Recently I was reading an article in “Raw Story” an independent jornalism source for various articles from different sources. This article was referring to the DAMAGE RFK Jr. was doing to vaccination schedules and “rules” regarding American children. For example, breaking up the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine into three different shots for children at three different times. Ostensibly, the article was aimed at Abdul El-Sayed who recently won the Michigan primary in the “race” for Michigan’s Senate seat being vacated by the retirement of democrat Gary Peters. In the course of the article, the author (John Casey) mentioned Senator Bill Cassidy who, like El-Sayed is a medical doctor, and blaming Cassidy with the reality RFK Jr. is our Secretary of HHS – it was his vote the deciding one making it possible for Kennedy’s confirmation.

Well, in the course of lamenting the DAMAGE being caused by Kennedy’s “anti-vax” positions – including his (debunked) claims vaccines cause autism – Mr. Casey said of Trump: he’s “is an accomplice in killing children — that’s a cold, hard analysis that, in my (Casey’s) estimation, will come to fruition in the years ahead. Well, it’s real that the U.S. has a serious MEASLES outbreak spreading across the nation as I’m writing this – it was reported the other day the small county in Washington State where I live now has 18 cases of measles – virtually ALL in unvaccinated individuals – mostly children. In 2024 there were only THREE cases in the entire state by the middle of the year. RFK Jr. (and, by extension Trump) are having a direct effect on the health of America’s children. So far, this year as of August 2026, there have been OVER 2,500 cases (reported) nationally. This for a disease which had been, for all intents and purposes, eliminated before Trump 2.0 and RFK Jr. took office. SHAMEFUL!

All of that is alarming and accurate – to a degree. However, to put Trump’s actions as an accomplice to killing children from RFK Jr.’s anti-vax stance and his going along with only it begs to differ with a reality Trump will have to live with which is exponentially more devastating. Remember, it was Trump who sicced (f)Elon Musk on “we the people” with his “DOGE bros” and one of their FIRST disastrous actions was “killing” USAID – America’s “soft” foreign aid program that was directly saving the lives of, over the next few years, MILLIONS of the poorest people in the world – most of which are/were children. It’s been estimated that since that aid was stopped there have ALREADY been OVER 750,000 unnecessary deaths of which over 500,000 have been children and by 2030 it will be well into the MILLIONS. Bill Gates called this travesty “the richest man in the world KILLING the poorest children.” There is no way to “slice this” without pointing out Trump is an accomplice in this action as well as the anti-vax movement pushed by Kennedy. Yes, SHAMEFUL!

Trump is leading an administration that counts shamelessness as routine for any day ending in Y. The examples are endless. Today, for example, in reference to the sailors in crisis on the Air Craft Carrier the U.S. Abraham Linclon – who’ve been at sea for a record amount of time (over 8 months) – are experiencing food shortages, lack of water, plugged toilets, no way to shower, and, in some instances are attempting suicide by jumping overboard (one sailor actually succeeded in going overboard – although he was rescued) – again, the ship has been at sea for longer than ANY before them – and Trump’s response to a question from a pool reporter on what he thought about the length of time these sailors had been at sea was to say “they haven’t been there long enough.” (or words to that effect) You guessed it, SHAMEFUL!

That would be comparable to Trump, earlier this year, saying “I love inflation” or “I don’t think about people’s financial situations” or “paying a dollar more for a gallon of gas is a small sacrifice for Americans to make to keep Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.” Let me stop there and elaborate on that last bafoonish comment by our nincompoop in chief – sorry, but no other way to describe him when referring to his lack of ability to feel SHAME or empathy for the people he’s SUPPOSED to serve.

First off, Trump has NO IDEA what the effect of paying one dollar per gallon for EVERY gallon of gas someone purchases – especially over a six month (and likely longer) period of time – and, it could get much higher as the standoff at the Straight of Hormuz drags on. (I doubt if Trump has every purchased a gallon of gas) I happen to drive an electric car, but I know people who are paying over $50 per month more than they were prior to Trump’s ILLEGAL invasion of Iran on February 28 of this year. It’s not just gas, either – I’m noticing EVERYTHING is going up in price to the point where I don’t trust the inflation reports – because the things I buy are increasing by more than 3 or 4 percent when they go up. I bought a tarp today that was at least 20% higher than it was four months ago – manufactured overseas and subject to Trump’s tariff TAX.

Secondly, Trump OBVIOUSLY has no idea how to extricate “we the people” from this ill advised military adventure likely the result of his fealty to Bibi Netanyahu – and, now, Netanyahu is refusing to go along with Iranian demands regarding their attacks in GAZA and Lebanon. Just as Trump is, by threatening War Crimes, actually committing them – Netanyahu is in the same category as Vladimir Putin – warrants for their arrests by the International Criminal Court – apparently, “we the people” are right there with those two thugs in refusing to abide by international standards when it comes to war – the U.S. committed WAR CRIMES in the Carribbean by blowing up what amounted to “ski boats” and claiming they were “narco terrorists.” They even, in one instance, “double tapped” one boat by “finishing the job” when it appeared two men survived the original blast. SHAMEFUL! One of the only countries Netanyahu and Putin can safely visit is the U.S. (Well, also North Korea and China)

Everyone in the world – most importantly the Chinese and Russians – knows the U.S. has depleted it’s stockpile of long range missiles and “interceptors” to the point where Trump has stopped his embarrassing threats to “obliterate” Iran (or “send them back to the stone age”) where he did his full on “TACO” maneuver each time, once or twice a week, finding a more ridiculous way of “chickening out” each time. While I was always happy he (and expected him to) “chicken(ed) out” – the reality, at this point, is that the U.S. wasted a lot of bombs as they were killing Iranian school girls and thousands of the Iranian civilians Trump originally encouraged to take over their government while accomplishing virtually NOTHING militarily. What “we the people” are facing now is a president who just isn’t able to admit defeat so this “drama” at the Straight could continue indefinitely. It’s been reported the Iranians are prepared to take this to the end of Trump 2.0. And, like with his disgusting comment about the USS Abraham Lincoln’s 260 days at sea Trump will continue to demonstrate, every day, his SHAMELESSNESS along with his incompetence! (And, of course, that of Pete Hegseth)

Trump believes the U.S. has a “great economy” because him and his BILLIONAIRE buddies (benefactors) are “cutting off a fat hog” at the Stock Market. Well, on further examination, that stock market is making about 100 OLIGARCHS obscenely RICH – while the 60% of Americans who are living paycheck to paycheck are one lost job or medical emergency from joining the ranks of the homeless. Many economic experts are referring to America’s economy as “K shaped” (Wall Street “rising” while Main Street is “falling”) with the top earners being the gamblers on Wall Street with the rest of us fighting over the “scraps.” Trump is good at dividing Americans against each other and he does that by convincing those in his cult not to believe their “lying eyes.” Many of Trump’s policies are making life more difficult for the bulk of his sycophants – he’s just good at convincing them to vote against their own self interest. (With the help of Fox “news” and other right wing propaganda platforms)

For me, this all is almost unbelieveable – although I know what’s happening because I pay attention (plus I read much of Project 2025) – it could be depressing. But, the good news, to me, is people like Abdul El-Sayed winning the Senate democratic primary in Michigan. After listening to him speak I realized if I was in Michigan I would eagerly vote for him – I really hope he prevails in November. I listened to another democrat who won a primary election, this time in Minnesota – her name is Peggy Flanagan and she is the democratic nominee for Minnestota’s Senate seat. I really hope both of these people win – with enough progressives like them I could actually be drawn toward the democratic party. (Remember, I vote AGAINST republicans as an “independent”) The republican racists have already overtly shown how they fear people like El-Sayed and Flanagan by throwing around racist insults. (SHAMEFUL) El-Sayed is a Muslim and Flanagan is a Native American. The racist attacks coming from republicans is why I ALWAYS vote against them. Stay tuned!!!

Final Thought: I’ve written several times about (f)Elon Musk throwing the Sieg Hiels at Trump’s inauguration and decided I’d supply a little evidence. This is a photo of ONE of the three he threw while participating in the celebration of Trump’s victory. Along with reading Project 2025 nothing has surprised me about Trump 2.0! This photo of Musk pretty much says it all. More and more people are beginning to “get” what the ultimate objective of Trump, his project 2025 puppet masters, and the OLIGARCHS like Musk who’ve decided “democracy” is, well, for the birds. Remember, the 750,000 people DEAD because of Trump and Musk shuttering USAID are from what Trump called “shithole countries.” Trump, Musk, and the others in their orbit are all about the MONEY! Example: Musk’s net worth has more than TRIPLED since he invested almost $300 MILLION to get Trump elected. Trump’s net worth has doubled! You can see from the photo Musk’s motivation! Trump’s supporters cheered! Yikes!!!

For some reason there’s a debate going on whether or not (f)Elon Musk is a racist. This after, while addressing Trump’s inauguration celebration, he chose to throw THREE Sieg Hiel’s with barely a whimper coming from our “mainstream media.” (MSM) I’ve brought this up numerous times but very few actual people read my “diary in cyberspace” and I haven’t heard anyone else mentioning this – and, the conclusion you could draw from it. Additionally, Musk recently responded “true” to a post on his VILE Social Media platform suggesting Hitler was a “left winger” and suggesting those of us on the “left” resemble the “deplorable” German fuhrer (who people pledged their support via their “Sieg Hiel’s”) and his “woke” politics. Right wing PROJECTION at its finest.

Musk was raised in South Africa in the apartheid days and seems unbothered by some of the real life results of his own actions – not the least being that Trump is president largely due to Musk’s money and platform spewing misinformation. When Musk is confronted with the REAL consequences of HIS undermining USAID during the first stages of the “DOGE” assault on our government – that, by most accounts, upwards of 750,000 people are DEAD, largely in African nations Trump referred to as “shithole countries” – Musk rages and threatens lawsuits. I saw parts of an interview recently where Musk claimed “ZERO” deaths resulted from destroying USAID.

To me, that is as absurd as suggesting Musk’s companies (Tesla and SpaceX) would be successful without the massive government contracts thrown their way over the previous many years. It’s been reported that over the previous 10 years Musk’s companies have received in excess of $18 BILLION in federal contracts. Since 2015 SpaceX has been reported to have received over $17 BILLION in government contracts alone. Many see the conflicts of Musk and “DOGE” cutting government up against the reality of what DAMAGE they caused. I’ve been lamenting the DAMAGE Trump has been inflicting on “we the people” for about 10 years now. And, of course, it’s getting worse.

Trump and his sons are busy scooping up as much MONEY as they possibly can while his reign on our constitution lasts. (Of course, what the Trump’s are gaining PALES in the face of Musk’s net worth jettisoned by Trump 2.0) The Trump family are desperate to find ways to CHEAT in the upcoming Mid-term elections because if things don’t go their way the incredible GRIFT could be in danger. Of course, with Musk once again throwing (by all acounts) at least $100 MILLION in a desperate attempt to fool voters into voting against their own best interests OR keeping them from voting, Trump is planning to find creative ways to block the predicted “blue tsunami” from becoming official.

In the days looming around the time I’m putting these words on “paper” it appears Senate republicans are soon to cave in the confirmation hearings regarding Todd Blanche. Blanche will be the FIRST AG who is facing the possibility of discipline from the BAR regarding (just) one of the fraudulent legal cases he’s signed off to where judges of all different stripes have thrown them out of court – on several occasions pointing out the lack of INTEGRITY as the basis of the DOJ’s argument. In the DOJ’s attempt to force states to give Trump et al their “voter rolls” Blanche is, as of this writing, ZERO for TWENTY. Yet they forge ahead. I’ve said this before: Trump is like the cornered RAT and he’s going to do whatever it takes, the constitution be damned, to block the democratic “blue wave” from happening. (Oh yes, another reminder: Blanche failed 34 times in Trump’s FELONY convictions in Manhattan)

This is what you get when voters vote in an organized criminal to the “White House.” For years now, I’ve pointed out the foundation of a FASCIST takeover of a “democracy” (democratic republic in the case of the U.S.) is the partnership of government and corporate interests. Like in many other parts of Trump’s (and Project 2025’s) scheme is forming these partnerships in the view of the public – as if that suggests it must be OK. This is where people like Musk (and Zuckerberg, Bezos, Ellison, Thiel, Page, Cook, and the long list of BILLIONAIRES) come into play. These BILLIONAIRES funnel PILES of money to Trump and the administration returns the favor by repealing regulations which make it easier for these people to make even MORE money – keeping in mind they were ALREADY billionaires before Trump 2.0 went past “go.” It seems obvious there’s NEVER enough for these “deplorable” Americans.

Not only is Trump acting like a person in desperation mode, but these “titans” of industry appear to be right there with Trump and his Project 2025 puppet masters. This BILLIONAIRE class has been busy pilfering (by some accounts) over 45 TRILLION from America’s taxpayers since the day Ronald Reagan took the oath of office on January 20th, 1981. Here’s the thing they’re most worried about. The hand that “giveth” could be the hand that “taketh away.” “We the people” could just as easily increase taxes on America’s wealthy as they’ve been receiving tax cuts since the days of Reagan. This is why many of them (BILLIONAIRES) have been creating “hideaways” overseas (for lack of a better word) where they can relocate once the s*#t hits the fan – that is Americans deciding they’ve had enough of funneling their taxpayer dollars to the “top 1%.” Musk, for example, is reported to be worth a $TRILLION. Yet, he doesn’t want to be paying his “fair share.” In fact, I believe he doesn’t want to pay anything.

When you look at Trump as the example of the ONE person in America who SHOULD be encouraging all Americans to be paying their “fair share” of taxes – after all he’s the president – you would get disappointed. Just today as the confirmation of Blanche nears its conclusion it seems as if Blanche’s scam to allow Trump, his family, and his organization to be immune from any investigations into their taxes for prior OR future years is a new LOW for Senate republicans. Likely one of the reasons so many BILLIONAIRES have come along side the least popular president (except maybe Nixon) in my lifetime – and why they (the BILLIONAIRES) are willing to open their checkbooks for Trump. Apparently, it’s cheaper for them than actually paying their taxes.

Back to Musk. One of the most egregious parts of all this, for me, is the White supremacy/nationalism at the root of Trump 2.0 and Project 2025. (Once again, prior to the 2024 election, my take on Project 2025 was calling it a “roadmap to fascism” – by now there should be no doubt.) Musk has, on numerous occasions, made racist – or reposted racist – posts on his social media platform now called “X” – previously “Twitter.” Now, full disclosure, I don’t do (what I call) Xwitter (or most other social media platforms – I do watch [mostly] music videos on YouTube – but the reporting of Musk’s actions on his platform leave nothing for the imagination when it comes to public evidence of his beliefs on race – I mean, after all, he’s a strong supporter of these republicans. Musk’s early days were in Apartheid South Africa and he’s managed to convince Trump to allow immigration to White South “Afrikaners.” Stay tuned….

Final Thought: Trump openly claims the one person he doesn’t want to be remembered as is “Herbert Hoover” – the “father” of the Great Depression. Not being an economist, I’ve got this feeling in my “gut” that Trump’s “great” economy is teetering on a major CRASH. Everyday I check the Stock Market and it’s going up as if everything is great. However, life on “mainstreet” is another matter entirely. At the same time, Trump is entrenched in a war of his own making in Iran (OK, he can thank Bibi Netanyahu) that he has no idea how to get out. Iran has discovered they can hold Trump hostage to their control of the Straight of Hormuz. Despite all Trump’s threats to “obliterate” Iran (or other words to that effect) he’s doing none of it – because the REALITY is, I believe, the U.S. HAS actually turned their stockpile of weapons down to dangerous levels – regarding potential for conflicts with Russia and China. Trump is turning America into a laughing stock around the world, and he’s demostrating how much of an imbecile he is when people quit paying attention to his bullying bluster.

Aside from the disaster in Iran “we the people” (with Trump at the helm) are, among other things, STEALING the oil of the Venezuelans – we don’t even know where the BILLIONS of dollars have gone. “We” are threatening Cuba, he’s threatening Greenland, and he’s, on several occasions, claimed Canada should be the U.S.’s “51st state.” Trump has nearly destroyed America’s relation with NATO countries and has abandoned Ukraine in their battle to fight off Russia’s illegal invasion. (Naturally, with “our” own illegal invasion of Iran – with most of “our” weapons stockpile – how can we critricize Russia?) Trump has gone through SIX bankruptcies – will “our” nation be his SEVENTH? (For any “MAGAts” out there, Trump has overseen more DEBT than any other president in our nation’s history – there’s lots of ways to rationalize this reality – BUT “it is what it is.”) Yikes!!!

I’m not attempting to suggest I’m some kind of “prophet,” but I do have to say that I (along with many others – I presume) was pointing out shortly after Trump LIED about the oath of office (refusing to put his hand on the Bible for some unknown reason) he would attempt to either prevent the 2026 election or he would be finding ways to “rig” things via the use of troops, a declaration of some kind of emergency, or some other way to ensure he would NOT be held to account by “we the people.” Since those early days the predictions have only become more and more serious. (and relevent) TONIGHT he spewed a plethora of LIES and debunked conspiracy theories to demonstrate his state of desperation as he’s looking square in the face of a HUGE “blue wave” come next November.

No, he’s not going to relent on his policy of tariffs which have been destroying farmers and small business owners for the past couple of years – issues that have only gotten worse as he’s got himself into a “war of choice” with Iran that he has no idea how to get out. The Iranians know exactly where his weakness lies and they’ve been suffering with an economy under sanctions for YEARS – so, in my mind, there is no question they’ll be able to outlast TACO Trump. Of course, the invasion of Iran is going to be much more difficult for Trump to reverse (TACO) himself on, because he doesn’t want to be the most recent American president to LOSE a war in the Middle East. (In addition, he seems to have no control over Bibi Netanyahu who doesn’t want the U.S. to withdraw from Iran – and he’s keeping up the attacks in Lebanon in order to undermine any peace talks which might occur)

Here’s what I took from FORCING myself to listen to Trump tonight. He’s got a plan on how to stop the counting of ballots while the 2026 election is underway. He actually made a pathetic push for the so-called “Save America Act” – (a voter suppression act in “sheep’s clothing”) I listened to several members of Congress who are all expecting Trump is going to attempt to interfere (by Rigging) in the 2026 election. They just didn’t have any concrete suggestions as to how this would happen. So, let me make a suggestion: I think Trump will declare a national emergency and send Homeland Security agents (like ICE) into various places to confiscate votes prior to the MAIL-IN votes being counted. As is obvious if you’ve been watching previous elections – date of election votes are counted first and THEN the mail-in ballots – with ballots postmarked by election day and received five or six days after election day being counted. Thereby cutting off MILLIONS of votes MOSTLY cast by people supporting democrats. (We’ve all seen the “red mirage” in previous elections)

So, Trump was at his – I want to be like Hitler, Putin, Kim, fill in the blank – best tonight as he was LYING his way through a speech really designed for two purposes. One to lay a pretext for his acts of desperation come election day if he doesn’t get what was in “door number two,” his VOTER SUPPRESSION act. He ended the speech with a desperate plea for republicans to pass this favorite voter suppression bill. In the process he took his adoption of Hitler’s “Big Lie Theory” to another level. Of course, he continued with the LIE that the 2020 election was “rigged.” However, he included one LIE after another that was designed to convince his gullible followers that he was – FINALLY – presenting “evidence.” Of course, virtually ALL his “evidence” was debunked in real time. His point though, in the truest adoption of Hitler’s famous propaganda scheme, was to tell LIES that were so outrageous that his minions would assume they MUST be true. I mean, why would anyone stand before the country and spew absurd untruths? (He does it because, it works)

And, of course, mixed in with his avalanche of LIES, were a bunch of baseless accusations toward democrats, election workers, and “progressives.” (When actually, many of those who pushed back on his absurd accusations in 2020 were honorable republicans) Trump is a classic user of PROJECTION another of the propaganda tactics of Hitler and Joseph Goebbels. Projection is when you accuse your enemy of the exact improper/illegal thing you are up to or about to do. As many say “an accusation is a confession.” For example when he refers to the “Biden Crime family.” (They don’t hold a grain of salt to Trump’s family) Or, “Sleepy Joe Biden” as Trump sleeps through one cabinet meeting after another, or at a Knicks Basketball game, or when he’s overseas embarrassing himself among our European “allies.”

Here’s how Trump began his speech: He started off by referring to people “pouring in from all over the world, including CRIMINALS of many types: 11,888 murderers many who have killed more than one person.” (What he didn’t say was that number spans 40 years) He then changed to “We had transgender for everybody” (whatever that was supposed to mean – patently absurd, but made me a bit uneasy with my own situation) Men in women’s sports, crime ravaging our cities, (actually, I know crime was at a 20 – or more – year low when he retook office) and the whole world was laughing at us as a nation.” (That’s actually a great example of projection) “Two years ago our country was DEAD, but not now – we’re the hottest country anywhere in the world.” (Well, from a climate crisis point of view, he may be correct – but, in his context, apparently he hasn’t read about all the world leaders LAUGHING at him behind his back) He went on, “America’s respected like we’ve never been respected before.” Again, he’s probably right, but not in the context he meant. Europe and Canada are aligning with China and I got the impression when Trump was in China that Xi Jinping’s smug smirks while Trump was adulating over him led to a lot of laughs once Trump headed home – with NOTHING!)

Trump brought up all the money being invested in America – which is true – but, it’s because of an “AI” race from the OLIGARCH class which appears, to me, to be headed for a big fall. And, of course, Trump is cashing in with THOUSANDS of trades on Wall Street for businesses he’s promoted. (But, what do I know? regarding the “big fall”) He said, “more Americans are working than ever before – which, technically is true, but a quick “Google” search shows you the “population/employment” ratio is about 5% below the previous high. Remember, Trump has run MILLIONS of immigrant workers out of the country – of which the consequences of that stupidity will show up in the next year or two – if not with food prices this coming year. Trump stated inflation made its largest one month drop in 6 years – but, what he didn’t say was that was almost exclusively due to lower energy prices which have now began to shoot back up. (Iran) It was still at 3.5%.

Enough of all that. What then transpired was a boring listing of allegations about Chinese election interference in the 2020 election – which, by all accounts, didn’t amount to more than China obtaining election information on Americans that was widely available online to anyone who knows how to use a computer. Apparently, in some instances, you would have to purchase the information. Makes you wonder about why Trump’s administration is seeking voter data from specific locations and having so many problems (like where there’s lots of Black voters – ahem!) (Consider all the Black people either purged from Trump’s administration or their attempts to do so – many in key parts of our military that is now floundering in Iran as EVIDENCE our nation is in the throes of overt racists – one of the pillars of fascism) What Trump DIDN’T mention was, as in the 2016 election, the Russians were attempting to influence voters in his favor during 2020 – while, apparently, there’s also evidence the Iranians were spreading misinformation against Trump. (I believe he did mention that) But, NOT ONE vote was changed by any of all this!

It all came to a crescendo when Trump made his pitch for the so-called “Save America Act.” When he describes that legislation he can’t help himself but to add that with its passage republicans wouldn’t lose another election in the next 100 years. The plan is to SUPPRESS the vote in places where democrats tend to vote in large numbers and, of course, it’s aimed directly at women who might have a different legal name right now than the one showing on their birth certificate. And, for that matter, there’s MILLIONS of people who don’t possess a birth certificate (My Mom sent me mine right before she died) and, well, that would mean they couldn’t register to vote. It would preempt state voter registration processes and require voter ID when showing up to vote. It would BAN “mail in voting” except in special circumstances. It would take the process out of the control of states and put it with the federal government – likely significantly decreasing voter turnout not to mention likely being unconstitutional. Then, keep in mind the latest Heritage Foundation gamut, “Saving America by Saving the Family” where they want to push women “back into the kitchen” (and bedroom, for that matter, to make more children) and, presumably, remove women as voters. (I didn’t read the entire “manifesto” but a reliable source made that claim – this is the follow up to Project 2025)

Trump is floundering in the polls. He’s floundering in his war of choice in Iran. He’s floundering in his relationship with Netanyahu. With the exception of Wall Street (propped up by the OLIGARCHS and “AI”) his economy is floundering. I personally don’t buy gas (except for my rototiller) because I drive an EV but I do a lot of the shopping for my family. I go to the stores with the lowest prices and I’m watching one item after another rising each month by a few cents – EVEN at Costco – which amounts to a significant percentage after a few months. The other day, I heard Trump bragging about causing Walmart to lower prices. I’ve recently made online purchases from Walmart so I get more information from them via email than I used to. So, in response to Trump’s claim I believe it was the CFO of Walmart who came out and said the reason they had lowered some prices is because they got refunds on some of the tariffs they had paid. Nothing to do with Trump! Go figure. Made me a bit less of a Walmart snob!

Final Thought: Trump wants to be the Vladimir Putin of America and he’s bound and determined to get there. The more it looks like he’s in big trouble he resorts to his organized crime MO and doubles down on the headwinds he’s facing. And, just as Putin has the Russian OLIGARCHS propping him up (for the past 20 years) Trump is counting on people like (f)Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook, Larry Ellison, Rupert Mudoch, and on and on – to fund, somehow, a way to block the “blue wave” so he doesn’t have to risk it all with a phony national election emergency in November. And, it looks kind of bad for Trump in the races for both chambers of Congress at this point.

For example, I was watching the Senatorial campaign of Graham Platner, where republicans were pulling out all the stops to smear Platner just as the “official” campaing was getting under way. Well, Platner was presented with one too many potential scandals and was forced to drop out. Just like democrats forced Biden out in 2024 (an unwise decision from my perspective) they did the same with Platner. In this instance, however, Maine democrats have the opportunity to choose a replacement – presumably with someone close to Platner politically – to take on Susan Collins. It will be interesting to see how Mainers pull together by election time – they have until July 27th to choose a candidate – there really isn’t much time. However, I heard a bit about Collins and all the money she’s raised and I thought that SHOULD be able to be used against her. For example, I heard a report this morning while driving around in my car that Collins had the support of over 100 BILLIONAIRES! Now there’s a positive in a state where people are REALLY upset about income inequality. The cost of groceries, the cost of housing, the cost of energy, the availability of affordable education, public education, and on and on. Should be interesting to see if MAINERS are all in on Collins and her OLIGARCHS!? Stay tuned…..

I just finished reading an article about the philanthropic giving of MacKensie Scott (former wife of Jeff Bezos) and Elon Musk saying; “Sadly it makes the world a worst place.” Ms. Scott has given away approximately $26 BILLION since her divorce from Bezos (and still has a net worth of approximately $40 BILLION because of the increase in Amazon’s share price which is the source of most of her wealth) and I had to wonder why Musk would suggest her giving in such a negative light. I had some suspiscions but I had to read the article to get a better idea – and, the article made no reference to Musk. The person in the article that supported Ms. Scott was Melinda French Gates who is also an active philanthropist. They both have signed the “giving pledge” to give the majority of their wealth away in the course of their lives or in their wills.

If you know about Musk (he of the Sieg Heil’s at the Trump 2.0 inauguration) you might have an idea of where he’s coming from. Ms. Scott has given well OVER a BILLION dollars to historically BLACK universities – gifts with “no strings attached” that the universities can use in the manner that they choose. Her trusting their judgement to put the money where it creates the best outcome. I suppose you can guess why that makes Musk think these gifts “make the world a worst place.” She also gives gifts away to support DEI in various entities along with gifts in other areas where communities are struggling due to recent government actions. (My characterization)

I just finished reading an article about the philanthropic giving of MacKensie Scott (former wife of Jeff Bezos) and Elon Musk saying; “Sadly it makes the world a worst place.” Ms. Scott has given away approximately $26 BILLION since her divorce from Bezos (and still has a net worth of approximately $40 BILLION because of the increase in Amazon’s share price which is the source of most of her wealth) and I had to wonder why Musk would suggest her giving in such a negative light. I had some suspiscions but I had to read the article to get a better idea – and, the article made no reference to Musk. The person in the article that supported Ms. Scott was Melinda French Gates who is also an active philanthropist. They both have signed the “giving pledge” to give the majority of their wealth away in the course of their lives or in their wills.

If you know about Musk (he of the Sieg Heil’s at the Trump 2.0 inauguration) you might have an idea of where he’s coming from. Ms. Scott has given well OVER a BILLION dollars to historically BLACK universities – gifts with “no strings attached” that the universities can use in the manner that they choose. Her trusting their judgement to put the money where it creates the best outcome. I suppose you can guess why that makes Musk think these gifts “make the world a worst place.” She also gives gifts away to support DEI in various entities along with gifts in other areas where communities are struggling due to recent government actions. (My characterization)

Musk is reportedly now worth a TRILLION dollars – reminder he was worth around $250 BILLION when he shoveled about $300 MILLION into Trump’s campaign to help him get elected – a four fold increase in less than two years – and he says giving money away is “hard.” I mean, how hard could it be? If he gave, say a similar amount to Ms. Scott – a reported $26 BILLION as of June of 2026 – it would amount to “chump change” on his net worth. You have to wonder why he thinks it’s so hard? Remember, Musk entered the U.S. from Canada (originally from South Africa) on a student visa – but, he never actually went to college (he was supposed to go to Stanford) – meaning he very possibly fudged the truth when he became a U.S. citizen. I’ll let you figure out what his Sieg Hiel’s mean in regard to his personal beliefs – and why he would consider such giving to America’s HBCU’s (traditionally Black Universities) to make the world a “worst place.”

For a little context let’s take a look at what Musk did when he was attempting to cut a TRILLION or two from America’s budget as the head of “DOGE” at the beginning of Trump 2.0. The one cut that has stood out to me from day one was his obliteration of USAID – the United States Agency for International Development. This was America’s use of “soft power” over the course of nearly six decades. One of the key parts of this program was titled PEPFAR – a program pushed by Anthony Fauci and made a reality by George W Bush in around 2003. PEPFAR stands for “President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief”

PEPFAR supports HIV prevention, testing and antiretroviral treatment, as well as prevention of mother-to-child transmission, care for orphans and vulnerable children, tuberculosis services for people with HIV and broader health-system strengthening. The program initially focused on emergency treatment and prevention, later shifting toward partnership frameworks with recipient governments, epidemic control targets and long-term sustainability. By September 2025, PEPFAR was credited with saving more than 26 million lives and preventing 7.8 million infants from acquiring HIV at birth. Led by Musk, this program was halted for 90 days and later only about 1/2 of PEPFAR programs were restarted. (By about one year in on Trump 2.0) It is estimated that roughly 600 THOUSAND people have died in the world’s poorest nations due to Musk’s (and Trump’s) actions thus far. But as always with republicans there’s more.

In general roughly 17% of USAID’s programs were rolled into the U.S. Department of State, rendering the agency largely unoperational, but it has not been officially dissolved. USAID’s major functions included administering humanitarian aid, supporting economic growth, promoting global health, and advancing U.S. foreign policy goals through partnerships and development programsfor all intents and purposes are non-existent. When operational It played a critical role in responding to international crises and fostering sustainable development in various countries. Here is an overview of USAID’s functions:

Humanitarian Aid

• Administered emergency relief during crises, including natural disasters and conflicts.
• Provided food assistance and healthcare to vulnerable populations.
• Supported programs aimed at eradicating diseases and improving health outcomes.

Economic Growth

• Promoted sustainable economic development in developing countries.
• Assisted in creating jobs and fostering entrepreneurship.
• Supported infrastructure projects to enhance trade and investment opportunities.

Global Health

• Implemented health programs to combat diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis.
• Provided vaccinations and maternal health services.
• Developed initiatives to improve nutrition and food security.

Foreign Policy Advancement

• Aligned development programs with U.S. foreign policy goals.
• Fostered partnerships with other countries, NGOs, and international organizations.
• Promoted democratic governance and human rights through various initiatives.

Education and Capacity Building

• Supported educational programs to improve literacy and vocational training.
• Strengthened local institutions to enhance governance and public service delivery.
• Provided technical assistance and training to build local capacities.

Environmental Protection

• Engaged in projects aimed at environmental sustainability and climate resilience.
• Supported conservation efforts and the sustainable use of natural resources.

These functions collectively aimed to improve living conditions, promote stability, and foster goodwill towards the United States globally. Musk shuttered USAID because he said it was full of “waste, fraud, and abuse.” Bill Gates accused Musk of “the world’s riches man killing the world’s poorest children” by shutting down USAID, saying the cuts would abandon food and medicines and threaten resurgences of diseases like HIV and polio.

The shutdown of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has led to significant loss of life globally.

Estimated Deaths

• Total Deaths: Over 600,000 people
• Children: Approximately two-thirds of the total deaths, which translates to around 400,000 children

Context of the Impact

The cancellation of USAID programs has severely affected health and humanitarian aid, particularly in regions reliant on U.S. support for combating diseases and providing essential services. The consequences of these funding cuts are expected to continue growing, as many deaths result from delayed effects of inadequate healthcare and nutrition. According to a study by UCLA’s School of Public Health they predict more than 14 MILLION preventable deaths by 2030 if USAID defunding continues, including over 4 MILLION children under 5. Of course, MOST of these deaths will occur in countries Trump has referred to as “Shit hole” countries. Musk denies closing USAID has led to ANY deaths. What’s the old saying, who are you going to believe, Musk “or your own eyes?” If you’ve read this far I ask you why would (f)Elon Musk consider Mackensie Scott’s giving to be “making the world a worst place?” Yikes!!!

Final Thought: On the 250th Anniversary of America’s founding Trump spent 90 minutes on a secret phone call with, you guessed it, Vladimir Putin. (As reported by the Kremlin – not Trump’s administration) As I’m writing this Trump is on his way to a NATO summit with much speculation that he’s going to blow up the organization which was created post WW II. I’m going to make this simple: If Trump blows up NATO he should be IMPEACHED and CONVICTED by the House and the Senate. I’ve pointed out how I don’t believe “we the people” can withstand the DAMAGE he’s causing to this nation – but, if he blows up NATO that should be stepping over a red line – even for republicans in Congress.

There are rumors coming from European Intelligence agencies that Russia is planning to make an “incursion” into one of the Baltic countries or Poland – what’s important is it will be part of the NATO alliance with Putin attempting to find out if NATO will respond in a way consistent with their Article 5 agreement where an attack on one member is an attack on all. If this happens and we fail to make an appropriate response – like a similar attack into Russia – Trump will soon be responsible for the potential of WW III. Stay tuned…..

I’m simply writing down some extraneous thoughts I’m having as it’s really hard to keep up with the corruption and long term DAMAGE to America by Trump 2.0. I’m 78 (soon to be 79) and one thing I’m sure of is I won’t live long enough for “we the people” to reverse the DAMAGE Trump is doing to our fundamental values and our History as the longest lasting example of a nation governed by its own people via “free and fair” elections and a commitment to its foundint docurments and the “rule of law.” We now have a SCOTUS that is putting new meaning from “legislating from the bench.” If we still have “free and fair” elections this November (of 2026) it is imperative “we the people” vote in record numbers to regect Trump and the republican party that produced his two administrations. One thing Trump has proved is you can be a FELON (34 times over in his case) and still run for and hold office in America. Here are a few thoughts which motivated me to write tonight.

Trump claims (with a straight face) he’s the only president to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. As usual with Trump this is a bold faced lie. Iran agreed under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to refrain from pursuing nuclear weapons. This commitment was part of a broader deal reached in July 2015 with several world powers, including the United States, China, Russia, France, Germany, and the European Union. While Iran agreed to refrain from pursuing nuclear weapons as part of the JCPOA, the deal has faced challenges, particularly after the U.S. withdrawal in 2018, which led to Iran exceeding some of the agreed limits on its nuclear activities. Of course, that is Thanks to Trump withdrawing the U.S. from the agreement in 2018. Now Trump is scrambling to recreate the JCPOA – but he’ll put his name on any agreement. HERE’S the 14 point plan the U.S. agreed to with Iran. It appears Iran came out of this war “smelling like a rose.” (And, they can thank Bibi Netanyahu for that)

Trump fails to point out the cost of the war in Iran was HUGE. A recent study by Moody’s claimed the cost was $132 BILLION. Linda Bilmes: A war budgeting expert, has indicated that the costs could be significantly higher, potentially reaching $1 trillion overall. Bilmes’ analysis highlights the potential for escalating costs associated with the war, emphasizing the need for a realistic assessment of military expenditures and their long-term impact on the U.S. economy. Bilmes is a public policy expert at Harvard University. She argues that the Pentagon’s figures may underestimate actual costs. For example, the reported costs do not account for the current market value of military assets, which can be significantly higher than historical values. (She estimates the war was costing $2 BILLION per day from February 28th until June 16th) In her valuations she considers Veterans’ Care: Costs associated with disability benefits for deployed troops. Infrastructure Rebuilding: Financial requirements for restoring damaged facilities and military assets. Bilmes’ analysis highlights the potential for escalating costs associated with the war, emphasizing the need for a realistic assessment of military expenditures and their long-term impact on the U.S. economy. The impact of higher gas prices and other costs born by American consumers is part of her evaluations of the broader financial toll of the war on the U.S. economy.

The Trump administration is trying to hide the reality that a HUGE portion of Americans’ military weaponry has been depleted. Additionally, they don’t want to talk about how rebuilding these “weapons of war” will require large amounts of “rare earths” coming from China. China is “eating America’s lunch” under Trump. HERE is information regarding the depletion of American weapons in just the first 16 days of the war. American weapons used in the Iran war that require rare earth elements, which are essential for various military technologies, including precision-guided munitions and radar systems make the U.S. heavily reliant on these materials, particularly from China, for its military capabilities. HERE’S another article pointing out the seriousness (and stupidity) of this problem. (And, as pointed out above, Iran is going to come out of this better than when the “war” started)

Regarding Trump’s “anti weaponisation fund” – that includes a provision forTrump, his family, and his businesses where they can NEVER be investigated for tax issues EVER again. Think back to Trump’s FRAUD trial in New York where he was found to have committed serial FRAUD over a period of many years. It has been estimated this provision will save Trump something like $100 MILLION from a tax issue originating with a Trump building in Chicago years ago. But, as I understand it, it also eliminates Trump paying taxes into the future as well. (Nice work if you can get it)

Regarding Trump/Blanche attempting to give MILLIONS to the INSURRECTIONISTS I can virtually PROMISE you they will find a way around the blocking of their “slush fund” by the courts and likely would have been blocked by Congress if Blanche had not claimed it was “dead.” The fact Blanche REFUSES to sign a document “under penalty of perjury” should tell you everything. They are going to encourage the “Proud Boys” and other violent members of the INSURRECTION to file lawsuits against the government and they will “settle” with them “out of court.” Count on it! I can already see the headline: Man who beat cops on January 6th, 2021 is now a MILLIONAIRE thanks to American taxpayers. There’s potential for this happening OVER 1600 times. (Think of your tax dollars going to the pillow guy, Mike Lindell – or to Rudy Giuliani or the others who planned the INSURRECTION)

Trump’s attempts to control the use of “mail in ballots” would be OUTRAGEOUS at any other time in our history. The FACT it’s obviously UNCONSTITUTIONAL is no impediment to Trump. He’ll keep pushing. He knows what’s coming in November. But….A federal judge has blocked key parts of Trump’s executive order that aimed to limit mail-in voting, ruling that the president lacks the authority to control election procedures, which are reserved for Congress and state legislatures. This decision applies to the upcoming midterm elections and is part of ongoing legal challenges against the order. This includes implementing mail-in voting restrictions AND prevents the USPS from controlling mail-in ballots by limiting whose ballots they will deliver. As I said, though, he’ll keep trying – but chances are mail-in voting is safe for this upcoming election. (If we still have it)

It’s been obvious to me (and MANY others) for over a year that Trump will do whatever he can to either block the November election or “RIG” it in a way that guarantees republicans can block the coming “blue wave.” As we get closer to November his actions will increase. He’s now saying he won’t sign another bill until the so-called SAVE act is passed by the Senate – he wants them to blow up the filibuster – believing this “SAVE act” will prevent MILLIONS of democratic voters from being able to vote. For all intents and purposes, though, there doesn’t appear to be the votes in the Senate. They would have to repeal the filibuster which would make things interesting if democrats took back the Senate this fall.

The people who wrote Project 2025 have now put out another “plan” – this one “Saving America by Saving the Family: A Foundation for the Next 250 years.” You can access it HERE. Project 2025 is, in my opinion, a “road to fascism” (and, we’re definitely on that “road”) and this “Saving America” plan requires the “road” to be achieved in order, in the minds of the authors, to get more young people to choose marriage and having children (like around four they seem to believe is ideal) and a bunch of stuff that “blew” my mind – check it out if you’re interested (Few people I know chose to read Project 2025 so they don’t really understand the actual “goals” of the puppet masters behind Trump 2.0 and they probably won’t read this.)

I’ve only scanned through the document so I can only repeat what I’ve read elsewhere. Apparently this “Saving America by Saving the Family” includes provisions where the right to vote for women would be repealed. They want women in the kitchen and the home raising children – absolutely no abortions (apparently even to save the life of the mother) and no birth control. I can attest to early in my life during the first pregnancy I was involved in my wife had a misscarriage and when I took her to the Hospital they, in essence, gave her an abortion – otherwise her life would have been in danger. I often wonder, these days, how I would respond if I lived in Texas and this same thing happened. The people who would put her life in jeopardy are the same people behind this latest right wing “plan.”

Along with Trump 2.0 those at the Heritage Foundation who are behind Project 2025 and “Saving America by Saving the Family” believe that “Climate Change” is a hoax. They apparently don’t believe in Science. For example: The last 11 years have included the 11 warmest years observed since 1850. Also, The rate of warming has accelerated significantly, with the last few years showing a notable increase in global temperatures. This increase in temperature is primarily attributed to human activities, particularly the emission of greenhouse gases. Earth’s temperature increase is causing more frequent and intense extreme weather events, such as heat waves, heavy rainfall, and severe storms, due to changes in humidity and shifting weather patterns. This warming affects the water cycle and disrupts the usual balance of nature, leading to significant risks for ecosystems and human life. The evidence is right in front of our faces, but these “conservatives” just refuse to accept the scientific evidence. I’m personally bracing for this year’s Hurricane season, wildfire season, and other trajic events likely to happen. There’s already massive flooding in the South – and the season’s just getting started.

When it comes to the Climate crisis China is “eating America’s lunch” – with the Chinese producing the MOST and BEST electric cars and leading in the area of solar energy. Additionally, China has the largest installed capacity of wind power in the world, significantly contributing to its renewable energy output. China’s commitment to expanding its solar capacity is reflected in its ambitious goals. The country aims to continue increasing its solar and wind generation capabilities, contributing to its status as a renewable energy superpower. Under Trump 2.0 the United States is going in the opposite (and WRONG) direction! Our domestic auto makers are shunning electric cars (EV’s) while domestic production of solar panels is not on the forefront and wind energy is totally affected in a negative way because of Trump’s stupidity. Chinese EV’s are the best cars in the world and they are not allowed to sell them in the United States. Just like years ago when our auto makers “couldn’t compete” with Japan’s fuel efficient cars now our “leaders” don’t believe GM and Ford can compete with cars made in China. They not only restrict them with tarrifs, but, basically, just won’t allow them to be sold in America. (Full disclosure: I”ve been driving an EV for over 10 years.) Trump and his puppet masters won’t be happy until they’ve taken us BACK in time to the 1950’s – or so it seems! Yikes!!!

Final Thought: Then there’s the stock market. I’m no expert on the stock market although I follow it regularly – and, it feels to me as if the bottom is about to fall out of it. For one example, there’s been a lot of talk about how (f)Elon Musk has become (at least temporarily) a “TRILLIONAIRE.” (Yep, that’s a thousand BILLIONS or a MILLION millions) So I checked out the two companies which form the bulk of his wealth. First, of course, is Tesla. Tesla’s “earnings per share” (EPS) is $1.10. Their “price to earnings ratio” is 345.19. Next is Space X. Space X’s earnings per share (PE) is MINUS $.68. That is they LOSE 68 cents for every share and, of course, they rely on government contracts for most of their income. They don’t have a price to earnings ratio because they don’t have earnings. Let’s do a bit of comparison.

Microsoft has earnings per share of $16.78 and a price to earnings ratio of 22.78. If they had the same PE as Tesla their stock would sell for something like 6 THOUSAND dollars per share (instead of $400 or so). Then there’s General Motors, a Tesla competitor, whose EPS is $2.74 and their PE ratio is 28.50. GM’s stock price is around $78 – 1/5th of Tesla’s while their earnings are double. It goes on: Amazon EPS $7.35 PER 31.66. Nvidia EPS $6.53 PER 29.48. This tells me Musk’s companies are grossly overvalued. As are, I presume, some of the “AI” companies coming online that presumably are LOSING large amounts of money. In my mind the “dam” is about to “break.” And, the Iran fiasco that includes Trump’s constant manipulating of Wall Street has a shelf life as well, to me, concerning the markets. This is why Zoram Mamdani (and the candidates he supported in the New York primary election) have gained such traction with voters. Remember 60% of Americans are working paycheck to paycheck. I can’t remember a time when the difference between Wall Street and Main Street was so great.

From my purview Trump and the BILLIONAIRES he’s connected to are beginning to run scared. Trump is referring to New York’s “Social Democrats” as “Communists” with the associated “Communist scare” tactics from the days when “we the people” were LIED into the Viet Nam War. There’s a move afoot for politicians who will work from the bottom up and for a Congress that will reverse the nearly 50 years of “tax cuts for the rich” dating from Reagan up until today. (And, of course, ALL of those tax cuts came during the years when republicans controlled the “White House.”) I’ve said for years the foundation of a fascist country is a government/corporate partnership and we’re seeing direct evidence right now in the United States. This is why it is so CRITICAL for everyone in America who wants to save this republic to VOTE in November and VOTE AGAINST republicans! Stay tuned….

I’ve been writing about the DAMAGE Trump is doing to our nation for close to 10 years now and waiting for republicans in Congress to pull a “Nixon” and inform him his time is up and he’s going to be impeached and convicted based on ALL of his “High Crimes and Misdemeanors.” Well, I have to admit, I HAVEN’T been “holding my breath.” But, to me, the evidence of how PETTY Trump is – through and through – comes with his claims to be 6’3” after every physical. Apparently, he’s got doctors willing to go along with the most PETTY of LIES.

Recently, Trump claimed Xi was 6’2” (“very tall”) probably because when he stands next to Xi they appear to be about the same height. I’ve written about this before, but it galls me our “mainstream media” (MSM) seems to just “go along to get along.” In my mind, LYING about how tall you are is somewhat similar to LYING (and cheating) at golf. Trump appears to be the master at both. When I “Google” Xi’s height, the answer comes back at 5’10” or 5’11” depending on the source. Obviously, the only person suggesting he’s 6’2” is Trump – because when they stand side by side they are about the same height.

Now, I’m a year behind Trump in age and I’m now 5’11” when I was, just a few years ago, 6’2 1/2″ and I find it awkward to be looking up at my oldest daughter – but, that doesnt’ change how tall I am. I’ve written before that Trump is noticeably SHORTER than (f)Elon Musk and Musk actually is 6’2” in height. When Trump stands next to his daughter in law, Laura, who is 5’11” tall they appear to be about the same height. Yes, I’ve pontificated on this before, but it really irks me the MSM keeps looking the other way from such a ridiculous LIE. But, of course, as I’ve also said before, “When Trump’s lips are moving he’s LYING.”

As a former teacher I ran into students who were pathological LIARS and they were the most difficult for me to deal with. What I observed over the years was, even at 12 years old, if someone with a propensity to LIE about the most basic “stuff” are not confronted with their LIES they soon actually believe the LIES are “true.” And, in the case of my former (LYING) students, often times when attempting to work with the parents to mitigate the issue I would discover the parents were pathological LIARS. Those were the most challenging times I had as a sixth grade teacher (for 23 years). I can’t tell you the number of times Trump has reminded me of a spoiled sixth grader with a lack of parental guidance. The bully who is actually acting out because of a sense of emotional insecurity. That he somehow conned his way into the presidency (with 34 FELONY conictions and another 50 waiting via three indictments) does not speak well for “we the people” as voters.

I point this out once again, because the LIES which seem, at least to me, much more significant than how tall or how much Trump weighs have become a daily occurance and it seems like many of us have become numb to that reality. Just recently, Trump didn’t mess up the reflecting pool it was victimized by vandals. I’ll let you quantify the number of LIES that have come from Trump’s mouth since Bibi Netanyahu talked him into bombing Iran. (Now, his denial that Netanyahu talked him into it is, to me, a BIG LIE). How many times now have we heard the “Big LIE” of the 2020 Election? If you’ve noticed, virtually EVERY person Trump has nominated for a post requiring Senate confirmation refuses to answer the question of “who won the 2020 election.” That LIE is a prerequisite for membership in Trump’s cult.

It’s true our MSM does often refer to Trump’s LIE about the 2020 election as the “Big LIE.” The problem I have with that is that LIE is just one part of a political strategy taken right out of Hitler’s Mein Kampf. Directly from Mein Kampf:

“,,,,,in the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily, and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods. It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously. Even though the facts which prove this to be so may be brought clearly to their minds, they will still doubt and waver and will continue to think that there may be some other explanation. For the grossly impudent lie always leaves traces behind it, even after it has been nailed down, a fact which is known to all expert liars in this world and to all who conspire together in the art of lying. These people know only too well how to use falsehood for the basest purposes.”

Every time I listen to a pundit on TV wondering why the republicans are so proficient at LYING, it just bugs the heck out of me. It is a form of political propaganda and, obviously, it’s very effective. However, in my view, if everytime a political leader told an obvious LIE in order to justify a significant issue – especially, as in the case of republicans repeating the same LIE almost in unison – I believe the people viewing (or listening) to whatever the LIE is should be reminded the technique comes directly from Hitler. I still remember back in the late 1980’s when Rush Limbaugh hit the radio airwaves. To me, he was the first “master” of the BIG LIE that I became aware of. Now it’s routine “strategy” of the republican party. It’s a prerequisite to become part of Trump’s cabinet.

Another of Hitler’s “techniques” adopted by Trump and republicans is projection: “Hitler discussed accusing opponents of one’s own crimes and tactics, what we now call projection. Nazi propaganda routinely accused others of propaganda while denying that Nazi messaging was propagandistic, claiming instead to simply tell truth that democratic media suppressed.” (From “History Rise” on the internet) So, from LIES about his height to accusations of vandals pealing up the paint in the reflective pool we’re not only seeing the depth of Trump’s LYING but, sadly, how “we the people” and the MSM just seem to take it in stride.

The LYING (which leads to the CHEATING and the degredation of the rule of law) will be the overriding “legacy” left behind by Trump – LYING that will leave him in the same section of our History books reserved for Benedict Arnold. Yes, I believe the man who routinely accuses his “enemies” of “treason” is himself treasonous. After all, he led an attempted coup d’etat on January 6, 2021 – and, “we the people” still voted him back in office. In the “Stormy Daniels” trial (where he was CONVICTED of 34 FELONIES) the entire focus of the trial was CHEATING to “win” in 2016. Him accusing others of “treason” is the epitome of “projection.”

Next, he’ll be LYING about his weight (238 pounds). I can tell you (sadly from my perspective) is that myself – who weighed 205 pounds a couple days ago – am right on the border of “overweight” and “obese.” So, Trump at 5’11” and 238 pounds is – well, you can figure it out. There are many people far more expert than me suggesting Trump is in (very likely) serious health decline. The bruises on his hands and neck, his awkward walking when going up and down stairs, the “kankles,” and his confusing dialogue indicate there’s something seriously wrong. However, the pathological LYING has been there from, well, as far back as I’ve been able to find. And, I’ve read books that go back to his early days all the way up to the present. It’s all been there for anyone willing to do a bit of reading – again, not a good “look” for America’s voting public. As he continues LYING about Iran I hope more and more Americans understand how serious this is. We’re facing another 2 1/2 years of this! YIkes!!!

Final Thought: If you have read this far and think what I’m saying is BS – I suggest your reading list would start with the book from his niece, Mary Trump, and then progress to the plethora of books which have been written about him from his early life up until he bacame our so-called president. After all, six BANKRUPTCIES is not a good “selling point” on one’s resume. Overt racism should NOT be a good selling point.To me, it’s a more damning reality regarding us (ie “we the people”) than it is on Trump – he’s pilfering our country for BILLIONS of $$$ and we should have known better than – especially the second time – electing a FELON who was found, by a jury, to have sexually assaulted a woman and found in another legal proceeding to have been committing serial FRAUD for a number of years – not to mention his business was found guilty of FRAUD.

The next few election cycles will be key to whether or not America can reverse the DAMAGE Trump is inflicting on our democratic republic virtually every day. I pray the “ballroom” never gets built and Trump is ordered to rebuild the “East Wing” of the “White House.” After all, he’s just a tenant. His name and photos can be removed from various D.C. buildings, but if he succeeds in building the “ballroom” and the so-called “Trump Arch” his stain will remain for years to come! (Unless a future president has the guts to have both structures torn down – and, for that matter return the “rose garden” to its previous “state.” Stay tuned!!!

This morning when I read an article on “Yahoo Finance’s” main site where Trump was talking about working out a peace deal with Iran (and, unfortunately, Israel – led by Bibi Netanyahu) he made the comment: “final negotiations on ‘peace’ are proceeding, subject to ignorance or stupidity getting in its way.” My first thought was “The skunk smells his own hole first” – and then my mind went to wanting our so-called president to look in the mirror. After all, it was Trump’s “ignorance and stupidity” that got him into the “fix” he’s in right now – and that he has no idea how to get out of. Separately, he made the claim (in reference to Netanyahu) that ““I call all the shots, Netanyahu doesn’t call the shots.” This appears to confirm Trump’s sensitivity to the apparent FACT it was Netanyahu who talked him into this fiasco.

All of the “players” in this “drama” are well aware of Trump’s ignorance and his vulnerabilities. Trump is getting “played” by those who now are in charge in Iran, Netanyahu, and Vladimir Putin at a bare minimum. I have to believe Xi Jinping is also squeezing Trump when it comes to China’s near total control of the “rare earths” needed for, not only the “AI” boom and the “data centers” which are destroying communities all around America, but also the missile supply the U.S. has unloaded on Iran that needs these “rare earths” in order for the misslle supply to be replentished. And, of course, the U.S., under Trump, will fail to realize the “bomb, bomb, bomb” strategy of war is headed for extinction due to the “age of the drone.” You can count on them ordering the production of even more of the expended bombs.

Regarding the issue with Netanyahu, I’m not sure, to this day, that Trump understands how he was played. (Would that qualify as “ignorance and stupidity?”) I mean Netanyahu even bragged in front of the cameras after the assault on Iran began that he’d been trying to get a U.S. president to do this for 40 years! Maybe that was one television broadcast Trump failed to watch. As with many Americans it’s frustrating (and embarrassing) watching Trump working to manipulate markets with the “we’re almost in agreement” LIES almost on a daily basis. Before this is all resolved my instincts tell me Iran will come out the other side much stronger than where they were on February 27th, the day before the “ignorant and stupid” decision to start the bombing.

(I started this a couple weeks ago) – Well, now we’ve moved on past Trump’s “White House” Cage matches and he’s now in France, looking like “death warmed over” after an all nighter on Air Force 1 – at least that was my perception after looking at photos of him seated next to French President Macron. It’s been announced the U.S. and Iran have agreed upon a “memorandum of Understanding” (MOA) regarding the extension for 60 days of the “Cease Fire” which has been shaky, at best, with competing claims about who “won the war.” I find this just further evidence about the childish nature of those who are in charge of America’s government. In fact, the Iranians have been reported to have claimed they brought in psychologists in order to understand the ways to “play” Trump during the negotiations resulting in this agreement. They suggested Trump is mentally ill.

When I we find out what is actually in the MOA, my guess is my earlier prediction of what would be in any agreement won’t be too far from reality. I felt the Iranians would insist on a dropping of sanctions on their economy (allowing them to sell their oil freely), a return of their funds which have been frozen – apparently around $24 BILLION (What will all those who complained about Obama freeing up $1.7 BILLION on the completion of the JCPOA think? Like, for example, Lindsey Graham), The Iranians want reparations for all the DAMAGE caused from the bombing, they want assurances there won’t be more bombing (including Lebanon) and want American forces removed from the region, and, of course, they want continued control of the Strait of Hormuz. Picture the right wingers if Trump gave them even part of that “wish list.”

And, this doesn’t take into account Bibi Netanyahu and the Israeli’s. I read just yesterday the Israeli’s don’t want there to be any agreement and they don’t want there to be a connection with their war on Lebanon (Hezbollah) with any part of any agreement. In fact, they don’t want any agreement with Iran period, full stop. They want to continue the bombing of Iran and they want to turn Lebanon into another version of GAZA. (In my view, just MORE WAR CRIMES committed by Netanyahu and Israel) On the first day this MOA was announced the Israeli’s carried out MORE bombing raids into Lebanon. And, I read reports that the Israeli government has no plans to stop bombing in Lebanon. In fact, in the five days between now and the “signing ceremony” I expect the Israeli’s to attempt to undermine it – because, with the Iranians, connecting a stop in Israel’s war in Lebanon to the deal is a key part of any agreement. Honestly, I’ll be surprised if Israel doesn’t attack Lebanon in the next couple of days. (Or, maybe they’ll wait until a day or two after the signing ceremony)

Most American “experts” are pointing out how the Iranians are not to be trusted in any of this but, it appears to me, the real country that is likely to torpedo this deal will be Israel. Netanyahu, as many besides myself have been pointing out since October 7th, will likely keep the war with Iran (and HAMAS and Hezbollah) going indefinitely in order to keep himself from facing the corruption charges which have hung over his head for the past several years. It’s in his interests to blow this “peace deal” up forthwith.

When it comes to how this agreement will be received in the United States I’ll just remind you that prior to Trump (and Netanyahu) starting the bombing of Iran and February 28 the Straight of Hormuz was open, few had visualized it being closed, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner (he who continues “squeezing” BILLIONS from Saudi Arabia and other Middle East Arab nations) and Steve Witcoff were supposedly “close” to an agreement regarding Iran’s nuclear ambitions plus there weren’t public reports of talks about removing sanctions from Iran – or “unfreezing” their BILLIONS in frozen assets. At first glance, Iran is coming out way ahead in this war – often times conditions usually associated with WINNING! When Trump suggests this agreement should, for sure, get him the Nobel Peace Prize, I guess the response would be it’s a tough “lift” to START and then LOSE a war in order to get the prize. Will they give it to him out of appreciation to what lengths he’s willing to go to in order to “win” the award. He would then be able to say “I’m just like Obama” – now.

You have to give Trump credit for this. At the time of his ILLEGAL invasion of Iran the reporting of Trump’s alleged assault on the 13 year old girl in the Epstein files was first “ramping up.” Well, not only did he succeed in getting that issue off the front pages, but, in essence he got the Epstein files themselves off the front pages. It’s almost as if Trump is busy churning out one potential IMPEACHMENT worthy scandal every day – all while this IMPEACHMENT worthy Iran invasion has dragged on for OVER three months – in an attempt to put Epstein completely in the rear view mirror. So far, it’s worked – you don’t see much detail about Epstein these days and, I’m sure, Trump will continue to throw scandals at “we the people” in order to keep it that way. Will he succeed? Time will tell. Stay tuned…..

Final Thought: The 2026 election is getting juicy already. Mainers nominated Graham Platner as the democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, opposing Susan Collins. Platner is an everyday kind of guy and has a few issues which republicans are feasting on – but, apparently, not Mainers. I don’t often watch Fox “news” but I picked up on a segment by Kelleyanne “alternative facts” Conway. Here’s her latest “alternaive facts” regarding Platner: “Is there a magic number in the scandelabra that would make you stop?” Conway asked. “Would it have to do with Nazis or putting upon women, perhaps underage women, but definitely women, not your wife of two years? Would it be that you’re lying about that you’re insulting heroes that you’re not, he’s not even fit to lick their combat boots? So I’d ask the Democrats, is power really worth that to you? Because power for power’s sake is the definition of corruption.”

I put what she said on Fox in bold because it’s so much an example of the republican “playbook.” Trump did virtually the same thing calling Platner a “thug” and the worst example of a political candidate he’s ever seen. My suggestion for both Conway and Trump is to put Trump in front of a mirror. Platner’s “hiccups” pale in comparison to our so-called president. Platner has THIRTY FOUR fewer FELONY convictions than Trump. Platner hasn’t had sex with a porn star or a Playboy model while his present wife is nursing a baby. Platner has not been adjudicated to have sexually assaulted a woman and he hasn’t had something like 25 women accuse him of sexual assault. Platner has never publicly suggested you can grab a woman by the “pussy” because you’re famous. Platner’s business hasn’t been convicted of FELONY fraud – or he, himself, found guilty of “serial” fraud. I hope you get my point. To our so-called president – if I could advise him – “Don’t throw stones from a glass house!” And, also, in regard to the reference to the “Nazi” tatoo – Platner has not adopted the “Big Lie Theory” of the actual Nazi’s and he hasn’t been agreeable to turning America into a fascist nation! Yikes!!! I rest my case!

The stench from Trump’s corruption is so thick you’d need a razor sharp knife to cut through it. And, it’s mostly out in front of the public and is so obscene that it just keeps going on almost as if it’s the new normal. I’m going to take my time with this post – which means it’ll probably be hard to keep up with a so-called president who can’t take his hand out of the “cookie jar” and a republican controlled Congress which is unable to act to prevent virtually any of this thievery. If you’ve read any of my previous posts you know I simply work off the top of my head when writing. I don’t feel the need to do more than the minimal amount of “research” to complete each posting. This “blog” (if that’s what it is) simply represents my frustration with the direction of the country I’ve lived in for 78 years.

Over the course of that lifetime I’ve learned what the expectations of the founding documents of our nation SHOULD be (and we’ve definitely evolved over the years in the attempt to be a “more perfect union”), but also the forces which have been surreptitiously aligned to REVERSE so much of what has been gained since the “New Deal” and then the legislation from the 1960’s. (Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act) Most, in my view, of America’s “pock marks” – in our history – are centered on the treatment of “minorities.” This should be OBVIOUS to anyone who doesnt’ get their “news” from Fox, Newsmax, or any of the other right wing outlets that practice the same propaganda techniques used by the Nazi’s of the “Third Reich.”

Now we have a president (and a bunch of republican sycophants in Congress) who want to take us back in time while, at the same time, pilfering our treasury out of BILLIONS of taxpayer dollars. I have to add, virtually EVERY advancement in American History – like the 40 hour work week, women’s right to vote (more on that later) – civil rights advancements, Social Security, Medicare, etc. etc. have been initiated by LIBERALS. We’re watching the Project 2025 republicans who HATE “liberals” trying to turn us back to the 50’s. Some reports suggest these “conservatives” (BILLIONAIRES) have transfered tens of TRILLIONS from America’s taxpayers into their greedy pockets. Yikes!

By trying to list the examples of pure republican CORRUPTION (and, yes, democrats are involved as well. They just don’t think on the same scale as these republicans) I can think of off the top of my 78 year old head I hope to give anyone who might read this a reason to participate in the next NO KINGS protest and to make sure everything is in order with your voter registration so you can participate in what will hopefully be a MASSIVE rejection of these republicans in the November election (if we still have elections by then). I’ve been lamenting the fact this republican party has been heading for the “right wing cliff” over the past 20 years – almost 20 years on this site for me. And, right now, they’ve got one foot over the edge. (Both feet?)

Will November finally be the long needed “reckoning?” I truly hope so, because I feel our time is running out. We MUST NOT allow this THIEVERY in plain sight to continue! It’s time to take a stand. And, I realize many who understand what Trump is doing don’t like democrats (myself included in many instances), but the “JOB” this year is to vote AGAINST republicans – UP and DOWN the ballot. They’ve allowed (as stated above) TRILLIONS to be transfered from taxpayers to BILLIONAIRES. It’s time for a MAJOR course correction! And Trump has increased that THIEVERY exponentially. It’s grifting on steroids! (Once the republicans are in the History books, we can begin cleaning up the democrats) Following are a few of the most egregious examples:

The “weaponization” slush fund is as good as anyplace to start. Trump wants to pilfer almost $1.8 BILLION from us taxpayers to re-route to the 1600 INSURRECTIONISTS (Including those found guilty of Sedition AND the “cop beaters”) who were pardoned on “day one.” About the only “day one” promise Trump actually kept. (The Ukraine war continues and Israel’s war against HAMAS and Hezbollah continues a year and a half later – plus food prices and gas prices are going in the opposite direction of Trump’s promises – also for “day one” – reminder: Mexico was going to pay for the wall) Not only is the plan for these INSURRECTIONISTS to receive MILLIONS, but also people like Mike Lindell (the pillow guy), Rudy Giuliani, Steve Bannon, Peter Navarro, and even Trump himself. (The courts and Congress are stopping this, but Trump and Blanche have a workaround. They’re going to find a way to send taxpayer funds to the cop beaters of January 6th!)

Plus, Trump had his personal lawyer er Assistant Attorney General Todd Blanche throw in a guaranee neither Trump, nor anyone in his family, or his business organization could face charges of tax fraud. The proposed slush fund aims to forever prohibit the IRS from initiating any audits or claims against Donald Trump, his family, and the Trump Organization based on previous tax filings, effectively shielding them from scrutiny regarding tax fraud. Apparently, there’s about $100 MILLION at stake. But, hey – that only amounts to a grift of about $2 BILLION taxpayer dollars, including the above mentioned “slush fund,” going to some really creepy thugs. (In the case of Trump’s illegal “tax holiday” I believe the next administration can simply undo it because it’s not put in place by an act of Congress)

OK now for the crypto bs: Donald Trump has been linked to significant financial gains from cryptocurrency ventures, reportedly amassing a fortune exceeding $1.2 billion through various schemes, in just the first two years of Trump 2.0, including licensing his name to crypto tokens and promoting his own meme coin. (I don’t even know what they are) His administration has also been criticized for rolling back regulations and dropping investigations into crypto firms, raising concerns about conflicts of interest and corruption and selling “crypto” pardons.

“The combination of Trump’s financial gains from cryptocurrency and the regulatory environment during his presidency has led to significant scrutiny. Many experts and critics view this as a troubling example of how political power can intersect with personal profit, undermining ethical standards in governance.” Do ya think???

The trading in the stock market – 3700 trades in the first QUARTER of this year – how ethical is that? President Donald Trump disclosed last week that he binged on corporate stocks earlier this year, when he and his administration were promoting or conducting business with some of those same companies, and a new report suggests the president knew the details of the trades.

The 79-year-old so-called president personally signed a 112-page federal financial disclosure document May 8 disclosing that he executed more than 3,700 individual stock trades between January and March, and his signature certified that he has full knowledge of his stock holdings, reported NOTUS. This version of Trump’s CORRUPTION amounted to tens of MILLIONS of profit. Nice work if you can get it!

The Iran fiasco and the open manipulation of markets – this kind of gets back to his stock market CORRUPTION. He’s got himself into a war he has no idea how to get out of without proving what a LOSER he really is – so, almost every day for the past month or so it’s “We’re really close to an agreement to end the war.” Stock market goes up, oil prices come down. After a day or so, “rinse and repeat.” And, of course, Wall Street continues to fall for it and “bathe” in their record profits – while those of us on “Main Street” continue to suffer through a terrible economy. We, recently, watched Xi Jinping look on smuggly as Trump continually threw him adoration – with Xi giving Trump NOTHING for his long ride home – and, of course, the leaders of Iran realize they have Trump “where the hair is short” and they’ll be “twisting the knife” as Trump begs them for some kind of “peace deal.”

I’m anticipating the Iranians getting sanction relief, BILLIONS in the release of siezed Iranian assets, reparations for the damage caused by the bombing, and continued control of the Straight of Hormuz – via tolling. My guess is the Iranians will agree to allow the U.S. to come dig up the rubble over their uranium assets buried in last year’s bombing raids so that Trump can claim total victory. The only people in the WORLD who will NOT be laughing at him will be the MAGA’s who watch Fox “news,” Newsmax, etc. The bottom line here is it will be the Iranians calling the shots.

The “boys” and their putting their hands into the “pie” – for this one I’m just doing a bit of copying and pasting – it’s too involved for me to type it all out and, to be honest, I can’t keep up with Erik and Don Jr. – like their dad they’re following the old adage from when I was doing a bit of farming: “Make hay while the sun shines!” – here we go”

During Donald Trump’s second presidency, his sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., have engaged in a variety of business activities across multiple sectors. Below is an overview of their key ventures.

Investments in Defense Technology

• Drone Production:
  • Both Eric and Donald Trump Jr. have invested in domestic drone production companies.
  • They are notable investors in Powerus Corporation, which focuses on supporting American drone industry dominance through domestic manufacturing.
  • Eric Trump is also involved with an Israeli drone maker, Xtend, which has secured contracts with the U.S. Department of “War.”

Cryptocurrency and Financial Services

• World Liberty Financial:
  • This financial and cryptocurrency company is majority-owned by the Trump family and has been a significant part of their business strategy.
• American Bitcoin:
  • Founded by Eric and Donald Trump Jr., this venture is aimed at capitalizing on the growing cryptocurrency market.

Other Business Activities

• Trump Organization:
  • Both sons continue to play prominent roles in the Trump Organization, overseeing various aspects of the family business while their father is in office.
• Advisory Roles:
  • Donald Trump Jr. has joined the boards of several companies, including Unusual Machines and BlinkRx, which have benefited from their association with the Trump family.
  • And, I haven’t even gotten to Jared Kushner – who, it appears to me, set up the Iranians in the guise of negotiating a new nuclear weapons agreement. Kushner was soliciting funds from Gulf Arab states for his private equity firm, Affinity Partners, while serving as a U.S. government negotiator in the Middle East. Kushner served as the Special Envoy for Peace, negotiating U.S. foreign policy. While negotiating for the U.S. he sought to raise $5 billion from Gulf Arab states, including meetings with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. These Trump “boys” seem to be much more CORRUPT than Hunter Biden. But, where are the republicans who were so worried about Hunter’s role on the Board of Ukrainian Energy company Burisma? And $5 MILLION? Doesn’t this Trump/Kushner CORRUPTION make Biden look like an amateur?

Trump slapping his name and image “everywhere” – Since the start of his second term in January 2025, Donald Trump has placed his name on several locations, including the U.S. Institute of Peace and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. Additionally, he announced the commissioning of “Trump-class” battleships. He’s putting his signature on U.S. currency, he’s putting his name on National park passes, he’s soon to have his mug shot on U.S. passports, and this doesn’t account for him hanging banners with his mug shot on it across many of Washington D.C.’s iconic buildings. Thankfully, a federal judge recently ordered he take his name off the Kennedy Center unless Congress approves the change. We are discovering America has a lot of courageous judges – of course, excluding six of the justices on the SCOTUS.

Trump LYING about his height (apparently he weighs 238 pounds) – once again, after Trump’s most recent physical it was reported he’s 6 foot 3 and 238 pounds. Last year I started looking at Trump next to others in photos and came to the conclusion he’s around 5 feet 11. The first time I started checking this out was when he was standing next to (f)Elon Musk – who is reported to be 6 feet 2 inches tall. Musk clearly towers over Trump when they are side by side. Then, just recently when Trump was in China standing next to Xi Jinping they appeared to be around the same height – Xi is reported to be 5 feet 11 inches tall. Then Trump, next to his daughter-in-law Laura Trump in photos, they appear to be about the same height as well. She’s also 5 feet 11 inches tall. Look, I’m 78 and have shrunk around 3 1/2 inches over the past few years – it comes with the territory of getting OLD. Trump can’t seem to accept he’s not even 6 feet tall any more. And, trust me, that 238 pounds is something to be a bit concerned with. Next thing you know, Chris Christie is going to accuse Trump of obesity!

French President Macron is said to be 5’7″ or 5’8″ Trump is bairly taller (but much heavier!) Sorry, couldn’t figure out how to make the image larger!

Partnership with Heritage Foundation (Project 2025 and “Saving America by Saving the family”) I’ve been writing about the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025” since well before the 2024 election. I have repeatedly referred to it as a “roadmap to fascism.” It is the mechanism that is allowing all this CORRUPTION. They are benefiting from the CORRUPTION as well. (Obviously, America’s Oligarchs are gaining far more than the Trump family – making their “investments” pay exponential “dividends.” The most obvious example is Musk. He “invested” around $300 MILLION to get Trump elected and his net worth has tripled since he threw those Sieg Hiels at Trump inauguration party. (with, it seems, few even noticing or caring) Musk is now worth a reported $750 BILLION – attempting to be the first “TRILLIONAIRE.” (News Flash, Musk is now a TRILLIONAIRE! – That’s a THOUSAND Billions!) Once again, “nice work if you can get it.” Regarding the “Saving America by Saving the Family” I would refer you to my previous post which was written by Thom Hartmann. In a nut shell, Those at Heritage want to take away the right to vote from women, they want to ban all forms of abortion and birth control, and they want women back in the kitchen during the day while making babies at night! And, I’m not kidding! (And, of course, they want to ban things like Gay sex, Gay marriage, and Trans rights)

Plane from Qatar – a $400 MILLION gift (or should I say grift, or better yet, bribe?) to our so-called president which is a bit over the limits of the emoluments clause of the constitution. The Emoluments Clauses of the Constitution prohibit the president from accepting any gifts, emoluments, or titles from foreign states without congressional consent and restrict the president from receiving any other emolument from the United States beyond a fixed salary. (He gets to keep this plane when “we the people” get the end to this nightmare) These clauses are designed to prevent corruption and undue influence from foreign powers and domestic entities. Oops! on both fronts. Trump considers the constituion an annoyance and our republican legislature willfully allows him to get away with it. Do you think HIS Department of Justice will object to any of this grifting? Keep in mind it’s costing a reported BILLION dollars to remove “stuff” from the plane that might allow someone, say the Qatari’s, from monitoring our president and to turn the plane into a “White House” with wings. Ugh!!!

The “free” Ballroom – and NOW the “free” ballroom is apparently in need of an infusion of a BILLION taxpayer dollars – in addition to the $400 MILLION in bribes paid by America’s leading corporations? (OK, bribes is a strong word, but do you think these corporate OLIGARCHS are shoveling all this money Trump’s way with nothing expected in return? If you believe that, I’ve got a bridge……….) Republicans are attempting to force this $1 BILLION through as part of a reconciliation bill they are proposing that throws more taxpayer dollars ICE’s way – with no “strings” attached – but the Senate Parlimentarian wont allow it. (Trump’s immediate response was the republican Senators should FIRE her) Once again, it appears this “free ballroom” will only cost “we the people” a cool BILLION. The fact polls say an overwhelming majority of Americans are pissed Trump tore down the East Wing of the “White House” and want nothing to do with this ostentatious ballroom means nothing to him (all he cares about is that Iran doesn’t get a nuclear weapon – wink wink). OK, if you’ve read this far you’ll agree, I’m sure, that’s enough. But, I’ll say it again, Trump’s CORRUPTION is so thick you’d need a sharp knife to cut through it!

Final Thought: After all this here’s the definition of Nacissistic Personality disorder from the Mayo Clinic:

Narcissistic personality disorder is a mental health condition in which people have an unreasonably high sense of their own importance. They need and seek too much attention (try to force yourself to watch/listen to one of his cabinet meetings) and want people to admire them. People with this disorder may lack the ability to understand or care about the feelings of others. But behind this mask of extreme confidence, they are not sure of their self-worth and are easily upset by the slightest criticism.

A narcissistic personality disorder causes problems in many areas of life, such as relationships, work, school or financial matters. People with narcissistic personality disorder may be generally unhappy and disappointed when they’re not given the special favors or admiration that they believe they deserve. They may find their relationships troubled and unfulfilling, and other people may not enjoy being around them.

Does that define Trump? You be the judge! Stay tuned…..

Mother’s Day has just passed, so it’s an excellent time to examine what the most powerful conservative think tank in America is planning right now for the women in your life.

The same outfit that wrote Project 2025 and watched the Trump administration follow its playbook virtually to the letter has been busy assembling a 90-page tract called “Saving America by Saving the Family.”

It maps out a future in which American women are stripped of their right to vote without their husbands’ paperwork, denied access to contraception and abortion, pushed back into the home, and reduced to what Heritage’s new American Citizenship chair Scott Yenor calls the “heroic feminine” of motherhood and wifeliness. It’s quite a Mother’s Day card from the people who claim to revere motherhood the most.

ALSO READ: ‘I was dumb as a rock’: Hardcore MAGA couple ditches Trump after getting ‘kick in teeth’

Scott Yenor wants:
— To make gay sex illegal in America again,
— Divorce to be “difficult to get or proscribed,”
— Adultery and sex between unmarried consenting adults (he calls it “fornication”) criminalized, and
— The Civil Rights Act to be “scaled back” so that businesses, schools, and “every other institution in the country” can once again discriminate against women, queer people, and minorities the way they used to.

And just a few months ago, the Heritage Foundation, the same outfit that wrote Project 2025 and watched the Trump administration follow their playbook virtually to the letter, hired Yenor to chair its American Citizenship Initiative.

When pressed about Yenor’s record, reported in detail by The Guardian and LGBTQ Nation, Heritage didn’t quietly walk anything back. They instead invoked their “One Voice” doctrine, which means that what one Heritage staffer says is what the institution stands for, and they loudly stood by him.

Even some of the foundation’s allies winced publicly to The Atlantic, but Heritage reportedly didn’t budge. This is what billionaire-funded Christian nationalism looks like in 2026, and it’s been the project, almost without interruption, ever since the Reagan Revolution

Most Americans don’t know how the Heritage Foundation came to exist; I’ve been telling this story on the radio for more than two decades because it matters. In 1971, a tobacco lawyer named Lewis Powell wrote a confidential memo to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce arguing that the American “free enterprise system” was under attack from “the college campus, the pulpit, the media, the intellectual and literary journals, the arts and sciences, and from politicians.”

His prescription was that corporate America needed to fund its own intellectual infrastructure, think tanks and university programs, legal centers, and media outlets that would shift the country’s political center hard to the right and protect billionaire wealth from democratic accountability.

Two months after writing that memo, Nixon nominated Powell to the Supreme Court.

In 1973, beer baron Joseph Coors read the Powell Memo, decided American business was “ignoring a crisis,” and wrote a $250,000 check to launch the Heritage Foundation alongside Paul Weyrich, the man who later coined the phrase “Moral Majority” and famously told a room of 1980 evangelical leaders that conservatives don’t actually want everyone to vote because “our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down.”

Heritage was, from day one, a vehicle for translating Powell’s memo into operational policy, and that founding circle of donors, Coors plus Bradley plus Olin plus Scaife plus Koch, never really left.

According to a DeSmog analysis of Project 2025’s funders, six billionaire family foundations bankrolled Heritage’s blueprint for the second Trump administration: Bradley, Coors, Koch, Mellon, Seid, and Uihlein.

Same families, same project, more than half a century of the same handful of fortunes funding the same grinding assault on democracy, women’s rights, civil rights, and any policy that would tax great wealth or restrain corporate power.

What’s new is how openly they’re saying the quiet parts now.

Heritage’s 90-page tract “Saving America by Saving the Family,” the subject of a thorough investigation by Billie Jean Sweeney for Important Context, lays out a vision that overturns marriage equality, denies the existence of trans people, eliminates no-fault divorce, and uses federal Medicaid dollars as a weapon against any state that disagrees.

The document opens with the sentence “The Founding Fathers were, quite literally, fathers,” which gives you a pretty clear sense of where they’re going. They’ve invented a problem they call a “birth dearth” and identified the culprits: women being educated, women working outside the home, women using contraception, women existing as autonomous people.

As Mehmet Oz, Trump’s administrator for Medicare and Medicaid, said recently, “One in three Americans is under-babied.” White Americans, of course.

Anybody who’s read 1930s European history will recognize what’s going on here.

The Nazi regime’s Mutterkreuz, the “Cross of Honor of the German Mother,” handed out medals to Aryan women who produced four or more children while sterilizing those it considered unfit, and the Lebensborn program ran maternity homes designed to manufacture “racially valuable” babies for the Reich.

Heritage isn’t there yet, but the ideological architecture is the same: women as reproductive vessels for a state-defined ideal, with the full weight of federal policy bent toward forcing them into that role.

Civil rights attorney Michelle Uzeta, who runs the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, told reporters the through-line is “government-sponsored devaluation of entire communities, informed by eugenic thinking,” and that’s not hyperbole, that’s what the documents say when you read them carefully.

The operational arm at HHS is staffed accordingly. Russell Vought, Trump’s OMB director and a self-described Christian nationalist who co-authored Project 2025, has spoken with revulsion of “the transgender sewage that’s being pumped into our schools and institutions.”

Calley Means, a former Heritage research analyst, is now senior White House advisor at HHS. His sister Casey Means, whose surgeon general nomination Trump just withdrew on April 30 after Senator Bill Cassidy refused to support her, told Tucker Carlson that birth control “shuts down” a woman’s “life-giving nature,” and Trump immediately replaced her with another vaccine-skeptical Fox News contributor, radiologist Nicole Saphier.

Natalie Dodson, a named Project 2025 contributor, runs the Office of Population Affairs that decides Title X family planning rules, and the first Trump-era domestic gag rule, in effect from 2019 to 2021, forced 981 clinics out of the program and cut the network’s patient capacity in half, leaving six states with no Title X provider at all. The current administration has signaled it will repropose the gag rule, and Trump’s 2026 budget proposes eliminating Title X entirely.

The most useful place to watch how the playbook actually operates on the ground is Missouri.

Voters there passed a constitutional amendment in November 2024 protecting abortion rights with 52 percent of the vote, and the Republican-controlled legislature simply ignored them and referred a counter-amendment to this November’s ballot that would repeal the protections voters just enshrined.

To boost their odds, they bundled in a permanent ban on gender-affirming care for trans minors, even though Missouri law already bans that care. It’s pure ballot candy, bolted onto an abortion ban specifically because polling shows the trans-care provision boosts support for the abortion ban among voters who otherwise wouldn’t go along.

Divide and conquer, in other words, weaponized at the ballot box to overturn the explicit will of the voters.

This is what I wrote about in The Last American President: the slow, methodical, billionaire-funded conversion of American constitutional democracy into something that more closely resembles a “Christian” white supremacist oligarchy with a theocratic veneer.

The people running this project are not hiding it anymore. Yenor isn’t hiding it, Vought isn’t hiding it, and Heritage’s “Saving the Family” tract isn’t hiding it either.

They’re telling us, in their own words, that they want to recriminalize gay sex, eliminate no-fault divorce, force women back into the home, gut the Civil Rights Act, and use federal funding as a chokehold on any state that resists.

And while Heritage and its think-tank allies map out the cultural policy, their allies in Congress are working to rig the franchise itself so that the populations most opposed to all of this can’t actually vote any of it down.

The SAVE Act, which Republicans in the House passed in expanded form on February 11 as the SAVE America Act, would require every American to produce documentary proof of citizenship in person at an election office in order to register or re-register to vote.

The Brennan Center estimates that more than 21 million eligible American citizens lack ready access to those documents, and the League of Women Voters puts the number of American women whose paperwork doesn’t match their current married name at 69 million, all of whom would suddenly need to dig up a birth certificate, a marriage license, proof of a legal name change, and matching photo ID just to vote.

Trans Americans, naturalized citizens, older Black Americans born in the pre-civil-rights South who were never issued birth certificates in the first place, college students, military families stationed overseas, rural voters who’d have to drive hours to a county office, and the millions of working-class citizens who simply can’t afford a passport would face the same wall.

Senator Mike Lee of Utah, one of the bill’s chief Senate champions, has publicly tied its passage to Republican prospects in the 2026 midterms, which is about as close as a politician gets to admitting on the record that the entire point of the bill is to keep women, trans people, young voters, and Americans of color away from the polls so the Heritage agenda doesn’t get voted down by the majorities that consistently oppose it.

So here’s where you come in. Call your senators through the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 and tell them you oppose Nicole Saphier’s surgeon general nomination, you oppose any reimposition of the Title X domestic gag rule, your oppose the SAVE Act, and you expect them to say so publicly.

If you’re in Missouri, or you know someone who is, get involved with Abortion Action Missouri and the ACLU of Missouri right now, because Amendment 3 is on the November ballot and the divide-and-conquer strategy works only if voters don’t see it coming.

Check your registration at vote.org, track state-level legislation through openstates.org, and support the Guttmacher Institute, Planned Parenthood, and the Center for Reproductive Rights with whatever you can give.

And share this article and HartmannReport.com with everyone you know. The billionaires funding this project are betting that ordinary Americans won’t connect the dots from Powell to Coors to Yenor to Project 2025 to the ballot in Missouri this fall, and the only way to prove them wrong is to make sure those dots get connected loudly, publicly, and everywhere we can manage it.

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I’ve pointed out here, I can’t remember how many times, how the Trump administration (from the beginning) adopted the propaganda schemes of the Third Reich (Yep, that’s Hitler and Goebbels) labeled as “The Big Lie Theory” and the use of projection as the keys to their bullsh*t public statements. In Trump’s case it’s obvious on a daily basis with his social media posts – which, full disclosure, I only get snippets of because I don’t use social media (other than a bit of YouTube videos). Last night Trump gave the most succinct example of projection ever. He accused President Obama of being a “Traitor” in a post of three or four words. Talk about projection. This was coming from he who instigated a full blown INSURRECTION (ie an attempted coup d’etat) on January 6th, 2021. The perfect example of an “accusation being a confession.”

I’m not writing much these days because I’m old and worn out. I’m so sick of Trump I can barely hold food down. I believe “we the people” cannot endure another 2 1/2 years of this madman. Is the solution IMPEACHMENT (and conviction) – NO! I actually consider JD Vance worse – and, third in the line of succession is Speaker Johnson – a great example of someone who knows he’s doing wrong (per his so-called Christian values) but continues to work as a “loyal” field person. Both Vance and Johnson have proven their values mean next to nothing. I mean Vance once callled Trump “America’s Hitler.”

I’m sure Trump feels totally insulated from his lawbreaking in office by our disgusting SCOTUS – which continues to impress on how they’re wearing the robes of Justices while attempting to be politically loyal to Trump and republicans. Their latest example was the Louisiana v Callais decision where the court went out of its way to turn the “maps” of the former confederate states back to the days of Jim Crow. If you remember the “absolute immunity” debacle in 2024 the court STALLED the arguments AND the decision in order to ensure Trump would not face a jury for his alleged CRIMES on January 6th, 2021. In the Callais decision they not only RUSHED the decision, but, then they implemented an order to bypass the normal 32 day waiting period allowing Louisiana to redraw their “maps” while the primary election was already underway – with over 40,000 votes already submitted. As Louisiana and other Southern states gerrymander out majority Black districts with the court suggesting racism is a thing of the past makes you wonder why these Justices seem confused at their all time low approval ratings.

This BS goes on and on with Trump to the point where people are immune from reacting as they would during any other time. The CORRUPTION is right out in the open. The LYING is pathological. The racism is OVERT as if to say “What are you going to do about it?” Democrats continue to point out how the polls suggest there is a “blue tsunami” on the horizon. But, this Callais SCOTUS decision simply makes it clear that the right wing fascists who are in the process of destroying our democratic republic control ALL three branches of the government and they don’t like “blue.” While District Court Judges around the country are acting courageously (and, according to our constitution) the SCOTUS is making KEY decisions suggesting the attack on our elections this November are in their crosshairs. And, not in a good way!

Steve Bannon has said the “quiet part out loud.” They have no plan to allow all us progressives, independents, and disaffected republicans to put a halt to their “project 2025” scheme. I believe very few Americans have taken the time to read Project 2025 but I pointed out after I had made it through a couple hundred pages that it’s, simply put: “a roadmap to fascism.” The people behind this “manifesto” are much more intelligent than Trump and, obviously, much more DANGEROUS. However, the DAMAGE left in their “wake” will be mostly attributed to Trump – who deserves a place next to Benedict Arnold in our history books once this DISASTER is in the rear view mirror. (Along with Congressional republicans) It will take at least a generation to recover – if that’s possible – our traditional allies around the world won’t trust the American voters for far longer than I have left on this planet – if regaining their trust is even possible.

Russel Vought controls the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and he’s cherry picking which items authorized by Congress he wants to actually fund and which ones he simply refuses. (He’s one of the main authors of Project 2025) This is overtly taking the “power of the purse” out of the “hands” of Congress and the republican COWARDS there who are willingly complicit – which is why USAID, for example, is “dead” (along with maybe a MILLION poor people around the world) and why “stuff” benefiting working class Americans is “off the table.”

Plus, FCC chair Brendan Carr (another Project 2025 author) is busy threatening the licenses of media outlets that don’t bend the knee to Trump. Or, in the case of Disney and ABC, not bending the knee far enough. The $15 MILLION “settlement” of a frivolous Trump lawsuit wasn’t enough to keep Trump happy – they STILL want ABC/Disney to cancel Jimmie Kimmel (which, if they do, I’ll have to cancel my subscription once and for all). These threats, of course, are “par for the course” for virtually all thugs who are attempting to turn democracy into fascist states. (Let’s all stop using the euphemism “authoritarian”) Trump is running the government like an organized crime syndicate!

Speaking of fascists; I’ve watched for years as Trump has sucked up to Vladimir Putin – one of the “worst people in the world.” As I’ve followed the roll out of the Epstein files it was impossible not to notice the number of times Putin’s name showed up. It certainly confirms in my mind that Putin has “kompromat” on Trump – likely provided by Epstein himself. That’s simply my own inference based on the public information available. That’s the only way I can explain why Trump has been kissing up to Putin for the past 10 years (other than Putin helped him “win” in 2016) and why Trump has abandoned Ukraine – a country “we the people” are OBLIGATED to defend based on an agreement signed after the fall of the Soviet Union.

The agreement is known as the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, signed on December 5, 1994, which provided security assurances to Ukraine in exchange for its commitment to give up its nuclear arsenal. The memorandum aimed to provide security assurances to Ukraine in exchange for its commitment to relinquish its MANY nukes. It was signed by the United States, Russia, United Kingdom, Belarus, Kasakhstan, and, of course, Ukraine. It provided a commitment not to threaten or use military force against Ukraine, except in self-defense or in accordance with the United Nations Charter. This agreement SHOULD be a focal point regarding Ukraine’s security based on the Russian aggression since 2014 beginning with the annexation of Crimea and leading to the 2022 INVASION. I doubt Trump is even aware of this agreement – and, of course, it would mean nothing to him even if he was. Like I said above, I believe Putin has the “goods” on Trump.

Much to the delight of Putin, Xi Jinping, and other American adversaries Trump allowed Benjamin Netanyahu – a leader nearly as CORRUPT as America’s so-called president – to talk him into a DISASTROUS bombing invasion of Iran – killing one group of Iranian leaders only for them to be replaced by a more extreme group – and, it’s become more obvious by the day Trump has no idea how to extract himself from this DEBACLE. Iran’s capacity to defend itself, according to intelligence reports, with their weaponry is nearly what it was before the invasion where Trump and Hegseth claimed they had wiped them out “completely.” On several occasions Trump said, “We’ve already won.” Iran, meanwhile, has exerted control of the Straight of Hormuz blocking the flow of about 20% of the World’s oil supply plus much more (with all reports they intend to charge tolls once this “war” is over) by closing it to MOST of the traffic which moved freely before Trump’s ill advised invasion. Trump’s response to Iran’s blocking of the Straight is to set up their own blockade of Iran’s blockade. Reminds me of the Middle Schoolers I used to teach. Huh?

China (where Trump is as I’m writing this) and Russia are supporting Iran and, in order to mitigate the world oil shortage caused by this STUPID invasion, the U.S. has removed sanctions from Russian’s oil allowing them to reap huge financial benefits right when their economy was on the brink – due to their Ukraine invasion and the Biden era sanctions imposed before Trump 2.0. (More Trump help for Putin – many people are saying the “winner” in the Iran war will be Vladimir Putin – Yikes!!!) The U.S. has even rolled back sanctions on Iranian oil – for that which they are able to get through the blockade of the blockade. Clearly, the huge loser in all this is “we the people.” I mean, we’re even continuing to arm Israel with offensive weapons despite the reality they were the ones who suckered Trump into this fiasco. The “oil shock” very well might cause a world wide recession.

Now, if you’ve been paying attention to this war from the start you know that Trump, Hegseth, Vance, and Rubio have all given a plethora of reasons to justify America’s invasion. I happened to have been up all night on February 28th because of a surgery that day which made it impossible for me to sleep. So, I witnessed Trump’s claims right from the start – coming from his club – and, I can tell you it had NOTHING to do with Iran’s nuclear weapon capability (although, there was a LIE about them having a weapon in two weeks that could reach the U.S. – but, that was only credible with the TOTALLY gullible MAGA’s). I remember Trump really focusing on “regime change.” He implored the Iranian people to rise up and take over the country – because “we the people” were going to take out the “regime.” Of course, we took out a layer of the Iranian leadership (along with about 175 Iranian elementary schoolgirls) and, that encouragement for the Iranian people to rise up and claim their government was, as I remember it, the focus of Trump’s remarks. And, as absurd as just about everything else he said, like the Iranian people would likely never have a better opportunity.

Well, as I said, the rationale coming from the various American leaders seemed to change by the day – ranging from regime change to preventing them from building a nuclear weapon. Of course, just a few months earlier, according to Trump, “we the people” had OBLITERATED Iran’s ability to build a nuclear weapon. The reason I point this out is because it took Trump (and his cronies) about eight to ten weeks in order to come up with a rationale they could all agree on – after the fact. “Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.” With Trump, once again, as his belated rationale, claiming they were two weeks away from having one that could reach the United States. Absurd doesn’t come close to analyzing this Trump LIE)

I point this out because just before Trump left for China he – as these guys are so apt to do once in a great while (like Bannon above) – said the “quiet part out loud.” Trump, when asked whether people’s financial difficulties, which have been exacerbated by the gas and oil crisis triggered by the Middle East conflict, were “motivating” him to make a deal with Iran, he replied: “Not even a little bit.” The only thing that matters when I’m talking about Iran, they can’t have a nuclear weapon. I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody,” Trump added. Talk about your perfect ad (“locker room”) material for democrats in the mid-terms. (If we have them) I have to wonder if all the MAGA’s out there will like these words while they’re filling up their gas tanks? Trump’s approval rating is hovering somewhere below 35% and dropping by the week. Will this help?

I believe leaders around the world are laughing at “we the people” until they realize how dangerous this man is to the world writ large. The one place where I believe Trump’s conduct brings smiles to the faces of the leaders is in China. And, of course, that’s where Trump is as I’m typing this. I shudder to think of how completely Xi Jinping is likely playing Trump. Not only is Putin benefiting from this Iran fiasco, but more-so would be China. I can guarantee you China is filling every void around the globe caused by countries turning away from America. This energy shock is world wide. Countries will remember China coming to the rescue.

Remember, Trump has another 2 1/2 years to grift off of his second reign on this nation. His net worth has DOUBLED since the beginning of Trump 2.0 (not to mention his sons and son-in-law – I’ve mentioned Kushner at length in the archives) and he’s trying to shake down “we the people” for $10 BILLION in an absurd lawsuit against himself – that, apparently, the DOJ and IRS are planning to “settle.”

Trump sees all the OLIGARCHS around him squeezing BILLIONS from America’s taxpayers and, obviously, he wants in on the action. He even took about a dozen OLIGARCHS to China with him for ????? I’ll let you figure that one out – maybe to find creative ways around his tariffs? As I’ve said, I don’t believe America can withstand these next 2 1/2 years under Trump’s reign. The SCOTUS has left him to believe he has IMMUNITY from any lawbreaking while in office (at some point there’s going to have to be a definition of Official duties) but “we the people” can’t allow him to turn America into Russia 2.0. We MUST demand “free and fair” elections in November and we MUST have a virtual stampede of voters going to the polls to put an end to this republican nightmare! May God help us!

Final Thought: I couldn’t help, after watching Trump and Xi Jinping walking next to each other, to check out how TALL President Xi is – and, “the answer is:” 5 feet 10 inches. I point that out because our LIAR in chief claims to be 6 feet 3 inches tall. Well, if you were watching them side by side they look to be about the same height – at most I’d say Trump might be an inch taller (if that). I point that out because, as I’ve been saying here for years, Trump LIES about everything – obviously including his height.

Now, I’m almost as old as Trump and I’ve dropped about 3 1/2 inches in the past few years, so it’s understandable that Trump is SHRINKING. I guess it should be no surprise that he’s unwilling to admit it. (Honestly, I have no idea if he was EVER 6 feet 3 inches tall) I also know that as my height has gone down, my waist has gone out. When looking at Trump it appears to me his waist is headed in the wrong direction as well. I keep thinking of the song: “Your so vain, you probably think this song is about you.” And, yes, I do have Trump derangement syndrome! (if that wasn’t obvious) Stay tuned….