2017 Feb 9^th

President Trump, our thin-skinned, hyper-belligerent national embarrassment, has now declared war on Nordstrom’s, a Seattle, Washington, department store. Their sin was to drop some of daughter Ivanka’s clothing line. Sean Spicer, his mouthpiece, declares that this is just a protective father coming to his daughter’s defense. The fact that Ivanka’s stuff hadn’t been selling well, and that Nordstrom’s had advised Ivanka a month ago that this was coming, is irrelevant. Ivanka’s brother suggested that Trump’s fans boycott Nordstrom’s.

He needs to have a care with his boycott bit: Part of Ivanka’s problem is that many people are already boycotting Trump products. Sales have fallen and Ivanka’s brand has suffered mightily at Neiman-Marcus, Amazon, Bloomingdales and Dillards.

Nor is it helping Ivanka that her stuff is made in China and Hong Kong. Of course 97 percent of all clothing sold here is made overseas. Daddy Trump is very opposed to things manufactured overseas and sold here but perhaps “first daughter’s ” company is exempt from his criticism.

He has tweeted his profound displeasure with Nordstrom’s actions claiming they are politically motivated. There is no evidence for this; what a surprise! There are organizations that track sales of various brands in department stores and elsewhere and Ivanka’s stuff has been taking a beating. Trump’s unhappiness with Nordstrom has not damaged Nordstrom’s stock; it is up about 2.45 percent so far today. Maybe Trump senior’s unhappiness with someone, or something, no longer matters very much.

Kellyanne Conway, Counselor to the President, has made a boo-boo. This is a boo-boo that even Sean Spicer has admitted happened. Counselor Conway, ever pro all things Trump, has used her mini-bully pulpit to urge everyone to “buy Ivanka’s stuff.” No doubt Counselor Conway was trying to offset Ivanka’s stuff’s decline in sales. Unfortunately, it is a serious no-no for members of the administrative team to push commercial ventures even to help out presidential family members. The result is that Counselor Conway will now, herself, be counselled. Will that help? Wanna bet?

Even Judge Gorsuch, Trumps pick for his addition to SCOTUS has not been totally loyal. He has not taken kindly to Trump’s vilification of the judiciary that seems to oppose him. Judge Gorsuch has called Trump’s comments about the judiciary “disheartening and demoralizing.” Trump claimed that Senator Blumenthal had misrepresented Judge Gorsuch’s views until another senator who was there said that Senator Blumenthal’s comments were accurate…and then Judge Gorsuch himself agreed about that.

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Adding to Trump’s angst was the news that a three judge panel had ruled against his travel ban which will now remain in effect until Trump can present a ban which does not so obviously target Muslims.