Trump Redux: The Death of Democracy, or Overblown Hyperbole?

[DJChameleon]

I saw on the news this morning that Musk was always supposed to only be working with DOGE for 130 days as a special employee so the end of May claims seem like it's right on track for when he will be stepping down.

[SGR]

I saw on the news this morning that Musk was always supposed to only be working with DOGE for 130 days as a special employee so the end of May claims seem like it's right on track for when he will be stepping down.

Huh, maybe I'm getting some things confused/conflated. I know that DOGE was planned to terminate on July 4, 2026. I guess I had assumed that the plan was for Elon to remain onboard with it until then.

[DJChameleon]

Huh, maybe I'm getting some things confused/conflated. I know that DOGE was planned to terminate on July 4, 2026. I guess I had assumed that the plan was for Elon to remain onboard with it until then.

Because Musk is a special government employee he can only work in that role for 130 days.

On the white house website it does say that DOGE will be around until July 4 2026 so maybe that's where the mix up came from. I think DOGE will still be around even without Musk leading it. Also I still think he's gonna be around as an advisor in the background.

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/elon-musk-stepping-down-heres-when-tesla-ceo-could-leave-doge

Musk's role with DOGE is as a "special government employee," which can only last 130 days. Musk's 130 days began on January 20, and would end by May 30.

The White House has not disclosed any clear timeline for closing down DOGE, and the government cost-cutting organization was never supposed to become a permanent fixture in Washington. DOGE was originally intended to operate until July 4, 2026.

[SGR]

Because Musk is a special government employee he can only work in that role for 130 days.

On the white house website it does say that DOGE will be around until July 4 2026 so maybe that's where the mix up came from. I think DOGE will still be around even without Musk leading it. Also I still think he's gonna be around as an advisor in the background.

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/elon-musk-stepping-down-heres-when-tesla-ceo-could-leave-doge

Thanks for the info - yup, looks like that's where I mixed it up.

[SGR]

I don't see any sign of the bridge burning though.  I assume that DOGE or not,  unless there's some kind of public falling out between them,  Elon is going to continue to maintain his connection to the WH.

I've idly wondered how things might shake out if there was enough public/political pressure built up that Trump had to ax Elon and/or start to blame him for DOGE fallout. Given how close to the inner circle Musk has been, I'm sure he has plenty of embarassing and damaging (to Trump and other Republicans) stories he could share. Not to mention that Musk would be a very bad person for Trump to make an enemy of, given his wealth and platform. On the flipside though, Musk probably wouldn't want to make an enemy of the current administration either.

Looks like a possible NSC shakeup with multiple firings - it's not confirmed, but you'd have to think these are the 'Signalgate' sacraficial lambs:

Axios: Multiple firings on Trump's National Security Council after Loomer visit

NBC News: Far-right activist Laura Loomer told Trump to fire national security team members in Oval Office meeting

This happened after Trump had a visit with Laura Loomer of all people (the claim is she came armed with 'evidence/research' on certain people she believed were disloyal), despite protestation from Mike Waltz. Does she actually have that much influence with Trump? If so, you'd have to wonder: why? He's not bonking her, is he? I'm no expert on geriatrics, but I don't even know if that would work at his age. Then again, modern medicine is an amazing thing. 

[SGR]

Does anybody think this Presidency has more transparency than the previous?

I feel we exited smoke and mirrors to in your face.  Agree or disagree with policies, I think it's good to know the objective.

Given recent events, I think I'd put it this way:

With Biden's admin, there was less signal, but also a lot less noise. With Trump's admin, there's more signal, but also much more noise. 

[Trollheart]

Just to give yiz a feel for how Trump's tariff wars ("This time, it's personal!") is being greeted over this side of the big water. Europe has been (or will be) hit with 20% as has Ireland (despite his claim that "We love Ireland" you know Trump hates us for "taking" all his American companies - maybe if the US had been better able to hold on to its industry instead of going for a policy of outsourcing to try to avoid US tax etc etc). This won't impact us directly, as most of what we buy in terms of food, fuel, alcohol etc is either local or comes from the UK or EU. But a point was made that the machinery and infrastructure of the companies who make all this stuff (your milk machinery, your tractors, your petrol pumps etc) is mostly made by American companies, which may then have a knock-on effect on the industries if they have to pay more for making the product, thus pushing up the prices almost by stealth.

I kind of expected to see panic buying today when I went to do the shopping, but for once, either people have more sense, or (more likely) don't really understand the whole idea of tariffs and aren't at the moment that bothered. But I think it's fair to say that the Idiot-in-Chief is about to launch the entire world into a global recession, even a depression.

Anyway, that's the view from the other side of the ocean, as it were, for any who wants to know. Should there be further developments I'll let yiz know.

[jimmy jazz]

Just to give yiz a feel for how Trump's tariff wars ("This time, it's personal!") is being greeted over this side of the big water. Europe has been (or will be) hit with 20% as has Ireland

Only 10% for us

[SGR]

Only 10% for us

You guys made out about as well as the penguins. I chalk it up to Trump's soft spot for the royal family, and relative sympathy for the penguins (due solely to his hatred and fear of sharks). 

[jimmy jazz]

Apparently he loved the Queen. His mom was big on her too. She was Scottish. Technically this makes Trump British I think?

[SGR]

Apparently he loved the Queen. His mom was big on her too. She was Scottish. Technically this makes Trump British I think?

Well that would explain why he's open to joining the British Commonwealth. 

Donald Trump Suggests US Could Join British Commonwealth

Since we were recently on the topic of scandals, did you ever hear about the story of Jimmy Carter kissing Queen Elizabeth on the lips? He claims it was on the cheek - but it ended up with the Queen putting Jimmy on an "anti-toast list" with fucking Idi Amin Dada. 

[jimmy jazz]

Well that would explain why he's open to joining the British Commonwealth. 

Donald Trump Suggests US Could Join British Commonwealth

Since we were recently on the topic of scandals, did you ever hear about the story of Jimmy Carter kissing Queen Elizabeth on the lips? He claims it was on the cheek - but it ended up with the Queen putting Jimmy on an "anti-toast list" with fucking Idi Amin Dada. 

Never heard of it but wouldn't surprise me.

Imagine if that happened now 😯

As a side note the Queen Mother was meant to be a really nasty person. Her and Andrew are supposedly the biggest cunts in the Royal Family. Even without the Epstein stuff Andrew is said to be abhorrent.

Charles, Harry and William apparently are decent.

[Trollheart]

Yeah yeah dictator's pet. This is all because your PM sucked, um, up to him. Suckypants. I mean, Sycophants. Maybe. And anyway, being no longer part of the EU you get a pass, apparently. Well, not a pass but you only get a slap on the wrist whereas we get the cane, so to speak.

I agree with him about the penguins. Fucking things have been living off that damned movie for years. About time they paid their way. You know they can really fly, don't you? It's all just a conspiracy put about by the Emperor Penguin so that they don't have to work so hard at zoos, just swimming and flapping around.

As for kissing the monarch on the lips, well I don't think Chuck III would be too pleased, would he?

Trump is about to reverse the entire 1776 thing? Go back under British rule? Are you serious? So is July 4th cancelled now or what?

Anyway, in other news, looks like Hegseth the Horrible is in trub!


News Alert: Pentagon watchdog launches probe of Hegseth Signal messages


The acting Inspector General of the Defense Department will review Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's use of Signal in a group chat with other key national security officials to discuss military strikes against the Houthis in Yemen last month, the IG's office announced on Thursday.

In a letter to Hegseth, Acting Inspector General Steven Stebbins wrote that the objective of the IG's "evaluation" is to determine whether Hegseth and other Pentagon personnel "complied with DoD policies and procedures for the use of a commercial messaging application for official business."

Oh, and it looks like Congress are finally getting up off their collective arses and doing what they're paid to do, and what they were elected to do:


The fallout from President Donald Trump's aggressive new tariffs has spurred Congress into action, with a growing number of Republicans joining Democrats to express interest in using their power to restrain him.

 

1. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, introduced a bill with Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., that would reassert Congress' authority and slap restrictions on the president's power to levy tariffs.

 

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., praised Grassley for the bill because "he does believe that we're a coequal branch." He said he'd vote for it, though it's unclear if the bill will be brought to the Senate floor.

 

2. That move came after four Senate Republicans delivered a rare rebuke to Trump on Wednesday evening, joining with every Democrat to pass a measure to revoke his tariffs on Canada. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., the author of the resolution, said he's looking to build on that success with more bills to block Trump's tariffs.

 

He said "many more" than four Republicans were interested in his resolution than ultimately voted for it, predicting that more will come aboard "as the economic reality sets in."

 

3. Across the Capitol, senior House Democrats said they were looking to pass a resolution halting Canadian tariffs, similar to what the Senate voted on this week. Since Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is reluctant to show any daylight with Trump, Democrats are exploring an end run around House GOP leaders.

 

Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., said he would file what's known as a discharge petition, a legislative tool that would allow supporters to bypass GOP leaders and force a vote on legislation if they can secure 218 signatures. At least one moderate Republican, Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, said he would consider supporting it.

Full article: https://links.nbcnews.com/click/39291821.131012/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubmJjbmV3cy5jb20vcG9saXRpY3MvY29uZ3Jlc3MvcmVwdWJsaWNhbnMtd2VpZ2gtdXNpbmctcG93ZXItY29uZ3Jlc3MtcmVpbi10cnVtcC10YXJpZmZzLXJjbmExOTk1NTU_Y2lkPWVtbF9uYmNwXyU3QmRhdGUlMjglRTIlODAlOTh5eXl5TU1kZCVFMiU4MCU5OSUyOSU3RA/67ccda12bdc0df62ee06a2a9Bc27c4ee4

[Buck_Mulligan]

That Grassley bill is dead on arrival. In the unlikely event that it passes one or both houses, Trump will veto it, and there aren't enough votes to override the veto.