BY PRIYANKA ARIBINDI, BRIAN BEUTLER
& CROOKED MEDIA

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

—White House Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley describing Stephen Miller’s “aesthetic,” in the latest longform profile of bespoke fascists

A MEMORIAL DAY MONUMENT TO LYING

Donald Trump told a lot of big lies this weekend—even more than usual!

First, Trump claimed that Democrats are standing in the way of changing a law that requires the separation of parents and their children who cross the border seeking asylum from violence in their home countries. This is actually two lies. It is not a law, it is a new policy devised by the Trump administration. And Democrats are insisting that the Trump administration reverse the policy.

Here’s the truth about Trump’s policy:

• The administration first began considering it late last year.
• White House Chief of Staff John Kelly began talking it up in March.
• Earlier this month, Kelly infamously dismissed concerns about the idea by saying, "the children will be taken care of—put into foster care or whatever.”
• Trump lashed out at his Homeland Security Secretary, Kirstjen Nielsen, for initially resisting the policy. She gave in 11 days ago and said, “If you break the law, you go to jail and you're separated from your family. It shouldn't be any different for illegal immigrants.”

Second, Trump lied this weekend when he accused the New York Times of fabricating an administration source who cast doubt on the feasibility of holding the U.S./North Korea summit on June 12th. (The source's name is Matt Pottinger and the Times story was based on a sanctioned White House briefing, which basically means Trump told him to say these things, then got mad when the New York Times reported it. Stable genius!)

Third, Trump continued to promote a conspiracy theory he calls "Spygate," which is about Democrats planting "spies" in his campaign. His lawyer, Rudy Giuliani pointed to this Trump-fabricated conspiracy theory as evidence that the Russia investigation is illegitimate. (In the actual investigation into Trump, his own attorney general, Jeff Sessions, is a key witness following Trump’s request that Sessions remain in charge of the Russia investigation after he recused himself last year.)

These aren't "unproven" or he-said, she-said claims. They are lies. The lies are meant to make politics on the basis of reason and fact impossible. Being clear about the truth, and about why Trump is lying, is more important than ever.

ROSEANNE IS RACIST (WHO COULD HAVE KNOWN?!)

Today ABC canceled its hit reboot of Roseanne after Roseanne Barr went on a racist Twitter rant Tuesday morning, in which she called former Obama administration official Valerie Jarrett a child of the “Muslim Brotherhood” and “Planet of the Apes,” and attacked both Chelsea Clinton and George Soros, who we are pretty sure she thinks run the Illuminati.

In a statement, ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey said "Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values,” and Disney CEO Bob Iger echoed that sentiment, saying that cancelling the show was “the right thing to do.” Her agency ICM quickly dropped her afterwards. We’re guessing that the show will be picked up by NRATV tomorrow.

This response is the right one, but Barr has promoted racist ideas and conspiracy theories for years. The decision to reboot her show was bound to blow back on the network. Like Trump, Roseanne’s racist and conspiratorial views aren’t subtle or secret.  

From Brian: A common thread connecting the Trump news and the Roseanne news is the role euphemism has played in normalizing both figures. In Roseanne’s case, journalists once again struggled to describe racism plainly. It’s no different with Trump: Journalists often describe his racist tweets as "racially charged," his baseless conspiracy theories as "unproven," and his lies as "demonstrable falsehoods." Important values are under attack in the Trump era, and his critics are rightly upset when institutions don’t defend those values.  

Missouri Governor Eric Greitens announced that he is resigning, effective this Friday, June 1. He had stood to face an impeachment inquiry over credible allegations of sexual misconduct, as well as violations of campaign fundraising rules.

Last week, Ireland voted overwhelmingly to end its extreme policies restricting access to abortion. The U.K., which controls Northern Ireland, is now facing increased pressure to do the same. Meanwhile, the U.S. is regressing. The Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of a circuit court decision that allows an Arkansas law to take effect which restricts access to drugs that induce abortion. That law may now be implemented pending further legal challenges.

A 22-year-old immigrant from Mali is being called “Spider-Man” after he scaled the side of a building to rescue a child who was suspended from a balcony in Paris over the weekend. Now, French President Emmanuel Macron says he will be granted citizenship. President Trump is in the process of crafting a tweet calling him a member of MS-13.

China has approved 13 new Ivanka Trump trademarks. She is a government official, and her acceptance of private business favors from foreign governments—including the Chinese government, which Trump intends to reward by bailing out the sanctioned company ZTE—is public corruption in plain sight. Or as Maggie Haberman calls it “un-legal friendship money deals.”

A new CIA assessment has concluded that North Korea does not intend to denuclearize, but may consider opening a “Western hamburger franchise” in Pyongyang, in order to show goodwill.

Today Starbucks closed 8,000 locations across the U.S. for racial bias training, reaching nearly 175,000 employees. The trainings come in response to an episode that received national attention last month when the manager of a Starbucks in Philadelphia called the police on two black men who met in a store without purchasing anything.

Rep. Tom Garrett (R-VA) announced that he will not run for re-election this year in order to seek treatment for his alcoholism. The district leans Republican, according to Cook Political Report, though Garrett’s Democratic challenger Leslie Cockburn had raised more money than he had prior to his announcement.

Rudy Giuliani received a fitting reception at Yankee Stadium on Memorial Day, when the announcer wished him a happy birthday and the crowd booed loudly. Sad!

On Pod Save the People: DeRay, Clint, Brittany and Sam talk about the latest NFL controversy, criminal justice updates, and the weak response to Paige Patterson’s controversial Southern Baptist Leadership. Plus, Cleo Wade joins DeRay to talk about art, activism and her new book, Heart Talk.

Listen →

A new study of the aftermath of Hurricane Maria concludes that at least 4,645 people died in Puerto Rico last year as a result of the storm—a figure that dwarfs the government’s official death toll of 64 by a factor of 70, and approaches the combined death tolls of Hurricane Katrina and 9/11. “These are lives," said Gov. Ricardo Rosselló. "Real people, leaving behind loved ones and families.”

Top Republican aides who were responsible for drafting Trump’s corporate tax cuts are leaving the Hill to cash in at lobbying giants, while executives at the country’s largest companies are saying the days of pay raises are behind us. I guess when you drain the swamp, the swamp just kinda oozes into a larger, grosser swamp under the drain.

HuffPost chronicles “The Right Wing Millennial Machine,” detailing how conservatives are drawing young people into politics the same way literally every other industry draws young people to jobs: salaries. Progressives, however, haven’t adopted the same strategy. While more than half of Republican senators offer paid internships, less than one-third of their Democratic counterparts do the same, and the imbalance in the House is even worse.

“For a movement that wants to reach young people, low-income workers and people of color, progressive organizations and candidates don’t offer many paid opportunities.”

Read →

After receiving a letter from the president filled with grammatical errors, a teacher edited it and sent it back with her corrections. And a grammar Nazi is the only type of Nazi the President doesn’t like.

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