Issues: Trump transparency

3 Women, 50 Men, 1 Trump

Today’s announcement of President Trump’s latest wave of US Attorney nominations continues his steady commitment to appointing men to positions of power over women. To date, he has made 53 US Attorney nominations and only three are women.

“We’ve said it before and we’ll keep repeating it: this administration doesn’t value women. This wave of nominations is just the latest proof,” said Emily Aden, director of American Bridge’s women’s health initiative. “Nominating men over women as US attorneys sets up men over women for future judgeships, not to mention it enforces blatant discrimination and lack of representation for half of the population in the country’s judicial system.”

In fact, Trump’s troubling pattern of putting women second extends beyond the judiciary to the rest of the federal government. For example, in September, American Bridge uncovered the fact that more than 80% of all Trump administration nominations are men. This means […]

Read more after the jump.

Week Ahead — Conspiracy Against The United States Edition

Two Trump aides have been indicted on charges of conspiracy against the United States and a third has pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI. These explosive revelations mark a potentially pivotal moment in the ongoing investigation, but also serve as a stark reminder of how much Trump wrongdoing we already know about. Trump campaign officials and family members met with Kremlin-connected Russian operatives about receiving help from the Russian government. Jared Kushner and Jeff Sessions both lied about contact with Russian officials. Trump’s former campaign chairman and national security adviser both acted as agents of foreign governments, while a top campaign donor tried to help organize stolen materials. In office, Trump fired FBI Director James Comey while, by his own admission, considering the ongoing investigation.

For a full map of all of Trump’s suspicious ties to Russia, check out:  Read more after the jump.

American Bridge Statement On The First Charges Filed In The Trump-Russia Investigation

American Bridge Vice President Shirpal Shah released the following statement after the first charges were filed in the Special Council’s investigation into Donald Trump, his campaign and the Russian cyber attack during the 2016 election.

“Paul Manafort wasn’t the only member of Trump’s inner circle to have a relationship with Russian oligarchs that spanned a decade. He also wasn’t the only one who lied about secret meetings with Russian government officials during the 2016 campaign. The question the public is asking this morning isn’t solely focused on what Manafort did, they’re also asking what’s next and who from Trump world will receive the next indictment.”

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Editorial Roundup: Release All The Records Edition!

Last week, while Congressional Republicans sided with banks and credit companies over their own constituents, and San Juan Mayor Cruz fought with Whitefish Energy, Donald Trump reiterated his support for Ed Gillespie, reversed his stance multiple times on 401(k)s, and tried to obstruct a teenager from obtaining an abortion.

 

Editorial boards across the country criticized Trump for his ACA sabotage, Trump’s Opioid epidemic response, echoed the criticisms of former Presidents and Republican Senators, and more. Here’s what Americans read this week in their local newspapers:

 

10/20

 

Burlington Free Press: For The President, It’s Donald Trump First

 

The real danger of Trump’s performance in office is that Americans become so numb to the president’s outrageous behavior that they are unable to recognize the erosion of democracy taking place in plain sight.

 

The president sucks the air out of the news cycle with erratic tweets, sudden position reversals and […]

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Spooooky Sanders Questions: Swamp Edition

It must be truly frightening in the swamp that is the Trump White House. From wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on furniture and travel, to letting Wall Street trample over veterans, to giving Russia a pass on sanctions- Donald Trump has shown himself to be the Swamp President. *cue screams*

American Bridge Rapid Response Director Emily Aden calls on White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders to answer the following questions:

1. How did President Trump spend $1.75 million in taxpayer dollars on furniture and decorating costs for the White House but can’t spare a dime to address the opioid crisis?

2. What sexual harassment training do White House staffers go through? Does the President support legislation introduced by Reps. Jackie Speier and Brenda Lawrence to improve how sexual harassment complaints are handled in Congress?

3. Why did the White House miss a key October 1st deadline to implement sanctions against Russia? Was it […]

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Trump’s sabotage of Obamacare is driving premiums up by as much as 38%

This morning, a new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation determined that Donald Trump’s executive order cutting-off payment of Affordable Care Act (ACA) funding that helps keep out-of-pocket healthcare costs for working Americans low is driving up premiums on the ACA marketplaces by as much as 38%. This reinforces a similar report by the private healthcare analysis firm Avalere from earlier in the week, which found that Trump’s abrupt ending of these payments is raising premiums on the exchanges by 34% on average.

“Donald Trump promised to make healthcare cheaper, but his sabotage of the Affordable Care Act is exploding premiums by as much as 38%,” said American Bridge spokesperson Andrew Bates. “How much longer will Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress force families to bear the skyrocketing costs of their spiteful actions to wreck the law they failed to repeal?  Middle class Americans can’t afford the consequences of their behavior. It’s […]

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Sanders Questions: ‘Liddle Donnie Edition

Senator Bob Corker really hit the nail on the head this morning when he said of President Trump, “the debasement of our nation is what he’ll be most remembered for.” Is it too little, too late? Probably, especially considering the Republican just a few months ago was singing Trump’s praises as he angled for a job in his Cabinet.  But Corker’s honesty is nonetheless welcome at a time when virtually every other Republican in Washington can’t come to grips with the dangers that Trump presents for the country and the world.

As White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders takes the podium today it is important to remember the role that she, and all others in this White House and Congress, play in enabling this debasement of our country, our values, and our standing in the world.

American Bridge Rapid Response Director Emily Aden calls on Sanders to answer the following questions:

1. […]

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Five Events Michael Cohen Is Going To Have To Answer For

Donald Trump’s “pitbull” Michael Cohen is meeting with House and Senate Intelligence Committee investigators today and tomorrow behind closed doors about his central role in the Trump-Russia scandal. Cohen is perhaps the figure in Trump’s orbit who most represents the cross-section between the Trump Organization and the Trump campaign’s desire to get closer to Russia.

American Bridge Rapid Response Director Emily Aden stated, “From expanding Trump’s business in Russia during the campaign to drafting a secret plan to lift US sanctions on Russia after Trump won the election, Michael Cohen is at the crux of the Trump-Russia scandal. Congressional investigators–and Special Counsel Robert Mueller–have their work cut out for them.”

Here are five deeply disturbing events that congressional investigators will surely press Michael Cohen on in their meetings:

1. October 28, 2015: Michael Cohen had Donald Trump, already a presidential candidate, sign a Letter of Intent to build Trump Tower Moscow with Moscow-based developer I.C. Expert Investment Co.

2.  Read more after the jump.

Bridge Project responds to Trump Administration again siding with Wall Street lobbyists over American consumers

This morning, the Trump Administration’s Treasury Department issued a paper echoing deceptive talking points regularly used by Wall Street lobbyists and the banking industry in attacking common-sense efforts by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to protect Americans abused by big banks.  The CFPB is trying to the end the practice of “forced arbitration,” which denies millions of hardworking Americans access to their full legal rights after being defrauded.

American Bridge spokesperson Andrew Bates responded with the following statement:

“Nothing undermines ‘draining the swamp’ more than Donald Trump’s Treasury Department — run by a former Goldman Sachs executive — joining forces with Wall Street’s top lobbyists to fight the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s new effort to protect Americans from corrupt practices.  Just ask the 3.5 million Americans defrauded by Wells Fargo. Like Trump’s tax plan, this is about rigging the U.S. economy in favor of powerful interest groups and the wealthy against the American middle class. Trump is selling-out the […]

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Editorial Roundup: Trump Knew What He Was Getting Into Edition

This past week Trump reignited feuds both old and new. While Puerto Rico continued its recovery with more than 80 percent of its citizens still without power and California continued its struggle to contain wildfires, Trump attacked Gold Star families and stepped up his sabotage of the Affordable Care Act.

Here’s what Americans read this week in their local newspapers:

 

10/13

Chicago Sun Times: A Reckless Trump Invites A New Iran Crisis

Applying his usual bluster to complex negotiations, Trump has ripped the Iran pact as the worst deal ever. But he has no better idea for preventing a nuclear-armed Iran and a Mideast arms race. Instead, he naively believes he can dictate how other nations behave.

Tampa Bay Times: Trump’s Step Backward On Iran Nuclear Pact

President Donald Trump’s announcement Friday that he would not recertify the Iran nuclear deal was a sop to his nationalistic […]

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