The Opposition Research Files: A Primer on what Trump has done during his First eight days in Office.

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The best Organizers are the ones with the most knowledge on the issues. They are able to use the facts at their disposal to galvanize support, squelch opposition and sometimes even convert opponents. Because of the depth and breadth of Trump’s many actions against our country is hard to fathom that;

I HAVE CHECKED OFF 17 ACTIONS &/OR REACTIONS TO TRUMP THAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION IN PARTICULAR

And this is without even any mention of the information purged off of the White House and other Government Websites (Notable purges mentioned at the bottom of this Essay, bringing the Total Number up To *20 Actions/Reactions*!)

Pre-Inauguration Hype/Post-Inauguration letdown? (MLK Week January 15^th-22^nd) 

1- Trump feuds with Civil Rights Icon and Congressman John Lewis.

“In the past year, Trump has gotten into public disputes with a beauty queen and the Muslim parents of a dead soldier. But on the eve of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, Trump went back and forth with a man whom John McCain once called “one of the most respected men in America.” –  Cleve Wootson Jr. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/01/15/in-feud-with-john-lewis-donald-trump-attacked-one-of-the-most-respected-people-in-america/?utm_term=.4b31754db981

Congrats Mr. President-Elect, for any political capital or good-will you might have even attempted to garner from the Progressive-Wing of The Democratic Party, was squandered right here before you even took one step in the Oval Office. Trump actually showed his true-self so effectively that out of 192 Democrats in the House of Representative, over 1/3^rd of all members of the Democratic House Caucus (about 70 members) skipped the Inauguration. http://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/here-are-the-democrats-skipping-trumps-inauguration

2-What is Trump’s Obsession with Crowd Size, anyhow?

“Delegitimizing the media is important to Trump because delegitimizing certain facts is important to Trump.”-Ezra Klein. http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/1/21/14347952/trump-spicer-press-conference-crowd-size-inauguration

Thank you, Ezra Klein! There’s not much more I can add to your astute analysis.

Monday January 23^rd

3-On Trump’s first week-day on the job, Trump implemented a Hiring Freeze on all Federal Workers:

“President Trump’s hiring freeze will prevent many veterans from getting jobs. At the same time, it will cause longer waits for VA medical care, and increase the backlog on VA disability claims.” – Harry Stein.  http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/the-administration/316467-trumps-hiring-freeze-breaks-faith-with-americas

I thought the goal was to put people in work, not put them out of work.

4-The Death of TPP!

“The US president, Donald Trump, has signed an executive order formally withdrawing the country from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, following through on a promise from his presidential campaign.” http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/01/trump-withdraws-trans-pacific-partnership-tpp-deal-170123170334145.html

TPP probably is one of the most widely debated issues we have going on, split among both major political parties. Democrat for President Bernie Sanders was very much opposed to it, as was Hillary Clinton. (Although, I’m not entirely sure Hillary had much conviction in opposition, or just went where the wind blowed, here).

5-Trump reinstates the “Global Gag-Rule”; Having Women’s Rights Groups Reeling.

“In the past, the global gag rule meant that foreign NGOs must disavow any involvement with abortion in order to receive U.S. family planning funding. Trump’s version of the global gag rule expands the policy to all global health funding. According to Ehlers, the new rule means that rather than impacting $600 million in U.S. foreign aid, the global gag rule will affect $9.5 billion” –Michelle Goldberg.  http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2017/01/trump_s_global_gag_rule_is_even_worse_than_it_seemed.html

The re-enforcement of the Global Gag Rule, is not a surprise to anyone who has knowledge of this ruling. It was started by President Reagan in 1984 and has gone in and out of existence internationally depending on who is President of the USA and who isn’t.

(PS – if you didn’t notice, it is a favorite ruling of Republicans, but is swept away under Democrats)

Tuesday January 24th

Another rung up the ladder towards our ever expanding “Ecological Apocalypse”

6-DAPL IS BACK (& also) 7-KEYSTONE PIPELINE IS BACK

 “President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed executive actions to advance approval of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines. The decision to advance the pipelines cast aside efforts by President Barack Obama’s administration to block construction of the two pipelines, while making good on one of Trump’s campaign promises” – Diamond, Jones, Krieg” . http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/24/politics/trump-keystone-xl-dakota-access-pipelines-executive-actions/

The long-term consequences of this could be potentially devastating. For a country and a world that already has such an over-dependence on Oil, I find this move equal to that of a Crack Addict moving from smoking it daily, to having an IV of it in both his legs and both of his arms to get a quicker longer-lasting sustainable high. Not only that, but DAPL is further homogenizing our country and our world, displacing Native Americans from their home and deliberately trying to wipe out one of the few remaining indigenous populations we have left in the United States.

“The outcome of this battle, and the way it gets told, may set the stage for similar environmental and humanitarian disputes yet to come. For members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, the pipeline is a major environmental and cultural threat. In addition to trampling over ancestral lands, they are concerned a break near the Missouri River could pollute the reservation’s water supply.”- Cayte Bosler.  http://observer.com/2016/11/showdown-at-standing-rock-is-not-just-about-the-dakota-access-pipeline/

For more on Standing Rock/to get involved, visit: http://www.ienearth.org/stand-with-standing-rock-no-dapl/

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 25^th

 ^8-Build Walls not Bridges?

“President Trump has signed two executive orders related to immigration and border security, moving ahead with his plans to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico and to deport people who are in the country illegally” – Chappell, Keith, Kennedy. http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/01/25/511565740/trump-expected-to-order-building-of-u-s-mexico-wall-wednesday

Aside from the diplomatic fall-out from this (noted on Thursday’s headlines) this just goes to the heart of the image people have of America. Depending on who you ask, they usually will give you an opinion on this matter one way or another.

9-Trump and Immigration/Sanctuary Cities (my blood is starting to boil over this one)

“President Trump released an executive order on Wednesday to support immigration enforcement and punish local governments that don’t comply with federal authorities. In some so-called “sanctuary cities,” officials refuse to hand over illegal immigrants for deportation. Because jails are typically run by counties, rather than cities, county policies can matter more to immigrants.” – Darla Cameron. https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/national/sanctuary-cities/

Again, here we see huge ripple effects (that will be noted further down the article).

THURSDAY JANUARY 26^th

 10-American and Mexican Relations make a significantly sharp turn for the worse

“Peña Nieto said on Twitter on Thursday that his administration notified the White House that he won’t meet with Trump Tuesday, as originally planned. “The cancellation came after Trump tweeted earlier in the day that “If Mexico is unwilling to pay for the badly needed wall, then it would be better to cancel the upcoming meeting.” The cancellation of the long-awaited meeting between the two leaders marks the first significant diplomatic rift between the two countries in decades”. – DeCordoba, Montes. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/mexican-president-cancels-us-trip-amid-wall-dispute-2017-01-26

 FRIDAY Janury 27^th

11-“Trump banned Refugees on Holocaust Remembrance Day. That says everything.” Cecilla Wang. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/28/donald-trump-ban-refugees-holocaust-remembrance-day

12-Public Officials Cowering to Trump’s Sanctuary Ban. http://therightscoop.com/trump-triumphantly-tweets-florida-mayor-caving-on-sanctuary-cities-policy/

13- More evidence that most of us suspected, Donald Trump is a Man-Child, and he and his people can’t keep secrets worth a damn! https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/01/26/the-leaks-coming-out-the-trump-white-house-cast-the-boss-as-a-clueless-child/?utm_term=.d94a7e458f11&wpisrc=nl_most-draw10&wpmm=1

14-Probably the most damaging Anti-Obama Care Attack than any other hollow statement or non-binding resolution.

“The Trump administration has pulled the plug on all Obamacare outreach and advertising in the crucial final days of the 2017 enrollment season, according to sources at Health and Human Services and on Capitol Hill. Even ads that had already been placed and paid for have been pulled, the sources told POLITICO. The decision sends the clearest signal yet that President Donald Trump is determined to fulfill his campaign pledge to repeal Obamacare”. – Paul Demko. http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/trump-white-house-obamacare-ads-234245

I mean this action by Trump right here, to pull ads already paid for to get people to enroll in the open-market to get health insurance. Why doesn’t Trump just pull the plug on Obama Care and deal with the consequences of it now?

Wait…there’s more

Saturday January 28^th:

15- Oh that’s right! Trump has put himself in a much bigger fight!

“Donald Trump has broken America’s promise to the world. And people are already suffering for it” –Daran Lind. http://www.vox.com/2017/1/28/14424528/trump-refugee-ban-impact

And of course, it’s aftermath!

16- “Protest breaks out at JFK airport after refugees detained due to Trump’s immigration ban” – Sarah Lee. http://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/01/28/protest-breaks-out-at-jfk-airport-after-refugees-detained-due-to-trumps-immigration-ban/

 And if you thought Trump couldn’t possibly do any more harm in 8 whole days on the job, dig this!

17- “Trump puts Bannon on security council, dropping joint chiefs” http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38787241

MORE STUFF TO MAKE YOUR BLOOD BOIL:

Website Manipulation/Alternative Facts in Action!

18 –  http://www.salon.com/2017/01/25/trump-administration-purges-all-information-about-climate-change-from-the-epa-website/

19 – https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2017/01/20/trump-administration-purges-lgbt-rights-section-from-white-house-website/

20 – http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/trump-administration-quietly-purges-all-mention-civil-rights-and-climate-change-white

BONUS MATERIAL – FINAL THOUGHTS/POST ESSAY ANALYSIS:
If I were to assume we all knew about “ALL” of his actions and misdeeds, I’d be doing a disservice to all of us, by letting us forget how much damage he has already done during his already incredibly brief time in office. In fact the damage he’s done to this country started well before he got inaugurated, but I think some of our lasting memories of Trump and the staying power of “Trumpism” is best captured starting with the week leading up to his Inauguration. Hence why I started with Trump’s incorrigible behavior towards Congressman Lewis.

[Trumpism definition à “A gospel politicians preach to instill fear in locals: illegals are bringing crime and robbing their jobs, and radicals among Muslim refugees are terrorizing the “infidels.”  http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Trumpism]

Also for the sake of an already lengthy Essay, I did not post anything about “The Women’s March” even though all across the country, it was lit!

I also didn’t post anything on Trump’s “Unfounded claims” on mass-voter fraud. Nor did I bring up this crazy 20% tariff Trump wants to put on Mexican goods.  I also didn’t bring up how California’s is more serious about leaving the Union than they have ever been.

Nor did I bring to attention any of the bruising confirmation fights ahead to fulfill Trump’s Cabinet.  Although, the confirmation hearings, I believe have been widely covered far and wide as these confirmation battles are often long simmering stories, but other News, traveling at the speed of light, doesn’t always get its due!

*If I am missing anything else that you think should have been included in this Essay, please either let me know in the comments section, or email me*

In the words of a great Activist somewhere in America – “Don’t give up, Get Active!”

-JPJ

END NOTES:
Please subscribe to this Blog, and if you liked this piece, please be on the look-out for my next two pieces related to this topic;

“RESISTANCE PART I: What people don’t get about Protesting and why it is of Critical Importance.”

RESISTANCE PART II: Valuable Tools, Resources, Links and Ideas for Surviving Trump’s America