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Monday's Mini-Report, 5.14.18
Today's edition of quick hits:
* Of course it did: "The White House on Monday blamed Hamas for the deaths of dozens of Palestinians in clashes between protesters and the Israeli military."
* Is the reward comparable to the risks? "The U.S. has added dozens of Marines to the security details at embassies in Jordan, Israel and Turkey because of concerns about unrest linked to the opening of the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem, according to five U.S. defense officials."
* SCOTUS: "The U.S. Supreme Court acted Monday to bust Nevada's monopoly on legal sports betting, allowing more states to get in on the action and reap the tax benefits."
* Their concerns are understandable: "Members from both parties are reacting skeptically to President Donald Trump's intention to help troubled Chinese telecommunications company ZTE, saying they are concerned he is reversing his pledge to get tough on Beijing."
* I think we see where this is headed: "The Senate appears to be moving full speed ahead on confirming Gina Haspel as director of the CIA. The Intelligence Committee is expected to vote to advance her nomination to the floor during a closed business meeting scheduled for Wednesday morning, and a Saturday morning announcement by Indiana Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly further reduced the suspense."
* Oklahoma: "Gov. Mary Fallin on Friday signed a controversial bill that will allow private adoption agencies to refuse some child placements based on the agencies' religious beliefs."
Trump's other controversial pastor in Jerusalem today
In 2000, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) ran for president as a moderate, deliberately eschewing the religious right as a group of extremists he saw as "agents of intolerance." Eight years later, McCain moved sharply to the right and took steps to forge a partnership with radical social conservatives.
It didn't turn out well. The Republican senator welcomed the support of Pastor John Hagee, for example, right up until McCain was asked whether he agreed with many of Hagee's extremist comments targeting a variety of faith traditions. Ten years ago this month, the Arizonan found it necessary to denounce his newfound ally and condemn Hagee's hateful record.
A decade later, guess who Team Trump invited to deliver the benediction at today's ceremony in Israel at the opening of the new U.S. embassy.
Pastor John Hagee, the founder of Christians United for Israel, delivered the benediction at the ceremony.
"We thank you, O Lord, for President Donald Trump's courage in acknowledging to the world a truth that was established 3,000 years ago -- that Jerusalem is and always shall be the eternal capital of the Jewish people," Hagee said. [...]
A major proponent of the embassy move, Hagee said in a recent interview with conservative news site Breitbart that he told Trump he would win "political immortality" for moving the embassy from Tel Aviv.
In case anyone's forgotten, Hagee's lengthy record of extremism includes an instance in which he argued that Hitler was executing a divine plan from God. The right-wing pastor is also on record arguing that Jews have been persecuted over the centuries, but it's their own fault for not converting to Christianity.
This is the guy who was invited to deliver the benediction at the opening of our embassy in Jerusalem.
Despite Trump's 'gut-driven' confidence, deadly violence erupts in Gaza
Donald Trump makes no secret of the fact that he has no use for subject-matter experts. By all appearances, the president is especially indifferent to the judgment of scholars and authorities in matters of foreign policy.
The Washington Post had an interesting piece last week on Trump's approach to international affairs, which is driven by his confidence in a "gut-driven" approach that he sees as effective, despite experts' warnings. In particular, his decision to relocate the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem is, in Trump's mind, a great example of his wisdom.
The article quoted on U.S. official saying that the Republican president heard "all kinds of warnings" about the move, including the prospect of violence, "virtually none of which have proven to be the case, at least thus far."
Even at the time, this seemed like a misguided posture. Palestinian officials, for example, no longer trust -- and will no longer speak to -- U.S. officials as a result of Trump's decision. It also was the unnecessary source of strained ties between the White House and European allies who urged the American president to choose a different course.
But even putting all of that aside, I can only hope Trump's confidence in his instincts was shaken by today's bloodshed.
At least 52 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces and almost 1,960 others were wounded Monday after thousands of protesters converged on the razor-wire fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel as the U.S. Embassy opened in Jerusalem.
The Israeli Defense Forces opened fire on protesters approaching the barrier and accused Hamas of "leading a terrorist operation under the cover of masses of people," adding that "firebombs and explosive devices" as well as rocks were being thrown toward the barrier.
The report added the Gaza protest started in late March, though today's demonstration "was meant to express anger over the U.S. Embassy's inauguration."
As the violence continued, and dozens of Palestinians were killed, Donald Trump declared via Twitter, "Big day for Israel. Congratulations!"
Monday's Campaign Round-Up, 5.14.18
Today's installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* Facing the possibility of a lockout in some key California races, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is starting to intervene in some upcoming primaries, including throwing support behind Harley Rouda in Rep. Dana Rohrabacher's (R-Calif.) district.
* Remember the recent state legislative race in Virginia that was tied until a Republican prevailed when his name was pulled out of a bowl? A Washington Post analysis found that 26 voters from that area "cast ballots in the wrong district," possibly changing the outcome of this race.
* Speaking of intra-party contests, tomorrow is Primary Day in four states: Idaho, Nebraska, Oregon, and Pennsylvania.
* In one of those contests, Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli is running as a Democrat in Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district despite his record of praising Donald Trump and condemning progressives. Morganelli now appears to have deleted many of his least-Democratic tweets.
* And speaking of the Keystone State, Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Pa.) is widely seen as the favorite in tomorrow's Republican Senate primary in Pennsylvania, but to help give him a boost, Donald Trump has recorded a robocall on the congressman's behalf. Among other things, the president touts Barletta's hardline views on immigration as a reason to vote for him.
* In a bit of a surprise, former Rep. Gwen Graham (D-Fla.), one of the leading Democratic candidates in Florida's gubernatorial race, said she'd consider former Rep. David Jolly (R-Fla.) as a possible running mate.
Michael Cohen maintains RNC role, despite ongoing controversies
Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's controversial "fixer," is in an unfortunate spot. Last week, new details came into sharper focus showing that the New York attorney received undisclosed lobbying payments -- through a shell company used to pay hush money to a porn star -- from corporate giants hoping to influence his client in the Oval Office.
The Wall Street Journal took a deeper dive into this story over the weekend, pointing to some companies Cohen approached that we hadn't heard about before.
When Michael Cohen came knocking after the 2016 election, touting himself as the president's lawyer, a man who could decipher the new administration, Ford Motor Co. said no. So did Uber Technologies Inc.
He managed to notch AT&T Inc. and Novartis AG. And Squire Patton Boggs, a law and lobbying firm, hired him for a sizable fee -- though he felt it wasn't enough.
Mr. Cohen talked to associates about building a huge practice. He mused about approaching foreign governments and foreign firms. But a broad review of his Washington dealings since they first surfaced last week shows his efforts were scattershot and met only with mixed success -- both for Mr. Cohen and his clients.
The WSJ report described Cohen's "blunt" pitch to prospective clients: they should fire their existing advisers and replace them with him. “I have the best relationship with the president on the outside, and you need to hire me,” Cohen reportedly told them.
The result was a rather brutal fiasco for practically everyone involved. Several of Cohen's former clients have had chats with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigators, and Cohen himself is, according to one judge, "likely" to be indicted.
There's no shortage of questions related to Cohen's clients, his finances, other potential LLCs, what investigators were looking for when they raided his home and office, and what role Donald Trump may or may not have had in this mess.
But there's one question that shouldn't get lost in the shuffle: is there a point at which this becomes a problem for the Republican National Committee?
White House: Thanks to Trump, we are now 'respected,' 'feared,' and 'loved'
Deputy White House Press Secretary Hogan Gidley has developed something of a reputation for delivering notable quotes. In February, for example, a day after the Justice Department brought criminal charges against Russian operatives who attacked our democracy, Gidley seemed eager to defend the Russians, saying it's Democrats and American journalists who were actually responsible for creating "chaos."
It was around this time that the president's deputy press secretary also described Trump as "a real-life Superman."
Over the weekend, Gidley presented us with a new gem.
"We are now respected, we are now feared, we are now loved because of this president. He has good relationships with our partners and allies. In fact, I would even argue they're stronger."
Stronger than what, he didn't say, though I suppose Gidley probably meant U.S. relationships with "our partners and allies" have improved as compared to the Obama era.
The trouble, of course, is that reality keeps getting in the way.
Despite scandals, DeVos takes steps to help for-profit colleges
Those who pay attention to Donald Trump's rhetoric are led to believe the president is a champion of working-class Americans who are too often ignored by a system stacked against them. Those who pay attention to the president's actions know he and his administration too often side with those doing the stacking.
The New York Times published a striking report along these lines overnight.
Members of a special team at the Education Department that had been investigating widespread abuses by for-profit colleges have been marginalized, reassigned or instructed to focus on other matters, according to current and former employees.
The unwinding of the team has effectively killed investigations into possibly fraudulent activities at several large for-profit colleges where top hires of Betsy DeVos, the education secretary, had previously worked.
This is surprisingly straightforward: in the wake of the Corinthian Colleges fiasco, the Obama administration put together a team that closely scrutinized dubious claims from for-profit colleges, including DeVry.
Then Donald Trump was elected, Betsy DeVos took over the Department of Education, and she tapped a dean from DeVry to lead the group of investigators, among other officials from for-profit schools whom DeVos hired for the cabinet agency.
And wouldn't you know it, the team that was responsible for protecting students from potential fraud changed course.
In new head-scratcher, Trump goes to bat for Chinese jobs
Donald Trump has taken quite a few steps to make China happy since taking office, but the American president broke new ground over the weekend.
President Donald Trump said Sunday he has instructed his Commerce Department to help get a Chinese telecommunications company "back into business" after the U.S. government cut off access to its American suppliers.
At issue is that department's move last month to block the ZTE Corp., a major supplier of telecoms networks and smartphones based in southern China, from importing American components for seven years.
In an unexpected tweet yesterday afternoon, Trump declared, "President Xi of China, and I, are working together to give massive Chinese phone company, ZTE, a way to get back into business, fast. Too many jobs in China lost. Commerce Department has been instructed to get it done!"
So, the Republican is eager to save Chinese jobs? What is Trump talking about?
Let's unpack this a bit. ZTE is a Chinese company, but it's also international telecom giant that's drawn scrutiny from U.S. officials. Last year, the Trump administration imposed a harsh penalty on ZTE, for example, for ignoring U.S. sanctions, selling U.S.-sourced products to Iran, and lying about it. The same company was accused of improper dealings with North Korea.
Making matters slightly worse, some U.S. intelligence officials have warned that China may have used ZTE products for foreign espionage.
In light of these controversies, the Chinese telecom company has faced significant American penalties, which have taken their toll on ZTE. Nevertheless, Trump, who ran on a platform of being "tough" on China, now seems eager to help the company and save its workers.
After all, the Republican said, there are "too many" jobs in China being lost.
Trump taps right-wing pastor for US embassy event in Jerusalem
There was already considerable controversy surrounding Donald Trump's decision to relocate the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Palestinians have long opposed the move, and the American president's willingness to ignore their concerns have made peace talks that much more difficult.
Complicating matters, there will be an event in Jerusalem today to mark the opening of the new U.S. facility, and the opening prayer at the ceremony will be delivered by a right-wing Texas pastor with an ugly rhetorical record. In some circles, this isn't going over well.
Former Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney lashed out at the decision to have a controversial evangelical leader give a blessing at the opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem Monday, calling him a "religious bigot."
The Senate candidate from Utah criticized the inclusion of the Rev. Robert Jeffress -- the pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas who is also an adviser to President Donald Trump.
There are two key angles to the story. The first is that Jeffress appears to support the relocation of the embassy as part of a fulfillment of a Biblical prophecy. For the White House to extend an invitation to the right-wing pastor, providing him with a prominent role in today's ceremony, signals at least tacit support for this theological vision.
The second is that Romney is hardly Jeffress' only critic.
This Week in God, 5.12.18
First up from the God Machine this week is a prominent religious leader who appears to have competing moral standards for presidents, depending on which party they belong to.
The Rev. Franklin Graham, a prominent Donald Trump supporter, told the Associated Press this week that he's aware of the scandals surrounding the president, including the Stormy Daniels story, but he's unconcerned.
"...I don't have concern, in a sense, because these things happened many years ago -- and there's such bigger problems in front of us as a nation that we need to be dealing with than other things in his life a long time ago. I think some of these things -- that's for him and his wife to deal with. I think when the country went after President Clinton, the Republicans, that was a great mistake that should never have happened. And I think this thing with Stormy Daniels and so forth is nobody's business. And we've got other business at hand that we need to deal with."
The references to the Clinton impeachment scandal was of particular interest, because Graham's current belief that the campaign to tear him down "was a great mistake that should never have happened" appears to be a recent revelation.
In fact, in August 1998, Graham wrote an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal in which he presented a very different message. Rather than dismissing the personal allegations as something "for him and his wife to deal with," Graham argued at the time that allegations such as these were very much the public's business. "[T]he God of the Bible says that what one does in private does matter," he wrote.
Graham added, in reference to the then-Democratic president, "If he will lie to or mislead his wife and daughter, those with whom he is most intimate, what will prevent him from doing the same to the American public?"
And yet, here we are, nearly 20 years later, watching Graham's ally in the Oval Office confront a sex scandal, and wouldn't you know it, he appears to have had a change of heart. Now, evidently, the "thing with Stormy Daniels and so forth is nobody's business."
In the Associated Press interview, Graham added, "This isn't behavior that has taken place since he's been president. These things happened long before he became president. That doesn't make it right. And I don't defend those kinds of relationships he had. But the country knew the kind of person he was back then, and they still made the decision to make him the president of the United States."
And that's likely what much of the religious right and other socially conservative evangelicals tell themselves: Americans knew all about Trump's lax standards, and so long as one overlooks the fact that he received fewer votes and relied on the intervention of a foreign adversary, Trump nevertheless became president. And so, bygones.
The Washington Post's E.J. Dionne had a column this week exploring whether hypocrisy from conservative elites is driving the public away from religious institutions. I'm left to wonder whether Franklin Graham read it.
Also from the God Machine this week:
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About The Rachel Maddow Show
Launched in 2008, “The Rachel Maddow Show” follows the machinations of policy making in America, from local political activism to international diplomacy. Rachel Maddow looks past the distractions of political theater and stunts and focuses on the legislative proposals and policies that shape American life - as well as the people making and influencing those policies and their ultimate outcome, intended or otherwise.
