In other news, a federal judge in the 9th Circuit has blocked Trump's executive order to defund pro-immigrant Sanctuary Cities. So much winning!
Meanwhile, Ivanka Trump's clothing line is reportedly being sold as a different brand of clothing. You know, to get rid of them.
Finally, the Navy Times has an in-depth report on what exactly happened to the USS Carl Vinson. To make a long story short, a misguided press release, a desperate attempt by Trump's staff to deliver some kind of plan to Trump, and Trump's "armada" talk led to the mix-up.
The Navy Times also places a significant amount of blame on the worldwide press, but I don't think that's necessarily fair, all things considered. Virtually all of Trump's cabinet got it wrong according to this account.
On April 10, President Trump threw gasoline on a growing fire by implying in an interview with Fox Business News that the administration had directed the carrier to proceed to Korea.
"We are sending an armada, very powerful," he said. "We have submarines, very powerful, far more powerful than an aircraft carrier, that I can tell you."
The confirmation of the misleading narrative from the commander in chief — as well as the allusion to nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines — sent the crisis into overdrive.Governments in Seoul, Pyongyang, Tokyo and Beijing began reacting to what looked like an emergency with the speedy U.S. carrier beelining to the Sea of Japan. The situation became even more muddied when Mattis tried to tamp down the frenzy during a press conference, telling the reporters — inaccurately — that the announcement of the carrier move was not from a specific demand signal but was instead announcing the canceling of the exercise with the Australians, which the Vinson was at that moment participating in.
Here's a thing:
Trump signing his latest executive order: “There’s a lot of words. I won’t bother reading everything.”
— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) April 25, 2017