The Sunday — August 31

This is the Tangle Sunday Edition, a brief roundup of our independent politics coverage plus some extra features for your Sunday morning reading. 

What the left is doodling.

What the right is doodling.

Monday, August 25.

The John Bolton investigation. On Friday, August 22, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents raided the Maryland home and Washington, D.C. office of John Bolton, former national security adviser during President Donald Trump’s first term. According to a senior U.S. official, the search was connected to an investigation into Bolton’s possible use of a private email server to share classified documents with his wife and daughter while he was working in the White House. Bolton was not detained and has not been charged with any crimes. 

Our take: “On these kinds of investigations, I’ve been promoting a ‘prosecute them all’ principle. Trump was investigated for good reason, even if it gave him personal reasons to act vindictively. Two judges authorized the Bolton searches, so I want to see what evidence the DOJ has against him.”

Reader Survey:

Tuesday, August 26.

The voided civil fraud penalty against Donald Trump. On Thursday, August 21, a New York appeals court threw out a $527 million penalty against President Donald Trump resulting from a 2024 civil fraud judgment. The five-justice panel unanimously agreed to dismiss the fine but disagreed on other points, ultimately deciding to leave the other penalties against Trump in place — including barring Trump from serving in top roles at any New York company for three years, extending a similar ban to his sons (Eric and Donald Jr.) for two years, and installing an independent monitor for the Trump Organization. In their written opinions, two justices expressed support for the other issued penalties, two favored a new trial, and another pushed to dismiss the case altogether.

Our take: “Letitia James ran on prosecuting Trump, overreached, and now a key part of her work has been rightfully undone. It does feel unfair that normal people get busted for fraud that richer people routinely get away with. Now, Trump is retaliating against James (and others), and I worry about what will come next.”

Reader Survey:

Wednesday, August 27.

Trump’s attempt to fire Lisa Cook. In a letter posted to Truth Social on Monday, August 25, President Donald Trump ordered the removal of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook from her position for alleged mortgage fraud. Citing the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 and his powers under Article II of the Constitution, Trump stated that he was removing Cook “for cause.” Cook responded by saying that “no cause exists under the law” and that the president did not have the authority to fire her. Last week, Trump requested Cook’s resignation due to her alleged fraud; Cook declined, and said she will sue Trump in response to his attempt to fire her.

Our take: “It’s not clear to me that these allegations are reason enough to fire Cook, even if they’re true. It’s also not clear whether Trump can legally fire her based on this claim alone. What is clear is that Trump is trying to bend the Fed to his will, which seriously undermines its efficacy as an independent body.”

Reader Survey:

Thursday, August 28.

Desecrating the American flag. On Monday, August 25, President Donald Trump signed an executive order instructing the attorney general to prosecute unlawful acts that involve desecrating the American flag. The order directs the attorney general to refer acts involving flag destruction that may violate state or local laws to the relevant local authorities; it also calls for litigation to clarify the extent of First Amendment protections for such acts. Though the order does not stipulate a specific punishment, President Trump said that violators will face one year in jail. 

Our take: “The fundamental question of whether flag burning is protected speech or not is in no way clear cut, and hinges mostly on context. Trump is smartly trying to define this issue around incitement, which is one of the few ways flag burning loses its protected status. That being said, incitement is already a crime and I don’t think he’ll succeed in moving the needle much.”

Reader Survey:

Friday, August 29.

In light of the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School on Wednesday, August 27, we republished a personal essay that Isaac wrote in May 2022 after the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. While some details of the shootings differ, the stories evoke the same pain and anguish, and Isaac’s response and proposed solutions remain relevant. You can read the piece here.

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What just happened.

Here are a few stories that have broken since our last newsletter on Thursday.

• On Thursday, the White House reportedly selected Jim O’Neill to serve as acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention following the firing of the agency’s previous director, Susan Monarez, and subsequent departure of several other agency leaders. (The report)
• On Thursday, Russia carried out a missile and drone attack on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, killing at least 23 people, according to Ukrainian officials. (The attack)
• On Friday, Israel declared Gaza City a combat zone and announced the suspension of daily “humanitarian pauses” in fighting in the city. Additionally, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the recovery of two hostages’ bodies. (The latest)
• On Thursday, the Commerce Department reported that the U.S. gross domestic product rose at a 3.3% annualized pace in Q2, revising upward a previous estimate of 3.0% growth. (The report)
• On Friday, the White House confirmed that President Trump had revoked former Vice President Kamala Harris’s Secret Service protection. Trump rescinded a memorandum signed by former President Joe Biden before leaving office, which extended Harris’s protection for an additional year beyond the six months that former vice presidents typically receive. (The revocation)
• On Friday, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration will attempt to rescind $4.9 billion in foreign aid by invoking the Impoundment Control Act, which may allow them to pause the aid disbursement without Congressional approval. (The report)
• On Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that most of President Trump’s tariffs are illegal, finding that the president had improperly invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose the duties. President Trump plans to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court. (The ruling)
• On Friday, Thailand’s Constitutional Court removed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office. The removal follows a leaked phone call with former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in which she appeared to criticize Thailand’s army. (The removal)
• On Saturday, the Houthis announced that the prime minister and several other ministers were killed in Israeli strikes carried out on the capital, Sanaa. (The strikes)