George H.W. Bush passed away last week and we remember his presidency & discuss his legacy. Michael Cohen & Paul Manafort are back in legal trouble and that might be a bad sign for Trump. After some early problems, Nancy Pelosi was nominated by the House Democrats to be Speaker of the House. Finally, Beto O'Rourke & Sherrod Brown are the most recent front runners for the Democratic nomination…but will they stay at the top?
After a few weeks off, we’re back! Brett Kavanaugh & Christine Blasey Ford appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week; one seemed in pain and one seemed angry. The Committee’s decision seemed to be a foregone conclusion until Senator Jeff Flake made a stunning demand. As if that wasn’t enough, Trump was literally laughed at by world leaders while speaking at the United Nations. Yup, we’re glad to be back, too!
Our thoughts go out to the McCain family as we remember one the great Senators of our time. Paul Manafort was found guilty and Michael Cohen pleaded guilty. Last week was not good for Trump...and this seems to be just the beginning. Taking the lead from the head of his party, Rep. Duncan Hunter, along with his wife, have been indicted for using campaign funds for personal expenses. Will they ever learn? The Trump administration has revoked former CIA Director John Brennan's security clearance and threatening to do it to more. Trump's enemy list is becoming for apparent by the day. Rudy Giuliani says that truth isn't truth...but he's Rudy Giuliani, so take that with a grain of salt. Finally, the Trump Administration is rolling back environmental regulations rather than updated current facilities. Hopefully everyone enjoys more smog.
Surprise! Michael Cohen taped conversations with Donald Trump and now Trump may have to worry about campaign finance violations. Trump also called on Jeff Sessions to stop the Russia hoax witch hunt, though Sarah Huckabee Sanders says it was an opinion, not an order. Rudy Giuliani continues his slow descent into madness with several confusing media appearances. The conspiracy group, QAnon, has started popping up at Trump rallies, which is pretty disturbing. Finally, North Korea continues to build missiles that can reach the U.S., but the administration is too busy praising Kim Jong-un to care.
Last week, Rod Rosenstein announced the indictment of 12 Russian intelligence officers. That obviously led to Trump delaying his meeting with Putin, right? Nah! Trump met with Putin, called America foolish & let Putin off the hook for Russia's election meddling. Trump also made a mess in England, where he criticized Theresa May and then claimed it was fake news, despite there being a recording of the interview. Recently, FBI agent Peter Strzok testified before the House Judiciary Committee and it resulted in a chaotic day of partisan bickering.
Trump has nominated Brett Kavenaugh to the Supreme Court and his feelings on subpoenas and Special Counsels might have a huge impact on the Mueller investigation. Trump flew to Europe for a NATO summit and immediately accused Germany of being captive to Russia - it sounds like he's projecting his feelings a bit. Trump disparaged a Massachusetts senator, a Republican Senator and former Republican President...while at a rally in Montana. Trump also pardoned ranchers who were convicted of setting a series of fires...because why not? Relations with North Korea took a unfortunate turn and Trump's victory speech might have been a little premature. Finally, some good news! Scott Pruitt is no longer the head of the EPA. Unfortunately, his replacement is just as bad.
Families are being separated at the border & Trump blames congressional democrats. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristjen Nielsen thinks these separations are because of a law & now a policy. They're wrong. The Inspector General’s report was released & Trump claims that it proves there was no Russian collusion. It doesn't. Trump claimed that parents of Korean War soldiers asked him to bring their children home from North Korea. They probably didn't. Rudy Giuliani thinks that Trump might pardon a lot of people after the Mueller investigation. He probably will.
Trump pardoned conservative commentator Dinesh D'Souza and stated he could pardon himself as well. Is that legal? That might end up being a decision for the Supreme Court. The New York Times obtained a copy Trump team memo to Robert Mueller. In it, we learn that the Trump administration lied, though Sarah Huckabee Sanders can't talk about it. Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort attempted to tamper with potential witnesses and Mueller revoke his release conditions. Trump announced tariffs on steel and aluminum - Canada, France and the EU are not happy. Finally, former Speaker of the House John Boehner laments the end of the GOP and the rise of the Trump Party.
Last weekend, we served as delegates at the Connecticut State Democratic Convention. We saw a lot and learned even more! Trump sent out a Memorial Day tweet, but seemed more interested in praising himself than truly celebrating the holiday. Trump has invented a new scandal and named it Spygate. He doesn't care if it's actually real as long as his base thinks it is. Immigration continues to be a problem as the U.S. government takes some children away from their families while losing track of others. Trump & King Jong-un continue their will they/won't they relationship, with Trump claiming verifiable sources don't exist. Finally, the NFL has officially ruled on their national anthem policy and it's rubbing a lot of people the wrong way.
The Senate Intelligence Committee released 2,500 pages of congressional testimony related to the 2016 Trump Tower meeting, and it doesn't make the Trump administration look good. North Korea might be pulling out of talks with the U.S., which teaches us to not count our chickens before they hatch. Rudy Giuliani has been on a media blitz and each interview is more disastrous than the one before. Trump has pulled the U.S. out of the Iranian nuclear deal and the world is less safe because of it. A White House aide said something truly heinous about Senator John McCain, but the Trump administration refuses to apologize. Finally, Gina Haspel is hoping to be confirmed as CIA director, but her past actions might prevent it.