By Dustin Rowles | Politics | March 6, 2018 |
By Dustin Rowles | Politics | March 6, 2018 |
National Economic Advisor Gary Cohn, a Jew who many of you will recall wrote a resignation letter but didn’t submit it after Trump’s “both sides” statements last summer, resigned today. Over tariffs. Apparently, Trump asked him if he’d support him on tariffs; Cohn said no, and two hours later, he resigned.
There was a common refrain among those reacting to Cohn’s resignation on Twitter today:
Things that did not cause Gary Cohn to quit the Trump administration:
— Alec MacGillis (@AlecMacGillis) March 6, 2018
Anti-Muslim travel ban
Firing Jim Comey
Arpaio pardon
post-Charlottesville comments
Endorsing Roy Moore
Response to Puerto Rico
Giving a pass to Russian intervention
Thing that caused Cohn to quit:
Tariffs
TRUMP: “Mexicans are rapists, Nazis are very fine people, and I love assaulting women.”
— Jess Dweck (@TheDweck) March 7, 2018
GARY COHN: “Yes, Mr. Trump. I am here to serve you.”
TRUMP: “Let’s make Coke cans 10 cents more expensive.”
GARY COHN: “Have you no decency, sir?!”
tfw you sign on with the racists to get a corporate tax cut passed but they turn out to be protectionists too and it’s just too much
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) March 6, 2018
"Look, I'm willing to let his support of murderous Nazis slide. Who hasn't backed a white supremacist from time to time? But I cannot and WILL NOT abide by a two-cent rise in aluminum prices. Like that colored fella said in that show about the druggies: a man has to have a code." https://t.co/vWb60DxWfX
— Bugatti Spaceship (@BrianByrdman) March 6, 2018
Cohn wrote a resignation letter after the president's Charlottesville comments but decided not to give it to Trump. Over tariffs, he gives the letter.
— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) March 6, 2018
Paul Ryan and Gary Cohn know Trump is a racist maniac. They know he's an idiot. They know he's making the world a worse place.
— BenDavid Grabinski (@bdgrabinski) March 6, 2018
They let it all slide.
But when he flirts with starting a trade war oh boy suddenly they have something resembling principles.
Trump assures us that there is a line of people climbing over each other to get the job.
Will be making a decision soon on the appointment of new Chief Economic Advisor. Many people wanting the job - will choose wisely!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 7, 2018
He’s dead wrong.
Literally no one wants this job https://t.co/fWtbPyNA2y
— feminist next door (@emrazz) March 7, 2018
In fact, one of those being considered a replacement is Andy Puzder, the fast-food billionaire who had to withdraw his nomination as Labor Secretary last year over domestic abuse violations.
Meanwhile, Republican Senators Roy Blunt, John Boozman, Mike Enzi, Deb Fischer, David Perdue, Thom Tillis, Todd Young and John Thune all gave Chief of Staff John Kelly an earful today over their opposition to the tariffs. I have no idea why Kelly remains on the job when Trump is literally sending The Mooch out to cable news talk shows to shit talk Kelly:
The President has emboldened Anthony Scaramucci, the boisterous former communications director who was fired after just 10 days, to continue attacking White House chief of staff John Kelly during his cable news appearances, a source familiar with the situation told CNN.In multiple television segments, Scaramucci has faulted Kelly for the “terrible morale” in the West Wing, at times referring to him as “General Jackass” and suggesting he apologize for his handling of the Rob Porter resignation. According to this source, the President is aware of Scaramucci’s criticisms and has not discouraged him from making them. Sources familiar with his thinking say Scaramucci is frustrated with Kelly because he has limited the former communications director’s White House access.
Cohn’s resignation brings the number of resignations among Trump’s White House staff to all of them.
As if there weren’t already enough chaos at the White House today, Stormy Daniels has decided to sue Donald Trump, arguing that the nondisclosure agreement is invalid because Donald Trump never actually signed it.
The “hush agreement,” as it’s called in the suit, refers to Trump throughout as David Dennison, and Clifford as Peggy Peterson. The side letter agreement reveals the true identities of the parties as Clifford and Trump.Each document includes a blank where “DD” is supposed to sign, but neither blank is signed.
Daniels is asking the court to nullify the agreement.
The above stories are going to get all the press tonight and well into the morning, but none are as important as this one from the NYTimes:
An adviser to the United Arab Emirates with ties to current and former aides to President Trump is cooperating with the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, and gave testimony last week to a grand jury, according to two people familiar with the matter.Mr. Mueller appears to be examining the influence of foreign money on Mr. Trump’s political activities and has asked witnesses about the possibility that the adviser, George Nader, funneled money from the Emirates to the president’s political efforts. It is illegal for foreign entities to contribute to campaigns or for Americans to knowingly accept foreign money for political races.
Read the article in full. It puts a lot of the puzzle pieces together.