Could we please also retire “Liberation Day”? I have twice in the last few days, heard it referred to as a real thing, rather than as one more piece of trump bs. We don’t have to adopt his lexicon, as you are well aware. I would like for that phrase to be on a list of disfavored terms. Thank you!
There's no such thing. It is not an accredited institution. It is not codified into law, the way other executive agencies are, such as USAID. It is not recognized by Congress, neither by any authorizing or appropriations committee within Congress, and has never received a dime of federal moneys. Its entire existence is arguably in violation of the Anti-Deficiency Act (where government cannot spend money it was not appropriated). Its make-up is invisible, its members operate in secrecy, and none of them have ever taken an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States the way every other federal employee in every other agency and Cabinet department have, and are obligated to undertake.
Using their language is another way of accepting their gaslighting as the truth. It allows them to then claim this mythical agency is actually after 'waste, fraud and abuse' when it is nothing but a power grab. It's about who gets what and how they will use power to destroy anything they don't like.
So don't use their language. Don't accept their delusional falsehoods as reality, not even by shorthand. The term would be "so-called DOGE" because it is not a real thing, never has been and never will be.
Not so! The Trump Presidential Library is a very soon to be fully accredited institution. With its' very own $400 million 747 jet! Nothing says 'accredited' like a library with a militarized jumbo jet for returning late library books.
You'll enjoy the term more if you include its bookend term, coined by The Guardian, for the humiliatingly inevitable retreat from the global economic chaos his "Liberation Day" proposal had generated.
Yesterday, as Xi triumphed over Trump, was Capitulation Day.
If we're going to be flooded with Orwellian terms by the Republicans, we'd might as well at least have fun with them.
Hear, hear! The third impeachment time is the conviction charm. As you said, it starts with changing the makeup of Congress next year. Meanwhile, we have to keep the pressure on Trump 2.0 in every way we can.
Democrats need veto-proof majorities in both houses. Then Congress needs to pass laws that strengthen ethics and emoluments restrictions, as well as express grants of discretion to federal agencies to make it clear that regulators are empowered and necessary for our federal government to function effectively. Also, every EO, statement, and other action by the White House must be analyzed immediately and added to a running list of impeachable offenses. Let’s make America great again (for real)!
electoral college must be first thing to go......makes it too easy to rig elections...long overdue for the ENTIRE nation to elect the pres not just a few states
Foreign Emoluments Clause of the United States Constitution:
“No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.”
Plus “It’s going to be hard for the admin to designate the Muslim Brotherhood and obliterate Iranian proxies in Hamas and Hezbollah when Qatar funds the Muslim Brotherhood, harbors HAMAS, and the US just accepted a $400 million jet from Qatar,” Loomer wrote. “The biggest lobby in DC is the Qatar lobby. We are watching an Islamic takeover of our country in real time.”
Qatar has been a significant financial supporter of Hamas, channeling aid to Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, for years. Qatar has given amnesty to Hamas political leaders, including Ismail Haniyeh and Khaled Mashal, in Doha. It held itself out an a mediator but that is baloney.
Mark Levin, a MAGA radio host and a member of Trump’s Department of Homeland Security advisory board, joined Loomer in criticizing the move. But other usual Qatar critics on the Hill remained quiet, at least for now.
Doug Heye, a GOP strategist, said Republicans would have criticized any Democratic move to accept such a significant gift from Qatar. “The ethical problems with this are so obvious that even some of the most ardent Trump defenders are saying, ‘wait a sec,’” he said.
Bondi worked as a foreign lobbyist for the nation of Qatar, earning $115,000 a month in the role which she held in 2020 and in the run up to the World Cup in 2022. In this role, she lobbied Congress on behalf of Qatari interests. She also worked in a separate lobbying position for the Washington, D.C.-based firm Ballard Partners, where she also lobbied on behalf of Qatari interests and several conglomerates including Amazon.
Wealth funds in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have invested hundreds of millions of dollars with Jared Kushner's private equity firm.
2. From today's Tyranny Tracker.
🔥 In Corruption News
A VIP Seat at Trump’s Crypto Dinner Cost at Least $2 Million
What Happened: The top 220 holders of Trump’s $TRUMP memecoin secured dinner invitations with Trump by spending and holding millions of his $TRUMP memecoin, some spending over $19 million. The top 25 will get VIP access and a White House tour. Some dumped their coins right after qualifying.
Why It Matters: Another blatant pay-to-play scheme, letting anonymous investors, including foreign entities, buy access to Trump while posing a national security risk. Meanwhile, Trump deregulates crypto as he and his family profit.
Source: WIRED
Eric Trump’s American Bitcoin Goes Public in Latest Crypto Move by President’s Family
What Happened: Eric and Donald Trump Jr.’s bitcoin mining company, American Bitcoin, is going public via a merger with Gryphon Digital Mining. The Trump sons will retain 98% ownership of the new Nasdaq-listed firm, trading under the ticker “ABTC.”
Why It Matters: This deepens the Trump family’s grip on the U.S. crypto sector. As Eric Trump pushes U.S. bitcoin dominance and Trump deregulates the industry, it raises serious red flags about corruption, self-enrichment, and unchecked conflicts of interest.
Source: CNBC
Foreign Investors May Have Won Access to Trump Gala Through Meme Coin Contest
What Happened: The top 220 holders of Trump’s meme coin secured invitations for a dinner with Trump. Some wallets appear tied to foreign entities, including a Chinese billionaire and Trump ally previously sued by the SEC—a case dropped after Trump took office.
Why It Matters: Trump’s coin is a pay-to-play access scheme. Foreign investors may be buying influence, while Trump’s family stands to profit tens of millions. National security, ethics, and regulatory integrity are all at risk.
Source: ABC News
Elon Musk’s Boring Company in Talks With Government Over Amtrak Project
What Happened: The Federal Railroad Administration is consulting Musk’s Boring Company to potentially take over parts of Amtrak’s $8.5 billion Frederick Douglass Tunnel project.
Why It Matters: Musk’s dual role as Trump adviser and federal contractor poses a major conflict of interest. As he helps gut agencies that oversee his businesses, his companies continue to cash in on federal contracts.
We have entered the part of this insane timeline where I officially have agreed with something Loomer, Levin *and* Steve Bannon have said in the past four months. (Bannon on his criticism of Musk.)
Can somebody please stop the world? I'd like to get off this ride now, thanks.
I curse Trump for forcing me to agree with Ann Coulter on doing away with the 'Kim Jong Il-style cabinet meetings' and Laura Loomer on the cringe-worthy graft of Trump taking bribes from Qatar, a country that, like Iran, has been propping up Hamas.
IMHO goes back to the 1970's. OPEC has been undermining our economy by forcing us to pay the equivalent of taxes...Saudis, other Gulf countries have been buying our energy sector...Saudis own our largest oil refineries, control some of our biggest energy companies like Exxon.
Trump has many projects with them. As a government employee, every dime he makes should go directly to the Treasury. He is working to undermine the rest of us.
Trump has violated the Emoluments Clause multiple times, probably starting with the farce of the "Trump Hotel" in Washington, D.C. Foreign operatives stayed there and paid into the Trump business empire to do so. If any were allowed to stay as "guests" for free, it would have added aromas of conflict of interest and quid-pro-quo to the malfeasances.
Worse, he has never been prosecuted for any emolument violations. Congress and DoJ, do your jobs.
I am 80 and to be honest I just want to slap him........I feel that this has all happened because this group have not FELT any repercussions or consequences from tRump all the way through the congress and Supreme Court. This is especially egregious since our citizenry feel the punishments daily and harshly....
Recent Republican budget reconciliation efforts have faced significant dissension within the party, particularly regarding the extent of spending cuts and the potential impact on popular programs.
Areas of Republican Dissension:
Spending Cuts: A major point of contention lies in the differing targets for spending cuts between the House and Senate.
The House initially aimed for $1.5 trillion in cuts, while the Senate proposed a floor of only $4 billion.
This discrepancy highlights a fundamental divide between fiscal hawks and more moderate Republicans.
Medicaid: Proposed changes to Medicaid, including work requirements and potential benefit reductions, have sparked strong opposition from some Republicans, according to NPR.
A group of House Republicans warned against any cuts to Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations.
Tax Cuts: While there's broad support for extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), the specifics of how to offset the cost of these extensions have led to disagreements.
Some Republicans prioritize deficit reduction, while others are more focused on maintaining the tax cuts, notes KBKG.
Defense Spending: Disagreements have also emerged regarding the level of defense spending, with some Republicans pushing for increases while others advocate for fiscal restraint.
Procedural Issues: Even the process of passing the budget resolution has faced challenges, with some House Republicans expressing frustration over a lack of transparency and consultation, according to Government Executive httpsorganisations.
Impact of Dissension:
The deep divisions within the Republican party have made it difficult to reach a consensus on a budget reconciliation bill. This has the potential to:
Delay or derail the reconciliation process: Without Republican unity, it may be challenging to pass a bill through both the House and Senate.
Force compromises: To gain enough support, Republican leaders may have to make concessions on certain provisions, potentially weakening the overall impact of the bill.
Undermine public confidence: The inability to agree on a budget can damage the party's reputation for fiscal responsibility.
The ongoing negotiations and compromises will determine the final shape of the Republican budget reconciliation bill.
Contrarian isn't following the Jerry Weiss/ Feathers of Hope scenario. https://jerryweiss.substack.com/. 7 senate Republicans have cosponsored a bill to strip Trump of tariff authority. Many more are vocal about national security/SIGNALgate.
If a budget is not reached the 2017 tax cuts expire December 31, 2025.
tRump et al are making money, deals to build (rebuild)their empire. This has nothing to do with the good of the American public. The Constitution is assaulted, judicial rulings are ignored. Jan 6er criminals are hired as ICE agents. Immigrants,the backbone of our nation, are being treated in humanely. Torn off streets by thugs. " Is anybody there? Does anybody care?" Besides people reading this. Vent over.
What we NEED is a way to enforce the US Constitution. Trump admits he doesn’t know what it says and he clearly doesn’t care. The head of the DOJ, whose job it is to enforce the Constitution seems to have taken an oath to the Russian Constitution.
Sure, Trump "needs" an airplane that represents a massive security threat, not to mention that accepting it obviously violates the Constitution. Who besides me thinks that it contains all sorts of eavesdropping devices?
I'm an airline retiree and very familiar with aircraft. No intelligence organization would pass up an opportunity to pack that airframe with surveillance gear. Aircraft are immensely complex and intelligence/surveillance gear is very advanced these days. There's no way, even with the teardown and significant modifications needed to make it a Presidential aircraft, that we can be certain that all of it is found. There are good reasons that Presidential aircraft are always constructed in the US.
Converting it to the Presidential configuration will take hundreds of millions of dollars to accomplish and take years. At this point, it's cheaper to just continue with the new build ones Boeing is contacted to deliver.
What we the people NEED is for Congress to act as the third branch of the government, not as a prop for the felon-in-chief. If we don't throw the do-nothing rethugs out of office, we'll continue to be bowing under the demented would-be dictator's "needs."
I think trump did mention buying Greenland during his first term. I recall a video of Conan O'Brien going over there with a briefcase full of money for that purpose. Speaking of words that matter. Aren't the words "woke" and "Maga" just the stupidest toddler words in use today?
MAGA is now an acceptable name for what used to be the Republican Party. It's a collective way of thinking and legislating; it's a cult. This we can keep, 'woke' can go.
When Trump says he (or the nation or the world) "needs" something it means that he desperately "wants" it to fulfill some internal wish or imbalance. My parents taught me the difference between wants and needs but it's something he never encountered.
As we were taught, there is an important difference between need and want, yet the distinction depends on the context. I might want something for no good reason, or I might want something because I really need it. Under normal circumstances, it's easy to tell the difference.
I am not a psychologist, but (as I think about Jen Rubin's article), the want/need distinction probably blurs in the context of narcissism and complicated by whether the needs/wants are real or imaginary, frivolous or substantive, fleeting or unrelenting. Whatever their features, narcissistic wants/needs are typically projected onto others.
Seeing this play out at the highest levels of government is pretty unnerving. Important to stay clear-headed! Thanks to The Contrarian for helping us.
Could we please also retire “Liberation Day”? I have twice in the last few days, heard it referred to as a real thing, rather than as one more piece of trump bs. We don’t have to adopt his lexicon, as you are well aware. I would like for that phrase to be on a list of disfavored terms. Thank you!
Please do add "DOGE" to that important list.
There's no such thing. It is not an accredited institution. It is not codified into law, the way other executive agencies are, such as USAID. It is not recognized by Congress, neither by any authorizing or appropriations committee within Congress, and has never received a dime of federal moneys. Its entire existence is arguably in violation of the Anti-Deficiency Act (where government cannot spend money it was not appropriated). Its make-up is invisible, its members operate in secrecy, and none of them have ever taken an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States the way every other federal employee in every other agency and Cabinet department have, and are obligated to undertake.
Using their language is another way of accepting their gaslighting as the truth. It allows them to then claim this mythical agency is actually after 'waste, fraud and abuse' when it is nothing but a power grab. It's about who gets what and how they will use power to destroy anything they don't like.
So don't use their language. Don't accept their delusional falsehoods as reality, not even by shorthand. The term would be "so-called DOGE" because it is not a real thing, never has been and never will be.
There were once real Doges. In Venice, Italy. One can see the Doge's palace in St. Mark's square.
Incidentally, where are Musk and DOGE these days? 🤔
Not so! The Trump Presidential Library is a very soon to be fully accredited institution. With its' very own $400 million 747 jet! Nothing says 'accredited' like a library with a militarized jumbo jet for returning late library books.
You'll enjoy the term more if you include its bookend term, coined by The Guardian, for the humiliatingly inevitable retreat from the global economic chaos his "Liberation Day" proposal had generated.
Yesterday, as Xi triumphed over Trump, was Capitulation Day.
If we're going to be flooded with Orwellian terms by the Republicans, we'd might as well at least have fun with them.
In context, it's irony. I.e. -- liberated from one's life savings.
We NEED to drastically change the fabric of Congress in the midterms and get the impeachment ball rolling..
Hear, hear! The third impeachment time is the conviction charm. As you said, it starts with changing the makeup of Congress next year. Meanwhile, we have to keep the pressure on Trump 2.0 in every way we can.
Democrats need veto-proof majorities in both houses. Then Congress needs to pass laws that strengthen ethics and emoluments restrictions, as well as express grants of discretion to federal agencies to make it clear that regulators are empowered and necessary for our federal government to function effectively. Also, every EO, statement, and other action by the White House must be analyzed immediately and added to a running list of impeachable offenses. Let’s make America great again (for real)!
electoral college must be first thing to go......makes it too easy to rig elections...long overdue for the ENTIRE nation to elect the pres not just a few states
Oh, I would love to attend an impeachment ball...
I'm with you but I hope you'll all still have a real midterm election.
👍
The word for today should be emoluments.
1. I never thought I'd ever agree with Laura Loomer, but she called out Trump on the "gift."
Laura Loomer: Qatari jet gift a ‘stain’ on Trump presidency. https://thehill.com/homenews/5295240-laura-loomer-criticizes-trump-qatari-gift/
Foreign Emoluments Clause of the United States Constitution:
“No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.”
Plus “It’s going to be hard for the admin to designate the Muslim Brotherhood and obliterate Iranian proxies in Hamas and Hezbollah when Qatar funds the Muslim Brotherhood, harbors HAMAS, and the US just accepted a $400 million jet from Qatar,” Loomer wrote. “The biggest lobby in DC is the Qatar lobby. We are watching an Islamic takeover of our country in real time.”
Qatar has been a significant financial supporter of Hamas, channeling aid to Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, for years. Qatar has given amnesty to Hamas political leaders, including Ismail Haniyeh and Khaled Mashal, in Doha. It held itself out an a mediator but that is baloney.
Also implicated is Pam Bondi. Pam Bondi's Qatar Links Under Scrutiny Over Trump's Luxury Plane Gift https://www.newsweek.com/pam-bondi-qatar-links-under-scrutiny-over-trump-luxury-plane-gift-2070774
Mark Levin, a MAGA radio host and a member of Trump’s Department of Homeland Security advisory board, joined Loomer in criticizing the move. But other usual Qatar critics on the Hill remained quiet, at least for now.
Doug Heye, a GOP strategist, said Republicans would have criticized any Democratic move to accept such a significant gift from Qatar. “The ethical problems with this are so obvious that even some of the most ardent Trump defenders are saying, ‘wait a sec,’” he said.
Bondi worked as a foreign lobbyist for the nation of Qatar, earning $115,000 a month in the role which she held in 2020 and in the run up to the World Cup in 2022. In this role, she lobbied Congress on behalf of Qatari interests. She also worked in a separate lobbying position for the Washington, D.C.-based firm Ballard Partners, where she also lobbied on behalf of Qatari interests and several conglomerates including Amazon.
Wealth funds in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have invested hundreds of millions of dollars with Jared Kushner's private equity firm.
2. From today's Tyranny Tracker.
🔥 In Corruption News
A VIP Seat at Trump’s Crypto Dinner Cost at Least $2 Million
What Happened: The top 220 holders of Trump’s $TRUMP memecoin secured dinner invitations with Trump by spending and holding millions of his $TRUMP memecoin, some spending over $19 million. The top 25 will get VIP access and a White House tour. Some dumped their coins right after qualifying.
Why It Matters: Another blatant pay-to-play scheme, letting anonymous investors, including foreign entities, buy access to Trump while posing a national security risk. Meanwhile, Trump deregulates crypto as he and his family profit.
Source: WIRED
Eric Trump’s American Bitcoin Goes Public in Latest Crypto Move by President’s Family
What Happened: Eric and Donald Trump Jr.’s bitcoin mining company, American Bitcoin, is going public via a merger with Gryphon Digital Mining. The Trump sons will retain 98% ownership of the new Nasdaq-listed firm, trading under the ticker “ABTC.”
Why It Matters: This deepens the Trump family’s grip on the U.S. crypto sector. As Eric Trump pushes U.S. bitcoin dominance and Trump deregulates the industry, it raises serious red flags about corruption, self-enrichment, and unchecked conflicts of interest.
Source: CNBC
Foreign Investors May Have Won Access to Trump Gala Through Meme Coin Contest
What Happened: The top 220 holders of Trump’s meme coin secured invitations for a dinner with Trump. Some wallets appear tied to foreign entities, including a Chinese billionaire and Trump ally previously sued by the SEC—a case dropped after Trump took office.
Why It Matters: Trump’s coin is a pay-to-play access scheme. Foreign investors may be buying influence, while Trump’s family stands to profit tens of millions. National security, ethics, and regulatory integrity are all at risk.
Source: ABC News
Elon Musk’s Boring Company in Talks With Government Over Amtrak Project
What Happened: The Federal Railroad Administration is consulting Musk’s Boring Company to potentially take over parts of Amtrak’s $8.5 billion Frederick Douglass Tunnel project.
Why It Matters: Musk’s dual role as Trump adviser and federal contractor poses a major conflict of interest. As he helps gut agencies that oversee his businesses, his companies continue to cash in on federal contracts.
Source: New York Times
If Congress had a spine they would call Pam Bondi in for a hearing and replay her confirmation testimony to her.
Unless, of course, MAGA Mikey and his close companions are in on the deal and making piles of money too.
We have entered the part of this insane timeline where I officially have agreed with something Loomer, Levin *and* Steve Bannon have said in the past four months. (Bannon on his criticism of Musk.)
Can somebody please stop the world? I'd like to get off this ride now, thanks.
My supply of Dramamine is running low from having to agree with so many despicable right-wingers.
Heinous isn't it?
I curse Trump for forcing me to agree with Ann Coulter on doing away with the 'Kim Jong Il-style cabinet meetings' and Laura Loomer on the cringe-worthy graft of Trump taking bribes from Qatar, a country that, like Iran, has been propping up Hamas.
IMHO goes back to the 1970's. OPEC has been undermining our economy by forcing us to pay the equivalent of taxes...Saudis, other Gulf countries have been buying our energy sector...Saudis own our largest oil refineries, control some of our biggest energy companies like Exxon.
They have stolen $$ trillions. At one time, this was a bipartisan issue. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Oil_Producing_and_Exporting_Cartels_Act
Trump has many projects with them. As a government employee, every dime he makes should go directly to the Treasury. He is working to undermine the rest of us.
That whole "Politics makes strange bedfellows" thing is truer than I ever realized, and the bedfellows are even stranger.
Trump has violated the Emoluments Clause multiple times, probably starting with the farce of the "Trump Hotel" in Washington, D.C. Foreign operatives stayed there and paid into the Trump business empire to do so. If any were allowed to stay as "guests" for free, it would have added aromas of conflict of interest and quid-pro-quo to the malfeasances.
Worse, he has never been prosecuted for any emolument violations. Congress and DoJ, do your jobs.
The case as #45 was viable as long as he was in office but was dismissed when he lost in 2020.
All we can ask at this point is for some Congressional Republicans to come forward.
It's possiable someone can bring qui tam case.
The case should never have been thrown out. He took profit, and foreign at that, while in office.
I am 80 and to be honest I just want to slap him........I feel that this has all happened because this group have not FELT any repercussions or consequences from tRump all the way through the congress and Supreme Court. This is especially egregious since our citizenry feel the punishments daily and harshly....
I enjoy the Contrarian very much. Please not more pictures of Trump, though it ruins my breakfast.
True. His pictures waste space and presenting them doesn't redound to the respectability of The Contrarian.
What we "need" is for a Congress with a spine and a regime (and ALL its participants) in jail. THAT's what we need.
From AI today
Recent Republican budget reconciliation efforts have faced significant dissension within the party, particularly regarding the extent of spending cuts and the potential impact on popular programs.
Areas of Republican Dissension:
Spending Cuts: A major point of contention lies in the differing targets for spending cuts between the House and Senate.
The House initially aimed for $1.5 trillion in cuts, while the Senate proposed a floor of only $4 billion.
This discrepancy highlights a fundamental divide between fiscal hawks and more moderate Republicans.
Medicaid: Proposed changes to Medicaid, including work requirements and potential benefit reductions, have sparked strong opposition from some Republicans, according to NPR.
A group of House Republicans warned against any cuts to Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations.
Tax Cuts: While there's broad support for extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), the specifics of how to offset the cost of these extensions have led to disagreements.
Some Republicans prioritize deficit reduction, while others are more focused on maintaining the tax cuts, notes KBKG.
Defense Spending: Disagreements have also emerged regarding the level of defense spending, with some Republicans pushing for increases while others advocate for fiscal restraint.
Procedural Issues: Even the process of passing the budget resolution has faced challenges, with some House Republicans expressing frustration over a lack of transparency and consultation, according to Government Executive httpsorganisations.
Impact of Dissension:
The deep divisions within the Republican party have made it difficult to reach a consensus on a budget reconciliation bill. This has the potential to:
Delay or derail the reconciliation process: Without Republican unity, it may be challenging to pass a bill through both the House and Senate.
Force compromises: To gain enough support, Republican leaders may have to make concessions on certain provisions, potentially weakening the overall impact of the bill.
Undermine public confidence: The inability to agree on a budget can damage the party's reputation for fiscal responsibility.
The ongoing negotiations and compromises will determine the final shape of the Republican budget reconciliation bill.
Contrarian isn't following the Jerry Weiss/ Feathers of Hope scenario. https://jerryweiss.substack.com/. 7 senate Republicans have cosponsored a bill to strip Trump of tariff authority. Many more are vocal about national security/SIGNALgate.
If a budget is not reached the 2017 tax cuts expire December 31, 2025.
What I need is for Congress to do it's effing job!!! 😭
Well said. Thank you.
tRump et al are making money, deals to build (rebuild)their empire. This has nothing to do with the good of the American public. The Constitution is assaulted, judicial rulings are ignored. Jan 6er criminals are hired as ICE agents. Immigrants,the backbone of our nation, are being treated in humanely. Torn off streets by thugs. " Is anybody there? Does anybody care?" Besides people reading this. Vent over.
What we NEED is a way to enforce the US Constitution. Trump admits he doesn’t know what it says and he clearly doesn’t care. The head of the DOJ, whose job it is to enforce the Constitution seems to have taken an oath to the Russian Constitution.
Where is Congress? Or, why should I pay taxes??
Bondi took an oath to Trump.
With Clarence Thomas swearing her in!
Sure, Trump "needs" an airplane that represents a massive security threat, not to mention that accepting it obviously violates the Constitution. Who besides me thinks that it contains all sorts of eavesdropping devices?
I'm an airline retiree and very familiar with aircraft. No intelligence organization would pass up an opportunity to pack that airframe with surveillance gear. Aircraft are immensely complex and intelligence/surveillance gear is very advanced these days. There's no way, even with the teardown and significant modifications needed to make it a Presidential aircraft, that we can be certain that all of it is found. There are good reasons that Presidential aircraft are always constructed in the US.
Converting it to the Presidential configuration will take hundreds of millions of dollars to accomplish and take years. At this point, it's cheaper to just continue with the new build ones Boeing is contacted to deliver.
BTW, Jen, where do we buy that snazzy mug of The Contrarian logo? Thanks.
What we the people NEED is for Congress to act as the third branch of the government, not as a prop for the felon-in-chief. If we don't throw the do-nothing rethugs out of office, we'll continue to be bowing under the demented would-be dictator's "needs."
I think trump did mention buying Greenland during his first term. I recall a video of Conan O'Brien going over there with a briefcase full of money for that purpose. Speaking of words that matter. Aren't the words "woke" and "Maga" just the stupidest toddler words in use today?
More to the point, he never mentioned Greenland or making Canada the 51st state in his 2024 campaign. Talk about bait and switch!
Ever think what a master Trump is of DISTRACTION?
Ambition distraction uglification and derision, per Lewis Carroll.
MAGA is now an acceptable name for what used to be the Republican Party. It's a collective way of thinking and legislating; it's a cult. This we can keep, 'woke' can go.
Yes! The MAGA Party or The Trumpian Party. It should be repeated over and over by anyone one who opposes the Beast (aka Donald the Dictator).
When Trump says he (or the nation or the world) "needs" something it means that he desperately "wants" it to fulfill some internal wish or imbalance. My parents taught me the difference between wants and needs but it's something he never encountered.
As we were taught, there is an important difference between need and want, yet the distinction depends on the context. I might want something for no good reason, or I might want something because I really need it. Under normal circumstances, it's easy to tell the difference.
I am not a psychologist, but (as I think about Jen Rubin's article), the want/need distinction probably blurs in the context of narcissism and complicated by whether the needs/wants are real or imaginary, frivolous or substantive, fleeting or unrelenting. Whatever their features, narcissistic wants/needs are typically projected onto others.
Seeing this play out at the highest levels of government is pretty unnerving. Important to stay clear-headed! Thanks to The Contrarian for helping us.
Boy, do we NEED you! In the original sense!