On This Day: September 4

5 posts spanning 2018–2025

2018

• Day 593: Bob Woodward's book describes Trump as an "emotionally overwrought, mercurial and unpredictable leader," his presidency as "an administrative coup d'etat," and the executive branch as having a "nervous breakdown"; Trump called his own condemnation of white supremacists and neo-Nazis following the deadly 2017 Charlottesville rally "the biggest fucking mistake I've made"; the White House called Woodward's book about Trump "nothing more than fabricated stories"; and before Kavanaugh's hearing began, Democrats pushed to adjourn and protesters repeatedly interrupted the Senate Judiciary Committee proceedings. Sep 4, 2018

2019

• Day 958: Trump displayed a doctored National Weather Service map to "prove" that Alabama would, in fact, be affected by Hurricane Dorian; the Trump administration relaxed requirements for energy efficient light bulbs; the FBI is tracking people protesting U.S. immigration policy at the border and monitoring their social media; and 62% of voters said they're somewhat or very concerned that there will be a recession in the next six months. Sep 4, 2019

2020

• Day 1324: Trump disparaged members of the U.S. military who had been captured or killed as "losers" and "suckers"; Trump disputed reports that he called dead American service members "losers" and "suckers," calling it “a disgraceful situation”; the World Health Organization does not expect widespread COVID-19 vaccinations until mid-2021; and Trump mocked Biden for wearing a face mask and observing social distancing measures. Sep 4, 2020

2024

• Day 1324: A 14-year-old killed two students, two teachers, and left at least nine more hospitalized after a mass shooting at a Georgia high school; the Biden administration accused Putin of orchestrating a campaign to influence the 2024 U.S. presidential election, help Trump win, and erode international support for Ukraine; a nonpartisan watchdog group asked the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals to remove Judge Aileen Cannon from Trump's classified documents case; and Biden is considering making his temporary asylum restrictions nearly impossible to lift. Sep 4, 2024

2025

• Day 1689: Senators from both parties confronted Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over his firing CDC Director Susan Monarez, his overhaul of the CDC, and replacing the agency’s vaccine advisory panel with vaccine skeptics; fired CDC director Susan Monarez said she was removed after refusing a directive to “preapprove the recommendations of a vaccine advisory panel newly filled with people who have publicly expressed antivaccine rhetoric”; the Trump administration blocked the release of a government-funded study that linked moderate drinking to higher risks of cancer, liver disease, and early death; the Justice Department opened a mortgage fraud probe into Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, issuing subpoenas tied to properties in Michigan and Georgia after Trump-appointed housing chief Bill Pulte accused her of lying on loan applications; Trump’s nominee to the Federal Reserve said he would take “unpaid leave” from the White House rather than resign if confirmed; Trump asked the Supreme Court to overturn a federal appeals court ruling that his tariffs were illegal and that he had no authority to impose them under emergency powers; a dozen federal judges criticized the Supreme Court for using emergency rulings to overturn lower-court decisions in Trump-related cases; and even Mitch McConnell is concerned that Trump’s second presidency is “the most dangerous period since before World War Two.” Sep 4, 2025