TrumpWatch with Jesse Lent

On December 7, 2016, “TrumpWatch with Jesse Lent” debuted on WBAI 99.5fm, New York City's Pacifica station. Through 127 episodes, we did our best to cut through the bluster coming from the White House to help you figure out the concrete ways that our country has been changed by Donald Trump and his administration. For our final show, we take your calls on how the resistance to this president has changed protest movements in the US.

(9/11/19) On December 7, 2016, “TrumpWatch with Jesse Lent” debuted on WBAI. Through 127 episodes, we did our best to go beyond the bluster coming from the White House to help you figure out the concrete ways that our country has changed in the Donald Trump era. For our final show, we take your calls on how the peace movement has changed in the wake of the resistance and Jesse shares some exciting news about his new series covering the 2020 election, slated to premiere on WBAI in November.

Of all the consequences of climate change that we know about, one that rarely gets discussed is its affect on the affordable housing crisis. Back in June, President Trump (who has denied the existence of global warming throughout his presidency) signed an executive order aimed at “tearing down red tape in order to build more affordable housing.” But as reported in Teresa Wiltz's article for The Pew Charitable Trusts Statewide blog, “Climate Change Is Making the Affordable Housing Crunch Worse,” the administration's refusal to engage in efforts to reduce carbon emissions is creating larger issues than red tape to contend with. On this week's TrumpWatch, Teresa Wiltz explains why climate change is making the housing crunch even worse.

(9/4/19) Of all the consequences of climate change that we know about, one that rarely gets mentioned is its affect on the affordable housing crisis in America. Back in June, President Trump, who has denied the existence of global warming throughout his presidency, signed an executive order aimed at “tearing down red tape in order to build more affordable housing.” But as reported in Teresa Wiltz’s article for The Pew Charitable Trusts Statewide blog, “Climate Change Is Making the Affordable Housing Crunch Worse” the administration’s refusal to engage in efforts to reduce carbon emissions is creating larger issues than government red tape to contend with when addressing the homeless crisis. On this week’s TrumpWatch with Jesse Lent on WBAI, Teresa Wiltz talks about why climate change is making low-cost housing so hard to find.

On Monday, attorneys general for 19 states and the District of Columbia announced a lawsuit against the Trump administration in the hopes of blocking a sweeping new rule which would allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement to indefinitely hold migrant families in detention. But will it work? On this week's TrumpWatch, immigration reporter for Reuters Mica Rosenberg unpacks this blue state attempt to block President Trump's border policy in the courts.

(8/28/19)On Monday, attorneys general for 19 states and the District of Columbia announced a lawsuit against the Trump administration in the hopes of blocking a sweeping new rule that would allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to indefinitely hold migrant families in detention. But will it work? On this week’s TrumpWatch with Jesse Lent on WBAI, immigration reporter for Reuters Mica Rosenberg unpacks this blue state attempt to block President Trump’s border policy in the courts.

Veterans of the US Armed Forces will have a harder time receiving green cards than currently active service members, according to a new report from Yeganeh Torbati, Isaac Arnsdorf and Dara Lind of ProPublica. Since Veterans Affairs officials declined to step in to exempt their members from a Trump administration policy restricting green cards for low-income immigrants, vets will not be entitled to any of the exemptions open to currently enlisted military personnel. On this week's TrumpWatch, Yeganeh considers what the reporting of her and her ProPublica colleagues tells us about the way this federal agency is being run in the Trump era.

(8/21/19) Veterans of the US Armed Forces will have a harder time receiving green cards than currently active service members, according to a new report from Yeganeh Torbati, Isaac Arnsdorf and Dara Lind of ProPublica “‘No Comment’: Emails Show the VA Took No Action to Spare Veterans From a Harsh Trump Immigration Policy.” According to this exclusive report, since Veterans Affairs (VA) officials declined to step in to exempt veterans from a Trump administration policy denying green cards to a larger number of low-income immigrants, vets will not be entitled to any of the exemptions open to currently enlisted military personnel. In this week’s “TrumpWatch with Jesse Lent” on WBAI, Yeganeh Torbati considers what the reporting of her and her ProPublica colleagues tells us about the way the VA is being run in the Trump administration.

On Aug. 12, the Trump administration announced plans to change how it how it enforces the Endangered Species Act, the landmark 1974 law believed to have rescued the bald eagle, the grizzly bear and the American alligator from going extinct. On this week's TrumpWatch, Ben Lefebvre, author of the POLITICO article “Trump administration eases endangered species rules,” helps break down what this new interpretation will mean for the effort to save threatened animals.

(8/14/19) On Aug. 12, the Trump administration announced plans to change how it how it enforces the Endangered Species Act, the landmark 1974 law believed to have rescued the bald eagle, the grizzly bear and the American alligator from extinction. In this week’s “TrumpWatch with Jesse Lent” on WBAI, Ben Lefebvre, author of the POLITICO article “Trump administration eases endangered species rules,” helps break down what this new interpretation will mean for the effort to save threatened animals from being wiped off the planet.

With all eyes trained on former special counsel Robert Mueller's testimony before Congress, we take a look at the issue that got us here—Russian interference in the 2016 election. According to Adam Piore, author of the July 23 Newsweek article “Russia Is Using Cold War Strategy to Undermine the Faith of Americans in the 2020 Election—Will It Work?” the strategy being deployed ahead of the 2020 presidential election has disturbing echoes of 2016. While a July 18 Brennan Center for Justice report entitled “Federal Funding Needs for State Election Security” highlights dangerous vulnerabilities in the voting systems of six states. Join us for a conversation on the state of US elections today with Adam Piore of Newsweek and Christopher R. Deluzio, a co-author of the Brennan Center study, on this week's TrumpWatch.

(7/24/19) With all eyes trained on former special counsel Robert Mueller’s testimony before Congress, we take a look at the status of the issue that got us here—Russian interference in the 2016 election. According to Adam Piore, author of the July 23 Newsweek article “Russia Is Using Cold War Strategy to Undermine the Faith of Americans in the 2020 Election—Will It Work?” the strategy being deployed ahead of the 2020 presidential election has disturbing echoes of 2016. While a July 18 Brennan Center for Justice report entitled “Federal Funding Needs for State Election Security” highlights dangerous vulnerabilities in the voting systems of six states. Join us for a conversation on the state of US elections today with Adam Piore of Newsweek and Christopher R. Deluzio, a co-author of the Brennan Center study, in this episode of “TrumpWatch with Jesse Lent” on WBAI.

Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney reportedly told attendees at a recent fundraising retreat in Chicago that he doesn't attempt to control the President's tweeting, time or family. Instead, according to the July 15 Washington Post article “‘His own fiefdom," he is building his own power base in Washington through a formerly inactive White House office called the Domestic Policy Council. On this week's TrumpWatch, Lisa Rein, a reporter covering federal agencies and the management of government in the Trump administration for the Washington Post, helps break down her reporting on Mulvaney's efforts and considers their ramifications for American politics.

(7/17/19) Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney reportedly told attendees at a recent fundraising retreat in Chicago that he does not attempt to control the President’s tweeting, time or family. Instead, according to the July 15 Washington Post article “‘His own fiefdom’: Mulvaney builds ‘an empire for the right wing’ as Trump’s chief of staff,” he is building his own power base in Washington through a formerly inactive White House office called the Domestic Policy Council. In this week’s “TrumpWatch with Jesse Lent” on WBAI, Lisa Rein, a reporter covering federal agencies and the management of government in the Trump administration for the Washington Post and one of the co-writers of the article, helps break down Mulvaney’s efforts to cultivate his own GOP power base and considers what that could mean for US policy.

On July 1, when ProPublica reporter A.C. Thompson revealed the existence of a secret Facebook group of 9,500 Border Patrol agents with posts joking about migrant deaths and illustrations of the President sexually assaulting a Congresswoman, the public backlash was swift and severe. Acting secretary of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan promised to hold accountable “any employee found to have compromised the public's trust.” But according to reporting by Ted Hesson and Cristiano Lima of POLITICO, the existence of the group had been an open secret among Customs and Border Protection officials for years. This week on TrumpWatch, Ted discusses what we know about the now-defunct group, who knew about it and what it tells us about the prevailing culture among Border Patrol agents.

(7/10/19) On July 1, when ProPublica reporter A.C. Thompson revealed the existence of a secret Facebook group of 9,500 Border Patrol agents containing posts joking about migrant deaths and illustrations of the President sexually assaulting a Congresswoman, the reaction was swift and severe. Acting secretary of Homeland Security, Kevin McAleenan promised to hold accountable “any employee found to have compromised the public’s trust,” as reported by Vox, and Representative Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, called for a formal investigation. But according to reporting by Ted Hesson and Cristiano Lima of POLITICO, the existence of the group had been an open secret among Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials for years. This week on “TrumpWatch with Jesse Lent” on WBAI, Ted Hesson discusses what we know about the now-defunct group, who knew about it at CBP and what it tells us about the prevailing culture among Border Patrol agents.

With the third acting defense secretary President Trump has placed in the position within the past month looking like he will be forced to temporarily resign and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo playing an increasingly active role in interactions with longtime US adversaries like Iran and North Korea, it is currently difficult to determine exactly where our foreign policy ends and military policy begins. On this week's TrumpWatch, Adam Weinstein, national security editor for The New Republic, helps untangle who has the President's ear when it comes to international relations.

(7/3/19) With the third acting defense secretary President Trump has placed in the position within the past month looking like he will be forced to temporarily resign according to CNN and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo playing an increasingly active role in interactions with longtime US adversaries like Iran and North Korea, it can be difficult to determine exactly where US foreign policy ends and military policy begins. In this week’s “TrumpWatch with Jesse Lent” on WBAI, Adam Weinstein, national security editor for The New Republic, helps untangle who has the President’s ear in the thornier areas of international relations.

With major news developments arriving fast and furiously theses days, it's easy to forget that the US is actively engaged in a trade war with China. President Trump will head to Osaka, Japan for the G-20 summit this week and he has threatened additional tariffs if Chinese President Xi Jinping won't meet with him there. On this week's TrumpWatch, Soumaya Keynes, US economics editor for The Economist and co-host of the Trade Talks podcast, examines what effect President Trump's tariffs on China are having on their economy and ours.

(6/26/19) With major developments in both domestic and international news in recent days, it’s easy to forget that the US is currently engaged in a trade war with China. Donald Trump (along with 19 other world leaders) is heading to Osaka, Japan for the G-20 summit on Wednesday. The President has threatened additional tariffs if Chinese President Xi Jinping isn’t willing to meet with him at the summit. In this episode of “TrumpWatch with Jesse Lent” on WBAI, Soumaya Keynes, US economics editor for The Economist and co-host of the “Trade Talks” podcast, examines the effect President Trump’s tariffs on China are having there and in the US.

On June 13, two oil tankers that had just passed through the Strait of Hormuz were damaged after an explosion struck both ships. The US government was quick to blame Iran for the attack on The Kokuka Courageous, a tanker owned by Japan and en route to Singapore and The Front Altair, a Norwegian-owned tanker on its way to Taiwan. And while both President Trump and Iranian president Hassan Rouhani say they do not want war, the inflammatory statements coming from their respective administrations appear to be at odds with that goal. In this episode of TrumpWatch, Julian Borger, world affairs editor for the Guardian, breaks down what is happening to diplomatic relations between the two countries and explains how the President's decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal could affect what happens next.

(6/19/19) On June 13, two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman were damaged after an explosion hit both ships above the waterline. The US government was quick to blame Iran for the attack on the two vessels—The Kokuka Courageous, a tanker owned by Japan and en route to Singapore and The Front Altair, a Norwegian-owned tanker on its way to Taiwan. “This assessment is based on intelligence, the weapons used, the level of expertise needed to execute the operation, recent similar Iranian attacks on shipping and the fact that no proxy group operating in the area has the resources and proficiency to act with such a high degree of sophistication,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters at the State Department, as reported by Robin Wright of the New Yorker. And while both President Trump and Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani say they do not want war, the inflammatory statements coming from their administrations appear to be at odds with that goal. In this episode of “TrumpWatch with Jesse Lent” on WBAI, Julian Borger, world affairs editor for the Guardian, breaks down what is happening to relations between the two countries and examines how the Trump administration’s decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal could affect the outcome.

As congressional Democrats clash over whether or not to impeach the President following the controversial release of the Mueller report, there appears to be one politician surprisingly supportive of the idea—the President himself. In his June 11 article “Trash-talking Trump aims to weaponize impeachment,” senior White House reporter for POLITICO Darren Samuelsohn spoke to a dozen people in President Trump's inner circle in an attempt find out why he appears to be so supportive of the idea. On this week's TrumpWatch, Darren explains why the President could be genuinely pleased if and when impeachment proceedings start up in the House.

(6/12/19) As congressional Democrats clash over whether or not to impeach the President following the controversial release of the Mueller report, there appears to be one politician surprisingly supportive of the idea—President Donald Trump. In his June 11 article “Trash-talking Trump aims to weaponize impeachment,” senior White House reporter for POLITICO Darren Samuelsohn spoke to a dozen intimates of the President in an attempt find out if and why he appears to be in favor of being impeached. On this week’s “TrumpWatch with Jesse Lent” on WBAI, Darren helps break down why the President and could be genuinely rooting for impeachment proceedings to start up in the House.

Last week, President Trump announced plans to roll out a 5 percent tariff on “all goods coming into our country from Mexico” in retribution for what he described in a Twitter post as that nation's role in the “illegal immigration problem.” When the President threatened to tack on an additional 5 percent for every month Mexico refuses to engage in border enforcement up to his administration's standards, many Republican lawmakers, long seen as being from the party of free trade, clearly were not happy. Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma told POLITICO that the Trump administration is “trying to use tariffs to solve every problem but HIV and climate change.” But will their displeasure translate into action in Congress? In this episode of TrumpWatch, Amber Phillips, a reporter for the Washington Post political blog The Fix discusses the storm brewing on the hill over tariffs and considers whether it could affect the nearly unanimous support the President has enjoyed from his party throughout his time in office.

(6/5/19)On May 30, President Trump announced plans to enact a 5 percent tariff on “all goods coming into our country from Mexico” in retribution for what he described in a Twitter post as that nation’s role in the “illegal immigration problem.” The President threatened to tack on an additional 5 percent for every month Mexico refuses to engage in border enforcement deemed acceptable by the administration, with the tariffs topping off at 25 percent if the dispute could not be settled by October. Many Republican lawmakers, long seen as being from the party of free trade, were clearly not happy. Senate Finance Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) called the move “a misuse of presidential tariff authority and contrary to congressional intent.” Republican senator James Lankford of Oklahoma told POLITICO that the Trump administration is “is trying to use tariffs to solve every problem but HIV and climate change.” But will their displeasure translate into action in Congress? On this week’s “TrumpWatch with Jesse Lent” on WBAI, Amber Phillips, a reporter for the Washington Post political blog The Fix and author of the June 4 article “Republicans’ opposition to Trump’s Mexico tariffs comes at great political risk,” talks about the storm brewing over tariffs and whether it could destroy the nearly unanimous support the President has enjoyed from his party throughout his term.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court agreed to what the Washington Post described as a “compromise on a restrictive Indiana abortion law,” allowing the state to regulate disposal of the “remains” of an abortion. Nine other states have passed similar laws restricting women's reproductive rights. Will the Supreme Court, presumably a more conservative body now that President Trump's two appointments (Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch) have been sworn in, overturn or undermine Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision protecting access to a safe and legal abortion? In this installment of TrumpWatch, Staci Fox, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Southeast talks about where this fight is headed.

(5/29/19) On Tuesday, the Supreme Court agreed to what the Washington Post described as a “compromise on a restrictive Indiana abortion law,” allowing the state to regulate disposal of the “remains” of an abortion. And though the court upheld a lower court decision to blocking the part of the law banning abortions based on a fetus's sex, race or disability, nine other states have passed similar laws restricting a woman’s ability to have an abortion. Many state lawmakers (like those in Indiana) have admitted that the new restrictions on abortion are meant to force the Supreme Court, presumably now a more conservative body with President Trump’s two additions to the high court, Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch, to overturn or undermine Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision protecting access to a safe and legal abortion. In this installment of “TrumpWatch with Jesse Lent” on WBAI, Staci Fox, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Southeast and an outspoken critic of the new state laws limiting women’s reproductive rights will discuss what this means for women in the affected states and beyond.

Last month, the Supreme Court heard arguments over whether to allow a question on the 2020 census that asks whether the person filling out the form is a US citizen. In this installment of TrumpWatch, Wennie Chin and Paul Westrick of the New York Immigration Coalition, one of the original plaintiffs in that case, discuss what the consequences of a citizenship question would look like.

(5/8/19) Late last month, the Supreme Court heard arguments over whether to allow a question on the 2020 census that asks whether the person filling out the form is a US citizen. As observed by the New York Times’s Adam Lipak and others, the five conservative Supreme Court justices appear to be leaning towards allowing the controversial move, reportedly the brainchild of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. In this installment of “TrumpWatch with Jesse Lent” on WBAI, Wennie Chin and Paul Westrick of the New York Immigration Coalition, one of the original plaintiffs in the case before the Supreme Court, talk about what a citizenship question would mean for the census and the country.

When 2020 presidential hopeful Senator Bernie Sanders appeared in a Fox News town hall on April 15, many of his supporters saw it as an inspired attempt to reach across the political divide. Yet, for one regular viewer of the cable news channel, long decried by media critics as being a mouthpiece of the Republican agenda, Sen. Sanders was not welcome. “So weird to watch Crazy Bernie on Fox News,” President Trump tweeted the following morning. “Not surprisingly, Bret Baier and the ‘audience' was so smiley and nice. Very strange.” Trump even added, “what's with Fox News?” in a subsequent tweet later that day. As anyone who even remotely follows cable news knows, Fox News has given the President nearly blanket support for even his most controversial policies and was an enthusiastic booster throughout his campaign. Is a change brewing at the President's favorite network? On this week's TrumpWatch, Daniel Lippman discusses his recent POLITICO article co-written with Eliana Johnson “Trump's Fox News love fest hits a rough patch.”

(4/24/19) When 2020 presidential hopeful Senator Bernie Sanders appeared in a Fox News town hall on April 15, many of his supporters saw it as an inspired attempt to reach across the political divide. Yet, for one regular viewer of the cable news channel, long decried by media critics as being a mouthpiece of the Republican agenda, Sen. Sanders was an unwelcome guest. “So weird to watch Crazy Bernie on Fox News,” President Trump tweeted the morning after the town hall. “Not surprisingly, Bret Baier and the ‘audience’ was so smiley and nice. Very strange.” Trump even asked, “what’s with Fox News?” in a subsequent tweet that evening. As anyone who even remotely follows cable news knows, Fox has given the President nearly blanket support for even his most controversial policies. But has there been a change in perspective at the President’s favorite network? On this week’s “TrumpWatch with Jesse Lent” on WBAI, Daniel Lippman discusses his recent POLITICO article co-written with Eliana Johnson entitled “Trump's Fox News love fest hits a rough patch.”

On April 10, President Trump signed two executive orders meant to speed up the construction of pipelines like the Keystone XL (KXL) and other methods of transporting oil and natural gas across borders. For residents of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, thousands of whom remain trapped after weeks of flooding caused by rising waters, the announcement was a slap in the face. Oglala Sioux Tribe Tribal Chair Julian Bear Runner told reporter Alleen Brown of The Intercept that Trump's latest executive orders felt "like being kicked while we're down.” In this episode of TrumpWatch, Cheyenne River tribal chairman Harold Frazier joins Alleen and Jesse for a discussion of how the President's actions will affect indigenous people throughout the region .

(4/17/19) On April 10, President Trump signed two executive orders meant to speed up the construction of pipelines like the Keystone XL (KXL) and other methods of transporting oil and natural gas across interstate and international borders. For residents of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, thousands of whom remain trapped after weeks of flooding caused by rising waters, the announcement was a slap in the face. “Trump’s decision to ram KXL through while our families suffer feels like being kicked while we’re down,” Oglala Sioux Tribe Tribal Chair Julian Bear Runner told reporter Alleen Brown of The Intercept in her article “Trump Pushes a New Pipeline Permit as Floods Devastate Native American Tribes.” In this episode of “TrumpWatch with Jesse Lent” on WBAI, Alleen is joined by Cheyenne River tribal chairman Harold Frazier for a discussion of how the new executive orders and other Trump administration policies could affect indigenous people in the region both in the short and long term.

On Monday, White House officials reclassified the elite military force the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist group. It is the first time in US history that a sitting president has accused a foreign government of terrorism. But is this move, which raised eyebrows coming on the eve of Israeli elections, just another presidential norm left shredded on the floor of the Oval Office or something more significant? On this week's TrumpWatch, the diplomatic correspondent for the Washington Post Carol Morello examines what the reclassification of the IRGC will mean for relations between the US and Iran.

(4/10/19) In a presidency defined by the breaking of norms, have historic firsts have become the new normal? On Monday, White House officials reclassified the elite military force the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist group. It is the first time in US history that the president has accused a foreign government of terrorism. But is this move, which raised eyebrows coming on the eve of Israeli elections, just another presidential custom left shredded on the floor of the Oval Office or a departure from international diplomacy with a backlash that could reverberate throughout the region? On this week’s “TrumpWatch with Jesse Lent” on WBAI, we explore what President Trump’s decision to classify the IRGC as agents of terrorism will mean for relations between the two countries with Carol Morello, the diplomatic correspondent for the Washington Post.

On Friday, President Trump stated in a series of tweets, “I will be closing the border, or large sections of the border, next week,” adding “we lose so much money with them, especially when you add in drug trafficking etc., that the border closing would be a good thing!” On this week's TrumpWatch, Fernando Garcia, founder and executive director of the Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR) an immigration reform and human rights advocacy organization based out of El Paso, Texas, talks about the way the proposed border closure would affect the work he and the BNHR are doing.

(4/3/19) On Friday, President Trump stated in a series of tweets, “I will be closing the border, or large sections of the border, next week,” adding “we lose so much money with them, especially when you add in drug trafficking etc., that the border closing would be a good thing!” On this week’s “TrumpWatch with Jesse Lent” on WBAI, Fernando Garcia, founder and executive director of the Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR), an immigration reform and human rights advocacy organization based out of El Paso, Texas talks about the way the proposed border closure along with the recent suspension of US aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras is affecting the work he and the BNHR are doing.

Last Friday, President Trump announced on Twitter that he was ordering the Treasury Department to withdraw new sanctions on North Korea. But as there were no “additional large-scale sanctions” on North Korea like the ones the President claimed were currently in the works, the tweet sent his staff into a state of confusion according to a report from Bloomberg News. On this week's TrumpWatch, Jenny Town, a research analyst at the Stimson Center and managing editor of 38 North, helps clarify what is happening in the murky waters of US-North Korea relations.

(3/27/19) Last Friday, while most major U.S. news outlets focused on what has been widely described as a major failure for Democrats in Attorney General Willam Barr’s assessment of the Robert Mueller report (which has yet to be released to Congress or made public), a major move in White House foreign policy quickly dropped off the front page. President Trump announced on Twitter that he was ordering the Treasury Department to withdraw new sanctions on North Korea imposed by the agency. But as there were no “additional large scale sanctions” on North Korea like the ones the President described, currently in the works, the tweet sent his staff into a state of confusion, according to a report in Bloomberg News. On this week’s “TrumpWatch with Jesse Lent” on WBAI, Jenny Town, a research analyst at the Stimson Center and managing editor of “38 North,” helps clarify what is happening right now in the murky waters of US-North Korea relations.

For the past two years, Republicans lawmakers in Congress have given the President nearly unanimous support. Yet, according to Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Michael Shear's March 14 New York Times article “Congress Has a Breaking Point. This Week, Trump Might Have Found It.” the seams are starting to show in the blanket support President Trump has been enjoying. On this week's TrumpWatch, Sheryl considers what three recent bipartisan measures, all passed with the help of defecting Republicans, tell us about the current state of Trump's influence on the Hill.

(3/20/19) For over two years, Republicans in Congress have given President Trump nearly unanimous support. Yet, according to Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Michael Shear’s March 14 New York Times article “Congress Has a Breaking Point. This Week, Trump Might Have Found It.” the seams are starting to show in the blanket of support the President has received throughout his term. On this week’s “TrumpWatch with Jesse Lent” on WBAI, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, congressional correspondent for the New York Times, considers what three bipartisan measures passed within the last seven days (with the help of defecting Republicans) tell us about President Trump's ability to control GOP lawmakers in the newly redivided halls of Congress.

With both President Trump and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions previously vowing to reduce Department of Justice (DOJ) investigations into areas like local law enforcement, few Americans would be shocked to discover that civil rights enforcement has decreased at the agency under the Trump administration. Yet according to a VICE News report by Rob Arthur, DOJ civil rights prosecutions have dropped 60 percent in the first two years of the Trump administration compared to President Obama's time in office and are 50 percent lower than they were during George W. Bush's presidency. On this week's TrumpWatch, Rob considers what this reduction means for Americans' right to equal protection under the law.

(3/13/19)With both President Trump and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions previously vowing to curb Department of Justice (DOJ) investigations into areas like local law enforcement, few Americans would be shocked to discover that civil rights enforcement has decreased at the agency in the past two years. Yet according to a VICE News report by Rob Arthur, DOJ civil rights prosecutions have dropped 60 percent in the first two years of the Trump administration compared to the Obama years and are 50 percent lower than during George W. Bush’s presidency. In this week’s episode of “TrumpWatch with Jesse Lent,” Rob Arthur discusses his VICE News exclusive “Trump’s Justice Department is investigating 60% fewer civil rights cases than Obama’s” and considers what it means for the future of America.

With 16 states, the ACLU, the Sierra Club and the Southern Border Communities Coalition all suing President Trump in at least four different lawsuits over his declaration of a national emergency over what he describes as "illegal immigrants streaming across the southern border," this appears to be yet another battle headed for the Supreme Court. On this week's TrumpWatch, Washington Post reporter Amy B. Wang unpacks what the President declaring a national emergency means in both the long and short term.

(2/20/19) With 16 states, the ACLU, the Sierra Club and the Southern Border Communities Coalition all suing President Trump in at least four different lawsuits over his declaration of a national emergency on Friday over what he describes as illegal immigrants streaming across the southern border, this appears to be another battle headed for the Supreme Court. On this week’s “TrumpWatch with Jesse Lent” on WBAI, Washington Post reporter Amy B. Wang, author of the February 18 article “White House defends Trump’s emergency declaration as lawsuits and political battles mount,” unpacks what the national emergency means in both the long and short term.

According to a new Center for Public Integrity analysis, from the time the Republican tax plan was unveiled on November 2, 2017 until the end of the year, dozens of billionaires and millionaires gave a total of $31.1 million to Republican members of Congress, a sharp increase from what they gave in previous years during that same period. On this week's TrumpWatch, reporter Peter Cary, one of the authors of the Center for Public Integrity study, examines whether Republican donors bought the passage of the tax bill by withholding their political contributions until it was passed.

(2/13/19) “The rich will not be gaining at all with this plan,” President Trump said in September of 2017 as Republicans began to draft their sweeping overhaul of the tax code. It was a claim echoed the following month by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” on ABC. “As I’ve said all along, the objective of the president is that rich people don’t get tax cuts,” Mnuchin said. Yet, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis entitled "Did billionaires pay off Republicans for passing the Trump tax bill?" from the time the Republican tax plan was unveiled on Nov. 2, 2017 until the end of the year, dozens of billionaires and millionaires gave a total of $31.1 million to Republican members of Congress, a departure from when they gave in previous years. On this week’s “TrumpWatch with Jesse Lent” on WBAI, reporter Peter Cary (one of the authors of the Center for Public Integrity study) examines whether Republican donors bought the passage of the tax bill by withholding their contributions until it was passed.

As President Trump weighs another government shutdown or declaration of a national emergency over his demands for a border wall and considers the increasingly expansive Special Counsel, there is no shortage of potential calamities swirling around his second State of the Union address. On this week's TrumpWatch, White House reporter for POLITICO Gabby Orr returns to the program to break down the President's remarks and consider what they tell us about his agenda.

(2/6/19) As President Trump weighs another government shutdown or declaration of a national emergency over his demands for a border wall and considers the increasingly expansive Special Counsel, there is no shortage of potential calamities swirling around his second State of the Union address. On this week’s “TrumpWatch with Jesse Lent” on WBAI, White House reporter for POLITICO Gabby Orr helps break down the President’s remarks and considers what they tell us about his priorities and agenda for the next year.

The federal government is back open for business. But from the 15,000 migrant children being detained in the US, according to a report in the Guardian, to the Commerce Department effort to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census to President Trump's threats of a second government shutdown over funding for a wall on the southern border, immigration remains the dominant political issue of the day. This week on TrumpWatch, Senior Director of Immigrant Rights Policy at the New York Immigration Coalition Anu Joshi explains the ways that activists are battling the Trump administration's punitive immigration policy in the courts.