The Conversation -- March 24, 2025
⭐Jeffrey Goldberg of the Atlantic: "The world found out shortly before 2 p.m. eastern time on March 15 that the United States was bombing Houthi targets across Yemen. I, however, knew two hours before the first bombs exploded that the attack might be coming. The reason I knew this is that Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, had texted me the war plan at 11:44 a.m. The plan included precise information about weapons packages, targets, and timing." Michael Waltz, the national security advisor, read in Goldberg on a Signals chat group that included JD Vance, Hegseth, Marco Rubio, Tulsi Gabbard, John Ratcliffe, Stephen Miller, Waltz, and other top officials who sometimes stood in for them. Goldberg remained in the chat group for about four days, until after the bombing of the Houthi strongholds began. He had access to all of the communications among the group, including a dissent from JayDee, who explained why "I think we are making a mistake." Goldberg doesn't reveal all of the chat messages from Hegseth in particular because some of
"The information contained in them, if they had been read by an adversary of the United States, could conceivably have been used to harm American military and intelligence personnel, particularly in the broader Middle East, Central Command’s area of responsibility. What I will say, in order to illustrate the shocking recklessness of this Signal conversation, is that the Hegseth post contained operational details of forthcoming strikes on Yemen, including information about targets, weapons the U.S. would be deploying, and attack sequencing.... The Signal chat group, I concluded, was almost certainly real.... I have never seen a breach quite like this.... Conceivably, Waltz, by coordinating a national-security-related action over Signal, may have violated several provisions of the Espionage Act.... The Signal app is not approved by the government for sharing classified information." Thank you for RAS for this gift link.
~~~ Marie: This is one of the most extraordinary stories I have ever read. Unless you're a person accustomed to listening in on top-secret chats among top U.S. officials, I urge you to read it. RAS wonders "how much information they have just given away because they are stupid and unprofessional." Waltz's level of incompetence in reading in a journalist is staggering. (And nobody else in the group seemed to notice Goldberg [identified on the chat as "JG"] was reading right along with them all.) As explosive as the Pentagon Papers were, they were after-the-fact analyses. Here, Hegseth & Waltz, et al., were sharing U.S. war plans with a journalist before the fact. Of course Congress should look into what went wrong, but it won't, especially because Waltz was a member of Congress until two months ago.
Irony Just Bit Trump in His Big Fat Rear End. Adam Liptak of the New York Times: “The 1952 law under which the Trump administration seeks to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful permanent resident who helped organize protests at Columbia University, is largely untested. Largely, but not entirely. It was ruled unconstitutional in 1996 — by ... [Donald] Trump’s sister.... When Judge [Maryanne Trump] Barry considered the 1952 law, which the Trump administration has said will play a major role in its deportation plans, she asked whether it could be squared with the Constitution. 'The answer,' she wrote, 'is a ringing “no.”’... An appeals court later reversed her decision, though on grounds unrelated to its substance. But it remains the most thorough judicial examination of the constitutionality of the law, and other judges may find its reasoning persuasive.... 'I will never forget the many times people would come up to me and say, ‘Your sister was the smartest person on the Court,’” [Donald Trump] posted on social media when she died in 2023. 'I was always honored by that, but understood exactly what they meant — They were right! She was a great Judge, and a great sister.'” ~~~
~~~ Marie: Barry did not hold a high opinion of her brother Donald. CBS News (August 2020): "In secretly recorded audio, Maryanne Trump Barry, the eldest sister of ... [Donald] Trump, criticized her brother for his lack of principles, his lying and said, 'you can't trust him.' The audio, first reported by the Washington Post and obtained in part by CBS News was recorded between 2018 and 2019 by Mr. Trump's niece, Mary Trump, who recently published a tell-all book about the president."
Alan Feuer of the New York Times: “A federal judge on Monday kept in place his ruling barring the Trump administration from using a powerful wartime statute to summarily deport a group of Venezuelan immigrants whom officials have accused of being members of a violent street gang. In a 37-page order, the judge, James E. Boasberg, said the order should remain in place so that the Venezuelan immigrants could have the opportunity to challenge accusations that they belong to the gang, Tren de Aragua, before the Trump administration can fly them out of the country under the wartime law known as the Alien Enemies Act. The Alien Enemies Act, Judge Boasberg wrote, 'arguably envisions that those caught up in its web must be given the opportunity to seek such review.'... In his order, Judge Boasberg said that he was not yet issuing a ruling on the “complicated legal issues” of whether Tren de Aragua should be defined as a hostile nation or whether the phenomenon of immigrants crossing the border could be construed as an invasion.... While Mr. Trump and his allies have accused Judge Boasberg of overstepping his authority by intruding on the president’s prerogative to conduct foreign affairs, the question at the heart of the case is whether Mr. Trump himself overstepped by ignoring several provisions laid out in the text of the act for how the deportations should be handled.” ~~~
~~~ The order, linked in the story, is via the court, so not behind a NYT firewall.
Justin Jouvenal of the Washington Post: “The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to allow the firings of thousands of probationary workers as the president seeks to greatly shrink the size of the federal government. A federal judge in Northern California ordered the administration to rehire about 16,000 workers at a half-dozen agencies this month after finding Trump officials had not followed proper procedures in terminating their employment. In an emergency appeal, the administration on Monday asked the high court to block that ruling in a lawsuit brought by unions.”
Jason Zinoman of the New York Times: Conan O'Brien's “has always steered clear of ideological fervor. But moving out of his comfort zone [in his acceptance of the Mark Twain Prize for Humor Sunday night], O’Brien delivered what amounted to a bristling attack on the current administration artfully disguised as a tribute to Mark Twain.... Twain’s enduring power, he argued, stemmed from his core principles, which shaped his comedy. 'First and foremost, Twain hated bullies,' he said, saying he populated his works with them, and made his readers hate them. Twain was allergic to hypocrisy and loathed racism, empathizing with former enslaved people struggling during Reconstruction, immigrant Chinese laborers in California and European Jews fleeing antisemitism.” More on the award ceremony linked below.
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This Was Yesterday: ~~~
The visit from the United States cannot be seen in isolation from the public statements that have been made. -- Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen ~~~
~~~ U.S. Imperialists Invade Greenland, Bring Child. Maggie Haberman & Maya Tekeli of the New York Times: “Usha Vance, the second lady, is scheduled to join the White House national security adviser, the energy secretary and other U.S. officials to visit Greenland this week, amid ... [Donald] Trump’s continued push to take over the island, officials said on Sunday. In a statement, the Trump administration said Ms. Vance will visit Greenland with one of her children on Thursday, to visit historical sites and attend a national dog sled race.... Separately, Michael Waltz, the national security adviser, is expected to tour a U.S. military base, two U.S. officials said. Chris Wright, the energy secretary, is expected to join him, according to another person with knowledge of the visit, as the Trump administration increases its focus on Arctic security and the Western Hemisphere.... Mr. Trump has continued to ratchet up his talk of seizing Greenland....” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ This Is Today: ~~~
~~~ They Are Not Amused. From a New York Times liveblog: “Relations between Greenland and the United States sank further on Sunday as the Greenlandic prime minister erupted over what he called a 'highly aggressive' delegation of senior officials the Trump administration said it would send to the island this week.... The prime minister, Mute B. Egede, said on Sunday that Greenlanders’ effort to be diplomatic just 'bounces off Donald Trump and his administration in their mission to own and control Greenland.' He made the remarks, his angriest yet, to a Greenlandic newspaper on Sunday, and a high-ranking member of his party confirmed them. The prime minister seemed especially upset with Mr. Waltz’s involvement. 'What is the national security adviser doing in Greenland?' he asked. 'The only purpose is to demonstrate power over us.... His mere presence in Greenland will no doubt fuel American belief in Trump’s mission — and the pressure will increase.'... Other Greenlandic officials complained about the inopportune timing of the visit, pointing out that Greenland had just held parliamentary elections and that a new government has not even been formed. 'The fact that the Americans are well aware we are in the middle of negotiations,” said Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the leader of the most popular political party, 'once again shows a lack of respect for the Greenlandic people.'” A Guardian story is here. More on Greenland linked below. ~~~
~~~ Woman Without a Country? In today's Comments, Akhilleus suggests ways for Greenland officials to keep Usha and the Invaders out of Greenland. But near the end of yesterday's thread, RAS wasn't sure Usha -- what with her darkish complexion and her passport name not matching her birth-certificate name -- would be able to get back into the U.S.
Donald the Vain. Lauren Irwin of the Hill: Donald “Trump is demanding that Colorado take down it’s 'purposefully distorted' painting of him hanging in the State Capitol. 'Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves, but the one in Colorado, in the State Capitol put up by the Governor, along with all other Presidents, was purposefully distorted to a level that even I, perhaps, have never seen before,' Trump said in a post Sunday on Truth Social. 'The artist also did President Obama, and he looks wonderful, but the one [of] me is truly the worst. She must have lost her talent as she got older.... 'I am speaking on [Colorodans'] behalf to the Radical Left Governor, Jared Polis, who is extremely weak on Crime, in particular with respect to Tren de Aragua, which practically took over Aurora (Don’t worry, we saved it!), to take it down,' Trump said. 'Jared should be ashamed of himself.'” MB: I'll admit that the portrait does not look much like Donald, especially as he appears in his menacing official photo, shown there on the left. A police sketch artist might do better.
Easter Will Be Brought to You by.... Minho Kim of the New York Times: “The White House wants to recruit corporate sponsors to contribute to its Easter Egg Roll next month, raising ethical and legal concerns that President Trump is allowing companies to profit from the 147-year-old tradition by turning it into a showcase for their brands. The financial backers of the April 21 event would be able to choose from three options that cost between $75,000 and $200,000, according to a nine-page guide for potential sponsors that was reviewed by The New York Times. The most expensive package includes a corporate booth, logo placements, branded snacks or beverages, exclusive tickets to brunch with the first lady, Melania Trump, a chance to engage with the White House Press Corps, a private White House tour and 150 tickets to the event.” ~~~
Chris Hayes gives us the best overview of Elon's Excellent Pentagon Field Trip (BTW, why didn't he bring any children?). Even your MAGA cousin could understand and enjoy this:
~~~ Borowitz Report: "Disaster struck the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on Monday after Elon Musk and his team of teenage aides became trapped inside a self-locking Cybertruck.... Witnesses said that Musk’s desperate pounding on the interior of the Cybertruck failed to free him but did send several pieces of metal trim flying off its exterior."
And speaking of All Things Elon, this one might be too complex for your MAGA cousin, but in yesterday's Comments, RAS got to the heart of the DOGE hoax: ~~~
~~~ Jacob Bogage of the Washington Post: “Senior tax officials are bracing for a sharp drop in revenue collected this spring, as an increasing number of individuals and businesses spurn filing their taxes or attempt to skip paying balances owed to the Internal Revenue Service.... Treasury Department and IRS officials are predicting a decrease of more than 10 percent in tax receipts by the April 15 deadline compared with 2024, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share nonpublic data. That would amount to more than $500 billion in lost federal revenue; the IRS collected $5.1 trillion last year. For context, the U.S. government spent $825 billion on the Defense Department in fiscal 2024.... The prediction, officials say, is directly tied to changing taxpayer behavior and ... Donald Trump’s rapid demolition of parts of the IRS.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Josh Marshall of TPM was gobsmacked. RAS notes that he wrote on Bluesky: "So look at that. DOGE has cost the US Treasury fucking half a trillion dollars. HALF A TRILLION DOLLARS. This is your cost savings." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: The name "DOGE" -- Department of Government Efficiency -- was always a joke. Musk let it be known the joke was some kind of insider meme based on a Shiba Inu cryptocurrency thing. Ha ha. But the real joke was always on us taxpayers and citizens: the name DOGE is no more about increasing government efficiency than the deadly "Peacemaker" and "Sea Swallow" missiles are gentle lovely white doves and elegant terns. The name DOGE is a cover for the real purpose of the program, and that real purpose is to gut and discredit the federal government and the staff who work for us. If you want to know why Musk is smiling all the time his Tesla stock is tanking, it's because he (a) Trump will give him his money back in government contracts, and (b) he's pulling a fast one on millions and millions of the rubes like those of us whose intelligence H.L. Mencken doubted. That's the real "insider joke," and Musk isn't copping to it. ~~~
~~~ Washington Post Editors: “... the [Pentagon briefing] episode was a reminder of Musk’s many other conflicts of interest and the lack of transparency that clouds his wide-ranging work as a special government employee overseeing the U.S. DOGE Service. The editorial points to just a few of Musk's conflicts and how the Trump administration has failed to address them or provide any level of transparency on how, if at all, he is constrained.
A Deportation in Search of an Excuse. Jonah Bromwich of the New York Times: “Last week, the government quietly added new accusations to its case against [former Columbia student Mahmoud] Khalil, saying that he had willfully failed to disclose his membership in several organizations, including a United Nations agency that helps Palestinian refugees, when he applied to become a permanent U.S. resident last March. It said he also failed to disclose work he did for the British government after 2022. The Trump administration appears to be using the new allegations in part to sidestep the First Amendment issues raised by Mr. Khalil’s case.... 'The new deportation grounds are patently weak and pretextual,' said one of Mr. Khalil’s lawyers, Ramzi Kassem, a co-director of CLEAR, a legal clinic at the City University of New York. 'That the government scrambled to add them at the 11th hour only highlights how its motivation from the start was to retaliate against Mr. Khalil for his protected speech in support of Palestinian rights and lives.'”
Brittany Gibson of Axios: "... conditions in the system's detention facilities are deteriorating.... Days without a shower. Sleeping on floors. Two hundred people confined in a space meant for 85. Some immigration detention units are so crowded that non-citizens arrested in President Trump's crackdown are living in inhumane conditions, attorneys for detainees tell Axios.... The Trump administration's goal of deporting 'millions' of people has led officials to jam more than 46,000 detainees into a system designed to hold no more than about 40,000, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) records.... 'A lot of people are just signing orders to be removed, because the conditions are so horrible,' [Paul Chavez of Americans for Immigrant Justice] said."
Marie: Here's an indicator of our rapid descent from a quasi-democracy to an authoritarian backwater: the Washington Post has put on its online front page a story on what your rights are when you try to enter the U.S. and how to protect theose rights against border officials.
Twain was suspicious of populism, jingoism, imperialism, the money-obsessed mania of the Gilded Age and any expression of mindless American might or self-importance.... He loved America but knew it was deeply flawed. -- Conan O'Brien, Mark Twain Prize acceptance speech ~~~
~~~ Julia Jacobs of the New York Times: “In honoring Conan O’Brien at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, a lineup of big-name comedians made the veteran late-night host and comedy fixture the main focus of roasting — but ... [Donald] Trump and his recent takeover of the Washington arts center quickly became the second-favorite target of the night. John Mulaney joked that the Kennedy Center would soon be renamed 'The Roy Cohn Pavilion for Big Strong Men Who Love “Cats.”’... When David Letterman took the stage late in the show to give Mr. O’Brien the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, his nod to the upheaval in Washington was more solemn. 'In history for all time,' he said,'“this will have been the most entertaining gathering of the resistance, ever.'... No other ceremony came at a time of such upheaval at the institution. The event was the first major award program at the Kennedy Center since [Mr.] Trump purged the institution’s historically bipartisan board, ousted its top leaders and installed himself as chairman.” Here's the Washington Post's story.
Sahil Kapur of NBC News: "A defiant Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed that he won’t step aside as the chamber’s top Democrat, rejecting calls from some House colleagues and liberal advocates critical of his move to help pass a Republican funding bill.... Schumer also rejected comparisons to then-President Joe Biden’s refusal to step down as the 2024 nominee, in response to a question about whether he’s making the same mistake." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Update. A New York Times story is here. ~~~
~~~ Paul Krugman: “Right now the central front in [Trump's] assault on the working class is Social Security, which Elon Musk, unable to admit error, keeps insisting is riddled with fraud. The DOGE-bullied Social Security Administration has already announced that those applying for benefits or trying to change where their benefits are deposited will need to verify their identity either online or in person — a huge, sometimes impossible burden on the elderly, often disabled Americans who need those benefits most. And with staff cuts and massive DOGE disruption, it seems increasingly likely that some benefits just won’t arrive as scheduled. Oh, and Leland Dudek, the acting Social Security administrator, threatened to shut the whole thing down unless DOGE was given access to personal data. Not to worry, says Howard Lutnick, Trump’s Commerce secretary. Only 'fraudsters' would complain about missing a Social Security check[.]... [But] to get voters to notice ... almost certainly requires new leadership, if only to help persuade voters that the party isn’t run by tired careerists. The problem with someone like Chuck Schumer ... [is] that he’s a 74-year-old ... whose instinct is to try to deftly navigate his way through a political landscape that demands not careful calculation but vocal, visible outrage, both to motivate the Democratic base and to get other voters’ attention.”
Jennifer Rubin of the Contrarian: “Faced with [an] assault on the 1st, 5th, and 6th Amendments, [the law firm] Paul Weiss chose not to litigate as another targeted law firm, Perkins & Coie had, but to submit itself to the micromanagement of the federal government, a move so craven and fraught with conflict that every client, associate, partner, and employee will need to reevaluate its relationship with the mega-firm.... In a statement attempting to rationalize the firm’s decision, Chairman Brad Karp insisted that 'the Administration is not dictating what matters we take on, approving our matters, or anything like that.' But the plain language of the 'agreement' says otherwise.... Paul Weiss’s capitulation is one more example contributing to a deeply alarming pattern of cowardice from corporate media, universities, Republican toadies, and some misguided Democrats. Too many people and institutions with ample power and resources to defend themselves nevertheless have refused to stand up to MAGA intimidation. Instead, they have betrayed fundamental values that are the cornerstone of our democracy.”
Robert McFadden of the New York Times: “Max Frankel, who fled Nazi Germany as a boy and rose to pinnacles of American journalism as a Pulitzer Prize-winning correspondent for The New York Times and later as its executive editor during eight years of changing fortunes and technology, died on Sunday at his home in Manhattan. He was 94.” (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: Unfortunately, this is what I remember Frankel for: “Mr. Frankel was widely criticized in 1991 when The Times profiled Patricia Bowman, who had accused William Kennedy Smith, a nephew of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, of raping her in Palm Beach, Fla. As well as detailing her background, the article named her, called her an aggressive driver, said she had borne a child out of wedlock and quoted a woman anonymously as saying Ms. Bowan 'had a little wild streak.' Readers and even staff members accused the paper of sexism.” The female reporters at the Times went ballistic; there was an angry meeting. Frankel still didn't get it. In fairness, there was much more to him than this one incident, and he hired quite a number of women into positions previously reserved for men.
Yan Zhuang of the New York Times: “Mia Love, the first Black Republican woman elected to Congress, who served from 2015 to 2019, died on Sunday at her home in Utah. She was 49. Her family confirmed the death in a post on one of Ms. Love’s social media pages. She had been diagnosed in 2022 with a glioblastoma, an aggressive type of brain tumor.”
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Trump is hurting the U.S. economy in so many ways. Here's just one of them: ~~~
Ellen Francis, et al., of the Washington Post: “As ... Donald Trump upends U.S. foreign policy, negotiating closer relations with Russia, threatening NATO allies and pausing cooperation with Ukraine, Washington’s traditional partners — and best customers — are rethinking their dependence on American weapons systems. From Canada to Europe, calls are growing to steer future defense spending away from U.S. equipment and toward their own industries, even as many concede there’s no quick fix after decades of dependence. The U.S. pause of intelligence-sharing with Ukraine this month, and Trump’s threats to annex Canada and Greenland, have laid bare the risks of counting on the United States — and raised concerns about whether Washington could ground jets or turn off launchers remotely as a pressure tactic. Even if such a 'kill switch' is a myth, officials and analysts say, advanced U.S. systems such as fighter jets are so reliant on U.S. spare parts, software updates or data sharing that cutting access could effectively render some unusable. Nearly two-thirds of European arms imports in recent years came from the U.S.”
Canada. Mickey Djuric of Politico: “Prime Minister Mark Carney called a snap election on Sunday, saying he needs a mandate from Canadians to take on ... Donald Trump. The federal campaign kicks off days ahead of a new slate of Trump tariffs, and at a time when Canadians are increasingly worried the president will make good on his threats of economic and cultural takeover.... Voters will go to the polls on April 28 with a clear ballot box question: Who is best to handle Trump?” The New York Times story is here.
Greenland. William Booth & Laris Karklis of the Washington Post: “Trump is pushing Denmark to bolster its defenses in Greenland, as U.S. military assets on the island have degraded and the Russians are refurbishing their own Arctic ports.... Greenland once hosted dozens of U.S. military bases, outposts and depots. Today, there is just one. Pituffik Space Base, formerly Thule Air Base, operates a global network of early-warning radars, satellites and sensors to detect incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles. A U.S. force that once numbered 10,000 troops is now down to about 200.... Danish officials concede that they’ve been slow to replace assets to defend Greenland.... Now the Danes, too, are concerned.... Whether or not Trump deserves the credit, the Danes have announced a new defense spending package, large for such a small country.... They have committed $2 billion. With other spending, Denmark’s NATO contribution is now more than 3 percent of GDP, one of the highest in Europe.”
South Korea. Choe Sang-Hun of the New York Times: “Prime Minister Han Duck-soo of South Korea was restored to office as acting president on Monday, after the country’s Constitutional Court overturned his impeachment by the National Assembly. But the ruling did little to herald any political stability in the country, which has lurched from crisis to crisis. Mr. Han briefly served as South Korea’s acting president after the Assembly impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Dec. 14, suspending Mr. Yoon from office in connection with his failed attempt to place the country under martial law. Mr. Han had been in the role for less than two weeks when the Assembly impeached him as well, adding to the turmoil engulfing South Korea, a key Asian ally of the United States. The Constitutional Court has yet to announce when it will rule on whether to oust or reinstall Mr. Yoon — a far more consequential decision that South Koreans have been awaiting for weeks with growing anxiety.”
Venezuela. Annie Correal & Shawn McCreesh of the New York Times: “The Trump administration sent a flight carrying deportees from the United States to Venezuela on Sunday, the first such flight since the Venezuelan government reached an agreement with the Trump administration on Saturday to resume accepting them.... After briefly agreeing to accept flights after Mr. Trump took office, [President Nicolás] Maduro ceased doing so weeks ago, after the Trump administration revoked a Biden-era policy that had allowed more oil to be produced in Venezuela and exported. Mr. Maduro then came under intense pressure from the Trump administration. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on social media that Venezuela would face new, 'severe and escalating' sanctions if it refused to accept its repatriated citizens. This weekend, it announced it would take flights again beginning on Sunday. The Venezuelan government’s willingness to resume accepting the flights also appeared related to the plight of Venezuelan migrants the Trump administration recently sent to a notorious prison in El Salvador with little to no due process.”
32 Comments
Reader Comments (32)
Two options for Greenland…okay, three.
One, have immigration officers at the airport grab Mrs. Shady and the other interlopers and check their laptops and phones to see if there’s any anti-Greenland stuff or pro-Fat Hitler material. Finding either, they should expel the whole bunch as terrorists.
Two, close the blinds, shut off the lights, and pretend no one’s home. They’ll go away after a while. Maybe leave a note saying “Gone to China for a few weeks”.
Three (and this would be a combined Greenland-Denmark response), tell Fatty thanks but no thanks, get your military base off our land. We don’t want fascists here.
I’d try option two first, but one would be more fun. Three would be a serious response, at least as a threat.
Waaaah! I hate my painting!! Take it down!!
Waaaaah!
Calm down, little donnie. Maybe you’d like the famous artist Ted Rall to paint your portrait. Look at this lovely picture of George W. Bush he did. It looks just like the Decider!
Or maybe you’d prefer this one. I think that captures your essence beautifully.
Of course this one is perfect. It depicts your visit to New York City last year. And look! You’re even awake in this one.
However we all know you’d prefer this one.
L’etat c’est tu, n’est ce pas?
@Akhilleus: You definitely picked the best portrait of Trump. I don't know about those girly gold fleurs-de-lis on his overcoat/cape thingee, though; perhaps golden swastikas or gilt iron crosses would be more appropriate.
Sooo…now he’s selling Easter, eh?
Wonder what all the holy roller Evangelicals think of the commodification of the most holy day in the Christian calendar.
I get that the White House Easter Egg Roll has always had some private funding, but this year we’ll have the Fatty Easter Bunny looking like a NASCAR driver with corporate logos covering his entire hippity hoppy little body.
The cover for this latest money grab is that proceeds will supposedly go to the White House Historical something or other. Does anyone really believe that bullshit?
Tbe message here is “Open for business as long as you open your wallet. Come one, come all. The Don will see you now. Have your checkbook ready. Checks made out to Donald J. Trump…there ya go. Now how can we help you? You want what? Hohoho. That shit’s gonna cost waaaay more. Add seven more zeros there, bucko.”
The only thing getting rolled here is the public. As always.
He should make a killing when he sells Christmas.
Test…
Marie,
Golden swastikas. Perfect. With a few big gaudy gold dollar signs, and a “For Sale” sign on his fat ass.
How’s this for perfect, or rather perfectly ominous?
The marketing company arranging Fat Hitler’s sale of Easter is called “Harbinger”.
Jesus. Might as well have named it “Metastasis LLC”.
Test again…
Our own Joe Rogan? I don’t think so…
On this week’s “New Abnormal” podcast, they talk to writer Will Sommer who has been spending time in the black hole of MAGA podcaster hell (so we won’t have to). What he finds is as disturbing as it is predictable, and once more gives the lie to MAGA crocodile tears over anti-semitism on college campuses.
Sommer points to the 800 lb. gorillas of MAGA podcasters, Joe Rogan and Theo Von (who has declared interracial dating to be disgusting), who recently have entertained guests from the fever swamps of the far-right whose basic message is Jews are to blame for everything.
A sampling of this horrible dreck:
“This month, mega-popular podcasters like Joe Rogan and Theo Von have hosted a series of antisemitic conspiracy theorists for friendly interviews. It’s a new trend that raises ominous questions about what happens when ‘just-asking-questions’ small talk gets aired on the biggest platforms imaginable.
On March 5, Rogan hosted conspiracy theorist Ian Carroll, who has claimed that Jews did 9/11.
Among other things, Carroll called sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein ‘a dark stain on Israel and on the Jewish people.’
A few days later, Rogan interviewed podcaster Darryl Cooper, who goes by the name ‘Martyr Made’ online. Cooper was in the news last year for saying on Tucker Carlson’s online show that Winston Churchill—rather than Hitler—was the ‘the chief villain of the Second World War.’
Cooper has been working on a podcast that attempts to see the war from the German perspective, and used his Rogan appearance to argue—more than a bit disingenuously—that 40 million deaths could have been averted in the war if only the Allies had let Hitler remain in power. For his part, Rogan said Cooper was ‘an educator . . . an unconventional educator.’
Not to be outdone, comedian Theo Von hosted Candace Owens, who was fired a year ago from the right-wing website the Daily Wire following a series of antisemitic remarks. Owens told Von that Israel controls the United States through blackmail schemes.”
In both cases, as Sommer points out on the podcast, the hosts, upon hearing stuff like “Hitler was a reasonable guy”, and “Jews are behind everything bad”, do the chin stroke and respond “Really? Wow. I did not know that. Isn’t that interesting?”
Joe Rogan, for his part, is often portrayed as a thoughtful, idiosyncratic sort who is politically agnostic.
Sorry. These fuckers know exactly what these guests are about. Their goal is to appeal to their macho bro, pro-Trump, pro-own the libs crazies, conspiracy theory imbibers, and garden variety internet trolls. To sit there and listen to “Gee, the Nazis had it hard too” with zero pushback and no follow up questions tells you all you need to know about these MAGA monsters.
When I hear people saying how the left needs its own Joe Rogan, I wanna scream.
March 24th is National Cocktail Day. It must be 5:00 P.M. somewhere
in the world. Greenland?
Tom Nichols, in The Atlantic, summarizes Trumps attacks on the judiciary, making the depressing observation that he " has made great progress in this offensive in only a matter of weeks. Day by day, he has shown Americans what unraveling the rule of law actually looks like: He has issued trollish and almost certainly unconstitutional executive orders, unleashed verbal fusillades against jurists (as well as various law-enforcement officials and prosecutors), and forced government lawyers to stand tongue-tied as they struggled to answer simple questions from judges. He has sent his minions, including the vice president of the United States, out in public to argue that a president has the right to ignore court orders, making an eventual showdown with the federal bench practically inevitable.
Worse, Trump supporters have stepped up physical threats and various other forms of harassment against judges and their families. As The New York Times editorialized this weekend, the president is encouraging 'a campaign of menace' against jurists, leading his allies to 'then try to dehumanize the judges with whom they disagree and make them fear for their safety.'"
Nichols ends with the frightening conclusion:
"The dismantling of America’s constitutional government is under way. The United States in 2025 no longer has an independently led national law-enforcement organization. It no longer has a Department of Justice whose leadership is following the mission to serve the American nation and its Constitution. The immense power of the Defense Department is in the hands of a talk-show culture warrior who intends to purge the officer corps of generals and admirals suspected of ideological unreliability. The Congress is dominated by men and women who either agree with this authoritarian project or are too scared to oppose it. The judges now stand alone—but their courage may not be enough to stop Trump."
The Judiciary's Last Stand
Times are tough and even FH has trouble affording all those eggs for Easter. So of course they need corporate sponsorship to help them when they've just blown half a trillion dollars.
Good People
"George Michael’s Life-Changing Act Of Generosity Revealed By His Backing Singer
George Michael’s many acts of generosity, often conducted under condition of anonymity, have come to light since the star’s death in 2016.
George Michael died on Christmas Day 2016. On that sad day and since, many people have come forward with anecdotes of how the singer stepped in to help them – from a woman on a UK TV show who couldn’t afford IVF treatment to have a baby until she received a secret donation, to a waitress in a restaurant whom the star overheard sharing her money worries, and he wrote her a check on the spot for thousands of pounds."
Golfing Toddler finding out about his portrait in Colorado.
"2,085 protests in February
In February 2025 alone, we have already tallied over 2,085 protests, which included major protests in support of federal workers, LGBTQ rights, immigrant rights, Palestinian self-determination, Ukraine, and demonstrations against Tesla and Trump’s agenda more generally. This is compared with 937 protests in the United States in February 2017"
Encouraging
Test
The professionals at work. Not a surprise, but how much information have they just given away because they are stupid and unprofessional.
Houthi PC small group
"The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans
U.S. national-security leaders included me in a group chat about upcoming military strikes in Yemen. I didn’t think it could be real. Then the bombs started falling.
By Jeffrey Goldberg
The world found out shortly before 2 p.m. eastern time on March 15 that the United States was bombing Houthi targets across Yemen.
I, however, knew two hours before the first bombs exploded that the attack might be coming. The reason I knew this is that Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, had texted me the war plan at 11:44 a.m. The plan included precise information about weapons packages, targets, and timing."
The astounding screw up mentioned in RAS’s link is emblematic of the entire Fat Hitler clown show. According to Goldberg, Drink Boy Hegseth shared operational information that, had it been intercepted by parties unfriendly to the US (the list gets longer by the day), it could have put American military and intelligence personnel in danger.
This sort of thing never happened under either Biden or Obama, but it’s a regular thing with this bunch of incompetent fuck ups.
The other day, I watched a clip of Drunk Pete in the Opioid Office, standing next to Fatty, who looked completely out of it, bobbing and weaving and gesticulating wildly as he was ranting about some bullshit thing they were on about. He looked exactly like what he was. Not a serious, highly qualified, leader of American armed forces, but like a riled up, bellowing Fox TV propagandist bloviating over stuff he knows nothing about.
And just yesterday, Drink Boy was yucking it up at the Pentagon with an unelected billionaire drug addict who was received like royalty. Does anyone really believe Drink Boy wasn’t bursting to share top secret info with this scheming monkey? Just to show him how cool it was that he was actually the secretary of defense?
And oh yeah, get this …Jeffrey Goldberg heard from some Brian Hughes person, a something, something, something with the Trump National Security Council (if that ain’t an oxymoron to write home about), who sez “This appears to be an authentic message chain, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain. The thread is a demonstration of the deep and thoughtful policy coordination between senior officials. The ongoing success of the Houthi operation demonstrates that there were no threats to troops or national security.”
Didja get that?
“Deep and thoughtful policy coordination between senior officials.”
Yeah. And a reporter who was invited in to chat about bombing the Houthis.
Fuckin’ clowns.
This past weekend I participated in a local Indivisible stand-out event. We were gathered at a busy intersection near the New Hampshire border. We had a lots of encouragement in the form of honks and thumbs up, however I was troubled by the some who felt the need to scream obscenities. We had one passersby on foot who came right up into our face and did a video, and said he was going to report us to the Republican Party. Okay. He then asked who was paying us to be there. Weird.
Oh yeah, one other thing about that video clip of Drunk Pete with the Orange Blob.
Fatty was seated at his desk (which had nothing on it…he doesn’t actually do any work) and bobbing his head, looked like he was ready to fall asleep while Drink Boy ranted.
Behind him was a slew of gold framed personal photos, pictures, memorabilia, pictures of him golfing (ie, cheating at golf) etc.
There were so many, I was reminded of the sort of display you’d see on the grand piano (which never gets played) in the living room of a penthouse on Park Avenue. Fat Hitler has turned the Opioid Office into his personal living room. Honestly, I’ve never seen anything like it. Other presidents might have had a picture or two, but not a hundred.
He’s surrounded himself with the sort of gaudy, cheesy, gold plated gewgaws he probably has at Marred a Lardo. It’s not a space where the nation’s business is carried out, it’s his personal lair, a place where he can relax and show off for visitors. He even had the original Declaration of Independence moved there. Not that he’s ever read it or knows anything about it, or adheres to it’s core principles.
It’s all about “Look at me. Aren’t I wonderful?”
Disgusting. Four years can’t be over fast enough.
@Julie: Thank you for participating in an Indivisible protest. I'm sorry you and your group had to endure screamed obscenities. As for your being reported to the Republican party, that's pretty funny.
Julie,
It’s a cult. The MAGAts inhabit a bubble outside of which anyone else—non cult members—is viewed with deep suspicion and outright hatred. The business about reporting you to the Republican Party (ooooh! Not that!) would be funny if it wasn’t both scary and almost universal among cult members. It indicates their belief that there is one, and only one, source of power and authority, and a further belief that those who challenge that authority will be harshly dealt with after being ratted our by a loyal lemming.
They’ve got their charismatic Dear Leader, a totalitarian ideology, an unquestioning belief in the absolute, unassailable correctness of their position as loyal followers, and a belief that infidels will be punished.
A cult.
Marie suggests that congress should investigate the staggering screw up of a journalist invited in on a top secret conference chat in which the Sec of Defense laid out detailed plans for an imminent military operation.
Absolutely they should. But, again, as she points out, they won’t. Of course they won’t. But had this cluster fuck taken place during the Biden administration (which it wouldn’t have, because responsible adults, not blithering idiots) the MAGAts in Congress would be climbing over one another with articles of impeachment. MTG and Bobo would be calling for a firing squad. Fatty would be squealing like a stuck orange pig.
But…oopsie…it was a Trump Administration cluster fuck so never mind.
Mind you, there WILL be an investigation.
Of the journalist. Just wait to see how many yelps there are to have Goldberg “investimagsted.”
Akhilleus' designation of Trumpism as a cult prompted me to ask the internet the difference between a cult and a religion.
Some interesting thoughts here:
https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,,-1659,00.html
Frank Zappa had the last and best words.
Former army lawyer David French, explains, in The New York Times, why this f-up so very egregious and urges that Pete Hegseth Resign (if he has any honor)
"a secretary of defense intentionally using a civilian messaging app to share sensitive war plans without even apparently noticing a journalist was in the chat.
There is not an officer alive whose career would survive a security breach like that. "
Re: the Hegseth-Waltz astounding security breach.
I just listened to Jeffrey Goldberg being interviewed on NPR.
Holy shit. He says that shortly after the bombing of supposed Houthi areas, the Fat Hitler knuckleheads on this group chat (by the way, not carried out on a government controlled platform, or in a secure room in the Pentagon), started whooping it up, like frat boys, sending each other strong arm 💪 emojis and 😉 emojis and basically acting like high schoolers after a big win by the basketball team.
Are you fucking kidding me? It’s not like this was D Day or the Battle of the Bulge. They were bombing guys in row boats.
And here’s the other thing. Goldberg did the responsible thing. He refrained from reporting any details that could compromise national security. Just imagine if MTG’s moron Newsmax boyfriend, or TuKKKer or some MAGA podcaster bro had been handed access to a Biden DOD attack. Those details would be flung across the ether like sun spot radiation plumes traveling at light speed.
Who could have seen Fat Hitler's lawlessness, everyone
Someone got an advanced copy of the updated portrait to hang in the Colorado capitol building.
I thought Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani butt dialing a journalist and leaving multiple voicemails of his private conversations was bad enough, but in his second term he has to turn the dial to eleven on everything. Including unintended leaks to journalists.
Keeping Kids Safe?
"Education Secretary Linda McMahon won’t rule out having Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. take over vaccines in public schools. Noting that shuttering the Department of Education as the Trump administration intends would require redistributing its responsibilities, host Dana Bash asked whether Kennedy—a vaccine skeptic—could be tasked with overseeing state vaccination mandates."
@Ak,
Your description of Drumpf's Oval doesn't remind me of a "living room of a penthouse on Park Avenue", but rather of Liberace's boudoir...