Scientist details how Trump ‘obliterated’ Obama’s pandemic response infrastructure out of spite

AlterNet logoThe coronavirus disease that was first diagnosed in China’s Hubei province has now spread to at least 47 countries and every continent except Antarctica. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak an international health emergency. President Trump sought to play down the threat from coronavirus and announced Vice President Mike Pence would be his point person to coordinate government efforts to prevent a widespread outbreak. As Trump spoke, a new milestone in the novel coronavirus outbreak was reported, in a possible example of community spread: A person was diagnosed with the virus in Northern California who had not traveled to any of the affected regions of the world, nor had known contact with anyone else who did. We speak with Laurie Garrett, former senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations and a Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer. She is the author of several books, including “Ebola: Story of an Outbreak,” “The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Diseases in a World Out of Balance” and “Betrayal of Trust: The Collapse of Global Public Health.”

The coronavirus disease that was first diagnosed in China’s Hubei province has now spread to at least 47 countries and every continent except Antarctica. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak an international health emergency. President Trump sought to play down the threat from coronavirus and announced Vice President Mike Pence would be his point person to coordinate government efforts to prevent a widespread outbreak. As Trump spoke, a new milestone in the novel coronavirus outbreak was reported, in a possible example of community spread: A person was diagnosed with the virus in Northern California who had not traveled to any of the affected regions of the world, nor had known contact with anyone else who did. We speak with Laurie Garrett, former senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations and a Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer. She is the author of several books, including “Ebola: Story of an Outbreak,” “The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Diseases in a World Out of Balance” and “Betrayal of Trust: The Collapse of Global Public Health.” Continue reading.

White House pulls nomination of Pentagon official who raised Ukraine aid concerns

Washington Post logoThe White House on Monday pulled the nomination of a Pentagon official who gained prominence because of concerns she raised about withholding military aid for Ukraine.

In a statement, the White House said it had withdrawn the nomination of Elaine McCusker as Pentagon comptroller, a position she has held on an acting basis. It provided no reason why McCusker, a career civil servant who was nominated to be confirmed in the job in November, would no longer be considered.

The decision is likely to deepen concerns about whether the Trump administration is singling out officials seen as playing a role unfavorable to the president in matters related to his impeachment. It follows the departure last month of John Rood, a top policy official who likewise was a leading figure in the Pentagon’s response to the delay of security aid to Ukraine, an issue that became central to the impeachment proceedings against President Trump. Continue reading.

It’s not just revenge: Columnist says there’s one ‘alarming’ aspect of Trump’s purge that is being ignored

AlterNet logoPresident Trump is currently enacting a purge of his administration, a purge that many see as retribution against those who’ve crossed him or who’ve failed to adequately support him in public. But according to Washington Post columnist Greg Sargent, Trump isn’t just getting revenge, he’s shoring up his ability to corrupt the rule of law.

Trump’s purge is “forward looking,” Sargent writes, because it “clears the way for more such corruption of the rule of law and sends a message to others about what awaits them if they stand in the way of this as it continues to devolve.”

According to Sargent, the mainstream press gets one thing wrong about him — that he actually thinks there’s a “deep state cabal” that’s aligned against him. “But this is a fundamental error,” Sargent writes. “Trump is raging at officials who constitute an obstacle to his own active, ongoing corruption of the rule of law. And it’s working: The Justice Department actually is carrying out his corrupt bidding in many ways.” Continue reading.

Ginni Thomas leading purge of ‘disloyal’ Trump aides: report

AlterNet logoA group led by Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, is driving a White House effort to purge government officials seen as “disloyal” to President Donald Trump and replace them with vocal supporters who regularly appear on Fox News, according to Axios.

Trump recently rehired Johnny McEntee, a 29-year-old personal aide to Trump who was abruptly fired in 2018 amid an investigation over “serious financial crimes,” to lead the presidential personnel office and purge officials believed to be “anti-Trump,” Axios reported last week.

This effort has apparently been in the works since at least 2018, when Thomas’ group Groundswell submitted a number of memos urging the firing of so-called “Never Trump” and “Deep State” officials as aides complained that the government was filled with “snakes,” according to the report. Continue reading.

New White House Personnel Chief Seeking ‘Purge’ Of Trump Critics

In 2018, John McEntee had been serving as a personal aide to President Donald Trump when White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly fired him. But Kelly left Trump’s administration in January 2019 on bad terms with the president, and McEntee was recently rehired for the White House and asked to head the personnel office — where, according to Axios reporters Jonathan Swan and Alayna Treene, the 29-year-old Trump loyalist is trying to purge Trump’s critics.  

Swan and Treene report that Trump “has empowered McEntee — whom he considers an absolute loyalist — to purge the ‘bad people’ and ‘Deep State.’ McEntee told staff that those identified as anti-Trump will no longer get promotions by shifting them around agencies.”

The Axios journalists report that according to three sources, McEntee “called in White House liaisons from cabinet agencies for an introductory meeting” on Thursday and “askedthem to identify political appointees across the U.S. government who are believed to be anti-Trump.” Continue reading.

Trump embarks on expansive search for disloyalty as administration-wide purge escalates

Washington Post logoPresident Trump has instructed his White House to identify and force out officials across his administration who are not seen as sufficiently loyal, a post-impeachment escalation that administration officials say reflects a new phase of a campaign of retribution and restructuring ahead of the November election.

Johnny McEntee, Trump’s former personal aide who now leads the effort as director of presidential personnel, has begun combing through various agencies with a mandate from the president to oust or sideline political appointees who have not proved their loyalty, according to several administration officials and others familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

The push comes in the aftermath of an impeachment process in which several members of Trump’s administration provided damning testimony about his behavior with regard to Ukraine. The stream of officials publicly criticizing Trump’s actions frustrated the president and caused him to fixate on cleaning house after his acquittal this month. Continue reading.

Trump critics explain why White House purge of Mueller-friendly DOJ elements is ‘retaliation and most likely illegal’: report

AlterNet logoEleven months have passed since former Special Counsel Robert Mueller completed his Russia investigation, but President Donald Trump and his loyalists continue to hold a grudge — and Trump still denounces the probe as a “witch hunt.” Legal reporter Colin Kalmacher, in a February 20 article for Law & Crime, examines the Trump White House’s plans to purge the U.S. Department of Justice(DOJ) of Mueller-friendly elements. And according to some legal voices, doing so is an unethical act of revenge.

Richard Painter, a law professor at the University of Minnesota and former White House ethics attorney under President George W. Bush, told Law & Crime, “This is retaliation and most likely illegal. Some of these investigations are ongoing — meaning this is obstruction of justice.”

Attorney Bradley P. Moss is also troubled by the Trump White House’s purge of Mueller-friendly elements within the DOJ. Continue reading.

Scoop: Top NSC official reassigned to Energy Department amid “Anonymous” fallout

Axios logoDeputy national security adviser Victoria Coates will be reassigned as a senior adviser to Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette, the National Security Council said Thursday — and a senior White House official said that the administration “rejects” the rumors that she is “Anonymous.”

Why it matters: Coates has battled claims that she is the still-unknown Trump administration official that penned a New York Times op-ed and book critical of President Trump.

  • Coates has vehemently denied the charges, which strained her working relationship with national security adviser Robert O’Brien, to colleagues.
  • The decision confirms Axios’ reporting that such a move was being considered earlier this week. Continue reading.

Veterans Denounce Trump’s Attacks On Vindman

President Donald Trump’s attacks and retaliation against impeachment witness Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman are an “an affront to the Constitution,” according to an open letter from a group of more than 1,1000 veterans made public today.

“The President’s actions and insults towards LTC Vindman are not only wrong, they carry dangerous implications,” the group said. “The dismissal of LTC Vindman and his brother, also an Army Lieutenant Colonel, from the National Security Council staff appears to be motivated by nothing more than political retribution and deprives the White House of expertise necessary to defend our collective national security. The manner of these dismissals suggests that the Commander-in-Chief has prioritized a personal vendetta over our national security.”

Vindman provided important testimony during the impeachment proceedings as a witness to Trump’s infamous July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Vindman was disturbed by Trump’s effort to induce Ukraine into launching and announcing investigations of former Vice President Joe Biden and his son. Continue reading.

Top NSC official may be moved after “Anonymous” rumor fallout

Axios logoTop Trump administration officials are in discussions to reassign deputy national security adviser Victoria Coates to the Department of Energy from the National Security Council, per two sources familiar with the planning.

Why it matters: Coates’ working relationship with National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien, who elevated her to the deputy role only months ago, has strained amid an effort by some people inside the administration to tag her as “Anonymous” — a charge she has vehemently denied to colleagues.

  • Coates could take on a senior role under Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette, the former deputy secretary who was elevated to lead the department in December after Rick Perry’s departure.
  • A decision on such a personnel move has not been finalized and discussions could still fall apart, one source tells Axios.
  • “We do not comment on personnel matters,” National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot told Axios. Coates declined comment. Continue reading.