Tommy Christopher

Trump team brazenly pressuring NATO to remove top American official

President-elect Donald Trump’s hostility toward NATO is manifesting even before his presidency begins. The Washington Post reports that Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller, who only assumed her post in October, is being targeted by Trump’s team: Two Trump transition sources told me that a representative of the transition team met late last month with NATO Secretary General […]

By Tommy Christopher - December 14, 2016

Rex Tillerson’s stocks shot up $9 million after he was tapped as Trump secretary of state

President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the State Department already faces stiff opposition over his relationship with Russia, including a $500 billion deal with Russian government-owned Rosneft. Beyond that, though, ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson also faces conflicts surrounding his stock holdings and pension plan that look to be nearly impossible to untangle. Tillerson currently holds 2,618,856 shares […]

By Tommy Christopher - December 14, 2016

Trump cancels first scheduled press conference since July; meets with Kanye

President-elect Donald Trump recently promised, under pressure, to hold a news conference in order to address his handling of the inherent conflicts of interest between his business and the presidency. But now he has canceled that presser, with no firm new date set: I will hold a press conference in the near future to discuss the business, […]

By Tommy Christopher - December 13, 2016

Trump picks Putin pal Rex Tillerson to helm State Department

In naming ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson as his Secretary of State, President-elect Donald Trump is seeking to elevate — to the fourth-highest position in the U.S. government — a man who not only has absolutely no governing experience, but who also has no experience whatsoever outside of the multinational oil and gas corporation for which […]

By Tommy Christopher - December 13, 2016

Trump continues reckless, escalating provocation of China

President-elect Donald Trump wasted no time before breaching decades of diplomatic precedent by taking a phone call from the president of Taiwan. Now, he is also demonstrating open disdain for the long-standing “One China” policy. In an interview with Fox News Sunday’s Chris Wallace, he said he does not know “why we have to be […]

By Tommy Christopher - December 12, 2016

Human rights views of Trump’s DHS pick raise concerns for safety of immigrant detainees

A prominent veterans’ group raised the alarm when it was first reported that retired Marine Corps General John Kelly might join President-elect Donald Trump’s military-heavy cabinet. Now the pick is official. Although Kelly had a respected military career, he will be assuming control over a raft of civilian federal agencies that are, in large part, […]

By Tommy Christopher - December 12, 2016

Kellyanne Conway alarmingly advocates “consequences” for criticizing Trump

In yet another extraordinary pronouncement which has gone virtually unnoticed, senior adviser Kellyanne Conway lamented the fact that people like labor leader Chuck Jones think they can criticize President-elect Donald Trump without suffering consequences. Yes, she actually said “consequences:” People feel like with Donald Trump, they have license to say whatever the heck they want […]

By Tommy Christopher - December 09, 2016

Veterans group concerned over Trump elevating generals to leadership positions

Retired General James Mattis was recently introduced at one of President-elect Donald Trump’s “thank you” rallies as his choice for Secretary of Defense, a selection that has drawn decidedly mixed reviews. Mattis, who has an unsettling history of violent quotes, will need a waiver in order to assume the position thanks to a law that […]

By Tommy Christopher - December 08, 2016

Conway outrageously boasts Trump “can affect industry” with his tweets

In a little-noticed interview with CNBC, Donald Trump’s senior advisor, Kellyanne Conway, openly boasted about Trump’s ability to influence the stock market with only his words, specifically citing his ability to tank Boeing’s stock with a single tweet, and to benefit a Japanese company in similar fashion: Through tweets now, he can affect industry. He […]

By Tommy Christopher - December 08, 2016

The Boeing incident illustrates what Trump’s “retribution” could look like

President-elect Donald Trump caused quite an uproar Tuesday morning when he tweeted about canceling an order with Boeing for several new Air Force One planes: Boeing is building a brand new 747 Air Force One for future presidents, but costs are out of control, more than $4 billion. Cancel order! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) […]

By Tommy Christopher - December 08, 2016

Trump picks longtime EPA antagonist and climate change skeptic to lead EPA

President-elect Donald Trump has named Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Pruitt, whom the New York Times charitably describes as an “ally” to fossil fuel interests, is a climate change “skeptic” who has spent years fighting the EPA in court: Since becoming the top prosecutor for the major oil and […]

By Tommy Christopher - December 07, 2016

Media pollster fabricates approval for Trump’s Carrier deal with shady question

A headline at Politico reads “Poll: Trump’s Carrier deal is wildly popular,” and, while only seven words long, that headline contains multiple serious errors of omission and inaccuracy — the most egregious of which is the implication that the poll has anything to do with the actual Carrier deal. The question asked of respondents was […]

By Tommy Christopher - December 06, 2016

Obama delivers stirring message in final national security address

While President-elect Donald Trump has been busy provoking international tensions via Twitter, our current president continues to set the example for grace and inspiration in a world leader. For most of his address at MacDill Air Force Base, President Obama soberly and realistically discussed the successes and challenges we face in fighting terrorism, but, in the final […]

By Tommy Christopher - December 06, 2016

Ivanka Trump attended meeting with Japan’s PM while closing Japanese deal

The potential issues surrounding President-elect Donald Trump’s conflicts of interest are now widening to include his daughter, Ivanka, raising concerns that, even if Trump were to fully divest himself of his own business (which he has yet to commit to doing), her independent business interests could still potentially influence the way he wields his presidential […]

By Tommy Christopher - December 05, 2016

Trump threatens selective “retribution” against U.S. companies outsourcing jobs

President-elect Donald Trump went on a yet another Twitter tear, which included a deeply troubling promise to exact “retribution” against any company that threatens to move jobs offshore: The U.S. is going to substantialy reduce taxes and regulations on businesses, but any business that leaves our country for another country, — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) […]

By Tommy Christopher - December 05, 2016

Obama is leaving Trump with the lowest unemployment rate in nine years

The November jobs report showcases President Obama’s successful stewardship of the economy, which added 178,000 jobs, while the unemployment rate fell to 4.6 percent, its lowest level since August of 2007. As NPR notes, “4.6 percent unemployment is what most economists consider ‘full employment’ (although employment varies by region and demographic, so the fruits of full employment […]

By Tommy Christopher - December 02, 2016

Anti-Semitism at heart of Trump’s rally gets virtually no media attention

President-elect Donald Trump’s “thank you” tour kicked off in Cincinnati on Thursday, broadcast live by news networks who appear determined to learn nothing from the 2016 election. Once again, viewers got to hear Trump telling lies about issues like his deal with Carrier, free of any filter providing analysis, context, or fact-checking. The mere existence […]

By Tommy Christopher - December 02, 2016

Trump brags about $7 million Carrier deal saving 1,100 jobs, but 1,300 will still go to Mexico

Donald Trump took the stage in Indianapolis for a rambling 20-minute speech in which he boasted about his deal with manufacturing company Carrier to save 1,100 jobs at the company’s plant in Indiana: But, I will tell you that United Technologies and Carrier stepped it up and now they’re keeping—actually, the number’s over 1,100 people […]

By Tommy Christopher - December 01, 2016

Nancy Pelosi is the leader Democrats need, now more than ever

The party of Donald Trump may relish mocking a powerful and pioneering woman like Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), but their logic, as exemplified by Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, leaves something to be desired: What a relief. I was worried they had learned from the elections & might be competitive and cohesive again. https://t.co/cvwi0IxLdU — Kellyanne […]

By Tommy Christopher - December 01, 2016

Trump’s nominee for Defense Secretary said “It’s fun to shoot some people”

After flirtations with other candidates, Donald Trump officially nominated retired Marine General James Mattis to the secretary of defense post on Thursday. Mattis, whose nickname is “Mad Dog,” met with Trump a week-and-a-half ago about his possible nomination to head the Defense Department, and apparently impressed him: General James "Mad Dog" Mattis, who is being […]

By Tommy Christopher - December 01, 2016

The critical importance of calling Trump’s lies what they are: lies

Much of the corporate news media was slow to call out Donald Trump’s lies during the presidential campaign — so much so that it actually became news any time they made the effort. Conversely, Hillary Clinton was falsely branded a liar by news organizations constantly suggesting that people didn’t trust her. Both premises ignored the […]

By Tommy Christopher - November 30, 2016

Trump breaks promise and sets perilous precedent with jobs deal

During Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, he took particular aim at Carrier, a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems manufacturer, whose announcement to workers that 1,400 of their jobs would be shipped to Mexico went viral. In what became a regular part of his stump speech, Trump promised that he would “tax the hell out of” […]

By Tommy Christopher - November 30, 2016

Choosing Tom Price exemplifies why we should expect the worst from Trump

Donald Trump’s selection of retired orthopedic surgeon and current House Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price (R-GA) to head the Department of Health and Human Services has been met with well-deserved revulsion by those who are committed to protecting access to healthcare. Price believes that women can, and should, pay for birth control out of their […]

By Tommy Christopher - November 29, 2016

Nikki Haley is yet another Trump nominee who has defended white supremacy

News of Governor Nikki Haley’s selection as Donald Trump’s ambassador to the U.N. quickly gave rise to a particular narrative: Trump had chosen a former critic who gained significant national attention by taking credit for the removal of the Confederate flag from the South Carolina statehouse following the terrorist mass shooting in Charleston last June. But neither of […]

By Tommy Christopher - November 23, 2016

Media dismisses dual conflict of interest in Trump’s call with Argentine President

The story of President-elect Donald Trump’s congratulatory phone call with Argentina President Mauricio Macri made quite a splash online Monday when Talking Points Memo picked it up, accusing Trump of “cashing in” by demanding President Macri help him get approval for the forthcoming Trump Tower Buenos Aires. But the story was quickly denied by both […]

By Tommy Christopher - November 23, 2016

Trump’s off-the-record meeting was an outrageous forum to intimidate reporters

President-elect Donald Trump has made no secret of his contempt for the press, but his assault on the First Amendment entered a new phase on Monday when he met with executives and journalists from ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, and NBC for an off-the-record confab that was described by one participant as “a f*cking firing […]

By Tommy Christopher - November 22, 2016

Every indicator suggests Trump does not have a mandate, but Clinton does

President-elect Donald Trump won his electoral victory by virtue of razor-thin leads in a handful of states, with just over 112,000 votes separating him from Hillary Clinton in the three key states that gave him the presidency. Meanwhile, Clinton’s popular vote lead is expected to exceed two million, and currently sits at over 1.5 million. In […]

By Tommy Christopher - November 21, 2016

Lewandowski Q&A derails to audience jeers and laughter

Corey Lewandowski, Donald Trump’s former campaign manager and reportedly a candidate for either a role in the new administration or the chairmanship of the RNC, gave a speech and Q&A session at the Oxford Union which was not well-received. One standout moment came when a young woman cited some of Trump’s campaign promises on which he has […]

By Tommy Christopher - November 18, 2016

Trump’s tax plan hits single working parents particularly hard

With all the chaos surrounding the transition to a Trump administration, it is easy to lose sight of even major policy developments. Rutgers University Professor Brittney Cooper flagged a particularly significant issue that has received little attention: https://twitter.com/ProfessorCrunk/status/798532053692272644 Eliminating the head-of-household filing status is a major change, with potentially severe consequences for some who currently use […]

By Tommy Christopher - November 16, 2016

On Senate floor, Harry Reid delivers righteous rant against Trump-inspired hate

Following Donald Trump’s election, Senator Harry Reid immediately went on the attack, demanding that Trump repair the damage his hate-fueled campaign had caused. One week later, Reid took to the Senate floor to deliver a blistering rebuke of the dangerous effect that Trump’s win has already had, and called on Democrats to be leaders for the millions […]

By Tommy Christopher - November 15, 2016

Tommy Christopher

Freelance Political Writer

Trump team brazenly pressuring NATO to remove top American official

Rex Tillerson’s stocks shot up $9 million after he was tapped as Trump secretary of state

Trump cancels first scheduled press conference since July; meets with Kanye

Trump picks Putin pal Rex Tillerson to helm State Department

Trump continues reckless, escalating provocation of China

Human rights views of Trump’s DHS pick raise concerns for safety of immigrant detainees

Kellyanne Conway alarmingly advocates “consequences” for criticizing Trump

Veterans group concerned over Trump elevating generals to leadership positions

Conway outrageously boasts Trump “can affect industry” with his tweets

The Boeing incident illustrates what Trump’s “retribution” could look like

Trump picks longtime EPA antagonist and climate change skeptic to lead EPA

Media pollster fabricates approval for Trump’s Carrier deal with shady question

Obama delivers stirring message in final national security address

Ivanka Trump attended meeting with Japan’s PM while closing Japanese deal

Trump threatens selective “retribution” against U.S. companies outsourcing jobs

Obama is leaving Trump with the lowest unemployment rate in nine years

Anti-Semitism at heart of Trump’s rally gets virtually no media attention

Trump brags about $7 million Carrier deal saving 1,100 jobs, but 1,300 will still go to Mexico

Nancy Pelosi is the leader Democrats need, now more than ever

Trump’s nominee for Defense Secretary said “It’s fun to shoot some people”

The critical importance of calling Trump’s lies what they are: lies

Trump breaks promise and sets perilous precedent with jobs deal

Choosing Tom Price exemplifies why we should expect the worst from Trump

Nikki Haley is yet another Trump nominee who has defended white supremacy

Media dismisses dual conflict of interest in Trump’s call with Argentine President

Trump’s off-the-record meeting was an outrageous forum to intimidate reporters

Every indicator suggests Trump does not have a mandate, but Clinton does

Lewandowski Q&A derails to audience jeers and laughter

Trump’s tax plan hits single working parents particularly hard

On Senate floor, Harry Reid delivers righteous rant against Trump-inspired hate