Executive Time: After Spending The Weekend Off Twitter, Trump Returns With A Vengeance
I think we all knew it wouldn’t last long.
This past weekend, President Donald Trump took a break from Twitter. Apparently comfortable with letting his lawyer Rudy Giuliani go on TV and cause more chaos while seemingly opening him up to additional legal problems, Trump decided to treat himself to some golf on Sunday and stay away from social media.
But by Monday morning, his phone was back in his hand, and his fingers were furiously back to work.
With his public schedule showing a whole lotta Executive Time and not much else, it looks like the president decided early on his Monday would be dedicated solely to tossing out a series of tweet grenades. And by 10:10 AM ET, the president had sent out nine tweets, most them meant to generate at least some sort of reaction and potentially generate headlines.
In his first post of the morning, the president weighed in on the West Virginia GOP Senate primary, begged Republican voters in the state to not vote for former coal baron Don Blankenship.
To the great people of West Virginia we have, together, a really great chance to keep making a big difference. Problem is, Don Blankenship, currently running for Senate, can’t win the General Election in your State…No way! Remember Alabama. Vote Rep. Jenkins or A.G. Morrisey!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2018
Blankenship has gained notoriety in recent days for a series of campaign ads and remarks in which he’s called Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell “Cocaine Mitch” while complaining about McConnell’s “China family” and jobs given to “China people.” Trump, of course, isn’t condemning Blankenship’s comments — just telling West Virginians that the fresh-out-of-prison multi-millionaire can’t win a general election because he’s too reminiscent of Roy Moore. (If Blankenship wins the primary, though, you can bet Trump will endorse him just like he did Moore.)
The president followed that tweet up with a post backing his CIA director nominee Gina Haspel, who had reportedly considered backing out of consideration due to concerns she may not be confirmed over questions about her role in torturing terrorism suspects.
My highly respected nominee for CIA Director, Gina Haspel, has come under fire because she was too tough on Terrorists. Think of that, in these very dangerous times, we have the most qualified person, a woman, who Democrats want OUT because she is too tough on terror. Win Gina!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2018
As for Trump’s complaints that she has “come under fire because she was too tough on Terrorists,” Vox provided a helpful explainer on why she is a contentious pick:
“Haspel is controversial because she oversaw a secret CIA detention site in Thailand when in 2002 operatives conducted a brutal interrogation of terror suspect Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri that included waterboarding. Before she arrived at the site, another suspect, Abu Zubaydah, was tortured there as well. The CIA videotaped the torture. Haspel later served as chief of staff to Jose Rodriguez, the head of the agency’s counterterrorism center, when he ordered that the tapes be destroyed. Her name was on the cable that made the call. The Justice Department investigated the tape-destruction order but filed no charges.”
Of course, we got some “Witch Hunt” tweets about the Mueller investigation because the day wouldn’t be complete without those.
The Russia Witch Hunt is rapidly losing credibility. House Intelligence Committee found No Collusion, Coordination or anything else with Russia. So now the Probe says OK, what else is there? How about Obstruction for a made up, phony crime.There is no O, it’s called Fighting Back
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2018
The 13 Angry Democrats in charge of the Russian Witch Hunt are starting to find out that there is a Court System in place that actually protects people from injustice…and just wait ‘till the Courts get to see your unrevealed Conflicts of Interest!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2018
Is this Phony Witch Hunt going to go on even longer so it wrongfully impacts the Mid-Term Elections, which is what the Democrats always intended? Republicans better get tough and smart before it is too late!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2018
And, just for the hell of it, he promoted a book by reporter and purported Trump whisperer Salena Zito. Likely he heard the new tome was complimentary of him and his voters.
“The Great Revolt” by Salena Zito and Brad Todd does much to tell the story of our great Election victory. The Forgotten Men & Women are forgotten no longer!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2018
Trump wanted to say congrats to his newest ambassador, who dealt with a tough confirmation fight.
Good luck to Ric Grenell, our new Ambassador to Germany. A great and talented guy, he will represent our Country well!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2018
Also, what Trump tweetstorm would be complete without some good ol’ fashioned punching down? In this instance, the president commented on the recent announcement that FBI officials Lisa Page and Jim Baker would be stepping down. Page has been at the center of Trump loyalists’ “Secret Society” and “Deep State” conspiracies regarding the FBI and DOJ.
Lisa Page, who may hold the record for the most Emails in the shortest period of time (to her Lover, Peter S), and attorney Baker, are out at the FBI as part of the Probers getting caught? Why is Peter S still there? What a total mess. Our Country has to get back to Business!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2018
And with reports that former Secretary of State John Kerry was clandestinely working with foreign leaders and diplomats to save the Iran Deal, Trump lashed out at the one-time Democratic presidential nominee.
The United States does not need John Kerry’s possibly illegal Shadow Diplomacy on the very badly negotiated Iran Deal. He was the one that created this MESS in the first place!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 7, 2018
Going to go out on a limb here and say the president is not done tweeting today.
