The Events: June 2019

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Halfway through 2019, and another thought before the June summary.

Some readers might wonder whether it is relevant to mention North Korea, China Tariffs, or the churn of White House officials month after month. The perpetual absurdities, lies, and outrages which issue from the President's mouth. But one can't stop recording events even if the President has already done them before. In fact that might be the this series' most important feature. An unwillingness to accept the President's behavior as acceptable. When he first attacked the independence of the Federal Reserve, it was headline news. Now, when it happens month after month, it is just another small event among many. But we can't forget, because it used to be unacceptable, and should be unacceptable. It makes the list.

Without further ado, here are the Events of June 2019.

Back to the Fed. Fed Chair Jerome Powell acts like he is ignoring Trump. But he can't. Trump makes his opinions public, expects people to act to his whims, and everyone pays attention. In May Mnuchin claimed that he never discussed Trump's tax returns with the White House. The absurdity of that statement is obvious. He didn't need to discuss it with Trump, because the President announced his opinion on the subjected loudly, repeatedly, publicly. So everything the Fed does is under the shadow of Trump. So when the President said the Fed made a big mistake with interest rates, it's relevant. Especially when Bloomberg reported that the White House considered the “legality of demoting” Federal Reserve Chair Powell.

The news never stops with Iran. In June two oil tankers were attacked in the Gulf of Oman. Secretary of State Pompeo accused Iran of the attack. The UK intelligence agreed. Other nations were unwilling to point fingers. The owner of the tanker, a Japanese man, disputed the claim of the United States. In addition to the warships already in the area, the Pentagon sent an additional 1,000 soldiers to the Middle East. A few days later Iran shot down a military drone, which it claimed was in its air space, and the United States said was in an international zone. The next day the world learned that the President initiated a strike against Iran, which he called off 10 minutes before it occurred. Escalating tensions further, the President issued his usual immoderate threats which he has issued before against numerous nations, of ’obliteration like you’ve never seen before’.

Closer to home, the President resolved his threatened tariffs against Mexico. After repeatedly threatening to implement tariffs until Mexico substantially halted immigration, the President signed a agreement and backed away from tariffs. Then he wouldn't let anyone read it. Why not, was it a fake? Eventually Mexico released the full text, and it made clear the President's concessions. Why did he back down from tariffs without anything to show of it? Perhaps he realized the substantial cost of implementing his threat. The President also declared ICE raids which he then indefinitely postponed and slashed aid to Central American countries. Meanwhile two more migrants died in US custody, raising the total to seven since October 2018. According to newly installed, acting head of US Immigration and Citizenship Services, Ken Cuccinelli (immigration hardliner), it was probably their fault. The migrant children crisis is not receding in spite of White House attempts to shame immigrants. As a deterrent the Trump administration cut English classes, soccer, and legal aid for children, it opened a new holding facility, and the treatment in these facilities is atrocious. Considering the tenor of the Trump administration, this crisis is unlikely to recede anytime soon.

The turnover of officials seems endless as well. Sarah Sanders resigned after setting a number of records for most days without a press briefing. Her replacement is Stephanie Grisham, Melania Trump's spokeswoman. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, who the President had nominated for the permanent position, stepped down after FBI vetting revealed past incidents of domestic abuse in his family.

Other nominees, corrupt actors, past employees, Hatch Act violators, and contemptible persons include; nominee for UN Ambassador, Kelly Craft, who (from October 2017 to May 2019) spent 300 days away from her post as Ambassador to Canada. Two members of the White House's inner circle violated the Hatch Act. A federal watchdog agency said Kelleyanne Conway should be fired, but the President declined in spite of overwhelming evidence. The House Oversight Committee asked Conway to testify and she refused. Ivanka Trump also violated the Hatch Act, but less severely. She also made $4 million off of a deal which required approval from White House counsel. And the French threw shade at her by releasing a video in which the President's daughter inserted herself into a conversation between Macron, Trudeau, Lagarde, and May.

Also making the news were Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, wife of Senate Majority Mitch McConnell, who scheduled wildly inappropriate meetings between her family and Chinese government officials. She also created a special path for McConnell's projects. Three Trump officials faced contempt charges, Barr, Ross, and McGahn. Barr was held in contempt for failing to comply with congressional subpoenas related to the Mueller investigation. Then Ross and Barr were both held in contempt for refusing to answer subpoenas about the census. Trump disputed McGahn's testimony contained in the Mueller Report. Hope Hicks was the only member of the White House to agree to testify. The White House insisted she reject the subpoena, but she agreed to testify. The Administration needn't have worried. Hicks incurred Democratic anger when she refused to answer 155 questions. Also, Ex-FEMA director Brock Long has only repaid 2% of the 151k he stole from taxpayers on personal travel.

Ivanka only had a small part in the news, but Jared Kushner made a series of statements to Axios. He refused to defend his father against charges of racism. He admitted he wouldn't alert the FBI if Russians requested another meeting and claimed he never discussed his security clearance with Trump. The President later agreed with his son-in-law, saying, “I think I'd take it,” if offered dirt on opponents by foreign countries. Republicans criticized the President's stance, and then promptly blocked a vote on a bill which would have increased reporting requirements. Also, a company partly owned by Kushner received $90m from unknown offshore investors since 2017.



On the environment, the President has sent the United States into reverse. Air quality has decreased. Reports about climate change have been blocked. Nuclear waste has been labeled as less dangerous.

Also;






The deficit is up 40% (!) from just last year, thanks to the Republican Tax Cut.

The constant question of this series and the media is what is newsworthy. That the president openly insults people is newsworthy because he is the President and it has never been done before.

Trump called the Duchess of Sussex, “nasty”.


He accused the NYT of treason, making it the 24th target of that specific claim.

And he retweeted an Islamophobia.

The President also said;

“Get rid of [journalists],” to Vladimir Putin.


And finally, “She's not my type.”


That's a lot, but its all for the month of June.

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