OK, where to begin? Well, last week was a half-fortnight during which folks learned Donald Trump Jr. didn't call his dad when everyone thought he did (more on him in a minute); an Apple bug allowed other people to eavesdrop on your FaceTime conversations; Democrats chose Stacey Abrams to give the State of the Union response; the Senate voted to rebuke President Trump over his foreign policy decisions, perhaps because the president is already undermining negotiations. Oh, and apparently the US is withdrawing from its nuclear treaty with Russia. In other words, 2019 seems to be following in the footsteps of 2018. Still, at least January is over. That's something.
Live From New York … It's Saturday Ampersand!
What Happened: Donald Trump Jr. maybe doesn't know what Saturday Night Live is, or at least maybe doesn't fully understand the name of the NBC show.
What Really Happened: There are burns that are so good those around are left dumbstruck such an insult has been delivered in such a manner. And then there are burns so bad that those around are left dumbstruck at how much the perceived insult has backfired and embarrassed the jokester responsible. Last week when Donald Trump Jr. tried to get in a dig at the Democrats, he definitely suffered the latter kind of sick burn.
Wait. A skit on what? Internet, time to do what you do best and correct and lampoon him.
As could only be expected, the response to Trump Junior's gaffe went viral by itself. Still, at least some people were being pretty understanding about the whole thing, even if that didn't mean they were being particularly kind.
Perhaps the most appropriate response came from a former SNL cast member.
The Takeaway: The most charitable version of events may be the one that suggests that this was a learning experience most of all. Admittedly, learning something that everyone else knew in the first place, but that's something, right?
Trump National Golf Course Hired Undocumented Workers
What Happened: Despite his comments about undocumented workers taking American jobs, President Trump's golf club in New York state employed undocumented workers. Until the government shutdown.
What Really Happened: Last weekend, The Washington Post published a bombshell report examining the employment of undocumented immigrants at the Trump National Golf Course in Westchester County, NY. It also revealed that the club had recently fired those workers during the government shutdown.
The story quickly spread across the internet, undermining Trump's mythologizing about his attitude towards immigration. Asked about the clear hypocrisy, White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders failed to deliver anything resembling a worthy response.
Within a couple of days of this coverage, it was announced that the Trump Organization would install new guidelines to ensure that it wouldn't get caught doing this kind of thing again. Well, we say "new" guidelines; really, I mean new to Trump properties.
Except that, too, revealed the gulf between Trump's rhetoric and reality, given statements that had been made about already using E-Verify in 2016.
Well, that seems embarrassing.
The Takeaway: For those in the White House who hoped that the whole sorry moment would be one easily left in the past with the adoption of the E-Verify system, disappointment was lying in wait thanks to the annual sport of Stunt Casting for the State of the Union Address. It's almost as if you can't just sweep people under the rug forever or something.
Object Permanence Isn't Just a River in Egypt
What Happened: With record-breaking low temperatures overtaking much of the country, it was undoubtedly the perfect time for the leader of the free world to suggest that climate change isn't real. Who doesn’t like some well-timed denial, right?
What Really Happened: As much of the country prepared for weather that only could be described as a cold snap if we were talking about the kind of snap that Thanos used, President Trump took to Twitter to try and put the country at ease while pushing one of his favorite talking points—namely, that climate change isn't actually a thing.
Insensitive and blatantly misleading about science? Of course it was, and that made it news, because we expect more from the President of the United States. As should only be expected, condemnation of his tweet was swift and widespread.
Along with the stunned disbelief, responses also included attempts to explain that "global warming" didn't just mean things are getting warmer, with even a federal agency having to clean up their boss's mess. As it turned out, there was actually another reason to feel embarrassed about the tweet that many hadn’t even noticed in their initial reading of it:
Please don’t let the typo distract you, however.
The Takeaway: Remember a time when the President of the United States was expected to raise the level of national discourse?
The Polar Vortex Descends
What Happened: Meanwhile, for those who live in the real world where climate change is real, it was a week in which the effects of global warming were felt in a very dramatic way.
What Really Happened: Let us, for a brief second, ignore the presidential tweets and instead focus on the chilly reality of what people have been going through this week with regards to the weather. Because, for many, it was brutal.
It was, according to the media—well, and weather scientists—a "Polar Vortex," which certainly didn't sound promising. But how bad was this Polar Vortex actually going to get? Turns out, pretty bad.
The record-breaking cold killed many and caused chaos across the Midwest. By the middle of the week, people were sharing their experience of the temperatures on social media.
In case that doesn't put it into enough context, try this:
It wasn't just the Midwest that was affected, however. Last week also taught people about snow squalls.
As of this writing, the cold weather is expected to end soon with a dramatic 70 degree upswing. Don't get too excited, though; that'll just bring things to the low 20s.
The Takeaway: Last week was, for better or worse, the kind of experience that made you wonder just how cold things could really get and what that means in the grand scheme of things. Although, really, what that might mean is open to question.
Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better
What Happened: President Trump wasn't just pontificating on scientific matters last week. He also underscored his ongoing feud with the intelligence community by declaring he knew more than them when it comes to social media.
What Really Happened: Wednesday morning started with another of those moments concerning the president that was, somehow, simultaneously surprising and entirely in line with expectations, thanks to the following tweets.
No, you're not misreading; that really is President Trump criticizing his own intelligence agencies on a public platform in language that is utterly dismissive of their methods and findings. From a man who famously skips written briefings due to a short attention span, this seemed especially unbelievable (and yet, entirely believable). What, many were wondering, was really happening? There was some important context to be considered.
Oh. Indeed, here's an important flashback from the day before:
Well, sure. Fine. Experts openly contradicting the president's continual misinformation campaign and foreign policy arguments? That might explain what was happening, given Trump's legendary thin skin.
That the president was behaving in such an outspoken and irresponsible manner wasn't something that went uncommented upon by many, understandably.
Later in the week, the president tried to repair his relationship with intel chiefs, by suggesting that, really, they agreed with him entirely.
It was not the most compelling argument, shall we say.
The Takeaway: Maybe we're being uncharitable in considering this a particularly clumsy attempt at gas-lighting. Could there be another, less disturbing and far more nostalgic explanation for what the president is apparently trying to do?