Post-Election Thoughts: Donald vs. Maxine—Stay Tuned

President Trump, remember when you said Maxine Waters had a low IQ?

Well, beginning next year, she’s probably going to have subpoena power and guess what?

You’re probably at the top of her list.

Trump and the California Democratic congresswoman have been going at it for a while.

She said his cabinet should be called out, even when they are having a meal at a restaurant.

He questioned her IQ.

But since House Democrats won the House majority on Election Day, Waters is poised to take the gavel of the House Financial Services Committee.

Lobbyists this week are praising Waters as a deal-maker who is capable of negotiating legislation. But make no mistake about it, the panel is probably going to focus on oversight and investigations.

And Trump isn’t going to like that.

Waters and committee Democrats have been trying to get access to Trump financial data since he was elected two years ago. They’ve tried to amend legislation to require Trump to turn over financial records. Republicans defeated those amendments.

Waters has complained about a Financial Services Committee rule change during the 114th Congress that allows the chairman to unilaterally issue subpoenas. She accused panel Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) of using it to harass then-CFPB Director Richard Cordray.

You’ve got to wonder if she’s still going to be complaining about that power. Or whether she’s going to relish the opportunity to use it.

And if Trump is Waters’s main target, Mick Mulvaney probably isn’t too far behind.

Waters has made no secret about her anger with Mulvaney over how he’s running the CFPB. She has introduced legislation that would undo virtually everything Mulvaney has done since taking over the agency—ranging from making sure that Mulvaney’s preferred name of the agency—the BCFP is changed to the CFPB to reversing many of the substantive changes the acting director has made.

The legislation would restore the powers of the agency’s fair lending office, limit the number of political appointees at the agency, and reactivate agreements the agency had with other federal agencies.

Of course, the legislation didn’t go anywhere and probably won’t next year, considering that the Republicans still control the Senate.

And Mulvaney is only an acting director, although anyone who replaces him is likely to approach the agency in the same way as Mulvaney.

But the legislation does give a good indication of what Waters thinks of the job the Trump Administration is doing at the CFPB.

Stay tuned.

Well That Was Quick

Remember that hope that politics might become more civil after the election?

Never mind.

During his press conference Wednesday, Trump went after his favorite target—the press. He accused an African-American journalist of asking a racist question.

And Trump called CNN reporter Jim Acosta a rude and terrible person.

Then, later in the day, the White House seized Acosta’s press pass, making it impossible for him to do his job.

And a video of Acosta’s exchange with Trump made it clear that Acosta did not do what the White House accused him of doing—touching a young intern, in an effort to keep his microphone.

So, Acosta’s main offense really was simply trying to do his job, and in the process, making Trump uncomfortable.

That’s unacceptable and once again, Trump is attacking one of the pillars of our democracy.

During the press conference, Trump did something that is even surprising for him. He called out House Republicans who had said they didn’t want to have him campaign for them.

“They did very poorly,” he said. “I’m not sure that I should be happy or sad, but I feel just fine about it.”

And he named names.

Nothing like kicking people when they’re down.