Trump’s Day One: A Bold Agenda to Reclaim America
Well, it is a shame but it looks like Joni Earnest took a big gulp of Trump's Kool-Aid before blurting out this decrepit response to a constituent who observed her cuts to Medicaid will kill people.
Joni Ernst’s ‘Well, we all are going to die,’ and the GOP’s flippant defenses of Trump’s agenda
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/31/politics … a-analysisWith courage taking the forefront, and determination of the “coalition of the willing”, we can defeat Trump…..
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2 … %20OpinionRepublicans want to add work requirements to Medicaid and SNAP even though at best only 7% of people who "might" qualify for the requirements don't work AND that previous experiments with this prove that the bureaucracy around the work requirements will end up driving millions of needy people off the rolls. (Of course, the Republicans know this and is why they are doing it.)
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/31/politics/medicaid-cuts-work-requirements-gop-billMaybe this one will work. https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/31/politics … s-gop-bill
Jamie Dimon says China isn’t America’s biggest threat. It’s ‘the enemy within’
And we know who he is referring to - Trump, the felon and sexual predator.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/30/business … hina-tradeAre you calling the authors of Original Sins liars? What proof do you have?
Why didn't you answer my perfectly legitimate question? Are you calling the authors of Original Sin liars? A simple Yes or No will do.
Trump can's his pick to lead NASA. Why? Probably because he wasn't sufficiently loyal to Trump by once donating to a Democrat and telling the Senate he was "apolitical". That is a death sentence in Trump World.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/31/politics … trump-pullNot sure where to put this one, but it is a poll on American attitudes. Key Points:
1. Beginning with Trump's election in 2016, people started noticing distinct differences between the Parties. It greatly accelerated with Trump's election in 2025. In 2016, about 65% saw important differences. Today, it is 81%
2. Most people now think Government (as opposed to individuals or businesses) should do More to help fix problems in America. During the Obama years 34% felt that way, rising to 38% by the end of his term. Now, it is 54%.
3. "While neither political party is viewed as especially strong or effective, skepticism weighs particularly heavily on the Democratic Party. Americans are far more likely to see Republicans than Democrats as the party with strong leaders: 40% say this descriptor applies more to the GOP, with just 16% saying it applies to the Democrats. They’re also more likely to call Republicans the party that can get things done by 36% to 19%, and the party of change, by 32% to 25%." - This, of course, is not surprising because the Democrats are admittedly in disarray. What did surprise me was how poorly the Republicans scored given they are a unitary Party under the thumb of Trump. Independents think, by a large majority, that neither Party has its act together.
4. The American belief in obtaining the American Dream is declining. Only 54% say that if you work hard, you can achieve it; that is down from 67% in 2016.
5. Asked which Party does better with the economy, the Republicans have always come out on top (even though the data says otherwise). That said, the Republicans are losing their grip. In Nov 2023, the Republicans had a 14 point lead. Now, it has slipped to 6 points.
6. Americans have always thought Diversity enriches American culture. It hit a high point in 2019-2020 at 80%. It hit a low, due probably by the conservative onslaught, of 66% at the beginning of 2025 and is now at 72%.
7. Democracy under attack: The words say more than the chart does.
"By a 5-point margin, Americans say their view of how to protect U.S. democracy aligns more with the Democratic Party than the Republican Party.
Roughly half of Americans say that democracy in the U.S. today is under attack, with 36% saying it’s being tested, and only about 13% that it’s not in any danger. While these concerns have held roughly steady since 2021, partisan dynamics have shifted sharply in that time. In the latest poll, 72% of Democrats see democracy in crisis, compared with just 29% of Republicans. By contrast, during Joe Biden’s presidency, concerns were either roughly balanced or higher among the GOP."
A peek at RCP Generic Ballot shows that the Democrats lead in 10 of the last 12 polls, with one being a tie. The average gap is 2.4 points in the Ds favor although the last one show the Ds with a +9. That was by Atlas Intel which I believe Nate Silver just rated in the top two pollsters.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/01/politics … -democratsThese charts show how poorly Americans have reacted to Trump's bold agenda. As an addendum, the Consumer Index just came in, remaining at its lowest point since Jun 2022 when the pandemic-caused inflation was at its highest.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/01/economy/ … squeeze-dgMore Big Bold Agenda stuff-
"Small businesses struggle under Trump’s tariff whiplash: ‘I’m so angry that my own government has done this to me’"
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/01/business … ps-tariffsThis is from a CNN subscribers only article.
"The cornerstone of the modern Republican coalition continued to shrink as a share of the electorate in 2024, raising the stakes for whether the GOP can hold President Donald Trump’s landmark gains among minority voters.
Even with Trump having inspired robust turnout among white adults without a college education, two new analyses found those solidly Republican-leaning voters continued their long-term decline as a proportion of all voters in 2024.
Trump offset that decline mostly by winning a bigger share of non-White voters, especially men and those without a four-year college degree, than he did in his first two presidential races. But polls now consistently show Trump’s approval rating among those minority voters dropping below his 2024 vote share among them, and his standing for managing the economy falling even further.
Republicans once viewed Trump’s improving performance with minority voters as a luxury for a party powered primarily by its overwhelming margins among blue-collar White people. But as that bloc continues its seemingly irrevocable decline, rebuilding Trump’s support among non-White voters for the 2026 midterms and beyond is becoming a GOP necessity.
“Trump was able to get out a lot of White voters who had not participated in the process, but it’s still not enough,” said Alfonso Aguilar, director of Hispanic engagement for the conservative American Principles Project. “You still need that broad coalition.”
Another point made in this article is:
1. The receding of blue-collar White people in the electorate is one of the most enduring trends in American politics.
2. White people without a college degree made up about 66% of all voters around the time of Ronald Reagan’s two presidential victories in the early 1980s
3. They dipped below 50% of voters for the first time in the 2008 presidential election.
4. They edged below 40% of all voters for the first time in 2020
5. They slipped again to just over 37% of the vote in 2024.
It was Trump's gain with 1) minority voters and 2) voters who believed the Democrats were responsible for inflation that made up the shrinkage. It doesn't look like they will maintain that after Trump is done destroying the economy and democracy.This is what is happening NOW in Trump's America.
‘We are under a dictatorship.’ Six years into his rule, El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele tightens his grip"
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/01/americas … intl-latamTragic but true from a recent Atlantic Article.
Not too long ago, many Republicans proudly referred to themselves as “constitutional conservatives.” They believed in the rule of law; in limiting the power of government, especially the federal government; in protecting individual liberty; and in checks and balances and the separation of powers. They opposed central planning and warned about emotions stirred up by the mob and the moment, believing, as the Founders did, that the role of government was to mediate rather than mirror popular passions. They recognized the importance of self-restraint and the need to cultivate public and private virtues. And they had reverence for the Constitution, less as a philosophical document than a procedural one, which articulated the rules of the road for American democracy.
The Trump administration is a thugocracy, and the Republican Party he controls supports him each step of the way. Almost every principle to which Republicans once professed fealty has been jettisoned. The party is now devoted to the abuse of power and to vengeance.
Political theorists recognize that the governing approach of Trump and the GOP embodies the philosophy of Nietzsche and Machiavelli. It’s all about the world of “Anything goes” and “Might makes right.” Laws and the Constitution are as malleable as hot wax; they can be reshaped as needed. Limited government has been traded for the Leviathan, and there are no constraints. The state has become a blunt-force instrument.
The significance of this shift can hardly be overstated. A party that formerly proclaimed allegiance to the Constitution and the rule of law, warned about the concentration and abuse of power, and championed virtue, restraint, and moral formation has been transmogrified. The Republican Party now stands for everything it once loathed.
If this rot was confined to the GOP, it would be tragic but manageable. But Trump and the Republican Party control the levers of federal power. As a result, less than five months into Trump’s second term, America is heading toward a form of authoritarianism.
We are still mid-story. The outcome is not ordained, and the courts are turning out to be, for the most part, a vital bulwark against Trumpism. The clashes will surely intensify as Trump rages against the storm. But as he does so, the resistance to him will grow and intensify too, and it will find expression in many different ways. The flame of liberty hasn’t been extinguished quite yet.
Love of country is, as the historian Gertrude Himmelfarb said, an ennobling sentiment, worthy of our affections. And love of country demands that those who love America and her ideals stand up against a man and a party intent on destroying them.
———
So, what has happened to the Grand Old Party?Careful there Bub, you are going to be accused of slandering Trump and found revolting (even though it wasn't you doing the slandering) LOL.
I would add Putin to Nietzsche and Machiavelli.
The GOP died in 1983 with the rise of reactionary, social conservatism.
They believed in the rule of law; in limiting the power of government, especially the federal government; in protecting individual liberty; and in checks and balances and the separation of powers; and in free-markets. is why I started out as a Republican (at the time I more or less associated the Democratic party with the Dixiecrats - todays GOP)
Now, I didn't believe in limited government to the degree that it is ineffective and stops protecting the citizenry. It needs to be just big enough to carry out the directions it gets from its boss - the People and through our representatives in Congress..Yes, I have numerous adjectives and adverbs to describe Trump that decorum prevent me from mentioning here.
trump follows the model of every foul dictator and tyrant throughout history and the tragic thing is that so many Americans choose to keep their heads in the sand, while their most precious artifact is being stolen.
To destroy one of the first and foremost political parties in American history, isn't good and grand.
As necessary as it is to maintain a democratically representative government and that is more important than sustaining any tyrant in office.
That's one-sided. How about a Republican government, and so on?
Necessary enough to save America from total destruction.
A sign of the times - Unemployment at 10%
Not overall unemployment, just for male college graduates - but this could be where Trump is dragging all of America. Right now, America is basking in Biden's historic string of low unemployment numbers, 52 months in a row.
Since this is a CNN Subscriber's only article, I'll paste some highlights.
Even though Biden was responsible for historically low unemployment, it didn't carry over to all groups.
"Since mid-2023, the unemployment rate for recent college graduates has climbed by 1.6 percentage points – triple the national increase, according to Oxford Economics.
The unemployment rate for those aged 20 to 24 is nearly twice as high as the national average at 8.2%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This picture is more concerning for young men, who grapple with an unemployment rate of 9.6% compared to 6.7% a year ago.
After scrambling in 2021 and 2022 to hire workers, businesses are taking a much more cautious approach today as they navigate the murky trade war and grapple with high interest rates.
The number of people collecting unemployment checks climbed in mid-May to a fresh four-year high, the Labor Department said Thursday. That’s a signal it’s taking longer for people hunting for work to find a job.
Entry-level hiring is down 23% compared to March 2020, exceeding the 18% decline in overall hiring over the same period, according to professional networking platform LinkedIn." - LinkedIn also says that this has accelerated since Trump took office."A sign of the times - Unemployment at 10%
Not overall unemployment, just for male college graduates - but this could be where Trump is dragging all of America. Right now, America is basking in Biden's historic string of low unemployment numbers, 52 months in a row." ECO
The claim that male college graduates are experiencing a 10% unemployment rate is not supported by current data. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the unemployment rate for male college graduates aged 20 to 24 was 6.4% in April 2025, down from a peak of 11.4% in February 2025 . This indicates a temporary spike rather than a sustained trend. May 2, 2025 9:55 AM CDT
Next Release Date: Jun 6, 2025
My source --- https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CGBD … hatgpt.comThe article and numbers were based on 20 - 29 year old's and came from the BLS Current Population Survey that was released in May 2025.
An Example of Trump' "Best and Brightest" (LOL)
FEMA head told staff he was previously unaware US has a hurricane season
He has promised to enforce Trump's agenda of eliminating FEMA just as the Hurricane Season (which he was unaware of) just started. It is also entering FIRE season, where if they are in California, Trump has promised to let burn (yes, he has implied that).
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/02/politics … ane-season
Fortunately for me, I live in the one part of Florida that has yet to suffer serious hurricane damage, although we did lose a few roof tiles.Par for the course. Dimwits as far as the eye can see. Noem not knowing what habeas corpus is, whiskey Pete and his signal chats and Junior releasing a "Maha" report citing studies that don't exist and mischaracterizing the work of others. It's a deep bench of idiocy.
And the news keeps getting worse because of Trump.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/03/economy/ … riffs-intl"Thousands of Americans are leaving because of Trump's toxicity, taking their money, education (many are teachers), professional skills, and values of tolerance with them—weakening the very civic and economic fabric America depends on."
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/23/business … trump-intlThey will be easily replaced by the people who come here legally and go through the process to become a US citizen. This is done by tens of thousands of people every year.
No real loss here.You do realize that requesting asylum is legal? And that there is no limit on the number of people we let claim asylum? And after an asylum claim is made, it is legal to wait in our country while that claim is processed often taking 7 to 10 years. This is the process that the greatest majority use in coming to this country. These are the folks that maga, erroneously keeps calling illegals...
However, recent news shares asylum applicants may go to a court hearing and the application dismissed. Then they are promptly arrested by ICE as they walk out of the courtroom.
I had not heard this. It would seem legal to deport them if their asylum claim was denied and denied an appeal. Which a judge could legally do in a few circumstances. ICE's actions are within its legal authority. Could this be why they are taking steps that do seem unkind, but maybe necessary ---
Example: 2019 DOJ Data
Case Status % of People Who Left or Were Deported
Asylum denied, 28% deported or left
The remaining 72% stayed (pending appeals or vanished)
Example: 2019 DOJ Data
Case Status % of People Who Left or Were Deported
Asylum denie, 28% deported or left
The remaining 72% stayed (pending appeals or vanished)
This is a growing problem that has worsened significantly. Once their asylum case is denied and they have no remaining legal basis to stay (such as an appeal or another form of relief), they are in the U.S. illegally under the law. They are here illegally and can be deported immediately.
Let’s walk through it clearly:Seems then your immigration laws has lots of loop holes the illegal immigrants are taking advantage of.
Hello friend --- as you see we have many loop holes, and problems that out Congress many years ago have left us with. It would be hard to put a number on how many migrants we have in the country due to the laws on our books. Many Americans have concluded that Congress will never do anything to solve our problems, and we need a stronger administration to take up the issue.
Trump has the trifecta. I do not understand why they aren't legislating.
Boy, Trump sure failed in hiring the best and the brightest during his first term - at least from his point of view. Virtually every person he picked to help him run the government has been a HUGE disappointment to him, including now his Supreme Court picks.
Except for some ultra extreme MAGA-types like Steve Bannon and Steven Miller, the rest of those he hired did America a huge favor by trying to maintain guardrails around a man intent on the destruction of America.
Unfortunately, this time around he hire supplicants with no minds of their own and look what terrible, terrible things are happening.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/03/politics … tice-trump"Boy, Trump sure failed in hiring the best and the brightest during his first term - at least from his point of view. Virtually every person he picked to help him run the government has been a HUGE disappointment to him, including now his Supreme Court picks." ECO
I'd like to see a source, an actual quote from a real, live human being, to back up your comment. Once again, it looks like you're just spamming CNN. Most of the articles you post are unsourced, heavily biased, and offer no real way to verify the truth of anything they claim. Do you read articles from any other outlets?If you have been following the real news for these many years, you wouldn't need to ask.
Since CNN is well-thought of by the public and its peers as an honest and relatively even-handed reporter of news (unlike Fox, obviously) I will take your comment as sour grapes.
Yes, btw, as I have said many times before, I read/listen to The Hill, Politico, POTUS, ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, BBC, The Guardian, Reuters, and a host of others. Because MSNBC is too much like Fox, I generally refrain from reading it.I would like a so to source.... Otherwise, I assume it is conjecture that misinforms or is just your view.
"Since CNN is well-thought of by the public and its peers as an honest and relatively even-handed reporter of news (unlike Fox, obviously) I will take your comment as sour grapes." ECO
Really--- And are they still respected after blatantly hiding Joe Biden’s cognitive decline from the public? The answer is showing up loud and clear in their ratings. CNN has lost the trust of everyday Americans, and the numbers prove it. In May 2025, they averaged just 345,000 total viewers, with only 56,000 in the key 25–54 demo, a massive decline of 19% from the year before. People are tuning out because they’re tired of the spin, the cover-ups, and the lack of honest journalism. You can't mislead the public forever and expect to keep their respect. But they still have you..."CNN is well-thought of by the public and its peers as an honest and relatively even-handed reporter of news"
Now THAT is comedy gold.
They couldn't have any lower ratings if they tried.
Fox news has the highest ratings of any cable news network. It's not even close. It's been like this for months.
Where has the left been?
Delusional thinking is destroying the left's political ambitions.I thought he was being sarcastic, but when I looked at the person who wrote this I realized he was being serious.
Did you see the clip for Bill Mahers liberal audience laughing when the CNN rep claimed they were a fair news source? I can only imagine if it was a Guttfield audience.
https://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/kaitl … very-side/The delusions of the left are truly amazing.
This is the same person who said he would rather have a president with dementia instead of Trump, so it would not surprise me to hear him say he would rather have a MSM that lies like CNN as long as they do not say anything positive about Trump.
My goodness, this man has no liking for Trump. He's bent on destroying him publicly.
TDS to be sure, but of course backed up with his fake "facts"
You know who I also have well deserved "derangement syndromes" about?
Trump's friend and other people he respects like:
* PUTIN
* Kim Jung Un
* Xi Jinping
* Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
* Nicolás Maduro
I wear the TDS label proudly for the man must be feared as an existential threat to humanity. So, Thank You for the complement.
What is there to 'like" about Trump? Not a thing that I can see. What did I hear today, 100 - 200 kids are dying a day because of Trump's cancelling of UDAID. I hope you don't think that is something to like.
No, since Biden does not have dementia, that would not be true. He may be old, and he may be slow, and he may be forgetful sometimes but that is orders of magnitude better than having the felon and sexual predator and is as corrupt as the day is long in Norway in June that you prefer.
Again, I need to point out - How can you say anything positive about a person who has almost nothing Positive to talk about. I am guess you would rather the MSN keep quiet about all of Trump's misdeeds like Fox does.
Of course I never get a reply to that question.You cant have it both ways. CNN now says he has dementia. Prior to the election they said he does not have dementia.
Either you admit that CNN lies, and is a terrible news source since you state that Biden does not have dementia, or you admit that he does have dementia and were spreading misinformation before the election.The quote please where CNN says Biden has dementia. I know it doesn't exist, but if you have a different source.
"Gupta added that low sleep, low blood sugar levels, or illness could have contributed to his appearance, but testing would help make clear the true explanation for the “symptoms displayed” by Biden. He added that understanding the “possibility of underlying dementia” would ultimately benefit Biden, as early diagnosis and treatment has improved in recent years." Politico "Biden should undergo ‘detailed cognitive and movement disorder testing,’ Sanjay Gupta says"
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/07/0 … hatgpt.comYes, I have read that, but that isn't CNN saying that Biden HAS dementia as falsely claimed.
While I agree that Biden should have probably been tested, at least that simple screen test that Trump had, it would need to be done in great secrecy. Why? Because if it were public, the Right would blast to the world that simply taking the test is "Proof" Biden has dementia - facts be damned.
So, for my part, I take Biden's reasoning for not having Biden take a test which was: - I'll look for the passage in Original Sin that talks about this tonight.
What Dr. O'Connor did have done was a complete neurological exam (which the Right tried to turn into proof Biden had dementia) to rule out things like Parkinson's disease, which it did.My Esoteric wrote:
The quote please where CNN says Biden has dementia. I know it doesn't exist, but if you have a different source.
I offered the only quote from a doctor that did not say Biden is suffering from dementia.
"Gupta added that low sleep, low blood sugar levels, or illness could have contributed to his appearance, but testing would help make clear the true explanation for the “symptoms displayed” by Biden. He added that understanding the “possibility of underlying dementia” would ultimately benefit Biden, as early diagnosis and treatment has improved in recent years." Testing could help understand what was occurring and why, as Biden appeared to be having cognitive issues. He was honest, I said what I would feel a good doctor would share.
Many people have expressed the same concerns I’ve had about Biden’s ongoing cognitive issues. It’s also disheartening to see how some individuals have written books seemingly to profit off what appears to be a troubling decline. What’s especially frustrating is that some of these same people once publicly claimed there was nothing wrong with his cognitive abilities. As of now, no one has definitively put a name to what Biden is experiencing, and that lack of clarity only adds to the public’s concern."I offered the only quote from a doctor that did not say Biden is suffering from dementia." - Well, can you offer me one that DOES say Biden is suffering from dementia.
Why would I assume Biden has dementia? I never labeled him as having dementia. I’ve only pointed out certain symptoms I observed that made me believe he might be experiencing cognitive issues. Like Dr. Gupta, I think he needs more extensive testing to determine the cause. As an RN, I’m trained to recognize signs of cognitive problems, which are quite clear in this case. But no one should be diagnosed with any illness by laypeople alone. I don’t deny that I’ve shared my belief that Biden has cognitive challenges, and now others who have been around him are raising similar concerns. I have no guilt about expressing that view.
Maybe you dont watch enough CNN and need to go out and buy the book on Bidens dementia.
More likely, since you can't provide a quote, you are making it up.
I prefer not to waste my time doing homework for toxic people.
With online media CNN ranks pretty high on several surveys/studies. The Press Gazette has them at #3 (June 3,2025). Fox News is #8.
Top 50 news websites in the world: Tabloids take a tumble by the Press Gazette (June 3, 2025)
Press Gazette's analysis of the 50 biggest English-language news websites in the world, updated monthly.
https://pressgazette.co.uk/media-audien … monthly-2/
You can see a graphic table for the rankings of the 50 websites. Also, they have their text reviews for previous months all the way to Jan 2024. With the table they are ranked with landing, but they are sortable. Also, they show year-to-year change along with month-to-month.
Note: "Press Gazette primarily uses Similarweb data for its website rankings, particularly for its US and global news website rankings. They also utilize data from other sources like ABC, Comscore, and Rajar, but Similarweb is the main source cited for the top 50 news websites. Press Gazette also uses Ipsos iris for UK regional news website rankings."
YouGov has CNN online news at #10. Fox News is at #19.
The most popular news websites (Q1 2025) by YouGov
popularity is the % of people who have a positive opinion of a news website.
https://today.yougov.com/ratings/entert … bsites/all
YouGov looks at Fame & Popularity for their rankings. The data for those two are sortable. They also have filters for generation and sex/gender - Men and Women."With online media CNN ranks pretty high on several surveys/studies. The Press Gazette has them at #3 (June 3,2025). Fox News is #8."
Polls and lists can be useful, but when it comes to reading online, I’ll leave the criticizing to me, myself, and I. I prefer articles that stick to facts and back them up. When I see vague terms like “anonymous sources,” “allegedly,” “they,” or “some,” without any real names or concrete evidence, well... need I say more? It’s clear many people enjoy opinion pieces, and those have their place. But when discussing politics and political figures, I want facts. After everything we’ve seen from the media in recent years, I’d think most people do too. I won’t even bother citing examples anymore—it’s just a waste of energy."I prefer articles that stick to facts and back them up." - Yet you watch and cite Fake Fox News.
You "prefer articles that stick to facts and back them up. " - So do I, which is why I listen to and/or read CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, NPR, BBC, Reuters, The Hill, NYT, and Politico.
LOL Not much more I can say.... Have a look at just this thread and count the CNN articles you have posted. Page 83, you posted 8 CNN,onks. It's clear to me you are mainly using one source for gathering news. I mean, have a look at page after page on any thread you join in. TDS --- push away from CNN and have a look at a few of what you offered up.
The left has to contend with the fact that the American public approves of what President Donald Trump is doing. As of June of this month.
"Donald Trump's Scores Highest Approval Rating in Weeks
Trump's approval rating has not been higher among any pollster since InsiderAdvantage's poll conducted May 17 to 19, when 55 percent of those surveyed approved and 44 percent disapproved—a net approval rating of +11.
The new Trafalgar poll was conducted among 1,098 voters had a margin of error of 2.9 percentage points.Bill O'Reilly is famous, among other things, for his Killing[/] series of books, e.g. [i]Killing Jesus or Killing Lincoln, etc. He needs to add a new one titled Killing America: the history of Donald J. Trump's Presidencies
The Trump administration just doubled the tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Here’s what that means - HERE HE GOES AGAIN with extreme stupidity.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/04/business … bled-trump
Is this another TACO move?
"“We still consume more steel than we produce in America,” said Lourenco Goncalves, CEO of Cleveland Cliffs, one of the major US steelmakers, and the chairman of AISI." - ISN'T the obvious answer is to CUT our steel prices to get competitive by cutting steel CEO, Executives, and worker's wages? (yes, that was sarcasm)Trump and the Conservatives are trying to make permanent some of the illegal DOGE cuts.
Is the reason Conservatives want to kill Truth Speaking NPR and PBS is because in one poll twice as many Americans want to keep it than kill it and in another it was almost THREE TIMES AS MANY!
Why is it Conservatives seem to do what most Americans don't want them to do?
USAID funding, besides being morally right, is strategically right from a national security perspective. Given the terrible things Trump has done with that, damage is already accumulating. Tens of thousands of people are known to have died already from the cut of our aid (but hey, not our worry right? They should have found a job) but from a national security view, we are already turning over influence to Russian and China for help - and they are more than willing to do that to undercut the US. I don't know if that was Trump's intent, but it was an obvious, foreseeable anti-American outcome.
It is true that a recent poll showed that 58% of Americans think we spend too much on foreign aid. But maybe that is because they also falsely think we spend 26% of our budget on foreign aid instead of the 1% it really is. I wonder if that misperception is due to Republican propaganda?
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/03/politics … s-analysis"Coal miners backed Trump. He’s dismantled their safety net"
Trump ALWAYS bites those that help him.That's common with some persons, not just politicians. You give a person a sop, their bite the finger along with it, right? With certain ethnic group in my part of my country, Nigeria, they'll chop off both the arm and a leg!
"Hegseth orders renaming of ship named after gay rights icon Harvey Milk"
I guess this homophobic action by Trump's racist and misogynistic SecDef is no surprise. How petty can you get. (Wanna bet he finds someway to besmirch or belittle Gen Collin Powell?)
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/03/politics … arvey-milkThat is just the tip of the iceberg
Full List of Navy Ships That Could Be Renamed By Pete Hegseth by Newsweek (June 4, 2025)
https://www.newsweek.com/full-list-navy … th-2080759
"[UN]Justice Department drops lawsuit against Trump adviser Peter Navarro" - Pardon my correction to the headline. Does this surprise anyone that Justice is not part of that Department's agenda?
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/04/politics … department
The next administration will have to pick up all those cases the weaponized Trump DOJ has dropped for political reasons. In the meantime, a Democrat Congress and start an investigation of Pan Bondi, the Trump suck-up.I respect Sen. Tom Tillis, he seems to have a level head on his shoulders and isn't full-blown MAGA. So, I was surprised this morning to hear him say that if Trump's bill is not passed, the fiscal consequences would be worse than if it is. He is either gulping down Trump's Kool-Aid or, more likely, woefully misinformed.
I queried ChatGPT on the fiscal impact of "doing nothing", i.e., failing to pass the bill. Here is what it found:
Deficit Shrinks Significantly
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that letting the 2017 tax cuts expire would reduce the federal deficit by about $3.5 trillion over 10 years. (A little less than they say the OBBTB will INCREASE the deficit.)
Much of this is because individual income tax rates would rise, standard deductions would shrink, and various credits and deductions would phase out, increasing tax revenue.
Bottom line: If Congress allows the tax cuts to expire and doesn’t enact costly new programs or tax breaks, the U.S. deficit path improves substantially.
EFFECT ON TAXPAYERS
Higher Taxes for Nearly All Households
If the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) expires:
- Tax rates return to 2017 levels (e.g., the 12% bracket goes back to 15%).
- The standard deduction is cut roughly in half, while personal exemptions return. (this would help yours truly)
- The Child Tax Credit drops from $2,000 per child to $1,000.
- The cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions disappears—benefitting high-income taxpayers in high-tax states.
- Small business pass-through deductions (199A) end.
According to the Tax Policy Center:
- The average middle-income household ($50,000 - $100,000) would pay ~$1,500 more annually.
- High-income households would see the biggest dollar increases.
MACRO OUTCOME IF NOTHING PASSES
OUTCOME IMPACT
- Tax cuts expire - Revenue increases, helping reduce deficits
- Discretionary spending unchanged - No major increase in military or border funding
- Safety net programs untouched - Medicaid, SNAP, etc., continue at current levels (in other words, 10 million people can keep their insurance)
- No new business or tip-related cuts - Avoids further revenue losses
- Interest savings from reduced borrowing - Helps stabilize debt-to-GDP ratio modestly over the next decade
OK, I hear howls of rage over the middle income tax increase. So I looked for what might offset it given we have $3.5 Trillion to play with. I asked ChatGPT what would happen if we kept the Child Tax Credit provision, including the Refundable portion. This is what it found:
Fiscal Impact
According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT):
- Maintaining the CTC at $2,000 per child with similar phase-in/out rules would cost around $550–$600 billion over 10 years.
- Making it fully refundable (i.e., even families with zero tax liability get the full amount) could raise the cost to $1–1.3 trillion over 10 years depending on eligibility expansions. (~$2.4 Trillion DECREASE in the Deficit)
Household-Level Impact
- Low-income families would retain or regain a significant portion of their child-related support.
- Middle-income families would avoid losing up to $1,000 per child, softening the expiration blow. The tax increase would be between $0 and $800, depending on the number of children.
- High-income families (who begin to phase out at ~$400K married under TCJA) would see little impact if phaseouts are preserved.
The Tax Policy Center found:
- Retaining the enhanced CTC could reduce child poverty by up to 20%.
- Fully refundable expansions like those in the 2021 American Rescue Plan cut child poverty nearly in half temporarily.
HMMMM, the middle class still MAY have a tax increase. Let's zero that out and go with the following:
1. Retain $2,000 Child Tax Credit (CTC), fully refundable
2. Add a Middle Class Tax Credit of $1,000/adult (phased out above $150k)
3. Raise SALT deduction cap from $10,000 to $15,000
The result are these:
- Most middle-class households would see their tax increase eliminated or reversed.
- Families with children (especially 2+) could even see a net tax cut of $500–$1,000.
- Households with high property or income taxes in blue states get meaningful relief via SALT cap changes.
- And we still have a Trillion dollar reducing in the deficit.
Easy Peasy.I suspect that this company will be Trump's next target to Tariff. Why? Because he moved his manufacturing from Mexico to the Dominican Republic and not to the United States.
Many companies are doing similar things. They all realize they can't make money by manufacturing here.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/04/business … n-republicInteresting, manufacturing firms are not working with the Trump agenda. I guess that I believed that the costs of firms moving from relatively low cost countries to incurring the expenses and start up costs here in America is daunting. l suspect that other firms will move their operations to other countries not hit by the excessive tariffs. That is the alternative work around that more of these companies will probably embrace, as it always comes down to the “bottom line”. I seriously doubt that manufacturing firms would return here in any large number.
Trump's showing good approval rates in first few days of June
https://www.natesilver.net/p/trump-appr … r-bulletin
https://www.thetrafalgargroup.org/wp-co … 060225.pdf 53.7 approval rate
https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public … econd_term 52% approval rateIsn't Putin accused of doing something like this with Ukrainian children?
"conducts a brief on December 17, 2024. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
CNN
—
The Trump administration is taking hundreds of migrant children already residing in the United States out of their homes and into government custody, at times separating them from their families and making it more difficult for them to be released, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter."
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/04/politics … nt-custodyPlease offer another source other than CNN. The article you posted has a pay-to-view.
Could these be some of the 300,000 unaccompanied children Biden could not offer an account for due to poor vetting?
Source 04.02.2025
Report Confirms Grassley Oversight of Biden-Harris Admin’s Failure to Protect Migrant Children
Nonpartisan watchdog found Biden-Harris administration lost track of hundreds-of-thousands of children, placed children with dangerous sponsors and restricted information sharing with law enforcement.
WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) confirmed Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley’s (R-Iowa) numerous concerns about abuse in the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) unaccompanied alien children (UAC) program. Under the Biden-Harris administration, more than 500,000 children crossed the Southern border and entered the UAC program, while cartel trafficking activity surged.
Grassley repeatedly warned that the Biden-Harris UAC program’s inadequate safeguards, lax vetting procedures and limited inter-agency communication allowed children to be lost or released to dangerous adult sponsors. DHS OIG’s report validated all of Grassley’s findings. Notably, the report exposed how DHS was prevented from receiving key HHS information to follow up on potential criminal sponsors. Grassley broke through this inter-agency firewall last year by submitting a law enforcement referral to DHS containing HHS information provided to Grassley by legally protected whistleblowers. DHS’s Homeland Security Investigations followed up on 102 investigative targets Grassley identified.
“My oversight revealed the Biden-Harris administration prioritized speed and optics over the safety and security of hundreds-of-thousands of migrant children. DHS OIG’s report echoes my longstanding concerns and further fuels the fire of my investigative and legislative work. I’ll continue fighting to ensure abuse like this never happens again,” Grassley said.
The DHS OIG report found that:
HHS and DHS lost track of hundreds of thousands of migrant children.
HHS failed to provide DHS complete sponsor addresses for over 31,000 unaccompanied migrant children. Without sponsor addresses, law enforcement is unable to keep track of migrant children.
DHS law enforcement officers additionally estimated that addresses collected by HHS were incorrect 80 percent of the time.
DHS officers failed to enroll over 233,000 migrant children who crossed the border since January 2021 in immigration proceedings, increasing their risk of trafficking and exploitation.
Of those enrolled, more than 43,000 children failed to appear.
HHS failed to provide updated sponsor information to DHS when sponsors changed addresses, further hindering DHS’s ability to find children.
HHS placed migrant children with potentially dangerous sponsors.
In Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024, HHS released more than 24,100 migrant children to unrelated sponsors or distant relatives. Law enforcement officers note these children are at the highest risk for trafficking.
HHS frequently placed migrant children in rundown apartment complexes and dilapidated motels with barred windows, appliances stacked on patios and apartments with no doors or kitchens.
Local police noted many of these properties were located in areas with high violent crime rates, daily shootings and gang activity. Multiple DHS offices confirmed HHS released children to incomplete or commercial addresses, and ICE officials at one field office noted the Biden HHS released 34 children to two addresses that didn’t exist. The Biden-Harris administration limited HHS employees’ communication with law enforcement.
HHS failed to provide DHS law enforcement officers with accurate or timely information regarding the status and safety of migrant children.
A 2021 Biden-Harris inter-agency agreement restricted HHS from sharing sponsors’ biometric information with law enforcement officers.
DHS law enforcement noted this restrictive agreement prevents law enforcement from having input regarding children’s sponsors.
DHS law enforcement officers stated they were open to sharing information with HHS, but HHS did not share information with them. One officer noted, “Getting information from HHS is like pulling teeth.”
According to these officers, the Biden-Harris HHS feared that sharing sponsor information could lead to law enforcement actions against sponsors, especially those with criminal history or lacking legal immigration status. The vast majority of migrant children discussed in the report date to the Biden-Harris administration, according to a related DHS OIG report released in August.
Please read the full DHS OIG report HERE. https://www.oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/f … -Mar25.pdf
Grassley discussed the report in a speech on the Senate floor.
Background:
Grassley has led efforts to protect unaccompanied migrant children from exploitation and abuse for more than a decade. See an overview of his work below:"
03.11.2025 | Grassley Reignites Oversight of HHS’s Unaccompanied Migrant Children Program
01.14.2025 | Grassley, Blackburn Introduce Legislation to Halt Child Trafficking at the Border
10.18.2024 | Biden-Harris HHS Can’t Account to Congress for Status of Thousands of Unaccompanied Minors
10.16.2024 | ICYMI: Grassley Recognized for Work to Combat Sex-Trafficking Crisis: ‘The Only Person in a Position of Power Who Cares’
09.23.2024 | Grassley Leads Bicameral Colleagues in Calling Out Abuses in the Biden-Harris Unaccompanied Migrant Children Program
09.18.2024 | Democrats Block Grassley Effort to Protect Unaccompanied Migrant Children from Sexual Harm
09.17.2024 | Grassley: Not One More Child Should Have to Suffer Abuse Because of Biden-Harris Policies
09.04.2024 | Grassley Puts HHS Vetting, Information-Sharing under Microscope amid Biden-Harris Admin’s Neglect to Protect Migrant Children
07.11.2024 | RECORDS: HHS Sent Unaccompanied Minors to Sponsors with MS-13 Ties, Potential Trafficking Rings
07.09.2024 | Grassley Highlights Exploitation and Abuse of Migrant Children During Senate Roundtable
07.09.2024 | Grassley Delivers Opening Remarks At Roundtable On Abuse Of Unaccompanied Migrant Children
07.08.2024 | ICYMI: WSJ Reveals Alarming ‘Dilemma’ At The Heart Of Biden’s Unaccompanied Minors Program
06.12.2024 | Grassley Discusses Effort To End Biden Admin’s Abuse Of Unaccompanied Minors Program
06.05.2024 | Grassley Moves To Overturn Biden Admin Rule Enabling Abuse Of Unaccompanied Migrant Children
04.30.2024 | Grassley Scrutinizes HHS’s Improper Care Of Unaccompanied Migrant Children
03.14.2024 | Grassley Goes Head-To-Head With HHS Secretary On Immigration And Rural Health Care
01.24.2024 | Grassley Alerts DHS, FBI To Evidence Of Human Trafficking; Calls For Immediate Action To Locate & Rescue Migrant Children
12.04.2023 | Grassley And Senate Republicans Demand Changes To Biden Admin Rule Endangering Safety And Wellbeing Of Unaccompanied Alien Children
10.28.2021 | Grassley, Wyden Release Investigation On Misconduct And Abuse At Federally-Funded Facilities Caring For Unaccompanied Migrant Children
05.09.2019 | Grassley, Wyden Demand Answers On Misconduct And Abuse At Federally-Funded Facilities Caring For Unaccompanied Migrant Children
03.14.2016 | Feds Skip Child Abuse Checks For Some Sponsors Of Child Immigrants As Surge Continues
02.23.2016 | The Unaccompanied Children Crisis: Does the Administration Have a Plan to Stop the Border Surge and Adequately Monitor the Children
02.22.2016 | Feds Fall Short In Care, Tracking Of Unaccompanied Children
02.19.2016 | Grassley, Cornyn Continue To Press Administration On Vetting Of Sponsors For Unaccompanied Minors
11.24.2015 | Obama Administration Allegedly Releasing Unaccompanied Minors Into Criminals’ Custody
10.10.2014 | Grassley, Hatch, Coburn Press For GAO Study On The Office Of Refugee Resettlement Efforts With Unaccompanied Minors
08.22.2014 | Grassley: Unanswered Questions Plague HHS Response To Unaccompanied Minors
07.17.2014 | Grassley Presses For Answers On Housing For Unaccompanied Minors Crossing Southern BorderSorry, as TSMOG showed you, CNN is a perfectly reliable source for providing the truth.
Not in my opinion. Just can't touch on those lost unaccompanied children, can you? Your hypocrisy is out and out sad.
Sorry, TSMOG, she didn't believe you.
AND Before you insult me, you should make sure what you said it true - which in the case it is not!First, I fully believe TSMOG is a male. But perhaps you know something I am not aware of. I am not sure you have the right to speak for TSMOG. Let me remind you, I do not respect your views. I find them odd and at times anti-social. I can see I made you upset by suggesting you count your CNN posts, but I think you needed to. You are clearly, even if not meant to, spamming CNN.
Actually, those are two different and unrelated issues—so the suggestion that children taken from homes during the Trump administration might be among the 300,000 "unaccounted for" children under Biden doesn’t hold up.
The CNN report refers specifically to a Trump-era policy in which migrant children who were already living in homes in the U.S.—often with relatives or approved sponsors—were forcibly removed and placed back into government custody. This wasn’t about tracking failures; it was about actively separating families again after release, often without due process or clear justification. - which is the Trump modus operandi.
The 300,000 children referenced under Biden come from a different problem entirely: administrative failures in follow-up once unaccompanied minors were released from federal custody to sponsors. That’s a matter of poor post-release tracking, not removals or separations.
There is no credible evidence that the children removed under Trump are part of the group later deemed "unaccounted for." If anything, the Trump-era children were still in government detention, which made them more trackable, not less.
So while both situations raise serious concerns about how our government handles vulnerable children, conflating them is misleading and shifts attention away from legitimate accountability for harmful policies on both sides.
You totally ignored Trump's culpability in the "300,000" version, so it makes it very hard to take what you say about Biden seriously.
Clearly, Grassley is failing to protect children from Trump today.
I also you omitted any thing from Grassley between 2016 and 2020, (save for the one 2019 reference), why is that, did he all of the sudden shut up because Trump was president?
Anyway, here are couple you missed:
Oct. 28, 2021: (an expansion on one you mentioned) Grassley (then Finance Committee Ranking Member) and Chairman Ron Wyden released a bipartisan investigative report exposing years of mismanagement at HHS’s Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) that put unaccompanied children at risk. After examining 2014–2020 data (two years of Obama and four years of TRUMP), their inquiry found ORR failed to conduct basic oversight of federally funded childcare facilities – plagued by poor record-keeping and no clear protocol for serious incidents. “It’s clear from our investigation that bureaucratic failures over successive administrations allowed the abuse of children to continue for years,” Grassley said, calling for swift action by ORR to implement the report’s recommendations and end the cycle of negligence.
Apr. 1, 2021: In the early months of the Biden administration’s border surge, Grassley and Senator John Cornyn wrote to Senate Judiciary Committee leaders urging oversight hearings on the crisis, specifically including the surge of unaccompanied minors. Citing their own recent visit to the border, they pressed for testimony from DHS Secretary Mayorkas and HHS officials on how agencies were handling the influx. Grassley noted that during the previous administration (TRUMP'S), they held numerous hearings on immigration – including UAC and family reunification issues – and argued that similar scrutiny was now needed to “better protect the health and safety” of migrant children and others amid the new crisis
[b]May 21, 2019: Grassley backed a legislative reform effort to better protect unaccompanied children. He cosponsored Senator Marsha Blackburn’s Accountability for Care of Unaccompanied Alien Children Act, aimed at strengthening background checks on potential sponsors and improving HHS–DHS information sharing. “We need to know we are not placing these children with criminals or predators,” Grassley said, noting he had long raised concerns about ORR’s inadequate vetting system
Mar. 6, 2019: Grassley and Feinstein sent a bipartisan letter to the HHS Inspector General calling for an investigation into widespread sexual abuse allegations in shelters for unaccompanied minors. This came after a House committee revealed 4,556 reported incidents of sexual abuse in ORR-funded facilities from 2014 to 2018. Grassley’s press release emphasized that immigrant children in U.S. custody “deserve to be treated with basic human dignity” and that reports of assault were not being properly investigated, prompting their urgent oversight request.
July 31, 2018: Grassley (as Judiciary Chair) and Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein jointly requested an investigation by the DHS and HHS Inspectors General into allegations of abuse of immigrant children in federal custody. In their letter, spurred by media reports, they outlined a “disturbing” pattern of sexual, physical and emotional abuse at ICE detention centers and HHS-run shelters dating back years. The senators urged an immediate probe and public release of findings to ensure children “are treated with basic human dignity and respect” and never subjected to such abuse
Now, people have a more complete record with context.The CNN report refers specifically to a Trump-era policy in which migrant children who were already living in homes in the U.S.—often with relatives or approved sponsors—were forcibly removed and placed back into government custody. This wasn’t about tracking failures; it was about actively separating families again after release, often without due process or clear justification. - which is the Trump modus operandi." ECO
Your comment is unsourced. Offer a source, a link that provides names, and quotes from an authority on the issue.
The issues surrounding the Biden administration's issue with the loss of unaccompanied children have been thoroughly addressed in congressional hearings. If people genuinely want the facts, they should be given under oath. I suggest they watch those hearings for themselves rather than relying on CNN or any media outlet’s interpretation.
My main claim was regarding the missing children, offering a senator's information as a source. To follow up, here is another source that details the problem in depth. If anyone is truly interested in the facts.
https://www.oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/f … hatgpt.com
Regarding what the Trump administration has discovered. I offer a Government source on what has been found thus far. https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/dhs-i … hatgpt.com
"June 5, 2025Washington, DCChild Exploitation, Human Smuggling/Trafficking
DHS initiative uncovers widespread abuse, exploitation of unaccompanied kids placed with previously improperly vetted sponsors
WASHINGTON — In the past four years, the United States saw a record surge in the number of unaccompanied alien children crossing its southern border. In many cases, these vulnerable children were released to sponsors in the United States without proper vetting — some of the sponsors had paid smugglers to bring the children into the country or fraudulently claimed familial relationships. As a result, these children were subjected to physical abuse and sexual and labor exploitation.
In February 2025, the Department of Homeland Security and its federal and state partners launched a national child welfare initiative to locate and verify these at-risk kids’ safety.
“Children’s safety and security is nonnegotiable,” said ICE spokesperson Laszlo Baksay. “The previous administration’s failure to implement meaningful safeguards has allowed vulnerable kids to fall into the hands of criminals. Our special agents are working tirelessly to locate these alien children, ensure their protection, and hold accountable those who have abused the system.”
Since the effort’s launch, agents have uncovered alarming instances of abuse and exploitation. Special agents discovered sponsors in possession of child sexual abuse material, those who had forced minors into labor, and those who subjected them to living conditions that constituted neglect. They also discovered numerous sponsors who committed serious crimes, including offenses of hit-and-run, aggravated assault, larceny, counterfeiting, drug trafficking, prostitution and even attempted murder.
In some of the most disturbing cases, girls were pregnant with children fathered by their alleged sponsors — which highlights the grave failures of previous vetting procedures and the dangerous consequences of placing minors in unsafe environments.
“Our agents are doing what should’ve been done all along: protecting children, not pushing them into the shadows,” said Baksay. “This is the responsibility of any government, Republican or Democrat, but it was the Trump administration that insisted on rigorous sponsor screening and biometric verification. Those guardrails were dismantled, and we’re now seeing the consequences.”
To ensure unaccompanied alien children’s well-being, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations special agents have been conducting welfare checks. These visits are designed to assess whether children are receiving appropriate care, attending school, complying with immigration proceedings, and — most critically — not being trafficked, exploited or abused.
These welfare checks are not primarily immigration enforcement focused, but if ICE agents or officers encounter individuals who are in the United States illegally, they take them into custody and process them for removal in accordance with federal immigration law. Likewise, unaccompanied children in the U.S. illegally are transferred to the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s custody.
“Media outlets should focus less on political spin and more on the facts,” Baksay concluded. “This is about the lives of children, and it’s time we treat it with the seriousness its demands.”
DHS takes its responsibility to protect children seriously. Parents who are here illegally can take control of their departure. Through the CBP Home App, the Trump administration is giving parents illegally in the country a chance to take full control of their departure and self-deport with the potential ability to return the legal, right way and come back to live the American dream. It is free and available for all mobile devices.
Under the Homeland Security Act of 2002 and the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is required to assume custody of and provide care for all unaccompanied alien children from the time they are transferred to HHS from the Department of Homeland Security or other federal entity until they are released to a vetted sponsor. To learn more, visit https://acf.gov/orr.
What We Found What We Found
After meeting with more than 140 individuals from DHS and
other Federal agencies, we determined U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement (ICE) cannot effectively monitor the
location and status of all unaccompanied alien children (UACs)
once released or transferred from Department of Homeland
Security and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’
(HHS) custody. From fiscal years 2019 to 2023, ICE transferred
more than 448,000 UACs to HHS; most were released to
sponsors. However, more than 31,000 of the 448,000
children’s release addresses were blank, undeliverable, or
missing apartment numbers. ICE also was not always aware of
the location for UACs who fled HHS’ custody.
We found that ICE did not effectively oversee UACs subject to
removal by not issuing Notices to Appear (NTA) to all UACs to
generate assignment of immigration court dates by the U.S.
Department of Justice. As of January 2025, ICE had not served
NTAs on more than 233,000 UACs. As of October 2024, ICE
reported more than 43,000 UACs served NTAs failed to appear
for scheduled court dates. Finally, ICE was not always notified
of UACs’ status and safety unless an allegation or tip was
reported.
These issues occurred because ICE did not always receive
information about UACs’ sponsor locations from HHS and
other Federal agencies. ICE also had limited staffing to
monitor UACs’ cases and did not have a policy for all officers to
monitor UACs’ cases. Without an ability to monitor the
location and status of UACs, ICE is unable to facilitate court
appearances and has no assurance UACs are safe from
trafficking, exploitation, forced labor, or involvement in
criminal activities that may pose a risk to local communities.
https://www.oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/f … hatgpt.com
If you’re going to respond to my comments, I ask that you use reputable sources—sources that include names, direct quotes, and, when referencing a government agency, ideally come from that agency itself. I prefer facts. I’m also open to hearing opinions, as long as they’re clearly identified as such.I find it interesting that you find Trump-era government sources as credible. Given the supplicants he put in charge, anything they put out is suspect. Hell, Trump even holds back data he doesn't like. - https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/0 … t-00382549
Kristi Noem posted this lie on her DHS official web site.
THIS is why I don't trust Trump's web sites.
"Thanks to our ICE officers, this illegal alien who threatened to assassinate President Trump is behind bars,” said Secretary Kristi Noem. “This threat comes not even a year after President Trump was shot in Butler, Pennsylvania and less than two weeks after former FBI Director Comey called for the President’s assassination. All politicians and members of the media should take notice of these repeated attempts on President Trump’s life and tone down their rhetoric. I will continue to take all measures necessary to ensure the protection of President Trump.”
https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/05/28/sec … threatened
THIS was proved to be a lie the next day and yet she STILL is posting it. Forgive if I don't believer your gov't websites.
Florida weatherman talks about the impacts of the Trump cuts...
https://x.com/Liam_Holman99/status/1930369449837699232The Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) released a report analyzing the economic impacts of President Trump's proposed "One Big Beautiful Bill." The CEA projected that the tax cuts within the bill would significantly boost investment and GDP. Specifically, they estimated that investment would increase by 9.8% to 14.5%, and GDP would rise by 4.2% to 5.2%, compared to a scenario where the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) provisions expire. Additionally, the report forecasted that wages would increase by $6,100 to $11,600, and family take-home pay would rise by $7,800 to $13,300. The CEA also anticipated the creation or preservation of 6.6 to 7.4 million full-time equivalent jobs in the short term, and 4.2 million in the long term.
nypost.com
The CEA's analysis focused on the potential economic growth from the bill's tax provisions and did not provide a comprehensive assessment of the bill's overall fiscal impact, including its effects on the federal deficit. Independent analyses, such as those from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), projected that the bill would increase the federal deficit by approximately $2.4 trillion over the next decade.
In summary, while the CEA's report highlighted potential economic benefits from the bill's tax cuts, it did not address the broader fiscal implications, including the projected increase in the federal deficit.i see Trump is on his keep Muslims and Blacks out of America kick again.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/04/politics … oclamationI see Trump as doing his due diligence, working to protect this Nation and the people of this Nation!
Then why wasn't Egypt on his list? After all, he used the attack in Colorado as an excuse and that terrorist wasn't from any of the countries he banned. Either he lied to you again, or he is not trying to protect America from people like that terrorist like you think he is.
Trump BREAKS the law again. Several courts told him he can't do this yet he does it anyway - MAGA applauds his criminality.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/04/us/trump … -suspendedI "applaud" the well-being and safety of my grandchildren.
I "applaud" any person who puts Country before a political party, before greed, before sick, woke policies.... before themselves.
I "applaud" the United States of America.So you applaud breaking the law as in the end justifies the means even if the means are illegal. That is what they do in Russia or North Korea or Iran. Is that the kind of society you want to live in?
Trump's "Shoot First, Think Later" style has become his brand and it has led to horrible, horrible outcomes - or could have if left stand. Some have been course corrected while others were left to hurt people.
1. EBOLA - Trump cancelled the Ebola prevention program before admitting it was a mistake and restoring it. The claim that the program was quickly restored may be true, but it is still mostly unfunded
2. FALSE ACCUSATION - Last week the totally unqualified Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed on X that an undocumented immigrant had “threatened to assassinate President Trump.” Worse, she named him putting his life in immediate danger. ICE's own investigation quickly showed he had been set up. As of Wednesday, Noem is still keeping this notice posted. He needs to sue her.
3. WRONGFUL DEPORTATION - Noem again screwed up and deported a man to Mexico against a judge's orders. In a sign of hope for the other wrongfully, illegally deported migrants, Trump quickly brought this man back to the US - proving he can do it if he wants.
4. WRONGFUL ARREST - Earlier, at a lawful inspection of an ICE facility in New Jersey, Interim US attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba (former Trump spokesperson and council for MAGA, Inc; one of many Trump personal lawyers appointed to the DOJ to help weaponize it) last month arrested and announced charges against Newark Democratic Mayor Ras Baraka for trespass at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility. She exclaimed theatrically that NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW.” Shortly afterward, a magistrate judge strongly rebuked Habba calling the original charge against Baraka a “a worrisome misstep by your office” and suggested Habba might have been motivated by “political agendas.” He said "An arrest, particularly of a public figure, is not a preliminary investigative tool,” the judge said, calling it “a severe action, carrying significant reputational and personal consequences.” - Habba quickly dropped the charges and on Tuesday he filed suit against Habba, accusing her of false arrest, malicious prosecution and defamation. So should Democratic congresswoman from the Garden State Habba charged for doing her job.
COVID VACCINE - To great fanfare, RFK Jr. announced that the CDC would no longer support giving the vaccine to healthy people under 65, including children, and pregnant women. Many doctors think that is a very dumb idea and apparently so did RFK Jr., to some extent. Two days later, the CDC changed its guidance again so that kids, if it is recommend by a doctor, can receive the vaccine. But everybody but it is not available for the rest of the target audience.
MASS FIRINGS, OOPS - Trump has had to rehire many of those he fired because they fired really, really critical people involved in the safety of American and then turned around and rehired them. I am not talking about the other really critical people and others who the courts told him he broke the law in firing and had to rehire them back - but often he put them back on very wasteful PAID administrative leave.
GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION - then there is what I posted recently about a slew of grants that were cancelled that helped prevent gun violence or dealt with the consequences of gun violence. DOJ was guilted by Reuters into refunding 9 of the those programs.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/05/politics … s-analysisTrump/ICE were rushing to deport the Colorado terrorist's wife and children without Due Process again! A judge rightfully stopped it.
No one yet knows the immigration status of the wife and kids, they could very well be American citizens - but as we all know, Trump doesn't care, he will deport whoever he wants regardless of constitutional protections.
No one yet knows whether the 4-year old was in on her fathers plans, or the wife for that matter, but Trump was not going to take the time to find out.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/04/us/bould … ror-attackOf course CNN again. They are one of the most trusted outlets, cover all the news, are generally fair and impartial (except in their opinion pieces which use both right and left writers), and put in a format that is easy to use.
But, I guess that is a good way to deflect, criticize the medium.
Trump kills another 7,000 jobs with his tariffs.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/04/us/bould … ror-attackAnd again, CNN, the same link from your previous post about Trump deporting the wife and kids of a terrorist.
But wrong subject. "Trump kills another 7,000 jobs with his tariffs." ECOSheesh, I need to slow down in the morning. https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/05/business … riffs-intl
Ground stoppage yet again at Newark airport. Let me remind everyone that a Fox News host is in charge of this operation... This Administration needs to get its nose out of Harvard's curriculum and the business of 5 rec league trans athletes and start doing something that matters. There is not one cabinet head that is equipped for their job.
This is what happens when dear leader requires loyalty above any other qualifications. When it comes to pardons, he is like the Popes during the medieval times. Pay him enough money and he will absolve you of all of your sins and/or give you a cabinet position that you are not qualified for.
Here is the list of notable Fox News hosts who are in Trump's administration.
- Pete Hegseth – Secretary of Defense
- Dan Bongino – Deputy Director of the FBI
- Sean Duffy – Secretary of Transportation
- Kimberly Guilfoyle – Ambassador to Greece
- Judge Jeanine Pirro – Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia
- Tulsi Gabbard – Director of National Intelligence
- Dr. Mehmet Oz – Head of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- Leo Terrell – Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights
Here are the billionaires in Trump's administration:
- Elon Musk – Head of the Department of Government Efficiency, with a net worth of $342 billion.
- Tilman Fertitta – Ambassador to Italy (nominee), worth $11 billion.
- Donald Trump – President, worth $5.1 billion.
- Howard Lutnick – Secretary of Commerce.
- Linda McMahon – Secretary of Education.
- Scott Bessent – Secretary of the Treasury.
- Warren Stephens – Ambassador to the United Kingdom.
- Leandro Rizzuto Jr. – Ambassador to the Organization of American States.
- Charles Kushner – Ambassador to France.
- Tom Barrack – Ambassador to Turkey.
The total net worth of billionaires in Trump's administration is estimated to be at least $428.3 billion, surpassing the GDP of 174 countries.Looks like the buck was passed. What did you feel about Pete's job record?
August 27, 2024: A veteran air traffic controller at Newark experienced a severe radar outage lasting about 90 seconds, caused by a third-party technician mistakenly cutting a data feed. During this critical period, the controller had to guide multiple aircraft using memory alone, leading to a near-miss in LaGuardia's airspace. The incident prompted the controller to retire shortly thereafter.
September 2, 2024: The FAA experienced three separate radar failures at the facility controlling Newark's airspace. These failures were due to latency issues on a communications feed set up to provide primary radar information to the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON), which had taken over Newark's airspace management.
November 6, 2024: A radar outage led to a complete loss of frequencies and communications, causing the airspace to close for nearly one hour. Controllers and pilots scrambled to restore communications, highlighting the fragility of the existing system.
Riddle me this Maga...
Trump once attacked crypto as a danger. Now he’s made billions from it.
His meme coin allows any foreign state, King, pardon seeker or criminal org to secretly put money directly in his pocket.
And Trump’s SEC mysteriously dropped 13 investigations against crypto fraudsters....
Does this not warrant investigation? His wealth has increased by 3 billion since he has taken office...
Trump's crypto scheme to use presidency to make money will be the biggest scandals of all time.. but there's no one to investigate and this is ok? Why?The comment you’ve shared expresses a deep concern about Donald Trump and his financial dealings, particularly involving cryptocurrency. While it’s completely fair, and even necessary in a healthy democracy, to question the actions of public figures, the tone here veers into condescension, particularly toward Trump supporters. Using phrases like “riddle me this, MAGA…” may feel clever, but it tends to shut down meaningful dialogue and reinforces political divides. If the goal is to encourage accountability and honest debate, approaching the issue with respect and a willingness to engage others on common ground is far more effective.
It has also become clear that many people still don’t fully grasp the nature or function of cryptocurrency. Like any emerging technology, it attracted skeptics, opportunists, and visionaries alike. Many who took the time to understand its fundamentals, early adopters, have made substantial gains. My husband, for one, chose to really delve into Bitcoin when others scoffed at it, and let’s just say, that decision paid off. To assume that any profit made in the crypto space is inherently corrupt reflects more about the speaker's misunderstanding of the industry than about any proven wrongdoing.
As for Trump’s alleged shift in attitude toward crypto or the SEC's decision-making, these claims require concrete evidence. Accusations that foreign states or criminals are secretly funneling money to Trump through meme coins are speculative at best, unless supported by investigative findings. Linking dropped SEC investigations to a deliberate scheme also presumes direct influence without proof. If wrongdoing has occurred, it should be investigated through the appropriate legal channels, as with any public official. But elevating rumors to the level of scandal without substantiation only feeds division. Accountability is essential, but so is fairness, and we should never let political bias replace reasoned judgment.We are assessing "tone" of posts now? Okay noted.
I find it very troubling that Trump's net worth has increased by 3 billion dollars since he entered the oval... Surely this warrants investigation? There's a whole lot of smoke... I mean previously it was of the utmost concern that Hunter Biden had possibly gained financially due to his father and folks screamed and railed for endless investigation but we have silence on this matter? 3 billion dollars?
Case in point...
A foreign crypto billionaire feared arrest for helping criminals move billions— then dropped $23M into Trump’s meme coin to score a private dinner with him.
The SEC dropped its case against him after he invested $75M in Trump’s crypto company.
Feels like bribes. Classic pay to play.
https://www.wsj.com/finance/currencies/ … w95w%3D%3DGot me on the tone--- I am pot calling kettle black.
It is legal for a president's net worth to increase while in office, as long as the increase does not come from illegal activities, abuse of power, or violations of ethics laws (like profiting directly from the office or accepting bribes). I see nothing that would indicate his cash was made illegally.
Trump’s increase in net worth may be controversial or concerning to some, but it is not inherently illegal under current U.S. law. Unless evidence arises that he violated specific ethics laws or criminal statutes to cause that increase, it remains legally permissible.It is not legal when he takes in bribes for favors. Or, it wasn't legal until the Conservatives on the Supreme Court made him above the law - King, in other words.
In some states, it is legally permissible to give a 5-year old a loaded gun. But is certainly very stupid, immoral, and unethical.
I suggest you hit me back up on this one when Trump is actually charged with something real. I don’t buy into all the clothesline gossip and BS. It just reminds me of the lack of intellect that usually comes with that kind of talk.
Do you really think THIS DOJ will do squat? Trump could commit murder on the South Law (I think that would be a federal crime) and Pam Bondi would find an excuse to do nothing.
BTW, Trump has been charged, indicted, and sometimes convicted of Real Things. Did you forget about those?What gives you the right to insult our new Attorney General? I simply shared some information about Trump and his many lawsuits, most of which, by the way, he has won. It's really disheartening to see comments like yours, where the keyboard seems to give people an open avenue to insult and slander others without cause. I respect different views, and I’m not afraid to share mine either. But throwing out insults without any real reason? That’s not cool.
I am sorry, where is the insult?? I don't see one. I simply stated what everyone knows to be true. How do they know this? Because they have eyes, ears, and a functioning brain. There is no question that Pam Bondi, who is "supposed" to be independent like Garland was, takes her marching orders from Trump.
For example,
* On her first day in office she immediately reoriented DOJ to fit Trump's agenda - that is a no-no in a functioning democracy. Under Trump's direction, she:
-- Dissolved the teams investigating foreign lobbying and corporate misconduct.
-- Started enforcement of the federal death penalty.
-- Began investigating DOJ officials who had previously prosecuted Trump.
-- She began the process of proactively defunding sanctuary cities.
-- Ending diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and programs.
-- In support of Trump's revenge tour, she initiated reviews of cases involving former Trump administration officials, following Trump's directives to investigate political enemies.
-- Under her Trump's orders, the DOJ has targeted law firms that filed lawsuits against the Trump administration, with actions including revoking security clearances and reviewing federal contracts. This, in addition to his unconstitutional executive orders.
-- She defies court orders!!! e.g., despite a federal judge's order to halt deportations of certain individuals, the Trump administration, with Bondi's help, proceeded with the deportations. Bondi defended the actions, arguing that the judge's oral directive was not enforceable which proves she is not fit for her job making such elementary mistake.
-- She directly and out loud said she is not the independent DOJ leader that America has gotten use to: [i]During a cabinet meeting, Bondi publicly acknowledged President Trump's directive to "keep America safe," stating that her actions, including targeting gang members, were in fulfillment of that order. - If that isn't illegal, it ought to be.
These actions, and many more, have led to allegations, based on facts, that Bondi is transforming the DOJ into an instrument serving President Trump's personal and political interests,
That is why I have a right to call out Pat Bondi's unAmerican actions and makes it easy to predict what she will do when faced with investigating Trump - bottom-line, regardless of the justification, She Won't.BTW, it is the same right you use to insult our former president.
Any comments I’ve made about former President Biden were expressed out of genuine concern. I’ve made every effort to support my views with reliable sources, including videos that, in my opinion, clearly show signs of cognitive issues. When it comes to his policies, I’ve applied the same level of respect and explanation, offering a clear basis for how I arrived at my conclusions. I avoid using childish labels or making accusations without providing a thoughtful and well-supported perspective.
It seems my concerns about Biden's cognitive issues were well-founded, as numerous reports, and now books, are confirming the difficulties he's faced. I don't often resort to insults, but there have been times when someone has crossed a line I couldn't ignore. I'm only human, and there's a limit to what I can tolerate when something seems so obvious.
Concerning Bondi... I find her style to be very performative, almost theatrical. It makes it very hard to take her seriously. She's not doing herself any favors.
Willow, I can see where you're coming from regarding Bondi. Her style definitely leans toward the performative, and I’d agree that it can sometimes come off as theatrical. That said, it’s also worth noting that she comes from a background as a prosecutor, and that role often involves a commanding, dramatic presence, especially when making a case in front of a jury or the public. It's a style that can be effective in certain settings, but in a political or media context, it can rub people the wrong way or undermine the substance of what she’s saying. So while her approach might be rooted in her training, it doesn’t always translate well to every audience. So, I get Ya.
I guess Fox isn't reporting what everyone else is. Hell, even Trump is making no secret about the graft he is taking in.
I very rarely tune in or read Fox reporting. I do tune in to breaking news on Fox because I feel they are quick to report breaking news. By the way--- you are out of your league when it comes to baiting me. Just saying.
"Maybe it’s my age showing, but I still believe no one should be slandered without damn good proof of wrongdoing. What we’re seeing now, especially in the media and on social media, is disgusting. The slander, the rush to judgment, the lack of real proof, it’s all cheap, intellectually dishonest, and sadly very revealing when it comes to politics today."
Trump slanders people every day of his entire political life and probably even in his private life. He learned this from his father. You should read his Neces book about his life; you might learn a thing or two about our dear leader.
Donald Trump has been involved in multiple legal battles related to defamation and slander. One of the most notable cases is his lawsuit with **E. Jean Carroll**, where a jury ruled that Trump must pay Carroll **over $83 million** in damages for defamation. This case stemmed from Trump's repeated public statements denying Carroll's allegations of sexual abuse, which the court found to be defamatory.
Additionally, Trump has frequently accused media outlets and political opponents of slander, often dismissing negative reports as "fake news."
Recently, he defended **Elon Musk** against what he called "outrageous abuse and slander" regarding Musk's alleged drug use while working with the Trump administration. Now they are slandering each other with their billionaire feuds.This applies to all human beings ---- again I repeat -- "Maybe it’s my age showing, but I still believe no one should be slandered without damn good proof of wrongdoing. What we’re seeing now, especially in the media and on social media, is disgusting. The slander, the rush to judgment, the lack of real proof, it’s all cheap, intellectually dishonest, and sadly very revealing when it comes to politics today."
I also minutes ago replied to the subject, should Trump be investigated for some other concerns Willow posted? Which shares the same attitude.
Regarding the Trump/Musk back and forth --- I find it discussing and childish. Can't say much more than that on the subject.Here, let me post again Trump slandering a disabled reporter. I don't think anyone responded the last time I did.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX9reO3QnUAWhy aren't any of Trump's supporters here commenting on this abomination? Would it show they are hypocrites?
I thought that this was really horrendous. It's a real glimpse into his character. But you know what else I find disturbing? That Elon Musk says that Trump is in the Epstein files and his followers just don't seem to care. Anything can be overlooked, can't it?
It certainly can be. While the jury is still out with me on the Epstein claim, we both know that had Musk said that about Biden, MAGA would have convicted and tarred and feathered him already and kept bringing it up for years on end.
Wouldn't an investigation of Trump's meme coin activities be warranted under the same premise that Comer and crew used to investigate Hunter Biden? Surely, you'd support and investigation of the activities? An investigation, extending to at least two of his children also? Again, using the same criteria that Comer used?
That ought to be an interesting answer - if you get one.
I would absolutely back any and all of Trump’s new business ventures, especially as his older ones continue to be investigated by Democrats. This has been the pattern for over a decade now. To be clear, I support investigations into anyone who breaks the law, no exceptions. But I also believe strongly that a crime should only be brought into the public spotlight when there is clear, blatant evidence that a crime has actually occurred. I don’t support the approach of accusing someone first and then scrambling to dig up evidence later. That kind of backward logic cheapens our legal system and reflects a lack of integrity and intelligence. We've seen Trump accused of all sorts of things over the years, and in each case, the courts gave him due process, even though many outcomes are still under appeal. So yes, if there’s solid evidence that Trump committed a crime, then he should be charged based on that evidence, not speculation or political theater. Maybe it’s my age showing, but I still believe no one should be slandered without damn good proof of wrongdoing. What we’re seeing now, especially in the media and on social media, is disgusting. The slander, the rush to judgment, the lack of real proof, it’s all cheap, intellectually dishonest, and sadly very revealing when it comes to politics today.
Do you realize that most, if not all, of those investigations led to criminal or civil convictions? After all, Trump is a repeat Felon.
No, they have not. The felony charge is up for appeal. I don't like to predict --- butttttt in this case, I will, he will win hands down.
Trump’s legal team has launched an appeal of his conviction on 34 felony counts related to alleged falsification of business records tied to hush money payments. The appeal raises several key arguments that could form a strong basis for overturning the verdict. First, his attorneys contend that evidence relating to his official acts as president was improperly admitted during the trial, potentially violating the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity.
They also argue the court erred by denying a change of venue request, claiming Trump could not receive a fair trial in overwhelmingly Democratic Manhattan. Another major point of contention is the classification of the hush money payments themselves.
Trump’s team argues these were personal expenditures, not campaign-related, challenging the grounds for elevating the charges to felonies. Additionally, there are allegations of juror misconduct that may have influenced the outcome, and the defense says the court improperly prevented Trump from asserting an “advice of counsel” defense, which could have shown he acted based on legal guidance. Together, these issues point to potential missteps by the trial court that, if validated on appeal, could significantly impact the outcome. Slam dunk! I must also add--- look how wonderful he is fairing with Supreme Court rulings in his new term.... I think they are doing a great job handling all the frivolous cases that are being filed by Fed judges.
Trump has been involved in an extensive number of legal cases over the decades. From the 1970s until his election in 2016, Trump and his businesses were involved in over 4,000 legal cases in U.S. federal and state courts, encompassing a wide range of issues from real estate disputes to defamation lawsuits.
Regarding his success rate in these cases, a 2016 analysis by USA Today found that Trump was the plaintiff in 1,900 of the lawsuits and the defendant in 1,450. Of the cases with clear outcomes, Trump was the victor 92% of the time. This high success rate is notable, though it's important to consider that many of these cases were settled out of court or dismissed due to lack of evidence.Then consider this:
Immunity Argument: Trump’s 34 felony convictions center on actions taken during the 2016 campaign and before he assumed office—specifically, falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments.
The Supreme Court’s presidential immunity ruling only shields official acts performed while in office, not private or campaign-related conduct.
Trump was not president at the time the records were falsified or when the payments were arranged. Therefore, the Court's ruling is immaterial.
Official Acts: Even if some evidence presented in the trial touched on events from Trump’s presidency (e.g., efforts to suppress damaging stories after the election), these were tied to personal and campaign-related motives, not governmental duties.
Courts, even THIS Supreme Court, have long recognized that campaign activity, personal image management, and hush money payments are private matters, even when performed by sitting presidents. Further, the DOJ has made clear distinctions in past cases between personal conduct and official duties (e.g., Bill Clinton’s civil suit in Jones v. Clinton).
Conclusion: Trump cannot reclassify personal cover-ups as “official acts” simply because he later became president.
The Evidence at Issue Was Likely Not Admissible: Even if some evidence touched on acts during Trump’s presidency, its use may have been to establish intent, pattern of behavior, or credibility, which are valid legal purposes. Courts allow limited references to related conduct—even if controversial—when they help establish motive or the context of a crime.
That said, The inclusion of such evidence must clear a high bar to be considered prejudicial enough to overturn a verdict, especially when overwhelming independent evidence supports conviction.
Procedural Errors: For Trump’s conviction to be overturned, his legal team must show that any legal or procedural error was not just wrong, but harmful enough to have likely changed the outcome.
That is a very high standard. Courts typically uphold convictions unless the error was clearly egregious and affected the jury’s decision.
In this case, prosecutors presented strong documentary evidence, testimony, and a clear paper trail of the falsified records—well apart from any disputed “presidential acts.”
Personal Expenditures vs Campaign Expenses; This one is very weak. Why? That is EXACTLY why the charges became felonies in the first place, they were personal expenditures in furtherance of a crime.
Trump’s team can't have it both ways:
1. If the payments were personal, then falsely recording them as legal expenses is fraudulent business conduct. - the Felony
2. If they were campaign-related, then failing to report them as campaign expenditures violates election law.
The prosecution successfully argued that: Trump falsified records to conceal a politically damaging payment that was made to benefit his 2016 campaign.
That link to intent to commit or conceal another crime (in this case, a campaign finance violation) is what elevates the misdemeanor to a felony under New York law.
The jury agreed. Appellate courts tend to respect jury findings, especially when backed by extensive evidence and testimony. like the prosecution presented in this case.
Jury Misconduct: Laughable for sure. But in any case - Allegations of juror misconduct must be:
1. Specific, not speculative 2. Clearly shown to have affected the verdict. 3) Supported by credible evidence, not post-trial complaints or online rumors.
If Trump’s team had strong, documented claims (e.g. a juror hiding bias during voir dire or improperly communicating during deliberations), they’d already be front and center in court filings.
- So far, no court has agreed that anything rises to that level.
I'll leave it at that. We will know more after June 11.
Trump has faced multiple investigations, some of which have led to civil judgments and, most recently, a felony conviction. However, the felon conviction is being appealed. As I offered in another comment, I feel he will be exonerated. But you enjoy using the term for as long as you can.
So, because it is being "appealed" it is therefore not a conviction? Interesting.
"So, because it is being "appealed" it is therefore not a conviction? Interesting." ECO
My comment --- Sharlee01 wrote:
Trump has faced multiple investigations, some of which have led to civil judgments and, most recently, a felony conviction. However, the felon conviction is being appealed. As I offered in another comment, I feel he will be exonerated. But you enjoy using the term for as long as you can.
I certainly did not say that, nor did the context represent that I claimed there was no conviction. I was direct and stated, "Trump has faced multiple investigations, some of which have led to civil judgments and, most recently, a felony conviction. following with However, the felon conviction is being appealed." Got news, if he wins, the label will be removed.
Based upon the information (none of which panned out to an indictment) used by Comer to open his investigation on Hunter Biden, Democrats would be warranted in opening an investigation of trump, his meme coin and ballooning wealth since he took office? We all remember Comer on Fox News weekly, talking about the smoke but saying they hadn't found the fire yet... In hindsight, it very much seemed like a fishing expedition.
It is important to note that while Hunter Biden was guilty of the two crimes he was indicted for, very few, if any, other people have been indicted for the same thing even though tens of thousands of people have done what he was accused of.
His only indictable crime was being the son of someone MAGA hates. I am impressed with the Democrats for not stooping to the same low position regarding Trump's children who are all guilty of many different crimes, some of which states have convicted them of.It's important to push back on the idea that the investigation into Hunter Biden was simply a fishing expedition without merit. Two IRS whistleblowers, Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, both came forward, identified themselves publicly, and testified under oath before Congress. They presented detailed evidence that Hunter Biden received preferential treatment during the IRS’s investigation into his tax issues. This wasn’t speculative or politically motivated testimony, it was based on firsthand experience from within the federal government. Their claims weren’t just about “smoke”; they included hard documentation and timelines showing interference with prosecutorial decisions, including alleged efforts to delay or limit search warrants and interviews.
Keep in mind--- Hunter Biden received due process under the law in all charges brought against him. He was convicted on three felony counts related to lying on a federal gun purchase form by denying illegal drug use. Additionally, he faced federal tax charges for failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes between 2016 and 2019. However, President Joe Biden later granted him a full pardon for the tax offenses.
To dismiss this as lacking substance is to ignore credible, documented concerns raised by career professionals. Whether or not indictments followed immediately, solid evidence was presented that serious issues existed regarding Hunter’s tax filings and how the investigation was handled. That’s far different from launching an investigation solely based on media speculation or partisan pressure.
Regarding Comer's investigation--- I feel it was conducted poorly, and media-driven for a political purpose. It should never have been played out without some form of factual evidence. There was a lot of smoke, but no fire. Despite Comer's efforts, no conclusive evidence has been presented to substantiate the allegations against President Biden. The investigations lacked direct proof of misconduct, nor did they connect him to his son's business dealings with hard evidence.
As for comparisons to Trump’s post-office wealth or the meme coin issue—those can and should be scrutinized if there’s credible, verifiable evidence of wrongdoing. But the existence of wealth or financial growth alone isn’t proof of criminality, any more than Hunter’s last name alone would have warranted an inquiry. In the Hunter Biden case, there were career officials raising red flags, with documentation and sworn testimony to back them up. That distinction matters.
I have no problem with any investigation that’s based on real evidence. In fact, I think that’s exactly what oversight is for. But I do take issue with accusations that haven’t been proven. Too often, people treat rumors as truth, and for some, even vague insinuations start to feel like facts. They run with it, the story gets exaggerated, and before long, it can seriously slander and defame someone who may have done nothing to deserve the public’s outrage.
It rubs me the wrong way to accuse anyone of wrongdoing without some evidence to support it. Honestly, I think this sort of mindset is a sign that we’re becoming a more dumbed-down society. I am a holdout. What about you?The accusations made against Hunter Biden in terms of pay-to-play/access to his father were never warranted. Never any evidence to level those accusations and those accusations amounted to nothing. That, to me was certainly a fishing expedition. One of Comer's witnesses disappeared and another ended up in jail. Based on this history, wouldn't it be warranted to open an investigation on Trump's meme coin and the very likely potential that it is being used for pay to play/access? How many pardons have been granted thus far due to the coin purchase? As Comer would say, "we have a lot of smoke"
"The accusations made against Hunter Biden in terms of pay-to-play/access to his father were never warranted. Never any evidence to level those accusations and those accusations amounted to nothing. " Willow
Again agreed --- Regarding Comer's investigation--- I feel it was conducted poorly, and media-driven for a political purpose. It should never have been played out without some form of factual evidence. There was a lot of smoke, but no fire. Despite Comer's efforts, no conclusive evidence has been presented to substantiate the allegations against President Biden. The investigations lacked direct proof of misconduct, nor did they connect him to his son's business dealings with hard evidence.
I have seen no evidence that Trump is doing anything for pay/access. As I said, one can be assured the Democrats are looking, digging deep to find evidence. So, that is a wait-and-see. I never get blinded by smoke... I just don't go there, I have had to wear lots of egg on my face over the years... Learned the hard way to look at facts, or look foolish in the end.January: Chinese crypto billionaire Justin Sun began buying $18.6M worth of Trump’s meme coin.
February: Trump’s SEC paused its fraud case against him.
May: Sun “won” Trump’s cryptocurrency contest by being the top holder of TRUMP coin.
Also...
Trump pardoned Paul Walczak, a nursing home executive who illegally withheld millions from his workers' paychecks (while buying a luxury yacht).
The pardon came after his mother attended a $1M-per-person Trump fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago last month...
Coincidences? It sure does look like pay to play. When does this stuff start to warrant a deeper look?
I mean Trump has put Bondi on investigating Biden's acuity and use of autopen... But the meme coin doesn't deserve attention?
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/busine … rcna207983Of course it doesn't. Nor does Trump's use of autopens. Nor does Trump's illegal executive orders. Nor does the cover up of Trump's mental illness.
What is interesting is that in reading Original Sin they describe many instances of where Biden goes off the rails during speeches, meetings, etc. where he jumps from topic to topic and seems to lose his train of thought, etc. I decided to ask ChapGPT is anyone has counted such episodes for both Biden and Trump. GUESS WHO WON - TRUMP, by a reasonable margin.
The difference is that Trump does it "energetically" which I guess makes it alright. ROFL.
BTW, I take the authors, who both have stellar reputations, at their word in reporting what their unnamed sources said they saw and heard. While others obviously do not, I understand that these people have their careers and livelihood to watch out for. Fortunately, unlike those who talk about Trump, they don't need to fear for their or their families lives or health.
Also, I am about halfway through and so far no case has been made for dementia. Their main focus seems to be "should he have run", and if not, why not. Even at this point, they have convinced me Biden should have stayed far, far away from running for a second term (as should have Trump).Every time I go to a grocery store and buy something, there is a trade imbalance. It's called a profit. The only way around it is I have to produce something that has the same value as what I purchased and sell it back to the store for the same price. Trump's trade deficits are ridiculous in my view.
In order for there not to be a trade imbalance we have to export as much as we import. Trump probably has never shopped for groceries in his whole life.
He doesn't even have the infrastructure in place to produce and replace the products that we import. He is playing catch-up ball and doesn't even realize it or care.
How Trump and his supporters see almost everything:
Trump good; Biden bad;
MAGA news good; MSN bad and fake;
Republicans good; Democrats bad;
Conservatives good; Liberals bad.
Tariffs good; No tariffs bad.
Israel good; Palestine bad;
Higher education bad. MAGA good;
Immigrants bad, Real Americans good.
Federal employees bad; layoffs good.
Taxes for the wealthy bad: taxes for the poor good
Ukraine good/bad; Putin good/bad...can't make up his mind.
Making a profit off of memes and bitcoin while in office - good; Getting caught badThat's an interesting list of silliness. I note that if your turn it around to mean the opposite every item but the last could come directly from liberal Democrats.
Trump bad; everyone else good
liberals good; conservatives bad.
Higher education good. MAGA bad.
Immigrants good, Americans bad.
etc. etc. The question then becomes just why such a list is considered "wrong" or "silly". Perhaps even "bad". Both sides do it equally, so how can it be "wrong" to have such a list?
We will have to wait until the next Democratic administration deweaponizes the DOJ so they can start investigating all these crimes.
BOY, ya' gotta love it!!! A Battle Royale between the two most narcissistic people in America, ROFL.
I suspect Musk is right, Trump would have lost without him and America would have been saved.
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/ … s-06-05-25I suppose this squabble between the two might seem like a lifeline for some. In my opinion, a thin thread. But enjoy.
Did you see how it escalated today with Trump lying and threatening and Musk sort of lying and threatening but also telling the truth?
Another day in an American ICE gulag on a cement floor. Teenager who ICE had no intention on arresting but did anyway was granted bail by an immigration judge who also ordered ICE NOT to take the kid out of Massachusetts. A good thing to since Trump loves to deport people without DUE PROCESS.
Anyway, this was the TEENAGER's living conditions while detained: "She said Gomes da Silva slept on the cement floor of a room with 25 to 35 MEN most of the time he was detained with no windows, no time outside and no permission to shower." - Typical Trump Treatment.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/05/us/massa … nd-grantedWhat is the difference between Assad's Syria, Putin's Russia, Un's North Korea, or Maduro's Venezuela and Trump's America when it comes to persecuting people for political speech? Apparently not much. Khalil runs from Syria because of political persecution and runs squarely into it in Trump's America.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/05/us/mahmo … se-chargesThe War Between the Children.
- First Musk calls Trump's OBBBA a "disgusting abomination", which in my opinion is true.
- Then, Trump responds with a characteristic lie: "“I’m very disappointed in Elon... I made him rich (Boy, that is rich, lol). He’s suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
- Then Musk fires back with the TRUTH and threats- "Said Trump was “corrupt, unstable, and unfit to serve.” and then "Called for Trump’s impeachment. and then Alleged Trump was mentioned in suppressed Epstein files and questioned why they haven’t been released. (probably a lie), and finally ended with a threat when he "Stated that SpaceX would halt Dragon capsule production, critical for NASA astronaut transport (seen as a veiled threat to U.S. space operations)."
- Trump responds by calling, playground like, Musk “a spoiled brat who only pretends to love America.” he also made his own threat when he "Threatened to form a task force to “review improper enrichment of tech billionaires.”
- Finally, Musk ends (for now) with another threat followed by a truth Musk teased a new centrist party, possibly called the “Middle Majority Movement,” Implying he might use his resources to back candidates in 2026 or 2028 opposed to Trumpism. then he suggested that "Trump wants loyalty, not liberty. America needs better.”With Trump in charge we will very much need God's help.
Trump stupidly ORDERS a very old coal company which was in the final days of retiring because it was no longer needed and cost WAY too much to operate to stay open and keep polluting the earth. Will Trump pay the huge cost of keeping it open? No, of course he won't. He is making the states, who don't need it anymore, and the taxpayers foot the bill for his wasteful decision.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/06/climate/ … ost-wrightWasn't MAGA big on privacy once upon a time. especially of their own information? Well, the conservatives on the Supreme Court just ruled you are an open book to those who want to misuse your data looking for imaginary large scale fraud.
They have your private tax information and now they have your private social security information.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/06/business … urity-dataThe proof is starting to roll in about inflation resulting from Trump's tariff war on the world! Here are some photos posted on Twitter and Redditt.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tec … hatgpt.com
Exemplars:
- Toy - UP 175%!
- Fishing Reel - UP 45%!
- Cocoa Powder - UP 80%!
NEW CARS:
- On May 2, 2025, Ford announced price increases of up to $2,000 for three of its Mexico-produced models; they blame it on the tariffs. https://www.reuters.com/business/autos- … hatgpt.com
- According to Kelley Blue Book, the average transaction price for new vehicles in April 2025 rose to $48,699, marking a 2.5% increase from March. This jump is more than double the typical 1.1% rise observed in April, indicating a significant deviation from seasonal norms. https://www.carscoops.com/2025/05/yes-n … d-tariffs/
- The Budget Lab at Yale reported that motor vehicle prices have risen by 9.3% in the short run due to the 2025 tariffs, equating to an approximate $3,000 increase on the average 2024 new car price. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/carmaker … hatgpt.com
More generally:
- Some automakers are implementing "stealth" price hikes, subtly increasing prices to cope with the 25% tariffs on imported vehicles without drawing significant attention. This approach allows them to manage increased costs while attempting to maintain consumer demand. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/carmaker … hatgpt.com
- In anticipation of the tariffs' impact, General Motors revised its 2025 financial guidance, projecting a potential cost increase of $4 to $5 billion due to the new auto tariffs. This adjustment reflects the company's expectation of higher production costs and potential price increases for consumers.https://apnews.com/article/general-motors-gm-trump-tariff-barra-721e481b45903a39870fe6d84b3e4bbf
- Surveys indicate that tariffs are contributing to rising prices in the U.S. Approximately 75% of companies are passing tariff costs to consumers, with some raising prices even on non-tariffed items to absorb or capitalize on inflation expectations. https://www.axios.com/2025/06/05/trump- … hatgpt.com
- Federal Reserve Governor Adriana Kugler emphasized that inflation remains a more significant concern than employment weakness, citing the impact of recent tariff increases. She highlighted that import tariffs are already contributing to higher inflation and predicted continued pricing pressure into 2025. https://www.barrons.com/articles/fed-in … hatgpt.comThe unfortunate thing about these kinds of predictions is that they often turn out to be wrong. Moreover, no one truly knows what will or won't be negotiated in the end. It is also unfortunate that many today don't seem to consider that it might be wiser to wait and see the final outcome before jumping to conclusions.
Also not sure about where Kuger is coming from on employment weakness ---As of May 2025, the U.S. unemployment rate stands at 4.2%, unchanged from April.
This rate has remained within a narrow range of 4.0% to 4.2% over the past year, indicating a relatively stable labor market.
tradingeconomics.com
In May, the economy added 139,000 nonfarm jobs, surpassing economists' expectations of 125,000.
I would think these are promising conditions.
We could also consider if reviewing predictions --- Economists who support President Trump’s economic policies foresee a range of outcomes, with several expressing optimism about the potential benefits of his approach, particularly in areas like tariffs and tax reforms, while still acknowledging the risks involved. One central argument is that Trump's tariffs could serve as a powerful fiscal tool. According to a report by Investopedia, “The Congressional Budget Office projects that existing tariffs may yield approximately $3 trillion over the next decade,” which could help “offset the $2.4 trillion deficit increase from recent tax legislation.”
Supporters also argue that Trump’s trade policy could help correct longstanding imbalances. Stephen Miran, a former Treasury official, suggests that “strategic tariffs can reduce trade deficits and encourage currency realignment,” which in turn could foster domestic economic growth. Economists like Peter Navarro and Oren Cass have similarly voiced support for protectionist policies, stating that tariffs could revitalize U.S. manufacturing by incentivizing companies to produce domestically, leading to more jobs and industrial expansion.Those weren't predictions, they are facts.
"Supporters also argue that Trump’s trade policy could help correct longstanding imbalances." - WHAT imbalances? That is a nice sound bite but isn't true.
The U.S. has some major trade imbalances, especially with countries like China, Mexico, and Germany. For example, we import way more electronics, machinery, and textiles from China than we export there. Mexico sends us a lot of vehicles and agricultural products, creating a big deficit, especially affecting states like Texas and California. Germany exports tons of cars and pharmaceuticals to us, while we export less back. Japan and South Korea also contribute to deficits with their cars and electronics. Even Vietnam and India are growing sources of trade gaps due to imports like textiles and pharmaceuticals. These imbalances come down to differences in manufacturing and demand across states and countries.
I am not up for adding stats, a waste of time at this point.Trump has stated that he's not looking for textiles to be made here. This makes sense. Also, agricultural imbalances are natural and will continue to exist... We do not produce certain fruits and vegetables here and never will.
I believe you’re right, I recall Trump making a comment about not wanting to focus on producing things like t-shirts, socks, or shoes. He’s not talking about cutting off all imports; he’s talking about getting the countries we trade with to import more of our goods in return. He also wants tariffs to be fair, meaning other nations would face higher tariffs if they don’t trade fairly. I don’t think many people fully understand that these two ideas, encouraging more exports and enforcing fair tariffs, work together to create balanced trade. Trump isn’t trying to create unfair trade; he’s trying to level the playing field. Trump has never advocated for ending all imports. His message has consistently been about reducing dependence on foreign goods in strategic sectors (e.g., steel, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals), not eliminating trade altogether.
I’d also like to explain that Trump’s plan appears focused on encouraging investment in cutting-edge, innovative manufacturing, not just bringing back any kind of factory work, but the kind of high-tech and essential production our country needs to be more self-reliant. This includes industries like semiconductors, advanced energy, pharmaceuticals, and defense-related manufacturing. His tariff strategy is actually separate from this goal. The tariffs are mainly about leveraging fair trade, while his push for domestic manufacturing is about strengthening America’s economic and national security.
Many in the media, and even some commentators, tend to blur the lines between Trump’s tariff policies and his manufacturing investment goals, treating them as one single approach rather than two related but distinct strategies.
"Stephen Miran, a former Treasury official, suggests that “strategic tariffs can reduce trade deficits and encourage currency realignment,” which in turn could foster domestic economic growth." - STEVEN Miran is right and wrong with that suggestion.
YES - "strategic tariffs can reduce trade deficits and encourage currency realignment" BUT that implies trade deficits are bad and currency realignment is good.
WRONG - As a rule, trade deficits are not bad (or good) https://proinvestnews.com/2024/08/01/tr … dvantages/
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the- … realities/
Purposeful Currency Realignment can be Good or Bad, depending on how and why it is accomplished. In this case, Miran seems to be advocating for a WEAKER dollar in order to boost exports and reduce trade deficits. BUT a Weaker dollar also means higher inflation at home because of increased import costs.
"Strategic Tariffs" can be and often are very useful in limited circumstances. On the other hand history proves that blanket tariffs not related to developing a manufacturing base from scratch are ALWAYS harmful to those who apply them.
Examples:
- America's Smoot-Hawley Tarifs
- India’s License Raj & High Tariffs (1950s–1980s)
- Argentina’s Protectionist Wave (2000s–2010s)
- Brazil’s Import Substitution Strategy (1950s–1980s)
- Nigeria's Broad-Based Import Bans (1980s–1990s)
- Ghana (1970s) – Protectionism + Central Control
ALL failed spectacularly!
When "Blanket Tariffs" worked:
- Early US, 19th Century, when we were trying to grow our emerging manufacturing base, particularly in textiles, steel, and machinery.
- South Korea (1960s–1980s) – Semi-Blanket with Controls: This wasn’t freewheeling protectionism—it was state-managed capitalism with strong discipline and performance benchmarks.
- Taiwan (1950s–1970s): Similar to early U.S. and South Korea
- Japan (Post-WWII to 1980s): While they rebuilt after the self-destructive WW II.I don't have a subscription to Barron's so I am not sure what her reference to weak employment. It could be she is talking about future weak employment driven by the tariffs.
BTW - here is the link to the AP article that didn't show correctly
https://apnews.com/article/general-moto … d84b3e4bbfFor your last two paragraphs I would normally take them at face value, but since your require this of me, I need to ask your question
"Your comment is unsourced. Offer a source, a link that provides names, and quotes from an authority on the issue."Source https://www.investopedia.com/tariffs-wo … hatgpt.com
"President Donald Trump's tariffs will bring in more than enough money to pay for the Republicans' tax cut bill, the Congressional Budget Office found. The analysis assumes tariffs will remain as they were on May 13, although Trump has frequently and significantly raised and lowered tariffs in recent months. The analysis reached a different conclusion than some other independent economists, who have estimated that the bill and tariffs together will worsen budget deficits.
The Republicans' spending bill would blow a big beautiful hole in the federal deficit, but President Donald Trump's tariffs would patch it, according to the government's nonpartisan budget watchdog.
President Donald Trump's economic agenda would reduce federal deficits over the next 10 years compared to doing nothing, the Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday. The CBO says that forecast holds true even after accounting for how tariffs would boost inflation and slow down economic growth.
The sweeping tax cut and spending bill passed by the House of Representatives last month would add $2.4 trillion to budget deficits, while the tariffs in place as of May 13 would collect enough revenue to reduce deficits by $3 trillion, the research office said.
The analysis bolstered Trump's financial argument for passing the bill, which makes many of his 2017 tax cuts permanent while slashing Medicaid and SNAP, among many other benefits.
Critics of the bill argue that it worsens, rather than helps, the rapidly growing national debt and threatens the government's long-term financial stability. Some previous analyses had found that the tariffs would not be enough to offset the tax cuts.
The CBOs' estimates came with several caveats, not the least of which is that it's based on tariff policy that changes daily, and could change even more as Trump cuts deals with individual countries. Independent economists, including those at the Tax Foundation think tank, have warned that the tariffs will hurt the overall budget picture by slowing the economy and raising prices.
The CBO agrees that tariffs would boost prices, pushing up inflation in 2025 and 2026 by 0.4 percentage points, and shrinking the economy by 0.6% by 2035.
Still, the White House took the analysis as a vindication of Trump's economic strategy.
"By every honest metric, President Donald J. Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill dramatically improves the fiscal trajectory of the United States and unleashes an era of unprecedented economic growth," the White House said in a statement."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar-a-Lag … hatgpt.com
Stephen Miran on strategic tariffs and currency realignment
In his paper A User’s Guide to Restructuring the Global Trading System, Miran explains how tariffs can be used “as strategic tools … to shift burdens onto foreign producers” and to leverage negotiations on currency undervaluation
https://www.wsj.com/economy/trade/trump … hatgpt.com
A recent WSJ article describes Miran advocating for tariffs “averaging 20 % and up to 50 %” to address an overvalued dollar and trade imbalances, while calling for coordinated efforts—like the "Mar‑a‑Lago Accord"—to
engineer currency realignment
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Nav … hatgpt.com
Peter Navarro on protectionist policies to revive manufacturing
Navarro, former Director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, continues to advocate for "high tariffs, repatriating global supply chains, and rebuilding American manufacturing."
https://www.ft.com/content/9fa4a76d-60b … hatgpt.com
The Financial Times also discusses the “Mar‑a‑Lago Accord” concept, noting Miran’s strategy ties tariffs to coordinated currency adjustments to correct trade imbalances and strengthen US manufacturing
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions … hatgpt.com
Oren Cass advocating tariffs and phased industrial revival
In Washington Post, Oren Cass praised Trump’s tariff strategy as a necessary “rebalance” for industrial strength, advocating for a deliberate “shock‑and‑awe” moment with follow‑through to avoid unnecessary alienation of trading partners
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar-a-Lag … hatgpt.com
Stephen Miran on strategic tariffs and currency realignment
In his paper A User’s Guide to Restructuring the Global Trading System, Miran explains how tariffs can be used “as strategic tools … to shift burdens onto foreign producers” and to leverage negotiations on currency undervaluation
https://www.wsj.com/economy/trade/trump … hatgpt.com
A recent WSJ article describes Miran advocating for tariffs “averaging 20 % and up to 50 %” to address an overvalued dollar and trade imbalances, while calling for coordinated efforts—like the "Mar‑a‑Lago Accord"—to
engineer currency realignment
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Nav … hatgpt.com
Peter Navarro on protectionist policies to revive manufacturing
Navarro, former Director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, continues to advocate for "high tariffs, repatriating global supply chains, and rebuilding American manufacturing."
https://www.ft.com/content/9fa4a76d-60b … hatgpt.com
The Financial Times also discusses the “Mar‑a‑Lago Accord” concept, noting Miran’s strategy ties tariffs to coordinated currency adjustments to correct trade imbalances and strengthen US manufacturing
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions … hatgpt.com
Oren Cass advocating tariffs and phased industrial revival
In Washington Post, Oren Cass praised Trump’s tariff strategy as a necessary “rebalance” for industrial strength, advocating for a deliberate “shock‑and‑awe” moment with follow‑through to avoid unnecessary alienation of trading partnersRegarding the CBO estimate - it needs to be remembered that it is producing a baseline by which to measure other changes. So, to come up with this "patch" they assume the following:
1. The May 13 tariff structure will remain constant for 10 years.
2. That imports will not decrease beyond current predictions over the next ten years. In other words, consumers will ignore the resulting inflation.
3. They do not factor in (and they shouldn't) the recent legal developments.Somehow I don't think any of these links will be considered an "authority" source...
Attempting to pass tax cuts that drastically reduce revenue but trying to offset it with tariffs that are directly passed on to consumers? Just a feeling but this will not fly. The masses will eventually come to understand what's going on. Many of us here in this forum have said from the beginning that tariffs would be used just for this purpose.
So... Authoritarian drift and politicization?
Trump has ordered Bondi to launch investigation into Biden’s presidency, targeting his cognitive fitness and use of an autopen.
He stated:
"Whoever used the autopen was the president," he told reporters on June 5, implying aides were assuming the role of commander-in-chief. "And that is wrong, it's illegal, it's so bad."
First.... Use of Auto pen is not illegal. Again, does he not comprehend that? Or is he choosing to lie?
Second...
And the video...
https://x.com/Acyn/status/1903219399726862563
How does this make sense?I don't know which of these intertwined forums where we were discussing the unsupported claim that CNN has said Biden has dementia. I was going to give Biden's physician, Dr. O'Connor who has been with him 13 years, perspective on this dementia thing and testing for it, but I needed to find in Original Sin
Here is what the passage says: "Biden's political advisors discussed whether he should finally undergo a cognitive exam to blunt questions about his mental fitness. O'Connor had long pushed back on political advisors interfering in his medical evaluations. He told others the he did not believer the science required him to do a cognitive test. He saw the president frequently and if he had reason for concern, he would have performed one."
So, at least according to his doctor of 13 years, Biden did not have dementia.I was promised energy bills that were going to be cut in half though??
Americans’ Electric Bills Are Headed Higher With the Temperatures
Americans can expect to pay more to stay cool this summer thanks to forecasts for above-average temperatures across the country and natural-gas prices that are heading into air-conditioning season 37% higher than last year.
On average, Americans should count on their electricity bills in June, July and August rising 4% from last year, mostly due to more expensive natural gas, according to the Energy Information Administration. .
https://www.wsj.com/finance/commodities … iWHA%3D%3DTrump is driving America into Bankruptcy yet he insists on wasting money on his birthday party.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/08/us/video … ain-digvidHere is one of the things Trump will be remembered for with is Bold Agenda.
Afghans who helped US war effort feel betrayed by Trump’s travel ban
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/08/politics … travel-ban
What kind of sick, mentally ill mind does that?Moving this discussion from the Elon Musk Forum: Sharlee wrote in response to one of my posts- "I should have clarified, I meant suggestions that reflect the new President’s mandate. Trump was sent to Washington with a clear agenda, and all of Congress should respect that and work with him to help fulfill the promises he made to We the People. He wasn’t sent there to help the losing party push an agenda voters already rejected. If that’s what the country wanted, well… your side would’ve won."
And my response is:
I should have also asked, "why would the Democrats want to offer suggestions that reflect Trump's agenda"
I disagree with the term "mandate"- I should have also asked, "why would the Democrats want to offer suggestions that reflect Trump's agenda"
NOTE - I disagree with the term "mandate". Just to keep things in perspective:
- Remember, less than half the voters voted for Trump, so "mandate" seems to be a bit overstated.
Also, remember, just Slightly less than half of Americans voted for the Democratic agenda. Shouldn't it be that agenda the Democrats would put forward?
One that:
* Lowers the deficit by a lot
* Keeps taxes where they are on low and middle class income earners
* Maintain 10 million people on health insurance while chipping away at the 3.3% of Medicaid users who shouldn't be enrolled?
PERSPECTIVE:
- The 3.3% is down from 6% in 2022. Seems like Biden did a great job in cleaning up Medicaid fraud, don't you agree?
- The 3.3% is in the top end of the range for similar private programs of similar size and complexity; they run from 1% to 3%.Moved this over from the Elon Musk forum as well.
My Esoteric wrote:
"presents a highly skewed and alarmist interpretation of a policy that was central to Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory. " - HOW so? They are just reasonable extrapolations from what he is doing? You don't think you can deport 10% or more of America's workforce and have nothing bad happen do you?
I agree, ridding America of immigrants he doesn't like was high on his campaign agenda. If that is what they voted for, then they better be willing to accept the foreseeable negative consequences shouldn't they?
Sharlee Wrote: think that’s where we’re missing the forest for the trees. No one is denying that mass deportation would have serious consequences if it meant indiscriminately removing 10% of our workforce overnight. But that's a strawman argument, not a realistic policy proposal. What’s actually being debated is restoring order to a chaotic, unregulated influx that sidesteps the very visa system that has worked effectively for decades.
We already have a functional, lawful system for bringing in workers, temporary visas, H-2A and H-2B programs, high-skilled H-1B visas, and more. These programs exist for a reason: they ensure fair wages, safe conditions, and accountability. When we allow illegal immigration to replace or bypass that process, we undercut the legal immigrants who did follow the rules, and we create a shadow labor force ripe for abuse and exploitation.
A large number of these migrants would absolutely take full advantage of coming in legally, and frankly, they’d be better off for it. Our visa laws give them legal protection, rights, and even a pathway to future opportunity. This isn’t about being anti-immigrant, it’s about respecting the rule of law and the systems we’ve already built to support lawful immigration and workforce needs. Ignoring that just invites long-term instability for both migrants and American workers.
Yeah, I’d say it’s expected that there’d be some turbulence when an administration takes on a problem that’s been festering for decades. I voted for leadership willing to tackle the issue, not let it spiral out of control. You could say I voted for someone with guts. I think it’s time more people recognize that there’s been a kind of uprising from a party that’s usually quiet and reserved. And wow, did we make ourselves heard.
I noticed you overlooked the significant financial burden migrants place on American taxpayers, which contributes to our growing national debt. Democrats may be loudly criticizing the deficit, but allowing migrants, particularly those who enter illegally, can exacerbate our fiscal challenges. While we have a longstanding and effective legal visa process in place (like H‑1Bs, H‑2s, etc.), which offers migrants protections, accountability, and lawful opportunities, bypassing this system undermines fairness and burdens communities. A recent Congressional Budget Office estimate shows that since 2021, over $16.2 billion has been spent on Medicaid for undocumented migrants under emergency services provisions (CBO). On top of that, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has allocated more than $1.4 billion since the fall of 2022 to address migrant-related needs through the Shelter and Services Program. These are not trivial amounts, they’re real costs that strain federal and local budgets and deepen our fiscal imbalance.
If we're serious about tackling the national debt and practicing fiscal responsibility, we must reinforce our legal visa system, acknowledge the ongoing costs of illegal immigration, and ensure future arrivals come through established channels, helping meet labor demands without increasing deficits.
https://budget.house.gov/press-release/ … hatgpt.com
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/saraharno … hatgpt.com
https://www.reddit.com/r/moderatepoliti … hatgpt.com
ESOs Responses:
To; "But that's a strawman argument, not a realistic policy proposal. What’s actually being debated is restoring order to a chaotic, unregulated influx that sidesteps the very visa system that has worked effectively for decades." - I have to disagree; it is neither a strawman nor is that what is being debated.
I will grant that Trump says he is 1) trying to stop the influx of migrants across the border and 2) deport ALL illegal immigrants in America; which IS what we are discussing. While I have never seen the influx of asylum applications as a problem, per se, since it pays for itself, will agree that due to lack of resources, it was certainly chaotic.
What is also chaotic, very chaotic, is the way Trump is willie-nillie going about deporting people. Yes, he is removing some criminals, but we will never know how many because he is hiding the numbers - even from our own Courts. What is very clear is he is rounding up whoever he can, where ever they are, often falsely labeling them as criminals, That is why it is NOT a strawman, but an extremely real problem that is going to have very bad outcomes.
In fact, if it wasn't for his tariffs, this alone would drive inflation and a recession."We already have a functional, lawful system for bringing in workers, temporary visas, H-2A and H-2B programs, high-skilled H-1B visas, and more. " - That is true, but, as I showed earlier, without nuance and is overly broad.
The nuance is that this program is way behind schedule, underfunded, understaffed with no relief in sight. [b]It will take many months, if not years, to address the vacuum in jobs Trump will cause. And that is assuming they can find people who want to a country where many do not want immigrants in the first place.
Related Discussions
- 30
Why Drill, Baby, Drill Isn't Working
by kerryg 6 weeks ago
Contrary to what has been suggested in several posts here over the last few weeks, Obama's supposed imposition of "regulation after regulation, roadblock after roadblock" is not what's holding up domestic oil drilling, it's the oil companies themselves holding out for higher profits.This...
- 32
Oil spill result of corporate negligence and a lack of over sight.
by Stump Parrish 14 years ago
How do we make sure this doesn't happen again you ask? Deregulate further and open more of the gulf to drilling. That could only makes sense to those in the oil companies back pockets.
- 214
Obama's attacks on BP not going down well in the UK
by CMHypno 15 years ago
Obama's attacks on BP are increasingly being viewed in the UK as signs of his anti-British stance. Or is he just trying to pull attention away from his own administration's failures?http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article … itain.html
- 59
What's the libertarian take on the BP oil spill?
by Don W 15 years ago
Would a free market have prevented this from happening?I'm guessing the libertarian argument would be that the failings of state regulation was a contributing factor. Those failings stemming from the fact that the regulators were in bed (figuratively and literally) with those regulated. Whereas...
- 47
Biden’s Dirty Oil Deal With Venezuela
by Sharlee 2 years ago
What do you think about becoming dependent on dictators for energy? Is this not all half-ass-backward?Wall Street Journal Biden’s Dirty Oil Deal With VenezuelaCaracas gets a sanctions reprieve while the U.S. vetoes a loan to Guyana, a rare U.S. ally in the region."At the United Nations climate...
- 192
Global Warming is Socialist Propaganda
by Nickny79 16 years ago
Mississippi and Lousiana get snow: http://news.aol.com/article/rare-snow-c … 1200988198So much for global warming. I bet Al Gore was scheduled to give a speech in New Orleans.