Trump Watch 20180810 - Sessions v Contempt Threat

Today's Episode - Turn that plane around!

So, it turns out that two plaintiffs in an asylum case were on a plane to El Salvador and when the judge in the case (Judge Emmet G. Sullivan) learned that was the case, he ordered the government to "turn that plane around."  Additionally, he added that he would start holding officials in contempt of court if the plaintiffs weren't returned immediately, and that he would start with the attorney general.

The government didn't actually turn the plane around, but rather landed, de-planed the rest of their human cargo (consisting of other border crossers who were processed for deportation), kept the two plaintiffs on board, and flew back to the U.S.  It isn't clear just how feasible just "turning around" would have been at the time the judge made his demand.

So far though, no contempt charges have not been filed against anyone in the administration.  Just how far things would have to go for such a charge to be filed remains unclear.  And of course, the question of how much of a deterrent a threat of a contempt of court charge holds is subject to debate as well, BUT the plaintiffs were returned, so there is some deterrent value in such a threat.

Still, I'm betting that Jeff Sessions isn't very worried about this.

• Trump Charity lawsuit by New York Attorney General
• FBI investigation (it keeps being called a Russian Collusion investigation, but I'm pretty sure more to it than that at this point)
• North Korea
• The Space Force
• The Border Wall
• Alien Children Detention/family separation
• Presidential Pardons
• Civil War Monuments
• Muslim Travel Ban
• China Tariffs/Trade
• Canada-G7 Tariffs/Trade
• NAFTA
• Puerto Rico response
• Military Parade in Washington
• World Trade Organization
• Covfefe Syndrome
• NATO
• Russia/Putin relationship

Giuliani still there as Lawyer
John F. Kelly still there as Chief of Staff - 6-29-2018  Trump says "Things Happen."
Jeff Sessions still there as Attorney General
Sarah Huckabee Sanders still there as Press Secretary, rumors continue to be denied.
Mike Pompeo - Secretary of State

John Bolton - National Security Advisor

Marc Short - White House Legislative Affairs Director - no denial of plans regarding his departure prior to the 2018 midterms.

Kirstjen Nielsen - Homeland Security Secretary

Joe Hagin - White House deputy Chief of Staff is resigning.- reported June 19th

Scott Pruitt - EPA Director - Resigned 7-5-2018