Introduction

I feel like Bernie and his campaign's messaging and rhetoric have some room for improvement. I know, I know. Who the hell am I to suggest anything to Bernie, who has done a phenomenal job weathering the attacks against him thanks to his laser focus on the issues. We know he can't be attacked on the issues that matter and on his record, so they resort to the same tired lines like "socialism", owning three houses, electability, "Bernie Bros", how to get things passed, how to pay for it, etc.
But it's very important to realize that many people have fundamentally very different assumptions and as such, they reach very different conclusions whenever we point out the problems we're facing.
For example, when we talk about wealth inequality, some people don't think there is anything wrong with it. They think that America is a true meritocracy and therefore, the rich have acquired that much wealth because they deserved it; moreover, the poorest people also deserve the struggles they're facing because they're not working hard enough. This is a fundamental disagreement and no amount of pointing out how "three people own more wealth than the bottom half of the country" will get to them.
So I want Bernie and us to speak in a way that challenges these underlying assumptions. I want him and us to speak in a way that points out the systemic issues that are the root causes of the problems. And I want him and us to speak in a way that points out the unfairness of the system, as people respond much more strongly to unfairness and injustice than only cold hard facts. We have both the facts and the indignation at these facts. This kind of messaging is more rousing and is more likely to get out the votes.
Here are some the ways to talk about the issues that I feel will resonate more with people:

Wealth Inequality

Bernie: The 3 wealthiest Americans own more wealth than the bottom half of the country. We're going to create an economy that works for all of, not just the 1%.
Why It Might Not Work: "The American economy is fair and everyone deserves exactly what they're getting.", "It's working for those who work hard."
Better Approach:
Over the last 30 years, the top 1 percent has seen a $21 trillion increasein its wealth, while the bottom half of American society has actually lost $900 billion in wealth. In other words, there has been a massive transfer of wealth from those who have too little to those who have too much. Moreover, since 1980, the share of the national income owned by the 1% in the USA rose from 11% to 20% in 2016, while the share owned by the bottom 50% declined from 20% to 13%. Such a trend is absent/negligible in Western Europe, as can be seen in the graph.
What does it mean when half of the country has collectively lost wealth over the decades? Does this mean that half of Americans are simply "not working hard enough" to "pull themselves up by their bootstraps"?
Maybe it's not the people who are the problem. It is the system, controlled by the rich and unfairly favors the rich, that is the problem. The "bootstraps" ideology and "trickle down economics" are merely propaganda pushed by the rich (who own the mainstream media) for decades through well-paid talking heads, including politicians, to justify tax breaks and subsidies for themselves. In reality, the numbers paint a very different picture.

Socialism

Bernie: Democratic Socialism
Why It Might Not Work: "Still a socialist/commie."
Better Approach:
I love what Bernie said in the last debate. "We are living, in many ways, in socialist society right now. Problem is, as Doctor Martin Luther King reminded us, 'we have socialism for the very rich, rugged individualism for the poor.'" This is the right idea.
Another one: Young people want "Boomer Socialism": affordable college, low housing prices, living wages, and social security that allowed our grandparents to prosper. We should enjoy the same things they did.
Another one: Bernie's ideas are not radical. They are policies tried and tested in many successful countries. The label attached to these policies doesn't matter. Call it "socialism" or call it "adopting policies that work in all other developed countries," the effect is the same: a smarter, healthier, more productive, and happier nation.
As a result of the fear of "socialism", Americans are missing out on so many things that the rest of the developed world is enjoying. While half of Americans are working paycheck to paycheck, struggling to send their kids to college, ignoring that slight headache for fear of large hospital bills, overworking themselves to depression, others are enjoying free college tuition, universal healthcare, and plenty of paid vacation days. They are actually living their lives while Americans spend countless hours at work, only to go home stressed and worried if they'll ever be able to save up for the things they want. How come the average citizen of the richest country in the history of the world is unable to live a more fulfilling life?

Taxation

Bernie: We're going to make the rich pay their fair share of taxes.
Why It Might Not Work: "They're already paying more than everyone else.", "You just want handouts.", "Taxation is theft.", "I'm not gonna be paying for those godd*mn illegals!"
Better Approach:
The general idea behind taxation is that the government needs funding to serve its people. We all need roads, law enforcement, medical services, education, water, etc. so everyone chips in. With a 0% tax rate, there would be no government. But with 100% taxation, there would be no businesses, no incentives to innovate. So obviously the ideal tax rate is somewhere in between (DUH!).
Bernie simply believes that the optimal rate is higher than the current. He is a fan of the Nordic Model, as practiced in the Nordic countries. Notably, their tax rates are much higher than yours and that's why they are able to fund social safety nets for everyone. Their system allows for much better chances to succeed and prosper even if you were born poor, or if you get an unexpected illness, fall into drug addiction, or if your house burns down, etc. The young Prime Minister of Finland said thattheir system embodies the American Dream far better than yours does.
Social programs should not be seen as an economic drain wherein "handouts" are given to the "undeserving". Seriously, that's a disgusting view. They should be seen as an investment into everyone's future. The return of said investments is a healthy, educated, prosperous populace. This is essential for a functioning democracy. Do you want to live in a country full of idiots prone to propaganda? Do you want to see more homeless people? Do you want higher crime rates caused by desperation? Of course not.
And on a more human level, everyone deserves a fair shot. Everyone deserves an opportunity to overcome the circumstances of their birth. Everyone deserves a chance to bounce back from mistakes made in the past. Bernie believes this wholeheartedly.

Trickle Down Economics/Supply-Side Economics

Bernie: Since Trump took office, billionaires have increased their wealth by $850 billion, while the workers saw an increase in real wages (adjusted for inflation) by only 1%.
Why It Might Not Work: "Tax cuts for the wealthy will stimulate the economy and everyone will be better off in the end", "The economy is booming thanks to Trump's tax cuts", "At least the real wages increased."
Better Approach:
Perhaps Trump's biggest economic policy were the tax cuts in 2017. In 2018, the top 400 families paid 23% effective tax rate vs 24.2% on average for the bottom half of American households. Thanks to Trump's tax cuts. This alone should be beyond absurd. But it gets worse. In ten years, 83% of the benefits from those tax cuts would go to the 1%, while the middle class would incur a net loss within the same period. Despite Trump promising that they would not benefit the rich at all.Unsurprisingly, he lied. In fact, two of the three richest Americans, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, opposed the bill. Buffett said "I don't need a tax cut in a society with so much inequality".
The economy did not suddenly become strong under Trump.The fact of the matter is that the economic trends in this administration have been continuations of the previous one's success. Obama inherited a recession and a subprime mortgage crisis, and he gradually led America out of it.
Trump touts some unemployment numbers that have steadily been decreasing since 2010 and would naturally decrease anyway if allowed to continue. He promised a 4% quarterly GDP growth, which he never hit but Obama hit 4 times. His greatest focus is the stock market, which is indeed great. But the average American doesn't see much benefit from that. 84% of stocks are owned by the top 10%, while the bottom 80% (~260 million people) own 6.7% of stocks between themselves.
It's very telling that the media would boast of the booming economy even though it's only the rich who see the benefits. Why is that? We'll get back to this.
Supply-side economics as promoted by Reagan since the 1980's, is literally what led to the impoverishing of the poorest Americans. Call it Reaganomics, or supply-side economics, or trickle-down economics, the central idea is that less taxes means more economic growth which leads to a bigger economy which means everyone is better off. But like we have already shown, a bigger economy doesn't mean everyone is better off -- the bottom half of Americans collectively lost $900 billion in net worth since the Reagan era, remember? And now, Trump wants to keep doing the same things, like tax breaks for the rich by cutting social security, which leads to even more losses for the average American.

The Role Of Mainstream Media

Media Narratives: "Experts are constantly warning us that our economy will collapse because of these 'socialist' policies, so they must be right!", "Bernie Bros are terrible," "Heart attack", "No one likes Bernie," Bernie has not been vetted, "He'll never get things done,"
These are all media narratives that try to paint Bernie in a bad light.
Answer:
Consider this perspective: remember that the mass media is a for-profit industry and are part of large corporations whose owners care more about profits than about us. So the media pundits are saying exactly what the rich want us to think. When they say "the economy will be ruined by these government programs", it's really just their bosses not wanting to pay their fair share of taxes. These talking heads would not be employed in these positions if they did not have the beliefs that conform with the elites' views. They may some allow dissent from their guests every now and then, but the news networks as a whole will be very prejudiced against such opinions.

It Is Difficult to Get a Man to Understand Something When His Salary Depends Upon His Not Understanding It -Upton Sinclair

So decades of supply-side economics rhetoric promoted by the rich through their mass media networks has inundated the minds of the average American and has led many to vote against their best interests. Many are resigned to thinking "that's just how things work, and we just have to work harder to succeed." As some media personalities would say, "stop being poor!"
Yes, hard work is necessary to prosper, but it is clearly not sufficient (unless you seriously want to suggest that half of Americans are not working hard enough). Things could be so much better. Take universal health care for example. "Journalists" and politicians (funded by billionaires through lobbying aka bribery) would have us believe that the economy would collapse if it's implemented. But how come all other developed countries have universal healthcare, with perfectly functioning economies? They have not devolved into "socialist wastelands", like these talking heads keep insisting would happen. "If they can do it, so can we!"
The degree to which the greed of some of the wealthiest has poisoned the American mind is nothing short of astounding. And frankly, it's terrifying how effective the media was in doing so. Anyway, this perfectly explains the media's anti-Bernie bias -- he wants to tax the wealthy and get money out of politics, that's why they censor and disparage him in every imaginable way to try to lead voters against him. So many things make sense when you realize that corporate media serves not as an instrument of finding out the truth, but as a propaganda outlet subservient to the needs and interests of the elite. Manufacturing Consent

The Powerful Elite

Bernie: We are taking on the greed and corruption of the health insurance industry, the pharmaceutical industry, the fossil fuel industry, the military-industrial complex, the prison-industrial complex, and the multinational corporations.
Why It Might Not Work: "What is he talking about?", "Why is he declaring war on everyone?", "He's going to burn everything down!", "Typical commie will ruin our economy and our country."
Better Approach:
You're beginning to see how the rich are holding the economy hostage. When they say that "the economy will be ruined if taxes increase", what they really mean is that they will deliberately sabotage it if they don't get what they want (namely tax breaks, subsidies, deregulations, and other laws that favor them heavily). They may do so by raising their prices through the roof and firing employees en masse.
They already have enough wealth to last several lifetimes of luxury so they can afford to give workers better wages. But instead of accepting smaller profits where they can only afford 5 yachts instead of 10, they will throw a hissy fit and throw the workforce under the bus. This is why Bernie plans to empower labor unions to prevent this possibility.
Corporations already exert so much leverage on the government as things stand. Doing nothing -- or worse, giving them tax cuts -- will only serve to exacerbate things. Your country will be more likely to go to war if Lockheed Martin or Raytheon deems it profitable. Your country will withdraw from global accords that promise to build a sustainable planet for future generations because the fossil fuel giants say so. The price of medicine and health insurance will continue to skyrocket because Big Pharma wants to beat last year's records. The list goes on. And if at any point their gambles and ventures fail, they will once again ask the public to bail them out like they did last decade. Privatize the gains, socialize the losses. Socialism for the rich.

Money In Politics And How To Get Things Done

Bernie: We have taken no contributions from billionaires. We are a campaign by the people for the people. We are going to pass laws that work for the people, not wealthy campaign contributors.
Why It Might Not Work: "Why is taking donations from billionaires a problem?", "Why not just accept some of their help?", "You can still pass laws even if you take their donations, can't you?"
Better Approach:
Bernie wants to limit the absolute stranglehold the wealthy has on nearly all aspects of American life. Reducing the power of money in politics would give the power back to the people, where it belongs. Take a look at this list of proposals that the majority of Americans support. They are very popular ideas, yet politicians can't seem to pass them into tangible laws? Why is that?
It's because they do not do the bidding of the American people, only their rich donors'. And these donors form lobbying groups, also known as legalized bribery, to fund the politicians. Bernie will make sure that all Americans, not just the richest, are in charge of the country's future.
Bernie will not only be Commander-in-Chief; he will also be Organizer-in-Chief. If a Senator obstructs a bill that a majority of people want, President Bernie Sanders will be in their state, talking to the people, rallying them to exert overwhelming pressure on this Senator. They will be facing plummeting support and mass protests: a reminder of how useless they are as a politician and how much of a piece of sh** they are as a person for getting in the way of people's needs. There shall be consequences for not representing the will of the people.
Watch this Bernie interview with Chris Matthews, who unwittingly admits that big money groups are getting in the way of progress. You will sense the young crowd start feeling the Bern. This is how we win: by making people realize that change never happens from the top on down. It always happens from the bottom up. It happens when millions of people stand up and demand it.

Party Unity

The most revealing part of the last Democratic debate was the question of whether the person with the most delegates/votes should win the nomination. For a party that calls itself "Democratic", the answer should be a resounding yes. But only Bernie Sanders agreed that the will of the people should prevail. Everyone else allowed for the possibility of superdelegates stealing the nomination.
With the number of candidates in the field, it seems quite likely that there will be no one with a majority of the delegates, and extremely likely that Bernie will have the plurality. And the rest of the Democratic candidates have pretty much telegraphed their intentions. This is why we must do everything we can to secure an outright majority of delegates, and we can only do that by winning in an overwhelming fashion.
We must encourage as many people as possible to participate in the democratic process and have their voices be heard. The youth vote will be key to our success.
If you look at the entrance polls of the landslide victory in Nevada, you'll see that an outright majority of people between 18 and 45 voted for Bernie. The youth, literally the future of the party, already stands behind Bernie. What else could be more convincing?
So you know what to do. Get out there and convince everyone you can find to vote. No messing around. Do not let the boomers dictate your future once again.
Am I being divisive? Why am I disparaging boomers while discussing party unity? Because the 65+ age group is the only age group Bernie didn't win (he got the plurality of voters between 45 and 65, so he still won them). If we're gonna talk about unity, we need to address those who refuse to unite.
Older folks lived a relatively privileged life with affordable education, fair wages, cheap housing, great social mobility, and secure safety nets. They were very lucky and I'm happy for them. But that has caused many of them to become quite detached from the problems facing the younger folks and now they continue to try and impose their will on you. They won't be around to experience the full brunt of the climate crisis. There is only one candidate whom we can rely on to not accept bribes from the fossil fuel companies. If for that reason alone, I hope they come around and vote for what's best for everyone.

Come mothers and fathers throughout the land
And don't criticize what you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand
For the times, they are a-changin'

American Unity

Bernie is the unity candidate, having won a wide array of demographics in the three early states, especially Nevada. He won with whites, latinos, people below 65, college-educated, no college, men, women, union, non-union, very liberal, moderates, democrats, independents, first time voters -- nearly every demographic. (Notably, he was second for black people, but we can still change that.)
He has more donations and contributors than any candidate ever (no billionaires!) and has by far the most enthusiastic voter base. Higher turnout is guaranteed if he becomes the nominee.
He has a decisive lead (+18) against Trump with independents in the Reuters head to head poll -- the largest among Democratic candidates. Note that Independents usually decide elections. They are a bigger group (45% of voters) than either Democrats or Republicans (each at about 27%). D's and R's cancel each other out. So if there's an argument for Bernie's electability, it is this.
Even Republicans like Bernie. If anyone's going to take their votes from Trump, it's him.
The reason for his appeal across the political spectrum is that he understands the struggles of the working class -- he has been fighting for them his entire life. He understands that Americans have more in common with each other than the media often portrays. He understands that the elites are very happy to divide the people up so they constantly vote against their own interests.
Bernie brings a message of unity and solidarity, not division and hatred. He is the opposite of Trump, who is the President of the Republicans at this point. Bernie will be able to bridge the divide and polarization that this administration has inflicted.
The world is watching, America. It might not be an exaggeration to say that this is the most consequential election of all time. Show us why you are the world's greatest democracy.

Despite Congress being out of session and Trump on vacation, this was one of the most alarming weeks so far. Without provocation, Trump made aggressive statements towards three countries, and escalated the possibility of nuclear war with N. Korea. The country continued to burn in hate as violence surrounding a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville led to a state of emergency in Virginia. Other troubling trends continued this week including: an increase of media controlled by Trump and his allies, an unstaffed and unprepared executive branch, and steps taken to suppress the vote in future elections. Even with his new chief of staff, it is apparent Trump is consolidating power and answering to no one. He is also stepping up his attacks on the legislative branch.

1. On Sunday, reminiscent of state-owned propaganda, Trump launched the first broadcast of “real” Trump TV featuring Kayleigh McEnany, formerly a commentator on CNN.
2. On Monday, the RNC named McEnany to be its national spokesperson, meaning she will get paid by the RNC for her Trump TV work.
3. Lara Trump will run Trump TV as part of her job with consulting group Giles-Parscale. Per Week 31, Parscale has been called by Congressional investigators to testify on his role in the Trump campaign and Russia.
4. Trump’s FCC chair, Ajit Pai, revived a regulatory loophole allowing Sinclair Broadcasting to vastly exceed federal limits on media ownership. When a pending deal closes, Sinclair will reach 72% of US households.
5. VOX analyzed 17 months of Fox & Friends transcripts and found a symbiotic relationship between Trump and the show. Since the election, data reveals the show’s primary goal is talk to Trump, not their audience.
6. On Fox News Sunday, Rosenstein said he has not been directed by Trump to investigate Hillary’s email, as suggested by Trump. Rosenstein added, “That wouldn’t be right. That’s not the way we operate.”
7. Rosenstein also dismissed that the Russia probe is a “total fabrication” — the reference by Trump. He also said Mueller can investigate any crimes he discovers within the scope of his probe.
8. Conway suggested WH staffers may be required to take lie-detector tests as part of the regime’s efforts to find leakers.
9. WAPO Editorial Board wrote Trump’s DOJ is joining the GOP’s crusade to suppress voting, citing an Ohio case of culling voters before the SCOTUS. The Obama administration found this unlawful, Trump’s does not.
10. Indiana NCAAP and Priorities USA are suing the state over a law which results in closing voting precincts in black and Latino areas.
11. A WAPO survey found 52% of Republicans believe Trump won the popular vote, and would support postponing the 2020 election to make sure that only eligible American citizens could vote if Trump proposed it.
12. AP reported Ivy League schools are bracing for scrutiny from the Trump regime for their efforts to make their campuses diverse.
13. A bomb was tossed through the window of a Mosque in Bloomington, MN. Minnesota’s governor declared the bombing “an act of terrorism.”
14. Trump did not acknowledge the bombing. Tuesday, Gorka said the WH would “wait and see” in case the blast turned out to be a hoax. By week end, Trump still had no comment.
15. On Wednesday, Trump tweeted out a Fox News story about a vehicle ramming into soldiers in France, which the news agency insinuated, without having evidence yet, was carried out by Islamic terrorists.
16. The NAACP Legal Defense Fund will appeal a federal judge’s ruling allowing a white Alabama town to secede from a racially-mixed county school district and start its own system.
17. CNN fired conservative pundit Jeffrey Lord after he tweeted the Nazi salute, “Sieg Heil!” at a prominent liberal activist.
18. A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found Trump’s moves to undermine Obamacare have already triggered double-digit premium increases on individual health insurance policies in many states.
19. NYT reported government scientists are concerned that a report by scientists in 13 federal agencies, which finds a drastic impact of climate change in the US, will be suppressed by Trump.
20. In a series of emails obtained by The Guardian, the Trump regime advised staff at the USDA not to use certain terms like “climate change” and “climate change adaption.”
21. Karina Brown, an Asian American woman who attended a Bon Jovi concert in Columbus, OH was told by a fellow concert-goer, “You don’t belong in this country.”
22. Five transgender troops sued Trump over his tweet to instate a transgender military ban.
23. The Canadian military is building a refugee camp in Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle near Plattsburgh, NY to house up to 500 US asylum seekers. This is in addition to a shelter at Montreal Olympic Stadium in Week 38.
24. CNN reported Sam Clovis, Trump’s nominee to be chief scientist at the USDA, had on his conservative radio show stoked the birther conspiracy, called Eric Holder a “a racist black,” and Tom Perez “a racist Latino.”
25. More than 75 consumer, health and advocacy groups came together to stop the Trump regime from stripping nursing home residents and their families of rights to take facilities to court over alleged abuse or neglect.
26. As the Trump Organization tweeted about the launch of The Trump Estates and golf in Dubai, concerns continued to surface about ways US foreign policy has been impacted by the Trump family’s investments.
27. WAPO reported on how Trump hotel DC has become a center of influence, where members of industry and others seeking access meet with Trump regime members. And Trump financially benefits.
28. Trump Hotel DC turned a $2mm profit for the first four months of 2017, far exceeding the Trump Organization’s projected loss of $2.1mm. Driving profits were sky-high room prices and spending on food and beverages.
29. WSJ reported rooms at Trump Hotel DC’s average daily room rate was $660 compared with $496 for comparable hotels. The room rates are 60% higher than the hotel’s original budget.
30. The 18 Democrats on the House Oversight Comm sent letters to 15 cabinet departments and nine executive branch agencies requesting information on their spending at Trump Organization businesses.
31. POLITICO reported Trump’s slow pace in filling vacancies at FERC has caused $13bn of infrastructure projects, expected to create 23k new jobs, to be indefinitely delayed.
32. NYT and ProPublica continued to track Trump appointees put in charge of dismantling government regulations. 85 appointees have been identified, many with industry or legal ties, or other conflicts of interest.
33. A US District Court judge in NY will hear arguments in the Trump foreign emoluments lawsuit starting on October 18.
34. According to a letter to the Senate, the OGE has rejected retroactive waivers for the Trump regime.
35. Trump ally Robert Mercer donated $300k to Flake’s Republican primary challenger after Flake spoke out against Trump. Among other benefits, the Mercers’ hedge fund has avoided $6.8bn of back taxes under Trump.
36. AP reported Trump companies applied to a casino trademark in Macau, the world’s largest gambling market. Past applications by Trump had been rejected. Trump had pledged no new foreign deals while in office.
37. Two top aides for UN ambassador Haley — her chief of staff and communications director — resigned. Haley said on Twitter it was because of “family concerns.”
38. Four top cybersecurity officials resigned from their posts, including the chief information security officer for the EPA and the CIO for the DHS, both of whom had been in their jobs for just a few months.
39. FORTUNE reported vegetable prices may be going up soon as Trump’s immigration policies have led to a farmworker shortage, and crops are rotting in the fields.
40. The Toronto Star reported Trump has made 500 false claims in his first 200 days in office.
41. A CNN poll taken at 200 days found just 24% of Americans trust most of what they hear from the WH.
42. In another sign of Trump’s waning popularity, Democrat Phil Miller won a special election (+10) in a Iowa district Trump had won by 22 in 2016.
43. AP reported Pence has been quietly carving out his own political foot-print, noting Republicans privately admit Trump could be the first president since Nixon to leave office or not to seek re-election.
44. After Sen Blumenthal appeared on CNN to discuss the Russian probe, Trump attacked him on Twitter for 2 days, calling him a “phony Vietnam con artist,” and saying he “should take a nice long vacation in Vietnam.”
45. Trump tweeted, “Thank you Nicole!” to an account @ProTrump45. The account, under the name Nicole Mincey, was deleted and appears to have been a bot, part of the Russia-backed disinformation campaign.
46. VICE reported that since taking office, Trump receives a folder full of positive news about himself twice a day. Some in the WH refer to the folder as “the propaganda document.”
47. Bloomberg reported Manafort and Donald Jr. turned over thousands of documents in August to the Senate Judiciary Comm in the Russia probe.
48. Bloomberg also reported Fusion GPS, a company linked to the dossier, and its CEO have yet to turn over requested documents. Senate Judiciary Comm chair Grassley wants to know if Russians paid for the dossier.
49. Page Six reported Trump’s story about a renovation at the 21 Club, which Trump told the generals while berating them about losing in Afghanistan (Week 38), was “completely wrong in every detail.”
50. On Wednesday, WAPO reported the FBI conducted a predawn raid on Manafort’s home in Alexandria, VA, seizing documents and other materials related to Mueller’s Russia probe.
51. The raid occurred on July 26, the day Manafort was scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Comm and a day after he met with the Senate Intel Comm.
52. The FBI search warrant was for documents relating to tax, banking and other matters. Sources said the FBI agents left with a “trove of material.”
53. ABC reported Manafort was awoken in the predawn hours by a group of armed FBI agents knocking on his bedroom door.
54. On July 26 Trump called for acting FBI director McCabe to be fired. Also, that morning he inexplicably tweeted his transgender military ban without notifying the DoD or having a strategy in place.
55. Bloomberg reported Manafort alerted Congressional investigators about the June 9 Trump Tower meeting three months ago.
56. Trump ally the National Enquirer posted a story, “Trump Advisor Sex Scandal — Paul Manafort’s Sick Affair,” shortly after the WAPO article hit.
57. POLITICO reported Federal investigators sought cooperation from Jeffrey Yohai, Manafort’s son-in-law, early in the summer, in an effort to increase pressure on Manafort.
58. On Thursday, Manafort fired WilmerHale and switched to Miller and Chevalier, a boutique firm in Washington that specializes in complicated financial crimes.
59. A story in The New Yorker noted that with Manafort’s sophistication and links to Russia oligarchs, he was in a good position to “understand what Vladimir Putin wanted from the Trump campaign.”
60. ABC reported Congressional investigators want to question Rhona Graff, Trump’s assistant for 30 years, on the email exchange and meeting at Trump Tower on June 9 with Russians.
61. The bipartisan Sen Judiciary Comm asked the WH to respond to questions about changes to Kushner’s security clearance forms related to undisclosed meetings with Russians. The deadline to reply was July 6.
62. On Tuesday afternoon, WAPO reported that analysis by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) concluded N. Korea has passed the key threshold of producing missile-ready nuclear weapons.
63. Later Tuesday, from his golf course in Bedminster, Trump warned N. Korea against threatening US cities, saying threats “will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.”
64. Late Tuesday, in reaction to Trump’s ‘red line’ of N. Korea threatening US cities, Kim Jong-un’s regime said it may strike Guam.
65. Trump’s “fire and fury” comments broke the Dow’s 10-day winning streak.
66. Trump’s comments were condemned by Democrats, Republicans and nuclear weapons experts, saying his incendiary rhetoric would make things worse.
67. The Toronto Star reported on the numerous time Trump has used varieties of the hyperbolic phrase, “like the world has never seen,” to make a point, including while a businessman and running for office.
68. Wednesday, NYT reported Trump’s “fire and fury” threat to N. Korea was improvised. The sheet of paper in front of him was about the opioid crisis, and he ad-libbed without input from his team on wording.
69. As the N. Korea crisis unfolds, Trump has yet to appoint an ambassador to S. Korea. As per Week 38, 22 of 24 assistant secretary positions in the State Dept are either unfilled or staffed by Obama holdovers.
70. Blumenthal told MSNBC the Sen Armed Services Comm has been informed as N. Koreans moved from milestone to milestone, indicating Trump also should have known progress and not been alarmist.
71. A 30-foot inflatable chicken with Trump-like hair floated next to the WH on Wednesday. The balloon was set up by documentary filmmaker Taran Singh Brar to protest Trump “being a weak and ineffective leader.”
72. Foreign Policy reported on a 7-page memo written by Rich Higgins about the “deep state” targeting Trump, thought to be behind the recent NSC shake-up, including McMaster firing Higgins.
73. On Thursday, Trump escalated the rhetoric on N. Korea further, saying his “fire and fury” comment may not have been “tough enough.” Asked how he could of been tougher, Trump replied, “You’ll see. You’ll see.”
74. Shortly after, flanked by Pence and McMaster in Bedminster, Trump did a 20 minute lie-ridden press conference. A historian described Trump’s bizarre outpouring as “he was a dam that had suddenly burst free.”
75. Trump called it a “disgrace” that the Senate didn’t pass a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare, placing blame on McConnell and saying he wants him to get back to work and get it done.
76. Trump also twice tweeted about McConnell’s failure to repeal and replace Obamacare, and retweeted a Fox & Friends story Friday saying Trump was leaving the door open on whether McConnell should step down.
77. On the other hand, Trump said he was “very thankful” to Putin for expelling hundreds of US diplomats “because now we have a smaller payroll.” This is a false statement: diplomats remain on the payroll.
78. Reuters reported the State Dept was “horrified and rattled,” by Trump’s remarks on expelling diplomats. The third ranking State member under W. Bush called the remarks, “grotesque.”
79. Also at the press conference, in contrast to what his regime said days earlier, Trump seemingly impromptu declared the opioids a federal emergency: “I’m saying officially, right now, it is an emergency.”
80. Also, on the transgender military ban, Trump said “I think I’m doing the military a great favor.” and on the transgender community: “I think I have great support…I got a lot of votes."
81. On Kim Jong-un, Trump said, “He got away with it for a long time…He’s not getting away with it. This is a whole new ballgame.” Adding, “And nobody, including N. Korea, is going to be threatening us with anything.”
82. Also at the press conference, Trump said “I don’t think Iran is in compliance,” on the 2015 deal to curtail nuclear weapons.
83. Trump also said there was “no collusion between us and Russia. In fact, the opposite. Russia spent a lot of money on fighting me.”
84. Gordon Humphrey, a former GOP senator, suggested Congress should use the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office, saying of Trump “He is sick of mind, impetuous, arrogant, belligerent and dangerous.”
85. Tillerson sought calm on N Korea, saying Wednesday “Americans should sleep well at night.” Gorka told BBC radio, “the idea that Secretary Tillerson is going to discuss military matters is simply nonsensical.”
86. On Friday, Trump escalated tensions further, tweeting the US military is “locked and loaded” should N. Korea “act unwisely.”
87. As tensions rose, US allies and adversaries urged caution. Germany PM Merkel said, “verbal escalation will not contribute to a resolution,” and Russia foreign minister Lavrov said rhetoric was “over the top.”
88. In a phone call Friday night, China’s President Xi Jinping also urged Trump to exercise restraint according to Chinese state media.
89. As tensions heightened with N Korea, former Defense Secretary Panetta told CNN “we’re dealing with probably the most serious crisis involving a potential nuclear war since the Cuban Missile Crisis.”
90. In Hawaii, emergency management officials are working on reinstating alarm sirens to warn of a nuclear attack, last used during the Cold War.
91. On Friday evening, Trump spoke to reporters with Tillerson, McMaster and Haley by his side. Speculation was this was to assure Americans that diplomacy was also being used with N. Korea.
92. Instead, Trump escalated the rhetoric yet again, saying Jong-un “will not get away with” what he’s doing, and if he attacks Guam, or American territory or ally, “he will truly regret it and he will regret it fast.”
93. When asked about Venezuela, Trump said we have many options, “including a possible military option if necessary.”
94. His threat played into Maduro’s hands. Venezuelan officials have long said the US is planning an invasion. Maduro requested a phone call with Trump on Friday, which was rejected.
95. A DoD spokesperson said Friday evening the US is not planning to invade Venezuela, and “any insinuations by the Maduro regime that we are planning an invasion are baseless.”
96. Trump called the governor of Guam Friday night to reassure him of US protection. He also joked that Governor Calvo has become “extremely famous,” and offered, “your tourism [is] going to go up like tenfold.”
97. On Friday night, hundreds of white supremacists marched on University of Virginia’s campus carrying torches and chanting “White lives matter,” and “You will not replace us,” and “Jew will not replace us.”
98. On Saturday morning, white supremacists in Charlottesville to attend the Unite the Right rally carried Confederate flags and flag with the Nazi Swastikas. Militia groups carrying guns also attended.
99. Violent clashes between white supremacists and protestors broke out. Local police declared a state of emergency.
100. Later Saturday, the Virginia governor declared a state of emergency in response to the Unite the Right white nationalist rally. White supremacists were ordered to vacate the park before the rally.
101. Trump addressed Charlottesville hours later, but failed to condemn white supremacists, many of whom were wearing Trump gear, instead tweeting, “We ALL must be united & condemn all that hate stands for.”

https://twitter.com/Amy_Siskind/status/896436684346331136

Despite Congress being out of session and Trump on vacation, this was one of the most alarming weeks so far. Without provocation, Trump made aggressive statements towards three countries, and escalated the possibility of nuclear war with N. Korea. The country continued to burn in hate as violence surrounding a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville led to a state of emergency in Virginia. Other troubling trends continued this week including: an increase of media controlled by Trump and his allies, an unstaffed and unprepared executive branch, and steps taken to suppress the vote in future elections. Even with his new chief of staff, it is apparent Trump is consolidating power and answering to no one. He is also stepping up his attacks on the legislative branch.

1. On Sunday, reminiscent of state-owned propaganda, Trump launched the first broadcast of “real” Trump TV featuring Kayleigh McEnany, formerly a commentator on CNN.
2. On Monday, the RNC named McEnany to be its national spokesperson, meaning she will get paid by the RNC for her Trump TV work.
3. Lara Trump will run Trump TV as part of her job with consulting group Giles-Parscale. Per Week 31, Parscale has been called by Congressional investigators to testify on his role in the Trump campaign and Russia.
4. Trump’s FCC chair, Ajit Pai, revived a regulatory loophole allowing Sinclair Broadcasting to vastly exceed federal limits on media ownership. When a pending deal closes, Sinclair will reach 72% of US households.
5. VOX analyzed 17 months of Fox & Friends transcripts and found a symbiotic relationship between Trump and the show. Since the election, data reveals the show’s primary goal is talk to Trump, not their audience.
6. On Fox News Sunday, Rosenstein said he has not been directed by Trump to investigate Hillary’s email, as suggested by Trump. Rosenstein added, “That wouldn’t be right. That’s not the way we operate.”
7. Rosenstein also dismissed that the Russia probe is a “total fabrication” — the reference by Trump. He also said Mueller can investigate any crimes he discovers within the scope of his probe.
8. Conway suggested WH staffers may be required to take lie-detector tests as part of the regime’s efforts to find leakers.
9. WAPO Editorial Board wrote Trump’s DOJ is joining the GOP’s crusade to suppress voting, citing an Ohio case of culling voters before the SCOTUS. The Obama administration found this unlawful, Trump’s does not.
10. Indiana NCAAP and Priorities USA are suing the state over a law which results in closing voting precincts in black and Latino areas.
11. A WAPO survey found 52% of Republicans believe Trump won the popular vote, and would support postponing the 2020 election to make sure that only eligible American citizens could vote if Trump proposed it.
12. AP reported Ivy League schools are bracing for scrutiny from the Trump regime for their efforts to make their campuses diverse.
13. A bomb was tossed through the window of a Mosque in Bloomington, MN. Minnesota’s governor declared the bombing “an act of terrorism.”
14. Trump did not acknowledge the bombing. Tuesday, Gorka said the WH would “wait and see” in case the blast turned out to be a hoax. By week end, Trump still had no comment.
15. On Wednesday, Trump tweeted out a Fox News story about a vehicle ramming into soldiers in France, which the news agency insinuated, without having evidence yet, was carried out by Islamic terrorists.
16. The NAACP Legal Defense Fund will appeal a federal judge’s ruling allowing a white Alabama town to secede from a racially-mixed county school district and start its own system.
17. CNN fired conservative pundit Jeffrey Lord after he tweeted the Nazi salute, “Sieg Heil!” at a prominent liberal activist.
18. A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found Trump’s moves to undermine Obamacare have already triggered double-digit premium increases on individual health insurance policies in many states.
19. NYT reported government scientists are concerned that a report by scientists in 13 federal agencies, which finds a drastic impact of climate change in the US, will be suppressed by Trump.
20. In a series of emails obtained by The Guardian, the Trump regime advised staff at the USDA not to use certain terms like “climate change” and “climate change adaption.”
21. Karina Brown, an Asian American woman who attended a Bon Jovi concert in Columbus, OH was told by a fellow concert-goer, “You don’t belong in this country.”
22. Five transgender troops sued Trump over his tweet to instate a transgender military ban.
23. The Canadian military is building a refugee camp in Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle near Plattsburgh, NY to house up to 500 US asylum seekers. This is in addition to a shelter at Montreal Olympic Stadium in Week 38.
24. CNN reported Sam Clovis, Trump’s nominee to be chief scientist at the USDA, had on his conservative radio show stoked the birther conspiracy, called Eric Holder a “a racist black,” and Tom Perez “a racist Latino.”
25. More than 75 consumer, health and advocacy groups came together to stop the Trump regime from stripping nursing home residents and their families of rights to take facilities to court over alleged abuse or neglect.
26. As the Trump Organization tweeted about the launch of The Trump Estates and golf in Dubai, concerns continued to surface about ways US foreign policy has been impacted by the Trump family’s investments.
27. WAPO reported on how Trump hotel DC has become a center of influence, where members of industry and others seeking access meet with Trump regime members. And Trump financially benefits.
28. Trump Hotel DC turned a $2mm profit for the first four months of 2017, far exceeding the Trump Organization’s projected loss of $2.1mm. Driving profits were sky-high room prices and spending on food and beverages.
29. WSJ reported rooms at Trump Hotel DC’s average daily room rate was $660 compared with $496 for comparable hotels. The room rates are 60% higher than the hotel’s original budget.
30. The 18 Democrats on the House Oversight Comm sent letters to 15 cabinet departments and nine executive branch agencies requesting information on their spending at Trump Organization businesses.
31. POLITICO reported Trump’s slow pace in filling vacancies at FERC has caused $13bn of infrastructure projects, expected to create 23k new jobs, to be indefinitely delayed.
32. NYT and ProPublica continued to track Trump appointees put in charge of dismantling government regulations. 85 appointees have been identified, many with industry or legal ties, or other conflicts of interest.
33. A US District Court judge in NY will hear arguments in the Trump foreign emoluments lawsuit starting on October 18.
34. According to a letter to the Senate, the OGE has rejected retroactive waivers for the Trump regime.
35. Trump ally Robert Mercer donated $300k to Flake’s Republican primary challenger after Flake spoke out against Trump. Among other benefits, the Mercers’ hedge fund has avoided $6.8bn of back taxes under Trump.
36. AP reported Trump companies applied to a casino trademark in Macau, the world’s largest gambling market. Past applications by Trump had been rejected. Trump had pledged no new foreign deals while in office.
37. Two top aides for UN ambassador Haley — her chief of staff and communications director — resigned. Haley said on Twitter it was because of “family concerns.”
38. Four top cybersecurity officials resigned from their posts, including the chief information security officer for the EPA and the CIO for the DHS, both of whom had been in their jobs for just a few months.
39. FORTUNE reported vegetable prices may be going up soon as Trump’s immigration policies have led to a farmworker shortage, and crops are rotting in the fields.
40. The Toronto Star reported Trump has made 500 false claims in his first 200 days in office.
41. A CNN poll taken at 200 days found just 24% of Americans trust most of what they hear from the WH.
42. In another sign of Trump’s waning popularity, Democrat Phil Miller won a special election (+10) in a Iowa district Trump had won by 22 in 2016.
43. AP reported Pence has been quietly carving out his own political foot-print, noting Republicans privately admit Trump could be the first president since Nixon to leave office or not to seek re-election.
44. After Sen Blumenthal appeared on CNN to discuss the Russian probe, Trump attacked him on Twitter for 2 days, calling him a “phony Vietnam con artist,” and saying he “should take a nice long vacation in Vietnam.”
45. Trump tweeted, “Thank you Nicole!” to an account @ProTrump45. The account, under the name Nicole Mincey, was deleted and appears to have been a bot, part of the Russia-backed disinformation campaign.
46. VICE reported that since taking office, Trump receives a folder full of positive news about himself twice a day. Some in the WH refer to the folder as “the propaganda document.”
47. Bloomberg reported Manafort and Donald Jr. turned over thousands of documents in August to the Senate Judiciary Comm in the Russia probe.
48. Bloomberg also reported Fusion GPS, a company linked to the dossier, and its CEO have yet to turn over requested documents. Senate Judiciary Comm chair Grassley wants to know if Russians paid for the dossier.
49. Page Six reported Trump’s story about a renovation at the 21 Club, which Trump told the generals while berating them about losing in Afghanistan (Week 38), was “completely wrong in every detail.”
50. On Wednesday, WAPO reported the FBI conducted a predawn raid on Manafort’s home in Alexandria, VA, seizing documents and other materials related to Mueller’s Russia probe.
51. The raid occurred on July 26, the day Manafort was scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Comm and a day after he met with the Senate Intel Comm.
52. The FBI search warrant was for documents relating to tax, banking and other matters. Sources said the FBI agents left with a “trove of material.”
53. ABC reported Manafort was awoken in the predawn hours by a group of armed FBI agents knocking on his bedroom door.
54. On July 26 Trump called for acting FBI director McCabe to be fired. Also, that morning he inexplicably tweeted his transgender military ban without notifying the DoD or having a strategy in place.
55. Bloomberg reported Manafort alerted Congressional investigators about the June 9 Trump Tower meeting three months ago.
56. Trump ally the National Enquirer posted a story, “Trump Advisor Sex Scandal — Paul Manafort’s Sick Affair,” shortly after the WAPO article hit.
57. POLITICO reported Federal investigators sought cooperation from Jeffrey Yohai, Manafort’s son-in-law, early in the summer, in an effort to increase pressure on Manafort.
58. On Thursday, Manafort fired WilmerHale and switched to Miller and Chevalier, a boutique firm in Washington that specializes in complicated financial crimes.
59. A story in The New Yorker noted that with Manafort’s sophistication and links to Russia oligarchs, he was in a good position to “understand what Vladimir Putin wanted from the Trump campaign.”
60. ABC reported Congressional investigators want to question Rhona Graff, Trump’s assistant for 30 years, on the email exchange and meeting at Trump Tower on June 9 with Russians.
61. The bipartisan Sen Judiciary Comm asked the WH to respond to questions about changes to Kushner’s security clearance forms related to undisclosed meetings with Russians. The deadline to reply was July 6.
62. On Tuesday afternoon, WAPO reported that analysis by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) concluded N. Korea has passed the key threshold of producing missile-ready nuclear weapons.
63. Later Tuesday, from his golf course in Bedminster, Trump warned N. Korea against threatening US cities, saying threats “will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.”
64. Late Tuesday, in reaction to Trump’s ‘red line’ of N. Korea threatening US cities, Kim Jong-un’s regime said it may strike Guam.
65. Trump’s “fire and fury” comments broke the Dow’s 10-day winning streak.
66. Trump’s comments were condemned by Democrats, Republicans and nuclear weapons experts, saying his incendiary rhetoric would make things worse.
67. The Toronto Star reported on the numerous time Trump has used varieties of the hyperbolic phrase, “like the world has never seen,” to make a point, including while a businessman and running for office.
68. Wednesday, NYT reported Trump’s “fire and fury” threat to N. Korea was improvised. The sheet of paper in front of him was about the opioid crisis, and he ad-libbed without input from his team on wording.
69. As the N. Korea crisis unfolds, Trump has yet to appoint an ambassador to S. Korea. As per Week 38, 22 of 24 assistant secretary positions in the State Dept are either unfilled or staffed by Obama holdovers.
70. Blumenthal told MSNBC the Sen Armed Services Comm has been informed as N. Koreans moved from milestone to milestone, indicating Trump also should have known progress and not been alarmist.
71. A 30-foot inflatable chicken with Trump-like hair floated next to the WH on Wednesday. The balloon was set up by documentary filmmaker Taran Singh Brar to protest Trump “being a weak and ineffective leader.”
72. Foreign Policy reported on a 7-page memo written by Rich Higgins about the “deep state” targeting Trump, thought to be behind the recent NSC shake-up, including McMaster firing Higgins.
73. On Thursday, Trump escalated the rhetoric on N. Korea further, saying his “fire and fury” comment may not have been “tough enough.” Asked how he could of been tougher, Trump replied, “You’ll see. You’ll see.”
74. Shortly after, flanked by Pence and McMaster in Bedminster, Trump did a 20 minute lie-ridden press conference. A historian described Trump’s bizarre outpouring as “he was a dam that had suddenly burst free.”
75. Trump called it a “disgrace” that the Senate didn’t pass a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare, placing blame on McConnell and saying he wants him to get back to work and get it done.
76. Trump also twice tweeted about McConnell’s failure to repeal and replace Obamacare, and retweeted a Fox & Friends story Friday saying Trump was leaving the door open on whether McConnell should step down.
77. On the other hand, Trump said he was “very thankful” to Putin for expelling hundreds of US diplomats “because now we have a smaller payroll.” This is a false statement: diplomats remain on the payroll.
78. Reuters reported the State Dept was “horrified and rattled,” by Trump’s remarks on expelling diplomats. The third ranking State member under W. Bush called the remarks, “grotesque.”
79. Also at the press conference, in contrast to what his regime said days earlier, Trump seemingly impromptu declared the opioids a federal emergency: “I’m saying officially, right now, it is an emergency.”
80. Also, on the transgender military ban, Trump said “I think I’m doing the military a great favor.” and on the transgender community: “I think I have great support…I got a lot of votes."
81. On Kim Jong-un, Trump said, “He got away with it for a long time…He’s not getting away with it. This is a whole new ballgame.” Adding, “And nobody, including N. Korea, is going to be threatening us with anything.”
82. Also at the press conference, Trump said “I don’t think Iran is in compliance,” on the 2015 deal to curtail nuclear weapons.
83. Trump also said there was “no collusion between us and Russia. In fact, the opposite. Russia spent a lot of money on fighting me.”
84. Gordon Humphrey, a former GOP senator, suggested Congress should use the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office, saying of Trump “He is sick of mind, impetuous, arrogant, belligerent and dangerous.”
85. Tillerson sought calm on N Korea, saying Wednesday “Americans should sleep well at night.” Gorka told BBC radio, “the idea that Secretary Tillerson is going to discuss military matters is simply nonsensical.”
86. On Friday, Trump escalated tensions further, tweeting the US military is “locked and loaded” should N. Korea “act unwisely.”
87. As tensions rose, US allies and adversaries urged caution. Germany PM Merkel said, “verbal escalation will not contribute to a resolution,” and Russia foreign minister Lavrov said rhetoric was “over the top.”
88. In a phone call Friday night, China’s President Xi Jinping also urged Trump to exercise restraint according to Chinese state media.
89. As tensions heightened with N Korea, former Defense Secretary Panetta told CNN “we’re dealing with probably the most serious crisis involving a potential nuclear war since the Cuban Missile Crisis.”
90. In Hawaii, emergency management officials are working on reinstating alarm sirens to warn of a nuclear attack, last used during the Cold War.
91. On Friday evening, Trump spoke to reporters with Tillerson, McMaster and Haley by his side. Speculation was this was to assure Americans that diplomacy was also being used with N. Korea.
92. Instead, Trump escalated the rhetoric yet again, saying Jong-un “will not get away with” what he’s doing, and if he attacks Guam, or American territory or ally, “he will truly regret it and he will regret it fast.”
93. When asked about Venezuela, Trump said we have many options, “including a possible military option if necessary.”
94. His threat played into Maduro’s hands. Venezuelan officials have long said the US is planning an invasion. Maduro requested a phone call with Trump on Friday, which was rejected.
95. A DoD spokesperson said Friday evening the US is not planning to invade Venezuela, and “any insinuations by the Maduro regime that we are planning an invasion are baseless.”
96. Trump called the governor of Guam Friday night to reassure him of US protection. He also joked that Governor Calvo has become “extremely famous,” and offered, “your tourism [is] going to go up like tenfold.”
97. On Friday night, hundreds of white supremacists marched on University of Virginia’s campus carrying torches and chanting “White lives matter,” and “You will not replace us,” and “Jew will not replace us.”
98. On Saturday morning, white supremacists in Charlottesville to attend the Unite the Right rally carried Confederate flags and flag with the Nazi Swastikas. Militia groups carrying guns also attended.
99. Violent clashes between white supremacists and protestors broke out. Local police declared a state of emergency.
100. Later Saturday, the Virginia governor declared a state of emergency in response to the Unite the Right white nationalist rally. White supremacists were ordered to vacate the park before the rally.
101. Trump addressed Charlottesville hours later, but failed to condemn white supremacists, many of whom were wearing Trump gear, instead tweeting, “We ALL must be united & condemn all that hate stands for.”

https://twitter.com/Amy_Siskind/status/896436684346331136