- Despite attempts to bury it, the report on “Sharpiegate” has been released. As expected, we learned the White House pressured the NOAA to release a statement saying Alabama was in the path of Hurricane Dorian when it was not. This was solely because Trump tweeted out that Alabama was in danger and he cannot admit mistakes.
- Trump commuted the sentence of campaign adviser Roger Stone. Stone has engaged in all manner of unethical and illegal activity for the Republican Party going back to the 1970s. In this case he was convicted of lying to Congress and threatening to kill a witness in order to protect the president during the Mueller investigation. Stone publicly asked for a commutation as he had not “turned” on the president and provided evidence against him. This commutation is simply one of the most corrupt acts by a president in US history. The White House issued a statement regarding the release full of demonstrable lies. In short, they attacked Mueller, the Russia investigation, and the Stone jury. This action was disturbing enough that Mueller himself published an op-ed about Stone’s guilt. Of particular note, Trump lied in his written answers to Mueller regarding conversations he had with Stone regarding the Wikileaks dump of Clinton’s emails.
- As the Trump administration and Republicans push for opening schools in the fall, a leaked internal CDC document says opening schools falls into the “highest risk” category of activities. Education secretary Betsy Devos this morning gave a disastrous interview regarding school openings. Repeatedly asked what guidance she had for schools, especially for how to deal with outbreaks, Devos simply kept reiterating that schools should reopen and how they deal with any issues should be decided locally. There is no federal plan. She also appeared on Fox News where Mike Wallace pointed out that DeVos nor Trump have any authority to withhold funding from schools for any reason much less refusing to open during a pandemic. Her only response was that schools which don’t open should not receive federal funding. Wallace is correct in that DeVos does not have such authority.
- The president defended his frequent golfing during the pandemic by saying Obama golfed more often. This is a lie. Trump frequently criticized Obama for golfing during the minor Ebola outbreak which killed two Americans. Obama at this point in his term had golfed 90 times. Trump so far has golfed 275 times. He has spent over a year of his presidency visiting his own businesses.
- Former acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke said that after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, Trump raised the possibility of simply selling it rather than trying to assist the people who lived there.
