This week, President @realDonaldTrump went to great lengths (the greatest!) to prove that he's a very stable genius—and not, as most Americans contend, a crazy old coot.
Needless to say, things did not go well; in fact, it's hard to imagine how things could've gone any worse.
Trump's week began on a low note, with him appearing not to know the words to the National Anthem, a song he claims to love and respect—and that was arguably the high point.
The next day, he convened a televised meeting with bipartisan members of Congress, hoping to demonstrate his superior negotiation skills; instead, it highlighted just how little he knows about his own (party's) positions.
That was followed by the sale of nonexistent fighter jets to Normay [sic], a completely batshit interview with the Wall Street Journal, and a chaos-inducing series of tweets about the FISA reauthorization bill.
By the end of the week, when all was said and done, Trump found himself in a deep shithole of his own making—and no amount of money could silence the questions about his fitness for office.
Morning lineup:
Meet the Press: Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY); Roundtable: Elise Jordan (TIME), Helene Coper (New York Times), David Brody (Christian Broadcasting Network) & Chris Matthews (MSNBC).
Face The Nation: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV); Sen.Tom Cotton (R-AK); Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO); Roundtable: Jonah Goldberg (National Review), Jamelle Bouie(Slate), Susan Page (USA Today) & Amy Walter (Cook Political Report).
This Week: Rep. John Lewis (D-GA); Sen. David Perdue (R-GA); Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ); Roundtable: Mary Bruce (ABC News), Jonathan Karl (ABC News), Cecilia Vega (ABC News), Obama White House Political Affairs Director Patrick Gaspard & Rich Lowry (National Review).
Fox News Sunday: Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen; California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D); Roundtable: Former Press Secretary to VP Pence Marc Lotter, Democratic Strategist Adrienne Elrod, John Bussey (Wall Street Journal) & Juan Williams (Fox News).
State of the Union: Outgoing Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D); Rep. Mia Love (R-UT); Roundtable: Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA), Neera Tanden (Center for American Progress), Former Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez & Karine Jean-Pierre (MoveOn).
Evening lineup:
60 Minutes will feature: interviews with the U.S. commander in Afghanistan and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani (preview); and, a report on the challenges facing Portland, Oregon (preview).
Late night shows:
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Monday: Actor John Lithgow; Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY); Hip-Hop Group Black Eyed Peas.
Tuesday: Singer-Songwriter Jon Bon Jovi; Actor Daniel Kaluuya; Actor Ben Sinclair.
Wednesday: Comedian Ricky Gervais; Actor Matt Czuchry; Singer-Songwriter Jon Bon Jovi.
Thursday: Actress Sharon Stone; Actor Rob Riggle; Rock Band Fall Out Boy.
Friday: Actor J.K. Simmons.
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Monday: Actor Rob Riggle; Tuesday: Author Jessica Valenti; Wednesday: Matt Gertz (Media Matters for America); Thursday: Journalist David Cay Johnston.
Elsewhere...
Trump's "spiritual advisor," Paula White, urged people to send her their January paychecks, or face divine retribution.
Paula White, who heads up the president's evangelical advisory committee, suggested making a donation to her ministries to honor the religious principle of "first fruit," which she said is the idea that all firsts belong to God, including the first harvest and, apparently, the first month of your salary.
"January is the beginning of a new year for us in the Western world. Let us give to God what belongs to him: the first hours of our day, the first month of the year, the first of our increase, the first in every area of our life. It's devoted... The principle of first fruits is that when you give God the first, he governs the rest and redeems in," she said.
"When you honor this principle, it provides the foundation and structure for God's blessings and promises in your life. It unlocks deep dimensions of spiritual truths that literally transform your life. When you apply this, everything comes in divine alignment for his plan and promises for you. When you don't honor it, whether through ignorance or direct disobedience, there are consequences."
Meanwhile...
Several Fox News hosts rushed to Trump's defense in light of shithole-gate.
After The Washington Post on Thursday afternoon first reported Trump’s remarks at a White House meeting with lawmakers, "The Five" co-host Jesse Watters shrugged off the slur as the way ordinary Americans talk about "Haiti people."
"If it's true, this is how the forgotten men and women in America talk at the bar," Watters said. "This is how Trump relates to people. If you're at a bar, and you're from Wisconsin, and you're thinking, 'They're bringing in a bunch of Haiti people, or El Salvadorians, or people from Niger.' This is how some people talk."
Later Thursday evening, prime-time Fox host Tucker Carlson kicked off his show by questioning what all the fuss was about.
"For some reason virtually everyone in New York, Washington, and LA considered this a major, major event," Carlson said. "Why is that?"
Then he launched into a defense.
"So, if you say Norway is a better place to live, and Haiti is kind of a hole, well, anyone who’s been to those countries or has lived in them would agree," Carlson said. "But we're jumping up and down, 'Oh, you can't say that.' Why can’t you say that?"
Later in his show, Carlson turned to what he said should be "a big news story": "are UFOs real?"
The truth is out there.
– Trix