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August 4, 2017 WashingtonAmericas senators scattered to the winds for their summer recess on Thursday, leaving behind a big unfinished agenda and a peeved president.

The chief executive has lambasted lawmakers for failing to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, for theirinvestigations into Russia and his campaign,for their arcane voting rules, and for passing sanctions legislation against Russia.

He took a parting shot in a tweet Thursday morning, saying You can thank Congress for a US-Russia relationship that is at an all-time & very dangerous low.

President Trump may think his problem is with members of Congress and the way they run things. In one sense, the decisions and behaviors of individuals in Washington not least, himself account for his threadbare legislative accomplishments, despite Republican control of both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue.

But in the broadest sense, the resistance he's encounteringis due toAmericas system of governance. The story of his early presidency might easily be called Donald Trump meets the Founding Fathers, as a beginner politician runs up againstthe checks and balances that are designed to prevent tyranny and forge consensus.

Trump and his team aresurprised at the intransigence and resistance theyre meeting, when in fact, every other president has met them, says Don Ritchie, former Senate historian. This outsider White House didnt anticipate these things because they hadnt experienced these things, as former governors or legislators, like other presidents and senior White House officials.

During the honeymoon phase of a new administration, presidents can make significant headway. Barack Obama and George W. Bush scored some major legislative wins,when their parties, too, controlled both the House and Senate.

By the first August recess, a Democratic Congress had passed President Obamas big economic stimulus package, confirmed a Supreme Court justice, and was deep into the policy weeds of health care, which would become law early the next year. In his first year, President Bush got a $1.35 trillion tax cut andCongress passed landmark education reform with bipartisan support.

But Trump's marriage with the GOP has been rocky from the start.

He has been able to appoint a Supreme Court justice a biggie and roll back 14 Obama-era regulations, which Republicans say has helped to fuel the stock market to a record high. Still repeal-and-replace failed, the presidents budget is being strongly resisted by his own party, the border wall is a disputed budget line, tax reform is a set of talking points, and Democrats have panned his infrastructure plan.

Its not uncommon for presidents to meet resistance in Congress even when their party is in control. Democrats Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John Kennedy, and Jimmy Carter all faced pushback, even though they had Democratic majorities.

Party members rebelled against FDRs attempt to pack the Supreme Court. They spurned Truman on his domestic agenda, though they agreed with him on key foreign policy issues. President Carter was too conservative for many Democrats witness Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedys decision to challenge him in the 1980 primary.

The common notion is that its presidents versus the opposition party in Congress, but its really presidents versus Congress as an institution, says Mr. Ritchie, the former Senate historian, recalling President Kennedys observation that he didnt realize how powerful Congress was until he was no longer just one of its 535members.

Trump saw that in a very tangible way when Sen. John McCain (R) of Arizona became the unexpectedthird Republican to vote down, and thus kill, the Republican effort to pass a skinny repeal of the Affordable Care Act in the wee hours of July 28. Senator McCain also strongly supported punishing sanctions against Russia for attempting to influence US elections last year and for its military actions overseas as did most members of Congress.

We are an important check on the powers of the executive, Senator McCain said in aspeech before the full Senate earlierlast week. Whether or not we are of the same party, we are not the presidents subordinates, we are his equal, the senator emphasized, as he urged a return to the regular order of hearings and the painstaking business of consensus-building between the parties.

That flexing of congressional muscle by Republicans even against their own president was on display again this week as two Senate bipartisan bills were introduced to protect against a possible firing of independent counsel Robert Mueller by the president. Trump calls the investigation by the counsel into possible collusion between members of his campaign and Russia a witch hunt.

Firing the independent counsel would create a constitutional crisis by undermining the rule of law, lawmakers of both parties say.

Republicans and Democrats have circled the wagons around Mr. Mueller and around the embattled attorney general, former Sen. Jeff Sessions (R) of Alabama. Senator Sessions has been one of the presidents most loyal supporters, now scorned by Trump for having recused himself from the Russia investigation.

Early on in his administration, Trump complained bitterly about the judicial branch. He chastised judges and lower-court rulings that went against his immigration travel ban, though he exulted when the Supreme Court partially upheld the ban in June.

As Ritchie points out, while just about everything in this young presidency is unprecedented, the pushback from the legislative and judicial branches is not.

I cant name a single president who has not been frustrated by the courts at some time, he says, pointing out that it is usually only after a crisis the Great Depression, Pearl Harbor, 9/11 that the legislative, judicial, and executive branches all come together.

While the resistancefrom the other parts of government might frustrate the president, many Americans have a newfound appreciation for it.

Thank God we have three branches of government, said Stephen Benjamin, the Democratic mayor of Columbia, S.C., at a Monitor breakfast on Wednesday. Mr. Benjamin was part of a delegation from the nonpartisan US Conference of Mayors, which visited Washington this week to meet with legislators about the presidents proposed budget cuts, among other things.

Its great to have strong leadership and outspoken leadership in the White House, said John Giles, the Republican mayor of Mesa, Ariz., in an interview after the breakfast. But he also hearkened back approvingly to McCains speech of last week.

Senator McCain gave us a great civics lesson that the Senate and the Congress is not subservient to the president. They are the presidents equal.

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Donald Trump, meet the Founding Fathers - Christian Science Monitor

By Drew Angerer/Getty Images.

Since Donald Trump packed up his bathrobes and self-tanning formula last January and begrudgingly moved into that dump on Pennsylvania Avenue, rare is the weekend that he hasnt fled D.C. In the winter and spring, hed jet down to his Palm Beach palace, Mar-a-Lago, entertaining world leaders and crashing weddings. As the days have gotten hotter and the president has presumably begun to shvitz, hes moved things north to his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, where on Friday hell begin a 17-day vacation.

The one place he surprisingly hasnt visited, however, is his beloved Trump Tower apartment in Midtown Manhattan (although that may have more to do to with the throngs of protesters who have become fixtures outside the building). Still, by law, the Secret Service treats Trump Tower as the presidents main residence and must keep a team there to protect it. Which it was doing from inside the skyscraper until recently, when it was forced to move to a trailer on the street after lease negotiations broke down with the Trump Organization. Per The Washington Post:

The Secret Service has vacated its command post inside Trump Tower in Manhattan following a dispute between the government and President Trumps company over the terms of a lease for the space, according to two people familiar with the discussions. Previously, the Secret Service had stationed its command postwhich houses supervisors and backup agents on standby in case of an emergencyin a Trump Tower unit one floor below the presidents apartment. But in early July, the post was relocated to a trailer on the sidewalk, more than 50 floors below, a distance that some security experts worry could hamper the agency that protects the presidents home and family.

While its not clear exactly where the talks broke down, people familiar with the matter told the Post the sticking points included the price and other conditions of the lease, and the statement from Trump Organization spokeswoman Amanda Miller seems to support that. After much consideration, it was mutually determined that it would be more cost effective and logistically practical for the Secret Service to lease space elsewhere, Miller said in an e-mail. In June, Bloomberg reported that the presidents net worth had taken a hit thanks to his three Manhattan office properties dropping in value, including Trump Tower. So youll have to forgive the people working on his behalf if they tried to make up some of the gaps by hosing the Secret Service on rent.

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The Secret Service is Sick of Getting Hosed by Donald Trump - Vanity Fair

Brynn Tannehill

Rank/branch of military: Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy. In the reserves until July 1, 2017 Hometown: Phoenix, AZ Proudest moment: All the years of training and dedication came together for me in those moments where I was there for my shipmates when they needed me the most. They survived because we were there. Biggest misconception: The idea that its too expensive to retain transgender service members is laughable to me. It costs more to replace two highly trained transgender service members than to provide health care for every last one of them.

Photograph by Justin Bishop.

Rank/branch of military: Captain, U.S. Army Hometown: Scranton, PA Proudest moment: Taking command of my first platoon after I graduated from West Point. Leading American soldiers is the single greatest honor Ive ever received. Biggest misconception: People often assume I joined the Army to make a man out of myself. I didnt. I joined the Army out of a sense of gratitude for all Id been given by this country.

Photograph by T.J. Kirkpatrick.

Rank/branch of military: Senior Chief, U.S. Navy SEALs Hometown: Wellsville, NY Proudest moment: I saved the life of an Afghanistan man in the middle of chaos. I also saw him later on and was able to have tea with him. Biggest misconception: The idea that this is a new issue. Transgender people have been serving since the Revolutionary war, and most of us dont cost a thing.

Photograph by T.J. Kirkpatrick.

Rank/branch of military: Active Duty Navy Lieutenant Commander Hometown: St. Louis, MO Proudest moment: The day I qualified in submarines and was pinned with my dolphins. Biggest misconception: We are obsessed with transitioning and cannot function or do our jobs. Many transgender service members are at the top of their game and they only get better when they are allowed to transition.

Photograph by T.J. Kirkpatrick.

Rank/branch of military: Army Sergeant Major, retired in 2012 Hometown: Jersey City, NJ Proudest moment: My service in Afghanistan in 20102011. I was awarded the French National Defense Medal, the first American to receive that medal since World War II. Biggest misconception: Expensive, complicated surgeries would make them non-deployable or [reduce their] effectiveness.

Photograph by Justin Bishop.

Rank/branch of military: Colonel, U.S. Army. Retired December 4, 2004, after 35 years of service. Hometown: Manitowoc, WI Proudest moment: I was the first woman to (legitimately) wear an infantry uniform after my DD 214 was changed to reflect my authenticity. I wore that uniform at [a] Pentagon Pride Event and [the] White House Pride month reception in June 2015. Biggest misconception: Some people, particularly the older generation, believe trans individuals are mentally ill. Being transgender is a medical condition, no different than someone suffering from diabetes or heart disease. All medical conditions are deserving of treatment.

Photograph by Kevin Miyazaki.

Rank/branch of military: Active Duty Army Soldier, Intelligence Officer Hometown: Houston, TX Proudest moment: The day I took command of a company. It was something I had given up hope on ever doing after deciding to transition, assuming that my career would be over. Biggest misconception: I think what it all comes down to is this stereotype people have of who trans people are. Once you work with someone and know someone personally, it breaks those stereotypes down.

Photograph by Robbie McClaran.

Rank/branch of military: Retired Army Corporal, worked as a Health-care Management Administration Specialist Hometown: Waipahu, HI What is your proudest moment in the service? Knowing that the solider was going to be able to go home to their family was and is always the most satisfying part of my career. What is the biggest misconception youd like to correct? The most common one in my opinion is that transgender people are incapable of fulfilling a duty because they are mentally unstable. In order to serve in these roles, you have to be mentally sound.

Photograph by T.J. Kirkpatrick.

Rank/branch of military: Captain, Kentucky National Guard. Currently serving in the 198th Military Police Battalion as the Senior Human Resources Officer Hometown: Lexington, KY Proudest moment: Being selected as T.A.C. (Teach, Assess, Counsel) officer of the year. It meant a lot to me to know that both my soldiers and command thought so well of my work, even as the Army was processing me for involuntary discharge due to being transgender. Biggest misconception: That being transgender is the most important part of who we are. I am proud to be a transgender man, but when it comes down to it, I am a commissioned officer in the United States Army.

Photograph by Jacob Roberts.

Rank/branch of military: Active Duty Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force Hometown: Flower Mound, TX Proudest moment: To be fortunate enough to see the policy change for transgender military members like myself. To see my brothers and sisters no longer have to serve in silence is a humbling experience. Biggest misconception: We only want to serve in the military to have our transitions paid for. At no point is my military service about me; its about those who came before me.

Photographed by Matthew Mahon.

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Norman Lear Refuses to be Honored by Donald Trump - Vanity Fair

The first came when he claimed, at a Cabinet meeting on Monday, that the President of Mexico had called him recently. Said Trump: "Even the President of Mexico called me. Their southern border, they said very few people are coming because they know they're not going to get to our border, which is the ultimate compliment."

Neither of those phone calls actually happened, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders admitted in her daily press briefing Wednesday.

When Trump said the President of Mexico had called him, he was referencing a conversation the two men had at the G20 meeting in Germany, which ended July 8.

As for the Boy Scouts "call," what Trump meant was that "multiple members of the Boy Scouts leadership following his speech there that day congratulated him, praised him and offered quite powerful compliments following his speech," Sanders explained.

Despite those admissions, Sanders blanched at the idea Trump had purposely misled. "I wouldn't say it was a lie," she said. "That's a pretty bold accusation. The conversations took place, they just simply didn't take place over a phone call."

But, here's the thing: This is not so easily dismissed as Sanders would like.

Why? Because this is a pattern of conduct with Trump. Throughout his candidacy -- and his presidency -- he has said things that are not provable, at best, and not true, at worst.

He saw Muslims celebrating on the rooftops in northern New Jersey on September 11, 2001. Evidence that President Barack Obama might not have been born in the United States had been brought to his attention. Three to 5 million people voted illegally in the 2016 election. His inauguration crowd was the largest ever recorded. Obama had wiretapped Trump Tower during the 2016 campaign.

Against all of that untruth, telling two fibs about phone calls seems minor. In both cases, Trump was exaggerating to the point of lying to make himself look good.

Trump's border policies are working so well that even Mexican President Enrique Pea Nieto, no friend of Trump's, had to acknowledge it. That, in Trump's mind, is proof positive that all the chatter about him not being able to make good on his campaign promises is, to coin a phrase, fake news.

Trump's claim that the head of the Boy Scouts called him to tell him how amazing his speech was came after the Wall Street Journal reporters and editors interviewing him suggested the reception Trump had received at the Jamboree last Monday was somewhat "mixed." Trump can't have that image; he is cheered, loudly, wherever he goes. Period.

In both cases, it's possible that Sanders' version of events is right. That Trump may have made up the phone calls but that the idea he meant to convey in each situation was fundamentally accurate.

It's also possible, of course, that it isn't true. That Trump heard what he wanted to hear or made it up entirely in order to make himself look or feel better.

The broader point here is that these misstatements, while minor as compared to something like, say, what role Trump played in the crafting of his eldest son's statement responding to the reporting of a meeting with a Russian lawyer, still matter.

They matter because they reveal -- or maybe re-reveal -- that Trump views the truth as a very subjective thing. On matters small and large, he bends reality to fit how he wants it to be. The Boy Scouts DID love him and so he said the head of the group called him to tell him he was the best ever. Whether it actually happened or not is, to Trump, not all that important. It felt like it happened. He was telling the truth as he sees it.

Of course, the truth as you might see it isn't the same thing as the plain, old truth. And if Trump is willing to lie about something so minor as phone calls, what else is he willing to stretch -- or break -- the truth about?

That's why the deceptions revealed Wednesday matter. And they (should) matter a lot.

Original post:
Donald Trump just keeps lying - CNN

Updated: 11:27 AM ET | Originally published: 11:21 AM ET

In a phone call with Mexican President Pea Nieto in January, President Donald Trump said he won support in New Hampshire "because New Hampshire is a drug-infested den," a reference to the state's opioid crisis .

A transcript of Trump's Jan. 27 phone call during which he faulted Mexico for the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S. was obtained and published by the Washington Post on Thursday.

"They are sending drugs to Chicago, Los Angeles, and to New York. Up in New Hampshire I won New Hampshire because New Hampshire is a drug-infested den is coming from the southern border," Trump told Pea Nieto.

Trump who won the Republican primary in New Hampshire but lost the state to Hillary Clinton in the general election campaigned in New Hampshire on a promise to solve the opioid addiction epidemic.

"We are becoming a drug-addicted nation and most the drugs are coming from Mexico or certainly from the southern border," Trump told Pea Nieto in the call. "We have a massive drug problem where kids are becoming addicted to drugs because drugs are being sold for less money than candy because there is so much of it."

The New Hampshire comment drew ire from Democratic leaders as well as the state's Republican governor on Thursday.

"The President is wrong. Its disappointing his mischaracterization of this epidemic ignores the great things this state has to offer, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu said in a statement. " Our administration inherited one of the worst health crises this state has ever experienced, but we are facing this challenge head on."

Democratic New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan called the remarks "disgusting." "Instead of insulting people in the throes of addiction, @POTUS needs to work across party lines to actually stem the tide of this crisis," she said on Twitter.

"Its absolutely unacceptable for the President to be talking about NH in this way a gross misrepresentation of NH & the epidemic," New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat, said in a tweet , calling for Trump to apologize.

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Donald Trump Called New Hampshire a 'Drug-Infested Den' in Call With Mexican President - TIME