Want to understand what Trump is doing? Part 2

An attorney who is representing GAZA protestors was stopped at the border coming back into the US. A US Citizen. They wanted to search his phone.

www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2025/04/07/lawyer-for-u-m-protester-held-at-airport-refused-to-give-feds-his-phone/82978891007/

This is not going to help our health care costs one bit. Many of us can not afford prescriptions as is.

www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2025-04-08/trump-says-us-will-soon-announce-tariffs-on-pharmaceutical-imports

I should say, those are the people he is firing in leadership positions. He is a lot less discerning when firing tens of thousands of Federal Civil servants. In that case, loyalty is the only thing that matters.

The plan is spelled out in Project 2025.

Norah, she was fired for being on a "woke" list. That is the reason. They have so far fired all women in leadership positions, maintaining they are DEI hires instead of highly qualified women.

If you pay attention to those he has fired, it is mostly women, black men and white people who disagree with him.

It's been pointed out that the protesters on April 5th were almost all white people.
What I've read and the videos that I have watched have shown a reluctance to go out there in the fear of violent repercussions from the police/national guard because of past experiences.
There was an active "stay at home" aspect of some videos. Others , "We should be out there" I can only observe and respect those feelings, as it's clear from the support of Kamala Harris where loyalties lie.

I can't say how appalled I am by the sacking of Chatfield and the tree felling. I can only hope that matters like this erode the support Republicans are giving Trump.

Here is an article regarding the logging Allira.

apnews.com/article/trump-national-forests-emergency-logging-rollins-e2d7173bedcc697dee56f94ab613276f
He says it is to manage the forests, but that is already happening. You also have to remember his tariffs on Canadian lumber and his statement thatbwe have plenty of wood in the US and don't need Canadian Lumber.

It is about the $ not conservation.

intended
Untended - autocorrect again!

I think National Parks need managing and, as in Australia, if the brush remains then wildfires can spread more easily.

What kind of trees is he planning to fell? Are they fast growing trees for commercial logging which have been left intended and need to be thinned or are they old specimens of protected species?

imaround

Another female Military leader fired. Her crime? Being on a "woke" list.

"Chatfield was on a list of senior military officers targeted as “woke” by the conservative American Accountability Foundation, which sent a letter to Hegseth saying that “purging the woke from the military is imperative.”

Chatfield, a Navy helicopter pilot who also commanded a joint reconstruction team in Afghanistan, had been serving as one of the 32 representatives on NATO’s military committee. The panel is the primary source of military advice to the North Atlantic Council and NATO’s Nuclear Planning Group, according to NATO. It serves as the link between the political decision-makers and NATO’s military structure.."

apnews.com/article/pentagon-hegseth-trump-dei-chatfield-nato-23df15b59766458d106567ba782d2f15

Good news by the way, about AP. Court ruled that Trump can't ban them from.m the Oval Office or Air Force One. He won't comply, but at least it's something.

Was she actually fired for her Jewish faith? Or age? Or gender?

Is this DEI purging (race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age) merely POTUS lunacy of the moment?

Since I read imaround's point about logging in National Parks I've spent the morning gardening and can't get this out of my mind. How awful it would be if our government allowed the same in our National Parks. Thinking Americans who care for their country and the environment must be devastated.

MayBee70

imaround

Exactly. Trump has ordered logging over over 50% of our National Parks. He doesn't care about anything but money.

!

Is swearing allowed?

🤬🤬🤬

imaround

Exactly. Trump has ordered logging over over 50% of our National Parks. He doesn't care about anything but money.

!

Just listening to Trip - a huge amount of information - but one hit me in the eye.

Trump is considering not honouring the USA’s debt to China.

That sort of thing is the stuff of absolute nightmares.

Kiss his arse? Kick more likely.

"He mocked the tariff-deal supplicants, pretending to be them as he pitifully pleaded in a simpering voice: “Please, Sir, make a deal. I’ll do anything. I’ll do anything, Sir.”"

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-boasts-tariff-ass-kissing-b2729968.html

It goes from worse to worse. How long are we going to put up with this maniac?

I have just seen a clip of an overnight speech by POTUS Trump on the breakfast news, he was boasting that many many countries were rushing to kiss his arse and beg for tariff reductions…

Another female Military leader fired. Her crime? Being on a "woke" list.

"Chatfield was on a list of senior military officers targeted as “woke” by the conservative American Accountability Foundation, which sent a letter to Hegseth saying that “purging the woke from the military is imperative.”

Chatfield, a Navy helicopter pilot who also commanded a joint reconstruction team in Afghanistan, had been serving as one of the 32 representatives on NATO’s military committee. The panel is the primary source of military advice to the North Atlantic Council and NATO’s Nuclear Planning Group, according to NATO. It serves as the link between the political decision-makers and NATO’s military structure.."

apnews.com/article/pentagon-hegseth-trump-dei-chatfield-nato-23df15b59766458d106567ba782d2f15

Good news by the way, about AP. Court ruled that Trump can't ban them from.m the Oval Office or Air Force One. He won't comply, but at least it's something.

This is a good recap of one of the Supreme Court rulings. I initially was concerned, and still am, but I think it is important to know exactly what it means vs what Trump says it means.

I am glad they reaffirmed the due process process for all migrants. It is needed to stop another tragedy happening to innocent asylum seekers.

This is definitely not over.

"Claim by the White House:

The Supreme Court ruling made it “very clear” that Trump was “well within his constitutional authority” to carry out deportations under the Alien Enemies Act.

What the Supreme Court actually ruled:
- No Ruling on Constitutionality (5–4 decision):
The Court did not rule on whether the Trump administration’s actions were constitutional. Instead, it ruled that the lawsuit brought by the detained immigrants was filed in the wrong jurisdiction (Washington, D.C.) when it should have been filed in Texas, where the detainees were being held.

- Unanimous Ruling on Due Process (9–0 decision):
The Court ruled that detainees must be given a chance to challenge their deportations, even under the Alien Enemies Act. This safeguards some level of due process, which runs counter to the idea that the administration has unchecked authority.

Conclusion:

The Supreme Court’s decision was procedural, not a substantive endorsement of the Trump administration’s use of wartime powers. The White House’s statement overstates the ruling and wrongly implies a constitutional green light. In reality, the ruling left open the door for legal challenges — just in the correct jurisdiction."

Exactly. Trump has ordered logging over over 50% of our National Parks. He doesn't care about anything but money.

Very clear. Its also clear for example in terms of matters like pollution its a get out of jail card for more industrialists than Musk.

This report from Democrats lists all the agencies investigating Musk.

www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://democrats-judiciary.house.gov/uploadedfiles/2025.02.13_fact_sheet_re_musk_investigations.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwi3_5WzvcmMAxXWJUQIHWgrPXkQFnoECBoQAQ&sqi=2&usg=AOvVaw2QHh8iTrrLcQ5bNvLLhnp5

Notice the similarity to the list if agencies Musk started gutting first.

Theor goal is to have no regulations so rhey can pillage without consequences.

imaround

Trump is disbanding the agency that investigates crypto fraud. Because of course he is.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/08/trump-crypto-doj

So he is suspending key aspects of oversight into something he personally gains from as in:

"Last autumn, it was announced that Trump and his sons were helping launch a new crypto venture called World Liberty Financial. And ahead of his inauguration, Trump launched a crypto token.

According to Reuters, the Trump family has a claim on 75% of the net revenues from token sales by World Liberty Financial".

Part of the Keystone pipeline burst and spilled oil. Luckily they got it under control quickly, bit they have a contained spill to clean up.

I wonder what this will do to the cost of gas? MrImaroubd and I were talking today that oil prices are down below $70 a barrel, yet our gas prices jumped up to over $3.00 a gallon. Which is not what usually happens. And that was before this spill.

Trump is disbanding the agency that investigates crypto fraud. Because of course he is.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/08/trump-crypto-doj

Wyllow3

It's a really superb quite short (ie recommended) analysis of how to construct a narrative like that from MAGA and similar groups - highly recommend a read.

Very revealing as a tool for analysis of Trump apologists.

BTW, imaround, I am grateful for the examples you give as a sad breakdown of many aspects of the US I've got long with so well crushed as aspects of project 25 enter the scene. Like you I agree it needs the wake up of congress, I'm sure it will eventually happen.

I was shocked by how accurate the article is. It reinforces my experience built over the last 10 years that there is no point of debate. These people are not the way out of this, so we may as well not even try.

I also found it fascinating to read these points and be able to immediately identify examples of it in real life. I feel like once you see it, you can't not see it everywhere you go.