The Second Term of Donald J. Trump as President of the United States of America
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It might be more surprising if it were otherwise.
"Reality" TV it was called.
As "real" as Trump's second term?
Shiftless2
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Trump didn't wait to be sworn in to start breaking his campaign promises to you | Opinion
American voters usually have to wait for politicians to get into office before they start breaking campaign promises. But not with Trump.
Chris BrennanDonald Trump is set to be sworn in Monday for a second term as president after running on a very long and varied list of campaign promises last year.
And if you believe he means to keep them, then does he have a southern border wall to sell you!
Because, just like Trump's most notorious promise in his first White House run – "Mexico will pay for the wall" – became a running, rueful joke about how openly dishonest he is, the former and future president is sure to again abandon any pledge as soon as it no longer suits his ambitions.
How can we tell? Because it's already happening.
American voters usually have to wait for politicians to get into office before they start breaking campaign promises. But not with Trump. He's already out there, shrugging off his past assurances like debts he never intended to pay.
Remember when ...
Trump didn't wait to be sworn in to start breaking his campaign promises to you | Opinion
It's been a while since you've heard Trump promise gas at less than $2 per gallon, right? That's usually a sign he's walking away from a promise.
www.usatoday.com
Opinion
The Trump-Musk bromance is breaking up and could break America
John Mac Ghlionn, Opinion Contributor / Mon, January 27, 2025 at 1:30 PMOpinion - The Trump-Musk bromance is breaking up and could break America ...
President Trump and Elon Musk, two titans of ego, united for the cameras and the “greater good.” But like all fairy tales, this one didn’t last. The honeymoon is now officially over.
Barely had Trump announced his artificial intelligence infrastructure project, Stargate, when Musk, his so-called “First Buddy,” slipped into the role of disgruntled spouse.
The White House rollout, featuring SoftBank, OpenAI and Oracle, promised a half-trillion-dollar leap into AI supremacy. “They don’t actually have the money,” Musk sniped on X, his personal soapbox. “SoftBank has well under $10B secured. I have that on good authority.”
Musk’s rapid turn from ally to adversary sends a clear signal: Trump needs to cut ties — before the bromance drags him, and possibly the nation, under.
What might have initially seemed like a strategic alignment — a billionaire tech mogul and a bombastic political leader coming together to shape America’s future — was, in reality, a ticking time bomb.
Musk and Trump are not Batman and Robin. They are two Batmans, each with their own unyielding desire to dominate the spotlight, the narrative and the accolades. The combustible mix of their egos, coupled with their insatiable need for public adoration, is destined to end in a fiery implosion.
Musk’s recent public mockery of Trump’s AI initiative is not just a minor jab — it’s a declaration of independence. For Trump, who demands absolute loyalty and reverence, this is tantamount to betrayal.
Opinion - The Trump-Musk bromance is breaking up and could break America
President Trump and Elon Musk, two powerful figures, were initially united for the cameras and the "greater good," but their marriage made in heaven has now officially ended due to their conflicting ideologies and egos.
Previous U.S. presidents have sought & obtained counsel from a variety of public sector and private sector sources.
Is there anything intrinsically wrong with including a self-made $Billionaire?
Apparently the problem here is that Trump can not isolate his own egotistical excursions from his professional executive obligations. Isn't that the kind of amateur mistake public servants learn to avoid while gaining experience on the town board, or at the PTA? Certainly not to demonstrate the unmistakable lack of it at 1600 Penn Ave.
The bull in the china shop:
further detail @ https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/01/omb-q-a-regarding-memorandum-m-25-13/
further detail @ https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/01/omb-q-a-regarding-memorandum-m-25-13/
Shiftless2
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"To attempt to silence a man is to pay him homage, for it is an acknowledgment that his arguments are both impossible to answer and impossible to ignore." John "The Birdman" Bryant
"The reason men are silenced is not because they speak falsely, but because they speak the truth. This is because if men speak falsehoods, their own words can be used against them; while if they speak truly, there is nothing which can be used against them --except force." John "The Birdman" Bryant
Shiftless2
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Shiftless2
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What Trump’s Blitz of Executive Orders Means for Science
After his second inauguration, President Donald Trump signed a host of executive orders, some with important implications for scienceBy Dan Garisto, Max Kozlov, Jeff Tollefson & Nature magazine
Soon after being sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on Monday, Donald Trump signed a slew of executive orders that could reshape science at home and abroad. The orders — which direct the actions of the federal government but cannot change existing laws — are designed to shift policies and priorities on several scientific issues, including climate and public health. They also aim to cut the government workforce, which includes scientists, and potentially reduce its authority.
It remains unclear how much weight many of the orders will carry, but policy specialists who spoke to Nature say that they clearly mark the direction Trump intends to steer the United States during his second term in the White House.
“A lot of the power of executive orders is in the messaging,” says Gretchen Goldman, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists, an advocacy group based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. And the message thus far is clear, she says: “The administration is trying to undermine the government experts themselves, as well as the processes by which we make science-based decisions in government.”
Here Nature examines some of .....
CONTINUED
Shiftless2
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From Occupy Democrats on FB
BREAKING: Horror story hits the news as a toddler, mother, and grandmother are hauled off to an immigration detention center by Trump's goons because they were speaking Spanish — even though they're American citizens.
This is the worst case scenario...
According to a report from Telemundo Puerto Rico, the three innocent Americans were detained in Milwaukee and dragged off by U.S. officials.
A member of their family stated that they were minding their own business, shopping at a department store when they were detained. Their request to speak to officers was denied until they arrived at the detention center.
"My sister, speaking in English, explained that, not only are they American citizens, but that they are from Puerto Rico, they were born in Puerto Rico," said the family member. The individual spoke anonymously to Telemundo out of fear for their family.
The detained mother eventually produced documents including birth certificates, at which point the officials became apologetic — presumably because they're afraid of a lawsuit.
"I’m so sorry," said one official.
The family was then forced to call and pay for a ride from the facility, putting even more unfair strain on them.
It's still unclear which agency detained them, since ICE's mass detainment and deportation operations are being aided by U.S. Marshals, the DEA, and the FBI.
BREAKING: Horror story hits the news as a toddler, mother, and grandmother are hauled off to an immigration detention center by Trump's goons because they were speaking Spanish — even though they're American citizens.
This is the worst case scenario...
According to a report from Telemundo Puerto Rico, the three innocent Americans were detained in Milwaukee and dragged off by U.S. officials.
A member of their family stated that they were minding their own business, shopping at a department store when they were detained. Their request to speak to officers was denied until they arrived at the detention center.
"My sister, speaking in English, explained that, not only are they American citizens, but that they are from Puerto Rico, they were born in Puerto Rico," said the family member. The individual spoke anonymously to Telemundo out of fear for their family.
The detained mother eventually produced documents including birth certificates, at which point the officials became apologetic — presumably because they're afraid of a lawsuit.
"I’m so sorry," said one official.
The family was then forced to call and pay for a ride from the facility, putting even more unfair strain on them.
It's still unclear which agency detained them, since ICE's mass detainment and deportation operations are being aided by U.S. Marshals, the DEA, and the FBI.
Shiftless2
Well-known member
The train wreck continues
BREAKING: Democratic Senator Michael Bennet obliterates hack RFK Jr. during his confirmation hearing by confronting him directly about some of his most insane claims to date.
This is an absolute masterclass...
"Did you say that COVID-19 was a genetically engineered bioweapon that targets Black and white people but spared Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people?" asked Bennet.
"Uh, I didn't say it was deliberately targeted I just quoted an NIH-funded, an NIH-published study," said RFK.
"Did you say that it targets Black and white people but spares Ashkenazi Jews?" Bennet pushed.
"I quoted a study your honor. I quoted an NIH study that showed certain races are disproportionately—" said RFK.
"I'll take that as a yes. I have to move on," interjected the senator. "Did you say that Lyme disease is highly likely a militarily bioweapon? I made sure I put in the 'high likely.' Did you say that Lyme disease is a 'highly likely' militarily-engineered bioweapon?"
"I probably did say that..." said RFK.
"Okay! I want all of our colleagues to hear it Mr. Kennedy. I want them to hear it. You said yes. Did you say that exposure to pesticides causes children to become transgender?" asked Bennet.
"No, I never said that," claimed RFK Jr.
"Okay, I have the record that I'll give to the Chairman and he can make his judgement about what you said," said Bennet. "Did you write in your book that's it's 'undeniable' that African AIDS is an entirely different disease from western AIDS. Yes or no Mr. Kennedy?"
"I'm not sure if I made that..."
"Okay, I'll give it to the Chairman," replied Bennet. "Mr. Kennedy and then my final question: Did you say on a podcast and I quote 'I wouldn't leave [abortion] to the states. My belief is we should leave it to the woman. We shouldn't have the government involved even if it's full-term.' Did you say that Mr. Kennedy?"
"Senator, I believe that every abortion is a tragedy—" began RFK Jr.
"Did you say it Mr. Kennedy?" Bennet interjected forcefully.
"I believe—" said RFK.
"This matters! It doesn't matter what you come here and say that isn't true, that's not reflective of what you really believe, that you haven't said over decade after decade after decade because unlike other jobs we're confirming around this place this is a job where it's life and death for the kids that I used to work for in the Denver Public Schools and for families all over this country that are suffering from living in the richest country in the world that can't deliver basic healthcare and basic mental healthcare to them," raged Bennet.
"It's too important for the games that you're playing Mr. Kennedy and I hope that my colleagues will say to the president — I have no influence over him — I hope that my colleagues will say out of three hundred and thirty million Americans we can do better than this," the senator concluded.
Senator Bennet is absolutely right. This is a big country full of countless qualified individuals. We don't have to settle for a dangerous quack like RFK Jr. just because he kissed the MAGA ring. America deserves better.
BREAKING: Democratic Senator Michael Bennet obliterates hack RFK Jr. during his confirmation hearing by confronting him directly about some of his most insane claims to date.
This is an absolute masterclass...
"Did you say that COVID-19 was a genetically engineered bioweapon that targets Black and white people but spared Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people?" asked Bennet.
"Uh, I didn't say it was deliberately targeted I just quoted an NIH-funded, an NIH-published study," said RFK.
"Did you say that it targets Black and white people but spares Ashkenazi Jews?" Bennet pushed.
"I quoted a study your honor. I quoted an NIH study that showed certain races are disproportionately—" said RFK.
"I'll take that as a yes. I have to move on," interjected the senator. "Did you say that Lyme disease is highly likely a militarily bioweapon? I made sure I put in the 'high likely.' Did you say that Lyme disease is a 'highly likely' militarily-engineered bioweapon?"
"I probably did say that..." said RFK.
"Okay! I want all of our colleagues to hear it Mr. Kennedy. I want them to hear it. You said yes. Did you say that exposure to pesticides causes children to become transgender?" asked Bennet.
"No, I never said that," claimed RFK Jr.
"Okay, I have the record that I'll give to the Chairman and he can make his judgement about what you said," said Bennet. "Did you write in your book that's it's 'undeniable' that African AIDS is an entirely different disease from western AIDS. Yes or no Mr. Kennedy?"
"I'm not sure if I made that..."
"Okay, I'll give it to the Chairman," replied Bennet. "Mr. Kennedy and then my final question: Did you say on a podcast and I quote 'I wouldn't leave [abortion] to the states. My belief is we should leave it to the woman. We shouldn't have the government involved even if it's full-term.' Did you say that Mr. Kennedy?"
"Senator, I believe that every abortion is a tragedy—" began RFK Jr.
"Did you say it Mr. Kennedy?" Bennet interjected forcefully.
"I believe—" said RFK.
"This matters! It doesn't matter what you come here and say that isn't true, that's not reflective of what you really believe, that you haven't said over decade after decade after decade because unlike other jobs we're confirming around this place this is a job where it's life and death for the kids that I used to work for in the Denver Public Schools and for families all over this country that are suffering from living in the richest country in the world that can't deliver basic healthcare and basic mental healthcare to them," raged Bennet.
"It's too important for the games that you're playing Mr. Kennedy and I hope that my colleagues will say to the president — I have no influence over him — I hope that my colleagues will say out of three hundred and thirty million Americans we can do better than this," the senator concluded.
Senator Bennet is absolutely right. This is a big country full of countless qualified individuals. We don't have to settle for a dangerous quack like RFK Jr. just because he kissed the MAGA ring. America deserves better.
Unfortunately, the institutionalized "plan-A" that approximated systemic viability for over two centuries was a rational electorate.
Now that this fundamental systemic safeguard has failed catastrophically the "plan-B" automatically invoked is "checks-&-balances", "the rule of law". BUT !!
That independent safeguard failed before the U.S. electorate did.
Former president Trump should never have been allowed on the ballot during the 2024 Republican presidential candidate primary elections.
Implausibly compounding this conspicuous legal absurdity, emphatically applying some ridiculous pseudo-standard of law that there is a double-standard in law, that law is binding on every U.S. citizen
except the U.S. president (or perhaps only U.S. President Trump).
There's no rational justification for this potentially terminal fiction.
Article #6, Section #2: the United States Constitution is "the supreme law of the land". This preposterous notion of presidential exemption is entirely unworkable, and explicitly unConstitutional.
The rule of law is not an inconvenience, an obstacle to good governance. The rule of law is the very basis of governance in the United States of America,
or was until Trump was inaugurated.
The result:
The president of the United States is a convicted felon, a perjurer of his Constitutional oath, and a treacherous peril to the welfare of the United States in particular, and humanity in general.
MSNBC Ratings Up 61% After Donald Trump Inauguration With 1.3 Million Weekly Viewers
Loree Seitz / Tue, January 28, 2025 at 2:49 PM ESTMSNBC saw a 61% ratings boost after Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president.
MSNBC Ratings Up 61% After Donald Trump Inauguration With 1.3 Million Weekly Viewers
The network saw its biggest total audience since the week of the presidential election in November The post MSNBC Ratings Up 61% After Donald Trump Inauguration With 1.3 Million Weekly Viewers appeared first on TheWrap.
Shiftless2
Well-known member
Dear Donald Trump: Your plan to create ‘the United States of Canada’ is brilliant
By John Manley for The Globe and Mail
(John Manley was a deputy prime minister and minister of finance in Jean Chrétien’s government)
Dear Donald Trump,
My mentor and former Boss, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, has dismissed your suggestion that Canada and the U.S. merge.
Don’t despair. My point of view differs somewhat from his (sorry, Boss). We can make this work if Canadians fully understand your proposal.
Imagine what the “United States of Canada” could be. We would marry American ingenuity and entrepreneurship to Canada’s natural resources, underdog toughness and culture of self-effacing politeness to create a powerful, world-dominating country.
We would be the most enormous land mass in the world. We would be self-reliant in every respect (food, energy, minerals, water). We would attract the world’s most talented people. We would indeed be “the best country in the world,” to use Mr. Chrétien’s words, and would dominate international hockey competitions. Your idea is truly brilliant.
As you know from your corporate experience, the devil is in the details of any successful merger, but I have some suggestions.
First, Canada could never be the 51st state. Canada consists of 10 states (we call them “provinces”) and three territories. Each province exists for historical reasons, and citizens are intensely loyal to their province.
So we need to be the 51st to 60th states, with two senators for each state. Our 20 senators will undoubtedly bring fresh ideas to the institution that will help make the United States of Canada truly great!
Some issues that cause division and frustration in your country are considered settled by political parties of all stripes in Canada, so I suggest adopting Canadian consensus to make this deal work.
For example, there is no argument in Canada over women’s reproductive rights. There! That hot-button issue is resolved for you! (You can thank me later.)
All Canadian politicians support our single-payer health care system because no one is refused treatment for their inability to pay, and no one goes broke because they suffer a catastrophic illness. In effect, all our citizens have lifetime critical illness insurance the government provides. And while it’s expensive, our system costs considerably less than yours, with 100 percent of the population covered! Your citizens will love it, I promise.
I would also observe that Canadians have long preferred to live with many fewer firearms than are tolerated in the United States. The result is a drastically lower rate of deaths and injuries caused by gun violence in Canada. Our gun laws would make the country safer than it is, and safer is definitely greater!
We have some other innovations that you may wish to consider. Our Canada Pension Plan, equivalent to your Social Security, is fully funded and actuarially sound. This requires higher contributions, but it pays off with solvency. I believe your Social Security will run out of money shortly. (That’s not great, is it?)
Lower personal income taxes paid in the U.S. are a great attraction. [Shift's comment - the higher taxes are more than offset by the fact that no-one needs to buy expensive medical insurance.] However, our programs to support seniors and young families to reduce the worst cases of poverty among them help make society more cohesive and fair. That’s one of the reasons our taxes have been higher.
Oh, and we must consider how we fund government expenses. We’re struggling to bring our deficit back down, but it wasn’t that long ago (2015) that our budget was effectively balanced. In fact, Canada ran surplus budgets for more than a decade before the global financial crisis. In addition to spending discipline, our national value-added tax, the GST, was key. You definitely want to adopt that! In fact, you will love it! (Canadians don’t love it, but their governments do. It beats borrowing money from the Chinese.)
There are many more minor details that we can work out. For example, you will enjoy the metric system’s simplicity in weights and measures. Oh, but we’re not crazy; you can keep yards for football! And you will love that sport even more when you play it on a more significant field with only three downs.
I am so excited about this, Mr. Trump. You are indeed a visionary leader who came up with this idea. I can already see the 60 little maple leaves on the flag with 13 stripes! I am ready to throw myself into this great project of making the United States of Canada great again! (Oh, that’s too long. Let’s call our new country “Canada.”)
Respectfully, as I dislodge my tongue from my cheek,
John Manley
By John Manley for The Globe and Mail
(John Manley was a deputy prime minister and minister of finance in Jean Chrétien’s government)
Dear Donald Trump,
My mentor and former Boss, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, has dismissed your suggestion that Canada and the U.S. merge.
Don’t despair. My point of view differs somewhat from his (sorry, Boss). We can make this work if Canadians fully understand your proposal.
Imagine what the “United States of Canada” could be. We would marry American ingenuity and entrepreneurship to Canada’s natural resources, underdog toughness and culture of self-effacing politeness to create a powerful, world-dominating country.
We would be the most enormous land mass in the world. We would be self-reliant in every respect (food, energy, minerals, water). We would attract the world’s most talented people. We would indeed be “the best country in the world,” to use Mr. Chrétien’s words, and would dominate international hockey competitions. Your idea is truly brilliant.
As you know from your corporate experience, the devil is in the details of any successful merger, but I have some suggestions.
First, Canada could never be the 51st state. Canada consists of 10 states (we call them “provinces”) and three territories. Each province exists for historical reasons, and citizens are intensely loyal to their province.
So we need to be the 51st to 60th states, with two senators for each state. Our 20 senators will undoubtedly bring fresh ideas to the institution that will help make the United States of Canada truly great!
Some issues that cause division and frustration in your country are considered settled by political parties of all stripes in Canada, so I suggest adopting Canadian consensus to make this deal work.
For example, there is no argument in Canada over women’s reproductive rights. There! That hot-button issue is resolved for you! (You can thank me later.)
All Canadian politicians support our single-payer health care system because no one is refused treatment for their inability to pay, and no one goes broke because they suffer a catastrophic illness. In effect, all our citizens have lifetime critical illness insurance the government provides. And while it’s expensive, our system costs considerably less than yours, with 100 percent of the population covered! Your citizens will love it, I promise.
I would also observe that Canadians have long preferred to live with many fewer firearms than are tolerated in the United States. The result is a drastically lower rate of deaths and injuries caused by gun violence in Canada. Our gun laws would make the country safer than it is, and safer is definitely greater!
We have some other innovations that you may wish to consider. Our Canada Pension Plan, equivalent to your Social Security, is fully funded and actuarially sound. This requires higher contributions, but it pays off with solvency. I believe your Social Security will run out of money shortly. (That’s not great, is it?)
Lower personal income taxes paid in the U.S. are a great attraction. [Shift's comment - the higher taxes are more than offset by the fact that no-one needs to buy expensive medical insurance.] However, our programs to support seniors and young families to reduce the worst cases of poverty among them help make society more cohesive and fair. That’s one of the reasons our taxes have been higher.
Oh, and we must consider how we fund government expenses. We’re struggling to bring our deficit back down, but it wasn’t that long ago (2015) that our budget was effectively balanced. In fact, Canada ran surplus budgets for more than a decade before the global financial crisis. In addition to spending discipline, our national value-added tax, the GST, was key. You definitely want to adopt that! In fact, you will love it! (Canadians don’t love it, but their governments do. It beats borrowing money from the Chinese.)
There are many more minor details that we can work out. For example, you will enjoy the metric system’s simplicity in weights and measures. Oh, but we’re not crazy; you can keep yards for football! And you will love that sport even more when you play it on a more significant field with only three downs.
I am so excited about this, Mr. Trump. You are indeed a visionary leader who came up with this idea. I can already see the 60 little maple leaves on the flag with 13 stripes! I am ready to throw myself into this great project of making the United States of Canada great again! (Oh, that’s too long. Let’s call our new country “Canada.”)
Respectfully, as I dislodge my tongue from my cheek,
John Manley
Shiftless2
Well-known member
Anyone actually believe it wasn't a test?
www.cbsnews.com
White House blames "outage" for locking out Medicaid, Head Start, health centers from funding site
The online system for federal health funding warned of delays due to executive orders after the Trump administration announced a freeze.
www.cbsnews.com
Four years of crisis level headlines?
Splendid Aldous.
the Serenity Prayer
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
Shiftless2
Well-known member
Shiftless2
Well-known member
To change the U.S. Constitution, an amendment must be proposed either by a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the state legislatures.
After the proposal, the amendment must then be ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures or by three-fourths of conventions called in each state for ratification.
So don't believe the Far-Right propaganda machine! They're not able to manipulate the United States' Constitution
After the proposal, the amendment must then be ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures or by three-fourths of conventions called in each state for ratification.
So don't believe the Far-Right propaganda machine! They're not able to manipulate the United States' Constitution
It's silly to assume the absurd.
The stats tell us what.
The facts tell us why.
"... You hear from these people for the first time I think that there's not a lot of controversy over whether cruelty was the point. ...
"Don't take it from me. Take it from the Republican judge who stopped the policy of
called it one of the most shameful chapters in the history of the country. The deliberate and systematic separation ... 5500 children from their parents for no other reason than to harm them, to hurt them, for no other reason than to scare other people from coming into the country.
Physicians for human rights called it torture and the American Academy of Pediatrics called a government sanctioned child abuse. It had never happened before, and it hasn't happened since. And they knew exactly what they were doing. And so what [documentary film maker] Errol did was I think make it crystal clear like it's never been done before that the harm to children was the point."
Colbert: "John Kelly says that when he's talking about this. He says this is a deterrent, cruelty is actually the point."
Soboroff: "They knew exactly what they were doing and they can explain it away any which way they want. ... Harm to the children was the intention." Separated author Jacob Soboroff in CBS The Late Show interview with host Stephen Colbert 25/01/30
Yes.
Trump doesn't care.
Consistent with the child's mind, Trump wants what he wants, and is indifferent about "obstacles" to achieving it, such as The United States Constitution.
Tossing a dart at a phone book might produce a better candidate for the presidency than Trump.
Trump is spectacularly unqualified to be president, both in knowledge, & in temperament.
Shiftless2
Well-known member
Not surprising - after all, during his first term he complained that the Constitution was preventing him from doing the things he wanted to do.
Shiftless2
Well-known member
Shows exactly how much Trump's word is worth (as if we didn't already know the answer to that) and then there's the question of what the USA's word is worth