Originally published at: The White House Is Now Running The Justice Department
A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. As Bad As It Gets The dangerous co-optation of the Justice Department by the Trump White House continues in ways both substantive and symbolic. On the substantive side, NBC News’ Ryan Reilly is reporting that…
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We were!
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You had your chance Mitch. You blew it. You own this.
In a column for the Courier-Journal. McConnell launched a full-scale attack on the president’s plan to use tariffs to solve America’s economic woes, with the longtime GOP leader claiming they will have the exact opposite effect.
As McConnell bluntly put it: “No matter our best intentions, tariffs are bad policy.”
“Broad-based tariffs could have long-term consequences right in our backyard. Consider our state’s 75,000 family farms that sell their crops around the globe, or the hardworking Kentuckians who craft 95% of the world’s bourbon, or our auto industry that relies on global supply chains to support the livelihoods of thousands of workers in the commonwealth,” he wrote before adding, “One estimate suggests the president’s tariffs could cost the average Kentuckian up to $1,200 each year.”
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Anyone surprised by any of this wasn’t paying attention during the campaign.
The First Felon said he would go after his enemies, using the DOJ.
The First Felon said he would fire most, if not all, of the bureaucrats, particularly those that investigated him and perceived as being disloyal to him.
The First Felon said he would hire only the best, meaning those most loyal to him and non-threatening to him. Now, instead of a cabinet, we have a junk drawer of nincompoops who would sell their mothers for a dollar and state secrets for a few million.
The First Felon said he would cut food prices and end the war in Ukraine the first day in office. Now, inflation is higher (blamed, of course, on Joe) and he’s selling Ukraine out to his boyfriend, Putin.
The First Felon said he would have control of the federal judiciary, who now have to make a decision between law and loyalty. Some will make the wrong decision.
The loss of the safety net was something the First Felon campaigned on, complaining loud and often that undeserving non-citizens were reaping huge benefits and needed to be stopped.
Immigration sweeps would be key to his administration, he told us. ICE, to keep its reputation, is now rounding up legitimate citizens and sending them to Guantanamo.
But nobody could have expected these, as he only said these things to get elected…[/s]
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Folks, if you’re feeling discouraged (and how could you not in the face of all these horrors), Sherrilyn Ifill’s latest post might help. This is a public post so it’s free.
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Some snippets below from the NYT story on the government purchasing Cybertrucks. Apocalypse ready!
The department’s procurement forecast for 2025, which details purchases the agency expects to make, includes $400 million for armored Tesla vehicles. The document does not specify which Tesla model, but the electric Cybertruck, which has a body of high-strength stainless steel, would be the most suitable vehicle.
The purchase of Cybertrucks, an atypical choice for government armored transport, is likely to raise conflict of interest issues, especially as Mr. Musk trumpets his own efforts to root out what he regards as unnecessary spending.
Tesla would not collect all of the $400 million order. Some of the money would go to firms that upgrade the vehicles, such as Armormax, a company in Ogden, Utah.
The firm advertises on its website that it can outfit vehicles with extra protection such as “run-flat” tires that keep rolling even after being punctured, and a “road tack dispensing system” that scatters tacks on the road to foil pursuers.
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Mitch chose not to lose millions and millions of pig-ignorant low-propensity dipshit voters. He chose well, not ideally.
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Buyer’s remorse, soon to be amplified when Mitch finds out that his Supreme Court will back pretty much every action taken by the exalted unitary executive.
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An example of most of the nincompoops in Congress that operate for their own betterment and not for anything or anyone else.
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After stealing two SCOTUS nominations and fucking over every decent democratic initiative with sheer political bullshit and poison, it is somehow even more vomit inducing to watch McConnell not vote for Trump appointees now. Is he trying to reform just in time to go to heaven? Does he want someone to think he is brave or possesses integrity? I hope he has nightmares every night until the day he dies.
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Trump’s thought process is so transparent. He put his gay friend in charge of the Kennedy center. Like how he puts a women at the Education Department and a black guy at HUD.
They are all minstrels of course, but that’s his thought process.
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“I’m … here today to directly and unambiguously express that stark strategic realities prevent the United States from being the primary guarantor of security in Europe.”–Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
My experience with military folks is that they are really, really proud of the US’s military might. The strongest military in the world.
I wonder what they think about being called weaklings.
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FTFS (translation available, if needed…)
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From MM:
- NYT: State Dept. Plans $400 Million Purchase of Armored Tesla Cybertrucks
And some followup to that:
https://www.commondreams.org/news/musk-tesla-contract
Headline:
State Department Contract Document Edited to Remove ‘Tesla’ After Media Scrutiny
They think they can make the outrage disappear by eliminating the information that was originally posted about the sale. There’s a name for that…
Summary
Disinformation
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Do they realize it’s an ELECTRIC truck? Thought that trump was against electric vehicles…
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If Mitch really did want to make a stand he could have twisted the arms of a few people and Gabbard and RFK Jr wouldn’t be approved.
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It is no more or less complicated. Mitch McConnell is not going to run again for health reasons, and therefore cannot be threatened. He can defy Trump/Musk. Sadly, his one vote is not a deciding vote, and his sins against democracy are legion, but he is standing up. Recall John McCain’s thumbs down on overturning Obamacare. Sadly, for a different reason, McCain had nothing left to lose.
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