Trump tears into new year with tweetstorm

President Trump unleashed a series of tweets Tuesday morning, his first full day back at the White House since a Christmas vacation.

The president hit a number of topics, bashing the Iran nuclear deal and offering support for protesters in that country, calling for former Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin to be jailed, ripping The New York Times and its new publisher, and taking credit for the lack of fatal airplane crashes for the last year.

It was enough to wonder whether Trump’s New Year’s resolution was to hit Twitter more often after an initial year in office where his tweets became a normal part of the news day.

Trump rattled off nine tweets before 11 a.m. on topics ranging from the predictable to surprises, highlighting his power over social media and the news cycle. It wasn’t clear what prompted the tweets, though at times it appeared to reflect topics that had come up on the morning’s cable news broadcasts.

Trump spent the last two weekends and the week in between at his Mar-a-Lago resort and his private golf course and out of the public eye, save for one on-the-record interview with a New York Times reporter.

Trump didn’t stay away from Twitter over the break, but he also didn’t unleash a storm, surprising some observers. 

The president began his social media outburst Tuesday with a tweet about Iran, saying that country’s people were “finally acting against the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime.”

Trump then took a shot at the Obama administration, claiming money given to Tehran through the Iran nuclear deal went into terrorism.

His last tweet criticized Democrats for doing nothing to help young undocumented immigrants known as “Dreamers” who have permission to work or go to school in the United States. Trump announced he was ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program beginning in March, and lawmakers are working toward a legislative solution that would help the young immigrants.

Immigration activists have expressed disappointment that Democrats have not fought harder to win protections for the Dreamers, and Trump seized on that tension.

“DACA activists and Hispanics will go hard against Dems, will start ‘falling in love’ with Republicans and their President! We are about RESULTS,” he tweeted.

In between were tweets on a host of topics.

Days after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he’d be “open to dialogue” with South Korea, Trump touted the success of added sanctions and “‘other’ pressures” on that country.

“Perhaps that is good news, perhaps not — we will see!” Trump tweeted, while resurfacing his “rocket man” moniker for Kim. 

Sanctions and “other” pressures are beginning to have a big impact on North Korea. Soldiers are dangerously fleeing to South Korea. Rocket man now wants to talk to South Korea for first time. Perhaps that is good news, perhaps not – we will see!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018

Trump also, for a second time, credited the Republican tax bill passed last month as the reason multiple companies have provided bonuses to workers.

Companies are giving big bonuses to their workers because of the Tax Cut Bill. Really great!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018

Among the companies that have issued one-time bonuses to employees after the legislation passed are Comcast and the Sinclair Broadcasting Group. 

Two other tweets seemed to be prompted on Tuesday morning by more favorable reports and again returned the focus to the Trump administration’s accomplishments.

Trump tweeted his thanks to National Border Patrol Council member Brandon Judd, who appeared on “Fox & Friends” and promoted Trump’s emphasis on border security.

Thank you to Brandon Judd of the National Border Patrol Council for your kind words on how well we are doing at the Border. We will be bringing in more & more of your great folks and will build the desperately needed WALL! @foxandfriends

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018

A short time later, Trump seemed to take credit for a recent report showing 2017 was the safest year on record for commercial aviation, touting his “strict” approach to the industry. Though, as a number of Twitter users quickly noted, there hasn’t been a fatal passenger airline crash in the U.S. since 2009.

Since taking office I have been very strict on Commercial Aviation. Good news – it was just reported that there were Zero deaths in 2017, the best and safest year on record!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018

The United States last recorded a fatal airline passenger jet crash in February 2009, but Donald Trump being “very strict” on commercial aviation is the only real reason why flights are so safe today. https://t.co/wuVN4T6K4S https://t.co/QGaqVGiuho

— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) January 2, 2018

The president also used his morning tweets to target a pair of his favorite targets: Hillary Clinton and The New York Times. 

In one tweet, Trump appeared to call for one of Clinton’s top aides, Huma Abedin, to be jailed over a Daily Caller report that Abedin had forwarded State Department emails to her personal Yahoo account that included passwords to government systems.

Crooked Hillary Clinton’s top aid, Huma Abedin, has been accused of disregarding basic security protocols. She put Classified Passwords into the hands of foreign agents. Remember sailors pictures on submarine? Jail! Deep State Justice Dept must finally act? Also on Comey & others

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018

In a pair of other tweets, Trump issued backhanded congratulations to The New York Times’s new publisher, A.G. Sulzberger, who recently took over for his father.

The Failing New York Times has a new publisher, A.G. Sulzberger. Congratulations! Here is a last chance for the Times to fulfill the vision of its Founder, Adolph Ochs, “to give the news impartially, without fear or FAVOR, regardless of party, sect, or interests involved.” Get…

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018

….impartial journalists of a much higher standard, lose all of your phony and non-existent “sources,” and treat the President of the United States FAIRLY, so that the next time I (and the people) win, you won’t have to write an apology to your readers for a job poorly done! GL

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018

Trump frequently calls the newspaper the “Failing New York Times,” but he sat down last week with one of its reporters for an impromptu on the record interview during his recent stay in Florida.

“Another reason I’m going to win another four years is because newspapers, television, all forms of media will tank if I’m not there because without me, their ratings are going down the tubes,” Trump told the newspaper, predicting a 2020 victory.