Axios: Trump’s October barage

Trump’s October barrage
 
Photo illustration of President Trump in front of cracks featuring images of Ilhan Omar, Vladimir Putin, the White House ballroom, social media posts, and voting ballot
Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photos: Getty Images
 
President Trump is carrying his insatiable appetite for controversy into the most unforgiving stretch of the electoral calendar, fortified by a decade of political survival, Axios’ Zachary Basu writes.

“Bottom line, it’s gonna all work out. You know why? It always does,” Trump told reporters this week.

Why it matters: Gone are the days of a single “October surprise.” It’s been swallowed by a barrage of scandals, provocations and shattered conventions that have persisted in the closing weeks of Trump’s final midterm election.

The big picture: Axios has documented Trump’s steady demolition of presidential norms in his second term, from the transition through his first 100 days and first year in office.

This year, even the threat of losing Congress β€” and with it, much of his ability to pursue his agenda over the next two years β€” has done little to temper the pace or audacity of Trump’s presidency

πŸ—“οΈ Consider the first 15 days of October alone, and the succession of controversies that might have shaken the foundation of a more conventional presidency:

Raid on a political opponent: Federal agents searched Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-Minn.) home and seized her phone as part of an investigation aimed at stripping the sitting member of Congress of her U.S. citizenship and ultimately deporting her, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Calls to shoot leakers: Trump declared at an Arizona campaign rally that officials who leak sensitive military information “should be shot,” invoking an earlier era when he claimed the government routinely executed leakers.

Concessions to Vladimir Putin: Trump eased sanctions on Russian diesel, demanded the ouster of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and pressured Kyiv to stop attacking Russian refineries, even as Moscow continued bombing Ukrainian infrastructure.

Federal crackdown on the press: The Justice Department launched an antitrust investigation into ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC after the networks suspended White House TV pool coverage to protest Trump’s ban on three news organizations.

$5,000 election promise: Trump pledged to send every adult American a $5,000 check if Republicans retain control of Congress, explicitly tying more than $1 trillion in proposed federal payments to the outcome of the midterms.President Trump greets former NFL and University of Georgia star running back Todd Gurley at a campaign rally in Dalton, Ga., yesterday. Photo: Eric Lee/Getty Images

The other side: Three October episodes forced Trump into rare retreats.

A televised execution: Trump scrapped Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s plan to livestream a convicted mass murderer’s execution by firing squad after bipartisan outrage.

An ambassador’s downfall: Trump forced Kimberly Guilfoyle β€” who was engaged to his son for four years until 2024 β€” to resign as ambassador to Greece after reports that she solicited $100,000 from a political donor to cover personal credit-card bills.

A five-day press secretary: Trump ousted Katie Zacharia amid scrutiny of her legal credentials and a widely criticized debut. Axios reports Trump was blindsided to learn that Zacharia β€” whom he had introduced as an attorney β€” had never passed the bar exam.

What they’re saying: Far from seeing October as a month of political peril, the administration is celebrating it as a continuation of Trump’s record.

White House assistant press secretary Allison Schuster told Axios: “Since Day 1 of his administration, President Trump has boldly and consistently fulfilled his campaign promises to protect national security, make America beautiful, secure the border, crack down on crime, ensure free and fair elections, and make life more affordable.

“The bottom line: Trump is treating a moment of maximum political vulnerability like business as usual, betting that the instincts that carried him this far won’t fail him now.

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About michelleclarke2015

Life event that changes all: Horse riding accident in Zimbabwe in 1993, a fractured skull et al including bipolar anxiety, chronic fatigue …. co-morbidities (Nietzche 'He who has the reason why can deal with any how' details my health history from 1993 to date). 17th 2017 August operation for breast cancer (no indications just an appointment came from BreastCheck through the Post). Trinity College Dublin Business Economics and Social Studies (but no degree) 1997-2003; UCD 1997/1998 night classes) essays, projects, writings. Trinity Horizon Programme 1997/98 (Centre for Women Studies Trinity College Dublin/St. Patrick's Foundation (Professor McKeon) EU Horizon funded: research study of 15 women (I was one of this group and it became the cornerstone of my journey to now 2017) over 9 mth period diagnosed with depression and their reintegration into society, with special emphasis on work, arts, further education; Notes from time at Trinity Horizon Project 1997/98; Articles written for Irishhealth.com 2003/2004; St Patricks Foundation monthly lecture notes for a specific period in time; Selection of Poetry including poems written by people I know; Quotations 1998-2017; other writings mainly with theme of social justice under the heading Citizen Journalism Ireland. Letters written to friends about life in Zimbabwe; Family history including Michael Comyn KC, my grandfather, my grandmother's family, the O'Donnellan ffrench Blake-Forsters; Moral wrong: An acrimonious divorce but the real injustice was the Catholic Church granting an annulment – you can read it and make your own judgment, I have mine. Topics I have written about include annual Brain Awareness week, Mashonaland Irish Associataion in Zimbabwe, Suicide (a life sentence to those left behind); Nostalgia: Tara Hill, Co. Meath.
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