This week started with Trump’s attacks on Black  leader House Oversight Committee Chair Elijah Cummings, whose panel has  several ongoing investigations targeting Trump and his family. Trump  used dehumanizing language like “rats” and “infest” to disparage  Cummings’ home district of Baltimore, then broadened his attack during  the week to other prominent Black men including Al Sharpton, who he  called a “con man” and CNN host Don Lemon who he called “dumb.” Trump  refused to back off, escalating his racist attacks — gaslighting the  country that he is not the racist, but Cummings is — as news of  hate-based shootings and instances of overt racism spread in an anxious  and increasingly divided country.

A new label for Senate Majority Leader Mitch  McConnell — Moscow Mitch — struck a nerve with the leader, and as the  media and Democrats questioned his unwillingness to secure the country’s  election, his other ties to Russia came under scrutiny. Headwinds for  impeachment continued post Mueller’s testimony as over half the House  Democrats formally called for the start of an impeachment inquiry, while  Trump continued to deny Russia interference happened or is happening  now. Trump pushed out the Director of National Intelligence, Dan Coats,  one of the few remaining voices who stood up to Trump on foreign policy,  and perhaps the last non-partisan stop-gap to future Russia  interference.

The future of the Republican Party came into  question this week, as Rep. Will Hurd, the only Black American member of  the House for the GOP, became the ninth Republican to say he will not  seek re-election in 2020. Among the nine are also two of the 13 GOP  women, including Rep. Susan Brooks, who was meant to recruit more women  to run.

Read the full list here: https://theweeklylist.org/weekly-list/week-142/