The Weekly List

This is the longest week so far, and it felt  that way. The chaos of our lives has obfuscated the damage and extremes  under Trump, as each week blurs into the next week’s crises and  unprecedented actions. This week’s turmoil centered on Jeffrey Epstein’s  arrest and the resignation of Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, the 13th  Cabinet member to depart the regime — next week there will certainly be  new plot lines to engage and exhaust the American people.

This week the Democrats seemed to take a step  back, amid party infighting. Notably, the Trump regime continues to  successfully stonewall all the House efforts at accountability, and  seemingly Democratic leadership is taking a slight uptick in Trump  popularity as a rationale to back off in tone, while in actuality, the  lack of action by the Democrats has normalized the previously  unthinkable of accepting foreign help and obstructing justice. While the  country eagerly awaited Robert Mueller’s testimony on July 17, that too  evaporated and became a moving target.

Trump careened from one rage to another this  week, but notably, he is largely getting his way. When things go against  him, he finds new ways to re-center and seize the narrative. His  central message of immigration continues to be front and center and Fox  News seized on the theme of “these are not our children” to dull the  news on conditions at detention centers, as deportation raids were set  to start. Trump continued to repeat his themes that the media is “the  enemy of the people,” that he will serve more than two terms, and that  Democrats are enabling millions of “illegal aliens” to vote — all  setting the stage for an unpredictable 2020 election.

Read the full list here: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-139/

This week, two years after visiting France for  Bastille Day and admiring its military display, Trump hosted a “Salute  to America” on July Fourth, replete with an expansive array of military  hardware and troops. The scenes of tanks rolling into the nation’s  capital drew comparisons to other authoritarian regimes who flaunt their  military might through public displays, including North Korea, where  Trump paid a surprise visit as the week began.

This week, Trump thumbed his nose at the Supreme  Court’s decision in Week 137 not to allow a citizenship question on the  2020 Census. The Justice and Commerce Departments, after stating the  questionnaire was being printed without the citizenship question,  completely reversed themselves 24 hours later following a single tweet  by Trump. By weeks’ end, the DOJ said it would, at Trump’s behest, try  to put forth a new argument in court justifying the question, while  Trump mused he had four or fives options to get his way. Notably, Trump  has now challenged the authority of both the legislative and judicial  branches — including the nation’s highest court — to counter his  unilateral power. And the Justice Department, under the leadership of  Attorney General William Barr has been rendered a tool to help his  efforts.

Reports by the Department of Homeland Security  Inspector General revealed dire conditions at immigrant detention  facilities at the border. Trump defended the facilities and Border  Patrol agents, as protests and uproar from Democrats continued.  Republicans remained silent.

Read the full list here: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-138/

This week as Trump backed off mass deportations,  public outcry grew over conditions at detention centers for migrant  children. Reminiscent of Theresienstadt Ghetto in the Nazi era, the  Trump regime offered limited tours of detention centers to the  media — viewings that contradicted interviews of immigration lawyers and  advocates who described first-hand the inhumane conditions and  traumatized children. Much of the country was moved and heartbroken over  a photo of a Salvadoran father and daughter who drowned on the bank of the Rio Grande trying to cross to the U.S.

This week Trump headed to the G-20 summit in  Osaka, Japan, ahead of which he attacked Japan, China, and European  countries. While there, he cozied up to Russian President Vladimir Putin  and reveled in joking about 2016 election interference and attacking  the free press. Trump had a second private meeting with Saudi Arabia  Crown Prince MBS despite United Nations findings of his likely  involvement in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The Supreme Court made two major decisions on  gerrymandering and a Census citizenship question, and seemed to signal a  shift towards revisiting controversial issues with the now five  conservative justices. Robert Mueller agreed to testify before two House  committees on July 17, as the Trump regime continued to stonewall all  congressional investigations.

Read the full list here: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-137/

This week Trump manufactured two major story  lines: an almost war with Iran, and mass roundups and deportations of  “millions” of immigrants. The two stories occupied much of the national  attention, while Trump continued to stonewall Congressional attempts at  oversight.

Authoritarian expert Masha Gessen wrote about  “The Unimaginable Reality of American Concentration Camps,” as a  national discussion over conditions at border facilities played out.  Journalists, who have been given no access to facilities, reported  through interviews on the alarming treatment of migrant children,  including overcrowding, illness, and lack of basic necessities.

Trump came close to starting a war with Iran on  Thursday, and reportedly was prepared and close to launch a missile  attack. Of concern, Trump continued to act unilaterally and not seek  Congressional approval — notably Speaker Pelosi said Friday she was not  informed of Trump’s planned attack, despite being second in line for the  White House. Meanwhile, pressure to start an impeachment inquiry grew  as 76 House members called for impeachment as public opinion, largely  among Democrats, is shifting in favor of it.

Read the full list here: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-136/

This week in an interview with ABC News, Trump  suggested he would take damaging information from foreign governments on  political adversaries without reporting it to the FBI, setting off  alarm bells. The Chair of the Federal Elections Commissions took the  unusual step of issuing a public statement reminding campaigns that  taking foreign assistance is illegal. Nonetheless, Trump allies largely  defended his statement, and continued to block measures to protect the  2020 election.

As this played out on a chaotic Thursday, press  secretary Sarah Sanders, one of the few remaining members of the  original regime, resigned. Also this week, watchdog Office of Special  Counsel recommended the removal of White House counselor Kellyanne  Conway, saying she had repeatedly violated the Hatch Act — an  unprecedented recommendation.

Trump sparred with the media over reporting on  his supposed trade deal with Mexico, while conditions at the southern  border continued to deteriorate. Notably, Trump has been linking  economic and national security in his recent actions, allowing him to  invoke Cold War era acts and bypass Congressional approval. The House  voted on a resolution opening the door to contempt of Congress charges  for members of the regime.

Read the full list here: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-135/

This week Trump traveled to the U.K., where he  was met with mass protests which he denied existed, then to his property  in Ireland en route to the 75th anniversary of D-Day ceremony in  Normandy, where he attacked Robert Mueller and Speaker Nancy Pelosi in  an interview. In London, Trump and his children acted more as if a royal  family than a head of state, and continued to intertwine their business  dealings and the presidency.

Democrats in the House continue to clash over  starting impeachment proceedings, as the Trump regime continued its  stonewalling Congress for both witnesses and documentation related to  the Mueller probe, the 2020 census citizenship question, and even the  environment.

This week was notable for the escalation of  broad-based attacks on women’s rights and protections, as an actress in  “The Handmaid’s Tale” bemoaned how quickly the country is mirroring the  fictional dystopian nation of Gilead. Conditions for migrants at the  border worsened, with more deaths and army and oil-field worker  facilities being requisitioned to house migrant children.

Read the full list here:  https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-134/

This week, special counsel Robert Mueller addressed the nation for the first time since the start of his investigation. Notably, Mueller said, “If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so,” contradicting Attorney General William Barr’s statements, and Trump’s repeated proclamations of “no obstruction.” Mueller resigned and closed the special counsel office, and seemed to pass the ball to Congress on whether to pursue charges against Trump. Speaker Nancy Pelosi demurred, but pressure built this week after Mueller’s appearance with 55 members of Congress backing an impeachment inquiry, up from 31 last week, including 13 of the 24 House Judiciary Committee members.

Trump exploded after Mueller’s appearance, seeking to discredit him and the investigation. Later, he shifted the narrative by starting a trade war with Mexico, invoking a decades old act to empower himself to impose tariffs over a so-called “national emergency” at our southern border. As the week came to a close, Trump’s Department of Justice thumbed its nose at a court order to produce documents related to Michael Flynn. The regime has now usurped both the legislative and judicial branch — seizing and consolidating power with increasingly authoritarian actions. Adding to the authoritarian feel were the continued attacks on the rights of marginalized communities and women, the stripping of protections for the environment, and a shocking discovery this week related to the 2020 census citizenship question. And yet, there has been no accountability or consequences for Trump, his family, and the remaining members of the regime.

Read the full list here: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-133/

This week the first Republican, Rep. Justin  Amash, came out for impeaching Trump. While Trump allies sought to  attack and punish Amash to avoid further defections, momentum grew among  the House Democratic caucus for impeachment hearings. Feeling the  pressure Speaker Nancy Pelosi defended staying focused on policy, but  directly attacked Trump for a “cover-up,” leading Trump to storm out of a  scheduled meeting with Democratic leaders, saying he refused to work  with them until they stop investigating him. The two leaders publicly  battled, as altered videos of Pelosi appeared online, a redux of false  attacks on Hillary Clinton’s mental acumen used in 2016.

In authoritarian-type moves, Trump granted his  attorney general alarming powers to investigate the investigators. Trump  bypassed Congress, invoking a national emergency again to sell weapons  to Saudi Arabia, and “joked” about serving up to five terms in office.  Trump continued to stonewall House oversight as Trump prevented Don  McGahn from testifying, and appealed rulings thwarting his efforts to  block the release of financial documents from Mazars USA and Deutsche  Bank.

Read the full list here: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-132/

This week, in a letter, White House counsel Pat  Cipollone issued a blanket refusal of records and testimony from Trump  and dozens of current and former White House staff, saying Trump did not  recognize Congress as a law enforcement body with the legitimate  purpose to investigate. While the letter sent shock waves, Congress’s  reaction was decidedly muted as House Democratic leaders sought to avoid  impeachment, as other deadlines passed without cooperation.

This week Trump welcomed another far-right  authoritarian to the White House, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban,  whom Trump likened to a “twin brother.” Tensions escalated with Iran,  and the regime issued conflicting statements and stances, and  increasingly stood alone.

More troubling stories about atrocities being  committed and contemplated against migrants surfaced, including a  planned operational blitz to round up 10,000 migrants in 10 U.S. cities.  Trump rolled out a new immigration plan, emphasizing skills over family  ties, in an uncharacteristically low-energy Rose Garden speech that was  met with a cool reception. Attacks on abortion rights were front and  center of the national dialogue as Alabama passed the country’s most  restrictive ban, setting up a possible challenge for Roe v. Wade. Other  states are set to follow.

Read the full list here: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-131/

This week marked a subtle shift in House  Democrats’ position on impeachment, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and  her committee chairs cited a “constitutional crisis,” and argued Trump  was “goading” them and giving them no choice with his continued  stonewalling. The House Judiciary Committee voted to hold Attorney  General William Barr in contempt of Congress, and threatened the same  for former White House counsel Don McGahn. Trump said he would block  special counsel Robert Mueller from testifying, and later in the week  backed off. Notably, the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee  served the first subpoena on a member of Trump’s family, Donald Trump  Jr.

There was more reporting on Trump’s irreverence  around norms and laws, including his attempts to have McGahn publicly  state he did not believe Trump obstructed justice, and dispatching  personal attorney Rudy Giuliani to Ukraine to spur investigations likely  to help his re-election.

Read the full list here: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-130/