We begin on Friday, September 4th, President Trump announces that the U.S. brokered an agreement between Israel and Serbia and Kosovo, allowing for normalized economic ties that includes the Balkan countries establishing their respective embassies in Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, Trump defends himself against a report in the Atlantic that, according to a number of unnamed sources, called American service members who died in war “losers” and “suckers.”
The thing about the Atlantic story is that it came out of nowhere. The alleged conversations took place in 2018. If the timing of this story makes you suspect that it’s a politically motivated piece, you’re probably right.
Skipping ahead to Sunday, September 6th, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin says on Fox News Sunday that he and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi agreed on a short-term spending bill to avoid a government shutdown before the Oct. 1st deadline.
Monday, Labor Day, September 7th, following the Atlantic story, President Trump holds a news conference, where he accuses U.S. military leaders of waging wars to boost profits for defense contractors.
While critics were shocked at Trump’s comments with CNN calling it “unprecedented,” which is arguably true for a sitting president, this is the exact type of criticism that opponents made of then-Vice President Dick Cheney and the Bush administration when the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003.
Tuesday, September 8th, responding to a defamation lawsuit, the Justice Department moves to defend President Trump against allegations made by author E. Jean Carroll, who accused the president of raping her in a Manhattan department store in the 1990s.
While it’s an unusual move, the DOJ made the argument that because President Trump was acting in his official capacity that he denied ever knowing Carroll, he could be defended by government lawyers.
Wednesday, September 9th, taped recordings from author Bob Woodward’s new book are released, in which President Trump gave 18 on the record interviews, one of which where he downplays the impact and deadliness of the coronavirus.
Later, Trump attempts to clarify his comments in a news conference, saying he didn’t want to create a sense of panic.
Meanwhile, Trump announces 20 more picks for the Supreme Court, including Senators Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton, and Josh Hawley. It adds to his existing list of potential Supreme Court nominees.
Also, Trump is nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for the second time by right-wing Norweigian politician Christian Tybring-Gjedde.
Thursday, September 10th, Trump flips the script on the Woodward book by accusing his Democratic opponent Joe Biden of campaigning against the coronavirus vaccine.
Later, the president heads to Michigan for one of his trademark rallies inside an airport hangar as polls tighten in the crucial swing state.
With summer dead and gone due to Labor Day weekend, President Trump turns the heat up on campaigning, traveling to the crucial swing states of Florida, North Carolina, and Michigan. While the focus from his critics has been on the Woodward tapes, Trump got some good news from the August jobs report, where the unemployment rate fell to 8.4%. Before COVID, the economy was Trump’s strength. If the nation continues to see falling unemployment before the election, there’s a good chance he might see four more years.
