Trump makes an enemy of China and the chairman of the Fed while the Amazon rainforest continues to burn, Trump gets a new primary challenger, and the next Democratic debate might take place over two nights. Then, Dan talks to Ben Wikler, the chair of the Wisconsin Democratic party, about the organizing that is already going on in the state.

Show notes:

Economic meltdown

• NYT: One Crazy Day Showed How Political Chaos Threatens the World Economy
• Vox: China hits back at the US with tariffs on $75 billion in goods
• WSJ: Latest Round in Trade War Set to Hit U.S. Vehicles, Agriculture
• CNN: China and the US ratchet up trade war in a day of retaliation
• WaPo: Trump retaliates in trade war by escalating tariffs on Chinese imports and demanding companies cut ties with China
• Bloomberg: China Hits Back at Trump With Higher Tariffs on Soy, Autos
• NYT: Trade Turmoil Gives Democrats an Opening to Hit Trump on Economy
• NYT: A Gyrating Economy, and Trump’s Volatile Approach to It, Raise Alarms
• Vox: “I have no plan right now,” Trump says amid escalating Chinese trade war
• NYT: Business Groups Warn of Consequences as Trump’s Trade War Spirals
• Vox: Fed Chair Jerome Powell says he can’t fix trade war’s damage to the economy
• NYT: Powell Highlights Fed’s Limits. Trump Labels Him an ‘Enemy’
• HuffPo: Market Tumbles After Donald Trump Calls Fed Chair ‘Enemy,’ Compares Him To Chinese Leader
• Reuters: Enraged Trump likens Fed chief to ‘enemy’ China
• NYT: Trump Faces a Stubborn Opponent in Fed’s Economic Experts
• Reuters: Trump says he can fire Fed’s Powell; it’s not that simple (June 26)
• WaPo: Amid trade war, Trump drops pretense of friendship with China’s Xi Jinping, calls him an ‘enemy’
• WaPo: Trump’s angry tweets about China betray his political rhetoric in two significant ways
• NYT: Trump Asserts He Can Force U.S. Companies to Leave China
• NYT: Trump Says He Will Raise Existing Tariffs on Chinese Goods to 30%
• Daily Beast: Trump Is Selling New Merchandise Made in China and Bangladesh (November 2017)
• HuffPo: Here’s A List Of Trump Merchandise That’s Made In America. It’s Very Short. (July 2017)
• NBC News: Trump event touted ‘made in America’ goods. A lot of his merchandise couldn’t be featured.
• WaPo: Trump’s company could save millions if interest rates fall as he demands
• Vox: Trump “ordered” US companies out of China. Despite claiming otherwise, he can’t do that.
• WaPo: Trump ‘hereby’ orders U.S. business out of China. Can he do that?
• CNN: Trump claims he has ‘absolute right’ to order US companies out of China under 1977 law
• NYT: Trump Ordered U.S. Companies to Leave China. Is That Possible?
• CNBC: Trump on US-China trade war: ‘I could declare a national emergency’
• AP: Powerful, obscure law is basis for Trump ‘order’ on trade
• BuzzFeed: Trump Ordered US Companies To Leave China And Come Back “Home.” They Aren’t.

Trump talked to Bolsonaro about the fires in the Amazon and then sent this tweet

• Politico: Trump offers Brazil help with Amazon fires
• NYT: As Amazon Fires Become Global Crisis, Brazil’s President Reverses Course
• Vox: After international criticism, Bolsonaro deploys military to fight Amazon fires
• Daily Beast: Brazilian President Accuses Emmanuel Macron of ‘Sensationalizing’ Amazon Fires
• The Atlantic: The Amazon Cannot Be Recovered Once It’s Gone
• Bloomberg: Trump’s Trade War Could be Fueling Amazon Fires
• NYT: As the Amazon Burns, Europe Seizes Title of Climate Champion
• The Intercept: GOP Lobbyists Help Brazil Recruit U.S. Companies To Exploit The Amazon
• CNN: A firefighting Supertanker plane from the US is helping in the Amazon rainforest
• Esquire: Don’t Lose Sight of President Good Brain’s Insane F*cking Week

He made a funny joke about Seth Moulton

• NYT: Seth Moulton Ends 2020 Presidential Campaign With a Warning
• FiveThirtyEight: Why Seth Moulton’s Campaign Failed
• Business Insider: ‘You remain a frickin’ coward’: Trump taunting a 2020 Democratic candidate and retired Marine isn’t a laughing matter for some veterans

He also congratulated Sean Spicer for being on Dancing with the Stars (and has between tweeting Happy Birthday to people like Regis and Sean Connery)

• Think Progress: Sean Spicer admits he is not qualified for new six-figure job
• Mother Jones: Sean Spicer Will Do Anything to Get Back on Television, Even Humiliate Himself. Again.
• Hollywood Reporter: Sean Spicer Responds to ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Backlash: “I Hope It Will Be a Politics-Free Zone”
• The Guardian: Queer Eye’s Karamo Brown under fire after praising Sean Spicer as ‘sweet guy’
• BuzzFeed: “Queer Eye” Star Bobby Berk Deleted Tweets About The Karamo Brown–Sean Spicer Controversy

Trump then jetted off for the G-7

• Politico: Macron’s G7 descends into summit of spin
• Business Insider: Trump’s aides are reportedly seething over the French president’s handling of the G7 summit
• CNN: After Trump appears to soften on trade war, White House says he wanted higher tariffs
• NYT: Trump Aides Slam French for Focusing on ‘Niche Issues’ at G7
• WaPo: Trump finds himself on his heels and fumbling at G-7
• NYT: Iranian Official Makes Surprise Appearance on Sidelines of G7 Summit
• NYT: Rule 1 at the G7 Meeting? Don’t Get You-Know-Who Mad
• The Atlantic: Trump’s Two G7 Summits

He backed off and then doubled down on the trade war

• WaPo: Trump admits to having ‘second thoughts’ — a scramble ensues to explain what he meant

Spent much of the weekend attacking the Fake News and Fox News

• The Hill: Trump again lashes out at Fox News: ‘Not what it used to be’
• Mediaite: Trump Blasts Fox News Show MediaBuzz: Network is ‘Only Getting Worse!’
• New York Daily News: Trump to Fox News’ Jesse Watters: Congrats on engagement to your mistress
• Politico: Sarah Huckabee Sanders to join Fox News as a contributor

Joe Walsh

• ABC News: ‘THIS WEEK’ EXCLUSIVE: Joe Walsh announces Republican primary challenge against Trump
• CNN: Joe Walsh to take on Trump in 2020 Republican primary
• WaPo: Former congressman Joe Walsh announces primary challenge against Trump
• NYT: Joe Walsh Confirms He Will Challenge Trump for Republican Nomination
• Axios: Republican Joe Walsh announces he will primary Trump in 2020
• Vox: Former Rep. Joe Walsh, once Trump supporter and conspiracy theorist, is running for president
• CNN: “Six polls and more than 6,000 interviews show Trump’s approval dropping”
• NYT “Joe Walsh Confirms He Will Challenge Trump for Republican Nomination”
• NYT “Trump’s Takeover of the Republican Party Is Almost Complete”
• Politico: “Trump campaign plunges into brawl to control Pennsylvania GOP”
• Reuters: “Republican Party chair says primary challengers to Trump would ‘lose horribly’”
• NPR: “RNC Members Want To Block A Primary Challenge To Trump, But The Rules May Stop Them”
• The Hill: “Weld ‘thrilled’ more Republicans are challenging Trump
• NYT: “A Former Congressman and Tea Party Republican Considers a Challenge to Trump”
• WaPo: “Mark Sanford says he’s ‘growing ever closer’ to launching a GOP primary challenge against Trump”
• ABC News: “Trump challenger Bill Weld raised just under $700K in long-shot primary bid”
• Politico: “Kasich says there’s ‘no path’ to the White House for him in 2020”
• ABC News: “Former GOP Rep. Joe Walsh: ‘I’m going to run for president’”
• Daily Beast: Joe Walsh Apologizes for ‘Creating’ Trump, Calling Obama Muslim During 2020 Announcement
• Mother Jones: “Former Rep. Joe Walsh Just Made It Official: He’ll Challenge President Trump for the Republican Nomination”
• NYT: Trolling Trump, Joe Walsh Tries to Recruit George Conway for Nascent Challenge
• NYT: Op-Ed Walsh wrote last week – Joe Walsh: Trump Needs a Primary Challenge

2020

• NBC News: “Democrats reject climate debate push from activists
• CNN: “Democratic National Committee votes against allowing 2020 candidates to participate in climate change debate”
• Vox: “The DNC rejects a climate change debate and puts virtual caucusing in doubt”
• NPR: “Activists Push Democrats On Climate Change, A New Priority For Party’s Base”
• ABC News: “Democratic leadership again considers climate change debate — and again says no”
• Medium (opinion piece by Tom Perez): “Climate Change and the 2020 Debates”
• Buzzfeed: “The DNC Voted Against Holding A Climate Debate, Despite Top Candidates Supporting The Idea”
• WaPo: “Who has qualified for the third Democratic debate”
• ABC News: “ABC News announces details for 3rd Democratic primary debate”
• CNN: “A closer look at recent post-debate bumps in presidential polls”
• CNBC: “Challenge for struggling candidates: Debate audiences may already have tuned them out”
• New York Times: “It’s Not So Much the Debates. It’s the Days After the Debate.”
• WaPo: “Primary debates matter. But not as much as you probably think they do.”
• FiveThirtyEight: “What We Know About The Impact Of Primary Debates”
• San Francisco Chronicle: “Democratic presidential hopefuls complain about being pushed off debate stage”
• Politico: “Michael Bennet blasts DNC for ‘stifling debate’ and ‘rewarding celebrity’”
• The Hill: “Gabbard hits DNC over poll criteria for debates” (8/23)
• Yahoo News: “DNC likely to raise polling threshold for November debate, sources say”
• The Atlantic: “The DNC Debate Rules are a Game”
• Politico: “DNC rules could expand, not shrink, future debate stage”