The Second Term of Donald J. Trump as President of the United States of America

[sear]

"Common indicators of an insider threat" #100

How reassuring it might be if Musk was the only one.

The degree of the antagonism of our enemies may not be exceptional.
But their capabilities are unprecedented.

Therefore this is an exceptionally bad time to deal a severe debilitating blow to the FBI by removing hundreds, or potentially over 1,000 experienced FBI agents,
even if it's Trump's retribution for the Jan. 6 insurrection investigation.

My apology for the following. I tried to find a text transcript, found zero. The link is Governor Christie [R-NJ] exposing the danger of the Trump / Patel attack on our FBI.

https://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/vid...ministration-targeting-agency-chris-118363751

Well stated Governor Christie.
May I add, such FBI purge would at best substantially increase the proportion of rookies within the gumshoe agent labor-force, needlessly forfeiting many centuries of invaluable investigative experience.

 

[sear]

Mexico agrees to deploy 10,000 troops to US border in exchange for tariff pause​

Trump admin officials are working with Mexico on a wider deal
By Anders Hagstrom Fox News / February 3, 2025 10:58am EST
"We further agreed to immediately pause the anticipated tariffs for a one month period during which we will have negotiations headed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and high-level Representatives of Mexico.

Mexico agrees to deploy 10,000 troops to US border in exchange for tariff pause

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has agreed to deploy 10,000 national guard troops to block drug trafficking at the U.S.-Mexico border.

www.foxnews.com

Tragically, Mexico caving this way rewards Trump for such brinkmanship, thereby inviting more of it.

 

[sear]

 

[Shiftless2]

View attachment 959View attachment 960

As if those "things" (I won't dignify them by calling them trucks) weren't silly enough when they're fresh off the showroom floor.

 

[sear]

President Trump says US will 'take over' Gaza Strip and rebuild it to stabilize Middle East​

"The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too," Trump said Tuesday evening in a joint press conference with Netanyahu. "We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous, unexplored bombs and other weapons on the site."
"Level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings, level it out, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area," he said. "Do a real job. Do something different. Just can't go back. If you go back, it's going to end up the same way it has for 100 years."

'Level it': Trump says US will 'take over' Gaza Strip, rebuild it to stabilize Middle East

President Donald Trump says the U.S. will "take over the Gaza Strip," level it and rebuild the area during a press conference Tuesday evening.

www.foxnews.com

Reaction:

Trump’s declaration US will ‘take over’ Gaza Strip sparks global condemnation – live

China, Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia speak against announcement by US president that critics say amounts to ethnic cleansing

www.theguardian.com

 

[Shiftless2]

Seems that Donnie didn't speak to Netanyahu before making that announcement.

 

[Shiftless2]

Schools poised to be major front line in Trump immigration crackdown​

Oklahoma is moving to require proof of citizenship for the guardians of public school students, while California schools are distributing “know your rights” cards to immigrant families as K-12 campuses become a crucial front line in President Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Since the Department of Homeland Security rescinded an order that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) cannot go into schools, families have been pulling their students out of class and administrators have created action plans on how to handle ICE agents.

But while blue states are moving to shield their students, some red ones are embracing Trump’s policies, with the sharply splitting policies likely to create precarious environments for students and educators.

“It’s concerning because it could increase educational disparities between red, blue [and] purple states based on their state-level policies related to these things,” said Victoria Francis, deputy director of state and local initiatives at the American Immigration Council.

“So, students in different states might not have access to ....

CONTINUED

 

[Shiftless2]

The only thing missing is the number of illegal guns from the US to Mexico

 

[sear]

"I challenge every Canadian and American to post these ..." #108

Glad to oblige.
But what is the source of these statistics?

S2, is this from facebook? I'm not sure there's a compelling copyright issue here (maybe there is) but it helps to contextualize.

"The only thing missing is the number of illegal guns from the US to Mexico" #108

- yikes -
Which does more harm?
The illegal drugs and humans that cross the border Northbound, or
the illegal guns that cross Southbound.

 

[sear]

Mean while:

1st migrant flight lands at Guantanamo Bay, carrying 'worst of the worst'​

By Matt Seyler, Luis Martinez, and Stacey Dec / February 4, 2025, 8:22 PM

The first flight carrying migrants to Guantanamo Bay arrived Tuesday evening, part of the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration.
The C-17 plane took off from El Paso, Texas, with a small number of migrants onboard headed for the high-security prison facility that has been used to hold al Qaeda detainees, according to a U.S. official.
The deportation flight landed at at 7:20 p.m. ET, according to U.S. Transportation Command.
While Trump has said the United States will work to prepare the base to hold 30,000 migrants awaiting processing to return to their home countries, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday that Guantanamo Bay's high-security prison facility could house "the worst of the worst" criminals being deported.

1st migrant flight at Guantanamo Bay arrives, carrying 'worst of the worst'

The first flight carrying migrants to Guantanamo Bay arrived Tuesday evening, a U.S. Transportation Command official said.

abcnews.go.com

Bush Cheney initially seemed to perceive the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as an anti-terrorist panacea.
During their 8 year executive tenure the bloom went off the rose. They learned a "tiger by the tail" lesson Trump / Vance god willing, will re-learn.

It reportedly cost about $one $million $dollars per prisoner for the U.S. to imprison suspects there, about an order of magnitude $more than similar incarceration Stateside.

And as the current Guantanamo infrastructure does not have 30,000 population capacity, that suggests new spending planned by Trump. Does Trump plan for Cuba to pay for it?

"We learn from history that we do not learn from history." Hegel

note: with negligible potential benefit to the ostensible underlying illegal alien issue -
30,000 x $1,000,000.oo per prisoner = $30 $Billion per year
That's over $100 $Billion during a Trump 4 year term, something DOGE may need to consider.

 

[sear]

National Security

Defense Department drafting plans to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria after recent Trump comments​

Feb. 5, 2025, 5:00 AM GMT-5 / By Courtney Kube
President Donald Trump and officials close to him recently expressed interest in pulling U.S. troops out of Syria, the officials said, leading Pentagon officials to begin drawing up plans for a full withdrawal in 30, 60 or 90 days.

Defense Department drafting plans to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria after recent Trump comments

Trump and officials close to him expressed interest in pulling all U.S. troops out of Syria, prompting the Pentagon to draw up plans for a full withdrawal in 30, 60 or 90 days.

www.nbcnews.com

One of the most appealing parameters of idealism is simplicity. Isolationism is if little else, simple, uncomplicated. But:

Keep your friends close, your enemies even closer. Sun Tzu who is also author of The Art Of War, 6th century BCE Chinese general and military strategist

Infographic: US military presence around the world​

The US controls about 750 bases in at least 80 countries worldwide and spends more on its military than the next 10 countries combined.

Infographic: History of US interventions in the past 70 years

The US controls about 750 bases in 80 countries and spends more on its military than the next 10 countries combined.

www.aljazeera.com

Is 750 bases abroad the optimal number to maintain U.S. national security?
Too many?
Too few?

Syria no, Guantanamo yes?

 

[Shiftless2]

FBI agents sue over Justice Dept. effort to ID employees involved in Trump-related investigations​

WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI agents who participated in investigations related to President Donald Trump have sued over Justice Department efforts to develop a list of employees involved in those inquiries that they fear could be a precursor to mass firings.

FBI agents who participated in investigations related to President Donald Trump have sued over Justice Department efforts to develop a list of employees involved in those inquiries that they fear could be a precursor to mass firings.

Two lawsuits, filed Tuesday in federal court in Washington on behalf of anonymous agents, demand an immediate halt to the collection and potential dissemination of names of investigators who participated in probes of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. One of the complaints says agents were also asked to fill out surveys about their participation in the investigation into Trump’s hoarding of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

The suits mark an escalation in a high-stake dispute that burst into public view on Friday with revelations that the Justice Department had demanded from the FBI the names, offices and titles of all employees involved in Jan. 6 investigations so that officials could evaluate whether any personnel action was merited. Thousands of FBI employees were also asked over the weekend to fill out an in-depth questionnaire about their participation in those probes, a step they worry could lead to termination.

Responding to the Justice Department’s request, the FBI turned over personnel details of several thousand employees but identified them only through their unique identifier code rather than by name, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter and internal communications seen by The Associated Press.

The prospect of demotions, discipline or even termination for career agents has unnerved officials inside the FBI.

Natalie Bara, the president of the FBI Agents Association, which also sued, told reporters Tuesday that one agent who had spent hours recovering body parts from the Potomac River following last week’s plane crash “had to return to the office — not to debrief, not to work on cases, but to fill out a mandatory survey on any involvement in investigations related to Jan. 6.”

“This is the reality for our agents today. They’re being scrutinized, placed on lists, and facing the possibility of ....

CONTINUED

 

[Shiftless2]

The US Army has disbanded any number of clubs at West Point - clubs that deal with women or other groups

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7467981865752907054

 

[sear]

"Seems that Donnie didn't speak to Netanyahu before making that announcement." S2 #106

As you know, this Trump announcement coincides w/ Bebe's visit.
- Perhaps they did not discuss it.
- Perhaps under the guise of shielding Netanyahu from Middle East heat, Trump is hogging all the "credit".

FBI agents sue over Justice Dept. effort to ID employees involved in Trump-related investigations #112​

If they lose in court against Trump on this issue, something else is going on.

"The US Army has disbanded any number of clubs at West Point - clubs that deal with women or other groups" #113

I'm impressed.
I would not have believed the Trump white house s a v v y enough to wield that fine a point on his war against civilization.

One explanation:
- Trump may perceive these presidential policy eccentricities as improvements. BUT, I rather suspect
- some or most of Trump's motive is simply the thrill he derives from wielding ruthless power, harming others with impunity.

 

[Shiftless2]

I would not have believed the Trump white house s a v v y enough to wield that fine a point on his war against civilization.

Not the White House - just the Command at West Point

 

[sear]

"Not the White House - just the Command at West Point" S2 #115

- dang -
Military sycophants?
Unfortunately your explanation seems more plausible, much more likely to me.
I don't like it. - but -
U.S. military officers are not only sworn to uphold the Constitution, but also sworn to obey the president.
- hmmm -

I'm a U.S. citizen. U.S. citizens tend to feel better if we can blame someone.

I blame George Orwell, Anthony Burgess, & Stephen King. Their "fictional" outlook apparently was not scary enough.

 

[Shiftless2]

I'm sure it's only a matter of time before they start firing people based on their religion.

 

[sear]

Trump Administration's anti-DEI policies ... firings
- race
- gender

There's more than one approach to contending with the adversities of this specific Trump administration policy.
a) One is to attempt to defend only ones own narrowly defined special interest group, at the expense of the rest.
b) Another is to join all groups affected by the policy, and combat the policy as a larger, more politically persuasive political power.
Either approach may have potential to succeed, and or have precedent. BUT !

Even if successful option "a" results in proportionally few winners, and proportionally more losers. Whereas
option "b", the conservative approach (e pluribus unum) is a well tenured tradition which helps preserve stability.

Taxpaying countrymen not directly affected (retirees for example) can Monday morning quarterback those directly affected.
But doing so may not necessarily reflect what such indirects would actually do in this unique circumstance. *

"I'm sure it's only a matter of time before they start firing people based on their religion." S2 #117

The best time to snuff out a wildfire is while it's still on the match.
If Trump is allowed / enabled to careen forward with this unique presidential administration policy lunacy it is certain to snowball. Thus the best time to strangle a monster is while it's a babe in the crib.

I apologize in advance. I should probably limit my posting of this quotation to once per week or less. Can't resist in this case ...

"First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a communist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out- because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists,and I did not speak out - because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak out for me." pastor Martin Niemöller

* Worth noting: many U.S. citizens opt for civil service knowing private sector pay scales may be higher, BUT
undertake a career in public service premised on the tradition of government being a stable, reliable employer.
In that context, this Trump administration attack on this stability tradition suggests a particularly severe impact
on these employees.

 

[Shiftless2]

Re #105


And the lie begins with the first sentence.

But what happened to "America First"? Hundreds of billions of dollars for Gaza while Musk is (supposedly) tightening the purse strings at home.

 

[sear]

Re #105
#119
"And the lie begins with the first sentence." S2

It appears to me Trump is trying to impress himself with his proclivity for thinking "outside the box". He has succeeded again. BUT !
a) It's illegal. It's reportedly an explicit violation of current international law.
b) True to form it seems Trump announced this fantasy without consulting with legitimate authority - advisors. BUT !

Splendid.
Let's go with it.
If this is so fabulous an idea, then Trump should be able to reliably expect a Palestinian plebiscite to unanimously endorse Trump's initiative
albeit within bounds of applicable international standards.

"But what happened to "America First"? Hundreds of billions of dollars for Gaza while Musk is (supposedly) tightening the purse strings at home." S2 #119

If Trump intends to first create a revenue positive tourist mecca there, and then
skim the profits for foreseeable future, he yet once again brandishes his own persistent naïveté. The Panamanians didn't like it. Trump hopes to unring that bell. Good luck Donny. Otherwise:

"But what happened to "America First"? Hundreds of billions of dollars for Gaza while Musk is (supposedly) tightening the purse strings at home." S2 #119