The Saudis, joined by Egypt, Bahrain and the UAE, have severed diplomatic ties with Qatar and cut off all land, sea and air links, seeking to isolate the tiny country, However, the two other member of the Gulf Co-operation Council, Kuwait and Oman have refused to go along, causing a split in the and threatening the stability in this very unstable region. Why?
     Trump tweeted afterwards that " during my recent trip to the Middle East I stated that there can no longer be funding of Radical Ideology. Leaders pointed to Qatar- Look" ( June 6). Of course the Saudis pointed elsewhere when they are the ones who have been spending billions (recently gave $1 billion to Bangladesh to build 560 mosques.. a country that has recently been seething with terrorism, where extremists have been attacking minorities, journalists and anyone seen as enemy of Islam, demanding Sharia and laws on blasphemy and whose PM has been cultivating them in the run up to elections, rejecting the principle of secularism that was one of the founding basis of its Constitution, drafted by her father Sheik Mujib) .. The Saudis have been spreading its very strict interpretation of Islam.. Wahabbism, through its schools/madrassahs and mosques in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Indonesia etc. and many wealthy Saudis have been accused of funding terrorists groups ( bin Ladin was Saudi and 15 of the 19 attackers of 9/11 were Saudis ). 
     Trump was conned and used by the Saudis to go after Qatar which has been developing a closer relation with Iran ( gas field exploration... Qatar is the world largest producer of liquefied natural gas), and Turkey ( air base). The Saudis, which has a stranglehold on its media, controlling all information, is angry with Qatar over Al Jazeera and wants it muzzled. Also it accuses Qatar of funding the Muslim Brotherhood, the most popular face of political Islam ( the Egyptian strongman al-Sisi is particularly afraid of this Sunni group ( after he met and was embraced and praised by Trump , al-Sisi, arrested a potential opponent for allegedly making an   indecent hand gesture at a rally five months earlier and he has blocked access to the websites of Mada Masr, Egypt's leading liberal newspaper and websites of 20 other media outlets, including Al Jazeera and Huffpost Arabic ( Economist, June 10-16) and so is Bahrain( authorities killed 5 people and arrested 286 more in a raid on the home of a Shia cleric)  , thus their support of the Saudis.
     The autocrats, religious, military and political have read Trump as being sympathetic and supportive ( Duterte of the Philippines has gone on a rampage) and think that they can persecute "enemies" without hindrance from the USA. However there are other implications. By his words and actions, Trump has unleashed instability in the Middle East and in Europe . His support of the action against Qatar has unsettled the region ( the Americans have one of their largest military bases their, with over 15, 000 military personnel  and tons of equipment . Was he aware of this?). He has also unsettled NATO and Europe, refusing to commit to Article 5, to come to the aid of member nation and by his public scolding of members. He has also shown that it can abandon its allies ( Qatar ) and this affect America's credibility.
     Leadership is sorely lacking and even the 15,00 camels of Qatar have been deported.   

     Three days to go and the race is tightening up and Theresa May is in panic mode. When she called the election, the Conservatives had three more years to go but she gambled, and called an unnecessary and expensive election, hoping to get an even stronger mandate to negotiate Brexit or so she claimed at the time.
     She should have learned from her predecessor, Cameron who called a referendum  on Brexit and had to step down when the people narrowly voted to leave, splitting the country between urban and rural; old whites fearing for their way of life ( the Poles were a particular target) and the young seeing greater opportunities in the European Union. London, the financial center voted overwhelmingly  to stay ( it fears that banks and other businesses would leave)
     May also fell for the polls that showed Labour and especially its leader Corbyn trailing far  behind. Three terrorist attacks, two in recent days in Manchester and London have raised serious concern about security and May's ability to handle the growing threat. Her leadership and her somewhat confusing campaign and her failure to assuage fears about the negotiation over Brexit have gnawed at her lead and it is down from a high of over 20% when the election was called to one or two percent.
     Scotland , Northern Ireland voted to stay ( and Scotland is moving towards another referendum and Northern Ireland is looking for a way to use its border with the Irish Republic to retain the benefits of Europe),  and the prospects of the Conservatives winning seats there   are slim. Wales also seems to be backing out. The rural voters and the elderly will not be enough to carry May to victory and it looks like a minority government on the 8th
     May,s chances are quickly  fading. She is being blamed for "attacks", because of the cutbacks in policing spending  while she was Home Secretary (5 yrs.). This adds to her woes. 
     The election is over and May and the Conservatives got a drubbing ( the polls had up by 20%), losing as many as 17 seats ( 318), while Labour picked 34 seats (266). The SNP lost 22 seats(34), while the Lib-Dem picked up 4), for 12 ; the Dem. Unionist got 10( +2)'; Sinn Fein 7 (+3); Plaid Cymru 4(+1). UKIP the Brexit leader lost its only seat.
     The turnout was 66.1% up from 2015 by 2.6%, but down 3.5% from the Brexit referendum. More people voted 33.2 million than ant other election since 1992 (33.6 million). The Conservatives got 42.4% ( 13,650,900) to Labour 40.1% (12,858,652).
     The country remained divided as ever with English nationalists vs. Scottish nationalists; young vs. old; rural vs. urban; natives vs. immigrants and London vs. rest. Trade, tax, debt, immigration, Europe, austerity, cost of living, NHS funding, economic growth. housing and employment.
     Theresa May wants to remain in office and is working on a deal with Ulster Democratic Unionists, but it will be razor thin and will not last. She also faces attacks from within the party and the sniping and blaming has begun and she will not be able to withstand the onslaught ( even Thatcher and Major could not and Cameron resigned after the referendum ). So in a few months, the government will fall and the "savaged" Jeremy Corbyn ( by the media pundits and within the party elites who see him as a disaster), may be called upon to form a government ( who would have thought it possible). He certainly did much better than anyone expected but he was able to win the youth vote ( promising to spend more on education and taxing the wealthy).
     Britain is in for a rough ride. 

     He is the first American president to visit a Muslim state on his first trip abroad. This from a man who campaigned for a ban on Muslims and issued three such Executive Orders ( which the courts have struck down). He as also accused Saudi Arabia of the 9/11 attacks ( 15 of the attackers were from Saudi Arabia as was bin Ladin who received much financial support from elements in Saudi Arabia) and has constantly talked about "radical Islamic terrorists" ( he said Pres. Obama should resign for not using that term and also attacked Clinton on that).
     He was greeted warmly by the Saudis, in part because he signed an arms deal worth $109 billion and called on the Sunnis to act against Iran, (which had re-elected the moderate Rouhani to a second term) and the nuclear agreement ( even though his State Dept. has certified that Iran is respecting the deal.
     He was accompanied by his wife, Melania and his daughter, Ivanka who made a speech on women empowerment, from which women reporters were kicked out. She, Ivanka could have stood up but chose to stoop down, exposing her hypocrisy and the sham. She preferred her business but was quite willing to use the issue of women empowerment. The venality matches her father's.
     His next stop is Israel, where PM Netanyahu has forced all his ministers to show up to greet Trump ( news had leaked out that some of them were planning to boycott). The Israelis are angry about Trump leaking intelligence to the Russians that they provided to the US ( this was at the unprecedented meeting in the Oval Office with Russian Foreign Minister and also Ambassador, where Trump also joked about firing FBI Director Comey, and telling the Russians that that it was because of the pressure from the investigation of the alleged Russian hacking and interference in the last election, which has since led to the appointment of a special prosecutor, Moeller. The Israelis are very concerned about the arms deal, Trump signed with the Saudis. 
     The Israelis, especially Netanyahu want to curry favor with Trump, who they see as a strong ally, especially as he had promised ( during the campaign) to move the American Embassy to Jerusalem. He has backed down somewhat ( as he has done on a variety of other promises), so expect the treatment to be very good, but you can bet that they are going to get some " goodies" from Trump as a form of compensation.
     Trump will need all the goodwill and treatment, because his next stop is the  Pope, whom he insulted during the campaign and of whom the Pope has been very critical. This meeting will be cordial but not warm. 
     The real test will be Europe and the G-7 meeting. His anti-NATO, anti- European Union  and his pro- Brexit, pro Le Pen stances have been galling and relations have been tense ( also the visit of Merkel did not go well ). What will he say and how it will be received and the treatment in the media and in the streets, will define this visit.  
     The trip has ended. It was not a disaster but there were embarrassment and thuggery. He elbowed the leader of Montenegro out of the to get in front of the camera. He lectured the   heads of NATO, berating them for not paying their dues of 2% ( the 2% is for national defence spending not dues to NATO ( they were bemused, looking in askance at each other). He called the Germans "bad, bad ,bad", saying that he will limit car shipments ( most of the cars are made in US). He kept G-7 leaders waiting while he waited for a golf cart to take him to the photo-op. He also used the golf cart to go to the meeting in Sicily ( the others walked to the place of meeting). He ( privately) mused about leaving the Paris accord on climate change. He told the president of Israel ( when he was in Israel ) that he had just left the Middle East). He was admonished by Theresa May on intelligence leaks on Manchester bomb attack. He kept apart in Europe but cozied up with the tyrannical Saudis. He is back and tweeting about "fake news".    

     Macron won easily with 64% of the votes. Now he needs to translate that into seats in the National Assembly and that will not be easy. Only a handful of seats are won on the 1st ballot and before the 2nd ballot, deals are struck. The parties of the Left will choose the best candidates to face off against the Right and Macron's En Marche ay be caught in the squeeze. He can prevent this by ensuring that enough of his candidates win enough votes to qualify for the 2nd round.
     The President of France has many powers, including choosing the Premier, the Cabinet, can dismiss the Premier, dissolve the National Assembly ( once a year) and rule by decree  also can declare a state of emergency. He dominates foreign policy and is the " national arbiter" to ensure the security and unity of the State ( Charles de Gaulle used all these powers in his 10 years, thus establishing the precedents and others have followed him).
     There is in The France the principle of " cohabitation", when the party in power in the National Assembly is different from that of the President ( Chirac had to work with the Socialists). This forces compromises and has worked in the past, but the President usually want free reins.
     The outcome of the election next week is not good for Macron. Many of those who voted for him did so to stop Marine Le Pen. Her support is solid and the only thing stopping her party from winning a large bloc of seats ( especially in the rural areas) is the "deals" to keep her out and some recent scandals with her replacement as leader. The Socialists did not support Macron and they see him as a traitor, so they will do all they can to deny him a majority. The Right are expected to rally around their party too. It will be a four-way contest and the likely outcome is " cohabitation".  

     Turkey held a referendum, April 16, 2017 and the result was very close, dividing the country between the rural conservatives Islamists of Recip Erdogan and the urban, liberal, secular-oriented urban centers of the opposition. Prior to the election, tens of thousands were arrested, fired and otherwise harassed(100,000+including judges, lawyers, teachers, journalists, military and police officers lost their jobs and 40,000+ were arrested, including pro- Kurdish lawyers). Hundreds of non-governmental organisations and news outlet, as well as many businesses, from schools to fertility clinics were shut down. Erdogan lasted European countries calling France and the Netherlands "Nazis" and opponents at home as supporters of terrorists.
     The turnout was very high at 86% of the 55 million eligible voters, and Erdogan received about 51% of the votes but the Opposition has claimed ( and international observers have concurred) that there was widespread vote tampering, and that the Electoral Board has counted ballot boxes that were not officially stamped.
     Erdogan has claimed victory and this has begun the process of changing Turkey from a parliamentary system to a presidential one, with the President is both Head of State and Head of Government ( the office of Prime Minister has been abolished), with sweeping powers to appoint judges, declare a state of emergency, dissolve parliament, issue laws by decrees, an executive presidency with the potential to become a dictatorship ( especially given the autocratic actions and pronouncements of Erdogan, who can remain in power until 2029.
    Turkey faces a lot of problems. There is instability and terrorism at its borders, with hundreds of thousands of refugees flooding in. There is war in Iraq and Syria and with Kurdish elements fighting fro their Kurdistan. There is economic depression and with the tourists staying away in droves, it will get worse and of course, there is the move to a more Islamic society ( away from the secularism that was introduced by Kemal Ataturk in 1923).
     As things degenerate and they will, Erdogan will assume more and more powers and become more and more autocratic and there will be more violence and upheavals, but with a defanged military, chaos will reign, and the very foundations will be affected. Can Turkey withstand this. No. ( This is not France in 1958, which was beset with institutional instability ( 26 governments. between 1946-58); at home; military defeat in Vietnam ( Dien Bien Phu, 1954), and turmoil in the colonies in Africa ( Algeria), when they brought Charles de Gaulle from self-imposed exile (1946), gave him power to write a new constitution, which he did successfully , creating the 5th Republic, giving himself Executive powers and restoring stability and security, which France as enjoyed until today.)
     But today's France is facing problems again. There is terrorism, economic depression, refugees , incompetent leadership and in the upcoming presidential election of April , 22, four candidates that offer little. There is the far right, anti-Muslim, Anti- immigrant, anti-Europe Marine Le Pen ( who ousted her pied-noir father, Jean-Marie from the leadership; the old, white,  Catholic conservative, rural voters of the disgraced former front-runner, Fillion ( he and his British-born wife are being investigated for embezzlement ; the 39 year old, investment banker and economy minister, Macron in the center "calling himself a progressive and a reformer and the surprise of the season Jean-Luc Melenchon, the far left/ hardline communist, who has been making inroads with his attacks on the banks and the 1%, running a glitzy campaign with holograms of himself delivering blistering speeches at various venues at the same time. This will be settled at the Second ballot and the only thing certain is that Le Pen will be one of the candidate, and the other will be either Macron or Melenchon ( it will be like in 2002 when voters held their nose and voted for the detested Chirac in order to stop pere Le Pen)
     In Britain Theresa May has seen the polls and on the 279 day of her 280 day in office, she took a walk in the hills of Wales and decided to go back on her word not to call a snap election. She has 3 more years in this mandate but decided to hold an election on June 8, 2017. Will the voters punish her for this? More to come.  .

     " I'll win so much, you will ask me to stop". The only ones who have won are the people he appointed to various positions and who have been confirmed. However Flynn was forced to resign; Sessions has to recuse himself and Gorsuch is having a tough time getting confirmed. His daughter, Ivanka has joined her husband Kushner as "special adviser" to the President, where she will be able to make many contacts which will later benefit her and her business. Kushner is called to the Senate Intelligence Com. to explain his contact with Russian ambassador and others; the same for Manafort ( former campaign chair), and others associated with Trump and his campaign.  In the House proceedings are halted as the Chair, Nunes is under scrutiny for his visit to White House and other actions.
     It has been a series of losses for Trump. His promise to build the wall and make Mexico pay for it is not going to happen and whatever is built, the American taxpayers will have to foot the bill. The Muslim ban has been struck down by the Courts and his promise of deporting 11 million "illegals" is going nowhere except harassing people and separating  some families. His promise to defeat ISIS in 30 days has led to an intensification of bombings ( I'll bomb the shit out of 'em ) has led to hundreds of civilian death and  more American troops being sent to Syria and Iraq. His biggest defeat is " repeal and replace " Obamacare. They have had 7 years to work on it but when they did introduce it, it led to widespread criticism and protests ( with many who voted for him coming out and opposing it). It is estimated that 14 million in 2018m and as much as 24 million by 2024 would lose coverage; it would increase costs for seniors ( as much as 10 times... from$1.700 under ASA to $ 14,700 under new plan. Conservative Republicans were opposed to it and so too,  the Freedom Caucus and Trump and Ryan were forced to withdraw the bill.
     Trump has responded with his usual tirade and the issuance of many Executive Orders, like the ones on coal-mining and the environment. He promised to bring back jobs in the coal industry but will not be able to deliver as coal is expensive in comparison to other sources of energy, so another broken promise, just like the one to use US steel for building pipelines. He has threatened to withdraw from the Paris Accord on the environment and to renegotiate NAFTA, so we will have to wait and see. Some of his Exec. Orders, like the one with the environment will be challenged in court, just like the Muslim ban was.
     It has not been  win, win ,win. It has been a disaster with failure after failure and unless he changes his approach, heal the divisions in the Republican Party and  find some common ground with the Democrats, he will continue to fail. You can win a campaign with Slogans and Sound Bites but governing require much more. 

    There is fear and danger in the land and many are fleeing to sanctuaries, within and without. The appeal to fear and insecurity, to ignorance and bigotry, to religious zealotry and ethnic nationalism, to " make America great again", to ban Muslims, to deport millions, to " bring back the jobs", to tear up trade agreements, to repeal Obamacare, to build the Wall and make Mexico pay for it, calling the media  " the enemies of the people", questioning the integrity of the courts and the competence of the intelligence services, is roiling the land ( two Indian engineers going to a bar for an after-work drink are accosted and shot, one killed, after being told to go back to their country; many are taking to the streets to protests; some are seeking sanctuary and many are fleeing to Canada).
    Restricting trade and immigration is a toxic. It could damage the economy. Trade is necessary for every nation. It is a means of selling what it has and buying what it needs. There have to be rules and those are contained in the agreements negotiated, like NAFTA.
     Some countries run a deficit and that is not necessarily bad and may indeed be a good sign. When, as in the case of US and Mexico, there are many reasons. Firstly, the US has a very strong currency much more valuable than Mexico's. So it is cheaper for American consumers to buy much more of what they want ( avocados, tequila, cars, oil and gas etc.), while the Mexicans cannot afford to buy as much from the US. US/Mexico trade is worth $581 billion+ with a $ 55 billion deficit; US/China has a $659 billion trade with $ 360 deficit and Us /Canada has a $575 billion trade with a $ 15billion deficit. In the case of China, much of what it sells to the US is made by American corporations in China and it is very inexpensive and so shoppers at Walmart and other outlets, get a bargain, buy a lot and the corporations hire workers and make a huge profit and consumers save. The same with Mexico and Canada. Millions of jobs are created on all sides (  the Us/Canada trade is responsible for 9 million jobs in 35 states in the US and 2 million in Canada.
     So if, as Trump threatens, he tears up the NAFTA agreement,  American consumers will have to pay more for products they need and many millions will lose their jobs. That is why many states are calling on Trump not to restrict trade with Canada. We share a long border and millions travel each year back and forth for shopping and holidays and visiting friends and relatives too.
     In the case of Mexico, Trump wants to build a wall, ostensibly to keep out illegal immigrants, many of whom come from various countries in Central and South America and elsewhere and cross the border into the US. He wants the Mexican to pay for the wall but that has been roundly rejected, so he is using the scrapping of NAFTA as a means of forcing the Mexicans to make a deal. That will not happen ( probably, if he had not been so loud and bullying, some deal could have been worked out quietly, but Trump screams insults ( rapists and criminals), rather than negotiate quietly. The $55 billion deficit is due to cheap Mexican goods and the high American dollar. American customers can easily buy Mexican but Mexicans cannot buy American.
     China has been the manufacturer to the world for over 20 years. It is a combination of cheap labour and a Chinese government that in the 90s came to realize that it has to open ( to get rich is good, as Deng Chao Ping noted ) up in order to feed its teeming population. Many corporations relocated to China and China flourished ( even Trump wanted to do business there....his clothing line but not hotels), as they produced all manner of goods that were eagerly sought after, from television to clothing to everything. Its trade deficit grew with the US as, not many Chinese consumers could afford to buy American. So Trump used China and the deficit to whip up anger against China, accusing it of, among other things of currency manipulation ( while he and his daughter continue to make products there ).
     If Trump goes ahead and try to impose tariffs or any other punitive measures on Canada, Mexico or China, it will be Americans, people and corporations that will suffer, whether it be, by paying more for goods or losing their jobs. He makes policy on the fly, without much thought or information. It may have worked in the election campaign but not as government policies. Ignorance, threats, bullying of trading partners have serious consequences and so the wall, if built will be paid for by American taxpayers; the trade agreements, if they are scrapped will cost American jobs and if tariffs are placed on goods coming into the country, it will be the American consumers who will pay.
     Immigration and the 11 million " undocumented" won a lot of support for Trump and won him the White House, but now the reality check. His first attempt to ban immigration from Libya, Yemen, Sudan, Iraq, Iran, Somalia and Syria, by Executive Order was a disaster. It created a nightmare for travellers and not just from these countries and was quickly and successfully challenged in the courts ( District and Appeals , where all 4 judges ruled against the ban ( Trump tried to hide behind an Obama restriction, but failed ). Trump has gone back to the drawing board and a new Order is expected.
     In the meantime, there is fear in the land as people are rounded up and deported ( on the grounds that they are criminals, no matter how small the " crime" or how long they have been in the country. Many cities and churches have declared themselves to be " sanctuary" and refusing to go along with the ban or to cooperate with immigration officials. Many fear-stricken people are fleeing across icy fields to the Canadian border, seeking refuge in Canada. Trump's action has led to a petition signed by 1.8 million in Britain, to ban him from a proposed visit and forced a debate in Parliament, whose Speaker "is  strongly opposed" to Trump addressing the House of Commons and thus banned from doing so. The Europeans have also been very critical of the " Muslim ban".
     The 11 million " undocumented" perform many tasks, from babysitting to gardening to picking crops to construction, to restaurants to working in factories and slaughter houses ( jobs that are "dirty", backbreaking and dangerous and which " Americans" do not want to do. They are a very important part of the work force and already farmers and builders and restaurants etc. are complaining ( even the Trump vineyard has approached the  authorities to get " foreign workers" to come in). These are necessary work and the workers pay billions in taxes but do not collect Social Security ( even though they have contributed billions ). Another campaign promise that is having serious consequences.
          

     The Rule of Law and an Independent Judiciary ( together with the Right to Vote ) are the pillars of Democracy. The undermining of any or all is a dangerous threat to Democracy and that is what Trump has done, with his immigration ban and calling the judge who granted a stay, a " so called judge" ( this coming on top of his racist comments on another judge. who was presiding over the Trump University fraud case, calling him a " Mexican" ( he is Mexican-American, born in the US).
     The Rule of Law, establishes that " all are equal before the law; the law apply equally to all and that no one is above the law ". The immigration ban on all coming from 7 majority Muslim countries ( but giving preference to Christians ), even those with visas and green cards ( work permits) and those with special visas ( those who worked for and with Americans, as advisers, translators etc. and whose lives may be in danger for this), is a clear breach of " due process " ( the right to be treated equally and the right to be presumed innocent) and clearly establishes a religious bias and discriminates). The argument that they pose a terrorist threat is not demonstrated by that fact that no one from any of these ( Libya, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Somalia), countries has committed a terrorist in US ( excluded from the ban are Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan, Indonesia, the largest Muslim states, but close allies and trading partners , if not business of Trump and his inner circle ). There was an immediate at home and abroad. Lawyers and thousands of protesters went to American airports to protest and help those who had travelled to US, legally and who were being turned away, some having their visas taken way. Condemnation from France, Germany and the EU and in Britain the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow said that he was  " strongly opposed "  to Trump speaking in the House ( Trump had been invited to Britain by PM Theresa May on her visit to US. Addressing the House is  an honour sometime granted to foreign leaders ) " Before the imposition of the migrant ban, I would myself been strongly opposed to an address by Pres. Trump...after the imposition of the migrant ban by Pres. Trump I am even more strongly opposed to an address by Pres. Trump in Westminster Hall", he said to applause in the House. He cited the Commons opposition to " racism and to sexism and our support for equality before the law and an independent judiciary".
     An independent judiciary, ensures that the law would be respected and that anyone who tries to undermine the law or who acts illegally or unconstitutionally, would be prevented from doing so. The independence of the judiciary is necessary to stop arbitrariness and dictatorial rule. This has not sit well with Trump, who during the campaign used racist remarks about Judge Curriel, calling him Mexican  and doubting his objectivity because his ancestry ( Trump ad called Mexicans rapists and criminals. The judge was born in the US ). Now he is attacking the federal judge who has ruled against the " ban", saying he is a " so-called" judge ( this is a judge who was appointed by Pres. GW Bush and confirmed 99-0 by the Senate. No Mexican here " real American. Judges interpret laws and apply them, after listening to the arguments from both sides. This is their function as the arbiter of the law and its application. The independence of the judiciary is threatened when the President act like a bully and when he disparages them. Thankfully, Federal judges are appointed for life and are thus insulated from such cowardly and vicious attacks. No one is above the law, not any individual and certainly ( especially ) not the President. American colonies fought for their independence from a " tyrannical monarch" and they cherish their " rights and freedoms "and the Founding Fathers establish the " checks and balances " to ensure that no tyrant exercise power against the people or the Constitution, which the President swear to " uphold and protect". If Trump or anyone else does not like the decision of a judge or a court, they can appeal it. Trump chose to attack first. This is his wont and he has done this time and again, against the media, the intelligence agencies, the military and now the Judiciary.
     He weakens the basis of his power, of the democracy he has sworn to protect and the Rule of Law. This has all the hall marks of a constitutional crisis.   
      

     "Alternative fact". This is how Kelly Ann Conway ( Trump adviser ), described Sean Spicer ( Press Sect. ), lies to reporter. He harangued, lectured, blatantly accused reporters of lying about the size of the crowd for the Inauguration, while lying himself. It was weird but reflected what Trump himself was saying at the CIA.
     Trump went to CIA to mend fences but as he stood before the Memorial Wall, all he could talk about was the " dishonest media ", how smart he is and how large the crowd was " the largest in history", he lied. He had doubted the Intelligence community, (including the CIA's) findings on the Russian hacking during the campaign, accusing them of acting like Nazi Germany and now here he was, accusing the media of being "dishonest".
    This his a strategy. Demonize the media and deem it as dishonest in its reporting. Nixon tried to do the same. He had his "black book" and his mouth piece labelled the media as " nattering nabobs of negativism", but they stood firm and continued to report and investigate, the war in Vietnam and Cambodia as well as Watergate and Nixon left office in disgrace. 
    Trump is trying to make the mainstream media the issue, by calling reporters " dishonest", for reporting "fake news", and lying about events and being "crooked". He is preparing for the broken or unfulfilled promises, whether deportations, the Wall or bringing the jobs back or making America great again. He wants to control the news and that is why he prefers Twitter, to get his message out.
     His Cabinet is almost totally white, middle age billionaires and military ( no Hispanic and Carson). Some of his appointees have questionable connections to Russia, like Tillerson and Flynn; some like Perry and DeVos have very little knowledge about their departments, Energy and Education; some have questionable financial dealings, like himself and then you have his Labor Sect. who is anti-worker, anti-minimum wage and his Interior Sect. is a climate change denier. Trump doe not want to hear or answer about any of these or about his own finances or taxes or court cases. So, he wants a defanged media.
    Americans are proud of the 1st amendment on the whole but Trump's hard core supporters do not trust the " liberal " media, but trust him. Will this last? Well it is Day 3 and so far it's been surreal.

    

     Pres. Obama's approval rating has rocketed to 69% ( only Reagan and Clinton had higher), while Trump's is the lowest for an incoming president at 40%. No surprise on both counts.
     The more Trump tweets and talks, the more Pres. Obama is appreciated. The more Trump insults, like in the case of Rep. Lewis, the more people are turned off. Almost 60 members of the House are boycotting his inauguration, many of whom are angry about his tweets about civil rights icon Lewis having done nothing and is all "talk".
    Trump's call for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act ( Obamacare) and the support from the Republican Congress, have alarmed a lot of people, concerned about their health and their coverage. There is much confusion among the Republicans and also Trump as to what is going to replace it and when this will happen. Trump has said ( quite foolishly), that it will be done immediately clashes with Ryan and the Congress saying that it may take up to a year or more to replace it. Nobody knows what is the replacement or whether it will be done piecemeal or whether some of the Obamacare. like protection for per-conditions or children remaining on their parents plan, will be retained. What is known is that almost 28 million people will be affected, one way or another, and Trump is not helping when he says different things on different days, like all will be covered, but gives no details, especially about who will pay and how much it will cost.
    There are many concerns about his cabinet appointees from Tillerson ( Russian connection ) to Flynn ( Russian connection and leaking of Intel in Afghanistan) to DeVos ( Private and religious education and her general lack of knowledge on education) to Perry ( climate change and getting rid of Energy Dept.), Price ( stock deals and conflict of interest). on his Labor Sect. on the minimum wage and Carson also. Every one of Trump's pick have clouds hanging over them, but the Republicans control the Senate ( as well as the House).
     So Trump is coming in with the lowest approval rating ( even lower than Nixon in 1972 ( Vietnam and Watergate and blacklist) or Bush in 2000 ( disputed win/Florida count) and wide spread protest are expected, in more places and with more people.
     Pres. Obama is going out with an approval rate of 69%, higher than when he took over in 2009. He has been presidential, presided over the end of the economic turmoils, the near collapse of the auto industry,  the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, getting rid of bin Laden, with the stock exchange more than doubled, unemployment halved, over 1000 pardons/commuting, with more than 28 million insured and protected, the Iranian nuclear deal, the imposition of sanctions on Russia etc. .. This was all done with a "say no" Republican leadership and Congress trying to stop him at every turn.
     It was a remarkable presidency. He overcame much, to do much. You are leaving the country in a far better condition, than you inherited. Goodbye Mr. President. You will be sorely missed. Enjoy the rest of your life with your family.