I’ve been attempting to take a break from Trump’s scandal a day presidency and what it’s doing to the country I love, but the STUPID just keeps coming.  Yesterday, Bashar al-Assad apparently “gassed” some of his own people (“rebels”) AGAIN and, of course, Trump felt the necessity to stick his chest out as much as he’s capable.  He even seemed to say something negative about Vladimir Putin, but he couldn’t leave it at that.  As per usual, Trump had to attempt to stick the BLAME for Assad gassing his own people on Barack Obama.  Is there anything he doesn’t attempt to BLAME on Obama?

As the “story” unfolds as Trump’s SCANDAL ridden EPA “chief” Scott Pruitt continues to be in the headlines, just today, I was thinking Trump’s defense of Pruitt – and, very likely his presidency – may very well rest on a “roasting” Trump absorbed a few years ago at a correspondents dinner he attended where Obama totally embarrassed him.  And, as we’ve all learned, Trump doesn’t like that – it’s questionable whether he even has a sense of humor.  I’ve always wondered if his running for president was based on his desire to “get even” with Obama.  (Could Obama have the last laugh?) Of course, Trump EARNED the “roasting” via his leading of the RACIST “birther movement” which has caused many Americans, to this day, to believe Obama was born in Kenya.  That was the movement that reminded me that racism is STILL a MAJOR issue in this country – and, Trump is right at the front of issue.

How does this relate to Pruitt?  Well, despite all the CORRUPT things Pruitt is doing as EPA chief – similarly to what he did prior to becoming EPA chief – the thing he’s doing that I’m sure makes him “dear” to Trump’s “heart” (if he actually has one) is the repealing of one Obama environmental success after another.  The FACT it’s doing HUGE damage to the United States of America seems secondary – since day one it’s been clear – if Obama was/is “for it,” Trump and company are “against it.”  Clear and simple.  Pulling us out of the Paris Climate Accords will have LASTING damage for years to come – if Trump actually makes it through his four years (and, of course, if he doesn’t, we’ll still be “saddled” with either Pense or Ryan – depending on if Mueller includes Pense in the obstruction investigation by virtue of his willingness to LIE for Trump – especially when Comey was fired – environment wise, it doesn’t look good) countries like China and Germany will have a HUGE advantage in the “green” energy market that could be devastating to America’s economy, long term.

Additionally, Pruitt is repealing all kinds of Obama era policy that protects consumers from unscrupulous corporate interests that have to do with air quality, water quality, and many different issues related to both.  For example, he’s reported to be removing the auto emissions guidelines instituted by the Obama administration aimed at requiring cars to be more and more fuel efficient over time.  Clearly, Trump AND Pruitt have been compromised by the fossil fuel industries – ie the oil industry and, worse, the coal industry.  They even repealed an Obama executive order requiring coal companies to repair the damage they cause when they surface mine for coal and, essentially, clip off the top of a mountain.  They’ve decided to leave the “clean-up” to “we the people.”

But, the STUPID just keeps coming – and, it seems, faster and faster.  Today, Trump’s “fixer” (does that remind you of the godfather?), Michael Cohen, who PAID the $130,000 to adult film star “Stormy Daniels” (Stephanie Clifford) designed to keep her quiet just prior to the 2016 election regarding an alleged affair with Trump (shortly after his last son was born) had his office, his apartment, and his home “visited” by agents of the Southern District of New York’s US attorney’s office.  Reportedly, they were acting on Trump’s directive of just a few days ago when, in response to a question about whether or not he knew about the payment to Ms. Clifford, he denied knowledge of it and responded to a question about the payment, “you’ll have to ask Michael Cohen.”  Well, apparently, that’s what the US Attorney’s office is planning to do – and, they don’t trust Mr. Cohen – requiring them to get a (very difficult to obtain) search warrant allowing them to confiscate many documents that may be what’s making Trump so nervous.  By all reports, the investigators would need near irrefutable evidence of a crime or crimes to obtain a search warrant for an attorney’s office.  Trump should be nervous.

Today, Trump gave an impromptu “news conference” as his “war team” was contemplating what irrational response to make to the Syrians who apparently gassed another group of their people yesterday, possibly in response to Trump’s announcement that he’s bringing our troops home.  Initially, the concern was Trump was leaving the Kurds, who’ve done the bulk of the fighting to repel ISIL, “high and dry” – as they (the Kurds) were getting attacked by the Turks.  The entire situation may be too complex for Trump to comprehend – but, there are many beside myself, concerned that, with the special counsel apparently zeroing in, Trump’s going to do something even MORE STUPID than usual.  In his “news conference” today he again called the Russian investigation a “witch hunt” and reiterated, “there was no collusion.  They’ve found no collusion after over a year.”  (Well, I hate to take issue with the president of the United States, but his own son’s meeting with the Russians in June of 2016, with his son-in-law and his campaign manager (at the time) seeking incriminating information on Hillary Clinton was, clear and simple, COLLUSION!  Steve Bannon referred to it as TREASON.

Trump called the investigation “disgraceful,” along with the word “witch hunt,” and he implied he might attempt to fire the special counsel.  He suggested this “witch hunt” had been going on pretty much since he won the nomination (which is correct, the FBI began investigating the Russian collusion issue after Trump “advisor” George Papadopoulos was spewing his mouth to an ambassador from Australia about the emails the Russians stole from the DNC.  The Ambassador relayed the information to the FBI about the Trump campaign/Russia connection which is what started the investigation.  This is the same investigation Trump and his surrogates have LIED about over 30 times and the same investigation that keeps turning up more and more evidence connecting Trump surrogates to the conspiracy – a conspiracy AGAINST the United States of America.  So, every time Trump spouts off as he did today, it just gets MORE STUPID.  He just can’t shut his mouth about all this.

And, of course, theoretically, today’s actions by the US Attorney’s office in the SDNY (Southern District of New York) has nothing to do with the “Russia investigation.”  Apparently, it was all about Michael Cohen and his payment – of which he’s admitted making – to Ms. Clifford.  There are campaign finance issues with the payment, bank fraud issues with the payment, wire fraud issues with the payment, and Mr. Cohen’s law license is on the line because Trump, himself, admitted he didn’t know anything about the payment.  Well, that will get your lawyer disbarred – because, lawyers can’t enter into agreements their clients know nothing about.  Essentially, last week Trump “threw Mr. Cohen ‘under the bus.'”  It wouldn’t surprise me if Cohen “flipped” in order to save himself from losing his law license and, conceivably, going to jail.  He’s been quoted as saying he’d “take a bullet for Trump” – well, we’ll likely see if he’ll take a “rap” for Trump.  But, all in all, it’s pretty STUPID of Trump to think the authorities weren’t going to act on this payment – which EVERYBODY in the world knows about (sadly, including Melania, who’s got to be getting a bit peeved, wouldn’t you think?) – especially, after he told the world he knew nothing about the payment and said, “You’ll have to ask Micheal about that.”  Well, as I said above, that appears to be what’s happening – Mr. Cohen is going to be asked about this, and he’d better tell the truth, or things will get a lot worse for him.

I said a long time ago that Trump will learn to loathe the day he decided to run for president.  It appears to me he’s got connections to underworld characters – including the Russians (who’s government under Putin has been equated with a large crime syndicate) – and, it also appears to me Trump has participated in some fishy financial “dealings” in the past which likely are going to be interpreted as money laundering.  There was a good reason he was the first president since Nixon to refuse to show his tax returns (do you see the parallel?).  What’s really still really bugging me and the thing I find most despicable about all this is that Trump’s “base” is the so-called “Conservative Christians.”  They appear to be willing to accept almost anything to get judges they believe will overturn Roe v Wade (apparently believing that would end abortions).  The list of reasons why myself as a (I guess, LIBERAL) Christian can’t support Trump is too long to include here – but, I have to say, the LYING, the RACISM, the arrogant sexual impropriety and the LYING about it, the misogynist behavior,  the divisiveness, the cheating on his taxes, (yes, I’m making an assumption here, but he LIED about what the “tax scam” would do for his own bottom line, so I’m putting two plus two together) along with the reality he’s UNQUALIFIED for the job and he’s attacking our environment ALL to our detriment (long term) will have to do for starters.

My advice to Trump would be to resign sooner rather than later.  I believe if he chose that “route” there’s a good chance people would have pity on him and the investigations would end.  Of course, that would leave us with Mike Pense as president and, like I’ve said, it’s my contention he’s participated in the obstruction of justice on at least one occasion. (the firing of James Comey)  Based on how this all has unfolded, I’m pretty skeptical that Mueller would be including Pense in his pervue.  I wouldn’t say the same thing for Jared Kushner – in my mind, Mueller is going to “hit” him at the same time he gives the “report” on Trump to Congress – that way, Trump can’t immediately pardon him.  I also believe Don Jr. May have criminal liability – and, who knows how far the liability goes into the family once they get deep into Trump’s financial records.  They (the Trumps) remind me of the Cosa Nostra.  (Yes, I know that would make them Italian, but, I said “remind” – I could have just said “mafia”)

I guess the thing that’s making ME nervous tonight is the FACT we have a STUPID so-called president, there’s a legitimate crisis in Syria that can’t really be blamed on President Obama, and republican presidents have a history of covering up their STUPIDITY by starting wars.  If Trump decides to get rambunctious in Syria he’s going to be going head to head with his idol Vladimir Putin.  Here’s a couple possibilities from that.  Putin could release the kompromat many people believe the Russians have on Trump – the reason for Trump’s “bromance” with Putin.  Like, if it exists, the video of the salacious part of the so-called “dossier.”  The other possibility could be a military confrontation with the Russians – which, personally (as you might suspect due to my referring to Trump as STUPID) I have NO confidence in Trump’s ability to handle.

I’ve said, on occasion, this would all be funny if it weren’t so serious.  Well, it could be getting real serious and our nation is presently in the hands of someone many refer to as mentally unfit to be in the position he holds.  Trump, in the “White House,” is the result of years of the republican party allowing itself, for expedience sake, to be pushed farther and farther to the “right.”  The MONEY has been coming from people like the Koch brothers, the DeVoss family, the Mercers, Wall Street, America’s greedy corporate interests (like Facebook, for example) and characters like Steve Bannon – who was the “brains” behind Cambridge Analytica – which is very likely the vehicle the Trump campaign used to collude with the Russians.  In 2010 the republicans aligned themselves, willingly, with the so-called “Tea Party” – which was a racist reaction to the administration of our first black president.  Now, we may ALL be going to pay the price for these people willing to put their personal interest ahead of our nation’s – depending on how STUPID Trump actually gets.  The Tea Party has given us Trump, Sarah Palin, and Michelle Bauchman – that should tell it all.

Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised if Trump started the process of the so-called “Saturday Night Massacre” reminiscent of the Nixon era in the next day or so – in regard to the special counsel.  Today, he again reiterated his ANGER at Jeff Sessions for doing – what he was honor bound to do when he recused himself from anything involving Russia or the Trump campaign OR the Clinton campaign – Trump can’t seem to get it through his head that the Attorney General of the United States is NOT the president’s “fixer.”  (Makes me wonder how many more agreements Cohen entered into without Trump’s knowledge – he expects “protection” – and, that’s what he expected from Sessions)  If he goes after Sessions in the next few days or Rod Rosenstein (the man who would be responsible for “firing” Mueller) these SPINELESS republican members of Congress will really be up against it.  If they continue to enable Trump’s behavior, this country could erupt in protests that have never been seen before.  And, if they act, as they should, and IMPEACH Trump if he goes after Mueller; well, Trump has been “ginning” up all those “very fine people” who carried the tiki torches and chanted “Jews will not replace us” while wearing Nazi armbands and carrying Nazi flags at Charlottesville to come to his aid.  How will Sessions deal with that?

The next few weeks could be the most significant two weeks in the history of this nation.  we’re likely to find out who believes we’re a “nation of laws and not men,” who believes the “president is not above the law,” and whether or not our Congress took their oath to the constitution seriously.  The actions of the republicans in Congress, so far, don’t give me a lot of confidence they have the courage to stand up to all those “very fine people.”  They haven’t convinced me they have the courage to stand up to Trump.  We’re, quite possibly, going to see where “the rubber meets the road.”  Republicans have been attacking our system of government for years – they refer to the government as if it’s the “enemy” – despite the FACT “we the people” are the government.  I’ve had to stomach two of the past three presidents being elected with fewer votes than their opponent – in the case of Bush, the Supreme Court (which saddled us with the Citizens United decision opening the floodgates of foreign money into our elections – not to mention BILLIONS of domestic dollars).  I’ve watched as republicans have attacked the Voting Rights Act and, shortly after the Supreme Court obliterated section five of that Act, republicans began a concerted voter suppression program.  And, what they’ve given us is Trump.  That should be enough for “we the people” to, in November, vote them into the history books.  I doubt that will happen, despite all that Trump is doing, because, so many republican voters, just like their president, seem to be willingly STUPID when it comes to our government.  As Trump, himself, said in the campaign of 2016, “I love the uneducated voters.”