August 17, 2017

Trump Lashes Out at Two Republican Senators in Early Morning Rant

He also appeared to endorse Sen. Jeff Flake’s primary challenger.

In a series of angry tweets Thursday morning, President Donald Trump took aim at two sitting Republican senators, first attacking Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who had earlier criticized the president’s Charlottesville response, and then knocking “toxic” Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and appearing to endorse his Republican primary challenger.

Both senators have publicly called on Trump to issue a more emphatic statement rejecting white nationalism amid the continuing backlash over his equivocal response to the clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia.

After initially claiming “many sides” were responsible for the violence on Saturday, Trump did eventually denounce hate groups and racism two days later. By Tuesday, however, Trump swiftly retreated from those statements with an explosive press conference that all but defended the white nationalist groups who were protesting the removal of a Confederate memorial honoring Robert E. Lee.

In attacking Graham on Thursday, Trump falsely claimed that he never equated white supremacists with counter-protesters. 

“I am not putting anybody on a moral plane,” he said during Tuesday’s chaotic press conference. “You had a group on one side and the other and they came at each other with clubs and it was vicious and horrible.”

Trump continued, “There was a group on this side, you can call them the left, you have just called them the left, that came violently attacking the other group. You can say what you want. That’s the way it is.”

Amid the intense backlash, Ward has echoed Trump’s sentiments. She also retweeted a sarcastic message asking for someone to compile a thorough list of all hate groups for Trump to disavow:

Trump is scheduled to travel to Phoenix for a rally next Tuesday. In 2016, Ward lost a primary bid against Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). 

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

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