The Events: April 2019

on
Readers might wonder why Mitch McConnell rarely appears on the monthly Events of Awkward Mixture. There are no shortage of journalists and editorialists who recognize the Republican Senate Majority leader as a greater danger to the future of the United States of America than President Trump. But this list of Events pertains only to the President and those directly related to him (though one could make the case that McConnell aided Trump's election when he trampled on over 200 years on precedent by refusing to even hold a hearing on Merrick Garland for the Supreme Court. This action made the 2016 election a referendum on the Supreme Court and convinced wavering Republicans to vote for Trump, because they were really voting of a life long appointment).

Biden, unlike the other Democratic candidates, believes the election of President Trump a random event. The progressive field thinks Trump is not the cause, but the symptom of systemic issues in the United States today. Depending on one's viewpoint, it's possible other lists would be of more value.

So why not McConnell? The largest issue is he doesn't generate enough news. But he is also an known quality, and while he breaks convention, he doesn't act in the same absurd manner as the President.

And why Trump? Two reasons. One, a single target (and their associates, and fallout from events they invested in...) offers a focus to the list. Two, he manages to make the news often, a feature of having no filter and being the President. If it was more than one person, it might lead to too many events.

Enough digressions. April 2019's Events are here.

And now the summary.

March included an initial investigation into Jared Kushner's questionable security clearance. In the beginning of April, an adjudications manager in the personnel security office, who has worked for the White House for nearly twenty years, blew the whistle on the White House's unprecedented decision to overrule 25 denials for security clearances and award them anyways. These included Jared Kushner's, the most senior official to be unrejected. The White House is continuing to stonewall the investigation, but more details may be revealed in future months.

For those who believe North Korea remains an existential threat to the United States, news is always available. In spite of the absence of results from the last two summits, the President expressed a desire for a third. Meanwhile North Korea continued to test rockets, and demanded Pompeo withdraw from direct discussions.

The continuous churn of White Staff continues. Homeland Security Secretary, Kirstjen Nielsen, was pushed out, along with the Secret Service director, as part of a massive DHS shakeup. The President appeared dissatisfied with the continuous border problems, which he can't solve by executive fiat. Part of the fallout may have resulted when the President demanded Nielsen reinstate family separations and deny asylum seekers entry. Before her resignation, Nielsen oversaw the policy separating migrant families. Though it has receded from the news, there are still over 47,000 cases for which the Trump administration must review and reunite within the next six months. Another judge informed the administration that it must cease sending asylum seekers back to Mexico. In frustration, Trump appeared to spout ideas to see what the public will accept. Maybe future asylum seekers will face tougher restrictions, or have to pay a processing fee.

That wasn't all the President had in mind. During the month of March, the Trump threatened to close the border, an extremely risky plan. Everyone suspected it was only bluster, and in April the President caved, admitting his plan was impossible. Then Trump wanted to punish political opponents by releasing detained migrants into sanctuary cities, a policy both expensive and illegal. He lamented that troops couldn't get tough with migrants at the border. Vigilantes took the President's lead, and formed a right-wing militia which detained immigrants at the border. But Nielsen is gone, leaving acting director Kevin McAleenan in charge. As of April the Trump administration included an unprecedented 15 acting leadership positions, including the Secretary of Defense, FEMA, ICE, UN ambassador, and Custom and Border Protection.

April continued Democratic efforts to oversee the President's conflicts of interest. Democrats subpoenaed Deutsche Bank for Trump's financial records, and asked the Treasury for his tax returns. Unsurprisingly, the Trump Organization sued Deutsche Bank to prevent the release of records, and demanded the Treasury not release his tax returns. Considering the numerous scandals and clear corruption the President has survived, neither of these seem likely to change his political position. In an attempt to force the President's hand, states controlled by Democratic legislatures began passing requirements, that anyone who wishes to be on the ballot for President must release at least five years of tax returns. These are likely to be found unconstitutional. Yet, federal judges have opened up another opportunity for Democrats, by declaring a suit about emoluments may continue.

Whether the President knows it or not, he has continued to mix antisemitism with Islamophobia, pitting Evangelical Protestants against Judaism and Islam, while ardently defending Israel. After recognizing Golan Heights as Israeli territory, aiding Netanyahu reelection, he instigated a campaign of hate and harassment against United States Representative Ilhan Omar, a Somali refugee and the first Muslim Congresswoman. After she received death threats, he refused to apologize. With Trump's support Netanyahu even suggested he may annex parts of the West Bank, while Secretary of State, Pompeo, couldn't defend why Russia's annexation of Crimea was illegal, but Israel's (supported by Trump) were valid. The President has used his defense of Israel as a shield against claims of antisemitism, even insisting that disagreeing with Israel is the only form of antisemitism. After a gunman opened fire at a synagogue, the President, at an unhinged rally, condemned antisemitism, but only after refusing to condemn the marchers at the Charlottesville rallies last year.

The President continued to bend the Federal Reserve to his will. After repeatedly, unprecedentedly, pressuring the Chairman publicly, Powell halted rate increases even though they remain historically low, and the economy is reasonably strong. In the month of April the President tried to install two unqualified individuals, former presidential candidate Herman Cain and Stephen Moore. Though Republican Senators have supported numerous Presidential initiatives, they rejected Cain's nomination and seem ready to deny Moore's as well. With these failing, the President reverted to demanding the Fed cut interest rates.

There are two other big events to finish off the month, but before that, a few noteworthy events.

The International Criminal Court ended its investigation of atrocities by the United States in Afghanistan, because the Administration threatened the ICC and its prosecutors.

The White House threatened to veto a UN resolution condemning rape as a weapon of war, because it included language about sexual health.

The House and Senate voted to end United States support for Saudi Arabia's barbaric war in Yemen, but the President vetoed it. While a minority of Republicans joined Democrats, the majority refused to override his veto.


The President asked his daughter, Ivanka, if she wanted to run the World Bank.

The newly appointed director the Interior was already demonstrating corruption.

Disaster relief was held up for Puerto Rico.

Also, the deficit, swelled by a massive defense budget and massive tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, reached $691 billion, despite a reasonably strong economy.

And finally, the first Republican challenger has begun a campaign against President Trump, former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld.

Now, the final events.

Last month the Trump Administration aligned itself with Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido. They recognized him as the rightful president. At the end of April, he launched a military uprising with the tacit support of the United States. The same day, Bolton declared “All options are on the table.”

Finally the Mueller Report. It released in the month of April. Last month, Attorney General Barr released a four page summary in which he claimed:

"[T]he investigation did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities."

and

'While this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.'

Barr held a press conference before releasing the report, in which he further covered for the President. His effort to shape public opinion, and peremptorily defend the President, became clear once the redacted report was released.

I haven't finished read the full report, but I'm working on it, and it's here if you want to.

Between the two extremes I offered last month: mostly vindicated, to grossly unethical and questionable entanglements, but nothing technically illegal, the final result seems closer to the latter. While Mueller could find no direct line connecting Russia and Trump, it was clear that Russia interfered, with the intent to aiding Trump, and the Trump campaign knew this, encouraged it, and did nothing to halt it. And Mueller found 10 instances of possible obstruction of justice, but refused to rule on them, leaving them for congress to decide. The White House saw the report before it was released to the public. Barr has tried to distract from the report, by claiming “spying did occur” on the Trump campaign by the Obama FBI. The fight has shifted to Barr vs House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler. Barr refused to release an unredacted report to Congress, and refused to attend a hearing with the Judiciary committee. Since it seems Mueller intended for Congress to rule on obstruction, these tactics prevent them from fulfilling their Constitutional duty. At last it was revealed that Mueller wrote a letter to Barr after the 4 page summary was released, saying it “did not fully capture my report.” With all these facts revealed, impeachment was mentioned, first by presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren the first.

But of all the events, Rudy Giuliani said it best. When it became clear that the Mueller Report did not vindicate the President, except to his most devoted supporters, Giuliani said, “There’s nothing wrong with taking information from Russians.”

Another good campaign motto.


Relevant:

Comments

Post a Comment