Week 89 - The Return
Trump's election interference speech falls flats, while his war rages on
Experts in authoritarianism advise to keep a list of things subtly changing around you, so you’ll remember.
While we are in the lazy days of summer, this week had story lines that made the country feel as if in chaos, with a much ballyhooed speech by Trump on the 2020 election, and an escalation of the Iran War.
Much to his chagrin, Trump’s prime time speech was not covered by all the networks, causing him to call for licenses to be revoked. The speech was a rehashing of past conspiracies, with Trump blaming the “deep state” for withholding the information he was about to release from him while, ironically, he was president during the alleged election fraud. Materials released after the speech fell flat, and the response was muted.
The Iran War escalated this week as the ceasefire came to an end, and while the U.S. struck Iran, Iran in turn struck U.S. bases in the region, killing more U.S. troops. Once again, the Pentagon tried to withhold information on wounded soldiers. After failing to hold a press conference for two and a half months, Defense Department Sec. Pete Hegseth came hat in hand looking for more money for the Iran War. Little was offered by way of explanation for where the war was headed, let alone the U.S.’s objectives. All the power and decisions continued to be made by one man.
Chaos and incompetence continued to rule at federal agencies. This week at confirmation hearings, Trump appointees appeared bound by their loyalty test not to say out loud that Joseph Biden won the 2020 election. Other agencies like Health and Human Services, which still has no confirmed leader at the CDC, showed signs of its inability to handle basic tasks, amid growing outbreaks of the measles, and now cyclospora.
On Wednesday, Jay Clayton, Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence, refused to answer who had won the 2020 presidential election, despite being asked by four Senators, three Democrats and one Independent, in his confirmation hearing.
On Wednesday, at his Senate confirmation hearing for attorney general, when asked about his relationship with Trump, Todd Blanche said, “I’m his lawyer,” before clarifying, “I was his lawyer.” Blanche also played down the post-Watergate norm of distance between the DOJ and White House.
Blanche declined to put in writing that Trump’s “anti-weaponization” fund was dead, claiming it was not necessary. Asked about Trump pardoning Jan. 6 insurrectionists who assaulted police, Blanche refused to give his opinion, saying Trump can pardon whomever he wants.
As Senate hearings got underway, “Face the Nation” noted Trump did not have Senate-confirmed leaders running the intelligence community, the DOJ, or CDC. None of the three appointees, or any Trump appointee, would admit that Biden had won the 2020 election.
FT reported that the U.S. government may join Trump’s personal lawsuit against BBC, saying in a court filing in Florida that it was “considering participating in this litigation.” BBC said in a filing in response that the “conflict of interest is clear and stark.”
A federal magistrate judge ruled that Trump must hand over detailed financial records to BBC, citing allegations that his “brand, properties and businesses are impugned.” Trump’s lawyers had tried to argue that the lawsuit had “evolved” to only saying his reputation was harmed.
WSJ reported that under Blanche, the DOJ was pulling back on prosecuting corporate crimes, including dropping charges. While Blanche claimed the DOJ was pursuing individuals instead, defense lawyers said they had not seen a rise in individual prosecutions.
On Wednesday, less than an hour after federal judges in the Western District of Washington appointed Roger Rogoff as U.S. attorney, filling a vacancy that Trump had left unaddressed, the Trump regime fired Rogoff. Unlike others, Rogoff retained an unemployment law firm.
Days later, Rogoff filed a lawsuit contesting his termination, the first to do so after being appointed by federal judges, arguing that the law says a judicially-appointed U.S. attorney should serve until they are replaced by a Senate-confirmed nominee.
An NYT analysis of 550 cases filed by Trump’s DOJ during its immigration push found in nearly half of the 400 resolved so far, juries acquitted defendants, judges dismissed charges, or prosecutors withdrew cases. Typically 90% of DOJ cases result in convictions or guilty pleas.
