So Trump Knows What “McCarthyism” Is
Any clout Trump won during his congressional address last Tuesday — when he was applauded like a toddler would be for learning how to walk for finally appearing “presidential” (definition: “able to string two words together into a vaguely coherent sentence”) — was decimated before brunch on Saturday. America woke up to a fresh hell of insomnia-induced Twitter accusations against Obama, claiming that he wiretapped Trump Tower — and a double-whammy reference to both Watergate and McCarthyism. Wow, what an astonishing appeal to privacy from someone whose extensive tabloid exposure turned his own first name (The Donald) into a brand. Although an at-home profile of the Trump family does seem like the stuff of a great daytime TV series, FBI director James Comey has since stated that the theory is pure delusion and called on the Justice Department to do the same. The wiretapping situation appears to be unfounded, but questions abound — namely, what does a 3:35 a.m. tweet say about the president’s mental state?
Meanwhile, in Russia
While Trump was busy reading up on eighth-grade US history, his brand-new attorney general was off swapping summertime election gossip over dinner and drinks with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. A level of Cold War drama unseen since, well, last week broke out on Monday when it was revealed that Jeff Sessions met with Kislyak several times during the campaign. To recap all this Russian spy drama: Kislyak is the same ambassador whom security advisor Michael Flynn was chatting with, which forced his resignation in February. Man, that guy really gets around.
Also, can we talk about how Sessions looks like the bat from Anastasia?
But Let’s Not Get Distracted from Immigration…
Maybe Trump is smarter than he seems, though, and this extra-juicy, high-stakes episode of The Americans was just an elaborate plot to throw CNN, SNL and the rest of the media off his trail just in time to roll out a rejuvenated Muslim ban on Monday — bigger, stronger and more racially divisive than ever before. It omits Iraq and offers some relief for current green-card and visa holders to avoid a repeat of the initial airport chaos that ripped across the nation and produced quite a few unflattering protest slogans during Trump’s first go at impeachable behavior. But it still sends a clear message of “Hey! You’re not white and Christian, and we don’t really like you here. So don’t even think about getting on that plane!”
…Or from Health Care
It finally happened. Trumpcare is here. During the bill’s big reveal on Monday night, we learned the following: the value of tax credits has been lowered, and preexisting conditions could disqualify you from health-care access — but don’t worry, because insurance CEOs will still get their tax breaks. What we can’t stand to lose in all the confusion, though, is the stories of those whose lives depend on their Obamacare plans, whose insurance is soon to be ripped away.
A positive upshot, if there is one: This all made for great signage material for Wednesday’s “Day without a Woman” rally in front of San Francisco’s City Hall. Let’s keep the resistance going, Bay Area.
More (disturbing) perspectives on Trump:
