A Complete Breakdown Of Donald Trump’s 63rd Unpresidented Week As POTUS
New week, same challenges.
President Trump’s impulsive, widely condemned, high-stakes game of tariff tag with China continued to rattle global markets, Americans’ 401k’s, and damage American industries — under the guise of “America First.”
The Trump administration continued to drown in a swamp of scandals under the guise of a “well-oiled machine.”
Conservative media continued to spread pro-Trump propaganda, disinformation, and intolerance under the guise of “free speech.”
President Putin and Assad continued to commit inhumane atrocities under the guise of “suppressing rebellion.”
And Americans continued to organize with the genuine desire for positive change.
Meanwhile, Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation continued to inch closer to the truth, and hopefully, justice.
Here’s a complete breakdown of Donald Trump’s 63rd week as POTUS:
Moments like these require unrelenting truthtelling. We take pride in being reader-funded. If you like our work, support our journalism.
63rd Weekend (March 31 — April 1)
Easter
Over the weekend, President Trump continued his attacks on Amazon. Any arguments he makes on Amazon are tainted by the fact he has shown a disdain for Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos because he owns The Washington Post.
While we are on the subject, it is reported that the U.S. Post Office will lose $1.50 on average for each package it delivers for Amazon. That amounts to Billions of Dollars. The Failing N.Y. Times reports that “the size of the company’s lobbying staff has ballooned,” and that…
does not include the Fake Washington Post, which is used as a “lobbyist” and should so REGISTER. If the P.O. “increased its parcel rates, Amazon’s shipping costs would rise by $2.6 Billion.” This Post Office scam must stop. Amazon must pay real costs (and taxes) now!
Also, President Trump decided to give the American people a beautiful Easter gift and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus by fear-mongering about immigrants.
Border Patrol Agents are not allowed to properly do their job at the Border because of ridiculous liberal (Democrat) laws like Catch & Release. Getting more dangerous. “Caravans” coming. Republicans must go to Nuclear Option to pass tough laws NOW. NO MORE DACA DEAL!
Mexico is doing very little, if not NOTHING, at stopping people from flowing into Mexico through their Southern Border, and then into the U.S. They laugh at our dumb immigration laws. They must stop the big drug and people flows, or I will stop their cash cow, NAFTA. NEED WALL!
These big flows of people are all trying to take advantage of DACA. They want in on the act!
It appears that President Trump has no idea what DACA — the program he personally rescinded that benefits over 700,000 undocumented Americans — is.
This makes no sense. To be eligible for DACA, people had to have been living in the US since 2007. Nobody who arrives now would be covered by the program even if it wasn’t being terminated. Nor would they be covered by any of the citizenship deals on the table in Congress.
— @ddale8
HAPPY EASTER!
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Meanwhile…
- Sinclair Broadcast Group — the media company that airs right-wing propaganda to unwitting Americans through the local affiliates they own on — was finally getting the amount of attention that their democracy threatening tactics warrant.
How America’s largest local TV owner turned its news anchors into soldiers in Trump’s war on the media: https://t.co/iLVtKRQycL https://t.co/dMdSGellH3
Propaganda at its worst. Sinclair Broadcast Group has forced local reporters to read a script attacking “fake news” in the media. They’ve pushed lies and conspiracy theories into 40% of American households. @WeAreSinclair is a threat to democracy. https://t.co/Sja0N13QEs
This came after employees of the network spoke out about how uncomfortable they were reading the script.
Sinclair’s gaslighting isn’t new In 2004, their reporters were told to report “good news” about the Iraq War and their stations aired a pledge of support for Bush In 2008 and 2012, they attacked Obama In 2016, Trump camp made a deal for good coverage… https://t.co/Sja0N13QEs
The office of FCC inspector general is reportedly investigating FCC Chairman Ajit Pai for approving rules that would benefit Sinclair’s efforts to push their $3.9 billion acquisition of Tribune Media through (which would get them from owning 40% of local American media to 72%) — and whether or not the move was improperly made with the intention to give Sinclair an advantage.
Sinclair’s gaslighting isn’t new In 2004, their reporters were told to report “good news” about the Iraq War and their stations aired a pledge of support for Bush In 2008 and 2012, they attacked Obama In 2016, Trump camp made a deal for good coverage… https://t.co/Sja0N13QEs
News anchors looking into camera and reading a script handed down by a corporate overlord, words meant to obscure the truth not elucidate it, isn’t journalism. It’s propaganda. It’s Orwellian. A slippery slope to how despots wrest power, silence dissent, and oppress the masses.
Later in the week, we find out Sinclair’s contracts are super restrictive and would leave employees who quit in debt.
A Sinclair journalist, who has been trying to resist from inside the newsroom – but who doesn’t have a union – explains why it’s so hard for TV anchors to refuse the Sinclair’s editorial edicts. They have contracts that penalize them if they quit.
A former Sinclair journalist sent me a screenshot of their contract. “I couldn’t leave because of this part of my contract.
Keep an eye on this. America’s disinformation problem is already bad enough with a dishonest POTUS, established conservative media outlets faithfully spreading pro-Trump lies, and Russia taking advantage of impressionable Americans with online propaganda. We can’t afford to continue having misleading propaganda seeping into American households through local news channels that they’ve trusted for years. Something has to be done. In the short-term, the best way to combat it is to spread as much truth as humanly possible.
63rd Week (April 2–6)
Monday, April 2
Tariffs
China’s retaliatory tariffs took effect. Politico reported:
China is moving forward with its plan to counter President Donald Trump’s new tariffs on steel and aluminum, levying duties that will take effect Monday on more than $3 billion in U.S. exports to the country.
In a statement Sunday, the Chinese government said it would impose the retaliatory tariffs on 128 products, according to an informal translation.
China will impose a 15 percent tariff increase on goods including American fruit and nuts and add a 25 percent tariff on pork, recycled aluminum and other goods, the government said.
The move to impose the duties comes just over a week after the Chinese Commerce ministry had announced it was considering tariffs on the goods. Just over a week later, those tariffs are taking effect.
As you can see, these tariffs hit farmers aka Trump’s own supporters. But this was just the beginning.
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Meanwhile…
- On Monday, we learned that during last week’s congratulatory phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Trump invited Putin to the White House. We heard it first from the Kremlin, no less.
BREAKING @AFP (Moscow) President Trump has invited President Vladimir Putin to visit the White House: Kremlin
Russia wages an election interference campaign against the U.S. that includes espionage and propaganda. Russia hacks American infrastructure. Russia poisons 21 people in the UK with a nerve agent. President Trump invites Russian President Vladimir Putin to the White House. https://t.co/pP38rGG2RB
An odd choice to say the least given the hostile attacks Russia has hurled at America and the West. This was yet another example of President Trump’s eerie efforts to cozy up to an authoritarian leader — that has waged a form of information warfare on the United States — whose interests are diametrically opposed to ours.
After the events of this week, the status of this invitation is shaky, to say the least.
- President Trump arose today and continued his fear-mongering ways. Trump tweeted about the caravan of immigrants traveling toward the U.S. and decided to stop pretending he cares about finding a solution for Dreamers.
As ridiculous as it sounds, the laws of our country do not easily allow us to send those crossing our Southern Border back where they came from. A whole big wasted procedure must take place. Mexico & Canada have tough immigration laws, whereas ours are an Obama joke. ACT CONGRESS
Honduras, Mexico and many other countries that the U.S. is very generous to, sends many of their people to our country through our WEAK IMMIGRATION POLICIES. Caravans are heading here. Must pass tough laws and build the WALL. Democrats allow open borders, drugs and crime!
Trump defended Sinclair Broadcast Group.
So funny to watch Fake News Networks, among the most dishonest groups of people I have ever dealt with, criticize Sinclair Broadcasting for being biased. Sinclair is far superior to CNN and even more Fake NBC, which is a total joke.
Trump bashed his own Justice Department.
So sad that the Department of “Justice” and the FBI are slow walking, or even not giving, the unredacted documents requested by Congress. An embarrassment to our country!
Trump also continued his dishonest attacks on Amazon, causing their stock price to drop 6%.
Only fools, or worse, are saying that our money losing Post Office makes money with Amazon. THEY LOSE A FORTUNE, and this will be changed. Also, our fully tax paying retailers are closing stores all over the country…not a level playing field!
Attacks of which are part of his personal vendetta against Bezos. Vanity Fair’s Gabriel Sherman reported:
“He’s off the hook on this. It’s war,” one source told me. “He gets obsessed with something, and now he’s obsessed with Bezos,” said another source. “Trump is like, how can I fuck with him?”
NEW: Vanity Fair: Now, according to four sources close to the White House, Trump is discussing ways to escalate his Twitter attacks on Amazon to further damage the company. https://t.co/fLhnsjfIes @gabrielsherman
- The Wall Street Journal reported on an email sent to Sam Nunberg from Roger Stone, in which he claims to have dined with Julian Assange.
WSJ has an email from Roger Stone to Sam Nunberg, dated August 4, 2016 in which Stone says, “I dined with Julian Assange last night,” https://t.co/ipI2oYeN3G
This wasn’t the first time Stone has bragged about communicating directly with Wikileaks. Also, Stone has previously had his direct messages with Wikileaks exposed.
- Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s office defended an agreement with Alex van der Zwaan, citing information pertinent to the investigation.
In a new court filing, Robert Mueller’s office makes clear that London-based lawyer Alexander van der Zwaan knows key details about the ongoing Russia investigation that are “not widely known” to the public. https://t.co/i1XicYavB8
- The State Department further confirmed that the expulsion of Russian diplomats was toothless.
State Department confirms that Russia can replace the diplomats, alleged to be intel officers, expelled last week. US “is not requiring the Russian bilateral mission to reduce its total number of personnel” a spox says. New accreditation to be reviewed on a “case-by-case basis.
- A third woman is suing President Trump in an effort to invalidate an NDA she signed. CBS News reported:
A third woman has come forward with a lawsuit seeking to invalidate a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) related to Donald Trump, CBS News justice reporter Paula Reid reports. Jessica Denson, a former Trump campaign staffer, signed an NDA as a condition of her employment with the campaign.
This differs from the other two lawsuits, filed by porn star Stormy Daniels and by former Playboy model Karen McDougal, in that Denson’s document does not appear to be a hush money agreement or one related to a sexual relationship with Donald Trump. Denson previously sued Mr. Trump for employment discrimination and defamation.
- Oklahoma teachers staged a walkout and began what would be a week full of demonstrations.
OklahomaTeacherWalkout Fast Facts: ?Oklahoma teachers have not received a pay increase since 2007 ?Oklahoma has the lowest average teacher wages in the nation ?Oklahoma leads the nation in deepest cuts to education (but Republicans gave top earners a $147 million tax cut)
It’s crucial that we support our teachers and their livelihood. Oklahoma teachers deserve so much better than what their legislators have given them Stand with the #OklahomaTeacherWalkout ! https://t.co/T54XZ1i4cr
- Kentucky teachers were not far behind…
Tuesday, April 3
Mueller Moves
On Monday night, Mueller made a court filing that revealed a consequential memo Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein issued last year that expanded the scope of the investigation.
Last night-Mueller indicated Rosenstein gave him authority on August 2, 2017 to investigate Manafort for collusion with Russians to influence the election & for payments received from former Ukrainian politicians He’s already been charged for the latter… https://t.co/xLZGdUuZD9
CNN reported:
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein told special counsel Robert Mueller in a classified August 2, 2017, memo that he should investigate allegations that President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman Paul Manafort was “colluding with Russian government officials” to interfere in the 2016 presidential election, prosecutors in the Russia probe revealed late Monday night.
Mueller was also empowered by Rosenstein to investigate Manafort’s payments from Ukrainian politicians, a cornerstone of the Trump adviser’s decades-long lobbying career that has resulted in several financial criminal charges so far.
The revelation of the August 2 memo comes amid a broader court filing from Mueller’s prosecutors that offers a full-throated defense of their investigative powers and indictments thus far. In the filing, the special counsel’s office argues that a federal judge should not throw out Manafort’s case. Manafort has sought to have the case dismissed, arguing that the charges against him are outside of Mueller’s authority.
The court filing also contained important language that indicated Mueller sees financial relationships with Russian entities as part of his collusion probe.
In which Mueller lays out EXACTLY how they would go about investigating Russian collusion, esp involving Paul Manafort. Full story on the new court filing this appeared in: https://t.co/GauHXd3FUz
Mueller’s court filing states that an investigation into potential collusion would “naturally” cover any ties to Russian oligarchs before the campaign… Indication that @realDonaldTrump‘s ties to Russian oligarchs and history of alleged money laundering wouldn’t be off limits. https://t.co/2zGX1RgS7i
This was also the day of Alex van der Zwaan’s sentencing, who received 30 days in prison as part of his plea deal.
Dutch lawyer Alex van der Zwaan leaves court following sentencing for lying to federal investigators. He is the first person sentenced in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe. https://t.co/tQgWGTmUNH https://t.co/Qw2jjQ7ldz
— @ABC
We also learned more about Mueller’s probe into Trump’s ties to the UAE (informed by George Nader who flipped recently).
Later in the evening , we got hit with more Trump-Russia news.
EXCLUSIVE: Mueller told Trump attorneys that @realdonaldtrump is not a criminal target of his probe at this point; said he needs POTUS interview to complete his report on obstruction; lead lawyer resigned over Trump ignoring advice. Me w/ @costareports https://t.co/nnkiN3G5cu
From this report, we learned that last month Mueller told Trump’s lawyers that Trump is a subject of the investigation but is not a criminal target. Important to note that last month was also when Trump began to directly target Mueller on Twitter, and his Russia investigation paranoia appeared to hit new heights. This assurance could potentially have been to calm Trump down. Also, this doesn’t mean that Trump is safe.
Chief legal analyst @JeffreyToobin explains how Trump can be a subject in Mueller’s probe but not a target. A target “is almost certainly going to be indicted”; a subject is “someone who is being scrutinized, who may be indicted, who may not be indicted” https://t.co/J3RCGNmrAU https://t.co/0r3vsPzfFT
— @NewDay
Another part of the piece detailed that Mueller is very close to wrapping up his investigation into potential obstruction of justice (which has overwhelming evidence) and all that’s left is an interview with the president himself. Mueller will then prepare a report on obstruction as well as one on the other aspects of his probe.
This seems to indicate the Mueller has no plans to directly indict President Trump, which has been speculated by legal experts given the fact it’s still an open question whether or not that’s within the scope of the law. So Mueller’s reports will be given to Rosenstein who then can release publicly and/or refer to Congress in the form of an impeachment referral. Regarding the report and Rosenstein’s obligations when it comes to handling the report, this is a great thread:
LINT (short thread). The most interesting part of this piece is the revelation that Mueller wants to write a report on this, “to answer the public’s questions.” Remember that under the Special Counsel regulations, Mueller doesn’t have the authority to produce a public report.
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Meanwhile…
- President Trump proposed even more tariffs on China. Reuters reported:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The Trump administration on Tuesday raised the stakes in a growing trade showdown with China, targeting 25 percent tariffs on some 1,300 industrial technology, transport and medical products to try to force changes in Beijing’s intellectual property practices.
The U.S. tariff unveiling, representing about $50 billion of estimated 2018 imports and aimed at dealing a setback to China’s efforts to upgrade its manufacturing base, drew an immediate condemnation from Beijing, along with a threat of retaliatory action.
- President Trump went on another early morning tweetstorm.
Crying fake news Citing outlier polls Fear-mongering about immigrants Playground nicknames for grown men The pre-8am tweets of a very stable genius
And continued his dishonest attacks on Amazon.
The whole post office thing, that’s very much a perception he has,” a source told Axios. “It’s been explained to him in multiple meetings that his perception is inaccurate and that the post office actually makes a ton of money from Amazon.” https://t.co/NTgjmVmvPu
He doesn’t care. He needs the lie to cudgel Bezos and thus WaPo. It’s all about damaging and discrediting WaPo. Everything else is just nonsense to muddy the waters. https://t.co/n7HPB0DZrv
PROCESS THIS Our President is attacking a US based company/major employer – driving the stock down over 5%, causing broader markets to sink – Who holds the stock? pensions/endowments/401ks/employees HOW DOES JARED KUSHNER’S “OFFICE OF INNOVATION” feel about this move?
— @SRuhle
- There was a shooting at the Youtube Headquarters. Two women and a man were injured, fortunately not fatally. At first, it was reported that it was a domestic dispute, but it was later revealed to be a disgruntled Youtube content creator who felt she was being censored.
BREAKING: YouTube shooter is a female and she is down, multiple law enforcement sources tell @NBCNews – @anblanx https://t.co/YQ0x5rJFwo
— @NBCNews
Breaking: Nasim Aghdam identified as the YouTube shooter. She had her own YouTube channel and apparently ranted against the company in her videos. Sources say she drove up to San Bruno from Riverside County, shot a man and 2 women before killing herself. #youtubeshooter
YouTube Shooting Suspect Nasim Aghdam uploaded this video to her Facebook account – criticizing the company for age-restricting, filtering and demonetizing her videos. https://t.co/3mwuFl5vnE
But that didn’t stop people on the right trying to claim she was a jihadist.
Here is a picture of #NasimAghdam, the Iranian terrorist who shot up #YouTube today. She is seen here on her Instagram making an #ISIS salute with the caption “Do I look good in hijab!
BREAKING: #YOUTUBE just DELETED Nasim Aghdam’s Youtube channel! Hurry up and take screenshots of everything!!!! She is a Jihadi and they want to cover it up.
Bad day All the initial reports about the YouTube shooter were wrong. Now, right-wing Twitter jumping to conclusions about the shooter-Nasim Aghdam-because of her name. Some calling her a jihadist with no evidence. Realizing I’m tweeting this with my name so…Come at me trolls
- In a press conference with Baltic leaders, President Trump made quite the tasteless joke…
President Trump at the press conference with Baltic leaders: “Pick a reporter, please…A Baltic reporter ideally. Real news, not fake news.” This was received by a chorus of laughter. The POTUS happily mocks American press on the world stage. https://t.co/auGFTvdcjn
Wednesday, April 4
The Caravan
After a Sunday Fox & Friends segment on the caravan of about 1,000 Central American asylum-seeking migrants traveling through Mexico, President Trump has been obsessed with it, tweeting about “caravans” headed towards the U.S.
This caravan was organized to help people flee violence in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. These asylum-seekers don’t appear to pose any threat and are merely seeking safety. In the days that followed the Fox & Friends segment, the number of migrants decreased to a few hundred, as some people remain in Mexico and mostly women and children continue onward to the U.S.
In light of this, President Trump continued to fear-monger, lying about women being raped while on the caravan, and ordering national guard troops to the border. This is not unprecedented, but it’s clearly unnecessary, as border crossings remain at historic lows. I can think of another American area that could really use those resources right about now…Puerto Rico.
Our Border Laws are very weak while those of Mexico & Canada are very strong. Congress must change these Obama era, and other, laws NOW! The Democrats stand in our way – they want people to pour into our country unchecked….CRIME! We will be taking strong action today.
See the caravan for yourself and be the judge of its threat level.
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Meanwhile…
- In a move that directly contradicted Secretary of Defense James Mattis’ recent remarks and plans to stay and help rebuild, President Trump ordered the beginning of a withdrawal from Syria.
BREAKING: Trump instructs military to begin planning for withdrawal from Syria https://t.co/B4ntV1xOGQ
This move, compounded with Trump’s past decision to stop arming the Kurds who allied with the U.S. against ISIS, was seen as a betrayal to our allies in the region and a gift for President Putin and Assad.
During the campaign, people kept asking: Why does Putin favor Trump? Today, Putin met with the foreign ministers of Turkey and Iran to discuss the future of Syria, just as Trump announced a pull-out. That’s why.
Of course, within hours, the move for immediate withdraw was walked back.
- China proposed retaliatory tariffs on $50 billion worth of U.S. products:
BEIJING (Reuters) — China will impose additional tariffs of 25 percent on 106 U.S. goods including soybeans, autos, chemicals, some types of aircraft and corn products, among other agricultural goods, the finance ministry said on Wednesday.
The products targeted by the tariffs were worth $50 billion in 2017, according to a separate statement from the commerce ministry.
Market volatility continued.
We are not in a trade war with China, that war was lost many years ago by the foolish, or incompetent, people who represented the U.S. Now we have a Trade Deficit of $500 Billion a year, with Intellectual Property Theft of another $300 Billion. We cannot let this continue!
As we’ve come to expect from Trump’s comments, that’s not true.
This is how you handle a Trump lie. Courtesy of MSNBC’s Velshi and Ruhle. https://t.co/1Hujh5C6zC https://t.co/GWpKgP2Cq5
- Mueller has seriously stepped up the pressure on Russian oligarchs.
CNN reports that Mueller is stopping Russian oligarchs at airports and searching their electronic devices. He’s able to do that because courts have held that a warrant is not required for searches at the border. Savvy and aggressive move by him. https://t.co/VTLIFcAy74
- Former National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster commented on the administration’s Russia policy.
Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, in his last public remarks as President Trump’s national security adviser, strongly denounced Russia for its increased aggression around the world and declared: “We have failed to impose sufficient costs.”
His comments come a little more than a week after he was ousted by Trump, who is replacing him with conservative firebrand and former U.N. ambassador John Bolton.
- We found out that Roger Stone’s email was…oddly timed, to say the least.
JUST IN: Roger Stone predicted “devastating” Clinton leaks on same day he sent email about Assange dinner https://t.co/Dq7lCt5jnQ
— @thehill
- Facebook upped their estimates of accounts that had their data harvested by Cambridge Analytica from 50 million to 87 million.
- Trump shared some thoughts on money…
When you’re already $500 Billion DOWN, you can’t lose!
@realDonaldTrump This kind of thinking explains why your companies went bankrupt six times @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/BMHWnU0aPZ
- It was the 50th Anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, and the nation remembered a legend.
50 years ago today, the day before his assassination, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his final speech. “I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land.” https://t.co/2ABgpj5mab
55 years after Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech, his 9 y/o granddaughter Yolanda King effectively gave a “We Have A Dream” speech. MLK’s legacy lives on in those who fight for decency. We’ve come far-but still have very far to go #MLK50 https://t.co/O3mezEGM0y
50 years ago, a black leader was killed for speaking truth. 10 years ago, a black leader was elected for speaking truth. Look at this photo of @BarackObama standing in front of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and feel hopeful we can overcome the challenges ahead. #MLK50
President Trump tried to honor Martin Luther King Jr., despite having already dishonored him time and time again.
Today we honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the 50th anniversary of his assassination. Earlier this year I spoke about Dr. King’s legacy of justice and peace, and his impact on uniting Americans. #MLK50 Proclamation: https://t.co/XXtPO0VX5A https://t.co/SH0esMSyMT
Very fine people on both sides” “Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired!'” “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” “They admitted they were guilty”-after the Central Park Five was exonerated with DNA evidence #MLK50 https://t.co/sHRqDqNxpr
Thursday, April 5
#CrookedPruitt
Throughout this week, report after report mounted on EPA Head Scott Pruitt and by Thursday, the pressure on Pruitt rose to new heights. On Monday, The New York Times dropped a report that furthered his ethical woes:
The Environmental Protection Agency signed off last March on a Canadian energy company’s pipeline-expansion plan at the same time that the E.P.A. chief, Scott Pruitt, was renting a condominium linked to the energy company’s powerful Washington lobbying firm.
Both the E.P.A. and the lobbying firm dispute that there was any connection between the agency’s action and the condo rental, for which Mr. Pruitt was paying $50 a night.
“Any attempt to draw that link is patently false,” Liz Bowman, a spokeswoman for Mr. Pruitt, said in a written statement.
Nevertheless, government ethics experts said that the correlation between the E.P.A.’s action and Mr. Pruitt’s lease arrangement — he was renting from the wife of the head of the lobbying firm Williams & Jensen — illustrates why such ties to industry players can generate questions for public officials: Even if no specific favors were asked for or granted, it can create an appearance of a conflict.
Didn’t end there. The Daily Beast reported that the very same lobbyist Pruitt rented the condo from, helped fund his 2010 Oklahoma Attorney General campaign.
On top of this, The Atlantic reported that Pruitt approved raises for two of his favorite staffers by using a loophole in the Safe Drinking Water Act after the White House denied the request.
In spite of this, President Trump continued to stand by Pruitt — probably because he’s doing such an effective job dismantling environmental regulations. This week, Pruitt moved to roll back fuel efficiency and emissions standards.
And Pruitt is reportedly great at quelling dissent as well. The New York Times reported:
WASHINGTON — At least five officials at the Environmental Protection Agency, four of them high-ranking, were reassigned or demoted, or requested new jobs in the past year after they raised concerns about the spending and management of the agency’s administrator, Scott Pruitt.
The concerns included unusually large spending on office furniture and first-class travel, as well as certain demands by Mr. Pruitt for security coverage, such as requests for a bulletproof vehicle and an expanded 20-person protective detail, according to people who worked for or with the E.P.A. and have direct knowledge of the situation.
Mr. Pruitt bristled when the officials — four career E.P.A. employees and one Trump administration political appointee — confronted him, said the people, who were not authorized to speak publicly.
This news came as it was reported that Chief of Staff John Kelly told Pruitt on a phone call that the flow of negative stories had to stop and deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley told Fox News “I can’t speak to the future of Scott Pruitt.”
Led by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, 64 House Democrats called on Pruitt to resign from the EPA.
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Meanwhile…
- At a tax roundtable, Trump called Mexicans rapists again and also brought back his false voter fraud claims.
He’s at a tax round table and he’s talking about Mexican rapists.” @KatyTurNBC says Trump’s returning to his most divisive campaign tactics https://t.co/Uajn5aFJvF
— @MSNBC
Trump is spreading disinformation: “In many places the same person in California votes many times. They always like to say, ‘Oh that’s a conspiracy theory.’ It’s not a conspiracy theory. Millions and millions of people…
The committee Trump appointed last year to investigate such massive voter fraud was shut down in January without finding any evidence. #FactsFirst https://t.co/oKrd2CtGOu
- Trump denied knowledge of his own lawyer’s hush money payment to Stormy Daniels. Daniels’ lawyer responded.
We very much look forward to testing the truthfulness of Mr. Trump’s feigned lack of knowledge concerning the $130k payment as stated on Air Force One. As history teaches us, it is one thing to deceive the press and quite another to do so under oath. #searchforthetruth #basta
- The Washington Post revealed a truly depraved moment from President Trump.
One of the most awful things you will read about the president https://t.co/8s7k4u820x
Trying to fulfill a campaign promise perhaps?
@peterwsinger “The other thing with the terrorists is you have to take out their families, when you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families.” – @realDonaldTrump in December 2015 No morals then, no morals now. https://t.co/8tqu02ScH5
- The Atlantic finally fired Kevin Williamson, who said that women who have abortions should be hanged. Notably, this view was already known by The Atlantic via Williamson’s tweet, but it wasn’t until they heard it on a podcast that they moved on it.
Kevin Williamson has been fired from The Atlantic. From Jeffrey Goldberg’s letter to staff: “The language he used in this podcast-and in my conversations with him in recent days-made it clear that the original tweet did, in fact, represent his carefully considered views.
I still believe Williamson never should have been hired, but I’m so glad that @TheAtlantic is now taking this seriously. Most of all, I am very relieved for the women who work at the magazine.
People on the right tried to justify Williamson’s views…
Kevin Williamson’s firing is a reminder that there are two Americas and one side will stop at nothing to silence the other. This is not about a bad tweet or a bad view. It is about the left wanting a monopoly on the public square so none can be exposed to competing ideas.
To those defending Kevin Williamson (that includes you @EWErickson): Calling for the hanging (extrajudicial execution) of women who get abortions (1/4 of women) is not an alternative viewpoint or a “competing idea” It’s unacceptable depravity @TheAtlantic did the right thing https://t.co/WmooHNIDmE
A few thoughts:
In light of Kevin Williamson’s firing, let’s talk about the right’s false cries of “free speech” suppression. If a private company chooses to fire someone who holds violent, misogynistic views or deletes bigoted troll accounts, that’s not violating your right to be an asshole.
That’s a private company exercising their right to tell you to get lost You still have the right to be a bigoted right-wing asshole but you are not entitled to have a platform A private company, whether it’s a news org or tech, doesn’t owe you anything https://t.co/ZFQPnaIeht
- A new poll showed just how big the new wave of political enthusiasm and anti-Trump sentiment is:
Tens of millions of Americans have joined protests and rallies in the past two years, their activism often driven by admiration or outrage toward President Trump, according to a Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation poll showing a new activism that could affect November elections.
One in five Americans have protested in the streets or participated in political rallies since the beginning of 2016. Of those, 19 percent said they had never before joined a march or a political gathering.
Overwhelmingly, recently motivated activists are critical of Trump. Thirty percent approve of the president, and 70 percent disapprove, according to the poll. And many said they plan to be more involved politically this year, with about one-third saying they intend to volunteer or work for a 2018 congressional campaign.
- A record number of women are running for office.
BREAKING: The number of women running for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives sets a record with 309 women filing candidacy papers, AP review finds. https://t.co/4efxC1t3H7
— @AP
@AP A record number of newly-elected Congresswomen walking into the 2019 swearing in ceremony like https://t.co/IUhjKmv71r
Friday, April 6
America Last
After the back-and-forth tariff proposals throughout the week that rocked markets, late Thursday, President Trump looked to impose an additional $100 billion in new tariffs on China. Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, predicted that the “U.S.-China tariffs war will cost 190,000 American jobs thus far and shave a smidgen of GDP growth from the economy.” This prediction was made before the new $100 billion proposal.
After the proposal on Thursday, markets tanked.
BREAKING: Dow futures slide, point to 420+ drop at tomorrow’s market open, after Trump asks USTR to consider $100B more in tariffs against Chinese products https://t.co/erZYQl4eRX
— @CNBCnow
And that continued into Friday.
Markets are NOT reacting well to Trump’s latest threat to target Chinese imports. Commodities fell. Dow futures are down. Nasdaq down. Carmakers and miners are the biggest losers in the Stocks Europe 600 Index. https://t.co/YiZyAT7L0Z
The Dow closed down 572 points, a drop of 2.3%, after President Trump threatened to escalate a confrontation with China over trade. It fell as much as 767 points earlier in the day. https://t.co/pyMTJZKZGF https://t.co/IZV0eKgNY5
— @CNN
Trump tried to send some tweets to deflect/explain these moves but with little success.
Despite the Aluminum Tariffs, Aluminum prices are DOWN 4%. People are surprised, I’m not! Lots of money coming into U.S. coffers and Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!
Fact check: The price of Midwest premium aluminum has doubled since January in anticipation of tariffs, according to American Metals Mkts and BMO Capital Mkts. It’s dropped slightly from mid-March highs because of the country exemptions. https://t.co/MWggJp0Vkn
China, which is a great economic power, is considered a Developing Nation within the World Trade Organization. They therefore get tremendous perks and advantages, especially over the U.S. Does anybody think this is fair. We were badly represented. The WTO is unfair to U.S.
One of the worst parts about this is the fact it was not even run by Trump’s advisers.
After a long pause in the White House driveway, Larry Kudlow tells reporters today he only learned “last evening” that Trump would threaten new tariffs on China. He’s not the only administration official who the President is catching off guard: https://t.co/E5EIWsOfl6
Over the weekend, Axios expanded upon this lack of calculation, calling Trump “unleashed.”
There is no White House, really. Not in the sense that the term had been defined. It’s just Trump- and people who work in the building. Journalists keep using the words, but their own reporting shows there’s no clear referent for them. https://t.co/kABp4VPrx4 The metonomy broke.
Trump is impulsively propelling us toward a trade war with China without consulting experts or thinking about the market crushing retaliations. Another example of @realDonaldTrump making high-stakes decisions without the input of people who know what they’re doing. Dangerous. https://t.co/brzypdZZrU
Meanwhile…
- The Trump administration has finally placed retaliatory sanctions on Russia that will hit them where it hurts: Putin’s inner circle and Russian oligarchs.
BREAKING: U.S. imposes sanctions on 7 Russian oligarchs and 12 companies, including former Paul Manafort client Oleg Deripaska. Their assets are being frozen, and U.S. nationals are prohibited from doing business with them. List of the oligarchs & the companies >>
The new US sanctions hit people close to Putin. Besides major oligarchs and the head of state gas giant Gazprom, they include: Putin’s son-in-law Putin’s childhood judo buddy Putin’s former bodyguards Putin’s friend who succeeded him as head of the FSB https://t.co/RtUIuv6DRr
— @ASLuhn
- President Trump is preparing for an interview with Robert Mueller.
- A previously reported revelation was expanded on by ABC News:
Special Counsel Robert Mueller has obtained evidence that calls into question Congressional testimony given by Trump supporter and Blackwater founder Erik Prince last year, when he described a meeting in Seychelles with a Russian financier close to Vladimir Putin as a casual chance encounter “over a beer,” sources told ABC News.
Well-connected Lebanese-American businessman George Nader, a key witness given limited immunity by Mueller, has been interviewed seven times by prosecutors on a wide range of subjects. He told investigators that he set up a meeting in the Seychelles between Prince and Russian sovereign wealth fund CEO Kirill Dmitriev, mere days before Trump was inaugurated, sources familiar with the investigation said this week.
- CNN reported:
A Donald Trump foreign policy adviser pushed government agencies to review materials from the dark web in the summer of 2016 that he thought were Hillary Clinton’s deleted emails, multiple sources with direct knowledge tell CNN.
Joseph Schmitz approached the FBI and other government agencies about material a client of his had discovered that Schmitz believed might have been Clinton’s missing 30,000 emails from her private e-mail server, sources say. The material was never verified, and sources say they ultimately believed it was fake.
His push is the latest example of Trump advisers who were mixed up in efforts to find dirt on Clinton during the presidential campaign. Schmitz was one of the first people Trump named to his campaign’s national security and foreign policy team. The team, showcased in a March 2016 photo, was thrown together early in Trump’s successful run as he faced mounting pressure to prove his ability to pull in high-level advisers who could help prepare him for the White House
- A new McClatchy DC report revealed that former Trump associate (mob-connected, FBI informant, etc.) Felix Sater is now cooperating with Robert Mueller. This was huge news that didn’t get as much attention as it deserved.
Felix Sater is cooperating with Robert Mueller, according to @McClatchyDC. Sater knows about Trump SoHo and the multiple attempts to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. And if anyone can provide insight on Trump’s alleged money laundering, it’s Felix Sater.https://t.co/sqV866g7KD
- Amid sexual misconduct allegations, Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-TX) finally resigned.
- The U.S. added 103,000 in March, short of estimates.
Over the weekend…
Assad committed yet another chemical attack on his own people.
Disturbing reports tonight of some kind of poison gas attack in the Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta in Syria that has killed as many as 110 people so far. Some shocking photos of dead children, recalling the 2013 attack, in the same location.
— @LizSly
Here is one of the horrifying videos coming out of Douma in Syria tonight showing the aftermath of what seems to be a chemical gas attack. These people were hiding underground from the bombing, leaving them more vulnerable to gas. https://t.co/mm9jgBZ4V8
— @LizSly
Russia and Assad denied the use of chemical weapons, but U.S. intel begged to differ. The BBC reported:
US intelligence agencies believe the Syrian government struck Khan Sheikhoun in response to a rebel offensive in northern Hama province, and that senior military leaders were probably involved in planning the attack.
US military radar systems monitored Syrian Air Force Sukhoi Su-22 fixed-wing aircraft take off from the government-controlled Shayrat airbase on 4 April and fly over Khan Sheikhoun on two occasions — at 06:37 (03:37 GMT) and 06:46.
Officials told NBC News that the radar systems picked up flashes on the ground, indicating that ordnance had been dropped on the rebel-held town about the same time that the first casualties with breathing difficulties were reported.
This came after President Trump announced his intention to withdraw from Syria. It’s unclear whether or not that will still happen. What is clear, is President Trump made his first direct verbal attack on President Putin yet.
Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price…
to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!
If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!
Trump and his supporters had claimed last year’s missile strike in effect enforced the red line as Obama had not. This new chemical attack shows that strike had little real effect. https://t.co/OrLTP1aSc6
Trump’s true Syria policy is finally clear: pull out, do nothing, and complain from the sidelines. I’ve never seen America so impotent on the world stage. https://t.co/6j95eFbNvK
We’ll see how this plays out. Hawk John Bolton’s first day as national security adviser is on Monday.
Meanwhile…
Tony Robbins drew outrage over his comment on the #MeToo movement.
Life coach Tony Robbins says women are using #MeToo to make themselves ‘significant’ – but this brave sexual abuse survivor called him out https://t.co/wYxhlmc10u
This is foolish. Also, that bit at the end about not hiring women because they were too attractive and it was a risk was nonsense. Acting like an impulsive man who can’t control himself around beautiful women is somehow a victim? Come on man. Tony is definitely not your guru.
Trump went on quite a few tweetstorms:
- The fire at Trump Tower which killed an art collector (see that there is no condolence message and only a reference to a “well built building”). We later learn that the building did not have required sprinkler systems, which he lobbied against.
- Attacked his own Justice Department again.
- Repeated trade China trade deficit lie.
- Praised Scott Pruitt.
- Said him and Xi Jinping will “always be friends” lol.
- Attacked American media.
Very stable genius.