Trump Speak

Donald J. Trump and his minions have introduced a whole new set of words and phrases. They have also brought some older words to the forefront as well as changing their meaning. Here is a list of some of the new Trump lexicon. 

• Bigly - While technically not a new word, it never saw much use until Trump began using it. The word big is perfectly adequate as an adjective or adverb. No "ly" required. 
• Bing, bing, bong, bong... - I have no idea.
• Covfefe - another mystery.
• Youuuuuge - huge.
• Alternate or alternative facts - This is a Kellyanne Conway invention. The phrase is used in place of the word lies. 
• Fake - The real definition refers to something fraudulent or deceptive, In Trump's world, it describes anything he doesn't agree with or like, particularly news. 
• Rigged - One official definition is to manipulate fraudulently. Similar to fake, Trump uses this word to describe any process or results he disagrees with. He believes all voting is rigged despite the fact he won the presidential election. 
• Hoax - what you call a situation when 90+% of the experts in the field have facts and analysis that contradict your beliefs. As in climate change is a hoax.
• Witch Hunt - any investigation or inquiry into Trump or those associated with him. So far, Mueller has indicted more witches than they ever did in Salem.
• Believe me - prefix or suffix which means everything I just said or am about to say is a lie.
• Everybody is talking about it - means the issue is barely a blip on anybody's radar.
• Everybody thinks so or everybody knows - means almost nobody thinks so and nobody knows. 
• Lots of people are talking about it - someone in his administration or on Fox news mentioned it.
• More and more people are saying (suggesting) - see above.
• Fantastic, tremendous, incredible, beautiful, unbelievable, awesome, fabulous, terrific, best or best ever, etc. - None of these words have any meaning. They are tossed around without any regard to what they are describing.
• Almost any superlative adjective or adverb - see above.
• First, last, never, worst, only, etc. - same deal with almost any definitive declarative statement. First means the first Trump can remember or someone told him. No need to check or take any responsibility for incorrect statements.
• Very, very, very - same as one very for normal people.
• Really, really, really - same as one really for normal people.
• I was just joking or it was a joke - When something Trump says turns out to be objectionable to the majority of people. As in, I was just joking about encouraging police brutality.
• Priming the pump - apparently an economic term that Trump invented. Or maybe not. Seems the term has been in general use since at least the Great Depression. That occurred several years before Trump was born. This mistake by a man who graduated from the Warton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Guess he slept through the classes about the Depression or economics.
• Who knew or nobody knew - as in "Nobody knew health care could be so complicated." It actually means everybody knew except Trump. 
• Poorly-rated or rating challenged - as in "poorly rated @Morning_Joe..." actually describes a show or network with very good ratings. 
• The likes of which the world has never seen - bluster that is inconsequential and/or an outright lie.
• Never in the history of our Country... - more bluster. Always inaccurate. As if Trump actually knows our country's history. 
• That I can/will tell you - The preceding statement was a complete lie.
• People should look into it - Trump just made a ridiculous statement and he wants others to talk it up.
• ... and lots of other things - Said after he names one specific thing because he can't think of any others. As in, "We're going to  build the wall and lots of other things." Also, ...many, many other things.
• Diversary - unsure, but we think Trump meant diversity but then again, we never know what Trump meant. I have not had any luck finding information on "diversary". Probably fake news or at least a fake word. 
• modern-day presidential - how Trump describes his tweets or boorish behavior.
• Rocket Man - Trump's nickname for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. And you thought it was an Elton John song. This nickname has fallen by the wayside now that Trump loves Kim Jong Un. 
• By all accounts - actually means by my account or by only my supporters' account.
• Not in a braggadocious way or non-braggadocious -Trump is bragging so much that even he realizes it.
• Treasonous - anyone who doesn't applaud and stand during Trump's SOTU.
• Unrelated but still related - this one is a mystery.
• Great reviews by everyone - that's everyone who agrees with Trump. Not even close to everyone.
• Everyone knows it - Actually, hardly anyone knows it.
• Like never before - Actually done many times before.
• I could name (many, 15 or 20, several) of something - usually means the one or no example of his point is the only one he can think of. He never names any other, even when pressed to provide examples.
• It's very popular - Actually means very controversial and almost universally unpopular.
• Great Energy - Trump's definition of chaos.
• Not much political support - Means the NRA and their controlled GOP members in Congress are against it. That's despite overwhelming public support.
• Tremendous pressure is building, like never before, for... - Means Trump wants the issue done and assumes everyone else does too. Not substantiated by any polls, demonstrations, or groundswell.
• Like nothing else we’ve seen in our history - Some normal minor event or a completely made up or overblown issue. 
• Truth is not truth - A Rudy Giuliani gem in reference to Trump being interviewed by Mueller.
• No one understands - Everybody understands the issue but Trump is trying to foster a different, false interpretation.
• Almost everyone agrees - Probably not even close to everyone or even a majority.
• People have no idea... - Almost everybody knows it, but Trump just figured it out.
• They say - The infamous THEY. We never do find out who THEY are because even when pushed, Trump can't name any THEYs. 
• I know it and so do you - Not so fast Donny. Assuming that we agree with what you "know" is bogus. What you "know" is usually just an opinion or wish, not fact. 
• National Emergy - may have meant national emergency although there really wasn't one.
• Just so you understand - Here comes a whopper.
• Totally out of control - Any person, organization, or institution not in full agreement with Trump.
• Smocking gun - Who knows what the J for jenius president meant. Maybe smoking gun, maybe a gun wearing a smock. 
• Boarder Security - Was Trump trying to refer to our southern border with Mexico or the guy who rents your spare bedroom? 

Words, like the truth or facts or science, have little or no meaning to Trump. I'm sure I missed a few and surely there will be more new words and phrases introduced into our language. There will also be the bastardization of established words and phrases to have completely new meanings, usually the exact opposite. My guess is that there will be a Trump Speak II post in the future. 

It has been said that we should take what Trump says seriously, but not literally. I have no idea what that BS means. How would you even go about doing that? This president and his administration is an affront to our nation, the world, and the English language. 

wjh

Winning - November 2018

Keeping track of the GOP and Trump Administration:

• The hits just keep on coming. Through10/31/2018, Trump has made 6,420 false or misleading claims over 649 days. Over the seven weeks leading up to the midterms, he averaged 30/day. An amazing rate. 
• 11/2 - A federal judge denies a stay in the Trump emoluments case. 
• The Supreme Court refuses to delay a case challenging citizenship questions on the 2020 census. 
• A federal judge rules against Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp (R) over voting restrictions. 
• The Supreme Court refuses to block young people’s climate lawsuit against the U.S. government.
• Attorney General Jeff Sessions forced to resign. Future of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation in question. 
• 11/8 - US Court of Appeals ruled that the Trump administration can not end DACA.
• The White House uses doctored video to justify the revoking of CNN's Jim Acosta's press pass. Talk about fake news.
• Federal judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, ruled that CNN's Jim Acosta's White House press credentials must be temporarily restored. 
• The White House decides to permanently restore Acosta's press pass. CNN drops the lawsuit. 
• 11/9 - A federal judge blocks construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.
• The CIA concludes that Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) ordered the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Awkward for the White House.
• First Lady Milania Trump gets deputy national security adviser Mira Ricardel fired. A blow to national security adviser John Bolton's standing.
• Ivanka Trump used a personal email account to conduct government business. LOCK HER UP!
• 11/20 - A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to resume accepting migrant asylum claims.
• Trump contradicts the CIA findings in the Khashoggi case. Fails to denounce Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Money talks.
• 11/22 - A New York judge denied a request by Trump's lawyers to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that Trump and his family violated charity laws with the management of their personal charity foundation.
• 11/23 - National Climate Assessment Report in direct conflict with the Trump Administration deregulation policies. 
• Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, has violated his plea agreement and will be sentenced. 
• 11/29 - Michael Cohen, former Trump lawyer and "fixer", pleads guilty to lying to Congress. Details Trump's involvement in financial dealings with Russia in 2016.

wjh

He Knows the Best People

When President Trump was campaigning, he bragged about knowing the best and smartest people. He would populate his administration with those people, not the stupid people who had been running our government. How is that going?

His latest "best people" is Matthew Whitaker, appointed as acting Attorney General. An appointment made necessary because he fired "best people" Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Although to be fair, Trump now says that he didn't know Whitaker before the appointment but he says Whitaker is a smart guy. Yet, last month he did claim to know Whitaker. Typical Trump dancing around the actual truth. Was Trump's denial of knowing Whitaker to distance himself from a terrible choice or because the optics look like an attempt to handcuff Mueller? A day or two later spokesperson Kellyanne Conway admitted that Trump did know Whitaker prior to the appointment. Does he or doesn't he? Let's bet he knew Whitaker and why he appointed him. 

As it turns out, Whitaker doesn't look so smart. He is now the acting chief law enforcement officer of the country yet he is not a fan of the Judicial Branch. It is the judicial system that actually finds lawbreakers guilty or not guilty. It is the judicial system that determines whether laws are constitutional. It is the judiciary that determines whether Whitaker's Justice Department actions, policies, and rules are legal. 

In the past, he has stated that the Judicial Branch is not equal, that the courts should be the "inferior branch". He thinks only  Christians should serve on the bench. No Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, agnostics, atheists, etc. Judges should be biblical, specifically new testament biblical. What an inclusive and Christian viewpoint. 

He was on the board of World Patent Marketing. A company that the Federal Trade Commission labeled a "scam". He is accused of using his prior position as a US Attorney to intimidate customers of that company. 

Mr. Whitaker has previously made statements that show he is fully in support of Trump. He thinks the Mueller investigation is a witch hunt among other things. He has prejudged the investigation and some of the people involved. That should disqualify him from overseeing Mueller. 

All in all, Matthew Whitaker does not come across as a "best people". It also appears that once again the White House has not vetted an appointee. Was the appointment run by the lawyers? Did anybody even Google the guy? 

On top of all that, there is a question about whether this appointment is even constitutional. Whitaker has not been confirmed by the Senate. In the normal succession, Rod Rosenstein, the Deputy Attorney General, would take over the Justice Department. We'll have to wait to see how that is resolved. It will be the inferior Judicial Branch that will decide that. I hope they are all Christian judges involved in that decision.

Just another inept step by an inept administration. No surprises here, it is what we have come to expect from Trump and his minions. Within 24 hours of Whitaker's appointment, the media was able to unearth skeletons in his past. Is it too much to expect the White House to spend an hour or two vetting their appointments? 

wjh

Winning - October 2018

Keeping track of the GOP and Trump Administration:

• The New York Times publishes an investigative story alleging that the Trump family participated in dubious, often illegal tax schemes for decades. The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance said they will investigate.
• It appears that Donald Trump is mostly the product of daddy Fred Trump and not the self-made man he professes to be. What a surprise.
• A federal judge temporarily blocks the Trump administration from terminating the legal status of 300,000 immigrants who fled violence in Haiti, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Sudan.
• Nikki Haley resigns as US Ambassador to the UN. What's next for her? 
• Elizabeth Warren's DNA test shows that she has Native American ancestors. Trump denies promising to pay $1 million to her favorite charity. Unfortunately for him, there is video proof he said it. 
• HUD and Interior departments are having a spat over Suzanne Israel Tuft. Which department does she work for and what are her duties? HUD Secretary Ben Carson seems confused. Surprise. 
• Suzanne Israel Tuft resigned from whatever government job she had. Fishy.
• In related news, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke was found to have violated department policy on travel. Swampy.
• Another condominium has voted to remove the Trump name. Trump Place at 200 Riverside Blvd., NYC. 
• Trump hails Montana Congressman Greg Gianforte for bodyslamming a journalist. This while the murder of Jamal Khashoggi is being "investigated". 
• Trump blames the Pittsburg synagogue for the shooting because they didn't have an armed guard. Blame the victims. 
• Trump doesn't cancel political rally because the New York Stock Exchange opened the day after 9/11. Except that is wrong. The NYSE did not open that day or several days after that.  Ignorance is bliss.
• Wrong again. Trump says the US is the only country with birthright citizenship. He also thinks he can nullify the 14th Amendment with an Executive Order.
• At least one of the three or more internal investigations of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has been turned over to the Justice Department. More swamp activity.

wjh

Required Arms Escalation

The Pittsburg synagogue shooting is just the most recent instance of a mass shooting by a well-armed wacko. After this shooting, our President decided to blame the synagogue and its congregation for the heinous attack. How you ask could he possibly do that? Well, he said that they should have had an armed guard who theoretically could have stopped the shooter. Right. This shooter had an assault rifle and several handguns. He shot four cops including two members of the Pittsburg SWAT team. Officers trained and equipped to deal with these situations. So our deep thinking President supposes that a rent-a-cop or armed congregation member could have made much of a difference. Right.

Have any of you actually paid attention to private security guards? Most of them do not inspire confidence. How many have you seen and instantly thought, this is a tough warrior who will protect me at all cost? Many of these private security guards are old, out of shape, and without any training or experience. It is usually a low-paying, low-skill position. I worked at a bank for several years. I often saw guards fast asleep at their post. One old guy was hard of hearing and had a gun so rusty that even if it were to fire it was more apt to blow up in his hand than stop a bad guy. Even the off-duty cops hired for security are probably tired from already working a full police shift.  

So the NRA, GOP, Trump solution to mass shootings is armed guards. Who and what needs these guards? Schools, daycare centers, houses of worship, movie theaters, sports venues, malls and stores, restaurants, what else? How about homes where there are home-schooled children? Home daycare businesses? Do churches need guards 24/7 or just for scheduled services? Does a small take-out restaurant need a guard? How about that Little League baseball or pee-wee football game? Is there a threshold for the number of people gathered together that requires an armed guard? Who will pay for all these guards? Will there be an "armed guard" service fee added to all tickets, restaurant bills, daycare fees, store purchases, etc.? Will Washington pick up the tab?

I'm assuming that when these armed guards fail to stop well-armed wackos there will be increased requirements. First more guards at ever smaller venues. The illogical conclusion to this is to require all citizens to be armed. What's the age limit, adults 18 and over, maybe 16 so you get a drivers license and a gun at the same time. Maybe at five or six on the first day of school. Of course, simple handguns may not be enough. Do they make kid-size AR-15's, an AR-7½? 

Luckily, all the money spent on metal detectors won't be wasted. In the arms required future, if you don't set off the metal detector, you can't enter. In fact, you may be subject to arrest or at least a fine. 

Gun violence of all kinds is a serious problem in our country and I don't think more guns is the solution. Just as I don't think more opioids is a solution to that epidemic. Higher speed limits is not a way to reduce highway accidents and deaths. More junk food does not reduce obesity. So, why do more guns solve a gun problem? 

There is no one answer to this problem or will we ever completely eliminate this issue as long as there are millions of guns in circulation. That doesn't mean we should give up and not try to drastically reduce gun deaths and injuries. How about we start with the one thing most people agree on, universal background checks for all gun purchases. No exceptions, no loopholes. The NRA be damned.

wjh  

The Genius

In Trump's interview by the AP, climate change was one topic. The reporter asked, "Scientists say this is nearing a point where this can’t be reversed.”

The response was, “No, no. Some say that, and some say differently. I mean, you have scientists on both sides of it. My uncle was a great professor at MIT for many years. Dr. John Trump. And I didn’t talk to him about this particular subject, but I have a natural instinct for science, and I will say that you have scientists on both sides of the picture.”
Actually, you have most, about 97%, on the side of serious climate change problems and a very few who disagree. What's this "natural instinct" for science because of an uncle? BTW, Uncle John was an electrical engineer and physicist, not a climatologist.

In the same vein, during the 60 Minutes interview by Lesley Stahl, Trump said that he knows more about NATO than Secretary of Defense James Mattis, a retired Marine Corps general. Mattis served as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation for almost three years and over 40 years of service in the Marines. There is no way he could have learned anything about NATO. Certainly not more than a genius president who has been in office for about 21 months and has zero military experience.

Name any subject and Trump will claim to be smarter than anyone else. He'll either just know it, have a feeling, a knack, maybe an instinct, or some other divine intervention.

I am amazed that anybody is able to fit into a room occupied by Trump and his ego. Let's all hope that he doesn't have an instinct to use nuclear weapons to solve a problem.

Not only a jenius, but a stable one at that.

wjh

Mueller Time - Third Quarter 2018

On 05/17/2017, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Robert Mueller as Special Council. Mueller was to investigate any possible collusion between the Trump presidential campaign or other Americans and the Russian government regarding the 2016 elections. The investigation was not limited to that issue and any crimes discovered while investigating were also subject to prosecution and/or being turned over to the Justice Department or state prosecutors.

A partial list of third quarter 2018 news about the investigation. The Mueller team remains remarkably tight-lipped about their activities. Most information comes from public court filings and hearings. 

• 7/13 - Mueller's team and DOJ indict 12 Russian intelligence officers for the hacking of the DNC and Clinton campaign. 
• 7/17 - Mueller asks for immunity for five witnesses in the Paul Manafort trial.
• 7/31 - Paul Manafort's financial fraud trial in Virginia begins. 
• 8/10 - A federal judge holds Andrew Miller, a Roger Stone and Trump associate, in contempt of court for refusing to testify before Mueller's grand jury.  
• 8/21 - Paul Manafort found guilty on eight of 18 counts.
• 8/21 - Michael Cohen pleads guilty to eight counts including campaign finance violations. Implicates Trump.
• 9/7 - George Papadopoulos is sentenced to 14 days in jail for lying to the FBI. The light sentence was part of a plea deal for cooperating with the Mueller investigation.
• 9/14 - Paul Manafort pleads guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and conspiring to obstruct justice. He agrees to cooperate with the Special Counsel investigation as part of the plea deal. 

With the exception of the Paul Manafort and Michael Cohen court dealings, it was a quiet quarter for public news and details. I don't expect much news until after the mid-term elections on November 6th. 

wjh

Winning September 2018

Keeping track of the GOP and Trump Administration:

• Bob Woodward's book Fear, depicts an administration in chaos and staff thwarting Trump's worst instincts. 
• 9/5 - An alleged Trump administration senior official writes a New York Times op-ed piece that confirms Woodward's White House staff resistance to Trump's erratic behavior. 
• 9/7 - Former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos is sentenced to 14 days in jail after pleading guilty to lying to the FBI.
• 9/14 - Paul Manafort, former Trump campaign manager, pleads guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States and conspiring to obstruct justice. He agrees to cooperate with the Special Counsel investigation as part of the plea deal. 
• Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh, is accused of sexual molestation during his high school and college days. The confirmation is delayed by additional Senate Judiciary Committee hearings and an FBI investigation.
• 9/28 - A federal judge ruled that the Congressional Democrats suite against President Trump about doing business with foreign governments can proceed. 

wjh

Winning - August 2018

Keeping track of the GOP and Trump Administration:

• Trump and the Koch Network openly at odds. The Koch's have pledged $400 million in midterm election funding. 
• Trump again calls the media "the enemy of the people". Ivanka says they are not.
• Trump calls LeBron James dumb. Melania says LeBron is doing good work and she is open to visiting his new school. 
• Trump's in-laws, Melania's parents, become US citizens. They took advantage of "chain migration", an immigration program that Trump decries and wants to eliminate. Can you spell h-y-p-o-c-r-i-t-e?
• Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.), an early and staunch Trump supporter, is charged with insider trading.
• China and US impose 25% tariffs on $18 billion of additional goods. Chinese tariffs are on cars and energy.
• Omarosa Manigault Newman's new book, Unhinged: An Insider Account of the Trump White House, alleges that Trump is racist, unqualified, narcissistic, misogynist, and a bigot. She also has recordings to back up some claims in the book. Uncomfortable.
• 8/15 - Trump admits in a Wall Street Journal interview that he revoked John Brennan's security clearance because of his involvement in the Russian investigation. No security reasons, just spite, and revenge.  
• Trump's military parade has been postponed until next year or maybe never. Projected cost had ballooned to over $90 million.
• 8/21 - Former Trump lawyer and associate Michael Cohen pleads guilty to tax and bank fraud and campaign finance violations. Says he paid off women on Trump's orders. 
• 8/21 - Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, is found guilty on eight counts. Tax evasion, bank fraud, and not reporting a foreign bank account.
• 8/25 - A federal judge strikes down most of Trump's executive orders attempting to make it easier to fire government employees and weaken their unions.
• White House counsel Donald McGahn to leave the administration this fall. 
• 8/31 - W. Samuel Patten pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act for failing to register with the Justice Department. He also admitted that he steered an illegal $50K donation from a Ukrainian businessman to the Trump inauguration.

wjh

The Trump Script

As allegations of wrongdoing by Trump, his campaign, and his administration become public, a script for dealing with these allegations has emerged. In general, the script follows the following steps:

1. Negative story or allegation comes to light
2. Complete denial
3. Claim "Fake News"
4. Attack the accusers
5. Claim "Fake News"
6. Less emphatic denial
7. Claim "Fake News"
8. Attack the accusers
9. Claim "Fake News"
10. Discredit the investigators
11. Claim "Fake News"
12. Maybe the accusation is partially true
13. Claim "witch hunt"
14. Discredit the accusers
15. Claim "witch hunt"
16. Admit the accusations after corroborating evidence comes to light
17. Offer confusing reasons and alternative stories
18. Claim "witch hunt"
19. Fully admit the accusation
20. Contend that the actions in the accusation are not a crime
21. Continue to claim "witch hunt"
22. Continue to discredit accusers and investigators
23. Create a new crisis as a diversion

Not every step is invoked for every allegation. Sometimes steps are repeated multiple times. These steps are carried out via Twitter, Trump statements, Sarah Sanders, Kellyanne Conway, Rudy Giuliani, or numerous other administration apologists.

It is a pattern that has been repeated often enough that even Trump supporters should recognize. 

Every negative story or report about Trump, his administration, and the GOP is not "fake news". In fact, very few from the mainstream media have been even erroneous let alone fake. 

While I don't pretend to know what the next big story or allegations will be, I can confidently predict that the above "wash, rinse, repeat" scenario will be employed. 

wjh

Winning - July 2018

Keeping track of the GOP and Trump Administration:

• 7/3 - Trump's "Pakistani mystery man" and Democrats cleared of conspiracy and illegal information access. Trump had already decided they were guilty. 
• Scott Pruitt's aides reveal more details of his excessive spending and management abuse at EPA. King of the Swamp.
• 7/5 - Corrupt EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt resigns, finally.
• 7/6 - Trump starts the trade war with China.
• China retaliates with tariffs on US goods.
• 7/6 - Russia imposes tariffs on certain US goods. 
• Trump's Mar-a-Lago applies for 61 foreign worker visas. Guess you can't find cooks and servers in the US.
• North Korea contradicts Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's assessment of the denuclearization negotiations. He says good, they say regrettable.
• White House legislative affairs director, Mark Short, resigns.
• Trump completely botches the Helsinki news conference with Putin. His "would - wouldn't" explanation is laughable. 
• Appeals Court nominee Ryan Bounds withdrawn because of writings that ridiculed multiculturalism and groups concerned with racial issues.  
• There is a recording between Trump and Michael Cohen discussing payoffs to Karen McDougal. You know, the Playboy model and mistress who Trump knows nothing about.
• Trump wants to revoke security clearance for his dissenters. Very dictatorish behavior. 
• The Department of Agriculture will pay farmers hurt by Trump's tariffs $12 billion. "Tariffs are the greatest!"
• Ivanka shuts down her fashion brand.
• Putin's visit to the US pushed out to next year, after elections.
• Federal judge allows emoluments suit against Trump to go forward. 
• North Korea continues to enrich nuclear material and build ICBMs according to satellite evidence. This despite Trump's agreement with Kim Jong-un when he said Pyongyang was "no longer a Nuclear Threat." 

wjh

Mueller Time - Second Quarter 2018

On 05/17/2017, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Robert Mueller as Special Council. Mueller was to investigate any possible collusion between the Trump presidential campaign or other Americans and the Russian government regarding the 2016 elections. The investigation was not limited to that issue and any crimes discovered while investigating were also subject to prosecution and/or being turned over to the Justice Department or state prosecutors.

A partial list of second quarter 2018 news about the investigation. The Mueller team remains remarkably tight-lipped about their activities. Most information comes from public court filings. 

• 4/3 - Alex van der Zwaan, a Dutch lawyer associated with Manafort and Gates, is sentenced to 30 days in jail for lying to the FBI and destroying evidence. 
• Mueller produces memo showing that Deputy Attorney General Rodney J. Rosenstein authorized Mueller to pursue allegations that Manafort colluded with Russia in 2016. 
• 4/9 - The FBI executed a search warrant at Michael Cohen's office, home, and hotel room. They seize documents related to Stormy Daniels, Karen McDougal, The National Enquirer, and possible bank and wire fraud. The search warrants were based on evidence provided by Mueller's team although the investigation is by the US Attorney Office for the Southern District of New York. 
• A federal judge dismissed Manafort’s DC civil suit against Mueller’s authority.
• Michael Cohen's business partner, Evgeny Naumovich Freidman, known as the taxi king, agrees to cooperate with prosecutors in exchange for a plea deal. 
• 6/4 - Mueller accuses Manafort of witness tampering.
• 6/8 - Mueller files witness tampering charges against Manafort and Russian Konstantin Kilimnik. 
• 6/15 - Manafort's $10 million bail is revoked he must now go to jail until his trial in September.
• Speaking of $10 million, new evidence shows Manafort had a $10 M loan from a Russian oligarch. Cozy
• 6/26 - A federal judge in Virginia ruled that Mueller's tax and bank fraud case against Manafort can proceed.  

wjh

Winning - June 2018

• 6/1 - Summit with North Korea on 6/12 back on again.
• Trump uninvites the Philadelphia Eagles to the White House. Most players weren't going to attend anyway. 
• EPA staff members performed personal tasks for Scott Pruitt including planning vacations, finding DC housing, and purchasing a mattress. More swampy behavior by Pruitt. 
• 6/4 - Mueller accuses Manafort of witness tampering. 
• 6/8 - Mueller files witness tampering charges against Paul Manafort and Russian Konstantin Kilimnik.
• President Trump dictated Donald Trump Jr.'s response to the New York Times article concerning the Trump Tower meeting with Russians. First, it was denied, then changed to fatherly advice, now full authorship. One of those accounts may be the truth, but maybe not. The content of the response was a lie. 
• Mexico imposes tariffs on about $3 billion of US goods including whiskey, pork, and several agricultural products.  
• House Speaker Paul Ryan says no evidence FBI spied on Trump campaign. 
• Trump refuses to sign the G7 resolution that he previously agreed to. Seems to be because he didn't like a statement by Trudeau. Calls the Canadian Prime Minister "dishonest and weak".
• AG Jeff Sessions rules domestic or gang violence is not grounds for asylum. 
• Trump lies daily that the separation of children from their parents at the border is because of a Democrat law. There is no such law, it is a Trump administration policy. He also admits that it is part of his strategy to get the wall funded.
• Ivanka and Jared Kushner had outside income of at least $82 million in 2017. Ivanka made $3.9 million from Trump International Hotel in DC. Her company also recently got 13 Chinese trademarks. Swampy & conflicty.
• 6/14 - The New York Attorney General sues the Donald J. Trump Foundation, Donald, Don Jr., Eric, and Ivanka.
• 6/15 - Paul Manafort's bail is revoked. He must now go to jail until trial. 
• 6/15 - Trump imposes tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese goods. China retaliates in kind on agriculture, auto, and energy goods. 
• Trump flip-flops on supporting insurance coverage for preexisting conditions.
• 6/17 - Roger Stone now admits to meeting with a Russian national in May 2016.  
• 6/20 - Trump signs an executive order to change his policy to separate immigrant children from their parents. A policy that he said was not a policy but a law. One that could not be reversed by an executive order. 
• Michael Cohen resigns as deputy chair of the RNC finance committee. 
• 6/22 - EU tariffs on $3.2 billion of US goods go into effect. 
• 6/25 - Harley-Davidson to shift some production to Europe to avoid tariffs. 
• 6/25 - Federal Judge in Virginia says that the Manafort bank and tax fraud case can proceed. 
• 6/27 - GOP House fails again to pass an immigration bill despite Trump's support for the bill. No money for the Wall.

wjh

TrumpTruths

Since Donald Trump first announced his candidacy for president, we have entered a new era. There are many parts to this new era. One of them is the normalization of lies by the president, his administration, and the GOP in general. I'm not talking about the normal political hyperbole, exaggerations, opinions, selective shading of facts and statistics. I am talking about bald face lies. Things that can be proven wrong. The dawning of the post-truth era. I call these TrumpTruths. 

Trump has always had a very casual relationship with the truth. That was not much of a problem when he was a private businessman, when he was the host of a "reality" TV show, or when he was on Howard Stern's radio show bragging about his sexual conquests. It also was only a minor problem during the first part of his campaign for the presidency, when no one took him seriously. It became a problem when he won the GOP nomination and has escalated now that he is president.

The lies started even before his candidacy when he insisted that President Obama was born outside the United States and was not a citizen. He also hinted that Obama was a Muslim. On the very first day of his administration, he insisted that his inauguration crowd was the largest in history. Something not corroborated by the Park Service, DC police, or photo evidence. 

As of May 31, 2018, the unofficial count of Trump lies is 3,251 in 467 days. An average of 6½ per day. There were 250 in May 2018, 8/day. At his 5/29 rally, there were 35. In one hour on 6/20, he spewed 29 lies. Many of those 3,251 lies are repeats. Trump's strategy seems to be if you tell a lie often enough, it becomes the truth. 

Listed below are some of his many lies. Some important, some not, but all untrue.  

• Trump claimed that his State of the Union address had the largest TV audience in history. Not even close. 
  
• He passed the biggest tax cut in US history. There have been at least six larger tax cuts since 1945. The biggest by Reagan in 1981, the last larger one in 2012 by Obama.  
  
• Mexico will pay for his "big, beautiful" border wall. Yet, he keeps asking Congress for funding. 
• The trade deficit with Mexico is $100 billion/year. It was actually $64 billion in 2017.
• Trump said that Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov brought 22 relatives into the United States through "chain migration." He is the immigrant, with a green card, who ran over eight people in New York City. There is no record that he brought a single relative to this country.
• Lottery migration. He constantly states that the foreign countries pick their worst people to send to the US. In fact, the foreign country has no involvement with the lottery immigration (US Diversity Visa lottery) program. Individuals apply to the US State Department. They are vetted by the US and then wait to possibly be chosen. It takes years.
• Talked about what a great letter he got from Kim Jong Un but refused to divulge what was in it. Then at the end of the interview admitted he hadn't read it yet. A completely unnecessary lie by a pathological liar. 
  
• “We've just secured -- you've read all about it -- a $700 billion, largest ever amount of money to support our great war fighters.” It is not even the largest recent military budget. Obama budgeted $710 million in 2011 and $714M in 2010.
• “We have now the lowest number of ships that we've had since World War I.” There are currently 283 Navy ships. There were 279 in 2007. Just to clarify, 283 is a larger number than 279.
• “Very soon you're going to get to 355 beautiful ships. 355.” The 355 number was proposed by the Navy in 2016 before Trump took office. The current schedule is to have 355 ships by 2050. Is that "very soon"?
• “We just got you a big pay raise. First time in 10 years. We got you a big pay increase. First time in over 10 years. I fought for you. That was the hardest one to get, but you never had a chance of losing.” Trump was referring to military raises. According to the Department of Defense, active members of the military have received a raise every year since 1983.
• “Clapper has now admitted that there was Spying in my campaign. Large dollars were paid to the Spy, far beyond normal. Starting to look like one of the biggest political scandals in U.S. history. SPYGATE - a terrible thing!” In fact, Clapper said the exact opposite and there is no record that Halper, the alleged "spy", was paid.
• “In the history of our country, no President -- whether it's four years, eight years, or sixteen years, in one case -- has ever passed more regulation cuts.” Unverified. There has never been a president who served 16 years. History is hard.
• “Small business optimism has never, ever been higher, according to polls and charts.” According to the National Federation of Independent Business, there have been 20 times it has been higher
• “We have thousands of judges and they need thousands of more judges. The whole system is corrupt.” Trump was speaking about immigration judges. In fact, there are 334 judges. Again, 334 is less than "thousands".
• “[The stock market] is up almost 40 percent since Election Day.” At the time of this statement, the stock market was up 32%. Rounding up to 40% is a stretch. The market is down in 2018.
• “We've spent $7 trillion -- can you believe that -- $7 trillion in the Middle East. Right out the window.” From 2001 to 2014 the US spent $1.6 trillion in Iraq and Afghanistan. 
• “They wanted it so badly -- San Diego. They wanted it so badly. And I said, you know, if we build it, we will lose a big constituency, because there won't be anybody saying, "We want the wall." But we had to build it. So I know they're very happy about it.” San Diego does not support construction of the wall; even the Republican mayor is opposed. The construction near San Diego is actually a repair of the fence. No "wall" construction has been done.
• “And I'll tell you, the people in Michigan very much appreciate it. It's a big deal. [Chrysler is] leaving Mexico; going to Michigan.” Chrysler is moving one production line from a Mexican plant to an existing Michigan plant. The Mexican plant remains open.
• Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind) "never sponsored a bill that has become a law.” In fact, Trump signed a bill sponsored by Donnelly.

This is just a sample of TrumpTruths, there are many more but you get the idea. Trump has his own version of the world. A world where facts don't matter. I don't know whether Trump believes the lies he spouts or is ignorant of the truth. I suspect it is a mixture. Neither reason is acceptable or flattering to Trump. TrumpTruths are a bane on our society and a danger to our country. Most of us were taught that lying is wrong. Apparently, Trump was not taught that lesson. 

Unfortunately, many Trump supporters don't care. That may be the saddest and most troubling development of this new post-truth era.  

wjh

Winning - May 2018

• California sues Trump administration over car emission standards.
• Two of Scott Pruitt's cronies, Albert “Kell” Kelly and Pasquale “Nino” Perrotta, resign from EPA because of swampy behavior. 
• Has and had do have different meanings. Words and tense matter especially when dealing with nuclear issues.
• Trump lawyer Ty Cobb resigns.
• Rudy Giuliani, another Trump lawyer, says Donnie repaid Michael Cohen, in installments, for the $130K payoff to Stormy Daniels. Trump has denied any knowledge of the payoff and Cohen has said he was never repaid. Several different stories. Are any true? 
• Now Trump agrees that Cohen was reimbursed for the Stormy Daniels hush payment. 
• The next day Trump says Giuliani has facts wrong but gives no details or clarification. 
• 5/16 - Trump discloses a reimbursement to Michael Cohen of more than $100K for payment to a third party.
• A New York judge has ruled that the condo board may remove the name Trump Place from the building. 
• 5/8 - Trump withdraws the US from the Iranian nuclear deal. 
• The Senate Intelligence Committee concludes that the Russian interference in the 2016 election favored Trump. 
• 5/17 - A New York appeals court denies Trump's request for a stay in the Summer Zervos defamation case.
• 5/18 - GOP House fails to pass Farm Bill.
• 5/18 - Another school shooting. This time in Santa Fe, Texas. Eight students, two teachers killed.
• Michael Cohen’s business partner, Evgeny A. Freidman, a Russian immigrant, agrees to cooperate with prosecutors.
• A federal judge ruled that Trump can not block Twitter users who are critical of him.
• 5/24 - Trump cancels the nuclear summit with Kim Jong-un. Maybe.
• The Justice Department and Homeland Security policies require illegal immigrant's children be separated from their parents. This is a Trump policy, not a law.
• Trump decides to save Chinese telecom company ZTE over objections of Congress, the Defense Department, and the intelligence community. Why? ZTE violated US sanctions multiple times.
• Trump imposes metal tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and Europe. All will retaliate with tariffs on US goods. Can you say trade war?
• The American Federation of Government Employees sues the Trump administration over recent executive orders.

wjh