There is so much going on with the Trump White House that it is almost too much to digest. Each day brings a dizzying flood of misinformation, disinformation and outright lies that make it hard to keep up. Every day brings enough chaos that volumes can be written about them.
So, instead of writing a series of posts, each addressing one of the many issues we are currently facing, here are some Quick Hits that briefly highlight some of the multitude of headaches we are currently dealing with.
Trumpty Dumpty is taking away healthcare from millions and making it more difficult for those struggling to get public assistance, all the while encouraging violence against those he hates (including escalators), weaponizing the DOJ, using the military for civilian law enforcement (a violation of Posse Comitatus), trying to end birthright citizenship, doing an end around of due process, trying to rig the midterm elections, tanking the Economy with his idiotic tariffs, making America a laughingstock, supporting genocide in Gaza, allowing executions to take place on the high seas, threatening Federal employees unless Democrats submit to his blackmail, threatening the First Amendment Freedom of Speech by using the FCC to punish those who don’t speak glowingly of him, making a mockery of the Constitution by installing incompetent cronies instead of seasoned professionals, and claiming he has the right to seek a third term.
With the announcement that former FBI Chief James Comey has been indicted, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the ‘weaponization has ended’ in regard to the Justice Department. Mind you, Comey was only indicted after Trump insisted that the DOJ go after his perceived enemies. He fired, or forced to resign, those who refused to carry out his orders.
If this sounds all too familiar, think of the Saturday Night Massacre that preceded Richard Nixon’s resignation. Sounds like weaponization to me!
Meanwhile, prior to his appointment as Border Czar, Tom Hohman is seen, on tape, accepting a $50,000 bribe in an FBI sting operation. Presumably on orders from the White House, the FBI and DOJ closed the case without addressing the highly illegal issue.
When Congress passed Trump’s signature bill, they offset the tax breaks to billionaires by making it more difficult to obtain Health insurance under Medicaid. The White House is touting it as a victory by claiming the stricter work requirements will enable able-bodied individuals to gain meaningful Employment. But, with the economy sputtering due to Trump’s tariff wars, there are fewer jobs, so millions will be left without coverage.
Being faced with hostile audiences, Republicans are attempting to spin the BBB as a good thing, but are vague on details. Many have stopped holding Town Halls because of the anger being leveled at them by their constituents.
The use of military personnel for civilian law enforcement is illegal. Full Stop! The Posse Comitatus act cannot be clearer. Under the guise of a National Emergency, either a “hostile foreign invasion” by illegal immigrants or an attempt to fight rampant crime (or sometimes both), Trump took over law enforcement in Washington, D.C, and is threatening to do so in other cities with Democratic mayors.
When challenged in court, judges typically respond, “Yes, it’s illegal. So what?”
But the true goal isn’t about illegal immigrants or fighting crime. It’s about intimidation. People are becoming afraid to leave their homes, which could translate into being afraid to go to the voting booth. Combined with his attacks on mail-in ballots, Trump’s desired outcome is voter suppression.
Another form of intimidation is by illegally renaming the Department of Defense, the department of war. Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered all our military leaders to a mandatory face-to-face meeting (Apparently, he no longer trusts Signal) while ordering the press covering the Pentagon to vet any news story before it can be released.
Can we say ‘censorship’?
Speaking of censorship, the FCC is on the attack. It’s enemy? Late night talk show hosts. After torpedoing the most popular host, and frequent Trump critic, Stephen Colbert, Trump set his sights on Jimmy Kimmel, also one not to mince words regarding the Orange Blunder. Using the assassination of a right-wing podcaster, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr threatened the Disney Corporation, the owner of ABC, the network Kimmel’s show aired, with stiff consequences should Kimmel not be removed from the air.
The response was swift. Kimmel was suspended the very next day.
What Disney failed to anticipate was the backlash. Thousands cancelled their Streaming subscriptions and more indicated they were considering it. It didn’t take long for Kimmel to return to the airwaves, but not before Trump demanded the firings of NBC’s Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon for their criticism of Trump.
While neither lost their jobs…yet…Trump has threatened to pull the broadcast licenses of those networks that give him negative coverage.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Pam Bondi declared that hate speech was illegal. She had to quickly retract her remark after being told it was protected by the Constitution. You would think the Attorney General would know that?
In a vain attempt to have something to put in his trophy case other than those from golf tournaments at his own clubs, Trump is trying to lobby for a Nobel Peace prize by declaring that he has solved multiple wars around the globe. He even went to the UN to state his case, only to be thwarted by a malfunctioning escalator and a faulty teleprompter.
He conveniently omitted the war in Ukraine, which he campaigned on being able to solve in a day, and the genocide in Gaza.
It’s highly doubtful that the Nobel committee will award their prize to someone who has declared that he hates his enemies.
So, there is a lot to unpack in the daily news. I didn’t even mention the Epstein files which Speaker Johnson is attempting to bury by refusing to swear in the Democratic congresswoman who could be the deciding vote in forcing their release.
That’s for next time.
