Week #41:  August 26, 2017

Week 41 is full of content about Trump-Russia, and indications that the Mueller probe is closing in on Trump and his regime. News stories indicate that despite Trump’s public indifference and belittlement of the probe, he is privately consumed by it, and acting in ways which could well be construed as, and lead to charges for, obstruction of justice. In the two weeks since Charlottesville, our country is consumed in flames of hate, and Trump is fanning those flames. As well, he continues his unimpeded march to authoritarian power, neutralizing the judicial branch with an unethical pardon, and attacking members of his own party in an effort to silence them. So far, the latter is largely working, and as this week comes to a close, remaining checks and balances to save our democracy are eroding, and Trump appears to feel fully in power. ____________________________________________________________

1.

Following the counter-protest march of over 40k in Boston, Trump tweeted the country needs "to heel." Trump used the misspelled word four times in two consecutive deleted tweets, before correcting it to heal.   Read More About This

2.

Rev. Bernard, pastor of a megachurch in Brooklyn, became the first member of Trump's Evangelical Advisory Board to resign over Charlottesville.   Read More About This

3.

No WH officials were made available for Sunday political talk shows.   Read More About This

4.

On CNN Sunday, Carl Bernstein urged reporters to interview Republicans on or off the record about whether Trump is mentally fit to lead.   Read More About This

5.

A NBC News/Marist poll found Trump's approval in three key battleground states has eroded: Michigan 36 approve/55 disapprove, Pennsylvania 35/54, and Wisconsin 34/56.   Read More About This

6.

NPR reported some Liberty University graduates are returning their diplomas to protest school President Jerry Falwell Jr.'s ongoing support of Trump, even after Trump's remarks on Charlottesville.   Read More About This

7.

Former HHS secretaries from both parties urged Republicans to move quickly and stabilize Obamacare as Trump threatened to continue withholding key payments to insurers.   Read More About This

8.

Sunday night, when asked by reporters for his reaction to five sailors injured and 10 missing after the USS John S. McCain collided with a merchant ship, Trump responded, "That's too bad."   Read More About This

9.

USA Today reported Secret Service agents have already hit the federally mandated pay caps meant to last the entire year for protecting Trump. Under the Trump regime, an unprecedented 42 people have protection.   Read More About This

10.

Secret Service cited Trump's frequent weekend trips to his properties, and his family's extensive business and vacation travel. Secret Service spent $60k on golf carts, revenues which go to the Trump Organization.   Read More About This

11.

Trump disbanded a federal advisory panel for the National Climate Assessment which helped policymakers and private-sector officials incorporate the government's climate analysis into long-term planning.   Read More About This

12.

Since being established in 1990, the National Climate Assessment is supposed to release reports every four years. The next assessment would have been due in 2018.   Read More About This

13.

Trump's Interior Dept ordered the National Academy of Sciences to halt its study of health risks and harm caused by mountaintop coal mining in Appalachia.   Read More About This

14.

New Yorker reported on the dismantling of HUD under a thoroughly uninformed Sec Carson. There are still no nominees for major parts of HUD, including the Federal Housing Administration and many others.   Read More About This

15.

Carson's team removed online training materials meant to help homeless shelters provide equal access to transgender people, and pulled back a survey to reduce LGBT homelessness.   Read More About This

16.

Interior's Inspector General confirmed in a letter it is investigating Sec Zinke's pressure on Sen. Murkowski to vote yes on the Obamacare repeal.   Read More About This

17.

An ABC News/Washington Post poll found 9% of Americans say it's acceptable to hold neo-Nazi or white supremacist views. This meshes with the 10% who say they support the alt-right movement.   Read More About This

18.

The Anne Frank Center tweeted in alarm, "1 in 10 adults in U.S. say neo-Nazi views acceptable -- 22 million Americans. Evil epidemic of hatred."   Read More About This

19.

The poll also found that 3 in 10 Trump supporters accept or are indifferent to white supremacists.   Read More About This

20.

Singer Billy Joel wore a Star of David during the encore of his sold-out show in NYC.   Read More About This

21.

Brandeis University was closed and evacuated Wednesday after the school received an email with a bomb threat.   Read More About This

22.

HuffPost reported a spike in anti-Semitism in the two weeks since Charlottesville. ADL provided a list of more than two dozen incidents involving swastikas, broken glass and neo-Nazi propaganda.   Read More About This

23.

A coalition of major rabbinical groups canceled their annual High Holidays call, saying Trump's "words have given succor to those who advocate anti-Semitism."   Read More About This

24.

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination urged the US government to reject racial hatred and violence. The statement was released online after Trump's mixed messages on Charlottesville.   Read More About This

25.

The Girl Scouts' CEO wrote a letter to families with resources to talk to girls about what they are hearing in the news, and hate and violence, adding lying about what really happened can "undermine her trust."   Read More About This

26.

Twenty organizations have pulled their charity events from Mar-A-Lago in response to his comments on Charlottesville.   Read More About This

27.

Daniel Kammer, the State Dept Science Envoy, resigned in an open letter citing Trump's "attacks on core values of the United States." The first letter of the seven paragraphs spell the word, IMPEACH.   Read More About This

28.

On his radio show, Trump's nominee for Department of Agriculture Sam Clovis said "LGBT behavior" is a choice, and that legalizing gay marriage could lead to the legalization of pedophilia.   Read More About This

29.

Liz MacKean, the BBC journalist who broke the news of the torture of gay men in Russia, died of a stroke at the age of 52.   Read More About This

30.

Trump signaled he is likely to end DACA, the Obama program which allows young people who came to the US illegally as children to remainhere. As many as 1 million immigrants could be affected.   Read More About This

31.

The DHS announced it will require holders of employment-based visas to be interviewed in order to update their status. More than 100k visa holders could be impacted.   Read More About This

32.

The Brennan Center and Protect Democracy Project filed a lawsuit for info on communication between government agencies and the Election Integrity Comm. The agencies did not respond to a FOIA request.   Read More About This

33.

On Tuesday, the DOJ modified its warrant, dropping its request for IP addresses from DreamHost for an anti-Trump site, disruptj20.org.   Read More About This

34.

On Thursday, a court ordered DreamHost to turn over the data requested. The court asked the DOJ to disclose its method for searching the data to minimizing data on innocent third-party visitors to the site.   Read More About This

35.

In a WAPO op-ed, activist Melissa Byrne described being grabbed, cuffed and questioned, and her banner confiscated, by the Secret Service without having been read her rights at a Starbucks in Trump Tower.   Read More About This

36.

On Monday, Trump delivered his second address to the nation. Reading from the teleprompter he asked the American people to trust him in sending thousands more troops to Afghanistan.   Read More About This

37.

Trump opened the speech with a call for unity. Historian Michael Beschloss noted this was the first time a leader "had to start a speech on war and peace by vowing that he opposed bigotry and prejudice."   Read More About This

38.

Trump's speech was full of his typical bellicose terms, like "overwhelming force," but offered little in the way of strategy and substance.   Read More About This

39.

Of note, three generals now seem to have Trump's ear: Kelly, McMaster and Mattis. As recently as Week 38, Trump had scoffed at adding troops. He also compared Afghanistan to a 21 Club renovation.   Read More About This

40.

There is not yet a confirmed US ambassador to Afghanistan.   Read More About This

41.

24 hours after his address to the nation, Trump headed to a campaign rally in Phoenix, despite pleas from the Mayor of Phoenix in an op-edand on air that it was not a good time for Trump to visit.   Read More About This

42.

Despite his calls for unity Monday, Trump delivered a 72-minute dystopian speech in which he repeatedly attacked the media and "others"  --  again targeting marginalized communities.   Read More About This

43.

Trump referred to the media as the enemy of the American people, saying "They don't like our country." After the speech, many in the media expressed concern about their safety.   Read More About This

44.

Trump also threatened to shut down the government in the fall if Congress did not approve funding for his Wall.   Read More About This

45.

Despite his advance promises not to, Trump attacked McCain and Flake, the two senators of Arizona, in his speech without using their names.   Read More About This

46.

Also, despite promising not to do so, Trump insinuated he would pardon Sheriff Joe Arpaio, citing the legal system not treating him fairly.   Read More About This

47.

Trump did not mention the accident involving the USS John. S McCain, or the continuing search for missing sailors during his speech.   Read More About This

48.

WAPO reported as Trump ranted and rambled, "hundreds left early." The room was only partially filled as Trump began to speak.   Read More About This

49.

Police used tear gas to disperse crowds of thousands of protestors after Trump's speech. Police helicopters circled downtown Phoenix.   Read More About This

50.

In a likely violation of the Hatch Act, Ben Carson appeared on stage in Phoenix, after being introduced as the Secretary of HUD.   Read More About This

51.

NPR fact-checked Trump's speech, and found numerous false and misleading statements.   Read More About This

52.

Ahead of the rally Tuesday, Trump met with potential Republican challengers to primary Sen. Flake in 2018. During the brief meeting, Trump referred to the senator as "the flake."   Read More About This

53.

After Trump's Phoenix speech, former director of National Intelligence Clapper told CNN he questioned Trump's "fitness to be  --  in this office." "   Read More About This

54.

Clapper said understanding the levers of power available to a president, he found the speech "downright scary and disturbing."   Read More About This

55.

Clapper also said Trump could be a threat to national security. He worries about Trump's access to nuclear codes, noting it a fit of pique, "there's actually very little to stop him."   Read More About This

56.

Trump tweeted asking if Clapper "who famously got caught lying to Congress," would share "his beautiful letter to me?" Clapper said he had handwritten almost identical notes to both candidates for Election Day.   Read More About This

57.

CNN reported Wednesday that the WH was preparing paperwork and talking points for surrogates ahead of Trump pardoning Arpaio.   Read More About This

58.

On Monday, in a later-deleted Instagram post, Mnuchin's wife, Louise Linton bragged about traveling on a chartered government plane, and about the lavish fashion brands she was wearing.   Read More About This

59.

On Wednesday, CREW requested information on authorization of the chartered airplane. Typically, secretaries fly on commercial flights for domestic travel.   Read More About This

60.

Ethics groups also filed requests to learn if the trip to Fort Knox, KY was planned so Mnuchin and his wife could view the solar eclipse near the path of totality.   Read More About This

61.

On a sudden, unannounced trip to the Middle East, Kushner was snubbed by the Egyptian foreign minister who canceled their meeting without officially citing a reason. The meeting did later take place.   Read More About This

62.

NPR reported Trump's approval with women is at a historically low 29%. Trump's approval with men is much higher (43%).   Read More About This

63.

NYT reported on a brewing war between Trump and McConnell, as the two haven't spoken for weeks. McConnell questioned whether Trump can salvage his presidency.   Read More About This

64.

McConnell also questioned Trump's understanding of the presidency, and claimed Trump was "entirely unwilling to learn the basics of governing".   Read More About This

65.

NYT also reported on an August 9 call with McConnell, which Trump initiated, Trump brought up healthcare, but was "even more animated" about McConnell's refusal to protect him from the Russia investigation.   Read More About This

66.

After the NYT story broke, another Republican senator called the reporter to say Trump is "consumed with Russia."   Read More About This

67.

POLITICO reported on more clashes between Trump and Republican senators over Russia. In additional to Trump public admonishments of McConnell, McCain and Flake, Trump also targeted Corker and Tillis.   Read More About This

68.

Trump tried to convince Corker the Russian sanctions bill wasn't good policy, saying it was unconstitutional and would damage him. Trump berated Tillis for his bi-partisan bill to protect Mueller from being fired.   Read More About This

69.

Including these contacts, WAPO counted seven times so far Trump has attempted to influence actions related to the Russia investigation.   Read More About This

70.

On Tuesday, Glenn Simpson, founder of private research firm Fusion GPS who hired Steele to produce the dossier, testified for 10 hours in front of the Senate Judiciary Comm. He also provided 40k pages of documents.   Read More About This

71.

The Senate Judiciary Comm will vote on releasing the testimony to the public. Rachel Maddow said Simpson's lawyer has given the okay to release the testimony and documents publicly.   Read More About This;  Click here, also

72.

WAPO reported CIA director Pompeo, Trump's close ally, required the Counterintelligence Mission Center, which investigates possible collusion between Trump and Russia, to report directly to him.   Read More About This

73.

Current and former agent Mike Pompeo expressed apprehension about conflict of interests. There is "real concern for interference and politicization," and that Pompeo may bring newly discovered information to the WH.   Read More About This

74.

Pompeo spends more time at the WH than his predecessors. He also defended Trump's comments on Charlottesville, saying Trump's condemnation of bigotry was "frankly pretty unambiguous."   Read More About This

75.

Pompeo has also shown a willingness to handle political assignments for the WH: for example calling news agencies, speaking on condition of anonymity, at the WH's behest to dispute a NYT article on Trump-Russia.   Read More About This

76.

In an internal CIA memo released under the FOIA, former CIA director Brennan wrote some in Congress don't get the "gravity" of Russia election meddling.   Read More About This

77.

Kushner Cos., the real estate company 0f Kushner's family, switched to a public relations firm with crisis management expertise.   Read More About This

78.

NYT reported on Rinat Akhmetshin, one of the attendees of the June 9 meeting at Trump Tower, and his extensive and deep ties to Russian intelligence, government and oligarchs.   Read More About This

79.

Akhmetshin has worked on behalf of several Russian oligarchs to hack adversaries' emails and documents in order to buffer their case. Mueller is interested in why Akhmetshin attended the June 9 meeting.   Read More About This

80.

CNN reported Congressional investigators unearthed an email from Rick Dearborn, a top campaign aide who is now Trump's deputy chief of staff, about an individual seeking to connect top Trump officials with Putin.   Read More About This

81.

WSJ reported Mueller is looking into Flynn's role in seeking Hillary's emails from Russian hackers, along with now deceased GOP operative Peter W. Smith.   Read More About This

82.

Investigators have examined intel reports which detail Russian hackers discussing how to obtain emails from Hillary's server, and then transmit them to Flynn via an intermediary.   Read More About This

83.

NBC reported Mueller issued the first grand jury subpoenas to executives who worked on an international campaign organized by Manafort, a significant step in the inquiry which also focuses on Trump and Kushner.   Read More About This

84.

Mueller's team is examining lobbying done by Manafort for a Russia-backed Ukrainian political party from 2012–2014. According to recent financial disclosures, Manafort was paid $17mm between 2013 and 2014.   Read More About This

85.

USA Today reported on a Russian propaganda Twitter network aimed at American audiences which consistently spreads links from alt-rightmedia including Breitbart, True Pundit and Gateway Pundit.   Read More About This

86.

Roger Stone told TMZ if Trump is impeached the country would break out into civil war, saying "You will have a spasm of violence in this country, and insurrection, like you've never seen."   Read More About This

87.

NYT reported on Trump Hotel DC, the now highly profitable meeting place for Trump family members and surrogates, lobbyists and journalist. Trump continues to profit from the hotel operations.   Read More About This

88.

The hotel is also described as a "safe zone for Trump supporters." Richard Spencer stayed at Trump Hotel DC, and met with white nationalist Evan McClare, as he planned the Charlottesville rally.   Read More About This

89.

WAPO fact checker reported Trump's list of false and misleading claims had topped 1,000 items early in the week. By week's end, the list approached 1,100 items, one of the busiest weeks of lying yet.   Read More About This

90.

After Icahn resigned in Week 40 ahead of a story on his influencing regulations to his financial benefit, the Trump regime stated unlike a government employee, Icahn had "no official role or duties."   Read More About This

91.

Icahn financially benefitted from his 82% stake in CVR Energy. The company had accumulated a large short position in biofuels blending credits, called RINs, the price of which fell when Icahn's proposal on the biofuels regulation was reported in February, netting him a huge return.   Read More About This

92.

On Friday, Trump attacked another Republican, saying Corker is constantly asking if he should run in 2018, and "Tennessee not happy!" Corker had questioned Trump's fitness to serve in Week 40.   Read More About This

93.

In an interview with FT, Cohn was openly critical of Trump's Charlottesville response, saying Trump "must do better" in condemning neo-Nazi and white supremacists."   Read More About This

94.

Fed Chair Yellen spoke out openly against the Trump regime's efforts to roll back banking regulations enacted after the 2008 financial crisis, saying these regulations have made the banking system safer.   Read More About This

95.

Changing course, Bloomberg reported the WH no longer plans to work with Congress to produce a joint tax plan, instead relying on the House and Senate to hash it out. Trump said he will rally the public instead.   Read More About This

96.

The WH rapid response director, Andy Hemming is leaving. Hemming had worked from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. every weekday blasting out stories favorable to the Trump regime.   Read More About This

97.

The RNC passed a resolution to condemn neo-Nazis, the KKK and white supremacists, despite pushback from several Republican members. The resolution did not, however, mention Trump.   Read More About This

98.

A Quinnipiac poll found that 62% of Americans believe Trump is dividing the country.   Read More About This

99.

As Trump left the WH Friday afternoon, a reporter asked, "do you have a message for the people of Texas?" Trump responded, "Good luck to everybody."   Read More About This

100.

Hours before Hurricane Harvey, thought to be the worst hurricane in 12 years, hit landfall in Texas, with the country anxiously watching, Trump issued a directive and a pardon.   Read More About This

101.

Late Friday, Trump signed a directive that precludes transgender individuals from joining the military. Mattis has six months to develop a plan to implement the order, and discretion over those already serving.   Read More About This

102.

Trump's directive also bans DoD from paying for medical treatment regimens for transgender individuals currently serving in the military.   Read More About This

103.

Late Friday, Trump pardoned Sheriff Joe Arpaio, an elected official who defied a federal court's order to stop violating people's constitutional rights. Arpaio had been found in contempt of court in his ongoing case.   Read More About This

104.

The NYT Editorial Board had noted with a pardon of Arpaio, Trump would show "his contempt for the American court system," and also send a "message to other officials that they may flout court orders also."   Read More About This

105.

Questions arose about whether Trump's pardon of Arpaio was testing the waters and sending a signal to those under investigation by Mueller.   Read More About This

106.

Late Friday, Trump adviser Gorka left his post as deputy assistant in the WH. In a letter, Gorka said he resigned. Trump aides said he was fired.   Read More About This

107.

Shortly after 11 pm EST, Hurricane Harvey made landfall as a Category 4 storm. The National Hurricane Center said it expects "catastrophic and life-threatening" flash flooding and dump 15–30 inches of rain.   Read More About This

108.

The Trump regime imposed sanctions on Venezuela; however, Citgo was exempted. As cited in Week 25, Citgo donated $500k to Trump's inauguration, and that money may have come indirectly from Russia.   Read More About This

Replicated from:   https://medium.com/@Amy_Siskind/week-41-experts-in-authoritarianism-advise-to-keep-a-list-of-things-subtly-changing-around-you-so-13247a760fd8

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Week #40:  August 19, 2017

This week's list is not the longest, but it is certainly the most heartbreaking. Trump's comments on Charlottesville legitimized the worst of us, and spawned a watershed moment for our country. His remarks were met with widespread condemnation and reactions, and precipitated a mass exodus of corporate CEOs, wiping away any lingering doubts that Trump's goals were ever truly linked to job creation. For the first time, real questions about fitness for office were raised out loud by both sides. This week in Trump's shrinking, chaotic regime it became even clearer that Trump answers to no one but himself. He continues to attack and attempt to intimidate Republicans into submission, as part of his continuing efforts to consolidate power. ____________________________________________________________

1.

In an impromptu news conference on Charlottesville late Saturday afternoon, Trump said, "We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides."   Read More About This

2.

White supremacists and neo-Nazi leaders cheered Trump's "on many sides" comments, taking his words as a defense, or even as a tacit approval, of their action.   Read More About This

3.

On Sunday, the WH issued a statement to "clarify" Trump's Saturday comments, saying Trump condemns all forms of "violence, bigotry and hatred" while naming white supremacists, KKK, and neo-Nazis.   Read More About This

4.

32 year-old Heather Heyer was killed Saturday after a car driven by James Fields rammed into a crowd of counter-protestors in Charlottesville. Nineteen others were injured.   Read More About This

5.

Daily Caller and Fox News deleted a post titled, "Here's A Reel Of Cars Plowing Through Protesters Trying To Block The Road," which included a video encouraging people to drive through protests.   Read More About This

6.

Two state troopers, Lieutenant Cullen and Trooper Bates, who were keeping watch on the demonstrations in Charlottesville, were killed when their helicopter went down.   Read More About This

7.

On Sunday, a candlelight vigil planned for Heather Heyer in Charlottesville was cancelled due to a "credible threat from white supremacists."   Read More About This

8.

Neo-Nazis disparaged Heyer, and the KKK celebrated her death. Neo-Nazi website The Daily Stormer was taken down after activists, led by my Sunday tweet, contacted domain hosts Go Daddy, Google, etc.   Read More About This;  Click here, also

9.

After US hosting companies refused to host The Daily Stormer, the website briefly relocated to Russia, for which they thanked Trump, before being kicked off there too. China rebuffed them too.   Read More About This;  Click here, also

10.

In the wake of Charlottesville, numerous tech companies including Facebook, Google, Spotify, Uber, Squarespace and many others took action to curb use of their services and platforms by alt-right groups.   Read More About This

11.

A Unite the Right organizer was disavowed by his family. Several marchers who were identified on social media lost their jobs. Others were asked to denounce their activities or were expelled by colleges.   Read More About This;  Click here, also

12.

On Sunday, Trump's popularity hit a new low at Gallup with 34% approving and 61% disapproving (-27).   Read More About This

13.

On Monday, Sessions said the car ramming into Heather Heyer and 19 others "does meet the definition of domestic terrorism" under US law.   Read More About This

14.

On Monday morning, Merck's CEO resigned from Trump's American Manufacturing Council saying as a "matter of personal conscience, I feel a responsibility to take a stand against intolerance and extremism."   Read More About This

15.

Later Monday, Trump tweeted @Merck is a leader in "higher & higher drug prices," and "taking jobs out of the U.S."   Read More About This

16.

Later Monday and Tuesday, four more CEOs resigned from Trump's American Manufacturing Council over his handling of Charlottesville.   Read More About This

17.

Trump countered, "I have many to take their place. Grandstanders should not have gone on." Trump offered no new names publicly.   Read More About This

18.

On Wednesday, NYT reported the CEOs on Trump's Strategic and Policy Forum held a morning conference call to discuss whether to disband the policy forum. The Manufacturing Council planned a call that afternoon.   Read More About This

19.

Before the policy forum, and possible manufacturing council could formally disband, midday Wednesday Trump tweeted "rather than putting pressure on the businesspeople," he was ending both.   Read More About This

20.

On Thursday, the WH announced the Presidential Advisory Council on Infrastructure, which was still being formed, would not move forward.   Read More About This

21.

On Monday, Trump said he is "seriously considering" a pardon for ex-Sheriff Joe Arpaio, saying, "He's a great American patriot."   Read More About This

22.

In the aftermath of Charlottesville, the Phoenix mayor called on Trump to delay his planned rally next week, saying Trump's plan to pardon Arpaio could "enflame emotions and further divide our nation."   Read More About This

23.

Minutes after the Phoenix mayor's statement, Trump tweeted a link for tickets to his Phoenix event.   Read More About This

24.

Advocates said there has been a spike in reports of anti-LGBTQ violence since Trump took office. As of August, there are already more hate-related homicides than in all of 2016, excluding Pulse.   Read More About This

25.

A Virginia high school sent a letter to parents saying selection for AP and Honors classes would at least partly based on race.   Read More About This

26.

On Monday, the Holocaust memorial in Boston was vandalized for the second time this summer.   Read More About This

27.

On Monday, reading from a teleprompter, Trump gave his third version of comments on Charlottesville, calling the KKK, neo-Nazis and white supremacists "repugnant" and saying, "racism is evil."   Read More About This

28.

On Tuesday morning, Trump tweeted then deleted an image of a train running over a CNN reporter.   Read More About This

29.

On Tuesday at Trump Tower, with Mnuchin, Chao and Cohn by this side, Trump turned what was supposed to be remarks about his infrastructure plan into an "off-the-rails" news conference on Charlottesville.   Read More About This

30.

Reversing himself for the fourth time in four days, Trump said "I think there's blame on both sides" -- insinuating that the "alt-left" was just as much to blame as white supremacists and neo-Nazis.   Read More About This

31.

Trump claimed not all the white supremacists and neo-Nazis were bad people, "you also had people that were very fine people, on both sides."   Read More About This

32.

When asked about Bannon, Trump said "He's a good man. He's not a racist," and that the press treats him, "frankly, very unfairly."   Read More About This

33.

Trump claimed alt-right protestors had a permit, but counter-protesters "came charging in without a permit" and "were very, very violent." WAPOgave the claim that counter-protestors had no permit 4 Pinocchios.   Read More About This

34.

Trump equated taking down the statue of Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville to taking down statues of Washington ("George Washington was a slave owner") and Jefferson ("Because he was a major slave owner").   Read More About This

35.

Trump's staff, expecting brief remarks on infrastructure, were stunned by his action. One senior WH official told NBC, Trump "went rogue."   Read More About This

36.

POLITICO reported Trump was "in good spirits" Tuesday night, and felt the "new conference went much better" than his Monday speech.   Read More About This

37.

Alt-right leaders praised Trump's Tuesday comments. Richard Spencer said he was "really proud of him," and David Duke tweeted, "Thank you President Trump for your honesty & courage to tell the truth."   Read More About This

38.

Axios reported within the Trump WH, Bannon unapologetically supported Trump's instinct to blame "both sides," and that he and Trump "instinctively searched for "their" people in that group of protesters."   Read More About This

39.

Mnuchin's Yale classmates wrote an open letter calling on him to resign immediately, saying Trump "declared himself a sympathizer with groups" whose values are antithetical to Yale and decent human beings.   Read More About This

40.

In a Republican primary in Alabama Tuesday, Trump's chosen candidate Luther Strange, who he very publicly supported, came in second.   Read More About This

41.

On Wednesday, Pence cut his international trip to Central and South America short to come home. The stated reason was to join a national security meeting on Friday, although rumors flew with other theories.   Read More About This

42.

On Wednesday, Fox News' Shep Smith said his show "reached out to Republicans of all stripes across the country today" and couldn't find a single one willing to come on and discuss Trump's Tuesday comments.   Read More About This

43.

In a letter, fmr CIA director Brennan told CNN's Blitzer Trump's comments on Charlottesville were "despicable," and that Trump "is putting our national security and our collective futures at grave risk."   Read More About This

44.

On Wednesday, the Generals of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and National Guard tweeted to condemn the racist violence in Charlottesville, declaring the nation's armed forces unequivocally against hatred.   Read More About This

45.

Sen. Corker, one of Trump's first senate supporters who was also under consideration for VP, said Trump "has not yet been able to demonstrate the stability nor some of the competence" to be a successful leader.   Read More About This

46.

European leaders, including Merkel and May, denounced Trump's comments on Charlottesville. Martin Schulz of German said Trump "is betraying our Western value."   Read More About This

47.

Rep. Steve Cohen of TN, a ranking member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, introduced articles of impeachment in response to Trump's comments on Charlottesville.   Read More About This

48.

On Wednesday, Sessions told NBC News that the Charlottesville car attack may be considered a "hate crime."   Read More About This

49.

USA Today Editorial Board called on Congress to censure Trump for his "shocking equivocations about the white-supremacist," challenging Republicans to "stand up for American values" or be Trump enablers.   Read More About This

50.

On Thursday, the Cleveland Clinic pulled their 2018 Florida gala from Mar-A-Lago. Cleveland Clinic had held their event there for eight years.   Read More About This

51.

By Friday evening, 16 charities had pulled their events from Mar-A-Lago, costing the Trump Organization hundreds of thousands, or possibly millions in lost revenues.   Read More About This

52.

Citing violence at Charlottesville, Texas A&M and the University of Florida cancelled scheduled speaking appearances by white supremacist Richard Spencer, both citing safety concerns.   Read More About This

53.

On Thursday, Michigan State University denied a request by Spencer to rent space on the campus for a September event.   Read More About This

54.

Students and graduates of Lehigh University students petitioned trustees to revoke Trump's honorary degree, citing Trump's "both sides" remarks.   Read More About This

55.

Thousands gathered at UVA on Wednesday night for an unannounced candlelight vigil. They chanted "love wins," and sang "We Shall Overcome" and "Amazing Grace."   Read More About This

56.

At a funeral service for Heather Heyer her mother, Susan Bro said, "They tried to kill my child to shut her up. Well, guess what? You just magnified her." Bro told NBC Thursday she has received death threats from hate groups.   Read More About This

57.

Bro said she will not meet with Trump after he blamed "both sides" for violence in Charlottesville. She also has not picked up his phone calls.   Read More About This

58.

Trump continued to tweet about Confederate statues after his news conference, "can't change history, but you can learn from it. Robert E Lee, Stonewall Jackson -- who's next, Washington, Jefferson? So foolish!"   Read More About This

59.

The great-great grandchildren of Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis and Stonewall Jackson called for Confederate statues to be removed. They also condemned the white supremacist and violence in Charlottesville.   Read More About This

60.

They also suggested statues be moved to museums. Bertram Hayes-Davis, great-great-grandson of Jefferson Davis suggested, "In a public place, if it is offensive and people are taking issue with it, let's move it."   Read More About This

61.

In the days following the Charlottesville alt-right rally, 13 US cities and Duke University said they would remove Confederate monuments. Several other cities are considering same.   Read More About This

62.

After a terrorist attack in Spain, Trump tweeted about what General Pershing did when terrorist were caught: "There was no more Radical Islamic Terror for 35 years!" Politifact rated Trump's claim, Pants on Fire.   Read More About This;  Click here, also

63.

Trump continued to do battle with Republicans, targeting Flake who he called "toxic" and "WEAK on borders, crime and a non-factor in Senate," and Graham who he said "can't forget his election trouncing."   Read More About This;  Click here, also

64.

Countering Trump, McConnell offered his "full support" for Flake.   Read More About This

65.

James Murdoch donated $1mm to the Anti-Defamation League in the wake of Charlottesville. As many of social media noted, Fox News played a major role in stoking the hate of far-right extremists.   Read More About This

66.

According to government documents published by one of Murdoch's newspapers Tuesday, Australian authorities denied a bid by Trump to build a casino in 1988 due to his ties to the mafia and organized crime.   Read More About This

67.

HuffPost reported on Trump aide Katharine Gorka's role in helping to pull DHS funding for Life After Hate, a group dedicated to countering neo-Nazis and white supremacists, as noted in Week 33. Of note: also in Week 33, the State Dept's anti-Semitism monitoring office was shuttered.   Read More About This

68.

In an interview Thursday, former VP Gore said if he could give Trump one piece of advice, it would be to resign.   Read More About This

69.

On Friday, the 17 remaining members of Trump's presidential arts and humanities panel resigned Friday in protest over his Charlottesville comments.   Read More About This

70.

Trump's WH responded late Friday, saying Trump was going to disband the arts and humanities panel anyway.   Read More About This

71.

Trump and Melania said they will not attend this year's Kennedy Center Honors in December. According to Huckabee Sanders, the decision is meant to allow "honorees to celebrate without any political distraction."   Read More About This

72.

The decision was made after numerous honorees announced their intentions to skip or protest if Trump attended. After Trump's cancelation, event organizers said, "We are grateful for this gesture."   Read More About This

73.

NBC called this week Trump's "worst week yet," and said he was more isolated than ever.   Read More About This

74.

Hope Hicks took over as the interim WH communications director, as Trump continued his search to replace Scaramucci. Hicks is the fourth person in that role.   Read More About This

75.

Trump's personal lawyer John Dowd forwarded an email with secessionist Civil War propaganda. The email also stated the group Black Lives Matter "has been totally infiltrated by terrorist groups."   Read More About This

76.

Trump's DOJ issued a warrant to DreamHost demanding the company turn over all IP addresses related to DisruptJ20.org, a website used in planning actions to interrupt Trump's inauguration.   Read More About This

77.

A week after the inauguration, the DOJ had asked for information such as people's physical and email addresses and DreamHost had complied. DreamHost's lawyers called the latest request a "complete overreach."   Read More About This

78.

NYT reported Mueller, for the first time, is seeking to interview past and current members of Trump's WH beyond Manafort, including members of the communications team.   Read More About This

79.

Mueller is interested in interviewing Priebus about what occurred during the campaign and in the WH, especially as it relates to the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting and the Comey firing.   Read More About This

80.

During a press conference on his visit to Columbia, Pence told reporters he "never witnessed" any evidence of Russian collusion with the Trump campaign, and that he was "not aware" of it ever having occurred.   Read More About This

81.

WAPO reported Trump aid George Papadopoulos, starting in March 2016 with an email headed, "Meeting with Russian Leadership  --  Including Putin," repeatedly tried to get Trump aides to meet with Russians.   Read More About This

82.

Experts on Russian intelligence speculated his email chain offers further evidence that Russians were looking for entry points into the Trump campaign. Papalopoulos said he was acting as a Russian intermediary.   Read More About This

83.

NYT reported on an investigation by Ukrainian investigators and the FBI of a Ukrainian malware expert named "Profexer," for his part in a network of hackers allegedly engaged by Russia to hack the US election.   Read More About This

84.

Also under investigation is a Russian government hacking group, Advanced Persistent Threat 28 or Fancy Bear, believed to be involved in the DNC hacking. Much of the work was outsourced to private vendors.   Read More About This

85.

In the first know hitch, Mueller's special counsel lost a top FBI investigator, Peter Strzok. It is unclear why Strzok stepped away.   Read More About This

86.

A US District court judge ruled that as part of a libel suit brought by Webzilla CEO Aleksej Gubarev against Buzzfeed, Steele could be questioned about the funding and sourcing of the dossier.   Read More About This

87.

Rep. Rohrabacher, an advocate for the Kremlin, said he plans to brief Trump on his meeting with Assange. Assange told Rohrabacher that he was not behind the DNC hack, and that the Russians were not involved.   Read More About This

88.

Assange is trying to strike a deal so he can stop living in asylum at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. In Week 23, Sessions said the DOJ was preparing charges against Assange whose "arrest is a priority."   Read More About This

89.

The National Parks Service reversed a ban on plastic water bottles at national parks. The move came after confirmation of Trump's Deputy Interior Secretary, who previously represented Deer Park Water.   Read More About This

90.

In a tweet, the Trump Organization featured a photo with the caption, "From our Presidential ballroom to intimate historic room," to advertise meeting and event space.   Read More About This

91.

Raising ethical concerns, Justice Gorsuch is scheduled to address conservative groups at Trump Hotel DC in September, less than two weeks before the court will hear arguments on Trump's Muslim Ban.   Read More About This

92.

Mattis' Department of Defense parted ways with senior media adviser, Steve Warren. Pentagon reporters have complained about lack of access to Mattis, and some recently being kicked off Mattis's Middle East trip last minute.   Read More About This

93.

On Friday, Trump friend and ally Carl Icahn resigned as a special adviser to Trump, although Icahn had done nothing in that role. The WH said Icahn had been fired on Monday.   Read More About This

94.

Icahn resigned hours before The New Yorker published a piece on his conflicts of interest (see Week 20). The head of a watchdog group said, "This kind of self-enrichment and influence" was "unprecedented."   Read More About This

95.

Trump tweeted photos from Camp David of him signing the Global War on Terrorism War Memorial Act. Of the 14 people at the signing, there was only one woman and not a single person of color.   Read More About This

96.

In an interview with The American Prospect on Wednesday, a venting Bannon referred to white supremacists as "clowns" and "losers."   Read More About This

97.

Contradicting Trump, Bannon said on N. Korea, "there's no military solution here, they got us," and added, "it's just a sideshow."   Read More About This

98.

In new interviews, Bannon said he viewed the post-Charlotte racial strife and turmoil as a political winner for Trump.   Read More About This

99.

On Friday, Trump fired Bannon. According to Bannon allies, he submitted his intention to leave the WH on August 7.   Read More About This;  Click here, also

100.

Axios reported Bannon met with the billionaire Mercer family for five hours Friday in New York and "together they will be a well-funded force on the outside."   Read More About This

101.

Bannon told Bloomberg that he would be returning to run Breitbart, and that he would be "going to war for Trump against his opponents -- on Capitol Hill, in the media, and in corporate America."   Read More About This

102.

Bannon told the Weekly Standard, "The Trump presidency that we fought for, and won, is over," saying Trump will not achieve his campaign promises. Bannon vowed to continue the fight from the outside.   Read More About This

103.

In an op-ed titled, "I Voted for Trump, And I Sorely Regret It," past avid supporter Julius Krein wrote of his disillusionment with Trump, and the realization that Trump would not achieve his stated goals.   Read More About This

104.

Right-wing radio host Limbaugh backed white nationalists and told his 26 million listeners that America is on the "cusp of a second civil war," blaming international financiers who are trying to bring down America.   Read More About This

105.

On Saturday, Boston hosted a Free Speech Rally organized by conservatives and libertarians at Boston Commons. Friday, Mayor Walsh said 500 police officers would be there, and urged people to stay away.   Read More About This

106.

Thousands of counter-protestors marched through downtown Boston to condemn white supremacists and neo-Nazis. Police estimated 15k peacefully marched.   Read More About This

Replicated from:   https://medium.com/@Amy_Siskind/week-40-experts-in-authoritarianism-advise-to-keep-a-list-of-things-subtly-changing-around-you-so-eb3a830375a9

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Week #39:  August 12, 2017

Despite Congress being out of session and Trump on vacation, this was one of the most alarming weeks so far. Without provocation, Trump made aggressive statements towards three countries, and escalated the possibility of nuclear war with N. Korea. The country continued to burn in hate as violence surrounding a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville led to a state of emergency in Virginia. Other troubling trends continued this week including: an increase of media controlled by Trump and his allies, an unstaffed and unprepared executive branch, and steps taken to suppress the vote in future elections. Even with his new chief of staff, it is apparent Trump is consolidating power and answering to no one. He is also stepping up his attacks on the legislative branch. ____________________________________________________________

1.

Reminiscent of state-owned propaganda, Trump launched the first broadcast of "real" Trump TV featuring Kayleigh McEnany, formerly a commentator on CNN.   Read More About This

2.

The RNC named McEnany to be its national spokesperson, meaning she will get paid by the RNC for her Trump TV work.   Read More About This

3.

Lara Trump will run Trump TV as part of her job with consulting group Giles-Parscale. Per Week 31, Parscale has been called by Congressional investigators to testify on his role in the Trump campaign and Russia.   Read More About This;  Click here, also

4.

Trump's FCC chair, Ajit Pai, revived a regulatory loophole allowing Sinclair Broadcasting to vastly exceed federal limits on media ownership. When a pending deal closes, Sinclair will reach 72% of US households.   Read More About This

5.

VOX analyzed 17 months of Fox & Friends transcripts and found a symbiotic relationship between Trump and the show. Since the election, data reveals the show's primary goal is talk to Trump, not their audience.   Read More About This

6.

On Fox News Sunday, Rosenstein said he has not been directed by Trump to investigate Hillary's email, as suggested by Trump. Rosenstein added, "That wouldn't be right. That's not the way we operate."   Read More About This

7.

Rosenstein dismissed that the Russia probe is a "total fabrication" -- the reference by Trump. He also said Mueller can investigate any crimes he discovers within the scope of his probe.   Read More About This

8.

Conway suggested White House staffers may be required to take lie-detector testsas part of the regime's efforts to find leakers.   Read More About This

9.

WAPO Editorial Board wrote Trump's DOJ is joining the GOP's crusade to suppress voting, citing an Ohio case of culling voters before the SCOTUS. The Obama administration found this unlawful, Trump's does not.   Read More About This

10.

Indiana NCAAP and Priorities USA are suing the state over a law which results in closing voting precincts in black and Latino areas.   Read More About This

11.

Poll: Half of Republicans would back postponing 2020 election if Trump proposed it   Read More About This

12.

AP reported Ivy League schools are bracing for scrutiny from the Trump regime for their efforts to make their campuses diverse.   Read More About This

13.

A bomb was tossed through the window of a Mosque in Bloomington, MN. Minnesota's governor declared the bombing "an act of terrorism."   Read More About This

14.

Trump did not acknowledge the bombing of a bomb that was tossed through the window of a Mosque in Bloomington, MN. Gorka said the WH would "wait and see" in case the blast turned out to be a hoax. By week end, Trump still had no comment.   Read More About This

15.

Trump tweeted out a Fox News story about a vehicle ramming into soldiers in France, which the news agency insinuated, without having evidence yet, was carried out by Islamic terrorists.   Read More About This

16.

The NAACP Legal Defense Fund will appeal a federal judge's ruling allowing a white Alabama town to secede from a racially-mixed county school district and start its own system.   Read More About This

17.

CNN fired conservative pundit Jeffrey Lord after he tweeted the Nazi salute, "Sieg Heil!" at a prominent liberal activist.   Read More About This

18.

A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found Trump's moves to undermine Obamacare have already triggered double-digit premium increases on individual health insurance policies in many states.   Read More About This

19.

NYT reported government scientists are concerned that a report by scientists in 13 federal agencies, which finds a drastic impact of climate change in the US, will be suppressed by Trump.   Read More About This

20.

In a series of emails obtained by The Guardian, the Trump regime advised staff at the USDA not to use certain terms like "climate change"and "climate change adaption."   Read More About This

21.

Karina Brown, an Asian American woman who attended a Bon Jovi concert in Columbus, OH was told by a fellow concert-goer, "You don't belong in this country."   Read More About This

22.

Five transgender troops sued Trump over his tweet to instate a transgender military ban.   Read More About This

23.

The Canadian military is building a refugee camp in Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle near Plattsburgh, NY to house up to 500 US asylum seekers. This is in addition to a shelter at Montreal Olympic Stadium in Week 38.   Read More About This

24.

CNN reported Sam Clovis, Trump's nominee to be chief scientist at the USDA, had on his conservative radio show stoked the birther conspiracy, called Eric Holder a "a racist black," and Tom Perez "a racist Latino."   Read More About This

25.

More than 75 consumer, health and advocacy groups came together to stop the Trump regime from stripping nursing home residents and their families of rights to take facilities to court over alleged abuse or neglect.   Read More About This

26.

As the Trump Organization tweeted about the launch of The Trump Estates and golf in Dubai, concerns continued to surface about ways US foreign policy has been impacted by the Trump family's investments.   Read More About This

27.

WAPO reported on how Trump hotel DC has become a center of influence, where members of industry and others seeking access meet with Trump regime members. And Trump financially benefits.   Read More About This

28.

Trump Hotel DC turned a $2mm profit for the first four months of 2017, far exceeding the Trump Organization's projected loss of $2.1mm. Driving profits were sky-high room prices and spending on food and beverages.   Read More About This

29.

WSJ reported rooms at Trump Hotel DC's average daily room rate was $660 compared with $496 for comparable hotels. The room rates are 60% higher than the hotel's original budget.   Read More About This

30.

The 18 Democrats on the House Oversight Comm sent letters to 15 cabinet departments and nine executive branch agencies requesting information on their spending at Trump Organization businesses.   Read More About This

31.

POLITICO reported Trump's slow pace in filling vacancies at FERC has caused $13bn of infrastructure projects, expected to create 23k new jobs, to be indefinitely delayed.   Read More About This

32.

NYT and ProPublica continued to track Trump appointees put in charge of dismantling government regulations. 85 appointees have been identified, many with industry or legal ties, or other conflicts of interest.   Read More About This

33.

A US District Court judge in NY will hear arguments in the Trump foreign emoluments lawsuit starting on October 18.   Read More About This

34.

According to a letter to the Senate, the OGE has rejected retroactive waivers for the Trump regime.   Read More About This

35.

Trump ally Robert Mercer donated $300k to Flake's Republican primary challenger after Flake spoke out against Trump. Among other benefits, the Mercers' hedge fund has avoided $6.8bn of back taxes under Trump.   Read More About This

36.

AP reported Trump companies applied to a casino trademark in Macau, the world's largest gambling market. Past applications by Trump had been rejected. Trump had pledged no new foreign deals while in office.   Read More About This

37.

Two top aides for UN ambassador Haley  --  her chief of staff and communications director  --  resigned. Haley said on Twitter it was because of "family concerns."   Read More About This

38.

Four top cybersecurity officials resigned from their posts, including the chief information security officer for the EPA and the CIO for the DHS, both of whom had been in their jobs for just a few months.   Read More About This

39.

FORTUNE reported vegetable prices may be going up soon as Trump's immigration policies have led to a farmworker shortage, and crops are rotting in the fields.   Read More About This

40.

The Toronto Star reported Trump has made 500 false claims in his first 200 days in office.   Read More About This

41.

A CNN poll taken at 200 days found just 24% of Americans trust most of what they hear from the WH.   Read More About This

42.

In another sign of Trump's waning popularity, Democrat Phil Miller won a special election (+10) in a Iowa district Trump had won by 22 in 2016.   Read More About This

43.

AP reported Pence has been quietly carving out his own political foot-print, noting Republicans privately admit Trump could be the first president since Nixon to leave office or not to seek re-election.   Read More About This

44.

After Sen. Blumenthal appeared on CNN to discuss the Russian probe, Trump attacked him on Twitter for 2 days, calling him a "phony Vietnam con artist," and saying he "should take a nice long vacation in Vietnam."   Read More About This

45.

Trump tweeted, "Thank you Nicole!" to an account @ProTrump45. The account, under the name Nicole Mincey, was deleted and appears to have been a bot, part of the Russia-backed disinformation campaign.   Read More About This

46.

VICE reported that since taking office, Trump receives a folder full of positive news about himself twice a day. Some in the WH refer to the folder as "the propaganda document."   Read More About This

47.

Bloomberg reported Manafort and Donald Jr. turned over thousands of documents in August to the Senate Judiciary Comm in the Russia probe.   Read More About This

48.

Trump campaign turns over 20K pages of documents to Senate investigators   Read More About This

49.

Bloomberg also reported Fusion GPS, a company linked to the dossier, and its CEO have yet to turn over requested documents. Senate Judiciary Comm chair Grassley wants to know if Russians paid for the dossier.   Read More About This

50.

Page Six reported Trump's story about a renovation at the 21 Club, which Trump told the generals while berating them about losing in Afghanistan (Week 38), was "completely wrong in every detail."   Read More About This

51.

WAPO reported the FBI conducted a predawn raid on Manafort's home in Alexandria, VA, seizing documents and other materials related to Mueller's Russia probe.   Read More About This

52.

The raid on his home occurred on July 26, the day Manafort was scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Comm and a day after he met with the Senate Intel Comm.   Read More About This

53.

The FBI search warrant was for documents relating to tax, banking and other matters. Sources said the FBI agents left with a "trove of material."   Read More About This

54.

ABC reported Manafort was awoken in the predawn hours by a group of armed FBI agents knocking on his bedroom door.   Read More About This

55.

On July 26 Trump called for acting FBI director McCabe to be fired. Also, that morning he inexplicably tweeted his transgender military ban without notifying the DoD or having a strategy in place.   Read More About This

56.

Bloomberg reported Manafort alerted Congressional investigators about the June 9 Trump Tower meeting three months ago.   Read More About This

57.

Trump ally the National Enquirer posted a story, "Trump Advisor Sex Scandal  --  Paul Manafort's Sick Affair," shortly after the WAPO article hit.   Read More About This

58.

POLITICO reported Federal investigators sought cooperation from Jeffrey Yohai, Manafort's son-in-law, early in the summer, in an effort to increase pressure on Manafort.   Read More About This

59.

On Thursday, Manafort fired WilmerHale and switched to Miller and Chevalier, a boutique firm in Washington that specializes in complicated financial crimes.   Read More About This

60.

A story in The New Yorker noted that with Manafort's sophistication and links to Russia oligarchs, he was in a good position to "understand what Vladimir Putin wanted from the Trump campaign."   Read More About This

61.

ABC reported Congressional investigators want to question Rhona Graff, Trump's assistant for 30 years, on the email exchange and meeting at Trump Tower on June 9 with Russians.   Read More About This

62.

The bipartisan Sen. Judiciary Comm asked the White House to respond to questions about changes to Kushner's security clearance forms related to undisclosed meetings with Russians. The deadline to reply was July 6.   Read More About This

63.

WAPO reported that analysis by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) concluded N. Korea has passed the key threshold of producing missile-ready nuclear weapons.   Read More About This

64.

From his golf course in Bedminster, Trump warned N. Korea against threatening US cities, saying threats "will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen."   Read More About This

65.

In reaction to Trump's 'red line' of N. Korea threatening US cities, Kim Jong-un's regime said it may strike Guam.   Read More About This

66.

Trump's "fire and fury" comments broke the Dow's 10-day winning streak.   Read More About This

67.

Trump's comments were condemned by Democrats, Republicans and nuclear weapons experts, saying his incendiary rhetoric would make things worse.   Read More About This

68.

The Toronto Star reported on the numerous time Trump has used varieties of the hyperbolic phrase, "like the world has never seen," to make a point, including while a businessman and running for office.   Read More About This

69.

Wednesday, NYT reported Trump's "fire and fury" threat to N. Korea was improvised. The sheet of paper in front of him was about the opioid crisis, and he ad-libbed without input from his team on wording.   Read More About This

70.

As the North Korea crisis unfolds, Trump has yet to appoint an ambassador to S. Korea. As per Week 38, 22 of 24 assistant secretary positions in the State Dept are either unfilled or staffed by Obama holdovers.   Read More About This

71.

Blumenthal told MSNBC the Senate Armed Services Comm has been informed as N. Koreans moved from milestone to milestone, indicating Trump also should have known progress and not been alarmist.   Read More About This

72.

A 30-foot inflatable chicken with Trump-like hair floated next to the WH on Wednesday. The balloon was set up by documentary filmmaker Taran Singh Brar to protest Trump "being a weak and ineffective leader."   Read More About This

73.

Foreign Policy reported on a 7-page memo written by Rich Higgins about the "deep state" targeting Trump, thought to be behind the recent NSC shake-up, including McMaster firing Higgins.   Read More About This

74.

On Thursday, Trump escalated the rhetoric on N. Korea further, saying his "fire and fury" comment may not have been "tough enough." Asked how he could of been tougher, Trump replied, "You'll see. You'll see."   Read More About This

75.

Shortly after, flanked by Pence and McMaster in Bedminster, Trump did a 20 minute lie-ridden press conference. A historian described Trump's bizarre outpouring as "he was a dam that had suddenly burst free."   Read More About This

76.

Trump called it a "disgrace" that the Senate didn't pass a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare, placing blame on McConnell and saying he wants him to get back to work and get it done.   Read More About This

77.

Trump also twice tweeted about McConnell's failure to repeal and replace Obamacare, and retweeted a Fox & Friends story Friday saying Trump was leaving the door open on whether McConnell should step down.   Read More About This

78.

On the other hand, Trump said he was "very thankful" to Putin for expelling hundreds of US diplomats "because now we have a smaller payroll." This is a false statement: diplomats remain on the payroll.   Read More About This

79.

Reuters reported the State Dept was "horrified and rattled," by Trump's remarks on expelling diplomats. The third ranking State member under W. Bush called the remarks, "grotesque."   Read More About This

80.

Also at the press conference, in contrast to what his regime said days earlier, Trump seemingly impromptu declared the opioids a federal emergency: "I'm saying officially, right now, it is an emergency."   Read More About This

81.

Also, on the transgender military ban, Trump said "I think I'm doing the military a great favor." and on the transgender community: "I think I have great support…I got a lot of votes."   Read More About This

82.

On Kim Jong-un, Trump said, "He got away with it for a long time…He's not getting away with it. This is a whole new ballgame." Adding, "And nobody, including N. Korea, is going to be threatening us with anything."   Read More About This

83.

Also at the press conference, Trump said "I don't think Iran is in compliance," on the 2015 deal to curtail nuclear weapons.   Read More About This

84.

Trump also said there was "no collusion between us and Russia. In fact, the opposite. Russia spent a lot of money on fighting me."   Read More About This

85.

Gordon Humphrey, a former GOP senator, suggested Congress should use the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office, saying of Trump "He is sick of mind, impetuous, arrogant, belligerent and dangerous."   Read More About This

86.

Tillerson sought calm on North Korea, saying Wednesday "Americans should sleep well at night." Gorka told BBC radio, "the idea that Secretary Tillerson is going to discuss military matters is simply nonsensical."   Read More About This

87.

On Friday, Trump escalated tensions further, tweeting the US military is "locked and loaded" should N. Korea "act unwisely."   Read More About This

88.

As tensions rose, US allies and adversaries urged caution. Germany PM Merkel said, "verbal escalation will not contribute to a resolution," and Russia foreign minister Lavrov said rhetoric was "over the top."   Read More About This

89.

In a phone call Friday night, China's President Xi Jinping also urged Trump to exercise restraint according to Chinese state media.   Read More About This

90.

As tensions heightened with N Korea, former Defense Secretary Panetta told CNN "we're dealing with probably the most serious crisis involving a potential nuclear war since the Cuban Missile Crisis."   Read More About This

91.

In Hawaii, emergency management officials are working on reinstating alarm sirens to warn of a nuclear attack, last used during the Cold War.   Read More About This

92.

On Friday evening, Trump spoke to reporters with Tillerson, McMaster and Haley by his side. Speculation was this was to assure Americans that diplomacy was also being used with N. Korea.   Read More About This

93.

Instead, Trump escalated the rhetoric yet again, saying Jong-un "will not get away with" what he's doing, and if he attacks Guam, or American territory or ally, "he will truly regret it and he will regret it fast."   Read More About This

94.

When asked about Venezuela, Trump said we have many options, "including a possible military option if necessary."   Read More About This

95.

His threat played into Maduro's hands. Venezuelan officials have long said the US is planning an invasion. Maduro requested a phone call with Trump on Friday, which was rejected.   Read More About This

96.

A Deptment of Defense spokesperson said Friday evening the US is not planning to invade Venezuela, and "any insinuations by the Maduro regime that we are planning an invasion are baseless."   Read More About This

97.

Trump called the governor of Guam Friday night to reassure him of US protection. He also joked that Governor Calvo has become "extremely famous," and offered, "your tourism [is] going to go up like tenfold."   Read More About This

98.

On Friday night, hundreds of white supremacists marched on University of Virginia's campus carrying torches and chanting "White lives matter," and "You will not replace us," and "Jew will not replace us."   Read More About This

99.

On Saturday morning, white supremacists in Charlottesville to attend the Unite the Right rally carried Confederate flags and flag with the Nazi Swastikas. Militia groups carrying guns also attended.   Read More About This

100.

Violent clashes between white supremacists and protestors broke out. Local police declared a state of emergency.   Read More About This

101.

Later Saturday, the Virginia Governor, Terry McAuliffe, declared a state of emergency in response to the Unite the Right white nationalist rally. White supremacists were ordered to vacate the park before the rally.   Read More About This

102.

Trump addressed Charlottesville hours later, but failed to condemn white supremacists, many of whom were wearing Trump gear, instead tweeting, "We ALL must be united & condemn all that hate stands for."   Read More About This

Replicated from:   https://medium.com/@Amy_Siskind/week-39-experts-in-authoritarianism-advise-to-keep-a-list-of-things-subtly-changing-around-you-so-1b911b954f30

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Week #38:  August 5, 2017

This week, as his popularity hit new lows, Trump and his regime's white nationalist push became more conspicuous and aggressive. Trump continues to irreverently lie -- one such false statement on Donald Jr.'s June 9 meeting could directly implicate him in covering up the Russia scandal, which entered a new phase as Mueller impaneled a grand jury in Washington DC. As a continuation of a theme over the past two weeks, the Republicans are finally pushing back on Trump, as Congress took steps to keep him in check. Trump seems prepared to fight Congress, along with battles he is already waging against the judicial branch and the media. ____________________________________________________________

1.

On a Fox News interview, Conway advised White House staffers not to address Trump by his first name, and to treat him with "deference and humility."   Read More About This

2.

On his Sunday show, Fareed Zakaria cautioned with Trump in power, the US faces something worse than being feared or derided -- the US is "becoming irrelevant."   Read More About This

3.

On Sunday, Putin ordered the US diplomatic missions in Russia to reduce their staff by 755 personnel, the single largest forced reduction, comparable only to the months after the Communist revolution in 1917.   Read More About This

4.

The Trump regime had no response to Putin's order on Sunday, or for the entire week.

5.

ProPublica reported Customs and Border Protection is set to jumpstart Trump's wall in a Texas national wildlife refuge. The agency will use money allotted by Congress for other purposes.   Read More About This

6.

A spokesperson for Pruitt's EPA told WAPO the agency will make changes to the EPA Museum. For example, the exhibit on Obama's Clean Power Plan will be removed, and coal may be added.   Read More About This

7.

CBN News reported nearly all of Trump's cabinet officials attend Bible lessons with a pastor who compares Trump to biblical heroes.   Read More About This

8.

In a statement released Tuesday, 56 retired generals and admirals came out against Trump's transgender military ban, arguing it would be disruptive and degrade military readiness.   Read More About This

9.

CBC News reported Montreal's Olympic Stadium is being used to house a surge in asylum seekers crossing from the US. More than 1k crossed from the US into Quebec in July alone.   Read More About This

10.

The NAACP issued its first-ever travel advisory for a state. NAACP cited Missouri legislation making discrimination cases harder to win, recent racist incidents, and racial disparities in traffic enforcement.   Read More About This

11.

Kobach appealed an order requiring him to answer question under oath about two documents containing plans for changes to US election law.   Read More About This

12.

A top EPA official, Elizabeth Sutherland, resigned after 30 years at the agency. In a scathing letter, she wrote, "The environmental field is suffering from the temporary triumph of myth over truth."   Read More About This

13.

The Trump regime will redirect resources of the DOJ toward investigating and suing universities over affirmative action admissions policies, which the regime claim discriminate against white applicants.   Read More About This

14.

ProPublica reported Candice Jackson, DeVos's pick to head the Civil Rights Office, said she faced discrimination for being white while at Stanford because of a help section reserved for minority students.   Read More About This

15.

WAPO reported Lizandro Claros Saravia, a standout soccer player who had a scholarship to play college soccer, was deported to El Salvador along with his brother after going to ICE to report he got into college.   Read More About This

16.

Documents released to the Daily Beast under the FOIA show high-level DHS officials ordered staff to stiff-arm members of Congress and treat lawyers with deep suspicion in the first hours of Trump's Muslim Ban.   Read More About This

17.

In an ICE press release, the agency admitted in Kelly's final sweep as DHS head, designed to catch Central Americans who had come to the US as family unit, 70% of those captured were not people being targeted.   Read More About This

18.

Tillerson's State Dept is considering eliminating the promotion of democracy from its mission statement.   Read More About This

19.

Amateur hackers at the DefCon conference in Las Vegas were able to exploit vulnerabilities in five voting machine types within 24 hours.   Read More About This

20.

POLITICO reported that by firing of Priebus, Trump severed one of his few remaining ties to the Republican Party.   Read More About This

21.

In a bombshell story, WAPO reported Trump dictated Donald Jr.'s misleading statement claiming Russian adoption was the rationale for the June 9 meeting, while flying back from the G20.   Read More About This

22.

Trump dictated son's misleading statement on meeting with Russian lawyer   Read More About This

23.

WAPO further reported Kushner's lawyers first learned about the June 9 email trail while researching their response to Congressional investigators weeks prior. Advisers and lawyers for Trump, Donald Jr. and Kushner had mapped out a strategy for disclosing the information.   Read More About This

24.

WAPO further reported that with this misleading statement, Trump is now directly implicated in trying to cover up Russia scandal.   Read More About This

25.

The day after reports that Trump crafted Donald Jr.'s statement, CBS reported Congressional investigators requested Donald Jr.'s phone records around the time of the June 9 meeting.   Read More About This

26.

Trump ally former Sheriff Joe Arpaio was found guilty of criminal contempt of court for defying a court order to stop detaining suspected undocumented immigrants.   Read More About This

27.

Phoenix New Times reported Arpaio was a no-show for his pre-sentencing hearing on Thursday.   Read More About This

28.

Ahead of his first cabinet meeting with Kelly as chief of staff, Trump referred to the Cabinet Room as a "board room."   Read More About This

29.

Sec of Interior Zinke told GQ in an interview that Rick Perry was didn't understand what his position is about, "I think he thought his department was more about energy than…science. Mostly, it's science."   Read More About This

30.

WAPO reported lobbyists are taking credit in the Trump era for writing bills to protect their industry that are passed in Congress with minimal input from the public, and little of no discussion in Congress.   Read More About This

31.

NYT reported Lewandowski has a new "advisory" business, which again is testing the ethical boundaries of Trump giving significant access and power to friends and loyalists not on the government payroll.   Read More About This

32.

WAPO reported Secret Service vacated its command post inside Trump Tower following a dispute over terms of the lease for the space. The post has been relocated to a trailer on the sidewalk.   Read More About This

33.

Six months after leaving office, Pence handed over state-related emailstransmitted from his personal AOL account. Some requests for Pence's emails are more than a year old.   Read More About This

34.

Pence's attorney, also a top fundraiser for Trump and Pence, determined which emails to release, raising concerns from watchdog groups.   Read More About This

35.

A US Court of Appeals ruled that 17 states and DC could pursue the Trump regime for their efforts to sabotage Obamacare.   Read More About This

36.

Ivanka said, "We are committed to supporting the American worker," as 100% of her companies' goods are manufactured overseas, and the Trump Organization and Eric's winery seek to bring in foreign workers.   Read More About This

37.

WSJ reported the US attorney issued subpoenas to Kushner Cos. Employees and Kushner family members have allegedly been offering green cards in exchange for $500k investments in their properties.   Read More About This

38.

Kelly asserted his authority as chief of staff on Monday, firing Scaramucci immediately.   Read More About This

39.

Kelly's first priority will be to gain control of the information that reaches Trump, with a goal of cutting out backchannels and bad information.   Read More About This

40.

Chief of Staff General Kelly reportedly called AG Jeff Sessions to tell him his job is safe.   Read More About This

41.

CNN reported Kelly was so upset about the handling of Comey's firing, Kelly called Comey afterward and said he was considering resigning.   Read More About This

42.

Bowing to criticism on transparency, Tillerson held his first press briefing, saying he is not "very happy" with Congress' vote to sanction Russia.   Read More About This

43.

Tillerson acknowledged the understaffed State Dept: 22 of 24 assistant secretary slots are either unfilled or staffed by Obama holdovers.   Read More About This

44.

Greg Andres, a former DOJ official, became the 16th member of Mueller's team. Andres has vast experience with white-collar crime, including fraud and illegal foreign bribery.   Read More About This

45.

A story on Golf.com recounted a scene at Trump's Bedminster golf club, in which he tells members the reason he stays away from Washington is because the White House is a "real dump."   Read More About This

46.

Trump tweeted, "I love the White House, one of the most beautiful buildings (homes) I have ever seen," and referred to Golf.com as "Fake News."   Read More About This

47.

Golf.com responded with a podcast about the story, saying at least 8 people heard Trump call the White House a dump.   Read More About This

48.

At a tense July 19 meeting with generals, Trump complained about the options in Afghanistan, saying, "We are losing." Trump also compared US efforts to the renovation of the 21 Club, infuriating the generals.   Read More About This

49.

Trump complained the US wasn't getting a piece of Afghan's mineral wealth, and said he was considering firing Gen. Nicholson.   Read More About This

50.

As Kelly established an organizational structure, McMaster fired two Bannon loyalists from the NSC: Rich Higgins and Ezra Cohen-Watnick.   Read More About This

51.

As the turf battle heated up between McMaster and Bannon, rumors circulated that Trump may send McMaster off to Afghanistan to replace Nicholson.   Read More About This

52.

McMaster cleared Susan Rice and said she will keep her top-secret security clearance. Circa reported Trump was not aware of McMaster's decision.   Read More About This

53.

Conservative media turned on McMaster, calling him a "sycophant" and "deeply hostile to Israel and Trump." A new app that tracks Russian troll activity also found "firemcmaster" as the most tweeted item.   Read More About This;  Click here, also

54.

NPR reported on a lawsuit that alleges Fox News and Ed Butowsky, a wealthy Trump supporter, with the knowledge of the WH, created a fake story about murdered DNC staffer Seth Rich leaking DNC emails to WikiLeaks to help Trump deflect from Russian involvement.   Read More About This

55.

The story started May 10, the day after the Comey firing. A few days later, Butowsky texted Wheeler, the expert suing for being inaccurately cited in the story, that Trump "wants the article out immediately."   Read More About This

56.

ABC reported Spicer met with two Fox News contributors about the Seth Rich story at the WH, and asked to be "kept abreast of developments."   Read More About This

57.

Yahoo reported the lawyer who is suing Fox News on behalf of Wheeler will seek to depose Trump and Spicer.   Read More About This

58.

Reporter Andrew Feinberg, who worked at Sputnik, said he was pushed to cover the Seth Rich story: "It's really telling that the White House is pushing the same narrative as a state-run Russian propaganda outlet."   Read More About This

59.

Newsweek reported Russia is using LinkedIn to target critics by damaging their reputations and chances for employment, and possible exposing them to physical harm beyond social media.   Read More About This

60.

Flanked by senators Cotton and Perdue, Trump introduced a bill to slash immigration levels in half over the next decade.   Read More About This

61.

Trump said the bill, named the RAISE Act, will favor green card applicants who speak English, financially support themselves, and contribute to the economy.   Read More About This

62.

AP fact checked Trump's speech and found it was full of false statements.   Read More About This

63.

The bill was sharply rebuked by Democrats and Republicans. Catholic Bishops issued a strong statement against RAISE, saying it will weaken family bonds and impact ability to respond to those in crisis.   Read More About This

64.

At a contentious press briefing after the RAISE Act announcement, Stephen Miller said the 1883 "huddled masses" poem inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty doesn't matter since it was "added later."   Read More About This

65.

Miller also acted aggressively towards a NYT and CNN reporters. Miller said CNN's Jim Acosta, son of Cuban immigrants who did not speak English, had a "Cosmopolitan bias."   Read More About This

66.

'Cosmopolitan' is an anti-Semitic term used by 20th century authoritarian regimes.   Read More About This

67.

The Anne Frank Center tweeted that Nazis found Anne Frank on August 4, 1944, after her family was denied entrance to the US in 1941, for "Reasons refugees hear now."   Read More About This

68.

Trump told the WSJ the head of the boy scouts called him to say his jamboree speech was "the greatest speech that was ever made to them." The Boy Scouts denied any call from national leadership was made.   Read More About This

69.

Trump also told the WSJ that Mexican president Peña Nieto called him and told him fewer people were crossing the border. This is also a lie.   Read More About This

70.

WH press secretary Sanders revised Trump's statements to say an individual Boy Scout leader called Trump, and the statement from Peña Nieto took place in a conversation at the G20.   Read More About This

71.

Trump signed the Russia sanctions bill behind closed doors and with no press coverage. Trump criticized Congress, but said nothing of Russia interference or the 755 US embassy members removed.   Read More About This

72.

In a statement, Trump called the measure "significantly flawed." Trump also said it "encroaches on the executive branch's authority to negotiate," adding, "I built a truly great company worth many billions of dollars."   Read More About This

73.

Trump again attacked Congress, tweeting, "Our relationship with Russia is at an all-time & very dangerous low," and you can thank "the same people that can't even give us HCare!"   Read More About This

74.

McCain responded, "You can thank Putin for attacking our democracy, invading neighbors & threatening our allies" for the dangerous low.   Read More About This

75.

Russia PM Medvedev said the Trump regime "has demonstrated full impotence." He also tweeted the Trump regime has shown its "total weakness" in handing power to Congress "in the most humiliating way."   Read More About This;  Click here, also

76.

Trump approval dropped to new lows: Rasmussen (38 approve), Gallup (36–60) and Quinnipiac (33–61). Trump used to cite Rasmussen as his favorite when his approval there reached high 50s.   Read More About This;  Click here, also

77.

Quinnipiac also found American voters say 54–26 that they are embarrassed to have Trump as a leader.   Read More About This

78.

Two bipartisan pairs of senators (Graham/Booker, Tillis/Coons) released legislation to block Trump from firing Mueller without good reason.   Read More About This

79.

Buzzfeed reported the RNC has instructed staff not to delete or modify any documents related to last year's campaign, given "the potentially expansive scope of the inquiries and investigations."   Read More About This

80.

WSJ reported Mueller impaneled a grand jury in Washington to investigate Russia's interference in the 2016 election, a sign his inquiry is growing in intensity. Trump's special counsel Cobb, was not aware.   Read More About This

81.

A grand jury is already impaneled in Alexandria, VA to investigate Flynn. The second grand jury and recent hires shows the investigation has entered a new phase. The location gives Mueller's team easy proximity.   Read More About This

82.

Reuters reported grand jury subpoenas have been issued in connection to the June 9 meeting between Donald Jr., Veselnitskaya and others.   Read More About This

83.

Trump held a campaign rally in WV in which he called the Russia investigation a "hoax," and presided over cheers of "Lock her up!"as he called for an investigation into Hillary's deleted emails.   Read More About This

84.

Also of note at the rally, the supporters standing behind Trump as he spoke, a group typically carefully selected by staffers, was 100% white.   Read More About This

85.

As the Senate adjourned for the summer, WAPO reported this is a historically unproductive period of governance as Republicans had no major legislative achievements despite controlling Congress and the WH.   Read More About This

86.

The Senate unanimously agreed to a "pro forma" sessions before leaving for break, meaning Trump cannot make recess appointments. Murkowski, attacked by Trump in Week 37, did the wrap-up.   Read More About This

87.

The Interior Dept's Office of the Inspector General launched a preliminary investigation of Zinke's threats to the Alaska senators in an apparent effort to sway Murkowski to vote for the Obamacare repeal.   Read More About This

88.

NBC reported SCL Group, a private British behavioral research company related to Cambridge Analytica, was awarded several contracts by the State Dept.   Read More About This

89.

On their website, SCL Group advertised "our methodology has been approved by" with the State Dept and NATO logos. After NBC's report, NATO and the State Dept asked that their logos be removed.   Read More About This

90.

AP reported Flynn will file an amended public financial filing to show he entered into a consulting agreement with SCL Group, a subsidiary of Cambridge Analytica.   Read More About This

91.

After Trump, "big data" firm Cambridge Analytica is now working in Kenya   Read More About This

92.

Flynn's amended filing will also include $28k from the Trump transition team, and $5k as a consultant for an aborted Middle East nuclear power deal. Per Week 32, that Middle East deal was a venture with Russia.   Read More About This

93.

CNN reported that one year into the FBI's Russia investigation, now headed by Mueller, the probe has expanded to focus on possible financial crimes, some of which are not connected to the 2016 elections.   Read More About This

94.

Investigators are looking into whether financial laws were broken, and whether Trump dealings could put members of the regime in a compromising position with Russia.   Read More About This

95.

Further, the FBI noticed a spate of curious communications between the Trump campaign and Russian intelligence in the summer of 2016, including contact with Manafort on information damaging to Hillary.   Read More About This

96.

Carter Page has been under a FISA warrant since 2014.   Read More About This

97.

VOX reported that as many as 10 or more senior intelligence officials, including Comey and McCabe, are likely to be interviewed as part of Mueller's obstruction of justice investigation.   Read More About This

98.

WAPO released the transcripts of Trump's phone calls with Mexican President Peña Nieto and Australian PM Turnbull during Trump's first week in office.   Read More About This

99.

When Peña Nieto said Mexico would not pay for the wall, Trump responded, "You cannot say that to the press," acknowledging talk about the wall was more about image management than economic policy.   Read More About This

100.

Trump told Peña Nieto he won New Hampshire (a lie) because the state is "a drug-infested den."   Read More About This

101.

Despite Trump claiming early on that reports of him berating Turnbull on the call were "fake news," the transcript does confirm this. Trump told Turnbull he had a more pleasant call earlier with Putin.   Read More About This

102.

Trump balked at taking refugees from Australia as required in a deal struck by Obama, saying he hates taking these people, and they could "become the Boston bomber in five years."   Read More About This

103.

As Trump departed for a three-week vacation at this golf course in Bedminster, GQ labelled him "the laziest president in American history."   Read More About This

104.

Likewise, the cover of Newsweek referred to Trump as "Lazy Boy" and pictures him a chair watching television and eating junk food. The accompanying article refers to him as "America's boy king."   Read More About This

105.

Staffers of Republicans on the House Intel Comm traveled to London to track down Steele, author of the dossier. POLITICO reported growing tensions as Democrats on the House Intel Comm, Sen. Intel Comm members, and Mueller were not notified.   Read More About This

106.

In a press conference Friday, Sessions threatened the DOJ may prosecute journalists over suspected leaks. Sessions also said he is reviewing the DOJ's policies affecting media subpoenas.   Read More About This;  Click here, also

107.

NYT reported Mueller's special counsel made its first formal request to the White House to hand over documents. Mueller seeks information on the financial dealing of Flynn related his company's work for Turkey.   Read More About This

108.

Flynn was paid $530k. Investigators (Mueller) want to know if the Turkish government was behind the payments, and if Flynn Intel Group made kickbacks to Ekim Alptekin, for concealing the source of the money.   Read More About This

109.

Flynn's now third version of financial disclosure forms list $1.8mm in income, $400k more than in his prior forms.   Read More About This

110.

Failing to register as a foreign agent is a felony, and trying to hide to source of money by routing it through a private company, and using kickbacks to a middle man, could lead to criminal charges.   Read More About This

Replicated from:   https://medium.com/@Amy_Siskind/week-38-experts-in-authoritarianism-advise-to-keep-a-list-of-things-subtly-changing-around-you-so-4730486b719a

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