Today In Pruitt Job Security

Billionaire corporate raider Carl Icahn, who is supposed to be under investigation for abuse of power while serving in the Trump admin, granted a "financial hardship waiver" by the EPA https://t.co/0kv18UJRnj

— Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) April 30, 2018

The Godly Party

If I had to explain the Republican Party in one sentence to a visitor from another planet, this would be the sentence. https://t.co/xekTY0tG00

— Steve M. (@nomoremister) April 25, 2018

Governor Eric Greitens, who is accused of two felonies, will be the keynote speaker at a law enforcement prayer breakfasthttps://t.co/vQLw9BUdHK

— Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) April 24, 2018

Short-sighted Meet Weak-minded

He’s the president and he is responsible for what he says and does, ofc. Still, the constant, repetitive prompting to engage in extreme and harmful behavior sounds to me like nothing so much as a group of students taking advantage of a weak-minded kid. It's profoundly dangerous.

— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) April 10, 2018

Here's how the "red line" conceit entered the national discourse. Trump is on a riff about McCabe's family and how he didn't need any more dirt on Clinton. But the NYT team has something else, a "last thing," they really want to talk about... https://t.co/pts3RWjXt1 pic.twitter.com/RufAOVellx

— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) April 10, 2018

The leading questions are part of an instinct to gin up drama. And, in response to the Trump creature, they undertake this effort to shape his babbling into a narrative that fits how a president is believed to behave.

The questions serve as lifelines; the worst offenders toss them to Trump, as he flails in his special blend of grandiosity and incoherence. And they are not well-intended lifelines, but assists intended to make him talk tough. Like their subject, these journos betray a public trust.

I'm increasingly getting the feeling that there is a faction in the White House press corps that wants to see Trump fire Mueller because it will be "dramatic" and they aren't really questioning the wider implications.

— Schooley (@Rschooley) April 10, 2018

Good Old Party Values

How dare you all question the integrity of the president on the same day *checks notes* his fake university’s fraud settlement was finalized https://t.co/EdzFRK6CrC

— Jess Dweck (@TheDweck) April 10, 2018

Trump blowing a gasket in front of the press pool.

Blaming Sessions. Ranting like a loon. Crying “witch hunt!” Ranting about Hillary.

Trump happened to be in front of cameras this eve.

His attys must be hitting themselves in the head with desk staplers.

— The Hoarse Whisperer (@HoarseWisperer) April 9, 2018

Trump on raid of Michael Cohen: "It's an attack on our country in a true sense. It's an attack on what we all stand for." pic.twitter.com/6aKs0A5Y3k

— Axios (@axios) April 9, 2018

Nah, that was Charlottesville https://t.co/M1BwP7QgWd

— Kal Penn (@kalpenn) April 10, 2018

Lookin’ good, Republicans. https://t.co/AzBP6rsoMS

— Julius Goat 🦆 (@JuliusGoat) April 9, 2018

Overheard by German reporter in the WH "I haven’t heard a head of state describe an investigation into his leadership as an attack against the state since the Nazis were in power in my home country."

— Brian J. Karem (@BrianKarem) April 9, 2018

The Longest Month Is Called "Monday"

But we can hope it feels even longer to all those not as yet indicted.

Breaking News: A Ukrainian magnate paid Donald Trump’s charity $150,000 in 2015 after Trump gave a video talk. Robert Mueller is said to be investigating. https://t.co/1mXETS7COJ

— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 10, 2018

ctrl+f "Michael D. Cohen" pic.twitter.com/bxPZBa5DV1

— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) April 10, 2018

This graf: https://t.co/MgBvJgnuYH pic.twitter.com/YpjUnbDveo

— Nick Riccardi (@NickRiccardi) April 9, 2018

Well, sure, it sounds bad when you put it *that* way. https://t.co/72ecE5XrZ8

— Steve Benen (@stevebenen) April 9, 2018

Vanity Fair is reporting that the FBI raided Michael Cohen's hotel room at the Loews Regency in New York.

"A handful of them remained upstairs for several hours, according to a source familiar with the situation."https://t.co/nWEW0fFNUN

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 9, 2018

When Trump learns all the details of this Cohen story, he's going to be angriest over the revelation that Cohen stayed at a non-Trump hotel.

— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) April 9, 2018

Department Of...

The Department of Justice is simultaneously (i) arguing in court that tweets from @realdonaldtrump are not official presidential statements and (ii) assigning matters to US Attorneys as a policy response to tweets from @realdonaldtrump. pic.twitter.com/sBz4vc5KwJ

— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) April 9, 2018

Uh-OMFG...

F.B.I. Raids Office of Trump's Longtime Lawyer Michael Cohen https://t.co/Zxy9I7oZaF

— Chris Sampson (@TAPSTRIMEDIA) April 9, 2018

It's my understanding that government doesn't raid the offices of any lawyer lightly. The layers of bureaucratic approval that a raid of THE SITTING PRESIDENT'S LAWYER must have gone through simply boggles my mind. https://t.co/WjjZm69BsZ

— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) April 9, 2018

Nifty detail: Mueller's team did not do this. SDNY did.

Presumably meaning unconfirmed Trump interim US Attorney Geoffrey Berman approved it.

— emptywheel (@emptywheel) April 9, 2018

Trade War For Thee

Ivanka Trump's clothing company will be spared from tariffs, thanks to her dad

What a lucky break! https://t.co/zcxrSyVH2K pic.twitter.com/EgsaK00cFS

— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) April 6, 2018

Don't worry baby, no Trump has ever suffered in a war, trade or otherwise. pic.twitter.com/jc8eVYmXKA

— Schooley (@Rschooley) April 7, 2018

Then Trump came for the price of soybeans@BenSasse @ChuckGrassley @joniernst @SenatorFischer pic.twitter.com/FRJdMsKRI4

— ☇RiotWomenn☇ (@riotwomennn) April 6, 2018

Trump doesn't deny U.S. farmers could suffer from the trade war: "If during the course of the negotiation [with China] they want to hit farmers because they think that hits me, I wouldn't say that’s nice. But I will tell you our farmers are great patriots." pic.twitter.com/78c9yroLqe

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 9, 2018

"You've got to remember that these are just simple farmers. These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know... morons." https://t.co/NcvwkOjj2q

— Schooley (@Rschooley) April 9, 2018

LIVE: White House says Trump has asked Agriculture Secretary Perdue for plan to protect farmers from China trad actions, will receive shortly https://t.co/w5PKYXYAIB pic.twitter.com/j4eVxNlusR

— Reuters TV (@ReutersTV) April 9, 2018

Here's an idea!

Don't start a trade war!!! https://t.co/tn5spJhzFh

— emptywheel (@emptywheel) April 9, 2018

Doing The Old Overlord Shuffle

In response to the scandal, Zuckerberg is going to hand over regulatory power on the use of data for academic research to, and I'm not making this up, the Charles Koch Foundation. pic.twitter.com/s5GfceNEH4

— Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) April 9, 2018

The Mercers have to be in this mix somewhere too, right? https://t.co/InudvxHICk

— Schooley (@Rschooley) April 9, 2018

Charles Koch Foundation AND John and Laura Arnold Foundations part of cabal to study social media’s impact on elections. No, really. #vf! https://t.co/XvihLsD2cu

— Karoli (@Karoli) April 9, 2018

Employee Of The Month?

April is young, and there always will be heavy competition. Yet he already seems like a strong contender.

Kevin Sabo, the Interior official who compared the Parkland students to Nazis, also has a history of violence against women. In 2000, he was sentenced to 18 months for cutting the brakes on his ex-girlfriend’s car: https://t.co/XlfmyHwJSW

h/t @cFidd https://t.co/XZTQGa2kTB

— Sarah Lerner (@SarahLerner) April 9, 2018

No Knowledge, No Problems

Plan to dismantle Puerto Rico's statistics agency gets green light https://t.co/0vxNpFXihB <-- in line with other US government attacks on research and accurate data, but particularly alarming given the post-hurricane humanitarian crisis

— Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) April 9, 2018

Latest Domino

This is bad. Same hate-filled anti Immigrant rhetoric dominates the Hungary's vote as it did Brexit, Trump, Geert Wilders, Le Pen campaigns . Far-right figures Marine Le Pen & Steve Bannon call Orbán a “hero” He is a Neo-Fascist dictator... https://t.co/HADc31osSM

— nadinevanderVelde (@nadinevdVelde) April 8, 2018

BREAKING: PM Netanyahu called Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, congratulated him for his victory in the elections yesterday and invited him to visit Israel soon

— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) April 9, 2018

Back To The Old Pivot

Interesting that a week ago, Moscow was warning that rebels would use gas in Syria as "a provocation." Almost like they knew what the Assad regime was about to do and were sowing disinformation ahead of time.

— Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) April 8, 2018

When asked about the missiles you chucked at an empty airfield last year, you talked about "The Beautiful Chocolate Cake"™️ Mar-a-Lago was serving.
Assad has now used chemical weapons after hearing you say we're leaving. So what kind of ad for Mar-a-Lago will you do this time?

— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) April 9, 2018

In other words, in the eyes of pundits, ready to again be presidential.

I assume that since Trump is suddenly so concerned with the conditions of Syria that he'll open the US to Syrian refugees who've been trying to flee terrible conditions for years, yes?

* this is a sarcastic and heartbroken tweet

— Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) April 8, 2018

All In A Day's Presidenting

No time for condolences to the family of the Trump Tower victim, when the vital business of the country is waiting to be done.

Congratulations to Patrick Reed on his great and courageous MASTERS win! When Patrick had his amazing win at Doral 5 years ago, people saw his great talent, and a bright future ahead. Now he is the Masters Champion!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 9, 2018

They made Jimmy Carter sell his peanut farm. https://t.co/gADgYecVQT

— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) April 9, 2018

Private-prison stock cratered when Obama's DOJ announced it would no longer work with for-profit prisons. Trump rolled those rules back, and GEO Group, America's 2nd largest private-prison firm, then moved its yearly company gathering to the Trump Doral. https://t.co/p1MYZEHdhI

— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) April 8, 2018

He Could Kill Someone on Fifth Avenue

Fire on 50th floor of Trump Tower critically injures one, say officials https://t.co/du9kCicYS6 <-- interviews with residents, who were not told to evacuate, except one who got a text from Michael Cohen

— Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) April 8, 2018

Reminder: the 50th floor of Trump Tower is actually the 40th floor, because Trump inflated the numbers.

That's not a joke, that's real.

— Erin Burr, sir (@erinscafe) April 7, 2018

At least one person has died in the fire at Trump Tower in New York. Four firefighters were injured, officials say. https://t.co/VbhJoILG2o pic.twitter.com/bPfiLynrCZ

— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) April 8, 2018

The president boasted about the quality of his building in his sole statement on a fire that killed a man he hasn't mentioned. https://t.co/ExyKj1IW25

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) April 8, 2018

Some details of Trump Tower fire from residents. In addition to the building not having a sprinkler system, yesterday there were:
* no orders to evacuate
* no working phones
* no working elevators
* no fire alarms
* no one answering at the front desk pic.twitter.com/bxmhpcbckj

— Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) April 8, 2018

So Trump Tower doesn't have sprinklers and residents received no warnings.

But don't worry: There's extra fire protection in the building when Trump is there.https://t.co/iatNpiFojV pic.twitter.com/pFriRAxeTL

— Eric Umansky (@ericuman) April 8, 2018

Opening Bell

pic.twitter.com/FNR3qWigeP

— Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) April 6, 2018

In News of Democracies

What happens in other democracies when leaders abuse their power https://t.co/n2mvfAbNpE

— Catherine Rampell (@crampell) April 6, 2018

That Old Dark Money Magic That They Weave So Well

EXCLUSIVE: Robert Mercer backed a secretive group that worked with Facebook, Google to target anti-Muslim ads at swing voters

In weeks close to the election, writes Robert Maguire, "voters in swing states like Nevada and North Carolina began seeing eerie promotional travel ads as they scrolled through their Facebook feeds or clicked through Google sites."

"Travel ads," for "The Islamic State of France," and

Another, for the "Islamic State of Germany," invited visitors to "celebrate the arranged marriages of future jihadi soldiers" at a pork-and alcohol-free Oktoberfest.

"You can even sell your daughter or sister to be married," the ad notes enthusiastically while showing the covered face of a woman wearing a black burka.

And just to bring it all home, days before the election, the group made an "Islamic States of America" travel promo, where Syrian refugees have overtaken America. In the ad, the iconic Hollywood sign reads "Allahu Akbar," and the Statue of Liberty wears a burka and holds a star and crescent. In the video, Ground Zero in New York City is shown as place where citizens can "celebrate our Islamic victories."

The lurid videos (posted in Maguire's piece) were underwitten by a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization, Secure America Now. Maguire obtained tax records for the group, showing $2 million donated by pro-Trump dark money groups, and two large individual contributors: Mercer($2 million) and Ronald Laude ($1.1 million).

SAN reported more than $1 million in political spending to the Federal Election Commission in 2016 — in the form of "independent expenditures," which means they appealed directly to voters, asking them to support or oppose specific candidates for office.

While there are some differences between what the FEC and the IRS consider political spending, such direct calls for voters to support or oppose candidates are generally considered to be unambiguously political. Yet, in filing their tax returns, SAN told the IRS it only spent $124,192 on politics.

Whatever chicanery is being slipped past supposed regulators, there still seems to be a nice surplus for next time.

The grotesque post election attempt to discount that Trump's political origin story was a racist lie will continue to damage the country until it is corrected. Mercer was not targeting economic insecurity here, he had the data to know fear mongering works.https://t.co/MGg6Y8ls9G

— Schooley (@Rschooley) April 5, 2018