2018 Day 497: McCabe wrote a secret memo in 2017 outlining his concerns about a cover story for Trump's firing of James Comey; Trump again claimed he didn't fire Comey because of the Russia investigation but apparently he also repeatedly pressured Sessions in 2017 to reclaim control over the investigation; the White House is imposing new metal tariffs against our allies who happen to provide nearly half of U.S. imported metals, while Trump also prepares to prevent German automakers from selling in the U.S.; Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences of three rich or powerful people who were convicted of financial and political crimes; the largest federal employees union is suing Trump for overstepping his executive authority; and the GAO says the Trump administration is stonewalling the nation's chief government watchdog. May 31, 2018
2019 Day 862: Trump threatened to impose a 5% tariff on all Mexican goods; Republicans warned that imposing tariffs on all Mexican imports could upend the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and undermine the economy; Trump's Treasury secretary and top trade advisor both opposed the plan to impose tariffs on Mexico; and House Republicans blocked the $19.1 billion disaster aid package for a third time. May 31, 2019
2020 Day 1228: Police nationwide responded to protests against police violence by deliberately targeting demonstrators, journalists, and bystanders with pepper spray, tear gas, rubber bullets, and excessive use of force; Trump reacted to the protests and incidents of vandalism by threatening demonstrators with "vicious dogs" and "ominous weapons; and Trump suggested that his supporters should confront protesters, saying “Tonight, I understand, is MAGA NIGHT AT THE WHITE HOUSE???” May 31, 2020
2022 Day 497: Biden, calling inflation his “top economic priority,” met with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and outlined a three-part plan to tackle high prices; a lawyer for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign was found not guilty of lying to the FBI when he shared a tip about possible connections between Trump and Russia two months before the election; the Justice Department subpoenaed former Trump adviser Peter Navarro to appear before a grand jury as part of its probe into the Jan. 6 insurrection; a Republican lawyer central to the plot to reverse the 2020 election is recruiting an “army of citizens” to monitor elections for fraud; the House Judiciary Committee called an emergency hearing to consider the "Protecting Our Kids Act"; and the Economic Confidence Index dropped to its lowest level since the tail end of the Great Recession. May 31, 2022
2023 Day 862: The bipartisan deal to suspend the debt ceiling and limit federal spending cleared a major procedural hurdle in the House; federal prosecutors obtained an audio recording of Trump acknowledging that he held onto a classified document after leaving the White House; Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo signed legislation that protects access to abortion for out-of-state patients; the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that two state laws banning abortion are unconstitutional because they require a “medical emergency” before a doctor can perform an abortion; and the woman who accused Biden of sexual assault during the 2020 presidential race defected to Russia. May 31, 2023