At least, "Donald Trump and the Absolutely Roteen, Very Bad, No Good Day for Him."
For the rest of us, it was a good day. Some would say it was even a great day.
First there's this.
It was excellent. It was an instance of someone speaking truth to power.
Dr. Rick Bright’s testimony about the Trump administration’s failure to act and refusal to listen to warnings about the coronavirus is devastating for Trump.
Dr. Bright said, “Congresswoman, we’ve known for quite some time that our stockpile is insufficient and having those critical personal protective equipment, so once this virus began spreading and became known to be a threat, I did feel quite concerned that we didn’t have those supplies. I began pushing urgently in January, along with some industry colleagues as well, and those urges, those alarms were not responded to with action.”
Bright added that instead of reacting to his alarms, the Trump administration cut him out of meetings, “I was told that my urgings were causing a commotion and I was removed from those meetings.”
Not done there, this was announced yesterday.
This, to me, is stunning and for a few reasons.
First, it's who's calling for it.
Senator Lindsey "Clutching My Pearls and Always for Trump" Graham.
The FBI and all 16 of our other intelligence agencies all said the Russians interfered with our 2016 election, to start. Added to that, it's known, it's public knowledge that several members of this Republican President's election campaign met with Russians throughout the campaign and repeatedly.
How is that not collusion?
Added to it the Russians gave millions to the NRA during the election to help their man win.
Sure, Republicans control the Senate but when Democrats get to ask questions, as they inevitably, unavoidably will, it won't be pretty. At least, it won't be pretty for this President and his administration. It will be good for the United States and Democracy and the Constitution and America and Americans but it won't go well for this President. The Republicans want to say the FBI worked for the Obama administration in "attacking" Trump during the campaign. They may well get very much more than they bargain for with this investigation.
Then, next up today, Senator Graham frankly stunned me with this.
And sure, there's no "there" there regarding Trump's imagined "Obamagate" but you have to know this President took this as a negative, if not even an out and out attack on him personally. If Senator Graham keeps this up, I might one day think he's for the rule of law and the American people.
And the Michael Flynn case is nothing if not a travesty of justice and law and laws and lots of legal authorities have come out and said just that.
Abandoning the case is the latest step in a pattern of dismantling the work of the Russia investigators. A former prosecutor likened it to eating the department from the inside out.
Then, third, this also came out yesterday. This is huge.
The suit alleges that Trump is in violation of the Constitution’s emoluments clause, which forbids him from accepting money from foreign entities.
President Trump’s decision not to divest himself of his businesses, in particular his foreign holdings or holdings that derive income from foreign governments, was a fateful error that flew in the face of precedent, clean government and the Constitution. Now, a federal appeals court has held he cannot derive income from foreign governments that frequent his businesses.
The full U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, sitting en banc on Thursday, overruled a decision from a panel on the same court that prevented a case brought by Maryland and the District of Columbia from proceeding. The case alleged that Trump’s hotel business with foreign governments violates the emoluments clause, and the specific issue for the full 4th Circuit was whether to intervene to force the district court to allow an interlocutory appeal and thereby prevent the district court from proceeding with discovery (which would entail the investigation of Trump’s finances).
The 4th Circuit held that no, the case could proceed as the district court ordered. The majority held that dismissal of the entire action was not warranted because Maryland and D.C.'s argument that emoluments include “all profits and other benefits [accepted from a foreign or domestic government] that [the President] accepts through the businesses he owns” is plausible.
Again, huge, forgive the repeat. The President can, in fact, be tried in court for breaking, if not shattering, the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution which says he shouldn't be taking in money, profiting, while he is, in fact, President. For all 44 other Presidents, this had been settled.
Not done there, not done yesterday, this hit today, this morning.
And then the pièce de résistance, at least for now, today.
Go get 'em, Joe. Atta' boy. "Sleepy Joe Biden", my posterior.
Amazingly not done there, this came out today also.
Check out this little beauty.
President Trump on Friday declined to say if he is sticking with his nominee to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media, after a top senator disclosed that the individual is under investigation.
Trump was asked about Michael Pack's nomination to be the chief executive officer for the agency, which oversees Voice of America, during a Rose Garden event on Friday.
It just keeps getting better and better.
Additionally, this President is even be evaluated by his own political party. Hmmm. Also came out yesterday. 's'wunnerful.
Finally today, check this out. This is what he did today.
We're experiencing, suffering from, suffering through the worst, most killing international pandemic in the last 100+ years and he's out introducing a flag for his utterly unnecessary, spending boondoggle, his "Space Force."
Who are we supposed to be out there fighting against in space, anyway?
Thanks, Mr. President!
Thanks, Republicans!
At least Nero fiddled while Rome burned.
Someone probably enjoyed the music.
So yes, all in all a very bad day for Mr. Trump all around.
And it didn't stop yet today, either.
Think happy thoughts, campers, Americans. There may be hope for us all yet. Heaven knows there's a great deal to be concerned with, still, between this pandemic and this administration but at least we have some glimmers of hope. Strong glimmers, too, I think.
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