Trump’s legal and ethical troubles extend well beyond the Mueller investigation. https://t.co/od0DZvxj1X
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) March 30, 2019
Month: March 2019
Medicare chief spends government funds on GOP consultants
More abuse by a Trump appointee. What a corrupt bunch!
#YouMightThinkItsOK for Trump appointee Seema Verma to use government money meant for Medicare, Medicaid and the ACA to pay off millions of dollars to her Republican buddies while she demands work requirements for poor people on Medicaid, but I don't.https://t.co/5x0jp8MsPI
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) March 29, 2019
Never heard of anything like this before. A reminder that this administration’s scandals aren’t limited to Trump – people are looting the government at all levels. https://t.co/ViWvYnjMZg
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) March 29, 2019
Verma’s team of consultants includes (1) a specialist in helping GOP women with their brands and (2) a longtime colleague from Indiana who got blocked from a CMS job.
— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) March 29, 2019
Their rate: $185-$200 per hour, apiece. pic.twitter.com/v0vYThJg0j
Trump is world's worst cheater at golf: book https://t.co/mFuldOPgis
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) March 30, 2019
Mr. Trash Wheel
Mr. Trash Wheel removes trash from the Baltimore Harbor.
He has his own twitter account.
I'm really feeling myself today. #flawless
— Mr. Trash Wheel (@MrTrashWheel) March 17, 2019
📸: @cjax1694 pic.twitter.com/veuHcltyCI
A fan of mine got stained glass windows WITH MY FACE! Now my beaming visage will literally SHINE down every morning. I can think of no higher tribute. pic.twitter.com/cj2RLe0fhK
— Mr. Trash Wheel (@MrTrashWheel) March 21, 2019
Pro Tip: A few googly eyes can turn any curly bannister into an homage to my beloved trash snek. pic.twitter.com/PAWoxZmzuu
— Mr. Trash Wheel (@MrTrashWheel) March 19, 2019
You can ever get a plush toy and t-shirts
I think it’s time for a #FanArtFriday! 🎨 Check out this super rad tatto of me by @alexjdoucette! 😁 I’m honored to be on this human’s arm! 💪 pic.twitter.com/vAyJ0lxGfW
— Mr. Trash Wheel (@MrTrashWheel) April 8, 2022
Trump administration/Republicans override voters’ decision in Utah
Utah voters approved Medicaid expansions. The Trump administration will let Utah Republicans go against the will of the voters and limit it.
Republicans keep saying elections matter when we express concern about the Supreme Court. However, they didn’t respect the election here.
The Trump administration granted a request for a more limited Medicaid expansion in Utah, effectively short-circuiting a ballot measure approved by voters in November https://t.co/DbKUrcVCl6 pic.twitter.com/V6s0aPKxiq
— CNN (@CNN) March 29, 2019
background:
Utah voters chose Medicaid expansion. Republican politicians decided they knew better.https://t.co/3kRDUlMovD pic.twitter.com/LtUztrCElL
— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) February 14, 2019
It’s official: Utah GOP lawmakers will shrink the Medicaid expansion that voters approved just 97 days ago. https://t.co/H7CN3CaKVc by @rachanadixit
— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) February 11, 2019
Trump threatens to close the border with Mexico
President Trump repeated his threat to close down the border between the US and Mexico, this time setting a deadline of next week if Mexico doesn't step up. @edlavaCNN reports. https://t.co/2z1TnDVGfY pic.twitter.com/DhG76JRQYF
— CNN (@CNN) March 29, 2019
Trump just now: "Mexico is going to have to do something. With the trade deficit we've had with Mexico, closing the border is going to be a profit-making operation."
— Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) March 29, 2019
A profit-making operation. Hmmmm.
Here's the full (eye-poppingly inaccurate) quote: "Mexico is gonna have to do something, otherwise I'm closing the border. I'll just close the border. And with a deficit like we have with Mexico, and have had for many years, closing the border will be a profit-making operation."
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) March 29, 2019
Just now, per @JDiamond1, Trump "falsely claimed that 'closing the border will be a profit-making operation for the US,' even though closing the US-Mexico border would in fact result in significant economic losses for both countries."
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) March 29, 2019
"Mexico could stop it so easily," Trump said of "big caravans" he claimed are now coming from Central America.
— POLITICO (@politico) March 29, 2019
He said he stopped foreign aid to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador because "they set up these caravans" and threatened to close the border "for a long time" pic.twitter.com/UqxcBSgOwM
Trump says he’ll close all or much of the Mexican border “next week” if Mexico does not stop “ALL” illegal immigration by then. He usually doesn’t attach a specific deadline to this threat. pic.twitter.com/9ganJ2zMBz
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) March 29, 2019
TRUMP CAN'T: "shut down" the border to asylum-seekers crossing illegally
— Dara Lind (@DLind) March 29, 2019
TRUMP CAN: shut down legal ports of entry
ADMINISTRATION MIGHT: move staff from ports to take care of migrants, even (if necessary) to the point of port closure
YOU SHOULD: read this https://t.co/6LDrU8RsSm
Cutting off trade with Mexico would not stop thousands of migrants from crossing the border to exercise legal right to seek asylum on U.S. soil. And Mexico does not have the manpower or the means to immediately implement the kind of draconian enforcement regime Trump is demanding https://t.co/jm8Yn5crv4
— Nick Miroff (@NickMiroff) March 29, 2019
Canadian-born artist is building a wall of cheese along the U.S.-Mexico border #MakeAmericaGrateAgain (h/t @NaheedMustafa) https://t.co/Ubor3CxMvI pic.twitter.com/oA4A7K4X9u
— As It Happens (@cbcasithappens) March 28, 2019
$558 billion in goods flow across the U.S.- Mexico border in both directions, making Mexico our third-biggest trading partner for goods.
— Nick Jack Pappas (@Pappiness) March 29, 2019
Closing the border would cost billions.
Trump is a business failure, and America doesn't have a rich father to cover up our losses.
Trump lies, then changes policy on the Great Lakes
Trump said it was his "great honor" to fund Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, "which you have been trying to get for 30 years." In fact, Obama always funded the program, and Trump's budget proposes a 90 percent cut. https://t.co/0b2X4upn0V via @YLindaQiu
— Annie Karni (@anniekarni) March 29, 2019
Trump just flip-flopped on his own admin's proposed budget again. He said "I'm going to get, in honor of my friends, full funding of $300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative." His budget had proposed $30 million. https://t.co/51SZR4VSn2
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) March 29, 2019
1. Every Trump budget proposes steep cuts to Great Lakes restoration
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) March 29, 2019
2. Congress ignores him every year, fully funds it
3. Trump goes to Michigan and brags he's fully funding Great Lakes restoration, "which you have been trying to get for over 30 years" https://t.co/cPcGHVMLHq
Donald Trump just went on a very weird rant about the Great Lakes https://t.co/JOtMYMCAva pic.twitter.com/luQlRe73Ty
— Mother Jones (@MotherJones) March 29, 2019
Great Lakes/Special Olympics funding are latest variants of Trump's signature move (https://t.co/bShaIUEhpo):
— Brendan Nyhan (@BrendanNyhan) March 29, 2019
1. Create crisis over distorted version of status quo.
2. Restore status quo.
3. Take credit for status quo.
Trump gets fact-checked by Lake Superior on Twitter after saying Great Lakes have "record deepness" https://t.co/vVQh2h8fT3 pic.twitter.com/2JJO8owG9U
— The Hill (@thehill) March 29, 2019
Trump’s budget strategy is to cut or eliminate a bunch of important programs and then triumphantly restore whichever ones cause the most controversy.
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) March 29, 2019
A true hero. https://t.co/1qGCQS22wG
Last night, Trump proudly said he was funding Great Lakes restoration. In fact, his budget this year would cut the program 90%, after he proposed to completely eliminate the program in 2017 and 2018
— Chris Lu (@ChrisLu44) March 29, 2019
Flashback to how this was covered in 2017. #FactsMatter https://t.co/vek4FEGO8F
Qanon supporters at the Trump rally
These folks are scary!
Trump is leading a cult fueled by anger and paranoia. And the GOP is just fine with that. This recent appeasement/courtship of deplorables began with the Tea Party, then Sarah Palin, then birther Trump. Now GOP = QAnon. Sad. https://t.co/uG8drXms1D
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) March 29, 2019
I've been covering Qanon for a year, and the amount of pro-Q people in this video from yesterday's Trump rally line in Grand Rapids is absolutely shocking. This is just a portion of it. pic.twitter.com/hTDGEnPsEi
— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) March 29, 2019
This is jaw-dropping. A large number of the people waiting to get into last night’s Trump rally in Grand Rapids were yelling their support for QAnon. https://t.co/vjoShicexz
— George Conway (@gtconway3d) March 29, 2019
Hi there – Qanon is a terrifying death cult. It would be good for everyone to pay attention to its spread. https://t.co/ulbCcaWvrr
— Tommy Vietor (@TVietor08) March 29, 2019
QAnon is a failure of critical thinking, but it's also a failure of community. People with thriving familial and social circles simply don't waste their lives pretending John Podesta eats babies and Michelle Obama is actually a man. https://t.co/mLJOAat8UI
— Mike Rothschild (@rothschildmd) March 29, 2019
Trump is leading a cult fueled by anger and paranoia. And the GOP is just fine with that. This recent appeasement/courtship of deplorables began with the Tea Party, then Sarah Palin, then birther Trump. Now GOP = QAnon. Sad. https://t.co/uG8drXms1D
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) March 29, 2019
The most successful YouTube Qanon grifters are ex- or current faith healers, small time Youtube televangelists, or supplement pushers.
— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) March 29, 2019
A notorious one filed the paperwork to go tax-free on religious grounds pre-Q and has rolled that over. https://t.co/qUYaQLs8Zh
The extent of Trump’s wretched impact on the GOP and American politics cannot, unfortunately, be fully absorbed without understanding QAnon. https://t.co/n81dp4SFWG
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) March 29, 2019
"QAnon" conspiracy theory makes appearance at pro-Brexit rally https://t.co/agV95vMzR3 pic.twitter.com/6do8KLykGz
— The Hill (@thehill) March 29, 2019
Trump's latest tweet includes a picture of a giant "Q" sign for QAnon. pic.twitter.com/yfH8cvoJhn
— Will Sommer (@willsommer) March 29, 2019
What’s really in the Mueller report?
I find it hard to believe that Mueller would say that the Trump Tower meeting, the lies, Manafort giving polling data to a Russian, etc. are alright. This could be like the Clinton emails – he did something wrong but it wasn’t criminal.
Barr now says that his 4-page letter last weekend wasn't really a "summary" of Mueller's report and he never intended to summarize 400 pages because that wouldn't have been in the "public interest." The technical legal term for this is "walking back your story." https://t.co/4ZeUkWTnTB
— Tim O'Brien (@TimOBrien) March 29, 2019
Barr realizes that he and Trump carried the nothing to see, just move along WAY too soon and must craft a narrative to defend himself from the legitimate complaint that he inserted himself and tried to exonerate Trump politically. I wonder if Mueller threatened to go public
— Jennifer Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) March 29, 2019
With the narrative now almost entirely set that Mueller produced a nothingburger on collusion, is Barr’s language laying the groundwork for a walk back? I suspect we’ll see that Mueller agreed with @AdamSchiff that Team Trump’s actions were far from “ok,” although not chargeable. https://t.co/mlFAWNcdWs
— Ned Price (@nedprice) March 29, 2019
Crucial point here: https://t.co/MwFCSEHhpZ
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) March 29, 2019
Nadler not satisfied. He says the April 2 deadline "still stands." He says he and Barr should work to request a court order to obtain grand jury info, saying there is "ample precedent" for doing so. And he says Barr should testify sooner than May 2 https://t.co/g8RuRooiiv
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 29, 2019
As I’ve been saying, it was unsustainable. Barr walks some of it back today. It’s do over Friday! @OutFrontCNN @CNNTonight later. (I’m most taken by Barr bypassing WH privilege objections, relying on Trump public statements as justification and putting burden on them to raise.) https://t.co/COWvZmtM3e
— Juliette Kayyem (@juliettekayyem) March 29, 2019
1. Fascinating new letter on the Mueller report from Barr
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) March 29, 2019
One thing that sticks out to me: Barr asserts that his initial letter is NOT A SUMMARY of the report
Seems to be trying to preempt criticism of the report diverging significantly from the tone of his letter https://t.co/2FYf40PLNK
"What Barr decides to redact and why… Certain to become the subject of scrutiny… Amid calls from the Democrats for maximum transparency… [He] addressed concerns that Trump and his attorneys will use executive privilege to conceal damaging information…" – @NicolleDWallace pic.twitter.com/GpTBYDROgM
— Deadline White House (@DeadlineWH) March 29, 2019
It is inconceivable that the Trump Administration will legally get away with withholding any portion of the Mueller report from the House, given its constitutional role in impeachment. Barr is just stalling for time, and it’s working. https://t.co/Eljufa4wem
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) March 29, 2019
Ex-CIA officer: "There is a gray area between 'no collusion' and 'Trump is a foreign agent.' https://t.co/Nlr0N71o0J @alexzfinley @Publici @voxdotcom pic.twitter.com/RIjQKCIVw8
— David Beard (@dabeard) March 29, 2019
At least two area of redactions bound to concern Ds. 1) Information that would "unduly infringe" third parties; 2) Grand jury info. "Congress is entitled to the grand jury material," D aide said, pointing to Watergate as precedent. https://t.co/zESO75G1CNhttps://t.co/g1S8kV7aaU
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 29, 2019
Yes, you’re absolutely right. But given Barr’s insinuation that he made that call based on Trump’s public comment without further consultation, who knows where they’ll land on exec privilege if Trump gets mad. But, Barr can’t assert it for him. It would have to come from POTUS.
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) March 29, 2019
Electoral college tweets (updated 3/29/19)
Half of voters say the national popular vote should be used for presidential elections, a new poll shows https://t.co/MN7Xvdfjrd
— POLITICO (@politico) March 27, 2019
The degradation of conservative discourse (re e.g., Electoral College):
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) March 23, 2019
From: We should respect the Constitution and established forms and be wary of proposals for change (see e.g. Fed #49).
To: YOU CAN'T EVEN QUESTION ANY CURRENT ARRANGEMENT EVEN IF IT'S NOT WORKING AS INTENDED.
The 12th, 14th, 15th, 19th, 22nd, 23d, and 26th amendments to the Constitution each previously altered the system for selecting presidents https://t.co/Fqz9LNK6QI
— David Frum (@davidfrum) March 23, 2019
1/3
— James Fallows (@JamesFallows) March 23, 2019
“Hmm, I wonder how maps work?” a mini reminder for the day.
First, the map below, presented in the way you see. https://t.co/Zg3Wt4mtSC
This is stupid to the point of being vulgar. I am up for real debate about this issue and virtually any other, but I have had my fill of the intellectually dishonest. If you want to act like acres of land vote and not people, then you probably shouldn’t be taken very seriously. https://t.co/CwxItCRhMb
— Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) March 22, 2019
Great column by @henryolsenEPPC on why conservatives should be open to doing away with the Electoral College — and more broadly, why they should be open to compromises on voting access issues:https://t.co/WvhsJure4G
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) March 22, 2019
Clinton would have won the Electoral College if these were the 50 states pic.twitter.com/d3GGgU7nCi
— Nate Cohn (@Nate_Cohn) March 22, 2019
Since I've made fun of a lot of bad arguments for the Electoral College, here's what I'd consider a decent defense of it to be. This is somewhat devil's advocate-y—overall, I'd prefer to eliminate the EC and federalize the presidential election—but IMO this is a reasonable case. pic.twitter.com/yr36TFSb4i
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) March 22, 2019
As someone who is *not* super anti-Electoral College, I'm just going to repeat what I said earlier this week, which is that most people trying to defend the Electoral College would be better off saying nothing because their arguments have been really dumb. https://t.co/W4W1pOqlRB
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) March 22, 2019
The number of tweets/words devoted to the Electoral College's small state bias is way out of line. It's just not the main reason why the system produces countermajoritarian outcomes https://t.co/bMzgktwdze
— Nate Cohn (@Nate_Cohn) March 22, 2019
As long as we're rethinking how we elect presidents, here's why ranked-choice voting would be best. https://t.co/L6VU4RnRFZ
— Lee Drutman (@leedrutman) March 21, 2019
It's always a tell that Alaska isn't shown to scale in these maps. https://t.co/mxT320lJdo
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) March 22, 2019
Reupping some ?s: we’ve had 2x pop vote loser won EC since 00 after just 3x in > 2 centuries. Is there a # of divergences when it becomes a problem, or fine as routine? Also what if EC winner loses pop vote by 6/7 million or more? Is there a size of split that’s ever concerning? https://t.co/Sr9fL47zoC
— Ronald Brownstein (@RonBrownstein) March 21, 2019
Of all the @YouTube videos, I've made in the last 6 months, this one we just dropped on the Electoral College might be my favoritehttps://t.co/zOMzxx2Zng
— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) March 21, 2019
NEW: Abolish the Electoral College. Kill the filibuster. Expand the Supreme Court. Make DC a state.
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) March 21, 2019
The 2020 Democratic debate is moving beyond policy to a battle over fundamentally restructuring a system progressives believe is unfair.https://t.co/plF6uQryBz
Republicans attack AOC
She’s their new Hillary Clinton on Nancy Pelosi. Notice how they attack women. Their chant last night is frightening.
I think she’s very smart and have been impressed by her public remarks and questions at hearings. I don’t agree on everything but she knows the issues and background.
"AOC sucks!": Donald Trump Jr. points his father’s followers to a new villain, and a new rallying cry https://t.co/iwdWt7MXSr
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) March 29, 2019
The GOP's terrifying tale of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezhttps://t.co/YBw6RP5YR3 pic.twitter.com/5mgNa3GE1S
— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) March 29, 2019
"Our progress in degeneracy appears to me to be pretty rapid."
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) March 29, 2019
— A. Lincoln, Aug. 24, 1855. https://t.co/UOvEob5e99
It’s almost as though there is a directed + concerted far-right propaganda machine with a whole cable news channel, and a dark-money internet operation propped up by the Mercers et al dedicated to maligning me & stoking nat’l division, reported on by @JaneMayerNYer or something https://t.co/HChBp04c8W
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 29, 2019
.@AOC says a GOP member of Congress confronted her on the House floor, accusing her of pocketing $10 million from Netflix. Quite an imagination! https://t.co/W8hyrMV7YW
— Marlow Stern (@MarlowNYC) March 22, 2019
The reason FOX News + Breitbart attack @AOC, @IlhanMN, @RashidaTlaib so much is because Rupert Murdoch and Robert Mercer want older, white voters to feel they have nothing in common with black & brown people who want to tax billionaires like them and provide health care to all.
— Waleed Shahid (@_waleedshahid) March 21, 2019
TIME’s new cover: “Change is closer than we think.” Inside Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s unlikely rise https://t.co/qV0hB6qDRd pic.twitter.com/L0RUIvuC3U
— TIME (@TIME) March 21, 2019
In order to understand @aoc, you have to look at what she experienced— and what she didn’t. Red Scare, Reaganomics & prosperous 90s were all before her time. Her adulthood was defined by financial crisis, debt & climate change. No wonder she and her peers are moving left
— Charlotte Alter (@CharlotteAlter) March 21, 2019
You know what’s amusing about this whole thing?
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 21, 2019
Our leg staff (who help w Qs) *also* worked in restaurants, grew up in Appalachian trailer parks, and come from immigrant families.
Wait until they find out I actually PAY them to do their jobs, coach them myself,& offer feedback. https://t.co/sd888Uxx0M
Critics of @AOC focus on silly things and it always backfires. Here Kilmeade is saying someone is writing her questions for her (which means he thinks they're good questions). I have a hard time believing he would say this about a man…and yes, staff help their members prepare! https://t.co/t66k991FjE
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) March 21, 2019
Paul Waldman is right that the right-wing hate machine will be turned on any Democrat. But I do think there's something special about AOC: she plays into their deepest insecurities, even more than Obama did 1/ https://t.co/pVER1mmYGR
— Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) March 15, 2019
That’s okay – I’ll fight for their right to healthcare anyway. https://t.co/xvp76xoPVT
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 29, 2019
Sad! 