MAGA bombs: Gutting more federal agencies; Invoking war powers

Mother Jones reports: 

Donald Trump Just Signed an Order 

Gutting Seven More Federal Agencies

The order targets the funding for Voice of America, which has been in the Trump administration’s crosshairs in recent weeks

In an executive order signed late Friday, !@#%^ effectively dismantled seven more federal agencies, this time with cuts that will impact work on homelessness, libraries, support for minority-owned businesses, and the US Agency for Global Media, which funds Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia. The cuts are expected to leave thousands more federal workers unemployed; in the case of VOA, it furthers a specific vendetta djt has had since his first term.

The order will affect the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the United States Agency for Global Media, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in the Smithsonian Institution, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, and the Minority Business Development Agency. It instructs the head of each agency to submit a report to the Office of Management and Budget “explaining which components or functions of the governmental entity, if any, are statutorily required and to what extent.” In practice, as has happened with other federal agencies in recent weeks, it’s expected to leave these agencies a shell of themselves and fundamentally nonexistent; in the case of the US Interagency Council on Homelessness, it destroys the only federal agency solely focused on addressing the homelessness crisis.

Welp, I thought he was gonna convert the VOA to a MAGA lies & demagoguery agency. But maybe he will just get rid of as much of it as he can. I knew something like this was coming. I wonder about NPR and PBS, also on my list of predicted !@#%^ targets.

SF Gate reports about gutting of the US Forest Service: 'There is literally no one': The fallout coming to Lake Tahoe after forest service gutted -- The U.S. Forest Service manages 78% of the land in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Yet, a hiring freeze on seasonal workers and recent firings of key staff have gutted an already-stretched-thin agency, putting on hold critical work in water quality, environmental restoration and forest fuels reduction projects while also diminishing the forest service’s capacity to manage the millions of visitors who come to Lake Tahoe every year — especially on the Fourth of July.

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Thunder Box

Everybody is reporting that !@#%^ has invoked the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 law that gives a president authority to detain, restrain, secure, and remove non-citizens from countries deemed hostile during times of war or when there is an "invasion or predatory incursion" against the US. The alleged invasion is by a Venezuelan criminal gang called Tren De Aragua.

Although #!@*%'s EO claims to target members of TdA, we all know the blunderbuss ("Thunder Box") will sweep up all kinds of non-Venezuelans and non-TdA Venezuelans. Mexicans, Guatemalans, 4th generation Californians, etc., will all be captured, boxed up and mailed back to wherever blunderbuss thinks they might have come from, e.g., Africa, Siberia, Mars, Greenland, etc. Claims of TdA badness seem to be exaggerated.

I guess we're in the midst of an invasion or predatory incursion!  

MAGA patriot going after the TdA's

predatory incursion

Some insightful commentary from the peanut gallery:

Peanut 1: Oh man, Chuck Schumer is going to do so much approving of this!!

Peanut 2: Lovely fascism we’re having, care for a cup of tea?

Peanut 3: "Susan Collins’ brow is furrowed, 'Trump has learned his lesson', she says." And Chuck Schumer is opposed yet supportive. Though he would like to say first how bad of an idea it is!

Peanut 4: Not just noncitizens. Sure, it’s non-citiczens ON PAPER, but if you have no lawyer and no trial and no civil rights, how exactly do you even begin to prove you're a citizen after they arrest you? You don’t. You just get disappeared. In general, that’s why it's a good idea to defend everyone’s human rights, even if "it is the right thing to do as a decent member of the human race" isn’t a compelling enough argument to you. 

Peanut 5: It’s OK, democrats have our back. They’ve got their next set of paddleboard signs on standby!

Peanut 6: What is a Democrat? Isn’t that some kind of floor mat? Nah, can't be. That's offensive to floor mats that actually have a purpose.

Peanut 7: Wow, Schumer is truly a master politician outsmarting Trump at every turn.  /s

Peanut 8 (Wizzle Stick) Regarding Weimar Democrats and clueless Americans: I have so many stories of encountering people who had no basic knowledge. Someone I knew in school who when given an extra credit assignment on a country and she randomly was assigned Vietnam exclaimed, “wait! I thought Vietnam was a war, not a country?!?!”. .... Getting into a drawn out fight with a coworker at the time who said that the higher you go up a mountain, the warmer it gets because you get closer to the sun!!!! .... I once had a discussion with one of the managers in a company I used to work for. WW2 came up. She had no idea Italy was a belligerent in the war, and never heard of Benito Mussolini. So yeah, something like a reference to the Weimar Republic, they will not get it at all. No wonder it’s so easy to fool these people.

Peanut 9: Well, thank goodness he’s not shutting down the government or anything, right Schumer? 

Peanut 10: “At least I don’t have to cancel my book tour!” -- Chuck Schumer

Hm, seems that some folks are unhappy with Schumer.

djt's false claims about Canada

I checked some of what djt has said about Canada. In 2025 djt made the following false statements:

1. Lied in saying that the Canadian public likes the idea of becoming the 51st state, which only about 10% of Canadian residents, not all of whom are Canadian citizens, support. (Verification: Angus Reid Institute Poll (January 2025): About 10% of Canadians would support Canada joining the U.S., while a significant 90% oppose the idea 1 3. Leger Poll (December 2024): 13% of Canadians favor becoming the 51st state, with 82% opposed. Support is higher among Conservative and People's Party voters 4. Ipsos Poll (February 2025): While a strong majority want Canada to remain independent, about 30% would consider annexation if offered U.S. citizenship and conversion of financial assets to U.S. dollars 5.)

2. Said the US trade deficit with Canada is “$200 billion.” Yet it was less than one-fifth that figure: on goods and services some $35.7 billion in 2024. Even if you only count trade in goods the deficit was $70.6 billion. (Verification: Correct. The U.S. trade deficit with Canada in goods and services was approximately $35.7 billion in 2024, and for goods alone, it was $70.6 billion 2.)

3. Has argued that Canada is one of the world’s highest-tariff countries. In fact, Canada is among the lowest tariff nations internationally, lower on average than the U.S. Canada was just 102nd-highest on a World Bank list of 137 countries’ trade-weighted average tariff rates in 2022. That is a lower average (1.37%) than the United States (1.49%) had that year ... the most recent for which the data is available. (Verification: Canada ranks 102nd in trade-weighted average tariff rates among 137 countries, with an average rate of 1.37% compared to the U.S.'s 1.49% in 2022 5. Ipsos Poll (February 2025): While a strong majority want Canada to remain independent, about 30% would consider annexation if offered U.S. citizenship and conversion of financial assets to U.S. dollars 5.)

4. Lied that Canada had hiked its dairy tariffs during the Biden administration. They haven’t changed since Trump’s first presidency when his administration negotiated the USMCA trade Agreement. The Canadian dairy tariffs have never been applied because the USMCA negotiated Canadian tariffs on dairy only if specified dairy products from the U.S. were exceeded, which NONE have. Nevertheless, the USMCA did secure greater US access to the Canadian dairy market. Thus, the fact that the U.S. dairy industry hasn't reached those limits on any of its dairy exports by Canada appears to have more to do with decisions inside the U.S. dairy industry than with Canada. (Verification: Correct. The tariffs were established under the USMCA and have not changed since. They only apply if U.S. dairy exports exceed specified quotas, which has not happened 4.)

5. Said Canada generally doesn’t “take” US agricultural exports. Canada is the world’s second-largest buyer of those exports, some $28.4 billion worth. The EU is the first-largest. Among nations, Canada leads all others. (Verification: Correct. Canada purchased approximately $28.4 billion worth of U.S. agricultural exports in 2024, making it the second-largest importer after the EU 5.)

6. Said that Canada prohibits US banks. Actually, there are 16 U.S.-based bank subsidiaries and branches with around C$113 billion in assets currently operating in Canada. U.S. banks now make up approximately half of all foreign bank assets in Canada. (Verification: Correct. Despite Trump's claims, U.S. banks are active in Canada, with 16 U.S.-based banks holding significant assets 6.)

7. Said Canada is “constantly surrounded” by Chinese and Russian ships. This is outright fiction. Canada has never been surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships, let alone been “constantly” surrounded. In fact, a smattering of Russian and Chinese military ships and jets, as well as Chinese research vessels --viewed with suspicion by Canada and the US-- have been occasionally spotted in recent years in the vicinity of the US state of Alaska – and these are monitored or intercepted by both the Canadian and US militaries. (Verification: Correct. There have been occasional sightings of Russian and Chinese military vessels near Alaska, but Canada has not been surrounded by them 5.)

8. Said that Justin Trudeau was using the ongoing tariff battle to run again for the Prime Minister. Trudeau was being replaced as the Leader of the Liberal Party, so he clearly wasn’t running. In Canada's Parliamentary system, no one runs for the position of Prime Minister. [The Prime Minister is the Leader of the political party garnering the majority of representatives/seats in Parliament and, if a majority of seats is not achieved in an election, the Prime Minister is the Leader of the party able to negotiate a 'Minority' government by securing the confidence of another party. That means that a 'Minority' government can be established by two or more parties working in agreement against a party with the most --but not a majority of-- elected representatives/seats in Parliament.] (Verification: Correct. Trudeau announced his intention to step down as Liberal Party leader, and in Canada's parliamentary system, one does not "run" for Prime Minister 5.) 

9. Said that Canada spends less than 1% of gross domestic product on defense. NATO figures show it was an estimated 1.37% just last year. Moreover, Canada is working to increase the share to 2.0.
Separated by two oceans from potential enemies --and, until Trump recent coup, the U.S. was seen by Canadians as our friend and ally -- so we saw no need for higher defense expenditures. (Verification: Correct. Canada spent an estimated 1.37% of GDP on defense and is working towards reaching the NATO target of 2% 5.)

Geez, what a morally rotted lying liar. He's the King of the Whoppers.

MAGA's vast damage: America bleeds soft power as its democracy dies

This is part of a speech by French politician Claude Malhuret, former head of Doctors Without Borders, regarding the situation in Ukraine, security in Europe and the unfolding djt/maga catastrophe in the US:

Europe is at a critical turning point in its history. The American shield is slipping, Ukraine risks being abandoned, and Russia is being strengthened.

Washington became the court of Nero, a firebrand emperor, subservient courtiers, and a ketamine-fueled jester in charge of purging the civil service.

This is a tragedy for the free world, but it is first and foremost a tragedy for the United States. Trump's message is that there is no point in being his ally since he will not defend you, he will impose more tariffs on you than on his enemies, and he will threaten to seize your territories while supporting the dictatorships that invade you.

The king of the deal is demonstrating the art of the deal. He thinks he'll intimidate China by bowing down to Putin, but Xi Jinping, faced with such a shipwreck, is undoubtedly accelerating preparations for the invasion of Taiwan.

Never in history has a US president capitulated to the enemy. Never has one supported an aggressor against an ally. Never has one trampled on the American Constitution, issued so many illegal decrees, dismissed judges who could have prevented them, suddenly dismissed the military leadership, weakened all checks and balances, and seized control of social media.

This is not an illiberal shift; it is the beginning of a confiscation of democracy. Let us remember that it took only one month, three weeks, and two days to bring down the Weimar Republic and its Constitution.

I have faith in the strength of American democracy, and the country is already protesting. But in one month, Trump has done more harm to America than in four years of his last presidency. We were at war with a dictator; now we're fighting a dictator backed by a traitor.

Eight days ago, at the very moment Trump was rubbing Macron's back in the White House, the United States voted at the UN with Russia and North Korea against the Europeans demanding the withdrawal of Russian troops.

Two days later, in the Oval Office, the military service shirker lectured war hero Zelensky on morality and strategy before dismissing him like a groom, ordering him to submit or resign.

Last night, he took another step toward infamy by stopping the promised arms delivery. What should be done in the face of this betrayal? The answer is simple: face it.

And first, make no mistake. Ukraine's defeat would be Europe's defeat. The Baltic States, Georgia, and Moldova are already on the list. Putin's goal is a return to Yalta, where half the continent was ceded to Stalin.

The countries of the South are waiting for the outcome of the conflict to decide whether they should continue to respect Europe or whether they are now free to trample on it.

What Putin wants is the end of the order established by the United States and its allies 80 years ago, with its first principle being the prohibition of acquiring territory by force.

This idea is at the very source of the UN, where today Americans vote in favor of the aggressor and against the attacked, because Trump's vision coincides with Putin's: a return to spheres of influence, with the great powers dictating the fate of small countries.

Mine is Greenland, Panama and Canada, you are Ukraine, the Baltic States and Eastern Europe, he is Taiwan and the China Sea.

At the parties of the oligarchs in the Gulf of Mar-a-Lago, this is called "diplomatic realism."

So we're alone. But the narrative that Putin is unstoppable is false. Contrary to Kremlin propaganda, Russia is in bad shape. In three years, the so-called second-largest army in the world has managed to scrape together only scraps from a country three times smaller in population.

They say they want peace. What neither they nor Trump say is that their peace is capitulation, the peace of defeat, the replacement of a de Gaullian Zelensky by a Ukrainian Pétain under Putin's thumb.The peace of collaborators who for three years, have refused to support the Ukrainians in any way.

Is this the end of the Atlantic alliance? The risk is great. But in recent days, Zelensky's public humiliation, and all the crazy decisions taken over the last month, have finally stirred Americans into action. Poll numbers are plummeting. Republican elected officials are greeted by hostile crowds in their constituencies. Even Fox News is becoming critical.

The Trumpists are no longer at the height of glory. They control the executive branch, Congress, the Supreme Court and social media. But in American history, the supporters of freedom have always won. They are starting to raise their heads.

The fate of Ukraine will be decided in the trenches, but it also depends on those who defend democracy in the United States, and here, on our ability to unite Europeans and find the means for our common defense, to make Europe the power it once was and hesitates to become again.

Our parents defeated fascism and communism at the cost of great sacrifice. The task of our generation is to defeat the totalitarianisms of the 21st century. Long live free Ukraine, long live democratic Europe. (emphasis added)

Schumer opines on the shutdown

Well, at least he is talking the talk, sort of. Schumer writes in a NYT opinion (not paywalled):

Chuck Schumer: Trump and Musk Would Love a Shutdown. 

We Must Not Give Them One.

Over the past two months, the United States has confronted a bitter truth: The federal government has been taken over by a nihilist.

President Trump has taken a blowtorch to our country and wielded chaos like a weapon. Most Republicans in Congress, meanwhile, have caved to his every whim. The Grand Old Party has devolved into a crowd of Trump sycophants and MAGA radicals who seem to want to burn everything to the ground.

Now, Republicans’ nihilism has brought us to a new brink of disaster: Unless Congress acts, the federal government will shut down Friday at midnight.

As I have said many times, there are no winners in a government shutdown. But there are certainly victims: the most vulnerable Americans, those who rely on federal programs to feed their families, get medical care and stay financially afloat. Communities that depend on government services to function will suffer.

This week Democrats offered a way out: Fund the government for another month to give appropriators more time to do their jobs. Republicans rejected this proposal.

Why? Because Mr. Trump doesn’t want the appropriators to do their job. He wants full control over government spending.

He isn’t the first president to want this, but he may be the first president since Andrew Jackson to successfully cow his party into submission. That leads Democrats to a difficult decision: Either proceed with the bill before us or risk Mr. Trump throwing America into the chaos of a shutdown.

This, in my view, is no choice at all.

For sure, the Republican bill is a terrible option. It is deeply partisan. It doesn’t address this country’s needs. But even if the White House says differently, Mr. Trump and Elon Musk want a shutdown. We should not give them one. The risk of allowing the president to take even more power via a government shutdown is a much worse path.

To be clear: No one on my side of the aisle wants a government shutdown. Members who support this continuing resolution do not want that. Members who oppose it do not want that.

As bad as passing the continuing resolution would be, I believe a government shutdown is far worse.

First, a shutdown would give Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk permission to destroy vital government services at a significantly faster rate than they can right now. Under a shutdown, the Trump administration would have wide-ranging authority to deem whole agencies, programs and personnel nonessential, furloughing staff members with no promise they would ever be rehired.

The decisions about what is essential would, in practice, be largely up to the executive branch, with few left at agencies to check it.

Mr. Musk has reportedly said that he wants a shutdown and may already be planning how to use one to his advantage.

Second, if we enter a shutdown, congressional Republicans could weaponize their majorities to cherry-pick which parts of government to reopen.

In a protracted shutdown, House and Senate Republicans could bring bills to the floor to reopen only their favored departments and agencies while leaving other vital services that they don’t like to languish.

Third, shutdowns mean real pain for American families.

In a shutdown, we would be busy fighting with Republicans over which agencies to reopen and which to keep closed instead of debating the damage Mr. Trump’s agenda is causing.

I believe it is my job to make the best choice for the country, to minimize the harms to the American people. Therefore, I will vote to keep the government open.

So, whaddaya think? Shut 'er down or keep 'er open? 

How successful have the Dems been so far? Will keeping the govt. open give them more leverage or less?