Melissa McEwan

Graham to fellow Republicans “gleeful” over Russian hacking: “You’re not a patriot”

I have previously wondered where the Republicans’ oft-touted patriotism has gone in the national crisis surrounding Russian interference in our election. Now, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has raised the same specter of disloyalty, during an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press. Watch: Here’s what I think we should do as a nation: We should all […]

By Melissa McEwan - January 09, 2017

Wrong again, Trump: Most Americans think you should release your tax returns

At his first post-election press conference, Donald Trump was asked by a reporter whether he would at long last release his tax returns. He responded: “You know, the only one that cares about my tax returns are the reporters, okay?” She pressed him: “You don’t think that the American public is concerned about that?” To […]

By Melissa McEwan - January 16, 2017

Elizabeth Warren strongly condemns Senate GOP for abetting Trump transition ethics crisis

Senate Republicans have been scheming to protect Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees from routine ethics scrutiny, and Senator Elizabeth Warren is pushing back hard, rightly accusing Trump’s nominees of “drag[ging] their feet on ethics paperwork while their Senate friends try to run out the clock.” .@SenateMajLdr & the @SenateGOP are desperately trying to rush Senate confirmation […]

By Melissa McEwan - January 08, 2017

Senate Republicans scheming to protect Trump nominees from ethics scrutiny

Congressional Republicans’ hostility to rigorous ethics enforcement cannot be in question, given their failed attempt to gut the Office of Congressional Ethics just last week. Now, they are attempting to undermine the work of the Office of Government Ethics by scheduling confirmation hearings for President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees before the OGE has time to complete […]

By Melissa McEwan - January 07, 2017

Trump-Putin alliance grows, as Putin pens flattering letter to “His Excellency Donald Trump”

After Vladimir Putin gave a speech in which he advocated the “need to strengthen the strategic nuclear forces,” Donald Trump responded with a cryptic tweet: The United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, […]

By Melissa McEwan - December 24, 2016

President Obama: “Vladimir Putin is not on our team”

A pointed reminder from President Obama: Watch President Obama note that “Vladimir Putin is not on our team.” (FYI: @POTUS is right) pic.twitter.com/fGw4sLelke — HawaiiDelilah (@HawaiiDelilah) January 7, 2017 GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Bottom line: This time, Vladimir Putin got what he wanted? BARACK OBAMA: Well, look, I think that what is true is that the Russians […]

By Melissa McEwan - January 07, 2017

Democrats’ Protecting Our Democracy Act gains support of more than 170 House members

At the end of the last Congressional term, Rep. Elijah Cummings, the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Rep. Eric Swalwell, the ranking member of the CIA Subcommittee of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, introduced legislation calling for the creation of a bipartisan, independent commission to investigate […]

By Melissa McEwan - January 06, 2017

Yes, We Can: In a moving video, people recall meaningful moments of Obama’s presidency

The White House has produced a lovely compilation of people — from average U.S. citizens to celebrities to world leaders — recalling meaningful moments and key accomplishments of President Obama’s presidency. “Yes, we can.” President Obama spoke these three words for the first time in January 2008 in New Hampshire. And for the past eight […]

By Melissa McEwan - January 06, 2017

Senator Tim Kaine goes in on Trump and his “unusual, suspicious” allegiance with Putin

During an interview with CNN’s Alisyn Camerota, Senator Tim Kaine reminded us why he was such an excellent choice for the Democratic ticket, precisely detailing the many concerns about Donald Trump’s alarming relationship with Vladimir Putin, his hostility toward the intelligence community, and his perplexing and worrying indifference to protecting “American electoral systems from invasion […]

By Melissa McEwan - January 05, 2017

Trump’s long game: Discredit intelligence community to justify replacing them with “his own people”

In his continuing campaign of denialism about Russian interference in the election, Donald Trump again took to Twitter to mendaciously obfuscate, smearing U.S. intelligence officials while praising WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. In the short-term, as my colleague Tommy Christopher detailed, Trump is laying the groundwork for “pushback against the inevitable revelation that the intelligence community’s […]

By Melissa McEwan - January 04, 2017

Mike Pence to meet with House GOP to strategize Obamacare repeal

Mike Pence, veep-elect and former Congressman, is emerging as the most powerful vice-president ever. I have repeatedly urged maintaining focus on Pence, and the bridge-building between the White House and the GOP Congressional majority with which he would certainly be tasked. And here we are: On the second day of the new Congress, Pence will […]

By Melissa McEwan - January 03, 2017

Michelle Obama poignantly invokes the power of hope in her final address as First Lady

Speaking before an assembly of celebrated school guidance counselors from across the country, First Lady Michelle Obama delivered her stirring final address, during which she got emotional as she talked about the power of hope. “We can be whatever we dream” – Michelle Obama says in emotional final speech as First Lady pic.twitter.com/FDAQeSSCT1 — BBC […]

By Melissa McEwan - January 06, 2017

Senator Sherrod Brown will vote “no” on Jeff Sessions for Attorney General

Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) has announced that he will oppose Donald Trump’s nominee for Attorney General, Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL). Following a meeting with Sessions, who is scheduled to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee for a confirmation hearing next Tuesday, Brown indicated that he is unconvinced that Sessions will defend civil rights — a […]

By Melissa McEwan - January 06, 2017

Trump again greets acts of public violence with gross self-congratulation

Donald Trump does not appear to care very much about victims of public acts of violence, nor about the reverberating effects his commentary might have on people who commit these acts. His primary concern, after nearly every act of public violence, has been to do a self-aggrandizing victory lap, no matter how cynically or undeservedly, […]

By Melissa McEwan - December 21, 2016

Gaslighter-in-chief Trump claims to be “big fan” of intelligence community

A day after Donald Trump favorably tweeted about Julian Assange and smeared the intelligence community, he took to Twitter to push back on resulting criticism: The dishonest media likes saying that I am in Agreement with Julian Assange – wrong. I simply state what he states, it is for the people…. — Donald J. Trump […]

By Melissa McEwan - January 05, 2017

Movement grows to keep Trump off 2020 ballot unless he releases his tax returns

As we previously reported, state legislators in California and New York were working on legislation that would make disclosure of tax returns a requirement for presidential candidates to get on the ballot. Now, state lawmakers in a number of other states are joining the emergent campaign. A pair of Maryland Democrats on Tuesday announced they […]

By Melissa McEwan - January 04, 2017

Obama administration hits back hard against Russia for election interference

On December 15, President Obama made it clear his administration planned to take action against Russia for their unprecedented interference in the U.S. presidential election, saying: “I think there is no doubt that when any foreign government tries to impact the integrity of our elections … we need to take action. And we will — […]

By Melissa McEwan - December 29, 2016

Obama and Clinton are most admired man and woman of the year — again

For the ninth time, President Obama has been chosen as the most admired man of the year in Gallup’s poll of most admired men and women, and for the twenty-first time, Hillary Clinton has been chosen as the most admired woman. President Obama drew 22 percent of the vote for most admired man, besting the […]

By Melissa McEwan - December 29, 2016

If you want to bring the fight to Trump, Shareblue is the place to be in 2017

If you have felt like 2016 was a dreadful year and you are glad to see the back of it, you are certainly not alone. We are entering 2017 in a much different space than we had hoped and expected to be: Instead of celebrating the nation’s first female president whose competent leadership would build […]

By Melissa McEwan - January 01, 2017

Trump thinks the most offensive thing about John Bolton is his mustache

In a remarkably tolerant piece which suggests “Given Trump’s own background as a master brander and showman who ran beauty pageants as a sideline, it was probably inevitable that he would be looking beyond their résumés for a certain aesthetic in his supporting players,” the Washington Post’s Philip Rucker and Karen Tumulty report that Trump […]

By Melissa McEwan - December 22, 2016

Trump picks Wall Street lawyer to head Securities and Exchange Commission

Already, Donald Trump has chosen former Goldman Sachs partner and the founder of a hedge fund Steven Mnuchin to be his Secretary of the Treasury; has chosen billionaire investor Wilbur Ross to be his Commerce Secretary; has chosen Wall Street billionaire Carl Icahn to be his regulatory czar; and has chosen Goldman Sachs’ Chief Operating […]

By Melissa McEwan - January 04, 2017

WARNING: Family planning safety net is under risk nationwide

We have been documenting the early indications that anti-choice legislators have been emboldened by the imminent presidency of Donald Trump, powerful vice-presidency of Mike Pence, a Republican-controlled Congress, and a Supreme Court vacancy waiting to be filled. With the little time he has left in office, President Obama is doing what he can to safeguard […]

By Melissa McEwan - December 21, 2016

Corporate media wildly misinterpret Trump’s tweets on ethics change — to his favor

After House Republicans voted to gut the independent Office of Congressional Ethics, which investigates ethics and criminal complaints against lawmakers, President-elect Donald Trump tweeted: With all that Congress has to work on, do they really have to make the weakening of the Independent Ethics Watchdog, as unfair as it — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January […]

By Melissa McEwan - January 03, 2017

Trump reportedly rakes in more than $420,000 on his New Year’s Eve party

Politico reports that President-elect Donald Trump is throwing a “New Year’s Eve extravaganza” at his privately-owned Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, at which he and his family will supposedly be in attendance: Saturday’s formal event is scheduled to include a cocktail hour in the resort’s living room and patio area, followed by dinner and dancing […]

By Melissa McEwan - December 31, 2016

AP certifies election results; Clinton wins popular vote by 2.8 million

NEW: Certified election results, per the AP: Clinton 65,844,610 (48.2%)Trump 62,979,636 (46.1%)Difference: 2,864,974 — ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) December 22, 2016 Donald Trump won the Electoral College, and thus the presidency. But he did not win a mandate. He was 46th out of 58 in electoral votes and continues to lose by every other metric. […]

By Melissa McEwan - December 22, 2016

Kellyanne Conway, once a Trump critic, will serve as his chief propagandist in the White House

The Trump Transition has announced that Kellyanne Conway will be staying on as part of the team, in the role of Counselor to the President. Conway, said Trump in a statement, “has been a trusted advisor and strategist who played a crucial role in my victory. She is a tireless and tenacious advocate of my […]

By Melissa McEwan - December 22, 2016

In secret meeting, House Republicans vote to gut independent ethics office

In a late-night, secret meeting, House Republicans voted to gut the independent Office of Congressional Ethics: “Behind closed doors, the caucus voted to approve an amendment to a broader House rules package that would put the office under the House Ethics Committee and significantly restrict its authority. The House will vote Tuesday on the rules […]

By Melissa McEwan - January 03, 2017

Trump called Russian hacking “a big problem” and “very dangerous”…in 2014

Donald Trump still alarmingly refuses to condemn ongoing Russian hacking, which is both damaging and potentially treasonous. But in 2014, when he was not the beneficiary of hacking personally orchestrated by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump called Russian hacking “a big problem.” On Fox News in 2014, however, Trump was quick to agree with a […]

By Melissa McEwan - December 19, 2016

What President Obama taught me in preparation for the fight against Trump

I have always admired President Barack Obama, but I would be lying if I said I had always been his greatest fan. To be frank, I was not a huge supporter of his during his first campaign — though I vigorously defended him and proudly voted for him. I supported many of his policy proposals. […]

By Melissa McEwan - December 25, 2016

Paul Ryan reelected Speaker; gives speech about patriotism while his party ignores Trump’s disloyalty

Rep. Paul Ryan was reelected as Speaker of the House today, maintaining his position as third in line to the presidency. During remarks following his reelection, Ryan expressed “optimism” for the impending Donald Trump presidency and waxed poetic about the patriotism of House members — despite the fact that his party endeavors to stymie efforts […]

By Melissa McEwan - January 03, 2017