Before I start accumulating the day's chaos, I just want to write a personal note thanking everyone for their overwhelming and truly unexpected outpouring of support. I am going to respond to everyone as soon as I can, but I cannot express my surprise and gratitude for everyone who is reading this, sharing it, writing to me, and so kindly making donations to help the public side of this project continue. Keep fighting the good fight, friends. Stay strong and stay sane!
- On January 31st, 2017, DT once again referred to Senator Schumer's "Fake Tears" (a reference to his tearing up when speaking publicly against the so-called Muslim ban) and mocked the Democrats' rally on the steps of the Supreme Court as a mess because their "mic didn't work," and said the entire party was a comparable mess. DT's obsession with the functionality of microphones extends at least as far back as the first debate against Secretary Clinton. Source: https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/826390034693623809
- On January 31st, 2017, DT tweeted angrily about Senate Democrats refusing to confirm his cabinet appointments, a move he called the night before "purely political." It should be noted that his cabinet appointments include the wildly unqualified Betsy DeVos, who may have plagiarized her written answers to Congress; Tom Price, who lied under oath at his confirmation hearing about receiving a discount when purchasing biomedical stock; and Senator Jeff Sessions, who was once refused a Federal judgeship on the basis that his views were radically racist. Source: https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/826391334248407040
- On January 31st, 2017, Senate Democrats boycotted confirmation hearings for Tom Price for Director of the Department of Health and Human Services and Steven Mnuchin for Treasury Secretary. In response, Senator Pat Toomey was quoted as saying, “We did not inflict this kind of obstructionism on President Obama,” despite the fact that Senate Republicans refused to even consider President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland, instead holding the empty seat open for an unprecedented 10 months in the hopes that DT would win the election. Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/senate-democrats-face-a-key-test-tuesday-amid-promises-to-stand-up-to-trump/2017/01/31/1685487a-e7bd-11e6-b82f-687d6e6a3e7c_story.html?utm_term=.f4f236f75e9b
- On January 31st, 2017, DT issued a statement vowing to continue LGBTQ workplace rights set forth in an executive order by President Barack Obama. DT is expected to issue an executive order regarding LGBTQ rights sometime this week, but no specifics have been made available as of this writing. Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-lgbt-idUSKBN15F1D7
- On January 31st, 2017, DT's son, DT, Jr., favorited a tweet saying that when the Quebec mosque shooter "is revealed to be a Muslim," that DT's executive order, the so-called Muslim ban, would get "a big boost." Not only is the original tweeter an obvious sociopath devoid of sympathy for the Muslim men and women who were killed and injured while praying, but excited about a terrorist attack boosting the popularity of an islamophobic, unconstitutional executive order, so is the son of the man who is sitting in the White House. I've said this before, but it bears repeating-- the Reichstag Fire is coming, and DT and his circle of ghouls is going to celebrate. Source: https://twitter.com/mattdpearce/status/826554471182266368 Screenshot (click the image to enlarge):
- On January 31st, 2017, despite numerous court orders to stay DT's executive order refusing entry to visa holders from 7 Muslim majority nations, US Marshals at LAX were reportedly continuing to detain and possibly deport travelers. When lawyers asked why, the Marshals reported that they had been instructed to follow the executive order by the acting Attorney General, hired late last night by DT after the previous acting AG told the Department of Justice not to enforce it. This was reported by Twitter user and journalist Charlotte Silver (@CharESilver). Source: https://twitter.com/CharESilver/status/826447357105491968 (this is the first tweet of a multi-post thread)
- On January 31st, 2017, Harley Davidson canceled a visit by DT to their Milwaukee factory, citing planned protests in response to the administration's executive order denying entry to the US for visa holders from 7 majority Muslim nations. Source: http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/31/politics/donald-trump-milwaukee-harley-davidson/index.html
- On January 31st, 2017, The Hill reported that House Republicans are planning to overturn a regulation issued under President Barack Obama that prohibits coal companies from polluting water sources near mines, as well as to repeal as many Obama era regulations as possible that fall within the 60 day Congressional Review window. Source: http://thehill.com/regulation/energy-environment/317193-house-to-repeal-obama-coal-rule-wednesday
- On January 31st, 2017, the Washington Post reported that the telephone number for the House Oversight Committee goes directly to voicemail that begins, "If you would like to provide information or make an inquiry related to Donald Trump, press 1." Upon pressing 1, the phone tree sends you to a voicemail box to leave your name and telephone number and a message, which will be "reviewed as soon as possible." Despite this voicemail box, the House Oversight Committee has no investigations of DT planned. Sources: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/01/31/please-press-1-to-leave-a-message-about-donald-trump-says-house-oversight-voicemail/?utm_term=.45fe9d79f2d8&wpisrc=nl_politics-pm&wpmm=1 http://www.denverpost.com/2017/01/31/house-oversight-committee-trump-related-probes/
- On January 31st, 2017, despite no planned probes, the Democrats of the House Oversight Committee asked the White House for information on reports that DT had threatened to fire at least 8 investigators general, who were told earlier this month that their positions were "temporary" and to seek other employment. The Oversight Committee Democrats demanded a letter, in writing, stating that the White House has no plans to remove any of the IGs. Source: https://lasvegassun.com/news/2017/jan/31/democrats-decry-trump-threat-to-fire-inspectors-ge/
- On January 31st, 2017, the number of State Department officials who have signed the official dissent blasting the executive order banning entry to the US by visa holders from 7 Muslim majority nations has grown from 400 to 1,000. Source: http://www.voanews.com/a/over-a-thousand-state-dept-personnel-officially-dissent-to-immigration-order/3700399.html
- On January 31st, 2017, on Twitter, multiple constituents of Senator Richard Burr reported being hung up on or having their calls blocked after calling his office to express their disagreement with the confirmation of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education. Senator Burr received millions of dollars from DeVos and her associates. Sources, Twitter constituents: https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&q=%40senatorburr%20hung%20up&src=typd Source, contributions by DeVos to Senator Burr: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article129863039.html
- On January 31st, 2017, the White House announced 2 "finalists" for DT's SCOTUS nomination by setting up Twitter accounts for Justices Hardiman and Gorsuch. Both accounts have 3 identical tweets, in the same order, advertising the prime time announcement, and follow 5 accounts, all mouthpieces of the DT administration: @POTUS, @realdonaldtrump, @VP, @WhiteHouse, @PressSec. Both accounts also have a significant and roughly similar number of fake and inactive followers, implying that followers were purchased for them. It is not clear that either man has access to or can post from the accounts. This Final Rose Ceremony-ization of the nomination of a SCOTUS member is embarrassing to the American public, and humiliating to two these men, no matter their politics. Sources, Twitter accounts: https://twitter.com/JusticeHardiman https://twitter.com/JusticeGorsuch Screenshots in a gallery below-- click to enlarge:
- On January 31st, 2017, upon announcing that Justice Gorsuch received the final rose, the White House launched a new Twitter account for the nominee, @GorsuchFacts, seemingly named to refute any actual facts that come to light about him as "FAKE NEWS!!!" As of this writing, the account has 5 tweets, 2 of which center DT, and 2 that he will protect religious liberty. The farcification of our federal government via Twitter continues. Source: https://twitter.com/GorsuchFacts
- On January 31st, 2017, Ted Cruz had the audacity to criticize Senate Democrats for "unprecedented partisan obstruction" after he rose to national prominence specifically for shutting down the government in a hissy fit over granting poor people healthcare. Source: http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/31/politics/donald-trump-supreme-court-nominee/index.html
- On January 31st, 2017, CNN reported on DT SCOTUS nominee, Justice Gorsach's legal philosophy and record, which include:
- siding with challengers of the contraception mandate of the ACA
- believing that federal courts side too often with administrative agencies
- wanted to rehear and likely reverse the 10th circuit court's striking down Utah's attempt to defund Planned Parenthood
- ruled against a transgender woman inmate's constitutional claim seeking hormone replacement therapy and transfer from an all-male facility
Gorsach is 49-years-old, and would likely serve on the Supreme Court for at least 2 decades if confirmed. Sources: http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/31/politics/donald-trump-supreme-court-nominee/index.html http://www.advocate.com/politics/2017/1/31/trump-nominates-conservative-judge-neil-gorsuch-scotus http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2017/01/31/what_neil_gorsuch_trump_s_scotus_pick_means_for_american_women.html http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/1/31/14450024/neil-gorsuch-supreme-court
- On January 31st, 2017, Buzzfeed reported that someone keeps hacking into a South Carolina oldies radio station to play a loop of "Fuck Donald Trump" by YG. The heroes have not been identified. Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/claudiakoerner/someone-keeps-hacking-radio-stations-to-play-fuck-donald-tru?utm_term=.edo6Jeo3D#.biWkKXoAd
- On January 31st, 2017, in response to criticism that their pledge to hire 10,000 refugees in the next five years would be better made to veterans, Starbucks released a statement reiterating their commitment to hiring 10,000 vets or veteran spouses by 2018. As of their statement, they have hired 8,800, and their smoked butterscotch latte is actually delicious. Source: https://news.starbucks.com/news/starbucks-hiring-initiatives
- On January 31st, 2017, Jerry Falwell, Jr. was announced to lead DT's task force on reforming the American education system. A former student of Falwell's and a writer who has published a book on the subject tweeted images from his "science" textbook, screencapped in a gallery below (click the images to enlarge). Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jerry-falwell-jr-asked-lead-trump-education-task-force-n715116?cid=par-twitter-feed_20170201
- On January 31st, 2017, reporter Laura Rozen (@lrozen) tweeted an image from a Columbia yearbook with Justice Gorsuch, DT's nominee for SCOTUS, alongside his chosen senior quote: "The illegal we do immediately; the unconstitutional takes a little longer." - Henry Kissinger Source, image and screenshot of tweet below (click the images to enlarge)
- On January 31st, 2017, the Houston Chronicle reported that a 16-year-old high schooler from Jordan, which is not on the list of 7 majority Muslim nations listed in DT's so-called Muslim ban, was detained for 3 days following the executive order. Source: http://m.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Feds-detain-Katy-High-School-student-from-Jordan-10897205.php
- On January 31st, 2017, a new Twitter feed dedicated to reporting on detainees at JFK and efforts to have them released, @NoBanJFK, released a video interview with an immigration attorney who says that individuals have had their laptops seized, were denied interpreters, and asked about their views on Islam. Source: https://twitter.com/nobanjfk/status/826612971233214464
- On January 31st, 2017, the White House declared it would not send officials or surrogates to CNN, because DT considers it "fake news." The official said, “We’re sending surrogates to places where we think it makes sense to promote our agenda." Source: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/trump-cnn-press-234455
- On January 31st, 2017, Fox News Detroit (not to be confused with the national network) reported that an elderly Iraqi woman, a permanent resident of the United States since 1996, was refused boarding in Iraq because of DT's Muslim ban, despite needing urgent medical treatment. She died shortly afterward. Her son insists she would still be alive if she had been able to come to the U.S. Source: http://www.fox2detroit.com/news/local-news/232856168-story
- On January 31st, 2017, a State Department notice from Friday night after the pass of the so-called Muslim ban to the Justice Department was made public. The notice revokes visas, including green cards, from 7 Muslim majority nations. The notice proves that the administration specifically targeted not just temporary travel visas, but permanent residents. Source: http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2017/01/trump-visas-state-department-234454