The Sleight of Hand at the Heart of Trump?s Appeal

Given Trump’s zeal for cutting taxes for the rich — and willingness to pardon those loyal to him, should they get in legal trouble — it’s not hard to see why such a return might appeal to a man like Ross.Of course, the 79-year-old magnate was careful to frame his support more diplomatically in public. “I have been, and will continue to be, an outspoken champion of racial equality, inclusion, diversity, public education and environmental sustainability, and I have and will continue to support leaders on both sides of the aisle to address these challenges.”This is a nimble sleight of hand: To reconcile his more egalitarian pursuits with efforts to ensure a two-term presidency for a virulent bigot, Ross is trying to split Trump in two ideologically — a racist one hand, and a leader with good ideas about the economy on the other (no matter that the economic growth for which Trump takes credit is mostly an extension of Obama-era trends). Appealing to racists, xenophobes, and Islamophobes is how Trump mobilizes white middle- and working-class support for Republican economic policies, and especially its tax cuts, which are otherwise unpopular and disproportionately benefit rich people and corporations.It also continues a trend older than the United States itself, by which monied interests stoked — and often created — racist divisions to consolidate their own power. Five years later, in a series of interviews with The Washington Post, Johnson provided his fullest accounting of what he believes happened that day on Canfield Drive — including new details about Brown’s erratic state of mind.Despite the conclusions of federal and local authorities, Johnson said he stands by his story.“His hands were definitely up when he turned around,” Johnson said. “We’ve taken this action out of respect for the incidents of the past week, and this action does not reflect a long-term change in our video game assortment,” said Tara House, a Walmart spokeswoman, in a statement.Andrew McCabe and Peter Strzok are challenging Trump’s retaliatory moves against them in courtFormer FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe filed suit Thursday against the FBI and Justice Department, claiming that his March 2018 ouster — on the day he planned to retire after a 21-year career — was politically motivated retaliation driven by President Donald Trump, who was angry at McCabe’s role in the investigation of his campaign’s links to Russia.“It was Trump’s unconstitutional plan and scheme to discredit and remove DOJ and FBI employees who were deemed to be his partisan opponents because they were not politically loyal to him,” according to McCabe’s lawsuit. Strzok is seeking his old job back or compensation for his lost pay and benefits, while McCabe is seeking the reinstatement of his full retirement benefits.Why would you want a career official with deep intelligence knowledge to help with the transition?President Trump said in a tweet Thursday that he will name Joseph Maguire, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, as the acting director of national intelligence, following his aborted effort to install a political loyalist. Of particular note, former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, who had 6% support in April, registers less than 1% in the current poll.Who are you going to believe, polls that show most Americans support expanding background checks, or the scandal-plagued NRA chief?President Trump has repeatedly told lawmakers and aides in private conversations that he is open to endorsing extensive background checks in the wake of two mass shootings, prompting a warning from the National Rifle Association and concerns among White House aides, according to lawmakers and administration officials.