White House in crisis

[Rewind]

Donald Trump, same as many other dictators who preceded him, wages a constant, relentless war against the news media. There is indeed a "true enemy of the people" in the United States but it is not the news media. The enemy of the people sits in the Oval Office.

Trump calls New York Times 'a true enemy of the people'
HuffPost US, Feb 20 2019 11:32 AM

President Donald Trump today morning targeted the New York Times, singling out the newspaper as "a true ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE." Trump regularly attacks the "fake news media" in general with his vitriolic tweets and speeches but rarely targets one publication or outlet in particular. His post is widely reported to be a response to a Times article published Tuesday, which detailed his alleged "two-year war on the investigations encircling him."

In an earlier tweet, Trump claimed journalists "don’t even call asking for verification" about stories they are planning to publish about his administration ― a post which is also being interpreted as an attack on Times reporters.

Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
The Press has never been more dishonest than it is today. Stories are written that have absolutely no basis in fact. The writers don’t even call asking for verification. They are totally out of control. Sadly, I kept many of them in business. In six years, they all go BUST!
4:20 AM - Feb 20, 2019

Times reporter Maggie Haberman dismissed the claim during an interview with CNN’s New Day, noting how she’d sent several emails to the White House about the planned story "that went unanswered until yesterday." She added, "We went through a detailed list of what we were planning on reporting. They chose not to engage and then afterwards the President acts surprised."

https://www.aol.com/article/news/201...ople/23674138/

[Rewind]

The Democratic-led House will soon pass a resolution to overturn Trump's declaration of a "national emergency" where no national emergency exists. Trump even admitted the declaration wasn't necessary -- but he wanted to usurp Congressional authority and start siphoning money from other programs so he can build The Trump Wall monument to himself.

The Senate-led House will then have 18 days to vote on the resolution. If the majority decide to place Trump and their party above the Constitution, above the rule of law and above our system of checks and balances, the resolution will be dead. Even if a few Republicans show some spine and some courage and side with the 47 Senate Democrats and the resolution passes, Trump will veto it, knowing Congress will be unable to get the two-thirds majority needed to overturn it. Whatever happens, McConnell is sweating, Trump is stewing and the Republican party is splintering.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is on the verge of facing the longest 18 days of his political life

https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/02/21/pol...ell/index.html

[Rewind]

If Congress doesn't reverse Trump's phony declaration of a "national emergency" where none exists.....and if all the lawsuits and court challenges are unsuccessful.....and if environmental impact reports are approved.....and if Trump can steal money from various Department of Defense funds.....and if plans are approved.....and if all the border land can be seized.....and if contractors willing to do the job can be found.....the President might finally be able to start building the unnecessary, expensive, ineffective Trump Wall monument to himself.

Pentagon says it will be months before construction on Trump's border wall starts

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/pe...rts/ar-BBTXKfh

[Rewind]

Donald Trump cares about only three things. In order, they are himself, his money and his unnecessary, expensive, ineffective Trump Wall monument to himself. He has no morals, no shame, no empathy, no compassion and no humility. Why else would he make plans to steal money from disaster relief funds and put it toward his stupid wall? Remember, this is the same man who thought he was being a great humanitarian by tossing a few rolls of paper towels to relief workers in Puerto Rico after the territory was devastated by Hurricane Maria.

Trump refuses meeting over hurricane relief, Puerto Rico governor says
NBC News, Feb 22, 2019 11:27 AM

Puerto Rico's governor said President Donald Trump is refusing to meet privately with him to discuss the pace of disaster relief 17 months after Hurricane Maria devastated the US territory. Governor Ricardo Rosselló told reporters today that the White House declined public and private requests to meet ahead of the governors' conference taking place in the nation's capital this weekend. Rosselló said Trump bears responsibility for the slow pace of disaster relief.

While the governor's team has been in regular contact with federal officials, Rosselló said the White House declined his requests to meet with Trump directly without giving a reason. Rosselló hopes to speak to the President when dozens of governors attend a White House meeting on Monday.

Carlos Mercader, executive director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration, which represents the island's government in the US, said the Rosselló administration requested a formal meeting following reports that the Trump administration could use $2.5 billion set aside to finance reconstruction projects on the island to pay for a US-Mexico border wall. "We didn't get the meeting that we wanted," said Mercader, "but they didn't rule out the possibility of a private meeting later on."

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/...r-says-n974721

[Rewind]

The President who brags about being a great negotiator and a great deal-maker imposed 10% tariffs on imports from China. The tariffs, which may rise to 25% next week, led China to to retaliate by imposing tariffs on imports from the US. As a result of Trump's trade war, Americans are paying higher prices on many goods and products; the steel, aluminum and solar-panel industries are dealing with higher costs by laying off employees; and American farmers have lost billions of dollars. But that's okay with Trump. We taxpayers will bail everybody out.

USDA has paid out $7.7 billion so far to farmers hit by Trump's tariffs
"Under the trade dispute, soybean exports to China alone have plummeted by 22 million tonnes, or more than 90%," said the USDA.

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/eco...rs-hit-n974516

[Rewind]

Who woulda thunk it? A few Republicans do have a spine. Sadly, the majority are still siding with Trump. Their party is more important to them than the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and our system of checks and balances. If the resolution to block Trump's phony "emergency declaration" passes the House and Senate, Trump will veto it. And because so many wishy-washy Republicans are afraid to oppose the President, Congress will not have enough votes to override the veto. The "Make America Hate Again" campaign will continue unabated.

Republican opposition mounts against Trump's emergency declaration, could trigger President's first veto

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...eto/ar-BBU0OfA

[Rewind]

In Trumpworld, which exists mainly in Donald Trump's mind, there is a "national emergency." That is what he keeps telling himself so he can justify taking billions of dollars from US taxpayers or from the Department of Defense and disaster relief funds so he can build The Trump Wall monument to himself. In the real world, however, that so-called "emergency" does not exist.

Former senior national security officials to issue declaration on national emergency
The Washington Post, Feb 24 2019

A bipartisan group of 58 former senior national security officials will issue a statement Monday saying "there is no factual basis" for President Trump's proclamation of a national emergency to build a wall on the US-Mexico border. The joint statement, whose signatories include former secretary of state Madeleine Albright and former defense secretary Chuck Hagel, will come a day before the House is expected to vote on a resolution to block Trump's February 15 declaration.

The former officials' statement, which will be entered into the Congressional Record, is intended to support lawsuits and other actions challenging the national emergency proclamation and to force the administration to set forth the legal and factual basis for it. "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," the group said.

Also signing were Eliot Cohen, State Department counselor under President George W. Bush; Thomas Pickering, President George H.W. Bush's ambassador to the United Nations; John Kerry, Obama's second secretary of state; Susan Rice, Obama's national security adviser; and Leon Panetta, Obama's CIA director and defense secretary.

Trump's national emergency declaration followed a 35-day partial government shutdown, which came after Congress did not approve the $5.7 billion he sought to build a wall.

The former security officials' 11-page declaration sets out their argument disputing the factual basis for the President's emergency. Among other things, they said, illegal border crossings are at nearly 40-year lows. Contrary to the President's assertion, there is no documented emergency at the southern border related to terrorism or violent crime, they said, citing administration reports and independent think tank analyses. Similarly, they state that there is no drug trafficking emergency that can be addressed by a wall along the southern border, noting that "the overwhelming majority of opioids" that enter the United States are brought in through legal ports of entry.

With respect to the declared national emergency, plaintiffs have filed two cases in the District of Columbia, two in California and one in Texas.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...ncy/ar-BBU25pG

[Rewind]

Trump's blindly loyal followers continue to parrot his "Fake news!" and "Witch hunt!" mantras regarding the Mueller investigation while refusing to acknowledge the 37 indictments and the many guilty pleas, plea bargains, convictions and prison sentences. Among the indicted are six (so far) Trump associates: Cohen, Stone, Gates, Flynn, Manafort and Papadopoulos. There are likely to be more indictments from Mueller and/or the New York Attorney General.

'Mueller's found a coven' in so-called witch hunt, says ex-DOJ official Neal Katyal

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...ays/ar-BBU0Nfy

[Rewind]

Dictators always lash out at their critics, often threatening them and trying to silence them. Our whiny, petulant, pompous, narcissistic, egotistical, thin-skinned President is no exception. Here are his latest attacks:

Trump accuses Spike Lee of 'racist hit' against him in Oscars speech

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...ech/ar-BBU3odI

Trump rips Harry Reid, falsely states he 'got thrown out' of the Senate

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...ate/ar-BBU3GUR

[Rewind]

Trump criticizes Reid. Brennan criticizes Trump for criticizing Reid. We can expect Trump will now criticize Brennan. Dictators do not abide criticism.

Former CIA director John Brennan fires back at 'selfish' Trump over Harry Reid criticism

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...ism/ar-BBU3IST