
It’s Thursday.
Today we celebrate our Independence Day.
14 days from now Special Counsel Robert Mueller is scheduled to testify before two House Committees regarding his finds as detailed in the Russian Election Interference Report.
In light of his scheduled testimony the President has scheduled a campaign rally in North Carolina for that evening.
For Independence Day the President has tweeted 5 times and re-tweeted two times.
So important for our Country that the very simple and basic “Are you a Citizen of the United States?” question be allowed to be asked in the 2020 Census. Department of Commerce and the Department of Justice are working very hard on this, even on the 4th of July!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 4, 2019
So important it last appeared on the census in 1950.
For more information on how the citizenship question played out in the courts @ the News Blender.
On Tuesday evening the Commerce Department Secretary Wilbur Ross, issued a statement that said the census forms would be printed without the question as the News Blender reported on Wednesday.
Hours later the President weighed-in on the Census Citizenship question, which was denied addition by the Supreme last week.
A very sad time for America when the Supreme Court of the United States won’t allow a question of “Is this person a Citizen of the United States?” to be asked on the #2020 Census! Going on for a long time. I have asked the Department of Commerce and the Department of Justice….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 3, 2019
….to do whatever is necessary to bring this most vital of questions, and this very important case, to a successful conclusion. USA! USA! USA!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 3, 2019
On Wednesday he declared on Twitter that his Commerce Secretaries statement announcing that the form would be printed without the question was “incorrect,” and “FAKE.”
The News Reports about the Department of Commerce dropping its quest to put the Citizenship Question on the Census is incorrect or, to state it differently, FAKE! We are absolutely moving forward, as we must, because of the importance of the answer to this question.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 3, 2019
The above tweet caused Maryland U.S. District Judge George Hazel, to call a teleconference with those representing both the Government and the Plaintiffs.
In the transcription of the call that was released to the public on Wednesday evening, we learn that the Judge has Twitter, and follows the President, he on Wednesday morning saw the Presidential Tweet, and went um, that’s not what the lawyers for the Government told me on Tuesday.
I guess it was yesterday [when he last spoke with the lawyers] feels like a while ago, but I think it was yesterday….
So I saw a tweet that directly contradicted the position that Mr. [Joshua] Gardner [lawyer for the government] had shared with me yesterday.
The Judge via Google Docs.
The Judge asks the same question he apparently asked on Tuesday of the Government, “Is the Government going to continue efforts to place a citizenship question on the 2020 census?”
Gardner tells the Judge that he’s been a lawyer with the Department of Justice for 16 years. He goes on to say that the tweet itself was the first he heard of the President’s position as it was his understanding and that of Ross, that the question would not appear on the census. He finishes by stating, “I can tell you I have confirmed that the Census Bureau is continuing with the process of printing,” the census form, “without a citizenship question, and that process has not stopped.”
They are joined by another Government lawyer Joseph Hunt who tells the Judge that the Justice Department has been instructed “to examine whether there is a path forward consistent with the Supreme Court’s decision, that would allow,” the question to be added.
The Judge tells the lawyers involved on both sides, that they have until Friday at 2 p.m. eastern to give the Judge one of two things.
I either want a stipulation, as we’ve been discussing, indicating that the citizenship question will not appear on the census or I want a proposed scheduling order for how we’re going to forward on the equal protection claim that’s been remanded to this Court.
The Judge via Google Docs.
For what it’s worth.
I rec’ reading the whole 15 pages just for the lol’s, pay close attention to pages 5-9.
Spoiler alert, the gist of these pages, is that the plaintiffs lawyers request an order that would prevent President Trump for either A) speaking of the census citizenship question or B) basically forces the Government to come out immediately to correct the President if he tweets, or speaks misinformation aka lies regarding the citizenship question appearing on the census.
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 4, 2019
People are coming from far and wide to join us today and tonight for what is turning out to be one of the biggest celebrations in the history of our Country, SALUTE TO AMERICA, an all day event at the Lincoln Memorial, culminating with large scale flyovers of the most modern…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 4, 2019
….and advanced aircraft anywhere in the World. Perhaps even Air Force One will do a low & loud sprint over the crowd. That will start at 6:00P.M., but be there early. Then, at 9:00 P.M., a great (to put it mildly) fireworks display. I will speak on behalf of our great Country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 4, 2019
Salute to America.
Department of the Interior schedule for the events for Salute to America.
@ 11:45 a.m. eastern time Independence Day Parade.
@ 6:30 p.m. eastern time the President will give his campaign rally speech .
There will be a separate thread for the speech.
@ 8 p.m. an all star salute to America concert will be held.
@ 9:07 the fireworks.
Great news for the Republican Party as one of the dumbest & most disloyal men in Congress is “quitting” the Party. No Collusion, No Obstruction! Knew he couldn’t get the nomination to run again in the Great State of Michigan. Already being challenged for his seat. A total loser!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 4, 2019
On this Independence Day Republican Congressman Justin Amash (MI) announced that he was leaving the Republican Party.
His announcement comes weeks after he explained his reasons for supporting the Impeachment of President Trump, following his reading of the Mueller Report, in which Mueller tells the public, the President attempted to obstruct justice.
Amash writes in his opinion piece posted at the Washington Post, that he has become “disenchanted with party politics and frightened by what I see from it. The two-party system has evolved into an existential threat to American principles and institutions.”
He continues “Americans have allowed government officials, under assertions of expediency and party unity, to ignore the most basic tenets of our constitutional order: separation of powers, federalism and the rule of law. The result has been the consolidation of political power and the near disintegration of representative democracy.”
Amash then explains that while “modern politics is trapped in a partisan death spiral,” there is an out as most Americans “are not rigidly partisan and do not feel well represented by either of the two major parties. In fact, the parties have become more partisan in part because they are catering to fewer people, as Americans are rejecting party affiliation in record numbers.”
He concludes by writing, “Today, I am declaring my independence and leaving the Republican Party. No matter your circumstance, I’m asking you to join me in rejecting the partisan loyalties and rhetoric that divide and dehumanize us. I’m asking you to believe that we can do better than this two-party system — and to work toward it. If we continue to take America for granted, we will lose it.”
According to the pool report, Trump has arrived at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) July 4, 2019
This is Trump's 200th day at a Trump golf club and 267th day at a Trump property as president.
Live Feed for the Independence Day Parade ABC News.
This post will be update within reason.
This is an Open Thread.
Happy Independence Day everyone, be safe, be happy, eat, drink, and make merry. I hope you all have a wonderful day.