Oliver Willis

Dem who survived cancer slams GOP rep who said sick don’t deserve affordable care

Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN) issued a stern rebuke of Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL), who defended the practice of denying health insurance to people with pre-existing conditions, saying that “people who lead good lives” and have “done the things to keep their bodies healthy” should not have to pay into a system covering others with serious conditions. […]

By Oliver Willis - May 02, 2017

Trump turns on America, declares we “need a good ‘shutdown'”

Donald Trump’s first few months in the White House have been a disaster. The opposition to his agenda continues to grow stronger, so he is now calling for a government shutdown, with no concern for the damage that would do to America. Trump took Twitter — his preferred outlet for whining when he does not […]

By Oliver Willis - May 02, 2017

Senate “Iron Man” Jeff Merkley’s floor speech against Gorsuch hits 15 hours and counting

Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), an actual iron man triathlete, took to the Senate floor at 6:46 pm on Tuesday night, and for more than 15 fifteen hours — and counting — he has been speaking in opposition to the nomination of Neil Gorsuch, Donald Trump’s choice for the Supreme Court that Republicans stole from President Obama. Merkley began […]

By Oliver Willis - April 05, 2017

Trump uses Russia investigation to cash in

Donald Trump told reporters he had “respect” for the Justice Department’s decision to appoint a special counsel to investigate him, but less than 24 hours after the remark, he began using it to raise money for his re-election campaign. Trump is using his and Mike Pence’s Facebook accounts to run advertising describing the investigation as […]

By Oliver Willis - May 20, 2017

Top Senate Intel Dem reportedly puts odds at 2:1 Trump will not finish his term

Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is currently investigating Russia’s interference in the election and the Trump campaign’s contacts with them, reportedly believes that Donald Trump will not complete his first term in office as president. According to a report from The New Yorker, Warner “privately told friends that […]

By Oliver Willis - May 01, 2017

Robert Reich: Trump is using tactics of “despots and tyrants”

Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich’s Inequality Media produces a regular video segment on Facebook called The Resistance Report. In his most recent dispatch, Reich deconstructs the Republican effort to discredit the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which is set to analyze the GOP’s attempt to dismantle Obamacare under the guise of the “American Health Care […]

By Oliver Willis - March 10, 2017

Trump takes revenge against Michelle Obama by shutting down global education for girls

Donald Trump is continuing his pattern of lashing out at the successful Obama administration as his presidency treads water and is engulfed in sordid scandals. In his latest spiteful act, Trump is ending the “Let Girls Learn” program begun in 2015 by former First Lady Michelle Obama and President Barack Obama. The program was designed to […]

By Oliver Willis - May 01, 2017

FBI assigns fewer agents to Russian election interference than to Clinton emails

CNN reports troubling new details of the FBI investigation into Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential election, including possible ties between Vladimir Putin’s government and Donald Trump’s election team. The network quotes a source who states that there are “five to 10 fewer” agents assigned to the Russian investigation than there were on the inquiry […]

By Oliver Willis - March 10, 2017

Sean Hannity said losing this executive would mark “the total end” of Fox News. He’s gone now.

Fox News co-president Bill Shine, who helped network founder Roger Ailes cover up the serial sexual harassment of multiple women, has “resigned” from his job. Rupert Murdoch, who owns Fox parent 21st Century Fox, said in a memo to staff that Shine was “respected and liked by everybody at Fox News.” This characterization seems unlikely, based […]

By Oliver Willis - May 01, 2017

Leaked Trump budget reveals cuts that would “kill a lot of people”

A leaked version of the Trump administration’s proposed 2018 budget reveals major cuts to domestic and international programs that would, in the words of one expert, “kill a lot of people.” The group Third Way released a spreadsheet they received with information on the proposed budget, noting, “With the interest of the American public in mind — and […]

By Oliver Willis - May 19, 2017

Paul Ryan likens life-or-death concerns about health insurance to a “beauty contest”

In an interview with right-wing radio host Hugh Hewitt, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) added to the list of increasingly mean-spirited and shortsighted comments made by Republicans over concerns about their Obamacare repeal plan. Ryan dismissed the fears expressed by millions about having the rug pulled out from under them, as the Republican “American Health […]

By Oliver Willis - March 10, 2017

Trump would be “honored” to host North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un

Donald Trump continued his outreach to international dictators, remarking that he would be “honored” to host North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. Talking to Bloomberg News, Trump said, “If it would be appropriate for me to meet with him, I would absolutely, I would be honored to do it,” adding, “If it’s under the, again, […]

By Oliver Willis - May 01, 2017

Watch Susan Rice calmly destroy the ludicrous right-wing conspiracy theory targeting her

Former Obama UN Ambassador and National Security Advisor Susan Rice appeared on MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports and calmly and carefully debunked the recent conservative attack on her, which alleged that she misused her position to target Donald Trump officials for “unmasking” by security agencies during the election. Rice told Mitchell that the claim coming from […]

By Oliver Willis - April 04, 2017

Pence’s longtime aide is orchestrating White House obstruction of Russia investigation

Marc T. Short, the White House director for Legislative Affairs, is leading the Trump administration’s obstruction of the congressional inquiry into Michael Flynn and Russia. Short is also a major player in Vice President Mike Pence’s political operation, and further connects Pence to the Flynn scandal. As previously reported, Pence was in charge of the Trump […]

By Oliver Willis - May 01, 2017

Obama saved the economy — now Trump’s trying to kill it

The Dow Jones Industrial Average has risen 14,300 points since 2009, while the S&P 500 index has increased by 249 percent. When President Obama was sworn into office in January of 2009, the global economy was in absolute chaos. But by the end of his presidency, the picture looked quite different: Longest streak of total […]

By Oliver Willis - March 09, 2017

Trump team endangered military lives to promote son-in-law’s Iraq trip

In its eagerness to prematurely confirm that Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, was in Iraq, the administration broke the traditional protocol and endangered American military personnel in the area, as well as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Joseph Dunford, who was traveling with Kushner. An administration official told reporters that Kushner was in Iraq, […]

By Oliver Willis - April 04, 2017

Dictator who ordered the death of children just turned down Trump’s invitation to White House

Donald Trump has invited Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte to the White House, using the government of the United States to confer legitimacy on an autocrat who has authorized the killing of thousands of people in his country, including children. The ruthless dictator, however, has said he is unlikely to accept Trump’s invitation, claiming he is “tied […]

By Oliver Willis - May 01, 2017

More than 22 million people could lose their doctor if Trump’s Muslim ban stays in place

CBS reports that America is suffering a shortage of primary care physicians, and hospitals have been counting on people from other countries to make up for the shortfall. Now, with Donald Trump’s Muslim ban wreaking havoc on the system, those doctors could be barred from ever coming here, which would create ripple effect for patients […]

By Oliver Willis - February 22, 2017

Michael Flynn’s Turkish benefactor now funneling money to Trump’s hotel

The Turkish businessman on whose behalf former Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn worked as a foreign agent is now paying Donald Trump’s hotel, just blocks away from the White House, to host an event. The Wall Street Journal reports that Ekim Alptekin paid Flynn’s company, Flynn Intel Group, $530,000 to ” investigate Fethullah Gulen, […]

By Oliver Willis - May 19, 2017

Pence lied: Led the Flynn vetting process, knew about foreign ties

The Trump administration is digging itself in even deeper over the scandal surrounding former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. In addition to his contacts with the Russian government, including being paid several thousand dollars for an appearance on state-owned television and his attendance at a dinner party with Vladimir Putin, Flynn also lobbied on behalf […]

By Oliver Willis - April 30, 2017

Trump just put the lawyer Obama blocked from running DOJ in charge of Russia investigation

Dana Boente was just named by the Department of Justice (DOJ) as the acting assistant Attorney General for the national security division, which will give him oversight of the FBI’s investigation into coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia. But in January, as he was leaving office, President Barack Obama issued an executive order that […]

By Oliver Willis - April 30, 2017

Betrayed: Trump’s support plummets with rural and military voters

New polling shows an erosion of Donald Trump’s support in the demographics key to his election, as the slow-motion disaster of his first few months in office continues to unravel. Investor’s Business Daily/TIPP’s latest poll shows Trump dropping to 34 percent approval and 56 percent disapproval, leading IBD to note, “Approval ratings for a president haven’t […]

By Oliver Willis - April 04, 2017

Trump’s “deep state” obsession comes from his ally and advisor, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones

According to the New York Times, while neither Donald Trump nor Steve Bannon have used the term publicly, they are both true believers in the “deep state.” Bannon has spoken to supporter and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich about “his suspicion of the deep state and what he sees as its pernicious influence.” […]

By Oliver Willis - March 09, 2017

Trump’s Chief of Staff threatens free speech crackdown

Donald Trump’s Chief of Staff Reince Priebus declared that the Trump administration is currently in the process of “looking at” ways to limit speech in America. Appearing on ABC’s This Week, Priebus said that Trump is looking at ways to change libel laws, which would make it easier for Trump to sue news outlets that […]

By Oliver Willis - April 30, 2017

Sessions uses offensive racial language during meeting with Black leaders

Embattled Attorney General Jeff Sessions met with the NAACP, along with other civil rights groups, to discuss “the Department of Justice’s obligations on voting rights and policing,” two issues to which Sessions and Donald Trump have publicly voiced hostility. Both men have favored discriminatory voter ID laws and have opposed efforts at enforcing oversight of police departments accused […]

By Oliver Willis - March 09, 2017

Trump’s visit to a Black history museum cannot reset his racism

We are being told by the corporate media and Donald Trump’s fellow Republicans that some sort of reset in his posture towards the Black community is in the works. This time, the comments came after Trump visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture along the National Mall in Washington. In prepared remarks, […]

By Oliver Willis - February 21, 2017

Do not buy Pence’s spin: He is Trump’s co-conspirator

Mike Pence was a major player in the scandals enveloping the Trump administration, and no amount of spinning and leaking to reporters from him and his team can change that fact. A spate of stories in recent days — apparently coming from Pence himself or his political team — has attempted to distance Pence from Trump. The Pence […]

By Oliver Willis - May 19, 2017

Trump’s promise to go it alone with North Korea echoes Bush’s disaster in Iraq

In an interview with The Financial Times, Donald Trump said the United States could act unilaterally to contain the threat of a nuclear North Korea, an echo of the argument made 14 years ago by George W. Bush to justify the invasion of Iraq. Trump told the paper, “China will either decide to help us […]

By Oliver Willis - April 04, 2017

Rep. John Lewis rallies with gun-owning mom against the NRA and Trump

As the NRA holds its annual convention in Atlanta, Georgia Rep. John Lewis will be headlining a rally put together by gun safety advocates from Moms Demand Action and the Everytown Survivor Network. The groups hope to “to stand and fight back against the NRA leadership’s dangerous ‘guns everywhere’ agenda that contributes to the more than […]

By Oliver Willis - April 29, 2017

Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner on path to “criminal prosecution,” ethics experts warn

Donald Trump has brought on his eldest daughter and her husband as senior White House advisors, giving the multimillionaire couple access to the levers of power without putting in place traditional separations between their private and familial business interests and the affairs of the American state. Writing in USA Today, Richard Painter, Norman Eisen, and […]

By Oliver Willis - April 03, 2017

Oliver Willis

Senior Reporter

Dem who survived cancer slams GOP rep who said sick don’t deserve affordable care

Trump turns on America, declares we “need a good ‘shutdown'”

Senate “Iron Man” Jeff Merkley’s floor speech against Gorsuch hits 15 hours and counting

Trump uses Russia investigation to cash in

Top Senate Intel Dem reportedly puts odds at 2:1 Trump will not finish his term

Robert Reich: Trump is using tactics of “despots and tyrants”

Trump takes revenge against Michelle Obama by shutting down global education for girls

FBI assigns fewer agents to Russian election interference than to Clinton emails

Sean Hannity said losing this executive would mark “the total end” of Fox News. He’s gone now.

Leaked Trump budget reveals cuts that would “kill a lot of people”

Paul Ryan likens life-or-death concerns about health insurance to a “beauty contest”

Trump would be “honored” to host North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un

Watch Susan Rice calmly destroy the ludicrous right-wing conspiracy theory targeting her

Pence’s longtime aide is orchestrating White House obstruction of Russia investigation

Obama saved the economy — now Trump’s trying to kill it

Trump team endangered military lives to promote son-in-law’s Iraq trip

Dictator who ordered the death of children just turned down Trump’s invitation to White House

More than 22 million people could lose their doctor if Trump’s Muslim ban stays in place

Michael Flynn’s Turkish benefactor now funneling money to Trump’s hotel

Pence lied: Led the Flynn vetting process, knew about foreign ties

Trump just put the lawyer Obama blocked from running DOJ in charge of Russia investigation

Betrayed: Trump’s support plummets with rural and military voters

Trump’s “deep state” obsession comes from his ally and advisor, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones

Trump’s Chief of Staff threatens free speech crackdown

Sessions uses offensive racial language during meeting with Black leaders

Trump’s visit to a Black history museum cannot reset his racism

Do not buy Pence’s spin: He is Trump’s co-conspirator

Trump’s promise to go it alone with North Korea echoes Bush’s disaster in Iraq

Rep. John Lewis rallies with gun-owning mom against the NRA and Trump

Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner on path to “criminal prosecution,” ethics experts warn