I don’t even want to guess what’s going to happen with Trump cabinet picks. I don’t know if Senate Republicans will hang together to approve them all. I don’t know if Congress will roll over and go into recession for more than ten days so that Trump can choose who he wants without hearings. We’ll see.
I do know that pharmaceutical stocks dropped like a rock after RFK the Lesser was announced as Trump’s choice for Health and Human Services. That shouldn’t have surprised anybody; Trump had already said he’s let the Lesser “go crazy” on health.
Obviously, all of Trump’s choices are people who are intended to both be utterly loyal to Trump and to utterly muck up whatever agency or department they are supposed to be running. It’s Trump’s revenge.
In his first term, Trump obviously was unhappy to find out that Presidents can’t just issue orders about whatever and expect people to follow them. He’s never been constrained like that, you know. The only person who could override him was his father, and Fred Trump Sr. has been gone for about 25 years now.
At some point, someone must have told Trump that the powers of the presidency are listed in Article II of the Constitution. So for a while he was obsessed with Article II, claiming it gave him “rights” to do whatever he wanted. He seemed to think he was the first person to find out about it.
But of course, Article II does nothing of the sort. Article II is very short and gives presidents very little autonomous power. Most presidential functions require the cooperation/advice/consent of Congress. And I suspect all the other presidents before Trump knew that. They’d probably actually spent the three minutes or so required to read Article II. But for Trump, hollowing out the bureaucracies that carry out the functions of government is all about revenge. All those Deep State bureaucrats who wouldn’t obey him will be sorry. And since he doesn’t understand how any of this works and what these bureaucrats do, he doesn’t see the downside.
For months, I’ve been reading that European leaders have been making plans for what they will do when they can no longer count on Pax Americana. Well, that time has come, so I understand they’re preparing to defend Europe without our help. But with the likes of Pete Hegseth at DOD and Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence, we’ll be helpless to defend ourselves before long, never mind help Europe.
Earlier today I read a commentary that said our current allies will stop sharing intelligence with us with Gabbard in charge, and they’ll probably stop trusting intelligence from us. I’m sure you regulars understand how inadequate Gabbard is. But for anyone else floating through here, see Tom Nichols at the Atlantic, Tulsi Gabbard’s Nomination Is a National-Security Risk. Gabbard is a big fan of Vladimir Putin, btw.
And then there’s the Israel-Gaza thing. Trump won Michigan with a lot of help from the Muslims in Dearborn. The week before the election, Trump visited a halal cafe in Dearborn and promised to bring peace to Gaza. He didn’t mention he would let Bibi Netanyahu destroy it first, but that is emerging as the plan.
Of all the people in the United States, the president-elect has settled on Mike Huckabee as his nominee for ambassador to Israel. Huckabee, a Southern Baptist, has said he does not believe in the West Bank as a concept and that it is Judea and Samaria (the biblical name for the region) and that Palestinians as a people are not real. He has also put on campaign events from the West Bank. After Donald Trump’s announcement, Huckabee was asked whether West Bank annexation was possible during the coming presidential term. “Of course,” he replied. (Huckabee is a Christian Zionist, which is to say he believes that Jews should be in Israel—an area he deems to include the West Bank—so as to trigger the Second Coming, after which Christians can inhabit the land.)
Huckabee is but one part of a larger story: In the week or so since he won reelection, Trump has announced a series of people who either explicitly support West Bank settlement or annexation or bristle at the slightest suggestion of criticism of Israel.
As Galen Jackson, an associate professor of political science at Williams College, put it, “To the extent that Israel plans to hold on to the settlements that it builds in the West Bank, then almost by definition annexation has been proceeding for decades on a gradual basis. The main difference with Trump, in that case, is that he doesn’t even protest Israeli settlement expansion or deem it in violation of international law, whereas all other U.S. administrations have.”
Huckabee isn’t the only nominee that the far right Israelis must be thrilled about. Pete Hegseth and Elise Stefanik (nominated for UN Ambassador) have a long record of being all-in on whatever Netanyahu wants.
And there’s a broad consensus that an AG Matt Gaetz will destroy the Department of Justice and burn down the rule of law. Too bad for all those people who voted for Trump because they were afraid of crime.
And I haven’t yet started on what’s going to happen to the economy. But y’all know all that.
I hate election years, but I expect I will hate next year even worse.
I know that Dear Leader is both a moron and ignorant, but surely someone in his circle has noticed the little detail that recess appointments are temporary: the appointee has to be confirmed by the Senate by the end of the next Congressional session–or else vacate the position. And I don't think the Senate is gonna agree to be recessed until January 2029 (assuming that Dear Leader leaves as required by the 22nd). Are Republican Senators–or the Supreme wingnuts–ready to publicly declare that the rules simply don't apply to Dear Leader?
"recess appointments are temporary"
Right well a congressional session last at least 18 months which is about 12 months longer than Gaetz, Hoghead, Gabbard, RF the lesser need to bring our countries defenses to it's knees. Stump is hell bent on destroying the agencies that didn't kiss his fat ass last time.
" I don’t know if Senate Republicans will hang together to approve them all. I don’t know if Congress will roll over and go into recession for more than ten days so that Trump can choose who he wants without hearings"
Whatever the GQP needs to do to give diaper don what he wants is what they will do, every last one of them will either vote for conformation or vote to go into recess. Either way I don't see any way to stop this insanity. Let it rip, the sooner it gets bad the sooner we may pull out of it. That word may is carrying a whole bunch of weight.
La Luz – Call Me in the Day [OFFICIAL VIDEO] – YouTube
That could happen, yes. Some Capitol Hill observers say the Senate will fold, but some are saying there is a substantial block of Republican Senators who want to nix Gaetz, at least. So we will see who's right.
It looks like Trump 2.0 has more bugs in it than Trump 1.0. This should surprise no one. Unfortunately, way too many, is the reality we face.
At least we will not be required to drink the Kool Aid. We get to drink raw white milk and die instead. Some will find a brain worm at the bottom of their glass and win a check from the Elongated Musk of a million dollars. So, there is a chance to die rich in this version.
So much for the good news.
The Fuehrer is under great stress it seems, or he would be if he was a normal person. He is not of course normal. Abnormal like the birds he flocks with.
Do not panic. His appointments take Senate approval. Rand Paul could make things worse. Save your panic for then.
https://youtu.be/EiZTqYbLW8M
one little nit
Gabbard is a big fan of Vladimir Putin, btw.
That's the point. Our intelligence will be compromised on purpose, and T will only listen to Putin anyway. She's Putin's dream pick. Putin conquered the USA from the inside.
All of these cabinet picks are monumental by themselves, but the real problem will be the thousands of foot soldiers recruited by Project 2025 to displace the independent civil service. Thousands of moles infesting the various departments. Trained to ignore existing regulations and practices, and do whatever dear leader tells them.
I hate to link the NY post but the pictures in this article tell a story that of course the article doesn't. The post flirts with the notion that Stumps hoghead head breath something defense nominee has "radical ink". Yeah so what? Sure he's a product of GW Bush's "war on terror" lots of those types running around, thank you shrub. He served mildly in the national guard posed for a bunch of pictures and was only promoted twice in 14 years. Thats pretty lame. I was a cannon cocker enlisted schmuck during peace time, I was not a super troop just did my job and I got promoted three times in 2 years? I was in the real army not the reserves but that doesn't really explain hogfucks 14 years of part time "service" and only getting promoted twice. So I question how squared away was he as a troop, not too much I think, if you have your shit together and served in combat even in the reserves you get promoted alot, more than twice?. In fact he left with a trail of shit behind him with allegations of trouble but we won't see his records because the GQP senate would rather not.. The real reason I link the story is that if you look at his awesome "tats' yeah it's all incel teabagger gun nut shit, lots of those, standard issue, big deal tattoos are cheap. But what really stands out is that most of the ink he is showing off is brand new. The guy is a fuckin poser, he got these tattoos so that he could play a hard ass incel teabagger, when in fact he's a new york wing nut media whore. In one picture he was still on the tattoo table and tweeting his new ink. He's playing white nationalist asshole in our new reality show, it's all a fucking act, just like Stump!
All of secretary of defense nominee Pete Hegseth's tattoos
I need to correct my post, I was also only promoted twice, I went in as all enlisted recruits do as an E1-private. I had flunked out of college before I joined so that earned me one stripe automatically. Once I got out of basic I was granted E2-also private. So two years later I left the Army as an E-4. So technically I only got promoted twice, though I left the Army with three stripes more than I entered with! No matter if I had stayed in the Army for 14 years I would have been a master Sergeant. Point is I got promoted twice or three times because I understood the mission, I worked hard, and never caused a ruckus. That asshole Stump nominated was in trouble for quite some time. He's a stroke. But now he will use his ineptitude to go after the "woke: Army. The only thing that was ever woke when I was in the Army was me at 3:30am, This guy hagstuck needs to go away.
The Clash – The Call Up (Official Video)
Most Trump voters do not care about who Trump taps for what job or how incompetent they are. And we're not going to be able to stop a lot of the carnage. Gaetz will be a spectacular failure – he will charge people who are not guilty and DOJ will wind up paying for the defense lawyers because the prosecution was frivolous.
The issue that will screw Trump is the policies that cost the low-info voter who voted for Trump. When I say "cost", I mean big bucks. Trump is too stupid to see how high tariffs will drive up costs. Mind you, the MAGA voter is willing to believe up is down if Trump says so, but when food costs and other staples double in price, consumers will scream, including low-info voters who are informed by Fox.
The chorus I can write now: "Trump changes were only supposed to hurt THEM, not ME!" Because they wanted the hurt but now their butts are stinging. A few years of pain will change a lot of voter's minds. I think whatever schemes Trump has that need Congress have to pass in the first two years because Trump won't control the House or Senate after that.
Trump does not want to be bothered by Congress – so Trump may test the limits of what he can do by executive order without laying the groundwork for legislation. Maybe the only legislative hit we'll take is the budget bill by reconciliation.
One of the biggest lobbying groups is Big Pharma. Bobby is gonna stick a thumb in their eye every chance he gets. And it will be funny to Trump until they line up almost unlimited money against Trump.
I see no indication that Trump is gonna learn nuance when he's warned about a legal line. He'll cross it. That means Trump will get charged again after he loses.
Yeah. there's gonna be a lot of pain for citizens. It may take a LONG time to get teams of competent people back in federal service after the exodus. If the courts can hold the line, the Constitution will survive. Maybe the post-Trump backlash will propel liberal policies into law.
The federal government, and especially federal prosecutors, enjoy sovereign immunity from suit.
If a defense attorney brings a lawsuit for "frivolous" prosecution, the US Attorney has the fact that the defendant was either indicted by a grand jury or charged by an information where a preliminary hearing would have been held in front of a judge or magistrate, unless waived.
The fed rarely loses criminal cases. The fed rarely if ever brings frivolous cases.
Hi Doug,
All good points. And I hope you're right.
What I'm worried about is the fountain of lies. Everything that comes out of the administration will be laced with lies. I'm not sure he gives a hoot about anything other than "being President" and staying out of prison. He doesn't have to wreck every department to get those two things. (Oh, and also monetizing the presidency). Because of the wall of deceit, I don't know if we'll really know anything about what's going on in the government… could be disasters or it could be business as usual? How would we know? Inflation we would know about. But other results of kneecapping the agencies might not show in time for 2026. He's going to walk out to the serious looking green helicopter every day and spew a torrent of lies.
We just have to figure out how to solve the media problem and the Dem's problem with the low info voters' "perception" of what we care about, and do it pronto to prepare for 2026.
The wall of deceit. This wall is one Trump builds with success. and we all pay for it. His powerful felt tipped pen can change the course of tropical storms using the wall of deceit. His new bromance, Elonia will spend more time in the White House as Eonia now owns the X. The X that he owns is not in the x in the public domain. He owns the private x. Now a part of the right-wing wall of deceit.
I must credit Maureen Dowd for Elonia. Her sharp insight in the NYT entitled Eau de Musk, Trump's new cologne has the fangs and venom of proper pen power. The sentence "They both have the solipsistic attitude of a spoiled rotten 11-year-old" contains one of those Dowd words, that translates roughly to extreme egotism but really needs an understanding of philosophy to really define. The they here refer to "first buddy" Elongated Elon and Duh Donald.
Anyway, borrowing a phrase is considered quite complementary in some circles. Wall of deceit is a good one. Thanks. Elonia is good too. Thanks again.
Let me expand on one point. Biden/Harris took a huge hit IMO on inflation. It really happened and it was really big. It's eased off now but prices didn't come down. For some working-class folks their pay went up but not enough yet to offset the higher prices. And there's a memory thing – people remember what they used to pay for staples at the same time they disregard the real jump in pay that happened for many. I see this every day as a cashier for a hardware store. Sticker shock. "You know that used to cost…"
If inflation is much greater than what it ever was with Biden, Trump will lie about it. He'll call all the statistics "fake." And the buying public won't buy the Wall of Deceit. Not about their money and the hit they have taken while the administration is in total denial.
Yeah, mostly Trump will get away with separating families and deporting without legal recourse even when Americans get caught in the net. There won't be widespread outrage when the Obamas are arrested and charged with treason (with no evidence.) There won't be widespread outrage when violent crime goes up as MAGA kooks try to crush freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.
Don't expect a Wall of Outrage greater than the Wall of Deceit. Not until vegetables become a luxury item only the elite can buy, housing prices force multiple families into a single home, and energy costs jump. THEN there will be voter outrage. If the pain reaches Great Depression levels, it will open the door to a FDR-level liberal POTUS and Congress.
ABC is running with Martha Raddatz on the inflation cost of immigration policy that has begun with Trump's actions. Yes, you have an issue that is bigger than even ABC knows and reports.
I say this with expert status in that I worked for 10 years in an area that used immigrants with a variety of permit status to slaughter meat. We want meat that is inspected and safe and supplied from this country. There are standards that some religions have that is higher and/or different than USDA standards. They want their standards met for their products met also. Beef is already high and inflation there is sticky.
Trump is causing intentional chaos. He knows this as he is because he has been president before. We need restraints and controls on him ASAP.
Chicken prices have come back down to very close to pre-Covid levels ($1.19/lb, was 0.99), but Beef and Pork prices have stayed high. Any [insider] perspective on this?
Also, any idea why Covid hit meat-packing plants so hard & early? That always seemed weird.
Don't discount the possibility where shit gets bad, Trump tells them its good and they believe it. I still marvel at those Trump supporters back in 2018 who insisted they got a tax cut under Trump but didn't. Some were fooled, others knew they didn't but insisted they did anyway so as to not commit the heresy of acknowledging Trump lied when he said they got one.
ABC is running with Martha Raddatz on the inflation cost of immigration policy that has begun with Trump's actions. Yes, you have an issue that is bigger than even ABC knows and reports.
I say this with expert status in that I worked for 10 years in an area that used immigrants with a variety of permit status to slaughter meat. We want meat that is inspected and safe and supplied from this country. There are standards that some religions have that is higher and/or different than USDA standards. They want their standards for their products met also. Beef is already high and inflation there is sticky.
Trump is causing intentional chaos. He knows this as because he has been president before. We need restraints and controls on him ASAP.
Good thing we didn't get rid of the filibuster when Schumer was pushing it.