I've been working on a project to summarize Trump's first 100 days, but there's just so much of it that I've had to post it in 10-day blocks. The first 10 days are stickied here in the Pol subforum menu. Here are the next 10.
Day 11- Pentagon boasts of killing 14 militants in a raid in Yemen on Day 10.
- Does not boast of killing 20 civilians in the same raid.
- 36-year-old Navy SEAL William (Ryan) Owens killed during the raid.
- Military officials tell press Trump approved operation without sufficient intelligence, ground support or adequate backup preparations.
- President was not present in the WH Situation Room for the raid.
- Reportedly had hostile exchanges over the phone with the leaders of two of our closest allies: Mexico and Australia.
- 1000 State Department staffers sign a "dissent cable" expressing contempt for Trump's travel ban.
- Personal staff of Senators and Representatives helped the WH draft the travel ban in secret, keeping it from their bosses in Congress.
- Spokesperson Conway expresses dismay that media outlets are not firing reporters for their critical views on herself and Trump.
- Tweets "Where was all the outrage from Democrats and the opposition party (the media) when our jobs were fleeing our country?"
- We are currently in the longest sustained period of job growth since record keeping for it began in 1939.
- Stephen Miller tells senior officials that Homeland Security might start demanding browsing histories, social media passwords and cell phone contact names from foreign visitors
- Trump and his aides cite the Boston Marathon bombings, the San Bernardino shootings and the Orlando shootings as reasons why the travel ban is necessary.
- None of these attacks were carried out by residents from banned countries.
- Accuses Sen Schumer of crying "fake tears" over the travel ban.
- Schumer's grandfather was a Jewish refugee from the Holocaust. Most of his grandfather's immediate family were machine-gunned to death by Nazis in the Ukraine.
- Trump adds, "I'm gonna ask him who is his acting coach."
- Speaking about a 5 year-old detainee, Press Sec. Spicer says, "To assume that just because of someone's age or gender or whatever, that they don't pose a threat, would be misguided and wrong."
- Asked about Trump's Holocaust statement that omits mentioning Jews killed in the Holocaust, Spicer says, "I think by and large he's been praised for it."
- Spicer says the Quebec City attack is "a reminder of why the president is taking steps to be proactive and not reactive."
- The Quebec City shooter is white, and is a professed alt-right Nationalist with strong anti-immigrant views.
- Acting Attorney General Sally Yates refuses to order subordinates to defend Trump's travel ban. Trump fires her.
- Demotes and replaces Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Daniel Ragsdale
Day 12- Tweets "Nancy Pelosi and Fake Tears Chuck Schumer held a rally at the steps of The Supreme Court and mic did not work (a mess)-just like Dem party!"
- WH issues assurances that it will continue to protect the rights of LGBTQ people in the workplace.
- An order allowing discrimination against LGBTQ people based on religious exemptions is reportedly scuttled by Trump's daughter and son-in-law.
- Spicer says that there has never been a SCOTUS nomination made as late as Obama's ignored choice, Merrick Garland.
- Obama nominated Garland on March 16th of his last year in office.
- Lyndon Johnson nominated Homer Thornberry on June 26th of his last year.
- Dwight Eisenhower recess-appointed William Brennan in October, three weeks before the 1956 election.
- In both of the latter cases, the Senate confirmed the nominees.
- Nominates Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Court.
- Gorsuch is a 49 year-old conservative whose philosophy is aligned with the late Antonin Scalia.
- He is also the founding member of the Fascism Forever Club at his high school.
- Three unnamed WH officials said that Thomas Hardiman, the other judge under consideration for the Supreme Court spot, was encouraged to begin driving towards Washington in order to build suspense for the selection.
Day 13- Still has not spoken about or offered condolences to the Quebec terrorist attack's surviving victims or family members.
- Changes "Countering Violent Extremism" program to "Countering Islamic Extremism," removing the program's mandate to counter violent white supremacists.
- WH spokespeople will no longer appear on CNN because the network does not promote the Trump agenda.
- Goes off-script less than a minute into his Black History Month speech to call CNN fake news. Later thanks Fox News for being kind to him.
- Total words used to praise Martin Luther King Jr, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman & Rosa Parks in toto: 53. Number of words to praise staffer Omarosa Manigault: 51
- His statement on Frederick Douglass suggest the president may think that Douglass is still alive.
- Recent ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson confirmed as Secretary of State.
- Ranking House Democrats ask the Pentagon about National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's 2015 dinner with Vladimir Putin, where he was paid to speak.
- The dinner was for the Kremlin-controlled RT News Network.
- Jill Stein sat at the table with Putin and Flynn.
- Russian-backed rebels step up shelling and attacks in the Ukraine. The WH has not yet offered comment on the developments.
- Asked directly about the Ukraine, Spicer say the president has been "kept aware" of the situation.
- Ends the day by vaguely threatening Iran on Twitter.
Day 14- Tweets a threat to pull federal funds from UC Berkeley for cancelling a right-wing extremist's speech after student protests turned destructive.
- Mocks Arnold Schwarzenegger's ratings on "The Apprentice" at the National Prayer breakfast, and brags about his own ratings as the former host of the show.
- Vows to repeal the Johnson Amendment, which takes away the tax exempt benefit from churches that endorse political candidates.
- Modifies sanctions imposed on Russia as punishment for hacking Trump's opponent in the recent US election.
- The new order from the Treasury Dept allows U.S. companies to make limited transactions with Russian intelligence agency FSB.
- Modifications to the sanctions reportedly were planned during the Obama administration.
- Mike Pence praises Abraham Lincoln for his contributions to Black History Month.
- During his fourth debate with Stephen Douglas, Lincoln said, "I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races, that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality."
- Lincoln went on to say better things.
- Spokesperson Conway brings up the Iraqi refugees responsible for the Bowling Green Massacre.
- The Bowling Green Massacre is not an event that exists.
Day 15- Tweets more attacks on Arnold Schwarzenegger's role on "The Apprentice," on Twitter.
- Complains about "Professional anarchists, thugs and paid protesters."
- On the fifth day of his silence on Quebec attacks on Muslims, tweets, "A new radical Islamic terrorist has just attacked in Louvre Museum in Paris."
- The terrorist has a knife, and is the only one injured during the attack.
- He is not from one of the countries affected by the travel ban.
- Tweets "Thank you to Prime Minister of Australia for telling the truth about our very civil conversation that FAKE NEWS media lied about. Very nice!"
- This contradicts several sources, as well as his own words at the Prayer Breakfast, "When you hear about the tough phone calls I'm having, don't worry about it. Just don't worry about it. They're tough. We have to be tough. It's time we're going to be a little tough, folks,"
- Slaps new sanctions on Iran for testing a ballistic missile.
- The test did not violate any previous agreements with the US.
- Houthi rebels attack a Saudi frigate.
- Pres Sec. Spicer conflates Houthi rebels with Iranian troops and the Saudi frigate with a US warship.
- The original WH number for people affected by the travel ban is 109.
- Justice Dept lawyer testifies in a VA court that 100,000 valid visas have been revoked due to the ban.
- State Dept counters with a statement that only 60,000 visas have been revoked.
- Holds meeting on women in the workforce. Two male CEOs are his advisory panel.
- Announces rollback of rules put in place to prevent another financial collapse after the worldwide Great Recession in 2008.
- Says, "...frankly, I have so many people, friends of mine, who have nice businesses who can’t borrow money," due to the rules.
- A federal judge temporarily blocks the travel ban. Airlines are told by the government to seat passengers from the 7 countries
- WH vows to block travelers again with an emergency stay of the order.
- Responding to Bill O'Reilly pointing out suspicions of Putin killing people who oppose him, Trump says, "There are a lot of killers. You think our country's so innocent?"
Day 16- Tweets a vow to overturn the block on his ban by "this so-called judge."
- Judge is James L. Robart, a nominee of George W Bush, who was approved in the Senate by a vote of 99-0.
- Tweets "After being forced to apologize for its bad and inaccurate coverage of me after winning the election, the FAKE NEWS @nytimes is still lost!"
- NYT has not apologized for any of its Trump coverage. Digital subscriptions to the paper grew 16% in 2016.
- Softening on their ban of CNN, spokesperson Conway asks to be on CNN's State of the Union.
- Her request is denied.
- 1000 protesters serenade the president near his Mar-A-Lago retreat.
- Trump lawyers file a notice to appeal the block on his ban.
- Travelers with valid vias from the 7 countries rush to get flights into the US during this window.
Day 17- 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upholds temporary restraining order on Trump's ban.
- Trump supporters, spurred by right-wing nationalist site Breitbart.com, vow to boycott Budweiser for airing a commercial telling the story of the brewer's immigrant founder.
- Places his assets in a trust which names the president as the sole beneficiary of that trust, and gives him the power to revoke it at any time.
- The trust will be co-managed by the president's son, along with his chief financial officer.
- Is reportedly angry about not being fully briefed on the executive order he signed placing his top aide Steve Bannon on the National Security Council.
- Threatens to defund California if they don't toe the line on immigration, says "California in many ways is out of control, as you know.”
- California is among a handful of donor state.
- These pay more in taxes to the federal Treasury than they receive in government funding.
Day 18- Tweets "Any negative polls are fake news"
- Claims the "very dishonest" media is deliberately not reporting recent terrorist strikes in Europe.
- Sean Spicer later provides a list of 78 attacks.
- The list includes all of that famous attacks which were heavily covered by the press.
- Spicer rolls back Trump's "not even reported" description of attacks, reducing it to, "aren't exactly covered to a degree on which they should be."
- Mother of one young woman killed last year by an insane stalker writes in an open letter to Trump.
- Calls him out for falsely including her death on the list of 78 unreported terror attacks.
- Regarding the travel ban, she writes, "My daughter's death will not be used to further this insane persecution of innocent people."
- Spokesperson Conway claims she meant to say Bowling Green Terrorists instead of Bowling Green Massacre in her last interview, but used the word massacre in two prior interviews--with Cosmopolitan and TMZ--back on Day 10.
- Russia demands an apology from Fox News for calling Putin a killer. Bill O'Reilly demurs.
Day 19 - Tweets," I don't know Putin, have no deals in Russia, and the haters are going crazy."
- Department of Defense is seeking to rent space in Trump’s New York skyscraper, Trump Tower.
- This will set up the DOD as paying rent to the president.
- Officials from the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans and the Veterans of Foreign Wars say they were not invited to a WH listening event for veterans.
- Military officials say the objective of the botched Yemen raid was to kill or capture Qassim al-Rimi, head of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
- Al-Rimi has survived and taunts the president through audio missives.
- Press Sec Spicer had called the raid "a successful operation by all standards,"
- The First Lady sues the Daily mail for $50 million dollars, claiming false accusations have hurt her brand value during this "multi-year term" of elevated publicity.
- According to the suit, her brand categories would have included "among other things, apparel accessories, shoes, jewelry, cosmetics, hair care, skin care and fragrance,”
- House of Commons speaker says he will not make the customary invitation to Trump to address the UK Parliament.
- Betsy DeVos confirmed as Sec. of Education by a vote of 51-50.
- Republicans hold off confirming Sen Jeff Sessions as Attorney General so that he may vote for DeVos first.
- FBI reports from the last two years show that more suspected terrorists encounters occur near our border with Canada than our border with Mexico.
- Texas sheriff complains about a state senator making it harder for police to seize citizen assets through civil forfeiture.
- Trump says, "Do you want to give his name? We'll destroy his career."
- Says that his travel ban executive order was "written beautifully," and predicts that "even a bad high school student would find in my favor" in the court battle over it.
- Says that the murder rate is "the highest it's been in 47 years" and adds, "I'd say that in a speech and everybody was surprised because the press doesn't like to tell it like it is."
- Murder rate is currently the lowest it's been in 45 years.
- Sen Elizabeth Warren is not allowed to finish her speech against the nomination of Jeff Sessions for Attorney General.
- She is accused of impugning the conduct of another Senator, and silenced for the duration of confirmation hearings.
- Asked about the president's silence on the Quebec terrorist attack, spokesperson Conway says, "He doesn't tweet about everything."
Day 20- Tweets "My daughter Ivanka has been treated so unfairly by @Nordstrom. She is a great person -- always pushing me to do the right thing! Terrible!"
- Tweets "Big increase in traffic into our country from certain areas, while our people are far more vulnerable, as we wait for what should be EASY D!"
- Yemen will no longer allow U.S. ground troops into the country on special-operations missions.
- Asked about this in regards to the botched Yemen operation, Pres Sec Spicer says, "It's absolutely a success, and I think anyone that would suggest it's not a success does a disservice to the life of (slain Navy Seal) Chief Ryan Owens."
- Spicer mentions an Atlanta Attack three times to make a case for Trump's travel ban. No Islamist attack has occurred in Atlanta.
- Trump reportedly veered off topic during a call with French President Hollande on Day 9, complaining that the US is being shaken down by other countries, and declaring that the French can continue protecting NATO, but that the U.S. “wants our money back."
- Senate confirms Jeff Sessions as Attorney General in a 52-47 vote.
Notes:
I've been on a business trip for the last 3 days, so days 18-20 are likely not up to snuff. I should be back at the office next week and goofing off properly until the 100 days are done or civilization collapses, whichever comes first.
The House passed some villainous legislation in the last 10 days. These will be covered bill by bill if they get to Trump and he signs them. I've also left out some of the more minor brouhahas, times when I felt the press was getting silly during the short intervals when the president wasn't feeding them outrage quickly enough: like the semantics battle over the word 'ban', or whether or not Trump walks around in his bathrobe, or Vanity Fair's theory that the president's behavior grows acutely worse when his daughter and son-in-law are away observing the Jewish Orthodox Shabbat.
Some items were cut due to exaggerations or sketchy sourcing: like the complaint that some airport detainees were tricked into signing their green cards away, or that Trump demands that his female staffers "Dress like women," or that the entire management staff of the State Department was summarily fired. These scraps would all be of interest in any other administration; the talk of the nation for a month of Mondays. Unfortunately for us, we live in interesting times.
