump told Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto "The funding will work out in the formula somehow, it will come out in the wash, and that's okay. But if you are going to say that Mexico is not going to pay for the wall, then I do not want to meet with you guys anymore because I cannot live with that." Trump also described the wall as "the least important thing we are talking about, but politically this might be the most important."
August 2, 2017 - An internal announcement to the Justice Department's civil rights division seeks current lawyers interested in working for a new project on "investigations and possible litigation related to intentional race-based discrimination in college and university admissions" which is an obvious reference to programs that are designed to help minority students gain access to university campuses.
August 2, 2017 - An internal announcement to the Justice Department's civil rights division seeks current lawyers interested in working for a new project on "investigations and possible litigation related to intentional race-based discrimination in college and university admissions" which is an obvious reference to programs that are designed to help minority students gain access to university campuses.
Trump reluctantly signed a bill that imposes sanctions on Russia and limits his authority to lift them. A veto proof majority passed the bill over concerns that Trump cannot be trusted on issues related to Russia.
Trump announced support for a plan to cut immigration by half within a decade. The plan would institute a merit-based system favoring applicants based on skills, education and language rather than relations with people already here.
The Boy Scouts said they were not aware of the phone call that Trump claimed to have received after his Jamboree speech,
August 1, 2017 - In a lawsuit filed by Rod Wheeler, a private investigator and Fox News contributor, it is alleged that the White House urged Fox to publish an article about murdered Democratic aide Seth Rich as part of a scheme to "shift the blame from Russia and help put to bed speculation that President Trump colluded with Russia in an attempt to influence the outcome of the presidential election." The lawsuit claims that Fox fabricated quotations it attributed to Mr. Wheeler "with reckless disregard for their truth." The false claims according to Mr. Wheeler stated that his investigation found "some degree of email exchange between Seth Rich and WikiLeaks" and that his investigation showed "someone within the D.C. government, Democratic National Committee or Clinton team is blocking the murder investigation from going forward."
August 1, 2017 - In a lawsuit filed by Rod Wheeler, a private investigator and Fox News contributor, it is alleged that the White House urged Fox to publish an article about murdered Democratic aide Seth Rich as part of a scheme to "shift the blame from Russia and help put to bed speculation that President Trump colluded with Russia in an attempt to influence the outcome of the presidential election." The lawsuit claims that Fox fabricated quotations it attributed to Mr. Wheeler "with reckless disregard for their truth." The false claims according to Mr. Wheeler stated that his investigation found "some degree of email exchange between Seth Rich and WikiLeaks" and that his investigation showed "someone within the D.C. government, Democratic National Committee or Clinton team is blocking the murder investigation from going forward."
The following statement was issued by the family of Seth Rich - "we are hopeful that this brings an end to what has been the most emotionally difficult time in our lives and an end to conspiracy theories surrounding our beloved Seth."
The Department of Homeland Security announced that it would bypass environment and land management laws in its efforts to build a border wall in the San Diego area.
The White House admitted today that Donald Trump helped draft the initial misleading statement regarding Donald Trump Jr's June 2016 meeting with Kremlin connected Russians to get dirt on Hillary Clinton. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders stated in a press conference that "the president weighed in as any father would." One of Trump's lawyers, Jay Sekulow, had repeatedly claimed over the past weeks that Trump played no role in crafting his son's press statement.
July 31, 2017 - In an ironic turn of events, Trump fired Anthony Scaramucci, the new communications director, at the request of John Kelly, the new chief of staff, who replaced Reince Priebus, who only days earlier had been fired at the request of Scaramucci.
July 31, 2017 - In an ironic turn of events, Trump fired Anthony Scaramucci, the new communications director, at the request of John Kelly, the new chief of staff, who replaced Reince Priebus, who only days earlier had been fired at the request of Scaramucci.
The Washington Post reported today that it was Trump Sr who personally dictated the statement which claimed that participants at the June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower "primarily discussed a program about adoption of Russian children". Asha Rangappa, an associate dean at Yale law school, referred to Trump Sr's involvement in crafting the statement as “a personal investment in wanting to cover up something that may tie his campaign to the Russians”.
July 29, 2017 - Trump was denounced by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Police Foundation, and other groups after he urged police to not be too nice to suspects while putting them in the police car.
July 28, 2017 - Trump replaced his chief of staff, Reince Priebus, with retired general John Kelly. The announcement of the change came via Twitter.
July 29, 2017 - Trump was denounced by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Police Foundation, and other groups after he urged police to not be too nice to suspects while putting them in the police car.
July 28, 2017 - Trump replaced his chief of staff, Reince Priebus, with retired general John Kelly. The announcement of the change came via Twitter.
According to a new Commerce Department report, the U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of 2.6 percent, which fell short of the 4 percent promised by Donald Trump.
July 27, 2017 - Anthony Scaramucci, the new communications director, called into CNN to accuse Reince Priebus, the chief of staff, of being a leaker. During the interview, Scaramucci called Priebus a "fucking paranoid schizophrenic, a paranoiac." Scaramucci also attacked Steve Bannon saying "I'm not trying to suck my own cock. I'm not trying to build my own brand on the president's coattails."
July 27, 2017 - Anthony Scaramucci, the new communications director, called into CNN to accuse Reince Priebus, the chief of staff, of being a leaker. During the interview, Scaramucci called Priebus a "fucking paranoid schizophrenic, a paranoiac." Scaramucci also attacked Steve Bannon saying "I'm not trying to suck my own cock. I'm not trying to build my own brand on the president's coattails."
The Justice Department filed court documents that claimed Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act does not protect employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation. The act bars workplace discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
The pentagon responded to Trump's proposed military transgender ban by stating that the policy would not change until the White House worked through official channels.
In response to growing anger over Trump's politically charged speech at the Boy Scout Jamboree, Michael Surbaugh, the organization's chief, issued the following statements: "I want to extend my sincere apologies to those in our Scouting family who were offended by the political rhetoric that was inserted into the jamboree” and “We sincerely regret that politics were inserted into the Scouting program.”
July 26, 2017 - Trump, who on the campaign trail claimed repeatedly that he supported the LBGT community, announced today via Twitter that the U.S. will no longer "accept or allow" transgender people in the military.
July 25, 2017 - Trump, still upset that Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russian meddling investigation called Sessions "beleagured" and "VERY weak" and said he regretted appointing him as Attorney General leading many to believe that Sessions' tenure as Attorney General may be coming to an end very soon.
July 26, 2017 - Trump, who on the campaign trail claimed repeatedly that he supported the LBGT community, announced today via Twitter that the U.S. will no longer "accept or allow" transgender people in the military.
July 25, 2017 - Trump, still upset that Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russian meddling investigation called Sessions "beleagured" and "VERY weak" and said he regretted appointing him as Attorney General leading many to believe that Sessions' tenure as Attorney General may be coming to an end very soon.
The House approved a measure to punish Moscow for interfering in the U.S. election.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump claimed the leader of the Boy Scouts called him to tell him his Jamboree speech was "the greatest speech ever made to them."
July 24, 2017 - While giving an overtly political speech at the Boy Scouts national jamboree, Trump attacked political rival Hillary Clinton and former president Barack Obama, complained about fake news, and bragged about his election victory.
July 21, 2017 - Sean Spicer resigned today after 6 months as press secretary. He was blind sided by the hiring of new communications director Anthony Scaramucci which Spicer believed to be a big mistake. Scaramucci went on the record during last year's campaign calling Trump a "hack politician" and called his campaign rhetoric "anti-American." He also stated the following "I'll tell you who he's going to be President of, you can tell Donald I said this, the Queens County Bullies Association."
July 24, 2017 - While giving an overtly political speech at the Boy Scouts national jamboree, Trump attacked political rival Hillary Clinton and former president Barack Obama, complained about fake news, and bragged about his election victory.
July 21, 2017 - Sean Spicer resigned today after 6 months as press secretary. He was blind sided by the hiring of new communications director Anthony Scaramucci which Spicer believed to be a big mistake. Scaramucci went on the record during last year's campaign calling Trump a "hack politician" and called his campaign rhetoric "anti-American." He also stated the following "I'll tell you who he's going to be President of, you can tell Donald I said this, the Queens County Bullies Association."
According to intelligence agencies that intercepted conversations between Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak and his superiors, Jeff Sessions provided "misleading" public statements regarding meetings held with the Russian ambassador in April and July of 2016 that are "contradicted by other evidence."
Robert Mueller special counsel requested that the White House preserve Donald Trump Jr meeting documents.
New information surfaced regarding Natalia Veselnitkaya, the Russian lawyer who met with Donald Trump Jr in 2016. When confronted about the meeting, Natalia had claimed that she had no ties to the Kremlin or the Russian government. Official documents released today by Reuters show that Veselnitkaya once represented Russia's top intelligence agency. That agency, known as the F.S.B. is the successor agency of the K.G.B.
Rich Higgins, a top official of the National Security Council was fired by National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster over fallout from a memo written by Higgins. The memo describes forces that are subverting Trump's agenda, which include globalists, Islamists and other "deep state" groups both within and outside the government. The memo also dismissed the Russia story as a plot designed to sabotage Trump. McMaster dismissed the memo as conspiratorial. Trump is furious over the firing. Here is a list of the seven groups identified in Higgins memo that are purportedly part of a giant conspiracy to take the president down, and why they are his enemies:
1. Mainstream Media - "The principle mechanism for implementing narratives"
1. Mainstream Media - "The principle mechanism for implementing narratives"
2. Academia - "Academia has served as a principle counter state node...creating future adherents to cultural Marxist narratives"
3. The Deep State - "A bureaucratic state beholden to no one, certainly not the American people"
4. Global Corporatists and Bankers - "Unfettered by...notions of personal morality and piety"
5. Democratic Leadership - "A counter-state enabler that facilitates a relentless expansion of the deep state"
6. Republican Leadership - "Afraid of being accused of being called a racist, sexist, homophobe or islamaphobe"
7. Islamists - "Seeks to divide American society itself with the forced imposition of islamist objectives"
July 19, 2017 - In a New York Times interview, Trump expressed frustration with Attorney General Jeff Sessions saying Sessions "should have never recused himself, and if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me before he took the job, and I would have picked somebody else."
July 18, 2017 - After congress failed for the third time to garner enough votes to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, Trump asked congress to repeal the health care program without passing a replacement. Repealing without a replacement would in the first year leave 18 million more U.S. citizens without health insurance coverage, and an additional 32 million by 2026 according to the CBO. When the repeal only option started to look like it would fail also, Trump made the following statement: "We'll let Obamacare fail, and then Democrats are going to come to us."
A Russian named Irakly Kaveladze was named as the 8th person present at the now infamous Trump Jr meeting that occurred June 9th of 2016. Kaveladze's name surfaced some 17 years ago while congressional investigators were looking into money laundering, raising questions about the failure of Trump campaign officials to vet prospective clients.
July 17, 2017 - Walter M Shaub Jr, who is resigning tomorrow as the head of the Office of Government Ethics stated that actions by the Trump administration have created a historic ethics crisis. "I think we are pretty close to a laughingstock at this point." said Shaub. One of Shaub's main criticisms is that Trump's repeated trips to his family's business properties - 54 days worth of visits up to now - "creates the appearance of profiting from the presidency."
July 17, 2017 - Walter M Shaub Jr, who is resigning tomorrow as the head of the Office of Government Ethics stated that actions by the Trump administration have created a historic ethics crisis. "I think we are pretty close to a laughingstock at this point." said Shaub. One of Shaub's main criticisms is that Trump's repeated trips to his family's business properties - 54 days worth of visits up to now - "creates the appearance of profiting from the presidency."
The department of justice served DreamHost, a website-hosting company, with a search warrant asking for every piece of information related to a website that was used to coordinate protests during Trump's inauguration. That information would include IP addresses of visitors, allowing the government to identify U.S. citizens who had visited the site.
Trump claimed to have signed more bills "than any president ever." The number of bills Trump has signed to date is 42. The average number signed by his predecessors during that same period is actually 43, making Trump's accomplishment below average. Here are the number of bills signed by some previous presidents during the same period or less:
Jimmy Carter - 70 bills.
Jimmy Carter - 70 bills.
Bill Clinton - 50 bills.
George W Bush - 20 bills.
Barack Obama - 39 bills.
Harry Truman - 55 bills.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt - 76 bills.
July 16, 2017 - Regarding Trump Jr's meeting in June of 2016, Jay Sekulow, one of Trump Sr's attorneys, had this to say on ABC's This Week "Well, I wonder why the Secret Service, if this was nefarious, why the Secret Service allowed these people in." The secret service responded shortly afterword with the following statement: "Donald Trump Jr. was not a protectee of the USSS in June, 2016, thus we would not have screened anyone he was meeting with at that time."
A Washington Post/ABC News poll put Donald Trump's approval rating at 36%, making it the worst 6 month approval rating since modern polling began 70 years ago. Trump responded on twitter with the following "almost 40% [approval] is not bad at this time."
July 14, 2017 - News surfaced today that ex-Soviet counter-intelligence officer Rinat Akhmetshin was at the meeting in which Donald Trump Jr. sought damaging information about Hillary Clinton from a Russian attorney.
July 14, 2017 - News surfaced today that ex-Soviet counter-intelligence officer Rinat Akhmetshin was at the meeting in which Donald Trump Jr. sought damaging information about Hillary Clinton from a Russian attorney.
The Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity released comments it has received after soliciting them from the public, without removing any of the personal information in the comments such as email addresses, full names, and phone numbers. Here's a small sampling of the comments:
"you are all about voter suppression to rig elections. you are evil. pray there is no hell."
"The electoral college is an outdated dinosaur of a system and needs to be abolished. Whoever gets the majority of the vote needs to be in office, not the loser, and unfortunately we've been stuck twice now in my lifetime with the loser."
"The only thing undermining American citizens' 'confidence in the integrity of federal election process' is you and this sham commission."
"Just fuck off already you shit-stain on democracy."
"Please go fuck yourself, Kris. You're a disgusting fraud with no moral bearing whatsoever. And any staff person reading this should really look for a decent job and not be a co-conspirator on behalf of President Pussygrabber and his white 'Christian' henchmen."
July 13, 2017 - Donald Trump offered a public defense of his son Donald Trump Jr's meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya saying "I do think this, that taken from a practical standpoint ...most people would have taken that meeting. It's called opposition research, or even research into your opponent."
"you are all about voter suppression to rig elections. you are evil. pray there is no hell."
"The electoral college is an outdated dinosaur of a system and needs to be abolished. Whoever gets the majority of the vote needs to be in office, not the loser, and unfortunately we've been stuck twice now in my lifetime with the loser."
"The only thing undermining American citizens' 'confidence in the integrity of federal election process' is you and this sham commission."
"Just fuck off already you shit-stain on democracy."
"Please go fuck yourself, Kris. You're a disgusting fraud with no moral bearing whatsoever. And any staff person reading this should really look for a decent job and not be a co-conspirator on behalf of President Pussygrabber and his white 'Christian' henchmen."
July 13, 2017 - Donald Trump offered a public defense of his son Donald Trump Jr's meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya saying "I do think this, that taken from a practical standpoint ...most people would have taken that meeting. It's called opposition research, or even research into your opponent."
Trump was heavily criticized in social media today for comments he made while being introduced to Brigitte Macron, wife of French president Emmanuel Macron. "You're in such good shape" Trump told her as he looked her up and down, then turned to her husband and repeated "She's in such good physical shape." Trump then turned back to look at Brigitte again saying "Beautiful."
Legal challenges have forced the Trump administration to re-think its effort to gather voters' personal information via the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity. The Republican secretary of state for the state of Mississippi told Kris Kobach, the vice-chair of the commission to "go jump in the Gulf of Mexico" The attorney general of Maryland, Brian Frosh, said of the request "It appears designed only to intimidate voters, and to indulge President Trump's fantasy that he won the popular vote."
Trump's personal lawyer Marc Kasowitz, came under fire today for the way he responded to a person who told him that he should resign from his position advising the president. Kasowitz had responded by sending the following four emails:
Email #1: "F*ck you"
Email #1: "F*ck you"
Email #2: "And you don't know me. But I will know you. How dare you send me an email like that. I'm on you now. You are fucking with me now. Let's see who you are. Watch your back, bitch."
Email #3: "Call me. Don't be afraid, you piece of shit."
Email #4: "I'm Jewish. I presume you are too. I already know where you live I'm on you. You might as well call me. You will see me. I promise. Bro."
July 12, 2017 - Donald Trump tweeted the following regarding Donald Jr's email: "My son Donald did a good job last night. He was open, transparent and innocent. This is the greatest witch hunt in political history. Sad!"
Christopher Wray, Trump's nominee to replace James Comey as head of the FBI told a Senate confirmation hearing today he did not consider the investigation into Russian meddling to be a witch hunt.
Regarding Jared Kushner, Senator Chris Murphy made the following statements "I don’t know why Jared Kushner still has a job. He allowed the president of the United States, the vice-president, every spokesperson in the White House to openly lie about his contacts with the Russian government. You don’t think the Republicans would be calling for the resignation of an Obama official who allowed the president and the vice-president to openly lie about a major national security issue? He watched his father-in-law go on TV and say, ‘No one in my campaign talked to the Russian government.’ He knew that was false. Either he didn’t alert the president or the vice-president, or there’s a much bigger problem, and the president and the vice-president knew that they were lying.”
July 11, 2017 - Donald Trump Jr. published an email exchange with Rob Goldstone that began on June 3, 2016, after it became clear that the New York Times was poised to publish the same. The subject line of the email chain: Russia - Clinton - private and confidential. Excerpts from the exchange:
July 10, 2017 - After being ridiculed mercilessly, Trump backed away from his idea to work with Russia on cybersecurity.
July 11, 2017 - Donald Trump Jr. published an email exchange with Rob Goldstone that began on June 3, 2016, after it became clear that the New York Times was poised to publish the same. The subject line of the email chain: Russia - Clinton - private and confidential. Excerpts from the exchange:
Rob Goldstone: Emin just called and asked me to contact you with something very interesting. The Crown prosecutor of Russia met with his father Aras this morning and in their meeting offered to provide the Trump campaign with some official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia and would be very useful to your father. This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government's support for Mr. Trump - helped along by Aras and Emin. What do you think is the best way to handle this information and would you be able to speak to Emin about it directly? I can also send this info to your father via Rhona, but it is ultra sensitive so wanted to send to you first.
Donald Trump Jr.: Thanks Rob I appreciate that. I am on the road at the moment but perhaps I just speak to Emin first. Seems we have some time and if it's what you say I love it especially later in the summer.
Rob Goldstone: Emin asked that I schedule a meeting with you and The Russian government attorney who is flying over from Moscow for this Thursday. I believe you are aware of the meeting - and so wondered if 3pm or later on Thursday works for you? I assume it would be at your office.
July 10, 2017 - After being ridiculed mercilessly, Trump backed away from his idea to work with Russia on cybersecurity.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit today against President Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, stating that the commission violates the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
July 9, 2017 - Australian journalist Chris Uhlmann summed up Trump's presence at the just concluded G20 summit saying Trump had shown "no desire and no capacity to lead the world" and was himself "the biggest threat to the values of the West". He added that Trump was obsessed with "burnishing his celebrity" and had "diminished" his own nation to the benefit of Russia and China. He went on to say “We learned that Donald Trump has pressed fast-forward on the decline of the United States as a global leader. He managed to isolate his nation, to confuse and alienate his allies and to diminish America. [He is] a man who barks out bile in 140 characters, who wastes his precious days as president at war with the west’s institutions like the judiciary, independent government agencies and the free press.”
July 9, 2017 - Australian journalist Chris Uhlmann summed up Trump's presence at the just concluded G20 summit saying Trump had shown "no desire and no capacity to lead the world" and was himself "the biggest threat to the values of the West". He added that Trump was obsessed with "burnishing his celebrity" and had "diminished" his own nation to the benefit of Russia and China. He went on to say “We learned that Donald Trump has pressed fast-forward on the decline of the United States as a global leader. He managed to isolate his nation, to confuse and alienate his allies and to diminish America. [He is] a man who barks out bile in 140 characters, who wastes his precious days as president at war with the west’s institutions like the judiciary, independent government agencies and the free press.”
News surfaced today that Donald Trump Jr. met with a Kremlin-connected lawyer during last year's campaign after being promised compromising information about Hillary Clinton. When questioned about the meeting, the White House claimed the meeting was regarding child adoptions. After being told that journalists had seen Jr's emails regarding the meeting, Jr admitted that he had been offered compromising information about Hillary Clinton, but none was actually offered at the meeting, and instead the meeting was about child adoptions. Also in attendance at the meeting, which was held in Trump Tower in June of 2016, was Trump's campaign chairman Paul J. Manafort, and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. This is the first instance in which information has come out showing a willingness in the Trump campaign to accept help from Russian sources. The meeting was recently disclosed to government officials when Kushner filed a revised version of a form used for obtaining security clearance. Kushner had previously failed to disclose his foreign contacts, including this meeting as well as meetings with the Russian ambassador and the head of a Russian state bank. Advisers to Kushner claimed the omissions were an error.
July 7, 2017 - While touring NASA, Mike Pence made news after he was photographed with his hand on a piece of equipment, right below a sign with large red letters reading "DO NOT TOUCH" Trump met with Putin today at the G20 summit, and then sent the following jaw dropping tweet: "Putin & I discussed forming an impenetrable Cyber Security unit so that election hacking, & many other negative things, will be guarded ... and safe.”
July 6, 2017 - Trump broke with the U.S. intelligence community regarding meddling in the U.S. election saying “I’ve said it very simply. I think it could very well have been Russia. I think it could well have been other countries. I won’t be specific. But I think a lot of people interfere. Nobody really knows. Nobody really knows for sure.”
July 7, 2017 - While touring NASA, Mike Pence made news after he was photographed with his hand on a piece of equipment, right below a sign with large red letters reading "DO NOT TOUCH" Trump met with Putin today at the G20 summit, and then sent the following jaw dropping tweet: "Putin & I discussed forming an impenetrable Cyber Security unit so that election hacking, & many other negative things, will be guarded ... and safe.”
Amid outcry from U.S. citizens regarding a Senate bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, many Republican senators are avoiding holding town hall meetings altogether, or making them safe spaces by allowing invited guests only.
In a speech in Poland, Trump attacked the U.S. media, Barack Obama and U.S. intelligence agencies, while saying nothing of the right wing Polish government's crackdown on judges and journalists. Instead, he praised Poland as a defender of liberty.
Walter Shaub, the director of the Office of Government Ethics resigned today, saying "O.G.E's recent experiences have made it clear that the ethics program needs to be strengthened." Shaub had sparred with the Trump administration over Trump's refusal to relinquish ties to his businesses.
Eighteen states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit against the Education Department after Education Secretary Betsy DeVos froze rules that were supposed to go into effect July 1st which were intended to protect taxpayers from paying for costs created by colleges acting fraudulently.
July 5, 2017 - Nooses have been turning up across the country outside schools and on university campuses. An author of a book about nooses had this to say about the phenomenon: "I think we're in a historical moment where people feel like they have permission to be hateful."
July 5, 2017 - Nooses have been turning up across the country outside schools and on university campuses. An author of a book about nooses had this to say about the phenomenon: "I think we're in a historical moment where people feel like they have permission to be hateful."
Investigators are exploring whether pro-Trump sites colluded with Russia.
July 4, 2017 - North Korea launched first ICBM capable of hitting anywhere in the world, then declares itself "a proud nuclear state."
July 3, 2017 - Trump was accused of encouraging violence against journalists and of weaponizing distrust against the media after he tweeted a video of himself body slamming a man whose face has been replaced with the CNN logo.
July 4, 2017 - North Korea launched first ICBM capable of hitting anywhere in the world, then declares itself "a proud nuclear state."
July 3, 2017 - Trump was accused of encouraging violence against journalists and of weaponizing distrust against the media after he tweeted a video of himself body slamming a man whose face has been replaced with the CNN logo.
Jamie Horowitz, programming director for Fox Sports, let go amid sexual harassment allegations.
July 2, 2017 - At an evangelical event honoring veterans, Trump lashed out at the media saying "The fake media is trying to silence us, but we will not let them."
July 1, 2017 - Trump attacked Morning Joe's hosts, calling Joe Scarborough "Crazy" and Mika Brzezinski "dumb as a rock."
July 2, 2017 - At an evangelical event honoring veterans, Trump lashed out at the media saying "The fake media is trying to silence us, but we will not let them."
July 1, 2017 - Trump attacked Morning Joe's hosts, calling Joe Scarborough "Crazy" and Mika Brzezinski "dumb as a rock."
Trump tweeted the following regarding the more than 44 states that have refused to turn over voter data: "Numerous states are refusing to give information to the very distinguished VOTER FRAUD PANEL. What are they trying to hide?"
June 30, 2017 - Recognizing that repeal and replace of the Affordable Care Act may not be possible, Trump suggested via twitter that Republicans should "REPEAL, and then REPLACE at a later date!"
June 30, 2017 - Recognizing that repeal and replace of the Affordable Care Act may not be possible, Trump suggested via twitter that Republicans should "REPEAL, and then REPLACE at a later date!"
Hosts of MSNBC's Morning Joe assert that the White House tried to blackmail them when aides said they could prevent an unflattering National Enquirer story from running if they apologized for criticizing the president.
The following exchange took place today in the White House between Trump, and Colonel Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon:
Trump: There's a lot of room out there, right?June 29, 2017 - Kris Kobach, vice-chair of Trump's Commission on Election Integrity, sent a letter to each of the 50 states asking for a comprehensive list of voters names, addresses, voting histories, party affiliation, criminal histories, military status, and more. The deadline for states to comply is July 15.
Aldrin: Infinity and beyond <laughter erupts in the room>
Trump: This is infinity here. It could be infinity. We don’t really don’t know. But it could be. It has to be something, but it could be infinity, right?
Aldrin: <rolls eyes>
In an apparent attempt to stem the flow of comedic material to late night comedians, the Trump administration announced that after today, television cameras will no longer be allowed at press briefings.
June 28, 2017 - Unhappy with the coverage his presidency has been receiving on MSNBC's Morning Joe, Trump lashed out at one of its hosts Mika Brzezinski, calling her "low I.Q. Crazy Mika" and saying that she had been "bleeding badly from a face-lift" during a social gathering at Trump's resort in Florida.
June 28, 2017 - Unhappy with the coverage his presidency has been receiving on MSNBC's Morning Joe, Trump lashed out at one of its hosts Mika Brzezinski, calling her "low I.Q. Crazy Mika" and saying that she had been "bleeding badly from a face-lift" during a social gathering at Trump's resort in Florida.
Republicans and Democrats called Trump's continued ad hominem attacks "undignified", "isn't normal" and "beneath a president."
Ms. Brzezinski responded to Trump by posting on Twitter a photograph of a box of Cheerios with the words "Made for Little Hands."
June 26, 2017 - Trump spokespersons continue to refuse to say whether Trump accepts intelligence findings that Moscow worked secretly to get him elected.
June 26, 2017 - Trump spokespersons continue to refuse to say whether Trump accepts intelligence findings that Moscow worked secretly to get him elected.
Despite objections by the White House Correspondents' Association, Sean Spicer has begun doing off-air briefings in an attempt to prevent unflattering video clips from being circulated online.
The Congressional Budget Office found the Senate's version of the health care bill would increase the number of uninsured by 22 million by 2026.
Clinics across the nation report a downturn in appointments by immigrants who have become reluctant to seek healthcare for fear that doing so may get them deported.
June 23, 2017 - On the campaign trail, Trump assured workers at Carrier that he had brokered a deal to save their jobs. Today, it was announced that 600 Carrier jobs are moving to Mexico.
June 23, 2017 - On the campaign trail, Trump assured workers at Carrier that he had brokered a deal to save their jobs. Today, it was announced that 600 Carrier jobs are moving to Mexico.
Trump claimed that tweets alluding to taped conversations were meant to influence the testimony of James Comey.
June 22, 2017 - After weeks of operating in secrecy, Senate Republicans released their version of a health care bill. The bill includes deep cuts to Medicaid, as well as tax breaks for the wealthy.
June 22, 2017 - After weeks of operating in secrecy, Senate Republicans released their version of a health care bill. The bill includes deep cuts to Medicaid, as well as tax breaks for the wealthy.
Trump confirmed today and further damaged his credibility by admitting he was only bluffing when he implied in a tweet that there may be tapes of conversations between former F.B.I. director James Comey and himself.
June 20, 2017 - Trump's approval rating hit an all time low today - 36%.
June 20, 2017 - Trump's approval rating hit an all time low today - 36%.
Recent record breaking temps have exposed another cost related to climate change - air travel. Higher temps mean thinner air, and with temps around 120 degrees recently in phoenix, American Airlines was forced to cancel over 40 flights because the air was too thin for them to take off.
June 18, 2017 - Trump sites Rasmussen poll from June 16 that shows his approval rating at 50%, claiming that his approval rating is higher than what Obama's was. Turns out the Rasmussen poll from June 16, 2009 showed Obama at 56%.
Trump attorney Jay Sekulow made the following conflicting statements in various interviews today: "So he's being investigated for taking action that the attorney general and deputy attorney general recommended him to take by the agency who recommended the termination." and "No, he's not being investigated." and "I've been crystal clear that the president is not and has not been under investigation." Sekulow had to later concede that he didn't know whether Trump was under investigation or not.
June 16, 2017 - In an apparent reference to assistant attorney general Rod J. Rosenstein, Trump tweeted "I am being investigated for firing the FBI Director by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director!" Sources close to Trump say he is angry at Mr Rosenstein for appointing Robert Mueller as special counsel, and angry at Jeff Sessions for recusing himself from the Russian collusion investigation. Trump also tweeted that the investigation is the "single greatest WITCH HUNT in American political history."
June 16, 2017 - In an apparent reference to assistant attorney general Rod J. Rosenstein, Trump tweeted "I am being investigated for firing the FBI Director by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director!" Sources close to Trump say he is angry at Mr Rosenstein for appointing Robert Mueller as special counsel, and angry at Jeff Sessions for recusing himself from the Russian collusion investigation. Trump also tweeted that the investigation is the "single greatest WITCH HUNT in American political history."
Trump announced today his intent to revoke Obama's rapprochement with Cuba, calling it "terrible and misguided."
June 15, 2017 - Trump called the investigation into Russian collusion a "phony collusion with the Russians story" amid reports that Robert Mueller, special counsel, is looking into whether Trump is guilty of obstruction of justice.
June 15, 2017 - Trump called the investigation into Russian collusion a "phony collusion with the Russians story" amid reports that Robert Mueller, special counsel, is looking into whether Trump is guilty of obstruction of justice.
The energy department closed its office that works on climate change abroad.
June 13, 2017 - Attorney General Jeff Sessions testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee calling any suggestion that he colluded with the Russians during the 2016 election an "appalling and detestable lie." Sessions refused to talk about his conversations with Trump regarding Comey firing. Claimed the president has executive privilege, despite Trump not invoking that privilege.
June 13, 2017 - Attorney General Jeff Sessions testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee calling any suggestion that he colluded with the Russians during the 2016 election an "appalling and detestable lie." Sessions refused to talk about his conversations with Trump regarding Comey firing. Claimed the president has executive privilege, despite Trump not invoking that privilege.
Senate leaders reached an agreement on new sanctions against Russia for interfering with the 2016 election.
Trump surrogate and longtime friend Christopher Ruddy stated that Trump was "considering, perhaps, terminating" special counsel Robert S Mueller III.
June 12, 2017 - Trump declared himself one of the most productive presidents in American History.
June 12, 2017 - Trump declared himself one of the most productive presidents in American History.
In a unanimous decision, a second appeals court ruled against Trump's revised travel ban saying "The order does not offer a sufficient justification to suspend the entry of more than 180 million people on the basis of nationality." And also that "National security is not a 'talismanic incantation' that, once invoked, can support any and all exercise of executive power."
Attorneys general of Maryland and Washington D.C. filed a lawsuit claiming Trump's business dealings are unconstitutional.
A friend of Trump's says that Trump is contemplating firing special investigator Robert Mueller.
June 9, 2017 - Trump accused former F.B.I. director James Comey of lying under oath, saying he did not ask Comey to drop the investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn or ask for his loyalty. Trump stated at a news conference "No collusion. No obstruction. He's a leaker." Trump's accusation that Comey is a leaker stems from Comey sharing the content of conversations with Trump with others. When asked if he would be willing to testify under oath as Comey had, Trump replied "one hundred percent."
June 8, 2017 - James Comey testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee that Donald Trump tried to derail the inquiry into Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn by asking him to "let it go", and that Trump and others in his administration had lied when they said the F.B.I. was in disarray and that agents had lost confidence in Mr. Comey, saying "those were lies, plain and simple." Comey also testified that Trump had demanded his loyalty saying "I need loyalty, I expect loyalty" and that in response, Comey said he told Trump "You will always get honesty from me".
June 9, 2017 - Trump accused former F.B.I. director James Comey of lying under oath, saying he did not ask Comey to drop the investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn or ask for his loyalty. Trump stated at a news conference "No collusion. No obstruction. He's a leaker." Trump's accusation that Comey is a leaker stems from Comey sharing the content of conversations with Trump with others. When asked if he would be willing to testify under oath as Comey had, Trump replied "one hundred percent."
June 8, 2017 - James Comey testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee that Donald Trump tried to derail the inquiry into Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn by asking him to "let it go", and that Trump and others in his administration had lied when they said the F.B.I. was in disarray and that agents had lost confidence in Mr. Comey, saying "those were lies, plain and simple." Comey also testified that Trump had demanded his loyalty saying "I need loyalty, I expect loyalty" and that in response, Comey said he told Trump "You will always get honesty from me".
House Speaker Paul Ryan stated that "the president's new at this" as an excuse for the improper conversations that took place between Trump and Comey.
With no sense of irony whatsoever, Trump told a gathering of supporters at the annual Faith and Freedom Coalition's Road to Majority Conference "entrenched interests will lie, they will obstruct, they will spread their hatred and their prejudice, but we will not back down from doing what is right."
Trump responded to North Korea's ongoing missile tests saying the era of strategic patience with the North Korean regime had failed, and that "frankly, that patience is over."
June 7, 2017 - In a speech to supporters at a rally in Ohio, Trump criticized the Paris climate accord saying "we will never have outside forces telling us what to do and how to do it" despite the agreement being composed solely of self-imposed environmental regulations.
June 7, 2017 - In a speech to supporters at a rally in Ohio, Trump criticized the Paris climate accord saying "we will never have outside forces telling us what to do and how to do it" despite the agreement being composed solely of self-imposed environmental regulations.
Trump responded to a terror attack in Iran by blaming it on the Iranians themselves saying "We grieve and pray for the innocent victims of the terrorist attacks in Iran, and for the Iranian people, who are going through such challenging times. We underscore that states that sponsor terrorism risk falling victim to the evil they promote."
June 6, 2017 - Despite attempts by Trump's own aides to get him to cut back on twitter, Trump tweeted the following "The FAKE MSM is working so hard to get me not to use Social Media."
June 6, 2017 - Despite attempts by Trump's own aides to get him to cut back on twitter, Trump tweeted the following "The FAKE MSM is working so hard to get me not to use Social Media."
An intelligence contractor at the NSA was arrested today for leaking information to the press regarding Russian hacking during the election. Turns out Russian hackers had sent emails laced with malware to election officials in many states in the weeks leading up to the election.
June 5, 2017 - In a twitter tirade throughout the day and into the evening, Trump undermined many of his lawyers arguments in support of the revised travel ban. Trump called the order a ban in his tweets, even though his aides have argued for months that it was not a ban, but a pause. He also called it a watered down "politically correct" version of the original, making it impossible for his lawyers to argue that this one is new or different. Trump also argued that a recent terrorist attack in London validated the need for a ban, while knowing only that the perpetrators were Muslim and nothing else, thus making it clear that his ban is about a specific religion, not about dangerous locations as his apologists have repeatedly claimed.
June 4, 2017 - Trump used twitter to attack the Mayor of London for making this statement after a terror attack: "Londoners will see an increased police presence today and over the course of the next few days - no reason to be alarmed." Trump's response " At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is no reason to be alarmed!" A Spokesman for the mayor responded to Trump's tweet by saying the mayor "has more important things to do than respond to Donald Trump's ill-informed tweet that deliberately takes out of context his remarks urging Londoners not be alarmed when they saw more police - including armed officers - on the streets."
June 2, 2017 - US added 138,000 jobs last month pushing unemployment rate to 4.3%.
June 5, 2017 - In a twitter tirade throughout the day and into the evening, Trump undermined many of his lawyers arguments in support of the revised travel ban. Trump called the order a ban in his tweets, even though his aides have argued for months that it was not a ban, but a pause. He also called it a watered down "politically correct" version of the original, making it impossible for his lawyers to argue that this one is new or different. Trump also argued that a recent terrorist attack in London validated the need for a ban, while knowing only that the perpetrators were Muslim and nothing else, thus making it clear that his ban is about a specific religion, not about dangerous locations as his apologists have repeatedly claimed.
June 4, 2017 - Trump used twitter to attack the Mayor of London for making this statement after a terror attack: "Londoners will see an increased police presence today and over the course of the next few days - no reason to be alarmed." Trump's response " At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is no reason to be alarmed!" A Spokesman for the mayor responded to Trump's tweet by saying the mayor "has more important things to do than respond to Donald Trump's ill-informed tweet that deliberately takes out of context his remarks urging Londoners not be alarmed when they saw more police - including armed officers - on the streets."
June 2, 2017 - US added 138,000 jobs last month pushing unemployment rate to 4.3%.
Trump administration sent copies of Senate Torture Report back to congress where it's exempt from laws requiring access to government records.
June 1, 2017 - In a move that almost certainly cements Trump's place as the worst president in U.S. history, and significantly increases the odds that Trump will become history's most prolific mass murderer, Donald Trump announced today that he will withdraw the US - the biggest carbon polluter in history - from the Paris Climate Accord, an agreement with nearly 200 nations to lower carbon emissions. With no sense of irony, Trump stated "We don't want other countries and other leaders to laugh at us anymore" as he aligned the US with Syria and Nicaragua on climate change.
Some reactions to Trump's decision:
"President Trump's speech was confused nonsense" - Bob Ward, policy and communications director at the Grantham Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science -
"A sad day for evidence-based policy" - Piers Forster, director of the Priestly International Centre for Climate -
"From climate change, Mr. President, you can run but you can't hide" - Dave Reay, chair on Carbon Management & Education at the University of Edinburgh -
"Trump will not be calling the shots indefinitely; but politically, he and his supporters in Congress will indefinitely own climate change impacts" - Jeffrey Kargel, climate researcher at the University of Arizona in Tempe -
In other news, Vladimir Putin advances the idea that "patriotically minded" private Russian hackers may have been involved in the cyberattacks meant to help the presidential campaign of Donald Trump.
Some reactions to Trump's decision:
"President Trump's speech was confused nonsense" - Bob Ward, policy and communications director at the Grantham Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science -
"A sad day for evidence-based policy" - Piers Forster, director of the Priestly International Centre for Climate -
"From climate change, Mr. President, you can run but you can't hide" - Dave Reay, chair on Carbon Management & Education at the University of Edinburgh -
"Trump will not be calling the shots indefinitely; but politically, he and his supporters in Congress will indefinitely own climate change impacts" - Jeffrey Kargel, climate researcher at the University of Arizona in Tempe -
In other news, Vladimir Putin advances the idea that "patriotically minded" private Russian hackers may have been involved in the cyberattacks meant to help the presidential campaign of Donald Trump.
Former F.B.I. director James Comey agrees to testify on June 8 about interactions with Trump.
May 31, 2017 - During a late night tweet, Donald Trump introduces the world to the word covfefe.
May 30, 2017 - Michael Dubke, Trump's director of communications, resigned.
May 31, 2017 - During a late night tweet, Donald Trump introduces the world to the word covfefe.
May 30, 2017 - Michael Dubke, Trump's director of communications, resigned.
Trump dismissed investigation into Russian interference amid reports that Jared Kushner, his son in law, sought a secret back channel with the Kremlin. In Trump's words, this is all "fake news." According to the reports, Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the U.S. was intercepted in a communication with his superiors in which he told them that Jared Kushner had proposed setting up a secure communication channel between Trump's team and Moscow during a December meeting to avoid US snooping.
In an angry tweet, Donald Trump Jr tarnished the entirety of the political left after Kathy Griffin posed for a picture with an effigy of Trump's severed head. Jr's tweet: "The photo says it all, but this is what the left thinks is acceptable today." NOTE: The photo was condemned by both the right and the left.
May 26, 2017 - During a NATO summit in Brussels, Donald Trump was observed shoving Dusko Markovic, the prime minister of Montenegro, as he made his way to the front of the crowd for a group photo.
May 25, 2017 - Britain scolded the U.S. and took the highly unusual step of withholding intelligence from U.S. agencies after sensitive information was leaked regarding the Manchester terror attack.
May 26, 2017 - During a NATO summit in Brussels, Donald Trump was observed shoving Dusko Markovic, the prime minister of Montenegro, as he made his way to the front of the crowd for a group photo.
May 25, 2017 - Britain scolded the U.S. and took the highly unusual step of withholding intelligence from U.S. agencies after sensitive information was leaked regarding the Manchester terror attack.
In a meeting in Brussels, Trump refused to endorse NATO's mutual defense policy, which is the foundation of the alliance since World War II.
A federal appeals court refused to reinstate Trump's revised travel ban saying it "drips with religious intolerance, animus and discrimination."
May 24, 2017 - It has been revealed that U.S agents learned that top Russian officials were strategizing about how to exert influence over Donald Trump through his advisers. The effort focused on Paul Manafort who was Trump's campaign manager at the time, and Michael Flynn.
May 24, 2017 - It has been revealed that U.S agents learned that top Russian officials were strategizing about how to exert influence over Donald Trump through his advisers. The effort focused on Paul Manafort who was Trump's campaign manager at the time, and Michael Flynn.
The Congressional Budget Office released a report regarding the health care bill passed by the House, and based on its estimates, 23 million fewer people will be insured by 2026 under the plan.
Sean Hannity says he will respect the Rich family's wishes and refrain from discussing their son "for now" but added "I promise you I am not going to stop doing my job. I am not going to stop trying to find the truth."
May 23, 2017 - John Brennan, who stepped down as C.I.A. director in January, told the House Intelligence Committee that he had become concerned last year about possible ties between Russia and the Trump campaign.
May 23, 2017 - John Brennan, who stepped down as C.I.A. director in January, told the House Intelligence Committee that he had become concerned last year about possible ties between Russia and the Trump campaign.
The White House unveiled its 4.1 trillion budget for 2018 which contains deep cuts to programs for the poor.
A week after being asked by the Seth Rich family to retract the false claims made about their son, Fox News printed the following retraction:
"On May 16, a story was posted on the Fox News website on the investigation into 2016 murder of DNC Staffer Seth Rich. The article was not initially subjected to the high degree of editorial scrutiny we require for all our reporting. Upon appropriate review, the article was found not to meet those standards and has since been removed. We will continue to investigate this story and will provide updates as warranted."Sean Hannity refuses to retract the story saying "I am not Fox.com or FoxNews.com. I retract nothing." Hannity then claims that "liberal fascism" is behind efforts to get him fired over his continued insistence on running with the now debunked story.
Seth Rich's parents penned an op-ed in the Washington Post titled "We're Seth Rich's parents. Stop politicizing our son's murder." In the article, Rich's parents lashed out at conservative news sites like Hannity's saying "Conservative news outlets and commentators continue, day after painful day, to peddle discredited conspiracy theories that Seth was killed after having provided WikiLeaks with emails from the DNC. Those theories, which some reporters have since retracted, are baseless, and they are unspeakably cruel."
May 22, 2017 - A letter from a top Democrat revealed that Michael Flynn lied to Pentagon investigators about his income from Russian companies and contacts with Russian officials when he applied for a top-secret clearance last year.
May 22, 2017 - A letter from a top Democrat revealed that Michael Flynn lied to Pentagon investigators about his income from Russian companies and contacts with Russian officials when he applied for a top-secret clearance last year.
The White House is blocking the government's ethics watchdog from identifying lobbyists who now work in the White House or federal agencies.
May 19, 2017 - In the same meeting where Trump leaked classified information to his Russian guests, he also referred to F.B.I. director James Comey as a "real nut job" and said that firing him relieved "great pressure."
May 19, 2017 - In the same meeting where Trump leaked classified information to his Russian guests, he also referred to F.B.I. director James Comey as a "real nut job" and said that firing him relieved "great pressure."
The Washington Post is reporting that investigators looking into Russian meddling in the election have identified a person of interest who is "close to the president."
May 18, 2017 - "This is the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history" said Donald Trump regarding the appointment of a special counsel to look into the Russian investigation.
May 18, 2017 - "This is the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history" said Donald Trump regarding the appointment of a special counsel to look into the Russian investigation.
Deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein says he knew the decision to fire Comey was made before he wrote a justification.
Roger Ailes has died.
May 17, 2017 - Justice Department appoints Robert Mueller, former F.B.I. director to serve as special counsel to oversee investigation into Russian meddling in the presidential election.
May 17, 2017 - Justice Department appoints Robert Mueller, former F.B.I. director to serve as special counsel to oversee investigation into Russian meddling in the presidential election.
While speaking to Coast Guard Cadets at their commencement address, Trump claimed that "No politician in history, and I say this with surety, has been treated worse, more unfairly."
Senate Intelligence Committee invites dismissed F.B.I chief James Comey to testify.
S&P 500 and Dow drop by 1.8% as investors are shaken by the political drama of the Trump White House.
May 16, 2017 - Today it was revealed that President Trump asked former F.B.I. Director James Comey to close the investigation into Michael Flynn according to a memo written by Comey himself. In response to criticism over Trump's revealing highly classified information with the Russians, Trump claimed that he has the "absolute right" to share classified information about an ISIS plot with top Russian officials.
May 16, 2017 - Today it was revealed that President Trump asked former F.B.I. Director James Comey to close the investigation into Michael Flynn according to a memo written by Comey himself. In response to criticism over Trump's revealing highly classified information with the Russians, Trump claimed that he has the "absolute right" to share classified information about an ISIS plot with top Russian officials.
Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell pleaded publicly with Trump to stop impeding the Republican agenda.
FBI denies that they are investigating the unsolved murder of Seth Rich, refuting the Fox News report that they are, and that they had found connections to WikiLeaks and DNC hacked emails on Rich's computer. Rod Wheeler walks back his claims saying his claims were a "miscommunication." Local Fox affiliate retracts the story. National Fox News network picks up on and begins to run with the now debunked story.
May 15, 2017 - President Trump revealed highly classified information about ISIS to Russia in an Oval Office meeting last week, thus breaking a deal with one ally, and causing other allies to seriously question whether the Trump administration can be trusted with shared secrets.
May 15, 2017 - President Trump revealed highly classified information about ISIS to Russia in an Oval Office meeting last week, thus breaking a deal with one ally, and causing other allies to seriously question whether the Trump administration can be trusted with shared secrets.
D.C. Fox News affiliate claims that an FBI analysis of Seth Rich's computer shows that he had transferred more than 44,000 DNC emails to a person with ties to WikiLeaks. The source for the claims are Rod Wheeler, who claims to be working for the Rich family as a private investigator. Sean Hannity features the story on his evening radio show
May 12, 2017 - Trump issues public warning to James Comey via Twitter: "James Comey better hope there are no tapes of our conversation before he starts leaking to the press."
May 12, 2017 - Trump issues public warning to James Comey via Twitter: "James Comey better hope there are no tapes of our conversation before he starts leaking to the press."
Jeff Sessions reverses Obama administration efforts to ease penalties for some nonviolent drug violations ordering federal prosecutors to push for the toughest possible charges and sentences against crime suspects.
May 11, 2017 - Trump's reasons for firing James Comey have begun to evolve. Initially it was claimed to be at the urging of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and deputy attorney general Rod J. Rosenstein who were unhappy with Comey's handling of the Clinton email investigation. The story then changed to Trump feeling "strongly inclined to remove" Comey, but made his final decision after receiving written recommendations from Rosenstein and Sessions. Then Trump claimed that he was frustrated by Comey's public testimony regarding the F.B.I. investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 campaign. "I was going to fire regardless of recommendation," said Trump. During an interview, Trump had this to say: "When I decided to just do it I said to myself, I said 'you know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story."
May 11, 2017 - Trump's reasons for firing James Comey have begun to evolve. Initially it was claimed to be at the urging of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and deputy attorney general Rod J. Rosenstein who were unhappy with Comey's handling of the Clinton email investigation. The story then changed to Trump feeling "strongly inclined to remove" Comey, but made his final decision after receiving written recommendations from Rosenstein and Sessions. Then Trump claimed that he was frustrated by Comey's public testimony regarding the F.B.I. investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 campaign. "I was going to fire regardless of recommendation," said Trump. During an interview, Trump had this to say: "When I decided to just do it I said to myself, I said 'you know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story."
Following up on his unsubstantiated concern regarding voter fraud during last years' election, Donald Trump signed an executive order today establishing the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity. Critics have called this commission a blatant voter suppression effort.
May 10, 2017 - Democrats claim the timing of the dismissal of Comey suggests the president was trying to derail the investigation into Russian meddling. Congressional officials revealed that days earlier Comey had requested additional resources for the F.B.I.'s investigation into Russian interference in the election. The White House denied that the firing was linked to the Russian inquiry. Democrats and some Republicans repeated calls for an independent investigation of Russian Meddling.
May 9, 2017 - Donald Trump fired James Comey, the F.B.I. director, and claims it was because of his handling of the Hillary Clinton emails. The White House said Attorney General Jeff Sessions had recommended Comey's dismissal. Comey learns of his firing through news reports.
May 8, 2017 - Trump calls Russia investigation a "taxpayer funded charade that should end."
May 6, 2017 - In testimony before the Senate, Sally Yates, the former acting attorney general said she warned the White House that Michael Flynn was susceptible to Russian blackmail. Staff members reported to the New York Times that President Obama himself warned Donald Trump not to hire Michael Flynn when they met in the oval office two days after the election.
May 5, 2017 - The Senate Intelligence Committee asked several Trump campaign associates to hand over records of their contacts with Russian officials and business people.
May 4, 2017 - House Republicans narrowly pass a bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.
May 3, 2017 - While testifying before a congressional committee, James Comey said he felt "mildly nauseous" about the prospect that he may have swayed the election with his announcement about new Clinton emails just days before the election.
May 10, 2017 - Democrats claim the timing of the dismissal of Comey suggests the president was trying to derail the investigation into Russian meddling. Congressional officials revealed that days earlier Comey had requested additional resources for the F.B.I.'s investigation into Russian interference in the election. The White House denied that the firing was linked to the Russian inquiry. Democrats and some Republicans repeated calls for an independent investigation of Russian Meddling.
May 9, 2017 - Donald Trump fired James Comey, the F.B.I. director, and claims it was because of his handling of the Hillary Clinton emails. The White House said Attorney General Jeff Sessions had recommended Comey's dismissal. Comey learns of his firing through news reports.
May 8, 2017 - Trump calls Russia investigation a "taxpayer funded charade that should end."
May 6, 2017 - In testimony before the Senate, Sally Yates, the former acting attorney general said she warned the White House that Michael Flynn was susceptible to Russian blackmail. Staff members reported to the New York Times that President Obama himself warned Donald Trump not to hire Michael Flynn when they met in the oval office two days after the election.
May 5, 2017 - The Senate Intelligence Committee asked several Trump campaign associates to hand over records of their contacts with Russian officials and business people.
May 4, 2017 - House Republicans narrowly pass a bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.
May 3, 2017 - While testifying before a congressional committee, James Comey said he felt "mildly nauseous" about the prospect that he may have swayed the election with his announcement about new Clinton emails just days before the election.
A women who disrupted Jeff Sessions confirmation hearing with laughter, could face up to 12 months in prison.
May 2, 2017 - Hillary Clinton declares herself "part of the resistance" to President Trump.
May 1, 2017 - Trump questions whether the Civil War was necessary. A Princeton University professor called comments Trump made the "height of inaccurate historical revisionism."
April 29, 2017 - Trump praised Philippines' president Rodrigo Duterte in a phone call for doing an "unbelievable job" in his fight against illegal drugs, and even extended an invitation for him to visit the White House. At the time of the phone call, Duterte's war on drugs had killed somewhere between 7,000 and 9,000 suspected drug dealers and drug addicts, many through state complicity and police coordination. The mass killings have raised concern among the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International over the "climate of lawlessness and fear that has gripped the country." Duterte has said publicly that he would happily "slaughter" three million drug addicts.
April 27, 2017 - Trump administration rolls out proposal for tax overhaul that economists say would vastly expand the country's budget deficit and national debt, and would offer the greatest benefits to the wealthiest of Americans.
May 2, 2017 - Hillary Clinton declares herself "part of the resistance" to President Trump.
May 1, 2017 - Trump questions whether the Civil War was necessary. A Princeton University professor called comments Trump made the "height of inaccurate historical revisionism."
April 29, 2017 - Trump praised Philippines' president Rodrigo Duterte in a phone call for doing an "unbelievable job" in his fight against illegal drugs, and even extended an invitation for him to visit the White House. At the time of the phone call, Duterte's war on drugs had killed somewhere between 7,000 and 9,000 suspected drug dealers and drug addicts, many through state complicity and police coordination. The mass killings have raised concern among the United Nations, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International over the "climate of lawlessness and fear that has gripped the country." Duterte has said publicly that he would happily "slaughter" three million drug addicts.
April 27, 2017 - Trump administration rolls out proposal for tax overhaul that economists say would vastly expand the country's budget deficit and national debt, and would offer the greatest benefits to the wealthiest of Americans.
Defense Department is investigating Michael Flynn over payments from Russia.
April 26, 2017 - 11 current and former Fox employees have filed a class-action lawsuit against Fox News alleging racial discrimination.
April 25, 2017 - A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from cutting funds for "sanctuary cities." Lawmakers claim that Michael Flynn - Trump's first national security adviser, may have violated the law when he failed to disclose his business dealings with Russia.
April 26, 2017 - 11 current and former Fox employees have filed a class-action lawsuit against Fox News alleging racial discrimination.
April 25, 2017 - A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from cutting funds for "sanctuary cities." Lawmakers claim that Michael Flynn - Trump's first national security adviser, may have violated the law when he failed to disclose his business dealings with Russia.
Ivanka Trump stunned an audience at a conference in Berlin when she called her father a "tremendous champion" of families.
Yogurt maker Chobani filed a lawsuit against radio host and Trump supporter Alex Jones for posting false information about the company and its owner.
April 19, 2017 - Amid fleeing advertisers, Bill O'Reilly is fired from Fox News.
April 18, 2017 - Democrats in congress say they won't cooperate with Trump efforts to overhaul the U.S. tax code unless Trump releases his own taxes.
April 15, 2017 - North Korean official accuses Trump of creating a war situation by dispatching forces to the region.
April 14, 2017 - Adding a cloak of secrecy to its day-to-day activities, the White House announced that it would cut off public access to visitor logs revealing who is entering the White House complex and which officials they are meeting.
April 13, 2017 - Trump decided that NATO is not obsolete despite repeatedly calling it obsolete during his 18 month presidential campaign. A similar epiphany occurred regarding China. During the campaign, Trump said China was a currency manipulator, now he says it's not.
April 19, 2017 - Amid fleeing advertisers, Bill O'Reilly is fired from Fox News.
April 18, 2017 - Democrats in congress say they won't cooperate with Trump efforts to overhaul the U.S. tax code unless Trump releases his own taxes.
April 15, 2017 - North Korean official accuses Trump of creating a war situation by dispatching forces to the region.
April 14, 2017 - Adding a cloak of secrecy to its day-to-day activities, the White House announced that it would cut off public access to visitor logs revealing who is entering the White House complex and which officials they are meeting.
Trump signed legislation aimed at giving states the ability to cut off federal funding for organizations like Planned Parenthood that perform abortions.
April 11, 2017 - In defense of a missile strike on Syria, White House spokesman Sean Spicer generated outrage when he implied that Syria's Bashar al-Assad was worse than Adolph Hitler, saying "You know, you had someone as despicable as Hitler who didn't even sink to using chemical weapons." When asked to clarify, Spicer dug even deeper when he said "I think when you come to sarin gas, he was not using gas on his own people the same way Assad is doing." Spicer's comments elicited gasps from the press corps.
April 10, 2017 - USS Carl Vinson is dispatched to Korean peninsula as a show of force in response to North Korean missile tests.
April 7, 2017 - Senate confirms Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court to replace the vacancy created by Antonin Scalia's death.
April 11, 2017 - In defense of a missile strike on Syria, White House spokesman Sean Spicer generated outrage when he implied that Syria's Bashar al-Assad was worse than Adolph Hitler, saying "You know, you had someone as despicable as Hitler who didn't even sink to using chemical weapons." When asked to clarify, Spicer dug even deeper when he said "I think when you come to sarin gas, he was not using gas on his own people the same way Assad is doing." Spicer's comments elicited gasps from the press corps.
April 10, 2017 - USS Carl Vinson is dispatched to Korean peninsula as a show of force in response to North Korean missile tests.
April 7, 2017 - Senate confirms Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court to replace the vacancy created by Antonin Scalia's death.
US economy added only 98,000 jobs in March.
April 6, 2017 - Republicans go nuclear, meaning they changed long standing rules allowing a simple majority vote to approve supreme court nominees instead of a 60 vote minimum.
April 6, 2017 - Republicans go nuclear, meaning they changed long standing rules allowing a simple majority vote to approve supreme court nominees instead of a 60 vote minimum.
House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes will step aside from the investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia due to an investigation into reports he "may have made unauthorized disclosures of information."
Government officials reveal that the C.I.A. told senior officials in classified briefings last summer that it had information indicating that Russia was working to help elect Donald Trump.
April 5, 2017 - Trump tells a reporter during an interview that Susan Rice committed a crime by seeking the identities of Americans swept up in US surveillance of foreign officials that turned out to be Trump associates. Trump went on to criticize media outlets for not covering the Susan Rice controversy, and then went on to praise Fox News host Bill O'Reilly who is currently under fire over sexual harassment allegations. "He is a good person" said Trump.
April 5, 2017 - Trump tells a reporter during an interview that Susan Rice committed a crime by seeking the identities of Americans swept up in US surveillance of foreign officials that turned out to be Trump associates. Trump went on to criticize media outlets for not covering the Susan Rice controversy, and then went on to praise Fox News host Bill O'Reilly who is currently under fire over sexual harassment allegations. "He is a good person" said Trump.
Trump called North Korea a menace in response to numerous missile tests being conducted by the rogue nation.
April 4, 2017 - Susan Rice responds to accusations by Trump and other Republicans that she committed wrongdoing by unmasking names in intelligence reports related to Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Rice said that she had sometimes asked for names of Americans whose identities were redacted in order to understand context, which it turns out, she had the authority do as Obama's national security adviser.
April 4, 2017 - Susan Rice responds to accusations by Trump and other Republicans that she committed wrongdoing by unmasking names in intelligence reports related to Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Rice said that she had sometimes asked for names of Americans whose identities were redacted in order to understand context, which it turns out, she had the authority do as Obama's national security adviser.
Many companies have started pulling ads from Fox News in response to sexual harassment allegations against Bill O'Reilly.
April 3, 2017 - Trump welcomed Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to the White House. Sisi is Egypt's authoritarian president who came to power in a military takeover four years ago, and has been barred from visits to the US because of his brutal suppression of domestic dissent. "We agree on so many things" said president Trump of Sisi.
April 3, 2017 - Trump welcomed Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to the White House. Sisi is Egypt's authoritarian president who came to power in a military takeover four years ago, and has been barred from visits to the US because of his brutal suppression of domestic dissent. "We agree on so many things" said president Trump of Sisi.
In an attempt to turn attention away from the Russian investigation, Trump stated that "the real story" was the Obama administration's mining of intelligence during the presidential campaign and the unmasking by Susan E. Rice of some of the Americans who had been swept up in that intelligence, which included Michael Flynn.
A second woman came forward with allegations of sexual assault against former Fox News chairman Roger Ailes.
New York Times published information about 5 women receiving payouts for agreeing not to sue or speak out publicly regarding allegations of sexual harassment by Bill O'Reilly.
March 31, 3017 - Donald Trump sent the following tweet today: "Mike Flynn should ask for immunity in that this is a witch hunt (excuse for big election loss), by media & Dems, of historic proportion!"
Sean Spicer reasserts Trump's unproven allegation against Obama administration that there is evidence of "politically motivated" surveillance of the Trump campaign.
Judge approves a $25 million agreement to settle fraud claims against Trump University.
March 30, 2017 - It was uncovered that two White House officials (Ezra-Cohen Watnick and Michael Ellis) provided Devin Nunes with secret reports that showed incidental surveillance of the Trump campaign.
March 30, 2017 - It was uncovered that two White House officials (Ezra-Cohen Watnick and Michael Ellis) provided Devin Nunes with secret reports that showed incidental surveillance of the Trump campaign.
Mike Pence cast the deciding vote on a measure that allows states to block funding to clinics that perform abortions.
March 29, 2017 - Ivanka Trump's role in the White House becomes official amid growing concerns over ethics implications with her unofficial role. Her official title is special assistant to the president.
March 29, 2017 - Ivanka Trump's role in the White House becomes official amid growing concerns over ethics implications with her unofficial role. Her official title is special assistant to the president.
In one of his first formal actions, EPA administrator, Scott Pruitt, reversed an Obama era effort to ban the use of chlorpyrifos on fruits and vegetables, despite peer-reviewed academic studies which demonstrate that the pesticide can hinder development of children's brains, even at tiny levels of exposure, and despite warnings from his agency's own chemical safety experts.
March 28, 2017 - Trump signs order to reverse policies intended to fight climate change all but ensuring that the US will fail to meet its commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreement.
March 28, 2017 - Trump signs order to reverse policies intended to fight climate change all but ensuring that the US will fail to meet its commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreement.
Republicans once again begin crafting legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
Devin Nunes, Republican chairman of House Intelligence Commission insisted he would continue leading panel's investigation into Russian meddling despite criticism from Democrats that he was too close to the president, having been shown intelligence reports on the White House grounds.
March 27, 2017 - Democrats learn that the congressman leading the House inquiry, who had just last week announced that Trump or his associates may have been "incidentally" swept up in surveillance of foreigners, met with someone on the White House grounds prior to that announcement and was showed secret intelligence reports. Democrats called the timing suspicious.
March 27, 2017 - Democrats learn that the congressman leading the House inquiry, who had just last week announced that Trump or his associates may have been "incidentally" swept up in surveillance of foreigners, met with someone on the White House grounds prior to that announcement and was showed secret intelligence reports. Democrats called the timing suspicious.
Senate investigators plan to question Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner regarding his discussions with Russian officials.
March 24, 2017 - In a humiliating defeat for Donald Trump, Republican leaders of the House pull legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Trump blames Democrats and predicts they will seek a deal within a year when "Obamacare explodes."
March 24, 2017 - In a humiliating defeat for Donald Trump, Republican leaders of the House pull legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Trump blames Democrats and predicts they will seek a deal within a year when "Obamacare explodes."
State department grants permit for construction of Keystone XL pipeline.
March 21, 2017 - Longtime Trump associate Roger Stone is confirmed to be under investigation in connection with Russian interference in the 2016 election.
March 20, 2017 - During congressional testimony, F.B.I. director James Comey confirmed that his agency is investigating Russian meddling in the election and Moscow's relationship to the Trump campaign. Comey also stated that he had seen no information that would support Trump's claim that former President Obama had Trump Tower wiretapped.
March 21, 2017 - Longtime Trump associate Roger Stone is confirmed to be under investigation in connection with Russian interference in the 2016 election.
March 20, 2017 - During congressional testimony, F.B.I. director James Comey confirmed that his agency is investigating Russian meddling in the election and Moscow's relationship to the Trump campaign. Comey also stated that he had seen no information that would support Trump's claim that former President Obama had Trump Tower wiretapped.
A Gallup poll released today put Trump's approval rating at 37%, which is the lowest ever recorded for a president this early in his term.
March 17, 2017 - British officials denied a Trump White House claim that they had secretly eavesdropped on Trump at the request of President Barack Obama during last year's campaign. Trump refused to apologize even though his source - Fox News - later retracted the false claim.
March 16, 2017 - Trump's "America First" budget proposal slashes the budgets of federal agencies and programs, many of which are relied upon by low income workers who supported Trump for the presidency.
March 17, 2017 - British officials denied a Trump White House claim that they had secretly eavesdropped on Trump at the request of President Barack Obama during last year's campaign. Trump refused to apologize even though his source - Fox News - later retracted the false claim.
March 16, 2017 - Trump's "America First" budget proposal slashes the budgets of federal agencies and programs, many of which are relied upon by low income workers who supported Trump for the presidency.
Trump's revised travel ban was blocked by two federal judges who cite Trump's campaign rhetoric as evidence of his unconstitutional aim of barring Muslims from entering the country.
March 15, 2017 - Devin Nunes, Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee told reporters "I don't think there was an actual tap of Trump Tower." Trump said in a Fox News interview that "wiretap covers a lot of different things," and added "I think you're going to find some interesting items coming to the forefront over the next two weeks."
March 13, 2017 - According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the Republican bill to repeal and replace the ACA would cause 24 million people to lose health insurance over a decade.
March 10, 2017 - The Trump administration ordered 46 holdover US attorneys to quit.
March 15, 2017 - Devin Nunes, Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee told reporters "I don't think there was an actual tap of Trump Tower." Trump said in a Fox News interview that "wiretap covers a lot of different things," and added "I think you're going to find some interesting items coming to the forefront over the next two weeks."
March 13, 2017 - According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the Republican bill to repeal and replace the ACA would cause 24 million people to lose health insurance over a decade.
March 10, 2017 - The Trump administration ordered 46 holdover US attorneys to quit.
The Trump administration celebrated the latest jobs report which showed the US economy had added 235,000 jobs in February. While running for president, Trump had dismissed these same labor department reports as phony, but in this case, according to Sean Spicer, the reports "may have been phony in the past, but it's real now."
According to newly filed disclosures, Michael Flynn earned more than $500,000 representing the interests of the government of Turkey during the presidential campaign.
March 9, 2017 - Scott Pruitt, the new head of the EPA, said during a television appearance that carbon dioxide was not a primary contributor to global warming, despite a global scientific consensus that states otherwise.
March 8, 2017 - All major hospital groups and the American Medical Association join AARP and a stream of medical and health advocacy groups in opposing the House plan to repeal the ACA.
March 9, 2017 - Scott Pruitt, the new head of the EPA, said during a television appearance that carbon dioxide was not a primary contributor to global warming, despite a global scientific consensus that states otherwise.
March 8, 2017 - All major hospital groups and the American Medical Association join AARP and a stream of medical and health advocacy groups in opposing the House plan to repeal the ACA.
Hawaii raised first legal challenge to Trump's revised executive order barring citizens of six predominantly Muslim countries.
March 6, 2017 - Trump administration released a revised travel ban, which no longer includes Iraq, and also does not include provision that explicitly protected religious minorities.
March 6, 2017 - Trump administration released a revised travel ban, which no longer includes Iraq, and also does not include provision that explicitly protected religious minorities.
House Republicans unveiled a plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.
The White House asked Planned Parenthood to stop providing abortions, saying that if they did, they could keep federal funding. Planned Parenthood turned down the offer.
March 4, 2017 - In a twitter storm heard around the world, Trump accused Obama - without offering any evidence - of wire tapping his phones at Trump Tower the month before the election. The allegation originated on right wing radio. Trump called Obama a "bad (or sick) guy." F.B.I. director James Comey asked the Justice Department to rebut the assertion as false, but the department failed to do so.
March 3, 2017 - Despite increasing calls for a special bipartisan inquiry into the Trump administration's ties to Russia, Republicans - who hold the majority in both houses - are actively resisting.
March 2, 2017 - Top Democrats have called for the resignation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions after it became known that he had met with the Russian ambassador during the 2016 campaign and failed to disclose it during his confirmation hearings. When asked during the hearings by Senator Al Franken if he had had any contacts with Russian officials during the campaign, Sessions claimed he had not. Trump, who accused Democrats of engaging in a witch hunt, claimed the lack of disclosure was not intentional. In response to the controversy, Sessions recused himself from any investigations into charges that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election.
March 4, 2017 - In a twitter storm heard around the world, Trump accused Obama - without offering any evidence - of wire tapping his phones at Trump Tower the month before the election. The allegation originated on right wing radio. Trump called Obama a "bad (or sick) guy." F.B.I. director James Comey asked the Justice Department to rebut the assertion as false, but the department failed to do so.
March 3, 2017 - Despite increasing calls for a special bipartisan inquiry into the Trump administration's ties to Russia, Republicans - who hold the majority in both houses - are actively resisting.
March 2, 2017 - Top Democrats have called for the resignation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions after it became known that he had met with the Russian ambassador during the 2016 campaign and failed to disclose it during his confirmation hearings. When asked during the hearings by Senator Al Franken if he had had any contacts with Russian officials during the campaign, Sessions claimed he had not. Trump, who accused Democrats of engaging in a witch hunt, claimed the lack of disclosure was not intentional. In response to the controversy, Sessions recused himself from any investigations into charges that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election.
The White house disclosed that Michael Flynn and Jared Kushner met with the Russian ambassador in December of last year. These disclosures fueled calls for congressional and independent investigations into the Trump team and its Russian contacts during the 2016 campaign.
News surfaced that the Obama administration scrambled in its final days to preserve intelligence regarding Russian attempts to undermine the presidential election, and regarding possible contacts between associates of Trump and the Russians. This information was spread across the government by the Obama White House in an attempt to preserve evidence and leave a clear trail for government investigators.
March 1, 2017 - Segment is run on D.C. Fox affiliate where Republican lobbyist Jack Burkman advances the conspiracy theory that Seth Rich may have been murdered by the Russian government for knowing too much about Russian hacking of DNC emails.
Trump signs executive order aimed at rolling back one of Obama's major environmental regulations protecting America's waterways.
February 27, 2017 - Trump proposes adding 54 billion to military spending budget. During a meeting with a group of the nation's largest health insurers, Trump states that "Nobody knew that healthcare could be so complicated." Trump signed the repeal of an Obama-era initiative intended to prevent people with mental disabilities from buying guns.
February 26, 2017 - Trump tweeted the following today: "Russia talk is FAKE NEWS put out by Dems, and played up by the media, in order to mask the big election defeat and the illegal leaks!"
February 24, 2017 - During a speech at CPAC, Trump reiterated his claim that the press is the enemy of the people.
February 26, 2017 - Trump tweeted the following today: "Russia talk is FAKE NEWS put out by Dems, and played up by the media, in order to mask the big election defeat and the illegal leaks!"
A man in Kansas sparked outrage in India after opening fire in a bar which left an Indian engineer dead and another injured. The man was heard yelling "get out of my country" before opening fire.
In response to growing criticism of Trump's silence regarding the rise of anti-semitism since his inauguration, Trump finally spoke out today against anti-semitism calling it horrible and painful.
February 18, 2017 - While speaking at a rally, Trump railed against immigrants and violence. He then stated: "You look at what’s happening last night in Sweden. Sweden, who would believe this?" NOTE: When reporters pointed out that there was no immigrant attack in Sweden the night before, Trump claimed that he knew there was an immigrant terror attack because he had seen it on Fox on Tucker Carlson's show.
February 17, 2017 - Despite an all-night protest by Democrats, the Republican led Senate confirms Scott Pruitt as head of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Trump called the media the enemy of the people. Historians point to similarities between Trump and Richard M Nixon, who in 1972 told his national security adviser, Henry A. Kissinger, "The press is the enemy." According to Carl Bernstein, the language Trump is using is more insidious and dangerous than Richard Nixon's, "But there is similarity in trying to divide the country, and make the conduct of the press the issue, instead of the conduct of the president."
Trump declared during a press briefing that he is "the least anti-Semitic person that you've ever seen in your entire life."
February 16, 2017 - Jake Turx, a reporter for a Jewish publication, asked Trump what the government was going to do about a rise in antisemitic hate crimes since he took office. Trump's response "Sit down! Number one, I am the least antisemitic person you’ve ever seen in your entire life. Number two, racism, the least racist person." Shortly after this exchange, Trump asked April Ryan, a black reporter, to arrange a meeting for him with the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) because they're probably "friends" of hers. Ryan responded to the exchange on twitter saying "I am a journalist not a convener! But thank you for answering my questions."
Despite his administration being described by insiders as one in total chaos, Trump boasted that his new administration was a fine tuned machine.
Justice department declared it would not seek a rehearing on the president's travel ban in federal court, saying a new one is in the works.
Trump falsely claimed that his election win was the biggest electoral win since Ronald Reagan. NOTE: Trump was the recipient of 304 electoral votes. George H.W. Bush won with 426. Bill Clinton won with 370 in 1992 and 379 in 1996. Barack Obama won with 365 in 2008.
Trump tweeted the following today: "The Democrats had to come up with a story as to why they lost the election, and so badly (306), so they made up a story - RUSSIA. Fake news!"
An email was sent to staff of the Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service telling them of a change in "how we talk about" climate change. Provided was a list of phrases to avoid, and what to use instead:
AVOID: Climate Change
AVOID: Climate Change
USE INSTEAD: Weather Extremes
AVOID: Climate change adaptation
USE INSTEAD: Resilience to Weather Extremes/Intense Weather Events; Drought, Heavy Rain, Spring Ponding
AVOID: Reduce Greenhouse Gases
USE INSTEAD: Build Soil Organic Matter, Increase Nutrient Use Efficiency
AVOID: Sequester Carbon
USE INSTEAD: Build Soil Organic Matter
Trump called leaks to the media from intelligence agencies "Very un-American!" despite praising leaks that were damaging to his opponent during the 2016 presidential campaign.
February 14, 2017 - Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, accused the White House of being a place where "nobody knows who's in charge and nobody knows who's setting policy."
Trump invited FBI director James Comey to dinner and said "I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go."
February 13, 2017 - Michael T. Flynn, national security adviser to President Trump, resigned just 7 hours after Kellyanne Conway assured an MSNBC audience that Mr Trump had full confidence in the retired general. The resignation came in the wake of revelations that Flynn had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other top White House officials about his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the United States. A former official from the Justice Department claimed the White House had been warned the previous month that Flynn had not been fully forthright about his conversations with the ambassador, and that he could be vulnerable to blackmail by Moscow. In Flynn's resignation letter he claimed he "inadvertently briefed the vice president-elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian ambassador."
February 11, 2017 - "This is America's foreign policy, not this week's episode of Saturday Night Live. We urge our Republican colleagues to start taking this administration's rash and unprofessional conduct seriously before there are consequences we all regret." These statements are part of a joint response by Democratic senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Tom Udall regarding an impromptu national security meeting that took place in full view and earshot of diners at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. The meeting erupted spontaneously in response to a North Korean missile test, Photos and details of the meeting were posted to facebook by guests of the resort in real time.
February 10, 2017 - In a telephone call with China's president, Trump backed away from a promise to review the status of Taiwan, thus handing Xi Jinping a political victory and sullying his own reputation among the Chinese as a tough negotiator. "Trump lost his first fight with Xi and he will be looked at as a paper tiger" said Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University of China.
February 11, 2017 - "This is America's foreign policy, not this week's episode of Saturday Night Live. We urge our Republican colleagues to start taking this administration's rash and unprofessional conduct seriously before there are consequences we all regret." These statements are part of a joint response by Democratic senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Tom Udall regarding an impromptu national security meeting that took place in full view and earshot of diners at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. The meeting erupted spontaneously in response to a North Korean missile test, Photos and details of the meeting were posted to facebook by guests of the resort in real time.
February 10, 2017 - In a telephone call with China's president, Trump backed away from a promise to review the status of Taiwan, thus handing Xi Jinping a political victory and sullying his own reputation among the Chinese as a tough negotiator. "Trump lost his first fight with Xi and he will be looked at as a paper tiger" said Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University of China.
White House insists that Judge Neil Gorsuch was not referring to Trump when he said he was disheartened by attacks on the courts.
A speech that presidential adviser Stephen Bannon made at a Vatican conference in 2014 surfaced and raised eyebrows because of its reference to Julius Evola, a darling of Italian Fascists. Evola was a leading proponent of Traditionalism, a set of beliefs that argues progress and equality are poisonous illusions. This view is embraced today by many on the far right.
Trump claimed that there was widespread voter fraud during the November election saying "thousands" of people were bused in from Massachusetts to vote in New Hampshire. According to New Hampshire's Secretary of State office, U.S, Attorney's office and Massachusetts' attorney general's office, there is no evidence to support this claim.
Trump assured reporters he will "look into" news reports that Flynn discussed sanctions with Kislyak.
February 9, 2017 - Appeals court declines to block Washington judge's restraining order saying the government provided no evidence of any threat posed by travelers from the countries in question. Trump tweets: "See you in court, the security of our nation is at stake!"
February 9, 2017 - Appeals court declines to block Washington judge's restraining order saying the government provided no evidence of any threat posed by travelers from the countries in question. Trump tweets: "See you in court, the security of our nation is at stake!"
The White House claimed it counseled Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway who may have violated ethics rules by urging people to buy Ivanka Trump's fashion products during a Fox News television appearance.
According to Pence's press secretary, Pence learned of DOJ concerns about Flynn for the first time today.
February 8, 2017 - Trump lashed out at a three-judge federal appeals panel that voiced skepticism regarding his order to ban travel from predominantly Muslim countries, by calling the hearing disgraceful, and by suggesting that the judges were politically motivated.
February 8, 2017 - Trump lashed out at a three-judge federal appeals panel that voiced skepticism regarding his order to ban travel from predominantly Muslim countries, by calling the hearing disgraceful, and by suggesting that the judges were politically motivated.
Supreme court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, called Trump's attacks on the judiciary "demoralizing" and "disheartening".
Yemen withdraws permission for US special operations ground missions in its country amid outrage over civilian casualties in a commando raid, which was the first authorized by Trump.
The Senate confirmed Jeff Sessions for Attorney General in a 47 to 52 vote.
A White House spokesman walked Flynn's comments to the Post back saying that Flynn "indicated that while he had no recollection of discussing sanctions, he couldn’t be certain that the topic never came up."
February 7, 2017 - When challenged on Trump's claim that terror attacks are not being reported, the White House provided a list of 78 terror attacks, all of which were found to have been heavily covered by the news media.
February 7, 2017 - When challenged on Trump's claim that terror attacks are not being reported, the White House provided a list of 78 terror attacks, all of which were found to have been heavily covered by the news media.
Pence cast a historic tie breaking vote to approve Betsy DeVos as Education Secretary.
Trump told a group of sheriffs that the murder rate in the U.S. is the highest its been in 45 to 47 years. In reality, the murder rate is close to an all time low.
Flynn told the Washington Post he did not discuss sanctions with the Russian ambassador.
February 6, 2017 - Speaking to troops at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Trump claimed, without offering any evidence, that the media is guilty of not covering terror attacks, saying "You've seen what happened in Paris and Nice. All over Europe it's happening. It's gotten to a point where it's not even being reported. And in many cases the very, very dishonest press doesn't want to report it. They have their reasons and you understand that."
February 4, 2017 - Trump tweeted the following message regarding a Seattle judge who blocked his immigration order: "The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!"
February 6, 2017 - Speaking to troops at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Trump claimed, without offering any evidence, that the media is guilty of not covering terror attacks, saying "You've seen what happened in Paris and Nice. All over Europe it's happening. It's gotten to a point where it's not even being reported. And in many cases the very, very dishonest press doesn't want to report it. They have their reasons and you understand that."
February 4, 2017 - Trump tweeted the following message regarding a Seattle judge who blocked his immigration order: "The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!"
Trump's justice department appealed the block on the travel ban, requesting that it be overturned, but their request was denied.
Kellyanne Conway responded to criticism that she invented the "Bowling Green massacre" saying it was an "honest mistake."
Reporters uncovered two other instances in which Conway had mentioned a "Bowling Green massacre", once to Cosmopolitan.com, and another to TMZ saying "There were two Iraqis who came here, got radicalized, joined Isis, and then were the masterminds behind the Bowling Green attack on our brave soldiers."
Zac Petkanas, Senior adviser to the Democratic National Committee, responded to Conway's comments by stating "It’s now clear this wasn’t an honest mistake or a simple slip of the tongue. The Trump administration was so desperate to sell their increasingly unpopular and likely illegal anti-Muslim ban that they actually made up a terrorist attack to scare people into acceptance.”
Neil Sroka, spokesperson for liberal group Democracy for America responded to Conway's comments by saying "It’s not surprising that the people leading Donald Trump’s White House are following in his footsteps as an unrepentant liar. The idea you would invent a terrorist attack to support a bigoted policy for the United States is reprehensible. Anyone who has aligned herself with Trump is beyond shame at this point. I think she should resign, but I have no doubt they will continue to sit in a very nice White House office and do garbage."
February 3, 2017 - Despite campaigning as a critic of Wall Street, and a champion of working Americans, Trump signed executive orders today that could roll back Obama-era financial regulations that were designed to protect consumers from bad investment advice, and prevent a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis.
February 3, 2017 - Despite campaigning as a critic of Wall Street, and a champion of working Americans, Trump signed executive orders today that could roll back Obama-era financial regulations that were designed to protect consumers from bad investment advice, and prevent a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis.
James Robart, a George W Bush appointee to federal district court in Seattle, blocks Trump's immigration order.
While defending the Muslim ban in an interview with MSNBC's Chris Matthews, Kellyanne Conway made this claim "I bet it’s brand new information to people that President Obama had a six-month ban on the Iraqi refugee program after two Iraqis came here to this country, were radicalized, and they were the masterminds behind the Bowling Green massacre. Most people don’t know that because it didn’t get covered." Critics were quick to point out that no coverage of the Bowling Green massacre occurred, because there was no massacre in Bowling Green. There was an instance in 2011 in which two Iraqi's living in Bowling Green, Kentucky, were arrested while trying to arrange for money and weapons to be sent to al Qaida in Iraq. After that incident, Obama paused the processing of refugees from Iraq for a 6 month period. In response to Conway's false claim, Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former President Bill Clinton tweeted "Please don't make up attacks."
February 2, 2017 - In a phone call with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Trump was overheard bragging about the magnitude of his electoral college win, and 25 minutes into a planned 1 hour call, abruptly ended the call, calling it the worst call of the day.
The White House released a statement regarding Yates saying she "betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States” and also denounces her as “an Obama administration appointee who is weak on borders and very weak on illegal immigration."
January 27, 2017 - With little to no legal review or input from Homeland Security, Trump signed executive orders blocking Syrian refugees from entering the United States, suspends all refugee admissions for 120 days, and prevents citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States for 90 days. Those seven countries are Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. The ban causes immediate chaos at airports in the United States and overseas prompting protests and legal maneuvering in multiple states (New York, Massachusetts, Virginia, Washington) where partial block orders are issued by judges to protect those in transit.
January 27, 2017 - With little to no legal review or input from Homeland Security, Trump signed executive orders blocking Syrian refugees from entering the United States, suspends all refugee admissions for 120 days, and prevents citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States for 90 days. Those seven countries are Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. The ban causes immediate chaos at airports in the United States and overseas prompting protests and legal maneuvering in multiple states (New York, Massachusetts, Virginia, Washington) where partial block orders are issued by judges to protect those in transit.
During a joint press conference with UK Prime Minister Theresa May, Trump claimed he was in Scotland the day before the "Brexit" vote, saying that he predicted the outcome and was scorned by the press. Turns out that Trump actually arrived in Scotland the day after Brexit passed.
In a second meeting between Sally Yates and Don McGahn, McGahn asked Yates "why does it matter to DOJ if one White House official lies to another White House official?"
January 26, 2017 - Acting Attorney General Sally Yates, warned Don McGahn, White House counsel, that Michael Flynn was not being honest about his conversations with the Russian ambassador, and that he could be vulnerable to Russian blackmail.
January 26, 2017 - Acting Attorney General Sally Yates, warned Don McGahn, White House counsel, that Michael Flynn was not being honest about his conversations with the Russian ambassador, and that he could be vulnerable to Russian blackmail.
At a GOP retreat, Trump claimed that Philadelphia's murder rate is "steady, I mean just terribly increasing." In reality, the murder rate in Philadelphia has seen a steady decline with murders down 41% from where they were a decade ago.
January 25, 2017 - Trump claims that two people were shot and killed in Chicago during Obama's farewell speech. Chicago police say no fatal shootings took place in the city of Chicago on that day. Trump also claimed his inauguration crowd was "the biggest ever" despite photographic evidence to the contrary.
January 25, 2017 - Trump claims that two people were shot and killed in Chicago during Obama's farewell speech. Chicago police say no fatal shootings took place in the city of Chicago on that day. Trump also claimed his inauguration crowd was "the biggest ever" despite photographic evidence to the contrary.
Trump announced today that he intends to launch a "major investigation into voter fraud" as he continues to believe, despite having no evidence whatsoever, that millions of people voted illegally in last years' presidential election.
Stephen Bannon, senior White House adviser to Donald Trump, was found to be registered to vote in two states (New York and Florida), something Donald Trump has wrongly called electoral fraud.
January 24, 2017 - With Donald Trump still claiming that millions of illegals voted on election day to explain why he lost the popular vote, press secretary Sean Spicer had this to say when asked about these claims at today's press conference: “The president does believe that. He has stated that before. I think he stated his concerns of voter fraud and people voting illegally during the campaign and he continues to maintain that belief based on studies and evidence that people have presented him.”
Flynn was interviewed at the White House by FBI investigators.
January 23, 2017 - Trump claims that between three million and five million unauthorized immigrants voted for his Democratic opponent in the election, thus robbing him of a majority vote victory. There is no evidence to support the claim, which has been repeatedly discredited by numerous fact checkers.
Sean Spicer told reporters at the White House press briefing that he had been assured by general Flynn that sanctions weren't discussed during the December 29th call between Flynn and Kyslyak.
January 22, 2017 - When asked why the white house had sent Sean Spicer out to the briefing podium to provide false information about the crowd size at Trump's inauguration, senior adviser Kellyanne Conway had this to say: "You're saying it's a falsehood. And they're giving -- Sean Spicer, our press secretary -- gave alternative facts,"
January 22, 2017 - When asked why the white house had sent Sean Spicer out to the briefing podium to provide false information about the crowd size at Trump's inauguration, senior adviser Kellyanne Conway had this to say: "You're saying it's a falsehood. And they're giving -- Sean Spicer, our press secretary -- gave alternative facts,"
Wall Street Journal reports that Flynn's calls with the Russian ambassador are being scrutinized as part of the investigation into Russian influence in the 2016 election.
January 21, 2017 - During a visit with the Central Intelligence Agency on his first full day in office, Trump falsely accused the media of lying about a rift between him and the intelligence agency, despite having compared the intelligence community to Nazis just a week before, and refusing to accept their conclusions on Russian hacking. Trump also falsely accused the media of lying about the number of people who were present for his inauguration. Trump claimed there were 1 to 1.5 million people present, but aerial photographs that were taken and studied by crowd scientists, put the number closer to a half million. This put the crowd size at about a third the size of Obama's crowd in 2009.
Press secretary Sean Spicer, at his first press briefing, attacked the media for its crowd size reporting, then made this false claim: "This was the largest audience ever to witness an inauguration, period, both in person and around the globe. These attempts to lessen the enthusiasm of the inauguration are shameful and wrong.” This occurred at the same time that the Women's March was taking place - a protest against the Trump presidency - with numbers that easily dwarfed the prior day's inauguration crowd.
January 20, 2017 - Trump inaugurated. This is a sampling of his inaugural address:
"Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation … the crime and gangs and drugs that have stolen too many lives … This American carnage stops right here and stops right now."
The speech becomes known as the "American Carnage" speech. George W Bush is overheard after the ceremony saying "That was some weird shit."
January 19, 2017 - New York times reports that former campaign manager Paul Manafort, adviser Roger Stone, and Carter Page are under investigation in connection with possible links to Russia.
January 15, 2017 - When asked about the phone call between Flynn and the Russian ambassador, Mike Pence claimed that Flynn "did not discuss anything having to do with the United States’ decision to expel diplomats or impose censure against Russia” Pence also called speculation about the call as giving "credence to some of these bizarre rumors that have swirled around the candidacy." When asked about the phone call on NBC's Meet the Press, Reince Priebus, the incoming White House chief of staff, said that “the subject matter of sanctions or the actions taken by the Obama [administration] did not come up in the conversation."
January 13, 2017 - News surfaced that Michael Flynn made contact with the Russian ambassador in December. Sean Spicer, the incoming White House press secretary explains that the call regarded the logistics of a post inauguration call between Trump and Putin.
January 11, 2017 - When asked this question by ABC's Cecilia Vega "Can you stand here today, once and for all, and say that no one connected to you or your campaign had any contact with Russia leading up to or during the presidential campaign?" Donald Trump's responded "No."
January 6, 2017 - CIA, FBI, and NSA release 26 page joint report concluding that "Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election." All three intelligence agencies agree that the "Russian government aspired to help president-elect Trump's election chances when possible." Trump released a statement that "there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election."
January 4, 2017 - Michael Flynn tells President Trump's transition team that he is under investigation for secretly working as a paid lobbyist for Turkey during the campaign.
December 31, 2016 - Flynn calls Russian ambassador Kislyak, who assures Flynn that Russia will accommodate his request to refrain from escalation.
December 30, 2016 - Vladimir Putin announced that Russia will not impose sanctions on the U.S. as payback for sanctions imposed on them. Trump responds with following tweet: "Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!"
December 29, 2016 - Obama announced sanctions against Russia in response to their interference in the election. K T McFarland, a senior member of Trump's transition team, sent an email message to her fellow transition members claiming the sanctions are an attempt at "discrediting Trump’s victory by saying it was due to Russian interference." McFarland also said "If there is a tit-for-tat escalation Trump will have difficulty improving relations with Russia, which has just thrown U.S.A. election to him."
January 20, 2017 - Trump inaugurated. This is a sampling of his inaugural address:
"Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation … the crime and gangs and drugs that have stolen too many lives … This American carnage stops right here and stops right now."
The speech becomes known as the "American Carnage" speech. George W Bush is overheard after the ceremony saying "That was some weird shit."
President-Elect Transgressions
January 19, 2017 - New York times reports that former campaign manager Paul Manafort, adviser Roger Stone, and Carter Page are under investigation in connection with possible links to Russia.
January 15, 2017 - When asked about the phone call between Flynn and the Russian ambassador, Mike Pence claimed that Flynn "did not discuss anything having to do with the United States’ decision to expel diplomats or impose censure against Russia” Pence also called speculation about the call as giving "credence to some of these bizarre rumors that have swirled around the candidacy." When asked about the phone call on NBC's Meet the Press, Reince Priebus, the incoming White House chief of staff, said that “the subject matter of sanctions or the actions taken by the Obama [administration] did not come up in the conversation."
January 13, 2017 - News surfaced that Michael Flynn made contact with the Russian ambassador in December. Sean Spicer, the incoming White House press secretary explains that the call regarded the logistics of a post inauguration call between Trump and Putin.
January 11, 2017 - When asked this question by ABC's Cecilia Vega "Can you stand here today, once and for all, and say that no one connected to you or your campaign had any contact with Russia leading up to or during the presidential campaign?" Donald Trump's responded "No."
January 6, 2017 - CIA, FBI, and NSA release 26 page joint report concluding that "Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election." All three intelligence agencies agree that the "Russian government aspired to help president-elect Trump's election chances when possible." Trump released a statement that "there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election."
January 4, 2017 - Michael Flynn tells President Trump's transition team that he is under investigation for secretly working as a paid lobbyist for Turkey during the campaign.
December 31, 2016 - Flynn calls Russian ambassador Kislyak, who assures Flynn that Russia will accommodate his request to refrain from escalation.
December 30, 2016 - Vladimir Putin announced that Russia will not impose sanctions on the U.S. as payback for sanctions imposed on them. Trump responds with following tweet: "Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!"
December 29, 2016 - Obama announced sanctions against Russia in response to their interference in the election. K T McFarland, a senior member of Trump's transition team, sent an email message to her fellow transition members claiming the sanctions are an attempt at "discrediting Trump’s victory by saying it was due to Russian interference." McFarland also said "If there is a tit-for-tat escalation Trump will have difficulty improving relations with Russia, which has just thrown U.S.A. election to him."
Michael Flynn placed 5 phone calls to the Russian ambassador. One of those phone calls was to ask the ambassador to refrain from escalating the situation further.
December 18, 2016 - Kellyanne Conway denied there were any Russian contacts with the campaign saying "Those conversations never happened. I hear people saying it like it's a fact on television. That is just not only inaccurate and false, but it's dangerous."
December 13, 2016 - Trump nominates Rex Tillerson to be Secretary of State. Tillerson was chairman of ExxonMobil and also the recipient of Russia's Order of Friendship medal in 2013, which was awarded by Vladimir Putin.
December 11, 2016 - Trump again rejects consensus view among intelligence community that Russia interfered in the election to help Trump win. Trump also states that because he's a smart guy, he doesn't need daily intelligence briefings.
December 9, 2016 - U.S. Intelligence concluded that Russia conducted operations during the 2016 U.S. election to assist Donald Trump in winning the presidency. Those operations included dispensing fake news stories about Hillary Clinton, hacking into the Democratic National Committee's email and leaking the contents to Wikileaks, which then released them daily in small batches over the weeks leading up to election day. Trump's transition team responded to this news this way: "These are the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. The election ended a long time ago in one of the biggest Electoral College victories in history. It’s now time to move on and ‘Make America Great Again,'" Trump responded this way: "I don’t believe they interfered.... could be Russia. And it could be China. And it could be some guy in his home in New Jersey.”
December 7, 2016 - The president of United Steelworkers 1999 pointed out on a news program that Donald Trump had inflated the number of employees he helped save from going to Mexico in a deal with Carrier. Later that evening, Trump tweeted the following: "Chuck Jones, who is President of United Steelworkers 1999, has done a terrible job representing workers. No wonder companies flee country!" and "If United Steelworkers 1999 was any good, they would have kept those jobs in Indiana. Spend more time working-less time talking. Reduce dues." Within hours of Trump's tweets, Jones began receiving death threats.
December 6, 2016 - In remarks to the Illinois Manufacturer's Association, the CEO of Boeing was critical of trade policies that are embraced by Trump, fearing the prospect of a trade war that could ultimately cost jobs. Trump responded to the criticism with the following tweet: "Boeing is building a brand new 747 Air Force one for future president, but costs are out of control, more than $4 billion. Cancel Order!"
December 18, 2016 - Kellyanne Conway denied there were any Russian contacts with the campaign saying "Those conversations never happened. I hear people saying it like it's a fact on television. That is just not only inaccurate and false, but it's dangerous."
December 13, 2016 - Trump nominates Rex Tillerson to be Secretary of State. Tillerson was chairman of ExxonMobil and also the recipient of Russia's Order of Friendship medal in 2013, which was awarded by Vladimir Putin.
December 11, 2016 - Trump again rejects consensus view among intelligence community that Russia interfered in the election to help Trump win. Trump also states that because he's a smart guy, he doesn't need daily intelligence briefings.
December 9, 2016 - U.S. Intelligence concluded that Russia conducted operations during the 2016 U.S. election to assist Donald Trump in winning the presidency. Those operations included dispensing fake news stories about Hillary Clinton, hacking into the Democratic National Committee's email and leaking the contents to Wikileaks, which then released them daily in small batches over the weeks leading up to election day. Trump's transition team responded to this news this way: "These are the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. The election ended a long time ago in one of the biggest Electoral College victories in history. It’s now time to move on and ‘Make America Great Again,'" Trump responded this way: "I don’t believe they interfered.... could be Russia. And it could be China. And it could be some guy in his home in New Jersey.”
December 7, 2016 - The president of United Steelworkers 1999 pointed out on a news program that Donald Trump had inflated the number of employees he helped save from going to Mexico in a deal with Carrier. Later that evening, Trump tweeted the following: "Chuck Jones, who is President of United Steelworkers 1999, has done a terrible job representing workers. No wonder companies flee country!" and "If United Steelworkers 1999 was any good, they would have kept those jobs in Indiana. Spend more time working-less time talking. Reduce dues." Within hours of Trump's tweets, Jones began receiving death threats.
December 6, 2016 - In remarks to the Illinois Manufacturer's Association, the CEO of Boeing was critical of trade policies that are embraced by Trump, fearing the prospect of a trade war that could ultimately cost jobs. Trump responded to the criticism with the following tweet: "Boeing is building a brand new 747 Air Force one for future president, but costs are out of control, more than $4 billion. Cancel Order!"
A national public opinion poll finds that 9% of the public believes Hillary Clinton is connected to a child sex ring being run out of a pizzeria in Washington D.C. 19% are unsure.
Michael Flynn Jr is dropped from Trump transition team over pizzagate tweet.
December 4, 2016 - Edgar Maddison Welch, of Salisbury, North Carolina, entered the Comet Ping Pong restaurant in northwest Washington, to "self-investigate" a right wing conspiracy theory known as "pizzagate" that Hillary Clinton and her campaign chief were running a child sex ring from tunnels underneath the restaurant. Welch fired several shots into the restaurant. Nobody was injured. Comet Ping Pong and an adjacent restaurant, Little Red Fox, had received dozens of death threats in the weeks leading up to the Welch incident. Following the shooting, Michael Flynn Jr, son of national security adviser Michael T Flynn, sent the following tweet: "Until #Pizzagate proven to be false, it'll remain a story. The left seems to forget #PodestaEmails and the many 'coincidences' tied to it."
December 2, 2016 - Trump takes a call from the president of Taiwan, breaching decades old diplomatic protocol which infuriates Chinese leaders. This call marks the first time a sitting president or president elect has spoken with a leader of Taiwan since the US broke diplomatic relations in 1979.
November 30, 2016 - For the position of Secretary of the Treasury, Donald Trump selected former investment banker and hedge fund investor Steven Mnuchin, Mr. Mnuchin was dubbed "foreclosure king" after he bought up distressed mortgages and evicted thousands of homeowners during the financial crisis of 2007-2008. Shortly after being named, Mnuchin announced plans to "oversee the largest tax change since Reagan." That change includes a reduction of the US corporate tax rate from 35% to 15%, a change that independent experts say will largely benefit the super rich while doing nothing for those at the very bottom.
November 29, 2016 - Despite multiple supreme court decisions affirming flag burning as a form of free speech which is protected by the 1st amendment to the US Constitution, Donald Trump sent the following tweet: "Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag - if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!"
November 28, 2016 - After CNN reporter Jeff Zeleny called Trump's comments about voter fraud "blatant and baseless" and accused him of being a "sore winner" Trump sent out the following tweets: "@CNN is so embarrassed by their total (100%) support of Hillary Clinton, and yet her loss in a landslide, that they don't know what to do." and "@JoeBowman12: @jeffzeleny just another generic CNN part time wannabe journalist ! @CNN still doesn't get it. They will never learn!" and re-tweeted this from a supporter "@FiIibuster: @jeffzeleny Pathetic - you have no sufficient evidence that Donald Trump did not suffer from voter fraud, shame! Bad reporter." Jeff Zeleny responded with the following tweet: "@realDonaldTrump Good evening! Have been looking for examples of voter fraud. Please send our way. Full-time journalist here still working."
November 27, 2016 - Having lost the popular vote in the election, Trump made the following claims via Twitter: "In addition to winning the electoral college in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally" and "Serious voter fraud in Virginia, New Hampshire and California - so why isn't the media reporting on this? Serious bias - big problem!" Neither Trump nor anyone involved in his campaign has been able to produce any evidence supporting these voter fraud claims. Despite these and previous accusations of widespread voter fraud, Trump opposes recount/audit efforts occurring in 3 states.
November 22, 2016 - After insisting for months that Hillary was crooked, that her email issues were bigger than Watergate, and that once elected he was going to make sure she was locked up, Trump backed away from that telling reporters: “It’s just not something that I feel very strongly about, I don’t want to hurt the Clintons, I really don’t. She went through a lot and suffered greatly in many different ways.”
November 20, 2016 - Regarding a reporter's suggestion that a registry be created for Muslims in the United States, Trump said "Basically the suggestion was made, and certainly something we should start thinking about. But what I want is a watch list. I want surveillance programs. Obviously, there are a lot of problems. … But, certainly, I would want to have a database for the refugees, for the Syrian refugees that are coming in because nobody knows where they're coming from."
November 19, 2016 - On the previous evening, the cast of the Broadway musical Hamilton noticed that vice president-elect Pence was in the audience, and so at the end of their performance, read the following statement to him: "We, sir — we — are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us, our planet, our children, our parents, or defend us and uphold our inalienable rights. We truly hope that this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and to work on behalf of all of us.” In response to this statement, Trump tweeted the following: "Our wonderful future V.P. Mike Pence was harassed last night at the theater by the cast of Hamilton, cameras blazing. This should not happen!" and "The Theater must always be a safe and special place. The cast of Hamilton was very rude last night to a very good man, Mike Pence. Apologize!" In response to Trump's tweets, Brandon Dixon, the cast member who had read the statement, tweeted the following back to Trump: "Conversation is not harassment sir. And I appreciate Mike Pence for stopping to listen."
November 18, 2016 - For the position of CIA director, Donald Trump selected the U.S. Representative for Kansas's 4th congressional district, Mike Pompeo. In 2013, Pompeo made headlines when he falsely claimed that US Muslim organizations and religious leaders had not condemned terrorism. Regarding those in the CIA who participated in torture, he called them "heroes, not pawns in some liberal game being played by the ACLU and Senator Feinstein.” Pompeo has proposed a "comprehensive, searchable database” that includes “publicly available financial and lifestyle information” and believes that “Legal and bureaucratic impediments to surveillance should be removed,” and warns that “The use of strong encryption in personal communications may itself be a red flag.”
November 17, 2016 - Donald Trump appointed Michael Flynn to serve as his national security adviser, a position that does not require Senate confirmation.
November 13, 2016 - Donald Trump appoints Stephen Bannon to position of chief strategist. Bannon is the executive chairman of Breitbart News, an online far right news site known for hosting fake news and conspiracy theories, as well as misogynistic, xenophobic and racist content.
November 11, 2016 - Trump spokesperson Hope Hicks states that "there was no communication between the campaign and any foreign entity during the campaign."
November 10, 2016 - President Obama meets with Trump, and warns him not to appoint Michael Flynn to a top national security post. Flynn was removed by Obama in 2014 as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency.
December 4, 2016 - Edgar Maddison Welch, of Salisbury, North Carolina, entered the Comet Ping Pong restaurant in northwest Washington, to "self-investigate" a right wing conspiracy theory known as "pizzagate" that Hillary Clinton and her campaign chief were running a child sex ring from tunnels underneath the restaurant. Welch fired several shots into the restaurant. Nobody was injured. Comet Ping Pong and an adjacent restaurant, Little Red Fox, had received dozens of death threats in the weeks leading up to the Welch incident. Following the shooting, Michael Flynn Jr, son of national security adviser Michael T Flynn, sent the following tweet: "Until #Pizzagate proven to be false, it'll remain a story. The left seems to forget #PodestaEmails and the many 'coincidences' tied to it."
December 2, 2016 - Trump takes a call from the president of Taiwan, breaching decades old diplomatic protocol which infuriates Chinese leaders. This call marks the first time a sitting president or president elect has spoken with a leader of Taiwan since the US broke diplomatic relations in 1979.
November 30, 2016 - For the position of Secretary of the Treasury, Donald Trump selected former investment banker and hedge fund investor Steven Mnuchin, Mr. Mnuchin was dubbed "foreclosure king" after he bought up distressed mortgages and evicted thousands of homeowners during the financial crisis of 2007-2008. Shortly after being named, Mnuchin announced plans to "oversee the largest tax change since Reagan." That change includes a reduction of the US corporate tax rate from 35% to 15%, a change that independent experts say will largely benefit the super rich while doing nothing for those at the very bottom.
November 29, 2016 - Despite multiple supreme court decisions affirming flag burning as a form of free speech which is protected by the 1st amendment to the US Constitution, Donald Trump sent the following tweet: "Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag - if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!"
November 28, 2016 - After CNN reporter Jeff Zeleny called Trump's comments about voter fraud "blatant and baseless" and accused him of being a "sore winner" Trump sent out the following tweets: "@CNN is so embarrassed by their total (100%) support of Hillary Clinton, and yet her loss in a landslide, that they don't know what to do." and "@JoeBowman12: @jeffzeleny just another generic CNN part time wannabe journalist ! @CNN still doesn't get it. They will never learn!" and re-tweeted this from a supporter "@FiIibuster: @jeffzeleny Pathetic - you have no sufficient evidence that Donald Trump did not suffer from voter fraud, shame! Bad reporter." Jeff Zeleny responded with the following tweet: "@realDonaldTrump Good evening! Have been looking for examples of voter fraud. Please send our way. Full-time journalist here still working."
November 27, 2016 - Having lost the popular vote in the election, Trump made the following claims via Twitter: "In addition to winning the electoral college in a landslide, I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally" and "Serious voter fraud in Virginia, New Hampshire and California - so why isn't the media reporting on this? Serious bias - big problem!" Neither Trump nor anyone involved in his campaign has been able to produce any evidence supporting these voter fraud claims. Despite these and previous accusations of widespread voter fraud, Trump opposes recount/audit efforts occurring in 3 states.
November 22, 2016 - After insisting for months that Hillary was crooked, that her email issues were bigger than Watergate, and that once elected he was going to make sure she was locked up, Trump backed away from that telling reporters: “It’s just not something that I feel very strongly about, I don’t want to hurt the Clintons, I really don’t. She went through a lot and suffered greatly in many different ways.”
November 20, 2016 - Regarding a reporter's suggestion that a registry be created for Muslims in the United States, Trump said "Basically the suggestion was made, and certainly something we should start thinking about. But what I want is a watch list. I want surveillance programs. Obviously, there are a lot of problems. … But, certainly, I would want to have a database for the refugees, for the Syrian refugees that are coming in because nobody knows where they're coming from."
November 19, 2016 - On the previous evening, the cast of the Broadway musical Hamilton noticed that vice president-elect Pence was in the audience, and so at the end of their performance, read the following statement to him: "We, sir — we — are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us, our planet, our children, our parents, or defend us and uphold our inalienable rights. We truly hope that this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and to work on behalf of all of us.” In response to this statement, Trump tweeted the following: "Our wonderful future V.P. Mike Pence was harassed last night at the theater by the cast of Hamilton, cameras blazing. This should not happen!" and "The Theater must always be a safe and special place. The cast of Hamilton was very rude last night to a very good man, Mike Pence. Apologize!" In response to Trump's tweets, Brandon Dixon, the cast member who had read the statement, tweeted the following back to Trump: "Conversation is not harassment sir. And I appreciate Mike Pence for stopping to listen."
November 18, 2016 - For the position of CIA director, Donald Trump selected the U.S. Representative for Kansas's 4th congressional district, Mike Pompeo. In 2013, Pompeo made headlines when he falsely claimed that US Muslim organizations and religious leaders had not condemned terrorism. Regarding those in the CIA who participated in torture, he called them "heroes, not pawns in some liberal game being played by the ACLU and Senator Feinstein.” Pompeo has proposed a "comprehensive, searchable database” that includes “publicly available financial and lifestyle information” and believes that “Legal and bureaucratic impediments to surveillance should be removed,” and warns that “The use of strong encryption in personal communications may itself be a red flag.”
November 17, 2016 - Donald Trump appointed Michael Flynn to serve as his national security adviser, a position that does not require Senate confirmation.
November 13, 2016 - Donald Trump appoints Stephen Bannon to position of chief strategist. Bannon is the executive chairman of Breitbart News, an online far right news site known for hosting fake news and conspiracy theories, as well as misogynistic, xenophobic and racist content.
November 11, 2016 - Trump spokesperson Hope Hicks states that "there was no communication between the campaign and any foreign entity during the campaign."
November 10, 2016 - President Obama meets with Trump, and warns him not to appoint Michael Flynn to a top national security post. Flynn was removed by Obama in 2014 as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency.
Video surfaces of students at York Vo-Tech marching down a hallway holding up a Donald Trump sign while chanting "white power." There were additional reports of white students referring to students of other races as their slaves, and also of non-white students being spit upon. Schools in Michigan and Minnesota also reported racial incidents occurring in reaction to the election.
November 8, 2016 - Trump is elected the 45th U.S. President. During his acceptance speech, Trump says "Now it’s time for America to bind the wounds of division."
Campaign Trail Transgressions
November 8, 2016 - Trump is elected the 45th U.S. President. During his acceptance speech, Trump says "Now it’s time for America to bind the wounds of division."
Video surfaces of white supremacists giving Nazi salutes while yelling "Hail Trump!"
At a white supremacist rally celebrating Donald Trump's victory, white nationalist Richard Spencer proclaimed that "America was, until this last generation, a white country designed for ourselves and our posterity. It is our creation, it is our inheritance, and it belongs to us.”
By election day, more than a dozen women had come forward to refute Trump's claim that he had never sexually assaulted women in the way he had bragged about in the 2005 Access Hollywood video. The accusations included among other things, groping, walking into teen dressing rooms at beauty pageants, and rape. Trump also became the 1st presidential nominee since Gerald Ford to not release his tax returns during the presidential campaign. Trump repeatedly claimed that he was under audit, and that he would release them as soon as the audit was complete. The IRS stated that there was no prohibition against releasing tax forms during an audit. Here are the election results:
Electoral Votes: Trump - 304 Clinton - 227
Number of States Won: Trump - 30 + ME-02 Clinton - 20 + DC
Popular Vote: Trump - 62,984,825 Clinton - 65,853,516
Percentage of Popular Vote: Trump - 46.1% Clinton - 48.2%
November 6, 2016 - For the second time, FBI Director James Comey sends a letter to the Senate Judicial Committee clearing Hillary Clinton of any wrong doing in email probe: "Based on our review, we have not changed our conclusions that we expressed in July," Trump responded with: "You can't review 650,000 new emails in eight days. You can't do it, folks, Hillary Clinton is guilty. She knows it, the FBI knows it, the people know it, and now it's up to the American people to deliver justice at the ballot box on November 8."
November 2, 2016 - Gen. Michael Flynn tweets fake news story alleging proof that Hillary Clinton is involved in money laundering and child sex trafficking. He also sends tweets alleging that Clinton's campaign manager, John Podesta, drank the blood and bodily fluids of other humans in Satanic rituals.
November 1, 2016 - An ad for the Hillary Clinton campaign shows the portion of the Access Hollywood video where Trump made his now infamous quip about grabbing women "by the pussy" which is then followed with a voice-over saying "Anyone who believes/says/does what he does is unfit to be president."
October 30, 2016 - White supremacist group suggests in a tweet that a search of Anthony Weiner's emails had exposed a pedophilia sex trafficking ring linked to members of the Democratic Party. This tweet initiates a right wing conspiracy theory that would later come to be known as "pizzagate" which is pushed on social media by sites like Infowars, Planet Free Will and The Vigilant Citizen. Based on the analysis of Jonathan Albright, an assistant professor of media analytics at Elon University, pizzagate is disproportionately pushed on social media by locations in the Czech Republic, Cyprus and Vietnam.
October 28, 2016 - In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, FBI Director James Comey stated that the FBI was probing new emails related to Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server. Here's an excerpt from that letter: "Although the FBI cannot yet assess whether or not this material may be significant, and I cannot predict how long it will take us to complete this additional work, I believe it is important to update your Committees about our efforts in light of my previous testimony.” Following this announcement, Trump began using it along with an assortment of false claims about Hillary's emails to claim that this issue was bigger than Watergate.
October 22, 2016 - Daily Herald endorses Hillary Clinton saying "For the first time in decades, we arrive at 2016 to witness the candidacy of a narcissistic demagogue whose election could imperil the country" and "He is a man who disdains the press but views the National Enquirer as journalism" and "The sad reality is, Donald Trump is a danger. And he is unfit."
October 10, 2016 - Trump tells a crowd in Pennsylvania "I love WikiLeaks" regarding the steady leaking of information that was hacked from DNC servers.
October 9, 2016 - In response to a question about the Access Hollywood video that was released two days prior, Trump insisted he had never actually done the things he bragged about in the video. Trump tells Clinton during presidential debate "If I win, I am going to instruct my attorney general to get a special prosecutor to look into your (missing email) situation, because there has never been so many lies, so much deception." Clinton responds by telling Trump his comments about her email are false, then says it's awfully good that someone with the temperament of Donald Trump is not in charge of the law in our country, to which Trump responded "because you'd be in jail."
October 7, 2016 - A video from 2005 surfaces in which Trump can be heard making the following statements: "I moved on her actually, You know, she was down on Palm Beach. I moved on her and I failed. I'll admit it. I did try and fuck her. She was married."..."I moved on her like a bitch. But I couldn't get there. And she was married. Then all of a sudden I see her, She's now got the big phony tits and everything. She's totally changed her look."..."You know, I'm automatically attracted to beautiful - I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. Just kiss. I don't even wait. When you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab 'em by the pussy. You can do anything."
October 2, 2016 - At a rally in Manheim, Pennsylvania, Trump mocked Hillary Clinton after she had fallen ill with pneumonia, nearly passed out, and had to be helped into a vehicle by aides. Trump stated: "Here's a woman, she's supposed to fight all these different things, and she can't make it 15 feet to her car. Give me a break. Give me a break." Trump then pretended to wobble back and forth while flailing his arms about, then turned and slumped over while walking very slowly, all to the cheers of the audience. Trump then returned to the microphone and once again said "Give me a break! She's home resting right now, she's getting ready for her next speech which is gonna be about 15 minutes, in about 2 or 3 days."
October 1, 2016 - An envelope was received by the New York Times that contained key pages of Donald Trump's 1995 tax forms. Those pages revealed that Trump had claimed over 900 million in losses that year.
September 29, 2016 - USA Today broke from its non-endorsement policy for the first time saying ""From the day he declared his candidacy 15 months ago through this week's first presidential debate, Trump has demonstrated repeatedly that he lacks the temperament, knowledge, steadiness and honesty that America needs from its presidents."
Electoral Votes: Trump - 304 Clinton - 227
Number of States Won: Trump - 30 + ME-02 Clinton - 20 + DC
Popular Vote: Trump - 62,984,825 Clinton - 65,853,516
Percentage of Popular Vote: Trump - 46.1% Clinton - 48.2%
November 6, 2016 - For the second time, FBI Director James Comey sends a letter to the Senate Judicial Committee clearing Hillary Clinton of any wrong doing in email probe: "Based on our review, we have not changed our conclusions that we expressed in July," Trump responded with: "You can't review 650,000 new emails in eight days. You can't do it, folks, Hillary Clinton is guilty. She knows it, the FBI knows it, the people know it, and now it's up to the American people to deliver justice at the ballot box on November 8."
November 2, 2016 - Gen. Michael Flynn tweets fake news story alleging proof that Hillary Clinton is involved in money laundering and child sex trafficking. He also sends tweets alleging that Clinton's campaign manager, John Podesta, drank the blood and bodily fluids of other humans in Satanic rituals.
November 1, 2016 - An ad for the Hillary Clinton campaign shows the portion of the Access Hollywood video where Trump made his now infamous quip about grabbing women "by the pussy" which is then followed with a voice-over saying "Anyone who believes/says/does what he does is unfit to be president."
October 30, 2016 - White supremacist group suggests in a tweet that a search of Anthony Weiner's emails had exposed a pedophilia sex trafficking ring linked to members of the Democratic Party. This tweet initiates a right wing conspiracy theory that would later come to be known as "pizzagate" which is pushed on social media by sites like Infowars, Planet Free Will and The Vigilant Citizen. Based on the analysis of Jonathan Albright, an assistant professor of media analytics at Elon University, pizzagate is disproportionately pushed on social media by locations in the Czech Republic, Cyprus and Vietnam.
October 28, 2016 - In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, FBI Director James Comey stated that the FBI was probing new emails related to Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server. Here's an excerpt from that letter: "Although the FBI cannot yet assess whether or not this material may be significant, and I cannot predict how long it will take us to complete this additional work, I believe it is important to update your Committees about our efforts in light of my previous testimony.” Following this announcement, Trump began using it along with an assortment of false claims about Hillary's emails to claim that this issue was bigger than Watergate.
October 22, 2016 - Daily Herald endorses Hillary Clinton saying "For the first time in decades, we arrive at 2016 to witness the candidacy of a narcissistic demagogue whose election could imperil the country" and "He is a man who disdains the press but views the National Enquirer as journalism" and "The sad reality is, Donald Trump is a danger. And he is unfit."
October 10, 2016 - Trump tells a crowd in Pennsylvania "I love WikiLeaks" regarding the steady leaking of information that was hacked from DNC servers.
October 9, 2016 - In response to a question about the Access Hollywood video that was released two days prior, Trump insisted he had never actually done the things he bragged about in the video. Trump tells Clinton during presidential debate "If I win, I am going to instruct my attorney general to get a special prosecutor to look into your (missing email) situation, because there has never been so many lies, so much deception." Clinton responds by telling Trump his comments about her email are false, then says it's awfully good that someone with the temperament of Donald Trump is not in charge of the law in our country, to which Trump responded "because you'd be in jail."
October 7, 2016 - A video from 2005 surfaces in which Trump can be heard making the following statements: "I moved on her actually, You know, she was down on Palm Beach. I moved on her and I failed. I'll admit it. I did try and fuck her. She was married."..."I moved on her like a bitch. But I couldn't get there. And she was married. Then all of a sudden I see her, She's now got the big phony tits and everything. She's totally changed her look."..."You know, I'm automatically attracted to beautiful - I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. Just kiss. I don't even wait. When you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab 'em by the pussy. You can do anything."
October 2, 2016 - At a rally in Manheim, Pennsylvania, Trump mocked Hillary Clinton after she had fallen ill with pneumonia, nearly passed out, and had to be helped into a vehicle by aides. Trump stated: "Here's a woman, she's supposed to fight all these different things, and she can't make it 15 feet to her car. Give me a break. Give me a break." Trump then pretended to wobble back and forth while flailing his arms about, then turned and slumped over while walking very slowly, all to the cheers of the audience. Trump then returned to the microphone and once again said "Give me a break! She's home resting right now, she's getting ready for her next speech which is gonna be about 15 minutes, in about 2 or 3 days."
October 1, 2016 - An envelope was received by the New York Times that contained key pages of Donald Trump's 1995 tax forms. Those pages revealed that Trump had claimed over 900 million in losses that year.
September 29, 2016 - USA Today broke from its non-endorsement policy for the first time saying ""From the day he declared his candidacy 15 months ago through this week's first presidential debate, Trump has demonstrated repeatedly that he lacks the temperament, knowledge, steadiness and honesty that America needs from its presidents."
September 28, 2016 - During a rally in Ottumwa, IA, Trump spoke about members of Hillary Clinton's staff invoking the fifth amendment during a congressional investigation saying: "You see the mob takes the Fifth. If you're innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?"
September 26, 2016 - During the first presidential debate, Hillary Clinton pointed out that through investigative journalism, some of Trump's past tax forms had been uncovered, and what they showed was that Trump did not pay any taxes. Trump's response: "That makes me smart." In a 2012 tweet, Trump criticized those who don't pay taxes "HALF of Americans don't pay tax despite crippling govt debt."
September 16, 2016 - During a press conference, Trump made the following debunked claim: "Hillary Clinton and her campaign of 2008 started the birther controversy, and I finished it."
September 8, 2016 - A day after Trump called our country's generals "embarrassing for our country" Hillary Clinton questioned his fitness saying "Last night was yet another test, and Donald Trump failed yet again. We saw more evidence that he is temperamentally unfit and totally unqualified to be commander in chief."
August 17, 2016 - Donald Trump appoints Stephen Bannon, chief executive at Breitbart, to serve as his campaign's chief executive. Breitbart, according to Bannon, is the "platform for the alt-right." The term alt-right is believed by many to have been coined by White Nationalist Richard Spencer.
August 9, 2016 - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange helps fuel right wing conspiracy theories regarding DNC campaigner Seth Rich when he implies, but refuses to confirm or deny, that Rich was a source for emails released by WikiLeaks on the 22nd of July that had been stolen from DNC accounts.
August 8, 2016 - Trump told a crowd in Ashburn, Virginia: "Because I'm going to be working for you, I'm not going to have time to play golf."
July 30, 2016 - In response to comments made by Khazr Khan, the father of a slain Muslim soldier Humayun Khan, Trump claimed the father delivered the entire speech because the mother was not "allowed" to speak". Mr Khan responded to Trump saying his wife had not spoken because it was too painful for her to talk about her son's death. Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, criticized Trump on Twitter saying: "There's only one way to talk about Gold Star parents: with honor and respect."
July 28, 2016 - On the final night of the Democratic Convention, Muslim American Khazir Khan payed tribute to his son Humayun who had been killed in action in Iraq in 2004. Regarding his son, Khan directed the following comments to Trump: "If it was up to Donald Trump, he never would have even been in America, He vows to build walls and ban us from this country. Donald Trump, you're asking Americans to trust you with their future. Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution?" Khan then held up a pocket Constitution and offered to lend it to the Republican nominee, and finished his speech with. "You have sacrificed nothing, and no one,"
July 27, 2016 - During a press conference, Donald Trump dismissed ties to Russia with his campaign saying "I think if I came up with that, they’d say, ‘Oh, it’s a conspiracy theory, it’s ridiculous.’ I mean I have nothing to do with Russia. I don’t have any jobs in Russia. I’m all over the world but we’re not involved in Russia.” Trump also said "Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you'll probably be rewarded mightily by our press."
July 24, 2016 - After Clinton campaign director Robby Mook expressed concern over possible links between Russia and Trump's campaign, Paul Manafort called the accusations "pure obfuscation" and "absurd" and stated that "there's no basis to it." Donald Trump Jr. had this to say "Well it just goes to show you their exact moral compass. They'll say anything to be able to win this. This is time and time again, lie after lie" and "It's disgusting, it's so phony. I watched him bumble through the interview... I can't think of bigger lies. But that exactly goes to show you what the DNC and what the Clinton camp will do. They will lie and do anything to win. These lies and the perpetuating of that kind of nonsense to gain some political capital is outrageous."
July 22, 2016 - Wikileaks begins releasing emails hacked from DNC servers.
July 21, 2016 - Amid allegations of sexual harassment, Roger Ailes resigned from Fox News, taking $40 million with him as part of an exit agreement. Ailes then began working as an adviser to the Trump campaign.
September 16, 2016 - During a press conference, Trump made the following debunked claim: "Hillary Clinton and her campaign of 2008 started the birther controversy, and I finished it."
September 8, 2016 - A day after Trump called our country's generals "embarrassing for our country" Hillary Clinton questioned his fitness saying "Last night was yet another test, and Donald Trump failed yet again. We saw more evidence that he is temperamentally unfit and totally unqualified to be commander in chief."
August 17, 2016 - Donald Trump appoints Stephen Bannon, chief executive at Breitbart, to serve as his campaign's chief executive. Breitbart, according to Bannon, is the "platform for the alt-right." The term alt-right is believed by many to have been coined by White Nationalist Richard Spencer.
August 9, 2016 - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange helps fuel right wing conspiracy theories regarding DNC campaigner Seth Rich when he implies, but refuses to confirm or deny, that Rich was a source for emails released by WikiLeaks on the 22nd of July that had been stolen from DNC accounts.
August 8, 2016 - Trump told a crowd in Ashburn, Virginia: "Because I'm going to be working for you, I'm not going to have time to play golf."
July 30, 2016 - In response to comments made by Khazr Khan, the father of a slain Muslim soldier Humayun Khan, Trump claimed the father delivered the entire speech because the mother was not "allowed" to speak". Mr Khan responded to Trump saying his wife had not spoken because it was too painful for her to talk about her son's death. Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, criticized Trump on Twitter saying: "There's only one way to talk about Gold Star parents: with honor and respect."
July 28, 2016 - On the final night of the Democratic Convention, Muslim American Khazir Khan payed tribute to his son Humayun who had been killed in action in Iraq in 2004. Regarding his son, Khan directed the following comments to Trump: "If it was up to Donald Trump, he never would have even been in America, He vows to build walls and ban us from this country. Donald Trump, you're asking Americans to trust you with their future. Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution?" Khan then held up a pocket Constitution and offered to lend it to the Republican nominee, and finished his speech with. "You have sacrificed nothing, and no one,"
July 27, 2016 - During a press conference, Donald Trump dismissed ties to Russia with his campaign saying "I think if I came up with that, they’d say, ‘Oh, it’s a conspiracy theory, it’s ridiculous.’ I mean I have nothing to do with Russia. I don’t have any jobs in Russia. I’m all over the world but we’re not involved in Russia.” Trump also said "Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you'll probably be rewarded mightily by our press."
July 24, 2016 - After Clinton campaign director Robby Mook expressed concern over possible links between Russia and Trump's campaign, Paul Manafort called the accusations "pure obfuscation" and "absurd" and stated that "there's no basis to it." Donald Trump Jr. had this to say "Well it just goes to show you their exact moral compass. They'll say anything to be able to win this. This is time and time again, lie after lie" and "It's disgusting, it's so phony. I watched him bumble through the interview... I can't think of bigger lies. But that exactly goes to show you what the DNC and what the Clinton camp will do. They will lie and do anything to win. These lies and the perpetuating of that kind of nonsense to gain some political capital is outrageous."
July 22, 2016 - Wikileaks begins releasing emails hacked from DNC servers.
July 21, 2016 - Amid allegations of sexual harassment, Roger Ailes resigned from Fox News, taking $40 million with him as part of an exit agreement. Ailes then began working as an adviser to the Trump campaign.
In one of the longest acceptance speeches in major party convention history, Trump gives what was labeled by some the "Mourning in America" speech on the final night of the GOP National Convention. The speech warned that "180,000 illegal immigrants with criminal records, ordered deported from our country, are tonight roaming free to threaten peaceful citizens." The white-supremacist journal American Renaissance wrote favorably of the speech saying "Each political party proposes an implicit racial vision. A Trump Administration is a return to the America that won the West, landed on the moon, and built an economy and military that stunned the world. Non-whites can participate in this, but only if they accept the traditional (which is to say, white) norms of American culture."
July 20, 2016 - The Trump campaign released the following statement by Meredith McIver regarding accusations that Melania's convention speech plagiarized parts of Michelle Obama's 2008 convention speech: "In working with Melania on her recent first lady speech, we discussed many people who inspired her and messages she wanted to share with the American people. A person she has always liked is Michelle Obama. Over the phone, she read me some passages from Mrs. Obama’s speech as examples. I wrote them down and later included some of the phrasing in the draft that ultimately became the final speech."
July 18, 2016 - Trump suggested during an interview with Bill O'Reilly that he had played a role in the selection of Ohio for the location of the Republican convention saying: "I wanted it to be here. And, we had lots of choices. I wanted it to be in Ohio. I recommended Ohio.” In reality, Ohio had been picked as the location two years prior by the Republican National Committee's site selection committee without any input from Donald Trump.
July 20, 2016 - The Trump campaign released the following statement by Meredith McIver regarding accusations that Melania's convention speech plagiarized parts of Michelle Obama's 2008 convention speech: "In working with Melania on her recent first lady speech, we discussed many people who inspired her and messages she wanted to share with the American people. A person she has always liked is Michelle Obama. Over the phone, she read me some passages from Mrs. Obama’s speech as examples. I wrote them down and later included some of the phrasing in the draft that ultimately became the final speech."
July 18, 2016 - Trump suggested during an interview with Bill O'Reilly that he had played a role in the selection of Ohio for the location of the Republican convention saying: "I wanted it to be here. And, we had lots of choices. I wanted it to be in Ohio. I recommended Ohio.” In reality, Ohio had been picked as the location two years prior by the Republican National Committee's site selection committee without any input from Donald Trump.
When Melania Trump's convention speech was compared to the convention speech given in 2008 by Michelle Obama, striking similarities were observed, raising the prospect that parts of the speech were plagiarized. Responding to allegations of plagiarism, Paul Manafort said "to think that she would be cribbing Michelle Obama’s words is crazy", adding "This is once again an example of when a woman threatens Hillary Clinton, she seeks out to demean her and take her down. It's not going to work against Melania Trump." Here are the similar parts of the two speeches:
July 10, 2016 - Seth Rich, a twenty seven year old digital campaigner with the Democratic National Committee, is murdered while walking home from his favorite sports bar. According to police, the murder was the result of a botched robbery. Conspiracy theories about the murder begin circulating in right wing circles.
July 05, 2016 - From a statement by FBI Director James Comey clearing Hillary Clinton of criminal intent in her use of a personal email server while secretary of state: "In looking back at our investigations into mishandling or removal of classified information, we cannot find a case that would support bringing criminal charges on these facts. All the cases prosecuted involved some combination of: clearly intentional and willful mishandling of classified information; or vast quantities of materials exposed in such a way as to support an inference of intentional misconduct; or indications of disloyalty to the United States; or efforts to obstruct justice. We do not see those things here." Donald Trump's response: "The system is rigged. General Petraeus got in trouble for far less. Very very unfair! As usual, bad judgment,” and “FBI director said Crooked Hillary compromised our national security. No charges. Wow!"
June 16, 2016 - At a Trump rally in Dallas, Texas, a photographer was bloodied after being hit in the head by a rock that was thrown by an unknown rally goer.
June 9, 2016 - Donald Trump Jr's infamous meeting with the Russians takes place at Trump Tower.
June 7, 2016 - Donald Trump Jr. receives an email promising damaging information on Hillary Clinton as part of a Russian government campaign to help his father. Three hours later, Donald Trump tells supporters at a campaign rally "I am going to give a major speech on probably Monday of next week and we're going to be discussing all of the things that have taken place with the Clintons. I think you're going to find it very informative and very, very interesting." NOTE: This speech was never given.
June 2, 2016 - At a campaign rally, Trump told the attendees: "I will say this, Hillary Clinton has got to go to jail." "Lock her up!" becomes a new rally cry at Trump campaign rallies.
May 28, 2016 - Outside a Trump rally in San Diego, California, Trump supporters sprayed protesters with pepper spray.
May 13, 2016 - During an interview with NPR, Trump stated: "You don't learn anything from a tax return. I think nobody knows more about taxes than I do, maybe in the history of the world. Nobody knows more about taxes. You can learn very little from a tax return."
May 1, 2016 - Referring to the trade deficit with China, Trump said "we can't continue to allow China to rape our country."
April 20, 2016 - At a campaign rally, Donald Trump had this to say about waterboarding "They asked me, what do you think about waterboarding Mr Trump? I said I love it. I love it. I think it's great. And I said the only thing is, we should make it much tougher than waterboarding, and if you don't think it works folks, you're wrong."
April 11, 2016 - At a Trump rally in Albany, New York, a Trump supporter is filmed repeatedly hitting a protester in the face. At the same rally in response to one of the protests, Trump loosely compares the act of protesting to ISIS: "It's a disgrace that somebody can behave like that. This is our arena. He comes in and then we say, let him go, let him go. Let's be nice. Let him listen and then he starts up again. This is what's happening on the border. This is what's happening with ISIS. This is what's happening to our country, and we can't let it happen. We've got to take our country back, folks.”
March 30, 2016 - Donald Trump refused to take nuclear weapons off the table in the fight against ISIS saying "Somebody hits us within ISIS, you wouldn't fight back with a nuke?" When asked in an interview if he thought there should be punishment for abortion, Trump replied "there has to be some form of punishment" and when asked "for the woman?" he responded "yeah, there has to be some form."
March 19, 2016 - At a Trump rally in Tucson, Arizona, a protester is sucker punched, then repeatedly punched and kicked as he lay on the ground. The man who committed the assault is immediately arrested and charged with assault.
March 9, 2016 - At a Trump rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina, a black protester is sucker punched while being escorted out of the rally by security. John McGraw, the man who threw the punch, later claimed the thing he liked best about the rally was "knocking the hell out of that big mouth" and also said "we don't know who he is, but we know he's not acting like an American. The next time we see him, we might have to kill him."
March 8, 2016 - At a Trump rally in Jupiter, Florida, a reporter for alt-right news site Breitbart is forcibly grabbed by Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski after she approaches Trump to ask him a question.
March 5, 2016 - When pressed on his position regarding torture, Trump vowed to "strengthen the laws so that we can better compete" with groups like ISIS. Trump insisted that "We have to play the game the way they're playing the game. You're not going to win if we're soft."
March 1, 2016 - At a Trump rally in Louisville, Kentucky, a female protester is surrounded and repeatedly shoved by Trump supporters. While one protester is being removed, Trump told the crowd "Get him out. Try not to hurt him. If you do I’ll defend you in court. … Are Trump rallies the most fun? We’re having a good time.”
February 28, 2016 - During an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, Trump was asked about the endorsement from David Duke. Trump's response: "Well, just so you understand, I don't know anything about David Duke. okay? I don't know anything about what you're even talking about with white supremacy or white supremacists. So, I don't know ... I don't know, did he endorse me or what's going on, because, you know, I know nothing about David Duke. I know nothing about white supremacists. And so you're asking me a question that I'm supposed to be talking about people that I know nothing about ... I don't know any -- honestly, I don't know David Duke. I don't believe I have ever met him. I'm pretty sure I didn't meet him. And I just don't know anything about him." NOTE: Trump knew who Duke was two days ago.
Michelle Obama: "And Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values: that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say you're going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect..."
Melania Trump: "From a young age my parents impressed upon me the values that you work hard for what you want in life. That your word is your bond and you do what you say and keep your promise. That you treat people with respect..."
- and -
Michelle Obama: "pass them on to the next generation. Because we want our children - and all children in this nation - to know that the only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them."
Melania Trump: "we need to pass those lessons on to the many generations to follow because we want our children in this nation to know that the only limit to your achievements is the strength of your dreams and your willingness to work for them."
July 10, 2016 - Seth Rich, a twenty seven year old digital campaigner with the Democratic National Committee, is murdered while walking home from his favorite sports bar. According to police, the murder was the result of a botched robbery. Conspiracy theories about the murder begin circulating in right wing circles.
July 05, 2016 - From a statement by FBI Director James Comey clearing Hillary Clinton of criminal intent in her use of a personal email server while secretary of state: "In looking back at our investigations into mishandling or removal of classified information, we cannot find a case that would support bringing criminal charges on these facts. All the cases prosecuted involved some combination of: clearly intentional and willful mishandling of classified information; or vast quantities of materials exposed in such a way as to support an inference of intentional misconduct; or indications of disloyalty to the United States; or efforts to obstruct justice. We do not see those things here." Donald Trump's response: "The system is rigged. General Petraeus got in trouble for far less. Very very unfair! As usual, bad judgment,” and “FBI director said Crooked Hillary compromised our national security. No charges. Wow!"
June 16, 2016 - At a Trump rally in Dallas, Texas, a photographer was bloodied after being hit in the head by a rock that was thrown by an unknown rally goer.
June 9, 2016 - Donald Trump Jr's infamous meeting with the Russians takes place at Trump Tower.
June 7, 2016 - Donald Trump Jr. receives an email promising damaging information on Hillary Clinton as part of a Russian government campaign to help his father. Three hours later, Donald Trump tells supporters at a campaign rally "I am going to give a major speech on probably Monday of next week and we're going to be discussing all of the things that have taken place with the Clintons. I think you're going to find it very informative and very, very interesting." NOTE: This speech was never given.
June 2, 2016 - At a campaign rally, Trump told the attendees: "I will say this, Hillary Clinton has got to go to jail." "Lock her up!" becomes a new rally cry at Trump campaign rallies.
May 28, 2016 - Outside a Trump rally in San Diego, California, Trump supporters sprayed protesters with pepper spray.
May 13, 2016 - During an interview with NPR, Trump stated: "You don't learn anything from a tax return. I think nobody knows more about taxes than I do, maybe in the history of the world. Nobody knows more about taxes. You can learn very little from a tax return."
May 1, 2016 - Referring to the trade deficit with China, Trump said "we can't continue to allow China to rape our country."
April 20, 2016 - At a campaign rally, Donald Trump had this to say about waterboarding "They asked me, what do you think about waterboarding Mr Trump? I said I love it. I love it. I think it's great. And I said the only thing is, we should make it much tougher than waterboarding, and if you don't think it works folks, you're wrong."
April 11, 2016 - At a Trump rally in Albany, New York, a Trump supporter is filmed repeatedly hitting a protester in the face. At the same rally in response to one of the protests, Trump loosely compares the act of protesting to ISIS: "It's a disgrace that somebody can behave like that. This is our arena. He comes in and then we say, let him go, let him go. Let's be nice. Let him listen and then he starts up again. This is what's happening on the border. This is what's happening with ISIS. This is what's happening to our country, and we can't let it happen. We've got to take our country back, folks.”
March 30, 2016 - Donald Trump refused to take nuclear weapons off the table in the fight against ISIS saying "Somebody hits us within ISIS, you wouldn't fight back with a nuke?" When asked in an interview if he thought there should be punishment for abortion, Trump replied "there has to be some form of punishment" and when asked "for the woman?" he responded "yeah, there has to be some form."
March 19, 2016 - At a Trump rally in Tucson, Arizona, a protester is sucker punched, then repeatedly punched and kicked as he lay on the ground. The man who committed the assault is immediately arrested and charged with assault.
March 9, 2016 - At a Trump rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina, a black protester is sucker punched while being escorted out of the rally by security. John McGraw, the man who threw the punch, later claimed the thing he liked best about the rally was "knocking the hell out of that big mouth" and also said "we don't know who he is, but we know he's not acting like an American. The next time we see him, we might have to kill him."
March 8, 2016 - At a Trump rally in Jupiter, Florida, a reporter for alt-right news site Breitbart is forcibly grabbed by Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski after she approaches Trump to ask him a question.
March 5, 2016 - When pressed on his position regarding torture, Trump vowed to "strengthen the laws so that we can better compete" with groups like ISIS. Trump insisted that "We have to play the game the way they're playing the game. You're not going to win if we're soft."
March 1, 2016 - At a Trump rally in Louisville, Kentucky, a female protester is surrounded and repeatedly shoved by Trump supporters. While one protester is being removed, Trump told the crowd "Get him out. Try not to hurt him. If you do I’ll defend you in court. … Are Trump rallies the most fun? We’re having a good time.”
February 28, 2016 - During an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, Trump was asked about the endorsement from David Duke. Trump's response: "Well, just so you understand, I don't know anything about David Duke. okay? I don't know anything about what you're even talking about with white supremacy or white supremacists. So, I don't know ... I don't know, did he endorse me or what's going on, because, you know, I know nothing about David Duke. I know nothing about white supremacists. And so you're asking me a question that I'm supposed to be talking about people that I know nothing about ... I don't know any -- honestly, I don't know David Duke. I don't believe I have ever met him. I'm pretty sure I didn't meet him. And I just don't know anything about him." NOTE: Trump knew who Duke was two days ago.
February 26, 2016 - Trump was told by a reporter that David Duke had endorsed him, without mentioning that David Duke was a former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. Trump's response: "I didn’t even know he endorsed me. David Duke endorsed me? Okay, all right, I disavow, okay?"
February 24, 2016 - David Duke, the former Ku Klux Klan leader, endorsed Donald Trump for president, telling his radio listeners to "get active" for Trump.
February 22, 2016 - Trump sent the following tweet regarding the owners of Chicago Cubs: "I hear the Rickets family, who own the Chicago Cubs, are secretly spending $'s against me. They better be careful, they have a lot to hide!"
February 22, 2016 - At a Trump rally in Las Vegas, Nevada, Trump made the following statements as a protester was being escorted out of his rally: "I'd like to punch him in the face. He's smiling, having a good time. In the old days, protesters would be carried out on stretchers" Trump later claimed that the protester was trying to punch security officers as they escorted him out, but this claim was shown to be false when video of the incident surfaced.
February 18, 2016 - After Pope Francis leveled criticism at Trump for his wall proposal stating that "a person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not christian." Trump replied that "No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man's religion or faith."
February 17, 2016 - Regarding torture, Trump said the following: "Torture works. OK, folks? You know, I have these guys—'Torture doesn't work!'—believe me, it works. And waterboarding is your minor form. Some people say it's not actually torture. Let's assume it is. But they asked me the question: What do you think of waterboarding? Absolutely fine. But we should go much stronger than waterboarding. That's the way I feel. They're chopping off heads. Believe me, we should go much stronger, because our country's in trouble. We're in danger. We have people that want to do really bad things!"
February 10, 2016 - During a visit to the Today Show, Matt Lauer asked Trump when he would be releasing his tax returns, Trump responded "Probably over the next few months, they're being worked on now."
February 1, 2016 - At a Trump rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Trump told supporters "There may be somebody with tomatoes in the audience. So if you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of them, would you? Seriously. Okay? Just knock the hell— I promise you, I will pay for the legal fees. I promise, I promise. It won’t be so much ’cause the courts agree with us too."
January 24, 2016 - When asked by Chuck Todd on Meet the Press if he would be releasing his tax returns, Trump responded "Well, we're working on that now. I have very big returns, as you know, and I have everything all approved and very beautiful and we'll be working that over in the next period of time, Chuck. Absolutely."
January 7, 2016 - At a Trump rally in Burlington, Vermont, Trump asked security to confiscate the coat of a protester and send him out in the cold. Said Trump: "Get him outta there! Don’t give him his coat, Keep his coat. Confiscate his coat. You know it’s about ten degrees below zero outside. No, you can keep his coat. Tell him we’ll send it to him in a couple of weeks.”
December 14, 2015 - At a Trump rally in Las Vegas, Nevada, Trump supporters are caught on audio yelling "Sieg Heil" and "light the motherfucker on fire" as a protester is being removed by security.
December 7, 2015 - The following press release is issued by the Trump campaign: "Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on."
December 3, 2015 - At a Trump rally in New York City, a protester is hit by a security guard.
December 2, 2015 - Speaking of groups like ISIS, Trump said this: "The other thing with the terrorists is you have to take out their families. They care about their lives, don't kid yourself. When they say they don't care about their lives, you have to take out their families."
November 24, 2015 - At a Trump rally in South Carolina, Trump mocked a reporter with a severe disability by contorting his arms and waving them about in an attempt at imitating the reporter. The reporter drew the ire of Trump after he disputed Trump's debunked claim that he had witnessed thousands of Muslims celebrating in New Jersey after the twin towers came down on September 11, 2001. The reporter suffers from arthrogryposis.
November 23, 2015 - Trump declared during a television interview with Bill O'Reilly on Fox News that he is "probably the least racist person on earth."
November 22, 2015 - On Fox and Friends, Donald Trump was asked about the incident at his Alabama rally in which a Black Lives Matter protester was punched, kicked and choked by some of Trump's supporters. Trump's response: "Maybe he should have been roughed up, because it was absolutely disgusting what he was doing." By Trump's own admission, screaming was what the man had done to deserve being roughed up.
November 21, 2015 - At a Trump rally in Birmingham, Alabama, a Black Lives Matter protester is punched, kicked, and briefly choked. At the same rally, Trump made this claim: “Hey, I watched when the World Trade Center came tumbling down. And I watched in Jersey City, New Jersey, where thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down. Thousands of people were cheering.” When confronted about this statement, and told that no evidence can be found to verify it, Trump responded this way: “There were people that were cheering on the other side of New Jersey, where you have large Arab populations. They were cheering as the World Trade Center came down. I know it might be not politically correct for you to talk about it, but there were people cheering as that building came down — as those buildings came down. And that tells you something. It was well covered at the time, George. Now, I know they don’t like to talk about it, but it was well covered at the time. There were people over in New Jersey that were watching it, a heavy Arab population, that were cheering as the buildings came down. Not good.”
November 10, 2015 - Trump threatens to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants.
October 23, 2015 - At a Trump rally in Miami, Florida, a Latino protester is knocked down and kicked.
October 14, 2015 - At a Trump rally in Richmond, Virginia, immigration activists are shoved and spat upon.
October 6, 2015 - At a Trump rally in Las Vegas, Nevada, Trump made the following statements about Bowe Bergdahl, the soldier who had left his post in Afghanistan and had been captured and held prisoner for 5 years by the Taliban: "We're tired of Sgt. Bergdahl, who's a traitor, a no-good traitor, who should have been executed, Thirty years ago, he would have been shot."
September 16, 2015 - In an interview with Rolling Stone, Donald Trump made the following statement regarding Republican opponent Carly Fiorina: "Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?" When questioned later about this comment, Trump falsely claimed he was talking about Fiorina's persona, not her face.
August 7, 2015 - Unhappy with Megyn Kelly's questions at the first Republican debate the night before, Donald Trump said during a CNN interview that her questions were "ridiculous" and "off base" and then said this: "You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her wherever." After some heavy criticism, Trump tweeted that the word wherever was a reference to Kelly's nose, and also said that "only a deviant would think anything else".
August 6, 2015 - During the first Republican debate, moderator Megyn Kelly asked Donald Trump about his use of misogynistic and sexist commentary to describe some women: "You've called women you don't like fat pigs, dogs, slobs and disgusting animals." Trump's response: "Only Rosie O'Donnell."
July 19, 2015 - When asked if he would apologize to John McCain for comments made the previous day, Trump responded: "No. Not at all. People that fought hard and weren't captured and went through a lot, they get no credit. Nobody even talks about them. They're like forgotten. And I think that's a shame, if you want to know the truth,"
July 18, 2015 - During a speech at the Iowa Family Leadership Summit, Trump made the following comments about John McCain who was repeatedly tortured over a 5 year period as a prisoner of war in Vietnam at the now infamous Hanoi Hilton: "He's not a war hero. He's a war hero 'cause he was captured. I like people that weren't captured. OK?" Trumps comments were met with boos, gasps, and laughter. Trump himself avoided serving in Vietnam through multiple student deferments, and a medical deferment.
June 16, 2015 - While announcing his candidacy for president, Donald Trump said he will build a "great wall" on the Southern border, and have Mexico pay for it. Regarding Mexicans who come into the United States, Trump said this: "When Mexico sends their people, they're not sending their best. They're sending people that have lots of problems. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."
Pre-Campaign Transgressions
February 25, 2015 - In an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump was asked about releasing his tax returns to which he replied that if he were to run for president "the answer is I would do it...I have no objection to showing any tax return."
October 13, 2014 - Trump sent the following tweet: "Can you believe that, with all of the problems and difficulties facing the U.S., President Obama spent the day playing golf. Worse than Carter."
May 27, 2014 - Trump comments to National Press Club: "There are three things that could happen. And one of them did happen. He was perhaps born in Kenya. Very simple, OK? He was perhaps born in this country. But said he was born in Kenya because if you say you were born in Kenya, you got aid and you got into colleges. People were doing that. So perhaps he was born in this country, and that has a very big chance. Or, you know, who knows?"
May 20, 2014 - During an interview with an Irish television show, the host asked Trump the following question: "You questioned his citizenship during his campaign, and you said afterwards if he produced that long-form birth certificate, you’d produce your tax returns. But you didn’t do it, did you?" Trump responded with the following "Well I don’t know, did he do it? If I decide to run for office, I’ll produce my tax returns, absolutely and I would love to do that."
December 12, 2013 - Trump sent the following tweet: "How amazing, the State Health Director who verified copies of Obama's 'birth certificate' died in plane crash today. All others lived"
November, 2013 - After being asked in an interview if he had a relationship with Vladimir Putin, Trump responded "I do have a relationship with him." The interview took place in Moscow where Trump was holding his Miss Universe pageant.
October 25, 2012 - Trump offers to write a check for 5 million dollars to the charity of Obama's choice should Obama release his college application and transcripts, and passport application by October 31st.
August 6, 2012 - Trump sent out the following tweet: "An extremely credible source has called my office and told me that @BarackObama's birth certificate is a fraud."
May 29, 2012 - Trump, during an interview with Wolf Blitzer of CNN: "A lot of people do not think it was an authentic certificate. ... Many people do not think it was authentic. His mother was not in the hospital. There are many other things that came out. And frankly if you would report it accurately I think you'd probably get better ratings than you're getting."
April 27, 2011 - After Obama released his long-form birth certificate, Donald Trump was asked if he would be fulfilling his end of the bargain by releasing his tax returns, Trump responded "Yeah, at the appropriate time I’m going to do it.”
April 18, 2011 - Trump stated in an interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos "Maybe I’m going to do the tax returns when Obama does his birth certificate, I may tie my tax returns, I’d love to give my tax returns, I may tie my tax returns into Obama’s birth certificate.”
April 7, 2011 - Trump during an interview on NBC's Today Show: "I have people that have been studying [Obama's birth certificate] and they cannot believe what they're finding ... I would like to have him show his birth certificate, and can I be honest with you, I hope he can. Because if he can't, if he can't, if he wasn't born in this country, which is a real possibility ... then he has pulled one of the great cons in the history of politics." Then during an interview on MSNBC's Morning Joe: "His grandmother in Kenya said, 'Oh, no, he was born in Kenya and I was there and I witnessed the birth.' She's on tape. I think that tape's going to be produced fairly soon. Somebody is coming out with a book in two weeks, it will be very interesting."
March 30, 2011 - Trump during an interview with Laura Ingraham: "He doesn't have a birth certificate, or if he does, there's something on that certificate that is very bad for him. Now, somebody told me -- and I have no idea if this is bad for him or not, but perhaps it would be -- that where it says 'religion,' it might have 'Muslim.' And if you're a Muslim, you don't change your religion, by the way."
March 28, 2011 - Trump during an interview on Fox News: "He's spent millions of dollars trying to get away from this issue. Millions of dollars in legal fees trying to get away from this issue. And I'll tell you what, I brought it up, just routinely, and all of a sudden a lot facts are emerging and I'm starting to wonder myself whether or not he was born in this country."
March 23, 2011 - Trump during an interview on The View: "Why doesn't he show his birth certificate? There's something on that birth certificate that he doesn't like."
May 1, 1989 - Trump spent $85,000 on an ad campaign asking for the death penalty to be re-instated two weeks after 5 black teenagers are accused of beating and raping a white jogger in New York City's Central Park. The black teens were later convicted for the crime, in error as it turns out, as they were later exonerated through DNA evidence after the real culprit was found. Despite the five being exonerated, Trump has called the case "the heist of the century" and stated that "Settling doesn’t mean innocence, but it indicates incompetence on several levels.”
March 18, 1973 - A black man who tried to rent a two-bedroom apartment at Trump's Westminster complex in Brooklyn was told nothing was available. The following day, his wife, who is white, stopped by the same complex where she was told apartments were available. This incident, along with other instances of discrimination against potential tenants based on race led to a federal complaint that Trump had violated the Fair Housing Act, which was part of the Civil Rights Act of 1968.
Sometime in 1927 - Fred Trump, the father of Donald J Trump, is arrested at a Ku Klux Klan rally in New York City.
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