Last night, the House passed a continuing resolution bill that included the $5 billion for a border wall, which Trump wanted. but the bill is DOA in the Senate and, we’re told, has no chance of passing.
Trump is unchained. Mattis resigned yesterday after Trump’s decision, contra his advisers and, well, everyone, to pull out of Syria leaving a huge vacuum to be filled by nobody good.
Secretary of State: Gone
Donald Trump has been president for less than 2 years.
Secretary of Defense: Gone
Secretary of Interior: Gone
Secretary of HHS: Gone
EPA Administrator: Gone
2 National Security Advisers: Gone
2 chiefs of staff: Gone
— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) December 20, 2018
As chaotic as this presidency has been, this feels to many like it is something different. This Trump at his rawest and most unhinged.
He’s burning down the house now. Years from now, the only thing that will matter, the one thing people will remember, is who helped to put the fire out.
— Tom Malinowski (@Malinowski) December 21, 2018
Today is the day that Never Trumpers warned was coming. Markets crashing, indictments piling up, a President losing his grip; allies horrified, enemies celebrating, government in chaos, and Mattis quitting in protest.
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) December 21, 2018
And it’s going to get worse. https://t.co/8zekn478oq
The Dow has bounced up 90 points this morning after falling almost 500 yesterday, but given its recent volatility, not to mention the volatility of the president, who knows where it will end up today.
Just a week ago Trump proudly declared that:
I will shut down the government. I am proud to shut down the government. I will take the mantle.
And at midnight tonight. that is exactly what will happen. Updates throughout the day, probably.
As for killing the filibuster (the “nuclear option”), both Jeff Flake and Orrin Hatch have come out against it (so far). Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), who also is retiring early next month, said he would “continue to follow rules relative to legislation as they exist today as I finish my term.” And Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, added that he would also not vote to use the nuclear option. So the nuclear option isn’t happening.
Wow. Watch every second of this.pic.twitter.com/pm5q5lSKut
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) December 21, 2018
UPDATE — this is how bad things are….
Senators summoned to meet Trump having a tough time getting in. “Things are so chaotic at the White House that some Republican senators can’t get in because Secret Service didn’t even have time to clear them (or the staff who is driving them there!),” source tells @tedbarrettcnn
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 21, 2018
Republican senators have been at the White House for a long time…
— Garrett Haake (@GarrettHaake) December 21, 2018
UPDATE – 3:45 pm:
The Senate is taking a vote to see if the bill should go to the floor for a vote. The vote has been open since 12:30 so that Senators can fly back to vote. Right now, the votes are 44 yes, 46 no. Republican Jeff Flake was a no, so this might not even pass.
Meanwhile, the Dow is down 360 points.
UPDATE: Dow closed 414 points down. The worst week on Wall Street in 10 years.
Reportedly, now in Schumer’s office:
VP Pence
Mick Mulvaney
Jared Kushner
UPDATE: Something’s up.
And this might be the last word…
