New emails unearthed by the continued Russia investigations reveal Trump’s plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow—at the start of his presidential campaign. One of Trump’s business associates, Felix Sater, told Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, that he could help secure the completion of the tower—and the U.S. presidency—for Trump with the help of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Sater wrote, “Our boy can become president of the USA and we can engineer it. I will get all of Putins team to buy in on this, I will manage this process.”
In addition to these emails, Special Counsel Robert Mueller is now questioning whether President Trump knew about his son’s meeting with Russian lawyers and “if the president sought to hide the purpose of that meeting.” These shocking reports come as the Russia probe continues to find more evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia. To read more about the depth of collusion, check out our report, Russiagate.
Despite the mounting evidence, one member of Congress is pushing to limit the Mueller investigation immediately. Representative Ron DeSantis of Florida has introduced an amendment that would “severely curtail special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia.” Stopping or hampering the investigation in any way could prevent Mueller and his team from discovering the truth about Russia’s influence on the 2016 election. So call on your members of Congress today to reject the DeSantis amendment!
ACTION OF THE DAY
#DefendDACA. News outlets are reporting that DACA could be eliminated by Trump any day. DACA is a popular program that has benefited nearly 800,000 people (not to mention their families, their communities, and the nation as a whole), and it has gained approval from across the political spectrum. Watch our video of GOP legislators praising DREAMers.
Then, hold your member of Congress accountable! Use this easy tool to call key elected officials, and urge them to #DefendDACA. You can also call your own representative here. Share the powerful stories of brave DREAMers, and then read about how DACA has helped recipients and our economy.
WHAT’S TRENDING
North Korea. Yesterday, North Korea launched a missile that passed over Japan, causing alarm internationally. President Trump released a statement saying “all options are on the table” after North Korea’s latest provocative action. But if Trump wants to start a path towards denuclearization for North Korea, while also preventing war, he might want to consider these 8 components as part of a long-term strategy.
Lend a Hand. Hurricane Harvey continues to devastate the coast of Texas – but you can help! Here’s some organizations that are assisting victims of the hurricane: the American Red Cross, All Hands, Global Giving, Greater Houston Community Foundation, SBP, Houston Humane Society, local food banks, and the Covenant House.
Washed Away. Former President Obama signed an executive order in 2015 intended to strengthen infrastructure to deal with increased flooding from climate change. Just weeks ago, that rule was erased by Trump, who wanted to push along his other infrastructure priorities. With the catastrophic flooding in Texas, it seems that orders like the one Obama enacted are just what we need to counter the extreme weather. In addition to repealing the order, Trump’s budget slashes funding for FEMA and the U.S. Coast Guard—two government agencies responsible for disaster relief.
King on DACA. Representative Steve King appeared on CNN last night to push his anti-immigrants policies on TV. He shocked many when he argued that DACA recipients should turn in their own parents to law enforcement officials. He also compared DACA parents to drug smugglers, saying, “A vast majority of MS-13 are illegal aliens and many of them would qualify under DACA.” Watch the exchange between King and Cuomo here.
UNDER THE RADAR
Tax Reform or Cuts? Tomorrow, President Trump will travel to Missouri to launch his tax plan campaign. While the plan has been touted as tax reform, it appears that the proposal consists of a ton of new tax cuts, mostly for the wealthy and corporations. But this idea of “trickle-down tax cuts” doesn’t work—it simply makes rich folks richer.