President Trump, Week 16

Here's this week's Democracy destroying list of incompetence coming from President Trump and his White House for the week beginning 2 PM Friday, May 5th to 2 PM Friday, May 12th.  This is likely not all of the Trump team's transgressions, but it's most of them.

It's outright comical now!  All of these infractions would've warranted a mocking press conference if the letter next to the President's name was a 'D' instead of an 'R,' and most of them would've sparked a Congressional investigation.  At least 30 on this list would've been used by Republicans as the legitimate validation for a Special Prosecutor to look into a Democratic Presidents hijinks, and a few of these would've EASILY justified calls for impeachment.  Instead, every Republican is hiding like Sean Spicer in the bushes.  All Republicans have a calendar with March 1, 2018 circled on it.  When that date comes, they'll hope this has all blown over.  If not, THEN they'll scream how they've been demanding a special investigation from the beginning.  Either that, our they'll announce they won't run for another term.  I expect a lot of retirement announcements from Republicans over the next year!

Get those Russians into the Oval Office and let's begin!

• After Trumpcare strips Veterans of million in health care tax credits, officially putting them into extremely expensive high risk pools, White House Spokesperson Kellyanne Conway blames the Democratic Party for not caring for the veterans
  
• Trump, the White House and Republicans are trying to insist all pre-existing conditions are covered under Trumpcare ("everyone will have access to healthcare"), but what they're not telling you is 1) the cost of treating those pre-existing conditions will be catastrophically more making them unaffordable for all but the wealthiest Americans, 2) in most cases the government will not help you cover the costs, 3) high risk pools generally are unreliable and 4) the ones which you might be able to get into generally don't cover squat
  
• In regards to former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's contact with the Russians, and receiving illegal payments from them, people are starting to openly question what did Vice President Mike Pence know and when did he know it. A look back at the timeline of events and the VP's public comments casts doubts on his innocence in the matter
• Washington Post story said Michael Flynn was warned by the Trump transition team about the risks of contacting the Russian Ambassador weeks prior to the December call between Flynn and the Ambassador which ended being the flashpoint for Flynn's resignation
• Former Trump Campaign Adviser Carter Page has refused to hand over documents to the Senate Intelligence Committee saying he was illegally surveilled by former President Obama so the committee should just ask him for what they need.  Senate Intelligence Committee reiterated their demand to Page
• In what is clearly a retribution move, Trump is using the FCC to investigate CBS late night host Stephen Colbert for his insulting of the President
  
• Top White House Advisor and Trump son-in-Law Jared Kushner's family were in China selling American citizenship to the highest bidder. Jared's sister was in a Beijing ballroom telling 100 wealthy Chinese businessmen if they were to invest in a Kushner family development for 500K, they'd also be able to apply for American citizenship. If we could only get each Syrian refugee $500,000 to invest in a Kushner family development...
• It should be also noted the Kushner family freaked out when they saw media attending this event and attempted to throw them all out of the ballroom before their 'presentation' began
  
• A story which SHOULD terrify EVERYONE, including ALL Republicans: former President Obama's officials had to stop showing Trump transition team members sensitive documents because they were photocopying them, illegally, and then removing the sensitive documents, illegally, from the secure facility.  Included in the documents the Trump team illegally copied and removed was the CIA's profile on Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, a man who numerous Trump Campaign/Administration officials met with and lied about meeting.  His profile was copied and removed by former National Security Adviser, and man who met Kislyak numerous times without disclosing it, Michael Flynn.  Assisting in the removal was Trump official Marshall Billingslea. Republicans would be in a rabid state if a Democratic transition team would've done this
  
• The City of Los Angeles California has passed a resolution, like numerous other cities, to formerly request an official probe into impeachable offenses by Trump
• Trump though he could make a campaign ad(?) which called all the media "fake news," and then force the media he just insulted to air the ad on their airwaves
• Ex-CIA officer Philip Mudd states the investigation into Trump/Russia is not focusing on Carter Page.  "I think he's chump change," implying the investigation is focusing on the inner circle of the Trump Administration
• After initially implying they wanted a quick Senate vote on the Trumpcare bill, the White House, realizing that vote now might never come, is openly saying they have no timeline for Trumpcare to come out of the Senate
• The US Defense Department is being forced to have to rent an apartment in Trump Tower so they can safely store the nuclear football, the briefcase, and the individual who carries it, containing the nuclear launch codes which accompanies the President all the time
• Trump throws a Twitter temper tantrum at how Trumpcare, his replacement for ObamaCare/ACA is being portrayed in the media.  It's being portrayed accurately, he's just mad the media won't report his lies as facts, like Fox & Friends will
  
• Republican Senator Rob Portmans has hinted another Trump budget cut will not fly as Trump's efforts to cut the Office of National Drug Control Policy by 95% is running into stiff opposition
• In one of the more laughable attempts to make a person look 'ethical,' EPA Chief Scott Pruitt says he's recusing himself for all of the lawsuits he filed agains the EPA while he was Attorney General for Oklahoma
• Ohio Governor John Kasich blasts Trumpcare, especially the lack of adequate funding for high risk pools/pre-exisitng conditions: "eight Billion dollars is not enough to fund.  It's ridiculous. And the fact is, states are not going to opt for that."
• After the Russians and racists tried to pull the same stunt they pulled in Britain and the United States, they failed in France as Emmanuel Macron destroyed Trump endorsed Marine Le Pen by 30 points to become France's new leader
• Chief of Staff Reince Priebus has a nightmare turn on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace.  After Wallace continued to hammer Priebus for the horrific Trumpcare bill, Priebus' defense was basically, 'yes the bill is horrible, but we're confident the Senate will fix all the problems with Trumpcare, and somehow the new bill will get a majority in the House'
  
• Speaker of the House Paul Ryan keeps insisting something his staff put forward; the Congressional Budget Office scored the Trumpcare bill the House passed on May 4th.  The CBO scored the original bill, but Trump and Republicans refused to let them score the revised bill until after the vote. The claim the CBO scored the bill that was passed out of the House is an outright lie
• HHS Secretary Tom Price insists cutting Medicaid by 880 million dollars, or a quarter of it's budget, will make Medicaid better for its patients
• An interview from three years ago emerges, with Trump and his son Eric talking with golf reporter James Dodson, who had been invited to play a round of golf at one of Trump's newer courses.  Dodson recounts an interesting answer to where exactly the Trump's got their financing for the golf course improvements.  From Eric:  "We don't rely on American banks.  We have all the funding we need out of Russia...they're really invested in our programs."
  
• In a story which seems like a comedy skit, the EPA has fired at least five academic scientists and scholars from a major scientific review board and Director Scott Pruitt proudly admits he's likely going to replace them with representatives from the industries the pollution regulating body is tasked to regulate
• Trump's set to name 10 far right conservative Federal court nominees.  The reason this is interesting is the Trump Administration has numerous positions currently unfilled, including well over 150 Ambassadorships, and Federal Court judges are something usually addressed after the Administration roles are solidified
• Trump has determined the only defense he has for the upcoming Former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates testimony to Congress is a baseless attack against her credibility, making up 'pulled from thin air' accusations against her.  Yates will testify the Trump Administration lied in regards to knowing about former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn's 'flaws'
• Trump, on Twitter, defended Michael Flynn prior to Yates' testimony, even though Flynn 'allegedly' lied repeatedly to Trump and White House officials numerous times
• It's pointed out Trump's tweets about Sally Yates are technically a crime, tampering with a Federal witness
  
• Hours before Sally Yates was scheduled to testify in Congress, NBC News revealed former President Obama personally warned Trump about hiring Flynn as National Security Adviser prior to leaving office.  The meeting took place less than 48 hours after the Election in 2016, in the Oval Office
• The Trump White House official excuse for why they didn't take Former President Obama's warning seriously was because they thought was joking. The "remark seemed like it was in jest. Didn't seem substantive"
• In blockbuster testimony, Former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates warned the White House three times not to hire Michael Flynn.  She told them Flynn had not been honest with his communications with the Russians, that the Russian knew he had lied to the White House, and this could've easily lead to the blackmailing of Flynn by the Russians.  "To state the obvious, you don't want your National Security Adviser compromised by the Russians."
  
• Yates also revealed the person in the White House she told, White House Counsel Don McGahn, responded to Yates warning by asking her why she cared at all.  "Why does it matter if one White House official lies to another White House official?"
• Yates also revealed the White House never informed the Department of Justice prior to the attempt to implement their travel ban against 7 Muslim majority countries.  "Not only was the department not consulted, we weren't even told about it."  "I learned about this from media reports"
• Yates, when clearly targeted by Republican Senators, trying to label her as partisan, implying she was justifiably fired, a point which would diminish her testimony's impact, defended herself beautifully by pointing out she wasn't the person determining Trump's unconstitutional immigrant/refugee/Muslim ban was illegal, rather the Constitution quite clearly says it's illegal
• In other blockbuster testimony from Capitol Hill on Monday, former CIA Director James Clapper confirmed British Intelligence notified the US about suspicious interactions between Trump's campaign and the Russians in 2016.  Clapper echoed FBI testimony that said investigations were begun in ernest in July of 2016.  Clapper also stated the Russians began their attempts to interfere with the American election in 2015
  
• Senator John Kennedy, Republican from Louisiana, became the stooge who followed through on Trump's Twitter plea to ask Sally Yates and James Clapper if they leaked information, but he screwed it up. He kept asking it they shared classified or unclassified information, to which Clapper said, "well, unclassified is not leaking." The room burst into laughter
• Clapper testified that Trump casting doubt on undeniable Russian Interference into the Presidentital election only "helps the Russians"
  
• Senator Al Franken does a magnificent job connecting the dots which lead to a big question: why did it take so long for Trump (18 days) to get rid of Flynn, while at the same time allowing a compromised Flynn access to sensitive White House documents?
• To defend his Muslim travel ban on six countries to the Appeals Court, Trump and Attorney General Jeff Session's briefing quotes a pro-segregation case as their main justification for the ban.  One lawyer wrote "it's stunning" to see the Administration cite a case that "at best allowed pre textual measures to avoiding racial integration" "facilitating segregation by turning a blind eye..."
• Even though Trump and the White House claim their Unconstitutional immigrant/refugee/Muslim ban is not based on the Muslim faith alone, it was pointed out to Press Secretary Sean Spicer Trump's 2020 campaign website actually features an article calling for "preventing Muslim immigration."  Almost immediately, the Trump website was scrubbed of the articleThis sheds light on the true motivations of the Trump White House
  
  
  
  
• Even after the Yates/Clapper testimony, Trump is still insisting any ties between his Administration and the Russians are a "total hoax"
• Trump also called the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing a "charade" and Yates' testimony "old news"
• The FCC clarified it's position on late night host's Stephen Colbert's joke about Trump, saying they're only reviewing the complaints, and that no formal investigation has begun.  This after a lot of backlash from the FCC's initial comments, implying there was a formal investigation underway.  And the Writer's Guilds of America (his union) formerly came out in support of the comedian
  
• Sean Spicer downplayed any Trump responsibility in the hiring and maintaining of his Administration members, by implying they disregarded former President Obama's factual warning against Michael Flynn because they felt Obama disliked Flynn personally
• Spicer then adds what is clearly a weak attempt to deflect blame for Flynn.  He implied former President Obama was the real responsible party for him, because he didn't rescind Flynn's security clearance.  Obama did reprimand Flynn, publicly, and personally warned the next Administration about hiring him, as did Sally Yates
• Regardless of Trump's, Spicer's, or anyone in the White House's claims that 'Obama did it,' it's revealed Flynn was required to receive additional scrutiny and a higher security clearance for the job of National Security Adviser, scrutiny and clearance which can only be cleared via the CIA, something the Trump campaign failed to even attempt to acquire
• After Trump foolishly claimed South Korea had to pay for a missile defense system we deployed, National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster assured the Koreans we would cover the cost for our own deployment.  This sent Trump on a screaming rage, where he lividly chewed out McMaster for not getting South Korea to pay for it's "fair share"
  
• It's announced there will be a tour of the Pink Floyd flying pigs, which will be appearing around the country to fly in front of various Trump properties 
  
• It's revealed Michael Flynn gave assurances to Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak that "we got your back" in regards to the lifting of sanctions against Russia
• Trump's travel and security costs for his first 100 Days, 30 million dollars.  Former President Obama's cost PER YEAR, 12 million
  
• Apparently White House staff frantically called Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to try to persuade him to stop Trump from tearing up the North American Free Trade Agreement.  Apparently the unconventional maneuver worked, as Trump soon afterwards abandoned his plan to rip up NAFTA, something which would have almost immediately decimated the American financial and economic markets
• Trumps's second in command at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Daniel Ragsdale is leaving to go work at the nation's largest private prison company
• When Michael Flynn renewed his security clearance through the agency he led, the Defense Intelligence Agency, he lied, failing to disclose his Russian money making venture, something which would have led to the immediate revoking of his security clearance 
• The Senate GOP signals it's ready to completely throw out the House Trumpcare bill it received 
• Trump updates his Twitter account to feature one of his own tweets in the header.  The tweet features a made up quote he attributes to former CIA head James Clapper.  Clapper pretty much expressed the opposite of what Trump's tweet claimed he did
  
• US Citizenship and Immigration Services' e-mails show there is a new group of immigrants the Trump Administration is trying to make public enemy #1, as they're now actively tallying the crime statistics committed by Haitian immigrants.  Why the Administration is targeting the Haitians is unclear, and a request like this, for criminal data for an entire community, is very unorthodox
• White House Budget Advisor Mick Mulvaney's conference call with journalists goes horribly haywire as, after music starts mysteriously playing over the call, Mulvany says "this will be a disaster."  He's proven to be correct, as connection problems turn the call into a laughing stock
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
• One of the realities of the Sally Yates testimony is that it becomes harder for Vice President Mike Pence to keep himself clean of the stink, as he was the person in charge of the transition team
• Trump announces two anti-clean energy zealots will be nominated for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Robert Powelson and Neil Chatterjee.  Powelson accused people opposing pipeline projects of engaging in a "jihad" against fossil fuels
• The first female African American, and only second African American, to serve as White House Chief Usher, Angella Reid, was fired by Trump.  The position is non-partisan, with the main job being coordinating activities at the White House residence and overseeing the staff.  The average tenure on the non-political position is 13 years, but the former President Obama's appointee was fired after 6 because Trump fears Obama spies in the White House
• White House observers are noting that Trump seems to be panicking about the Russia probe, as indicated by his more disconnected behavior lately
  
• Trump, realizing that 13 white men making all the rules for the Senate version of Trumpcare, is not a good image decided to try to find some women to help out. White House official - "You'll see those optics addressed"
• Press Secretary Sean Spicer accused Sally Yates of being a "political opponent of the President," adding Trump didn't like the smearing of a "good man."  I'm guessing the 'good man' he's referencing is Flynn, but that's a reach to say the least
• Spicer is unable to explain why it took 18 days for Trump to remove Michael Flynn as National Security Adviser, adding, he was unaware of any security restrictions on Flynn imposed by the White House during those 18 days
• The Senate Intelligence Committee has officially requested documents from Trump, his Administration and his campaign that are currently in the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Division
• It's reported Trump, under advice from Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, has fired Director of the FBI James Comey, a move described as "a grotesque abuse of power buy the President of the United States"
  
• The main reason Trump has fired Comey, according to the AG and the Deputy AG, revolves around the failure of Comey to treat Hillary Clinton fairly, during last year's e-mail server scandal.  No one is buying their story
• The procedure Trump followed for firing the Director of the FBI was to send the letter terminating his position, in a manila envelope, to be taken to the FBI by Trump's private bodyguard, who's NOT a Federal employee.  The White House never called to determine if Comey was at his office.  He wasn't.  He was in LA.  The bodyguard dropped the envelope and walked out the door
• Apparently Comey was informed of his firing while he was speaking to FBI employees in Los Angeles.  He literally found out about it by seeing it on television.  At first, Comey thought it was a prank
• The White House was shocked there was this level of political outrage and political explosion due to the firing of Comey
  
• After Senator Lindsey Graham requested information on Trump's connections financially to Russia, Sean Spicer states Trump hired a DC law firm to send a letter to the Senator stating he has no ties to Russia, unwittingly acknowledging Trump has indeed lawyer up with a private law firm
• Many experts are already calling into question the legality of Trump's firing of James Comey from the FBI, with multiple legal experts implying it was undeniably illegal
• On Fox News, Sarah Huckabee Sanders says it's time to let the Russia thing go. "When are they going to let that go?" She apparently doesn't understand that's not how things like this work
• Republican Representative Justin Amash is preparing legislation to establish an independent commission to investigate Russia and their ties to Trump
• The Director of the US Census, John Thompson, has resigned after the Trump Administration wages war on his budget for the 2020 census
• Rep. Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, suggests Trump's firing of Comey could easily amount to interference with the FBI's Russia Investigation
• Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, the ranking Republican, says he's troubled by the timing and reasoning for the removal of Comey
• It's discovered, hours before Comey was fired, Federal Prosecutors had issued subpoenas to associates of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, seeking their business records as part of the ongoing probe of Russian meddling into last year's election
  
• In West Virginia, HHS Secretary Tom Price had a journalist arrested for daring to ask him questions about the recently passed Trumpcare bill.  Apparently the journalist's crime was to ask a question about Trumpcare when the discussion was about the opioid epidemic
• The anti-Immigration side of Trump supporters are very upset with Jared Kushner's family offering up a way for wealthy Chinese businessmen to be able to become American citizens
• White House spokeswoman Kellyanne Conway, in a train wreck of an interview on CNN, first claims Anderson Cooper has the "wrong facts" in regards to Trump's firing of Comey, then emphatically repeated this was "not a cover-up!"  Cooper at one point stated, "your answers make no sense."
  
• White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney states the Trump White House has not "done the math" on building a signature piece of Trump legislation, the Mexican border wall.  We are well past 100 days into office for Trump...
• A news cut from November of last year has a pre-Attorney General Jeff Sessions openly praising FBI Director James Comey stating "he did the right thing"
• The Hill is reporting Jeff Sessions and the Department of Justice did not recommend the firing of Comey, rather they were told to find a reason for Trump to let him go.  That's a huge difference.  This would coincide with the observation the Sessions/Rosenstein letter Trump claimed he'd received prior to the announcement, insisting he'd used it to weigh the decision in regards to firing the FBI Director for seven days prior to the firing, was actually dated the day he fired him
  
• A New York Times editorial blasts Trump's firing of Comey, saying he was removed because he had the information which "could bring down the President"
• James Comey is now the third person to be investigating Trump, his White House, and his Campaign, who has been fired, along with former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates, and Former US Attorney Preet Bharara
  
• Trump apparently fired Comey because he was furious the Russia/Trump investigation wasn't going away, only getting messier. According to Politico, "He repeatedly asked aides why the Russia Investigation wouldn't disappear and demanded they speak out for him.  He would sometimes scream at [the TV] about the probe..."
• In an early morning Twitter temper tantrum, Trump defended his firing of Comey and implied we'd all be grateful for him doing so. "When things calm down, they will be thanking me!" If this leads to a independent investigation, we might just...ironically...
  
• One person praising Trump's firing of Comey is Russian spy and one time Trump Campaign Consultant, Carter Page, who himself is a centerpiece of numerous investigations into his undeniable connections to Russia
• Right on cue, Trump will meet the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the White House on Wednesday, the day after Trump dismissed Comey for investigating questionable Russian Trump connections
• Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in the White House, when asked about Comey's firing and if it casts a shadow over his visit, made a joke on at Comey's expense while Secretary of State Rex Tillerson chuckled next to him
• A senior Law Enforcement official talked about how Comey was actually fired to protect Russia.  "President Putin can fire anybody"
• The internal war between Senior Presidential Adviser Steve Bannon and National Security Adviser H R McMaster is reaching a head, with Bannon out maneuvering McMaster to control Trump's foreign policy decisions
• A new report states, in the days before his firing, former FBI Director James Comey had made a request to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, one of the Department of Justice people to sign off on the firing, for "a significant increase in money and personnel for the bureau's investigation into Russia's interference into the presidential election."
  
• Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, expectedly, has denied the multiple requests from both Republicans and Democrats to appoint an independent investigator to look into the Trump/Russia affair, saying Democrats didn't like Comey, so there's no reason to look any further
• Trump forbid American media to cover his ill-timed meeting with the Russians, including a man numerous Trump officials had lied about meeting, and one of the main focuses of the FBI investigation into Russia/Trump, Sergey Kislyak.  The only media Trump allowed (or was told to allow) into the meeting was Russian state run media
  
• Kellyanne Conway says it's innapprproate for anyone to question the firing of James Comey by Trump
• James Comey has been invited to testify next Tuesday before the Senate Intelligence Committee
• Vice President Pence insists the firing of Comey had NOTHING to do with Russia.  He says it was done to restore confidence in the law enforcement agency
• It was revealed in court documents the FBI had indeed turned their attention in the Russia meddling into Election 2016 to then Candidate Trump, specifically Trump's very public pleas for the Russians to hack his then opponent Hillary Clinton
• Four states, California, New Mexico, New York and Washington, are suing the Interior Department over their decision to open up coal leases on public lands
• Betsy DeVos, the Education Secretary, went to speak at the graduation ceremony for Bethune-Cookman University in Florida, and it didn't go well.  She was greeted by constant boos and jeers, and the graduating seniors turned their back on her in protest
  
• Sean Spicer seems to have gone 'over the edge' with the story of James Comey's firing.  He displayed erratic behavior thought the day, stuttering and misspeaking in the one interview he did do, and he "hid in the bushes" while his assistants ran interference with the amassed media.  It should be noted Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has been far more visible today
  
• Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders isn't fairing much better, as she was in a near screaming match with the press over their continued questioning of Trump's reasons for firing Comey.  When questioned about Trump praising Comey in October of last year, Sanders said that was because he was a candidate then, not President.  She then bellowed Trump, the man who was still threatening to make up charges against Hillary Clinton and prosecute her AFTER the election, went after Comey because he was guilty of committing "atrocities" against Hillary Clinton
• In a strange coincidence, Russian President Vladimir Putin took to state television there to state Comey was fired "in accordance with his competence," and about two hours later, Trump seems to echo the phrase almost verbatim.
• On a Trump golf course located on the Potomac River, there's a historical marker highlighting a major Civil War battle site, 'The River of Blood.' Only problem?  That battle never happened, not during the Civil War or during any war, as no historian questioned has any idea what they're talking about
  
• It's revealed White House lawyers have had to repeatedly tell Trump to not call or have any contact with Michael Flynn
• It's reported Sean Spicer might be on the way out as White House Press Secretary.  Deputy White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is reportedly auditioning for the role
• Major Trump supporter Rep. Jason Chaffetz has now called for an expansion of the Russia/Trump probe, to include a review of the firing of James Comey
• Reports are the entire White House, outside of a handful of people, were completely caught off guard but he firing of James Comey
• A report out on Trump hotels state very few things in the hotels are American made, primarily the beds and the Bibles, and that's it
  
• Trump invited the Russian Ambassador into the Oval Office because he was told to do so by Russian President Vladimir Putin
• Former Deputy Director of the CIA David Cohen brought up the point it was foolish, and not a good idea, for Trump to allow the Russian Government, their photographers, and all their equipment into the Oval Office.  He explained foreign delegations were not allowed to bring phones/cameras into HIS offices at the CIA, and even he had to leave his own cameras/phones outside the Oval Office when he visited former President Obama
• In a Washington Post report, Trump has diagnosed himself with 'narcissism' because he feels it's a virtue "vital for success"
• CNN reports, according to a source, the reason Trump fired Comey is because Comey refused to pledge loyalty to Trump in regards to the Russia/Trump probe
  
• The story at the FBI is interesting.  It's believed Trump's firing of Comey was a direct threat to the FBI as a whole, put forward by Trump to state 'you have to be loyal to Trump first and foremost.'  Former agents are reporting this has done the opposite of restoring faith in the FBI
• A Washington Post story says the FBI is taking the firing of Comey by Trump as a declaration of war against the FBI, and the FBI will respond in kind
• Speaker of the House Paul Ryan has backed up Trump's firing of James Comey, making it less likely an independent investigation will begin anytime soon
• The Senate Intelligence Committee has formally subpoenaed Trump's former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn for documents related to the investigation into Russian efforts to interfere with the 2016 election
• Even though White House officials have all stated Comey was fired for performance issues, no one seems to be on the same page on what exact performance issues were the cause of his removal, adding more evidence the official explanation for the firing is garbage
• It's reported after brokerage billionaire Charles Schwab gave a million dollars to Trump's campaign, his 21 year old daughter was hired to work in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs.  I'm sure she was qualified for the job...
  
• Attorney General Jeff Sessions, after recusing himself from the Russia/Trump investigation, actually inserted himself back in quite undeniably with his recommendation to fire James Comey as Director of the FBI
• More Constitutional law experts state that even though technically it was legal for Turmp to fire Comey, it still is an undeniable abuse of power, an abuse which would justify an impeachment trial; something I GUARANTEE would be happening if this was a Democratic President
• Apparently Jeff Sessions, a man who clearly doesn't understand what the word 'recuse' means, is actively pushing for a complete shutdown of the Russia investigation now that Comey has been fired
  
• Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, the man who was tasked by Trump to write the dismissal letter/find justifications to warrant Trump's pre-determined decision to fire James Comey, is threatening to resign, as the Trump White House seems to be intent on painting him as the guy who wanted to get rid of Comey
• Internal sources contradict Vice President Mike Pence's claims it was Rosenstein who pushed for the removal of Comey, something Rosenstein has already steadfastly denied.  This would mean the Vice President lied, again
  
• Trump is pretending to be outraged by the Russians posting images of their special visit to the Oval Office on their official social media accounts.  This from a man who intentionally invited the Russian media to cover the visit to the Oval Office, and who posed for photos with Russian officials, while specifically omitting the US media
• The US Ambassador to Qatar, Dana Shell Smith, a holdover from President Obama's Administration, publicly expressed frustration at the firing of James Comey by Trump
• In the dismissal letter sent to James Comey by Trump, he mentioned Comey telling Trump three times he specifically wasn't under investigation.  Insiders familiar with Comey and the FBI say that's an outright lie; they say Comey would've NEVER told Trump if he was or wasn't under investigation, implying the line in the letter was an attempt by Trump to insist he did nothing wrong, without having to prove he did nothing wrong
• Trump claims he invented the term 'Prime the Pump' "a couple of days ago," a term referencing using water to prime tubes and pumps which dates from the mid-1800's
  
• Senator Ron Wyden, while grilling Trump officials on Russian ties, unintentionally revealed the presence of a money laundering investigation potentially involving the Russians and/or Trump
• In his first interview with American media since the firing of the FBI Director, Trump told NBC he was intent on firing Comey because he was a "showboat' and a "grandstander"
• Trump said he would've fired Comey regardless of the recommendation from the Department of Justice, contradicting numerous White House officials, including the Vice President, in the day since the firing
• Trump says it was he, not Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who wanted Comey gone.  This also contradicts numerous White House officials, including the Vice President, who've blamed Rosenstein for the dismissal
• Trump admits he outright asked James Comey, former Director of the FBI, if he was under investigation
• Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is furious with how the whole firing of Comey has unfolded, unhappy of the 'environment where facts aren't accurately reported'
• At the White House Press Briefing, Deputy Press secretary Sanders was asked whether it's inappropriate for Trump to ask the FBI Director to ask if he's under investigation, to which she said she didn't see that as an issue
  
• Then when pressed on the false stories coming from the White House about the firing of Comey, Sanders said it was all on the Democrats from not supporting the firing of the FBI Director
• The Temporary Head of the FBI, Andrew McCabe directly contradicted another of Trump's claims of justification for the firing of the former FBI Director Comey; Trump's stating the rank and file FBI members had lost faith in Comey.  McCabe - "No, sir, that is not accurate.  Director Comey enjoyed broad support within the FBI, and still does to this day."
• Trump signed an executive order to establish a commission to investigate the voter fraud he insists occurred in the 2016 election.  Reminder, he says 3 to 5 million people illegally voted, every one of them for Hillary Clinton, and he says he has proof.  So far, he has yet to produce any of it
  
• Trump to Time magazine - "In a short period of time, I understood everything there was to know about health care"
• In the same Time interview, Trump lashes out at cable news reporters, hosts and outlets he doesn't like, and specifically goes after Late Night host Stephen Colbert, "You see a no-talent guy like Colbert. There's nothing funny about what he says." That could be the dumbest thing he's said all week
  
• Andrew McCabe states the FBI's Russia/Trump probe will continue unhindered.  "I can't stop the men and women of the FBI from doing the right thing, protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution"
• Trump promised to visit the FBI in an effort to show support, and the FBI quite abruptly told him to cancel his trip because he's 'unlikely to be greeted warmly' after the Comey firing
• The FBI raided the Annapolis offices of the Strategic Campaign Group, a Republican fundraising consultancy which is run by Kelley Rogers.  They were likely raided due to suspicion of money laundering.  A senior consulting to Rogers is Dennis Whitfield, who also happens to be the director of a political consulting firm, partnered with Roger Stone and Paul Manafort.  It's unclear what exact money laundering case the FBI is investigating
• It's pointed out that Trump, a man who says he's not concerned about the Russia/Trump probes, has tried to sabotage EVERY probe looking into either the Russian hacking and interference into the 2016 election and/or the connection the Russians have with Trump
  
• In a curious statement, Trump decided that the Russia investigation was a "made up story," as he made up his decision to fire FBI Director James Comey.  He admitted he had the Russia investigation in mind when are removed the head of the FBI
• Trump, the supposed President of the United States, a man who has international conflicts with North Korea and Syria currently going on, military forces still deployed in Afghanistan, a growing crisis with Russia interference, just fired the FBI Director, is starting a trade war with Canada and Mexico, is trying to overthrow the health care of most Americans and still has the vast majority of his Administration un-appointed, had time in his day to troll celebrity Rosie O'Donnell on Twitter
  
• A New York Times report states seven days after Trump took office, he summoned then head of the FBI James Comey to the White House for dinner.  After chit chat about Inauguration crowd sizes(!), Trump demanded a loyalty pledge from the head of the FBI.  Comey turned down the suggestion stating he was not reliable in the conventional political sense
  
• Putting together the timeline, the day before the infamous Trump/Comey dinner, Former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates had told White House Council about the FBI's interview with former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, mentioning the FBI thought he'd be compromised.  The next day Trump demanded loyalty from Comey
• During the NBC interview, Trump says Comey begged to have dinner with Trump in January, in the hopes of being able to convince Trump to let him keep his job.  Numerous FBI sources state that's a lie, that the White House called Comey directly and near ordered him to dinner, something Comey reluctantly agreed to.  The sources also reiterated Comey would've NEVER told the President whether he was or was not under investigation
  
• Trump says his White House is too busy to make sure the information it releases is accurate
• Trump's former Campaign Chair in Kentucky Tim Nolan will likely face 100 years in prison for sex trafficking of a minor, amongst other charges.  It should be noted Nolan committed these crimes while acting as Trump's surrogate in Kentucky
• Secretary of State Rex Tillerson willingly signed a document calling for immediate international action against climate change, something contradictory to Trump's current stances
• Trump openly threatens former FBI Director James Comey by stating in a tweet, "James Comey better hope there are no 'tapes' of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press."  This would lead a reasonable person to ask the question, what exactly did Trump communicate to Comey, and why did he just blab he has tapes of those conversations
  
• Attorney General Jeff Sessions rolls back former President Obama's drug sentencing reforms, reimplementing extremely harsh penalties for small amounts of drugs, including marijuana which is legal in many states.  He says the move is "moral and just."  It is neither
  
• Trump 'threatens'(?) to stop holding press briefings, and only handing out written responses.  
• Vice President Mike Pence tells a room full of Christians that their faith is the most persecuted of all faiths.  This from the same man whose part of an Administration trying to stop Muslims from coming here solely because of their religion, a man whose political party has passed 'anti-Sharia Law' bills across the country for the purpose of fear mongering and persecution, and a man from a political ideology who uses Muslims as a go to villain, using them to justify draconian and anti-American Republican policies
  
• Trump is hinting at having a former member of his campaign's transition team, Mike Rogers, lead the investigation into Trump's Russian connections
• The question of who put the idea of firing James Comey into Trump's head has pointed to Trump BFF Roger Stone, a man who himself is under investigation, who repeatedly over the last few weeks was pressuring Trump to fire Comey.  Reports are Stone was elated Comey was let go
• Trump claims to be surprised by the meanness that surrounds him
• Many people in GOP leadership positions are expressing concern about Trumps 'frame of mind' when it comes to his open threat against FBI Director James Comey
  
• The White House Press Office is in such disarray, even Fox News can't get them to pick up the phone or call them back
• Former FBI Director James Comey is furious of Trump's implied smear against him, and is planning on releasing a response soon
• In an incredibly foolish decision, a lawyer for Trump says there's no "income of any type from Russian Sources" on Trump's tax returns for the last ten years, outside of a "few exceptions" (FACEPALM!)

At no point in this country's history have we ever seen a President like this.  All of these lists combined makes something incomprehensible, and the thought of this level of treason and incompetence being cheered on by a third of Americans is gut wrenching.

Republicans, after the 4TH(!!!) Benghazi Investigation demanded a 5th, then a 6th, 7th and 8th investigation, because they kept insisting there were still unanswered questions.  In truth, the only question the GOP was asking was if there was any way they could blame former President Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for Benghazi without throwing the military under the bus too.  Reminder, they were planning a 9th and 10th investigation if Hillary would've won the election.

But apparently most Republicans look at the Russian hacking, the connections between the Trump campaign/Administration and the Russians, the Steele Dossier, the money we know was exchanged between the Russians and members of Trump's posse, the delusional actions of Trump on every level of this mess, and the way he bows down to the Russians every time he sees them, and they don't have thousands of questions!  SERIOUSLY!!!

How about when former Attorney General Loretta Lynch met with former President Bill Clinton briefly (for a few minutes) on a private plane in Phoenix while the Hillary Clinton e-mail and Benghazi investigations were going on, investigations which proved Hillary did NOTHING WRONG with Benghazi, and deserved a slap on the wrist at worst for the e-mail fiasco.  Republicans DEMANDED Lynch be fired, and the former President be arrested, as the fact the meeting happened at all was a clear admission of wrongdoing.  But Trump orders FBI Director Comey to the White House for dinner, demands a 'loyalty pledge' from him, and when he doesn't acquiesce, he fires him for doing his job?  Conservatives bellow "Nothing to see here!"

The modern Republican - they HATE the Democrats more than they love the United States of America...