‘The leaks are real, the news is fake’ – Trump’s airing of grievances

https://twitter.com/slone/status/832330727022800896

press

Seriously, though…

and he avoided specifics on Mike Flynn’s resignation and ties to Russia.

https://twitter.com/Anthony/status/832359790735192064

There were other highlights..

https://twitter.com/dabeard/status/832352668765081600

maybe not..

narcissist

But at every turn, Trump missed no opportunity to attack the press…

But an unexpected source pushed back..

https://twitter.com/Popehat/status/832330279125602305

And on the other hand…

https://twitter.com/StacyBrewer18/status/832370913857396740

But there was other important stuff going on too… (isn’t there always?)

https://twitter.com/giff18/status/832365622327705600

https://twitter.com/dannysullivan/status/832353310547943424

And finally, just to prove we can fuck with species other than our own…

In Flynn’s wake, National Security picture remains blurred

https://twitter.com/Khanoisseur/status/831621453401305088

The White House lost its choice for Labor Secretary, in part because of Oprah Winfrey…

Meanwhile, Trump had another visitor..

Elsewhere…

and …

I guess we shouldn’t ask him what’s on his Spotify playlist either…

***

WORLD

 

Pressure grows on Congress over probe into Flynn-Russia contacts

You’re even out of step with this guy..

But there are some high profile Republicans who understand that an inquiry is politically  necessary.

Something of a chaotic day, with something of a train wreck press conference…

but hang on a minute…

https://twitter.com/Anthony/status/831606360613777409

I guess some of them, probably not..

https://twitter.com/molly_knight/status/831548281310154752

But, hey, they’ll police themselves over the important stuff, right..?

And today, of all days, this shows the sort of partisan obstructionism that just makes everything else more insane…

https://twitter.com/2020fight/status/831609331795771392

https://twitter.com/dannysullivan/status/831614070348410880

but at least there’s a consolation…

yeah, drain that swamp, baby..

***

WORLD

Meanwhile…

Flynn resigns as Russia questions swamp Trump’s White House

Update: 9.30 am London time, Tuesday:

The Trump White House is reeling this morning following the resignation of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn over contacts he had with the Russian government ahead of the inauguration – technically while he was still a private citizen. This is far, far from over, folks…

https://twitter.com/ezlusztig/status/831416539949703168

Catchup on the past few days’ developments –

Feb 14: Flynn’s position unsure after he admitted ‘misleading’ VP

Feb 13: Pressure grows over Flynn amid intel community pushback

Feb 12: Murky tide around Flynn threatens to engulf Trump

https://twitter.com/molly_knight/status/831314594622697472

https://twitter.com/spectatorindex/status/831411507644624896

Flynn’s position unsure after he admitted ‘misleading’ VP

https://twitter.com/CollectedN/status/831264033273675776

but, er, hang on a second..

https://twitter.com/jbarro/status/831276894779736068

https://twitter.com/SopanDeb/status/831254177665933312

Thread…

Elsewhere in Trumpworld…

and so this is how they deal with global crises…

https://twitter.com/Anthony/status/831275682785288192

 

Pressure grows over Flynn amid intel community push-back

Our Intelligence Community is so worried by the unprecedented problems of the Trump administration—not only do senior officials possess troubling ties to the Kremlin, there are nagging questions about basic competence regarding Team Trump—that it is beginning to withhold intelligence from a White House which our spies do not trust. – John R. Schindler, in Sunday’s Observer

https://twitter.com/Scott_Gilmore/status/830803255479242752

https://twitter.com/fixit_fitz/status/830937954302443521

https://twitter.com/georgejoseph94/status/830894502948769792

Meanwhile, as Trump left his Florida golf club after entertaining Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, his adviser Stephen Miller did the rounds on the Sunday shows..

https://twitter.com/aravosis/status/830900252513296384

and, finally a chance to address the story…

***

WORLD

Developing, 3am London time: Evacuations ordered in Oroville, California

Elsewhere:

Meanwhile in by-election land..

***

CULTURE

It was the Grammys…

and the Baftas..

 

 

Murky tide around Flynn threatens to engulf Trump

Elsewhere in Trumpworld…

To distract the press today, Trump literally put them in a basement with the windows blocked out while he went golfing.

https://twitter.com/MrJamesonNeat/status/830112047811567616

***

In BREXIT BRITAIN…

https://twitter.com/RobDotHutton/status/830541709629149184

***

Meanwhile, in the REAL WORLD..

https://twitter.com/alvarocruzrojas/status/830565330380550144

 

 

 

Lost in translation

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was the latest visitor to the “very famous” White House. Anything said will be forever remembered in the context of this…

It was like something from an episode of Endurance.

The presser was equally surreal.

https://twitter.com/aravosis/status/830119015054004225

Asked if Trump had worn an earpiece, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House deputy press secretary, said: “I don’t believe during that time. But he did see the text and they spoke quite extensively before the remarks.” Trump did put a small speaker to his right ear during the question and answer session.

On Saturday, Trump will host Abe and his wife at his luxury Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida. The two leaders are scheduled to play golf on Saturday. A White House official said Trump was paying for Abe and his wife to travel to Mar-a-Lago as a “gift” – sidestepping ethical concerns that his properties might profit from a foreign visitor.

And, my God, there was plenty to ask about, as the apparent meltdown continues..

https://twitter.com/aravosis/status/830174604295553024

and there it is…

https://twitter.com/davidsirota/status/830195749132574724

They squeeze another day out of yesterday’s ‘distraction du jour’..

And all the while, the opposition is rallying…

https://twitter.com/AdamSerwer/status/830191342177366016

https://twitter.com/EliotACohen/status/830165177173680129

Even columnist Andrew Sullivan has returned to the fray, perhaps unsure of exactly how many more weekly columns he’ll get.

All in all…

***

MEDIA

https://twitter.com/biocuriosity/status/830185964475592704

 

 

Appeals court rules against Trump’s immigration order

And he’s not happy.

Elsewhere in Trumpworld…

https://twitter.com/bourgeoisalien/status/829821941699735553

 

***

BREXIT BRITAIN

Yemen raid highlights disarray in US foreign policy

Today in the increasingly bizarre state known as Trumpworld…

and sure enough, here comes your distraction du jour…

https://twitter.com/Lb09Natalie/status/829398910905024512

and of course, there was also a high-profile confirmation hearing in progress…

https://twitter.com/jbarro/status/829451546115055616

https://twitter.com/jonfavs/status/829457903945871360

***

WORLD

Talking of which…

***

meanwhile a big day in…

BREXIT BRITAIN

https://twitter.com/TheRightArticle/status/829440271330992134

https://twitter.com/jimwaterson/status/829429560689192961

The almost laughable disarray of the opposition Labour Party was highlighted by leader Jeremy Corbyn’s tweet… (the comments are priceless)

inevitably raising – again – speculation over his future and overshadowing a win at Wednesday’s PMQs…

So after all that, lets play a game: what do you think is most likely to happen first…

a. Trump sacks Sean Spicer

b. Jeremy Corbyn quits as Labour leader, or

c. Trump revokes the Gorsuch nomination?

***

Finally… safe travels.