Trump pardons people who share his political views

Trump is pardoning Dinesh D’Sousza who pleaded guilty to making illegal campaign contributions.

Will be giving a Full Pardon to Dinesh D’Souza today. He was treated very unfairly by our government!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2018

He wasn’t treated unfairly. He was guilty and admitted it.

CNN Analysis of the pardons and their impact on the Russia investigation

Washington Post analysis

The President has the right to pardon but the facts are these: D'Souza intentionally broke the law, voluntarily pled guilty, apologized for his conduct & the judge found no unfairness. The career prosecutors and agents did their job. Period. https://t.co/bA3I8vs4QQ via @politico

— Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) May 31, 2018

Dinesh D’Souza said the Charlottesville rally was a hoax, shared images calling Obama a gay Muslim, said Michelle Obama is a man, started conspiracy theory about Vegas shooting, mocked shooting survivors and defended Hitler. Just in the past year. This pardon is disgraceful.

— Scott Dworkin (@funder) May 31, 2018

Dinesh D'Souza has long been a nasty and extreme ideologue peddling hate and racism. So he's a perfect recipient of Trump pardon. https://t.co/Phadw2PNBr

— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) May 31, 2018

obama pardoned people who faced real injustice. trump pardons pieces of shit like dinesh d'souza and joe arpaio. that's the difference.

— Oliver Willis (@owillis) May 31, 2018

Not that it affects the legal case, but Dinesh D’Souza’s twitter feed looks like Roseanne’s x 1,000 and is what he’s been known for in recent years. There’s a separate message getting sent there too with this pardon. https://t.co/aDKjkqYiXT

— Benjy Sarlin (@BenjySarlin) May 31, 2018

Trump’s Dinesh D’Souza pardon today, on top of his pardons of Scooter Libby and Joe Arpaio, make sense only as an elephant-whistle to Michael Cohen & all who know damning things about Trump: protect me & I’ll have your back. Turn on me & your goose is cooked. More obstruction!

— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) May 31, 2018

In pardoning the well-documented criminality of folks like Dinesh D'Souza and Joe Arpaio, President Trump is sending a clear message: Personal loyalty to his administration will secure legal immunity.

It can't be overstated how subversive this is to a functioning democracy. https://t.co/oqxuei9pIa

— Serene Jones (@SereneJones) May 31, 2018

Also important here is the *way* he's doing these pardons (Arpaio, Libby, D'souza), which as far as I can tell, aren't going through the pardon attorney process.

— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) May 31, 2018

let’s remember just *three months ago* when D’Souza was disinvited from CPAC for mocking the Parkland kids pic.twitter.com/gzrTL0KRph

— Charlie Warzel (@cwarzel) May 31, 2018

D’Souza has been loudly blasting law enforcement and defending Trump. Yet another signal from Trump that he will help his allies even if they committed serious crimes. https://t.co/W03qwynxcY

— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) May 31, 2018

D’Souza’s claims that he was treated unfairly in his prosecution were found to be completely without merit by a federal judge. See the thread below. https://t.co/rIfhQGF3Gb

— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) May 31, 2018

one particularly odious comment i forgot: after unarmed African-American teenager Trayvon Martin was shot to death in Florida, Dinesh D'Souza referred to President Obama as "Grown-Up Trayvon in the White House" https://t.co/BXiuija7zB

— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) May 31, 2018

These are called “Straw Donors.” D’Souza reimbursed the Straw Donors $10k each in cash, $20k total

During the plea proceeding, D’Souza “admitted that he knew that what he was doing was wrong and something the law forbids,” per US Attorney.

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 31, 2018

Trump's weaponization of pardons for use in the culture war could be a big part of his legacy, writes @GrahamDavidA: https://t.co/FE0dB1mc0i

— TheAtlanticPolitics (@TheAtlPolitics) May 31, 2018

Ever the class act. https://t.co/6U4C7sjFro

— Neil King (@NKingofDC) May 31, 2018

Dinesh D'Souza forced to apologize for mocking Florida shooting survivors after massive backlash https://t.co/ztk39z3Xfc pic.twitter.com/9eL0742mO3

— The Hill (@thehill) February 22, 2018

The power to pardon is one of the president's most absolute powers. And it has certainly been used with politics in mind before (Marc Rich). But politically driven pardons now appear to becoming the norm. Something to pause and consider. pic.twitter.com/jG0ANOzUoq

— Eric Lipton (@EricLiptonNYT) May 31, 2018

What's the pattern w/ pardoning Libby & D'Souza, floating Stewart & Blagojevich? Celebrity + white collar + undoing big wins by enemies (prosecutors were Comey, his lawyer Pat Fitzgerald, & fired SDNY US atty @PreetBharara). Who else fits? Maybe Conrad Black, another Fitz case…

— Charlie Savage (@charlie_savage) May 31, 2018

I know the two aren't connected – but I keep thinking back to the Texas woman who got five years for voting illegally. D’Souza, with his guilty plea of making illegal campaign contributions, faced a MAX of two years. https://t.co/j77UsAstOt

— Sopan Deb (@SopanDeb) May 31, 2018

It’s always about Trump

Trump did not condemn Roseanne Barr’s racists tweets. Instead, he used it as an opportunity to make the issue about himself and demand apologies.

Trump is a racist as he has shown repeatedly so it’s not surprising he didn’t disagree with Barr’s tweets. He has no interest in uniting the country. He only cares about his base.

Not all Trump supporters are bigots but I think a lot of them are. He didn’t attack Barr’s remarks so he wouldn’t offend them. I don’t blame Trump for Barr’s tweets but he has created an environment where bigots are more open because of his encouragement.

Sad!

Trump lies as usual at his Nashville rally

Fact checks on Trump’s rally this week. I don’t think he can give a speech without lying. It’s scary when he incites the crowd to call MS-13 animals. They’re bad people but they’re still people.

Minute by minute account

Video of the rally

and there’s this:

The 45 most astonishing lines from Donald Trump's Nashville speech https://t.co/psF8O3BpoQ pic.twitter.com/TxQK1HvSQU

— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) May 30, 2018

Take Romney’s 47% gaffe – or frankly any major political gaffe in history – and dump it into Trumps Nashville speech verbatim. The remark wouldn’t have even made it into the newspaper. https://t.co/KkdMDb6gFw pic.twitter.com/P5NtuuwuoQ

— Tim Miller (@Timodc) May 31, 2018

White racial resentment is the real reason for welfare cuts

This is an excellent article on white racial resentment and it’s impact on views of the safety net.

It states: “White Americans are more likely to favor welfare cuts when they believe that their status is threatened and that minorities are the main beneficiaries of safety net programs, the study says.

The findings suggest that political efforts to cut welfare programs are driven less by conservative principles than by racial anxiety, the authors conclude.”

Sad!

Trump attacks our allies on trade

If we have any allies left after all of his terrible behavior…..

Trump imposes tariffs on Canada, Mexico and Europe.

Story, to be updated: Trump imposes steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada, damaging Canadian companies and the broader relationship: https://t.co/wMzD7rIdat

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) May 31, 2018

Reminder: not even the *US aluminum industry* wants tariffs on aluminum from Canada, Mexico, the EU and other "market economies" https://t.co/zCxv16rDt7

— Scott Lincicome (@scottlincicome) May 31, 2018

The EU has a very detailed list (https://t.co/pKqKabOh1J) of US products it plans to retaliate against, including steel, bourbon, rice, beans, jeans, motor boats, makeup, and orange juice. Canada has not specified plans yet; government has said it's contemplating several options.

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) May 31, 2018

Trump explicitly argues that allies have treated the U.S. worse on trade than its enemies have. https://t.co/cW9sLdGHwg

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) May 31, 2018

Told that Canada's government says that it's absurd that Canada poses a national security threat – national security being the official rationale here – Commerce Sec Wilbur Ross says, "Governments will say what they say.”

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) May 31, 2018

Mexico answers US tariffs with its own on US pork bellies, grapes, apples and flat steel. The EU is expected to retaliate with tariffs on US jeans, motorcycles and bourbon.

If you're a Trumper who works in one of these industries – congratulations – you may have won a pink slip!

— Facts Do Matter (@WilDonnelly) May 31, 2018

Trudeau calls tariffs “an affront to the long-standing security partnership between Canada and the United States, and in particular, to the thousands of Canadians who have fought and died alongside American comrades-in-arms” and vows retaliation

— Ana Swanson (@AnaSwanson) May 31, 2018

Rural America shouldn’t be treated like collateral damage & it’s insulting to expect hardworking farmers, ranchers, & manufacturers to bear the negative impacts of poorly planned trade policy like tariffs on aluminum and steel.

— Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (@SenatorHeitkamp) May 31, 2018

GOP senator to @tedbarrett on Trump tariffs: "I don't like trade wars. There are no winners in trade wars. And this scares me … A lot of us have talked to [Trump] in person about this … Most of my Republican colleagues feel this way — most being the overwhelming majority."

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) May 31, 2018

Canada will also challenge these illegal & counterproductive measures under NAFTA Chapter 20 and at the WTO. It is simply ridiculous to view any trade with Canada as a national security threat to the US and we will continue to stand up for Canadian workers & Canadian businesses.

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) May 31, 2018

The United Steelworkers don't support the Trump administration's latest steel-tariffs move, which extends the duties to Canada. "This decision is unacceptable and calls into serious question the design and direction of the administration's trade policy." @steelworkers

— William Mauldin (@willmauldin) May 31, 2018

President Trump’s trade war will not end well. Such recklessness alienates our allies and puts American farmers, businesses, and consumers on the hook to lose big. https://t.co/WNqdKAsPL8

— Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) May 31, 2018

Trump just poured ice water on the economy in service of his trade war https://t.co/IwyjIRn49O (via @latimesopinion) pic.twitter.com/tclReH3xtU

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) May 31, 2018

#UPDATE Macron said he "deplored" the US move to impose harsh tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from the European Union, declaring it an "illegal" decision "not in line with international trade law" https://t.co/7MOrnZbErK

— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 31, 2018

To date, the Trump admin appears to be pursuing a trade policy that creates economic chaos and uncertainty rather than jobs for hard working Americans.

— Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) May 31, 2018

Tories said they could do a deal with Trump. They were wrong. “America First” meant Britain second. Trump’s protectionist rhetoric has now been matched by action and 31,000 UK steel workers have to face the consequences of their own government’s failure. https://t.co/JvDWlJBJyn

— Bill Esterson (@Bill_Esterson) May 31, 2018

On @Morning_Joe today, I discussed Trump’s incoherent trade policy management https://t.co/KIKCC78wyo

— Steven Rattner (@SteveRattner) May 31, 2018

Our allies are perplexed by his policies.

Trump lies about the Comey firing

Trump today tweeted that he did not fire Comey because of Russia. There’s lots of proof in his own words that he did. He’s a pathological liar!

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!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2018

“I just fired the head of the F.B.I. He was crazy, a real nut job. I faced great pressure because of Russia. That’s taken off.” — Donald Trump to Sergey Lavrov and Sergey Kislyak https://t.co/L3KDlRui8y

— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) May 31, 2018

Sad!

The death toll in Puerto Rico is much higher than we were told

The official total is 64 but the actual total is closer to 5,000.

A new Harvard study estimates that nearly 5,000 people died in Puerto Rico due to Hurricane Maria – a much larger number than the official government death toll of 64. https://t.co/Vkfv6S30vs

— NPR Politics (@nprpolitics) May 29, 2018

Trump once favorably compared the death toll in Puerto Rico to Hurricane Katrina. A new study now shows more than twice as many died in Puerto Rico.https://t.co/bVxvICZZQ2 pic.twitter.com/VsxAFNiUie

— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) May 29, 2018

When Trump visited Puerto Rico, he congratulated himself on the low death toll and said they should be "very proud". Then he want on to say Maria wasn't “a real catastrophe like Katrina." Like Trump did yesterday with Memorial day, he tried to use the occasion to prop himself up.

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) May 29, 2018

The death toll in Puerto Rico is now estimated at 4,654, and Trump's lack of engagement is largely to blame https://t.co/xcsJ17yHVv pic.twitter.com/DNHjHR1z7b

— Bloomberg Opinion (@bopinion) May 29, 2018

Ivanka Trump’s conflict of interest

Ivanka Trump's brand continues to win foreign trademarks in China and the Philippines, adding to questions about conflicts of interest at the White House https://t.co/GnQTIo4KbU

— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) May 28, 2018

Why is Ivanka Trump, who has no foreign policy experience and doesn’t even have a full security clearance, conducting diplomacy in a country where she holds business trademarks?https://t.co/YRfA5WtSzi

— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) March 19, 2018

Then the president wants to help Chinese firm ZTE.

The article states: “Even as Mr. Trump contends with Beijing on issues like security and trade, his family and the company that bears his name are trying to make money off their brand in China’s flush and potentially promising market.”

It sure looks like a conflict of interest to me!

Does anyone recall our still pending Emoluments Clause lawsuits vs. Trump? If Donald (and Ivanka) divested themselves of their businesses as required by the Clause, we wouldn’t even be *asking* whether the ZTE deal was a quid pro quo sellout of our national security. @NormEisen https://t.co/AXHr09OSdq

— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) May 29, 2018

Yes they have a deal in mind. It is a great deal… for #ZTE & China. #China crushes U.S. companies with no mercy & they use these telecomm companies to spy & steal from us. Many hoped this time would be different. Now congress will need to act. https://t.co/ETMUCe9ia6

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) May 25, 2018

Many members of Congress oppose the ZTE deal.

Good for ABC for canceling Roseanne

Congratulations to ABC for putting values over money when they cancelled “Roseanne” because of the star’s disgusting tweets. Maybe Fox News will pick the show up.

Here’s an overview of what happened.

Roseanne had apologized and said it was a joke. It wasn’t a joke. Saying it was a joke is the strategy Trump uses when he says especially repulsive things.

Some tweets:

The big picture: Roseanne Barr has millions of fans and followers. And she misleads them all the time by tweeting hateful conspiracy theories. https://t.co/bbaPYasw3E

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) May 29, 2018

This is an important point. This is a pattern of behavior, not a momentary lapse of reason. https://t.co/yiqXkWWO6G

— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) May 29, 2018

It's a weird world where a TV network takes a moral stand that the president of the United States isn't willing to take

— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) May 29, 2018

A really outrageous lie about George Soros

This fact check notes: ” George Soros has frequently been the target of smear campaigns, none more odious than the persistent — and false — claim that Soros, a Jew, was a Nazi sympathizer, collaborator, and/or paramilitary officer during World War II.”

Keep in mind that Soros was only 14 when the war ended!

Roseanne Barr tweeted this lie.

Don't allow this to be missed in all the chaos today

The President's Son retweeted Roseanne's disgusting tweets about George Soros, who was 9 (same age as Anne Frank) when WWII started and is a Jew himself. The Tweets claim he turned in fellow Jews to be killed.

This is FALSE! pic.twitter.com/payz46UdBG

— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) May 29, 2018

GEORGE SOROS spokesperson responds to ROSEANNE's claim that he turned in fellow Jews to the Nazis, while stealing their wealth: "Such false allegations are insulting to the victims of the Holocaust" & "an affront to Mr. Soros & his family, who against the odds managed to survive" pic.twitter.com/Fy1qzTt8V7

— Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) May 29, 2018

Sad!