The Trump Presidency, Season 2

[Textured Surface]

Lots of things make me sad. Seeing washed-up old no-talent actors get a second chance doesn't even twitch my needle.

If I had a needle.

I thought you called it a Rusty Screwdriver. I've seen you use it.

 

[Cindy Claveau]

*hides her screwdriver*

 

[Soen Eber]

Can we rename this thread to Session #2 instead of Season? One really has to respect the performance artistry involved if nothing else.

 

[Free]

One really has to respect the performance artistry involved if nothing else.

Nope. Free-range chickens in a production of Oklahoma! on Broadway would get more respect from me for their artistry than Trump's clan.

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

The Department of Justice now believes in communism, because it argued that confiscating $50,000 from a small business did not infringe the business' right to private property because money is not property.

"Money is not necessarily 'property' for constitutional purposes," the government's brief declared—putting the very idea of property in square quotes. Reading at my desk, I practically fell out of my chair.

The DOJ gave three rationales for the argument, all packed into a doorstopper of a footnote: (1) the government creates money, so you can't own it; (2) the government can tax your money, so you don't own it; and (3) the Constitution allows the government to spend money for the "general welfare."

If a libertarian was asked to write a satire of a government lawyer's brief, this is what they might come up with. But here it was, in black and white.

The government says money isn't property—so it can take yours

In a jaw-dropping argument, the Department of Justice claims seizing $50,000 from a small business doesn’t violate property rights because money isn’t property.

reason.com

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Emma Jacobs (@emmavj.bsky.social)

Spicy Canada should respond to Trump with tariffs on Musk’s Teslas, Freeland says on.ft.com/3CsBOmh https://on.ft.com/3CsBOmh

bsky.app

 

[Noodles]

The Department of Justice now believes in communism, because it argued that confiscating $50,000 from a small business did not infringe the business' right to private property because money is not property.

"Money is not necessarily 'property' for constitutional purposes," the government's brief declared—putting the very idea of property in square quotes. Reading at my desk, I practically fell out of my chair.

Its a good thing I keep all my assets locked up in plastic figurines and video games.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Thread

ProPublica (@propublica.org)

🧵 THREAD: Trump and Rubio have arrested the international humanitarian aid system and forced lifesaving aid programs to completely halt operations — despite an announcement earlier in the week claiming they had changed course. 1/

bsky.app

“People Will Die”: The Trump Administration Said It Lifted Its Ban on Lifesaving Humanitarian Aid. That’s Not True.

Organizations that provide vital care for desperate and vulnerable people around the world have been forced to halt operations, turn away patients and lay off staff. “I’ve never seen anything that scares me as much as this,” one doctor said.

www.propublica.org

On Friday morning, the staffers at a half dozen U.S.-funded medical facilities in Sudan who care for severely malnourished children had a choice to make: Defy President Donald Trump’s order to immediately stop their operations or let up to 100 babies and toddlers die.

They chose the children.

In spite of the order, they will keep their facilities open for as long as they can, according to three people with direct knowledge of the situation. The people requested anonymity for fear that the administration might target their group for reprisals. Trump’s order also meant they would stop receiving new, previously approved funds to cover salaries, IV bags and other supplies. They said it’s a matter of days, not weeks, before they run out.

American-funded aid organizations around the globe, charged with providing lifesaving care for the most desperate and vulnerable populations imaginable, have for days been forced to completely halt their operations, turn away patients and lay off staff following a series of sudden stop-work demands from the Trump administration. Despite an announcement earlier this week ostensibly allowing lifesaving operations to continue, those earlier orders have not been rescinded.

 

[Isabeau]

Teddy Wilson (@reportbywilson.bsky.social)

🚨MAJOR UPDATES🚨 🧵The Capitol Riot Map is an interactive visualization of the 1,500+ individuals involved in the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Significant updates coming soon, and a new interactive feature: Pardon Tracker. Details on updates, and how you can support this project below👇

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Teddy Wilson (@reportbywilson.bsky.social)

The Capitol Riot Map allows you to explore the connections of those involved in the attack on the U.S. Capitol, including those with connected to far right extremists groups such as the Oath Keepers, the far right militia group, and the Proud Boys, the far right violent extremist group:

bsky.app

 

[Free]

Great work there, Trump old boy.

Stock Market Plunges After White House Confirms Tariffs to Begin Saturday

Wall Street saw a reversal of fortunes Friday following the White House's confirmation that President Donald Trump will impose tariffs on several key U.S. trading partners starting Saturday. Initially, the stock market showed promise with early gains in the trading session, but the announcement caused stocks to surrender those gains and turn negative.

By Friday afternoon, the S&P 500 had fallen by 0.5 percent and the Nasdaq composite dropped by 0.4 percent after both had solid gains during morning trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average did not fare any better, slipping by 0.7 percent.

 

[Noodles]

I will never forget, Inthink it was early in COVID. Trump was on TV, they had a stock ticker for some reason.

Every single time Trump started talking, the thing dropped.

Everytime they switched to literally anyone else talking, it would start rising.

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

Acting on Trump's order, federal officials opened up two California dams

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers just opened up two California dams. A spokesperson says the flows are 'controlled' and being coordinated with local officials.

www.latimes.com

The Melon Felon must really hate Americans having food! Two reservoirs nearby have been ordered drained, presumably to send the water to SoCal. Only problem: There is no practical way to transport that water to LA. It will all just end up in Tulare Lake, where it will just evaporate. This means the water won't be available for farmers this summer. Thanks Trump!

 

[GoblinCampFollower]

Acting on Trump's order, federal officials opened up two California dams

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers just opened up two California dams. A spokesperson says the flows are 'controlled' and being coordinated with local officials.

www.latimes.com

The Melon Felon must really hate Americans having food! Two reservoirs nearby have been ordered drained, presumably to send the water to SoCal. Only problem: There is no practical way to transport that water to LA. It will all just end up in Tulare Lake, where it will just evaporate. This means the water won't be available for farmers this summer. Thanks Trump!

The sad thing is... there are just zillions of examples of Trump's incompetence like this, that right wingers don't hear about because the media they trust won't tell them.

 

[detrius]

The sad thing is... there are just zillions of examples of Trump's incompetence like this, that right wingers don't hear about because the media they trust won't tell them.

It's California.

If the farmers there suffer, they'll just gloat.

 

[Casey Pelous]

It's California.

If the farmers there suffer, they'll just gloat.

Indeed. And yet, Central California, where almost all the farming is done, is approximately as redneck as Arkansas.

Remember when he was "hurting the wrong people?" Surprise! He is at it again.

 

[GoblinCampFollower]

It's California.

If the farmers there suffer, they'll just gloat.

Indeed. And yet, Central California, where almost all the farming is done, is approximately as redneck as Arkansas.

Remember when he was "hurting the wrong people?" Surprise! He is at it again.

CA has more republicans than any other state. ...but I've often seen republicans act like they think it's all commies when trying to explain it's problems. Of course... a lot of their problems are actually due to very strong NIMBY zoning laws that are certainly not communist in nature. Local politics can be complicated.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

From constitutional drama to constitutional crisis?

1st February 2025 When do constitutional problems become incapable of constitutional solutions? * What is a “constitutional crisis”? There has certainly been a great deal of constitutional drama in…

davidallengreen.com

What then is constitutionalism? It has many definitions, but one approach is to regard it as the acceptance that there political rules and principles that should apply, regardless of partisan or personal advantage.

In other words that there are rules of the game.

What has happened in the United States over the last few days looks like a determined and comprehensive attack on various political institutions, by and on behalf of the newly re-elected President Trump.

As there are well-grounded fears that neither the federal judicial benches nor Congress will check and balance this attack, then there are the makings of a genuine constitutional crisis.

And the ultimate cause of this is not so much the failure of their codified constitution, but a deeper and wider failure of constitutionalism – including but not limited to the licence given by the United States supreme court to the president to do unlawful acts, and the failure of the Senate to discharge its constitutional obligation to convict Trump on impeachment after the attempted insurrection of 2021.

From such things, other things have now followed.

 

[Noodles]

The sad thing is... there are just zillions of examples of Trump's incompetence like this, that right wingers don't hear about because the media they trust won't tell them.

Oh they will learn about the problem this summer when food chains get fucked up.

But Trump will lie to them and tell them its California's fault for not letting the water flow properly, again, and they will lap it up and clap.

 

[Kokoro Fasching]

They are this _______________________________________________________________________________wide!

The streets are a standard 33.33 cans of spam wide. This allows the proper opening of all 33 cans.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

CNN (@cnn.com)

How Trump’s tariffs on Mexican and Canadian goods could impact the average American: cnn.it/4hyJ5Ap https://cnn.it/4hyJ5Ap

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