2017 - Page 8 of 105

GOP Tax Plan Is Even More Unpopular than Trump

December 5, 2017 Buck Banks

53% to 29%

A new Quinnipiac poll finds American voters disapprove of the Republican tax plan 53% to 29%. By a 61% to 34% margin, voters say the plan benefits the wealthy at the expense of the middle class. Meanwhile, President Trump’s approval rate is 35% to 58% and voters think he’s unfit to be president by a 56% to 40% margin.

Young Voters Resoundingly Disapprove of Trump

December 5, 2017 Buck Banks

25%

A new Harvard IOP poll of America’s 18- to 29-year-olds finds that 67% of young Americans are more fearful than hopeful about America’s future. President Trump’s approval rate is now just 25% with young people, having fallen seven points since Spring. Less than one year before the 2018 midterm elections, likely young American voters cite preference for Democratic control of Congress, 65% to 33%.

Democrats Ahead on Party Affiliation

December 4, 2017 Buck Banks

44%

Gallup: “Forty-four percent of U.S. adults identify as Democrats or are independents who lean to the Democratic Party, while 37% are Republican identifiers or leaners. … Democrats have maintained an edge of between five and nine percentage points on this measure of party affiliation throughout 2017, after holding a narrow advantage in late 2016.”

Bahara: Dowd Says ‘Ludicrous’ Things

December 4, 2017 Buck Banks

“I have a lot of experience with John Dowd … in cases before my office, and he said then – as he’s saying now – a lot of incorrect, mistaken and on occasion ludicrous things. So I wouldn’t put a lot of stock into it.”

— Former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, quoted by NPR, on Donald Trump’s lawyer claiming the president cannot obstruct justice.

Trump’s Lawyers Preemptively Arguing Case Law

December 4, 2017 Buck Banks

“The President cannot obstruct justice because he is the chief law enforcement officer under the Constitution’s Article II and has every right to express his view of any case.”

— John Dowd, President Trump’s outside lawyer, outlining to Mike Allen a new and highly controversial defense in the Russia probe: A president cannot be guilty of obstruction of justice.

McConnell Predicts No Government Shutdown

December 4, 2017 Buck Banks

“Look, there’s not going to be a government shutdown. It’s just not going to happen.”

— Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), quoted by The Hill, noting he “can’t imagine” Democrats “want to shut down the government over an issue that’s not an emergency.”

Gowdy Settled Suit for $150k in Taxpayer Money

December 4, 2017 Buck Banks

$150,000

“As chairman of the House Select Committee on Benghazi, Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) used $150,000 in taxpayer dollars to settle with a former aide who alleged he was fired in part because he was not willing to focus his investigative work on Hillary Clinton,” the Washington Post reports.

GOP Tax Plan Offers Everyone Something to Hate

December 4, 2017 Buck Banks

“The Republican tax plan is the rare piece of legislation that manages to provide something for nearly everyone to hate.”

— Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders’ former campaign managers, Robby Mook and Jeff Weaver, in a joint memo.

Jimmy Kimmel: Punkin’ Alabama with ‘Judge Roy Moore’s Number One Fan’

December 2, 2017 Jon Ponder

Jimmy Kimmel sent comedian Jake Bird to Alabama to punk Judge Roy Moore and his fans.

Laurence Tribe: Donald’s Tweet about Flynn Was a Confession of Obstruction of Justice

December 2, 2017December 2, 2017 Jon Ponder

screenshot-trump-tweet-obstruction-confession

[…]

53% to 29%

25%

44%

“I have a lot of experience with John Dowd … in cases before my office, and he said then – as he’s saying now – a lot of incorrect, mistaken and on occasion ludicrous things. So I wouldn’t put a lot of stock into it.”

— Former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, quoted by NPR, on Donald Trump’s lawyer claiming the president cannot obstruct justice.

“The President cannot obstruct justice because he is the chief law enforcement officer under the Constitution’s Article II and has every right to express his view of any case.”

— John Dowd, President Trump’s outside lawyer, outlining to Mike Allen a new and highly controversial defense in the Russia probe: A president cannot be guilty of obstruction of justice.

“Look, there’s not going to be a government shutdown. It’s just not going to happen.”

— Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), quoted by The Hill, noting he “can’t imagine” Democrats “want to shut down the government over an issue that’s not an emergency.”

$150,000

“As chairman of the House Select Committee on Benghazi, Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) used $150,000 in taxpayer dollars to settle with a former aide who alleged he was fired in part because he was not willing to focus his investigative work on Hillary Clinton,” the Washington Post reports.

“The Republican tax plan is the rare piece of legislation that manages to provide something for nearly everyone to hate.”

— Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders’ former campaign managers, Robby Mook and Jeff Weaver, in a joint memo.

Poetic Justice

Verbatim

“The man is afraid of the voice of the people and that the people understand and know what he’s doing. He’s trying to stifle the ability of journalists to let the people of America know what’s really going on with their government.”

— “Kamala Harris called President Donald Trump’s ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House ‘absolutely abhorrent,’” The Wrap reports.

“Not one of them is trained in technical skills. Not one research PhD, as opposed to China, where half the cabinet is science and technology PhDs. We’re led by grifters and fools.”

— Columbia professor Jeffrey Sachs, on X, on President Trump’s 35-person cabinet.

“Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far… The same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today.”

— Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL), breaking with President Trump in a direct-to-camera video.

Numerati

1,000

10%

“The unprecedented spate of mid-decade redistricting for the U.S. House has changed the congressional districts for one-tenth of Americans and significantly altered the makeup of at least one-fifth of districts, according to a new study,” the Associated Press reports.

71%

$9.5 billion

“The Trump administration last year spent $9.5 billion on paid administrative leave for federal workers as part of its plan to shrink the government and save taxpayers money, according to a new estimate by a congressional watchdog,” CNN reports.

470

Reuters has documented at least 470 targets of retribution under Trump’s leadership – from federal employees and prosecutors to universities and media outlets. The list illuminates the sweeping effort by the president and his administration to punish dissent and reshape the government.