The Weekly List: Week 63

The fabric of our country is changing at an alarming pace, although in the chaos, related news is garnering little media coverage or attention. Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is becoming increasingly active and emboldened, using Gestapo-type tactics to target immigrants living lawfully in our country, as Trump and his regime continue to openly target and disparage marginalized communities.

This week a bombshell story revealed Trump tried to fire Robert Mueller in June 2017, and may still be considering this drastic measure as the Trump-Russia and obstruction of justice probe enters a more robust phase. Trump, his Republican allies, and conservative media continue to ramp up attacks on our American institutions and individuals whose testimony could hurt him.

1. After the government shut down, the White House changed the outgoing message on the comment line: “Unfortunately, we cannot answer your call today, because Congressional Democrats are holding government funding…”
2. On Sunday, while visiting troops in the Middle East, Vice President Pence laid blame for the government shutdown on Democrats, saying Democrats “had decided to play politics with military pay,” and telling troops, “you deserve better.”
3. On Sunday, Trump called for Republicans to trigger the nuclear option if the stalemate continues, tweeting “Republicans are fighting for our Military and Safety at the Border. The Dems just want illegal immigrants.”
4. Sen. Tom Cotton sent “cease-and-desist” letters to his own constituents, ordering them not to contact him. A spokesperson for Cotton’s office told Snopes such letters are issued “under extreme circumstances.”
5. On Monday, White House spokesperson Hogan Gidley referred to Sens. Lindsey Graham and Dick Durbin’s immigration plan as “amnesty,” and slammed them as “dishonest” in their presentation of the plan to Trump.

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