| Week #22: April 16, 2017 |
|
Week 22 has, by far, the most items (to date) related to Trump-Russia ties. This week, the word "probe" progressed to "scandal," signaling an acceptance that some sort of collusion occurred. Trump continues his attempts to divert attention from this story by bombing and provocation without a strategy or plan. Two days of bombing have earned him his first two days of positive press. Meanwhile, as we approach the 100-day mark, Trump has accomplished little and his regime is in disarray.
|
| 1. | Six weeks have passed since Trump's tweet accusing Obama of wiretapping Trump Tower. He has yet to offer any evidence or apologize. |
| 2. |
Trump continues to claim, without evidence, that Susan Rice committed a crime by spying on the Trump campaign. Read More About This |
| 3. |
The Trump regime has articulated five different policies for Syria in the last two weeks. As the week closed, he still hadn't settled on one. Read More About This |
| 4. |
Reuters reported that the Assad regime was warned by Russia (after Russia was warned by Trump) of the impending US strike, and was able to mostly evacuate the target. Read More About This |
| 5. |
Tillerson attended a G7 meeting, where he was a dissenting voice on imposing more sanctions on Russia. Tillerson said of Russia's involvement in Ukraine, "Why should U.S. taxpayers be interested in Ukraine?" Read More About This; Click here, also |
| 6. |
Tillerson ditched his press pool while meeting with Putin. Tillerson claimed he and Putin found very little to agree on. Read More About This; Click here, also |
| 7. |
As news about the Trump-Russia collusion in our election seeped out this week, Trump and Putin sought to display a deteriorating US-Russia relationship, with Trump saying relations were "at an all-time low." Read More About This |
| 8. |
The next day, Trump tweeted an odd, unprompted reassurance, "Things will work out fine between the U.S.A. and Russia. At the right time everyone will come to their senses & there will be lasting peace!" Read More About This |
| 9. |
Buzzfeed reported Pyotr Levashov (Peter Severa), a Russian hacker, was detained in Spain for ties to a computer virus linked to the US election. His wife said he was arrested for being "linked to Trump's win." Read More About This |
| 10. |
WAPO reported that the FBI had obtained a FISA warrant to monitor Carter Page in connection with an investigation of the Trump campaign's connection to the Russia's effort to swing the election in Trump's favor. Read More About This |
| 11. |
WAPO also reported that the first 90-day FISA warrant was issued in July 2016, and has since been renewed by the FISA court more than once. Read More About This |
| 12. |
In an ABC interview, Page said he couldn't guarantee he did not discuss easing of sanctions with Russian contacts at a meeting in July in the Russian capital, "We'll see what comes out in this FISA transcript." Read More About This |
| 13. |
According to the Steele dossier, also discussed at that July meeting was the sale of a 19.5% stake in Rosneft, Russia's state oil company -- allegedly in exchange for lifting of sanctions. Read More About This |
| 14. |
CNN reported that classified documents reviewed by Democrats and Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee contradict Nunes's and Trump's claims that Susan Rice did anything unusual or illegal. Read More About This |
| 15. |
Financial records obtained by AP confirmed at least 2 payments totaling $1.2mm paid by a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine on the so-called Black Ledger to Manafort's consulting firm in the US. Read More About This |
| 16. |
After consulting with federal authorities, Manafort said he would register as a foreign agent for his past work on behalf of pro-Russia interests in the Ukraine. Read More About This |
| 17. |
Manafort became the second in Trump's inner-circle to retrospectively register as a foreign agent, Flynn being the first for his work with Turkey. Read More About This |
| 18. |
A DC lobbying firm which was that was directed by Manafort and Gates also retroactively registered as a foreign agent for work to promote a pro-Russian Ukrainian political party's interests in Washington. Read More About This |
| 19. |
The day after Manafort stepped down from the Trump campaign, he set up a shell company which secured $20mm in loans, including $3.5mm from Spruce Capital, which has connections to a post-Soviet fertilizer oligarch, Alexander Rovt, who also has ties to Trump. Read More About This |
| 20. |
Buzzfeed reported on a bizarre story involving Trump attorney Michael Cohen taking a $350k check from a Russian NHL player, which was meant to be passed along to Cohen's client, a Russian women in Florida for payment on a condo, but instead Cohen cashed the check and kept it. Read More About This |
| 21. |
Former MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove said Trump borrowed from Russiaas a lender of last resort after the 2008 financial crisis. Read More About This |
| 22. |
The Guardian reported British spies were the first to spot the Trump team's links to Russia dating back to late 2015. GCHQ shared the suspicious activity with their counter-parts in US intelligence. Read More About This |
| 23. |
Germany, Estonia, Poland, Netherlands, France and Australia also relayedmaterial on the Trump campaign's links to Russia to US Intelligence during 2016. Read More About This |
| 24. |
The head of GCHQ met with CIA Chief Brennan in July 2016 -- per The Guardian, the matter was deemed so sensitive it was handled at "director level." This meeting allegedly precipitated Brennan's one-on-one meetings with the Gang of Eight, described in Week 21. Read More About This |
| 25. |
CNN confirmed The Guardian reporting, citing sources in the US congressional and law enforcement, and US and European intelligence. Read More About This |
| 26. |
CIA director Pompeo had harsh words for Wikileaks, including a "hostile intelligence service," and said Russian military intelligence used WikiLeaks to release hacked DNC emails. Read More About This |
| 27. |
Pompeo also described RT, as Russia's "primary propaganda outlet" and said it actively collaborated with WikiLeaks. Read More About This |
| 28. |
Ironically, while part of Trump's campaign, Pompeo had cheered on Wikileaks, tweeting a Restate article, "BUSTED: 19,252 Emails from DNC Leaked by Wikileaks" Read More About This |
| 29. |
Offering no evidence, Stone told POLITICO the Obama administration got a FISA warrant on him. Stone has admitted communication with both Guccifer 2.0 and Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks. Read More About This |
| 30. |
Maddow observed the serious press and agencies rushing in this week to take credit for having uncovered the Trump regimes collusion with Russia -- meaning the scandal has entered a new phase as accepted. Read More About This |
| 31. |
The House Intelligence Committee sent Rep. Quigley to Cyprus as part of its Trump-Russia probe. Week 19's list noted some of the extensive ties between Cyprus and the Trump regime. Read More About This |
| 32. |
The Department of Justice released 90 pages under the FOIA about voting machine malfunctions in PA, MI, WI, FL and NC. Read More About This |
| 33. |
As Trump neared the 100-day judgment mark, POLITCO described the White House as a "pressure cooker" to show results, when little has been accomplished. Read More About This |
| 34. |
As power continued to consolidate in the hands of the Trump family, Trump's White House drew comparisons to a "family business." Read More About This |
| 35. |
Unabated personnel drama plagued the White House the entire week, as snipes continued between Bannon, Kushner and Trump. Read More About This |
| 36. |
After Trumpcare failed (twice), Trump had promised to take on tax reform next, saying a plan was forthcoming. This week Trump's White House scrapped this effort, saying they would not produce a tax plan. Read More About This |
| 37. |
WSJ reported that Trump's federal hiring freeze, put in place day 1 of his administration, put correctional officers at risk, could delay payments to veterans, and prevent disabled and retirees from getting social security. Read More About This |
| 38. |
The next day, Trump lifted his Federal hiring freeze. Read More About This |
| 39. |
During the hiring freeze, thousands of positions remain vacant including more than 350 at the EPA alone. CNBC blamed the pace on "Trump's close involvement" and "turf wars" in his inner circle and Cabinet. Read More About This; Click here, also |
| 40. |
Trump threatened to undermine Obamacare to get Democrats to the negotiating table. Specifically, he would hold back subsidy payments to healthcare companies providing insurance to low-income Americans. Read More About This |
| 41. |
The Government Accountability Office said it's investigating whether the Trump transition team followed federal guidelines and ethics rulesduring the transition. Read More About This |
| 42. |
DeVos said she would scrap Obama's plan for tougher federal oversight and new rules for student-loan servicers. Coincidentally, DeVos has significant holdings in one such servicer, Performant Financial Corp. Read More About This; Click here, also |
| 43. |
Trump appointed crony Don Benton, a salesman, to director of the Selective Service System, overseeing the military draft. This is the first time since 1941 a person with no military experience has been chosen. Read More About This |
| 44. |
Allan Lichtman, the American University who predicted the winner of the last eight presidential elections, predicted Trump will be impeached. Read More About This |
| 45. |
CREW and others sued DHS under the FOIA for failing to disclose visitor logs of the WH, Mar-A-Lago and Trump Tower. Read More About This |
| 46. |
On Friday, the Trump regime said they will not release the White House visitor logs, breaking with a practice started under President Obama. Read More About This |
| 47. |
The rationale for not releasing visitor logs were "security risks"' and to save taxpayers $700k over the next three years. A weekend in Mar-A-Lago costs taxpayers an estimated $3mm. Read More About This; Click here, also |
| 48. |
Trump is on track to spend more in his first year, than Obama spent in all eight years in office. Read More About This |
| 49. |
Trump Hotel DC is facing new legal challenges under the emoluments clause from a watchdog group represented by constitutional lawyer Laurence Tribe, who noted a "major infusion of value" from the GSA. Read More About This |
| 50. |
A deal for a Trump-branded hotel in Dallas with a developer Mukemmel Sarimsakci, known as "Turkish Trump," collapsed. Sarimsakci said the Trump Organization had been vetting potential investors in the deal. Read More About This |
| 51. |
Bloomberg found that of Trump's 10 most engaged followers on Twitter, five are confirmed robots and three appear to be bots. Read More About This |
| 52. |
A Florida court of appeals ruled against Trump, saying he owed a paint company $300k for stiffing them on work done and supplies provided at the Trump National Doral Miami golf resort. Read More About This |
| 53. |
Trump completely reversed himself on several key campaign positions this week. China is no longer a currency manipulator, NATO is no longer obsolete -- nor is Ex-Im Bank, and he likes the job Yellin is doing. Read More About This |
| 54. |
Trump credited new-found knowledge from China's leader (N Korea) and business leaders like Boeing's CEO (Ex-Im Bank). Boeing donated $1mm to Trump's inauguration, and as mentioned in prior weeks, China has granted many goodies to Trump, including 38 new trademarks. Read More About This; Click here, also |
| 55. |
Trump's Treasury Department oddly placed Germany on its new special currency "monitoring list." Germany's currency is the Euro. Read More About This |
| 56. |
In a FBN interview Trump described eating "the most beautiful piece of chocolate cake" with China's leader -- giving a free advertisement to Mar-A-Lago catering -- then got the country he bombed wrong (said Iraq). Read More About This |
| 57. |
Spicer made shocking statements regarding Hitler and the Holocaust at Tuesday's press briefing. He used the term "Holocaust center" rather than concentration camp, and in comparing Hitler to Assad, said the former had never used chemical weapons on his own people. Read More About This |
| 58. |
The Anne Frank Center called on Trump to fire Spicer. The Trump regime has amassed a steady stream of anti-Semitic behavior, including omitting Jews from the White House International Holocaust Remembrance Day statement. Read More About This; Click here, also |
| 59. |
No one from the Trump family attended the White House Passover Sedar, unlike his President Obama and Michelle who attended every year. Read More About This |
| 60. |
NBC reported on Gorka's ties to Vitezi Rend, a Nazi-linked group, including wearing his honorary medal from the group at Trump's Inaugural ball. Read More About This |
| 61. |
In a speech on Tuesday, AG Sessions ordered prosecutors to crack down on illegal immigrants more aggressively, claiming gangs and cartels are turning U.S. cities into "war zones." Read More About This |
| 62. |
ICE quietly detained 367 immigrants this week in raids across the country. ICE claims the raids are focused on "criminal aliens, illegal re-entrants and immigration fugitives" -- advocates say this is not true. Read More About This |
| 63. |
A mother of four in Cincinnati was deported after appeals. Maribel Trujillo had no criminal record in her 15 years here, and has children aged 3–14 years-old, the youngest of which has special needs. Read More About This |
| 64. |
On Thursday, the "mother of all bombs"- the largest non-nuclear bomb ever used in combat -- in Afghanistan. Trump refused to say if he had ordered the strike, and even if he knew about it. Read More About This |
| 65. |
Trump said he gave total authorization to "my military" -- a reference appropriate for a dictatorship, not a democracy. Read More About This |
| 66. |
While his popularity continues to flounder, Trump got his second day of positive press for dropping the MOAB (the first was the Syrian bombing). Read More About This |
| 67. |
Trump has yet to declare a strategy in Afghanistan or appoint an ambassador. The $16mm cost MOAB killed 36 ISIS fighters -- a cost of roughly half a million per fighter. Read More About This |
| 68. |
Late Thursday, Trump also issued confrontational statements about N. Korea, threatening a pre-emptive strike. N. Korea's vice foreign minister says Trump is "making trouble" with "aggressive" tweets. Read More About This; Click here, also |
| 69. |
Trump spent Friday in Mar-A-Lago, golfing and avoiding the press. Friday marked Trump's 18th time golfing, compared to other presidents at this point: Obama 0, W Bush 0, Clinton 3. Read More About This |
| 70. |
As Tax Day approaches April 18th, thousands are expected to march today in cities around the country to protest Trump being the only modern day president to not release his tax returns. Read More About This |
Replicated from: https://medium.com/@Amy_Siskind/week-22-experts-in-authoritarianism-advise-to-keep-a-list-of-things-subtly-changing-around-you-so-fdf7960cacd6
Read About
RSS Feed
