The President trashes the city of Baltimore because Rep. Elijah Cummings criticized his immigration policies, Trump advisors are telling reporters that racism is a good political strategy, the House Judiciary Committee effectively begins an impeachment inquiry, and 20 Democratic candidates prepare for the second round of debates. Then Pod Save the People’s DeRay Mckesson talks to Tommy about Trump’s criticism of his hometown.

Show Notes

Trump v. Cummings

• NYT: Trump Accuses Black Congressman and Allies of Being Racist, Deepening Feud
• WaPo: ‘Louder and more hateful’: Big-city leaders say Trump’s attacks on Baltimore are escalation of his strategy to denigrate diverse, liberal areas
• Baltimore Sun – Trump calls Cummings ‘racist’ in new round of Twitter fury about Baltimore
• Vox: Trump launches another racist attack on a lawmaker of color
• WaPo: Trump attacks Rep. Cummings’s district, calling it a ‘disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess’
• WaPo: Hogan’s muted response to Trump comments about Baltimore stirs more anger
• Baltimore Sun Editorial Page – Better to have a few rats than to be one
• WaPo: A CNN anchor’s emotional response to Trump’s Twitter rant about his ‘infested’ hometown
• CNN: The Fox News distortions behind Trump’s attack on Baltimore and its congressman
• Media Matters – Fox’s Pete Hegseth defends Trump’s racist Baltimore tweet: It’s bringing attention to “forgotten men and women”
• Mediate– This Fox & Friends Segment that Preceded Trump’s Rant at Cummings Showed Piles of Trash in Baltimore
• The Atlantic – What Elijah Cummings Once Told Trump in Private.
• WaPo: Kushner owns lots of Baltimore-area apartments. Some are infested with mice.
• NYT Magazine / Pro Publica – Jared Kushner’s Other Real Estate Empire in Baltimore
• WaPo: The ‘I alone can fix it’ president wants black areas to fix themselves
• WaPo: ‘Everything that Donald Trump says is offensive to some people,’ Mulvaney says
• Daily Beast – Chris Wallace Confronts WH Chief of Staff on Trump’s Racist Baltimore Tweets: There’s a ‘Clear Pattern Here’
• CNN: Democratic senator says Trump’s Twitter ‘is the most hate-filled, racist, and demeaning.’ So he unfollowed him
• Guardian – Democrats and media condemn Trump’s racist Cummings attack
• Baltimore Sun: A young Elijah Cummings faced hate when integrating a Baltimore pool. Today, Trump’s tweets reopen old wounds.
• Politico: Trump has a ‘hate agenda,’ Tlaib charges
• NYT – Op-Ed – By Kevin Kruse – Trump Is Different Than George Wallace. He’s Worse.
• NYT: Pelosi. Clinton. Obama. Now ‘the Squad’ Is the New Target for the Right.
• Axios: Julián Castro: Trump is the “biggest identity politician” of the last 50 years
• Vox: Trump launches another racist attack on a lawmaker of color
• Vox: Women voters of color are watching how Democrats respond to attacks on “the Squad”
• WaPo – Op-Ed – We are African Americans, we are patriots, and we refuse to sit idly by
• WaPo: The Trailer: How a moderate Democrat runs for Congress in the age of the Squad
• WaPo: Trump campaign sees political advantage in a divisive appeal to working-class white voters
• Politico: Supreme Court gives Trump go-ahead on border wall
• WaPo: Adviser, son-in-law and hidden campaign hand: How Kushner is trying to help Trump win in 2020
• The Atlantic – By Ron Brownstein – Will Trump’s Racist Attacks Help Him? Ask Blue-Collar White Women.
• FiveThirtyEight – Is Trump’s Use Of Identity Politics An Effective Strategy?
• New Yorker – There Is Nothing Strategic About Trump’s Racism
• The Atlantic – What Americans Do Now Will Define Us Forever
• WaPo: New GOP panic about Trump’s racism reveals an ugly truth
• WaPo: State senator from Arizona criticized for saying that ‘we’re going to look like South American countries’
• CNBC – GDP slows to 2.1% in second quarter but beats expectations thanks to strong consumer
• NYT: U.S. Economy Slows, Denying Trump 3% Talking Point
• Bloomberg – U.S. Economic Growth Seen Stumbling as Trade Hits Companies
• WSJ: Economic Growth Didn’t Hit 3% Mark Last Year, Revised Data Show
• Slate: Donald Trump’s Entire Story About the Economy Fell Apart This Week
• NYT: White House Considered Weakening U.S. Dollar Before Ruling It Out
• WaPo – Analysis by Dan Balz – The economy isn’t saving Trump because he keeps getting in the way
• Politico Magazine: Why a Strong Economy Will Actually Help Democrats in 2020

Impeachment – maybe?

• Politico: Dems move closer to impeachment in strategy shakeup
• NYT: Raising Prospect of Impeaching Trump, House Seeks Mueller’s Grand Jury Secrets
• WaPo: Top Democrat on House Judiciary Committee says Trump ‘richly deserves impeachment’
• NYT: Nadler Says Trump ‘Richly Deserves’ Impeachment
• Axios: Nadler: “We have impeachment resolutions before the committee”
• Lawfare – House Judiciary Committee Asks Court For Grand Jury Material
• Just Security – How Congress Can Access the Legal Powers of Impeachment Without a Formal Inquiry 
• WaPo: It’s time for impeachment hearings on Trump. Here’s how Democrats may proceed.
• The Atlantic – Impeachment, but Without the Moral Clarity
• WSJ: U.S. Rep. Nadler Faces Challengers Over Trump Impeachment Issue
• Politico: With Sunday surge, nearly half of House Democrats back impeachment inquiry
• NBC: The full list: Over 100 House Democrats favor Trump impeachment inquiry
• Politico: Nadler sees no ‘time frame’ for impeachment
• The Atlantic – Why We’re Moving Forward With Impeachment
• NYT: Heading Into Long Recess, House Democrats Take Home a Mixed Record
• NYT: Why the 2020 Democrats Still Aren’t Talking About Impeachment
• Vox: New polling finds Mueller’s testimony didn’t change Americans’ minds on impeachment
• Politico: Trump’s good week – For a few days, at least, the president was on top of the world.
• CNN: These two Republicans guided impeachment of Clinton. Now they hate the idea of impeachment

2020

• Vox: Here’s everything you need to know about the July debates
• Axios: Democrats prepare for debate brawl with Joe Biden
• CNN: Here’s where the 2020 Democrats stand going into a make-or-break debate
• WaPo: For Beto O’Rourke, Tuesday’s debate looms large. Will it be opportunity or calamity?
• CNN: How Beto O’Rourke plans to turn things around in next week’s Democratic debate
• WaPo: July presidential debate could be the finale for up to half the candidates
• CBS – Here are the Democrats who qualify for the September debates so far
• Politico: 2020 Dems prepare to go on offense in next week’s debates
• CNN: Joe Biden previews more aggressive approach ahead of next Democratic debate
• WSJ: Democratic Presidential Candidates Sharpen Tone as Next Debates Approach
• CNBC: From abolishing private insurance to tariffs, here are the top business issues to watch in the second 2020 Democratic debate
• NYT: Why Democrats Are So Far From Consensus on 2020
• Axios: 2020 Democrats use policy plans as debate weapons
• Bloomberg: 2020 Democrats Set to Unleash a Fight in Second Debate Round
• USA Today – Marianne Williamson says she’s changing her debate prep after she was mocked last time for talking of ‘love’
• NYT: What Kamala Harris Believes
• WaPo: ‘A different type of vibe’: What does Tulsi Gabbard’s 2020 run say about America?
• NYT: Elizabeth Warren’s Campaign Receives 1 Million Donations, Hitting Milestone
• CNN: Black Democrats prefer the public option to ‘Medicare for All’
• Politico: Trump aides cite top threats at White House briefing: Harris, Biden, Warren
• NYT: Jay Inslee: Climate Change Is a Winning Campaign Issue — and President Trump Knows It

DeRay Mckesson

• Politico – Black activists try to make mark on 2020 race
• Vice: WHY YOU NEED TO CARE ABOUT DERAY MCKESSON’S FIRST AMENDMENT CASE
• The Atlantic – Tell Me It’s Not About Race
• LA Times – ‘Police Scorecard’ raises questions about use of force and accountability in California