Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[NED funded]

I mean Elon is right - nobody else finds it odd that all these govt employees with 6 figure salaries all of a sudden accumulate tens of millions of dollars of net worth after they enter working for the federal government?

The more Dems holler and gnash their teeth, the more you know DOGE is getting closer to being over the target.

The sad irony is the Dems could have done something similar the last couple of times they were in control of the govt and they would have lauded as heroes. Instead we only get to see how badly corrupted they've become.

Adding to this I have many questions.

How does Musk know the net worth of former federal employees?

Why does he care in the first place?

If he found evidence of corruption then just present it, otherwise its a moot point.

IDC how other workers have made their wealth and I dont think bosses should either. Musk caring about the wealth of former workers is him showing his worst instincts as a business owner. Obsessed with control

[gondrin]

Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy"

Look, I am all for people having nicknames and being in positions of power but anyone with the nickname of "Buddy" already makes me suspect of trying to make actual useful policy.

Remember, you cannot use your pronouns but you sure can use your "Southern Hillbilly" nicknames in official documents.

[Endus]

I mean Elon is right - nobody else finds it odd that all these govt employees with 6 figure salaries all of a sudden accumulate tens of millions of dollars of net worth after they enter working for the federal government?

No.

It's not a secret that members of Congress are not beholden to insider trading laws and are free to make stock trades knowing what legislation is being discussed and is likely to pass, even before those in the industry in question know it's coming.

Literally nothing illegal there, nor is there any actionable conflict of interest. By design. And a design that's fully bipartisan, so Republicans are well aware of and abuse this freedom as much (arguably more) than anyone else.

None of this has ever been hidden from you, and it's more telling that you (apparently) have no idea that this is how things work than that you asked the question.

The sad irony is the Dems could have done something similar the last couple of times they were in control of the govt and they would have lauded as heroes. Instead we only get to see how badly corrupted they've become.

They've literally tried. The STOCK Act of 2012 was launched by a Democrat and signed into law by Obama. It was whittled down into ineffectiveness in committee before being passed.

So again; are you just completely unaware of legislative history on this subject, or are you lying to push a partisan lie? It's one of the two.

[gondrin]

Adding to this I have many questions.

How does Musk know the net worth of former federal employees?

Why does he care in the first place?

If he found evidence of corruption then just present it, otherwise its a moot point.

IDC how other workers have made their wealth and I dont think bosses should either. Musk caring about the wealth of former workers is him showing his worst instincts as a business owner. Obsessed with control

I am still wondering how Musk is able to audit something as massive as the Treasury Payment system when it does $6 trillion worth of transactions per year in only a few days when it takes Walmart, a business that does around $620 billion many months to fully audit theirs. It takes them a few weeks just to properly inventory ONE store(the actual count happens on one day but it takes a few weeks to go through receipts and other financial documents to give a proper account of what happened during that year in one store). And this is Walmart with a team of about 100 or more people doing the count and yet are to be believed a team of 4, yes 4, could do an audit of $6 TRILLION in a few days.

Same with the rest of their audits.

Cubin is calling them out on their bullshit too.

What are they defining as "waste" or "fraud"? DEI Programs? Define DEI. Because DEI also includes things like Handicap parking and Ramps and other things dealing with reasonable access for disabled people. Why haven't these chuckleheads actually gone to Congress with their report? You know, actual transparency to the people.

Why is Musk, and yes it is Musk, going after the agencies that have already investigated him and fined him(the FAA), the agencies that were currently investigating him(USAID) or agencies that would be responsible for investigating him(CFPB) in the near future instead of departments that have actual KNOWN problems with fraud and waste like the DoD?

Is it because if they actually target the DoD, they will piss off the Republican party. While the Republican party now pretty much won't do anything, that is because it is not their babies being touched. However, there are a sizable number of them that absolutely would have a problem with them trying to remove anything related to the military seeing as the largest employer in their states tends to be the military or someone who makes something for the military.

I've heard someone say "What would Elon do with the SSNs and bank accounts of people anyway? It isn't like he needs the money?". It has NEVER been about that. Elon doesn't want your money.

Let me make it loud and clear for those in the back.

He wants to exert power and control over people. He gets off on that.

Pure and simple. If he can decide to shut off the SS funds to a bunch of constituents that typically vote a certain way or vote for a certain person, he can manipulate them to vote another way. If he decides that someone is trying to investigate them on the federal level, he can basically cut out their actual pay along with funding for their investigation seeing as he would have control over that. Because he is ALREADY doing it via Trump.

The fact is they cannot see more than 2 inches in front of their nose. They cannot see how this can easily backfire AND get turned on them in a really quick way.

Oh, I also put the blame also squarely in the hands of the Republican party. They know he and Musk are breaking the law. They even say it out loud.

Lindsey Graham when pressed about the firing of the Inspector Generals without notice:

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trum...firing-2020984

Welker then asked: "The law says he's supposed to give them 30 days' notice. He didn't do that. Do you think he violated the law?"

"Well, technically yeah, but he has the authority to do it. I'm not losing a whole lot of sleep that he wants to change the personnel out. I just want to make sure that he gets off to a good start, I think he has. I'm very supportive of what he wants to do with America," Graham responded.

Speaker Johnson on Musk:

https://newrepublic.com/post/191188/...usk-government

“Is there an inconsistency by Republicans on one hand where we for years have not wanted ‘unelected bureaucrats’ downtown and yet ceding Article One powers to the executive branch under Elon Musk?” asked Fox News’s Chad Pergram.

“No, look, I’ve got to challenge the premise of the question, and you know me, I’m a fierce advocate and defender of Article One,” Johnson responded, referring to the Constitutional article that established Congress. “We’re going to vigorously defend that.”

“But I think there’s a gross overreaction in the media to what’s happening,” Johnson continued. “The executive branch of government in our system has the right to evaluate how executive branch agencies are operating and to ensure that not only the intent of Congress in funding mechanisms, but also the stewardship of precious American taxpayer dollars is being handled well. That’s what they’re doing by putting a pause on some of these agencies and by evaluating them, by doing these internal audits.”

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No.

It's not a secret that members of Congress are not beholden to insider trading laws and are free to make stock trades knowing what legislation is being discussed and is likely to pass, even before those in the industry in question know it's coming.

Literally nothing illegal there, nor is there any actionable conflict of interest. By design. And a design that's fully bipartisan, so Republicans are well aware of and abuse this freedom as much (arguably more) than anyone else.

None of this has ever been hidden from you, and it's more telling that you (apparently) have no idea that this is how things work than that you asked the question.



They've literally tried. The STOCK Act of 2012 was launched by a Democrat and signed into law by Obama. It was whittled down into ineffectiveness in committee before being passed.

So again; are you just completely unaware of legislative history on this subject, or are you lying to push a partisan lie? It's one of the two.

Everyone seems to forget exactly this.

Congress is the biggest problem with this. And that is by design. It is supposed to be a bunch of arguments and compromises. And it was that until the word "compromise" because a bad word. Then it turned into pretty much what we see today.

Congress, and by extension the Government itself, does these things because they don't want it to work. Because they themselves don't want to be bothered to do anything.

And it shows here. We have an Executive Branch that is literally threatening to refuse to listen to court orders(typical of lower court orders), actively usurping the direct role of Congress when it comes to spending(refusing to send funds out when they are duly appropriated), unilaterally trying to shut down departments(a role only Congress may possess). Trump isn't the first to actually try and take power. Many Presidents have done this and pushed stuff right to the limit as in the case of Nixon. Which is why the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 came to be.

The problem is the Courts and Congress are a check to that usurping of power. If Congress cedes its power, why the hell have a Congress to begin with as there is no need for them? I mean, we could save $93 million just in not having them around.

[tehdang]

In the first paragraph of the Snopes article, by the way.

I read the rest of the article to figure out what was actually alleged. And it was scenarios and creative writing, for example:

she did not directly make the assertion.

His statement, typed in all-capital letters, mentioned "other agencies"

Musk shared (archived) Trump's post

Speaking of a specific case and then the overall total is normal. Mentioning other agencies as part of a total is normal. Snopes is really, really stretching.

There's the White House Press Secretary repeating the specific lie that you said the White House did not repeat, including the elements you said were untrue.

Going from the specific case to the general case. She goes from the specific to the broad. Like Snope admits, "she did not directly make the assertion." Compound sentence.

And there's Donald's social media post connecting the $8M to USAID.

You've bolded "and other agencies," so I have to conclude that you've read it. That is, in fact, a total reflecting USAID and other agencies.

You're standing in public in the nude, with your dick in your hand, pissing around and telling everyone that it's raining whilst being offended we might correctly note that you're just peeing on people.

You're really bending the truth here, and it would be far simpler and more accurate to admit that the rumors online were wrong, and Leavitt, Trump, and Musk were right. All your nude and dick trolling aside, this just is another example of failing to apply common sense when it comes to politicians & allies you hate.

[fwc577]

You're standing in public in the nude, with your dick in your hand, pissing around and telling everyone that it's raining whilst being offended we might correctly note that you're just peeing on people.

Watch out using language like this, lest you catch another shill account created to "call out" the liberal bias of MMO-Champ!

That isn't happening.

Yeah, I feel this is like a call out to AOC without saying AOC directly, despite the fact the figures cited about "millionaire" AOC were proven false.

They keep claiming that AOC is worth $29 million, while making 200k a year, and even she is like, where?

Should've scrolled down, lol

I am still wondering how Musk is able to audit something as massive as the Treasury Payment system when it does $6 trillion worth of transactions per year in only a few days when it takes Walmart, a business that does around $620 billion many months to fully audit theirs. It takes them a few weeks just to properly inventory ONE store(the actual count happens on one day but it takes a few weeks to go through receipts and other financial documents to give a proper account of what happened during that year in one store). And this is Walmart with a team of about 100 or more people doing the count and yet are to be believed a team of 4, yes 4, could do an audit of $6 TRILLION in a few days.

Because Wal-Mart is too dumb to open ChatGPT, give them an open connection to the treasure payment system and type, Please audit this topkek.

/s

[gondrin]

So, if anyone has any doubt over who actually controls the government now, lets look at the new EO just dropped. It effectively puts the hands of the hiring of any and all government employees directly in the hands of Musk. Not the President. Not the Agency Heads themselves. Musk.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/president...on-initiative/

(a) Hiring Ratio. Pursuant to the Presidential Memorandum of January 20, 2025 (Hiring Freeze), the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall submit a plan to reduce the size of the Federal Government’s workforce through efficiency improvements and attrition (Plan). The Plan shall require that each agency hire no more than one employee for every four employees that depart, consistent with the plan and any applicable exemptions and details provided for in the Plan. This order does not affect the standing freeze on hiring as applied to the Internal Revenue Service. This ratio shall not apply to functions related to public safety, immigration enforcement, or law enforcement. Agency Heads shall also adhere to the Federal Hiring Plan that will be promulgated pursuant to Executive Order 14170 of January 20, 2025 (Reforming the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Merit to Government Service).
(b) Hiring Approval. Each Agency Head shall develop a data-driven plan, in consultation with its DOGE Team Lead, to ensure new career appointment hires are in highest-need areas.
(i) This hiring plan shall include that new career appointment hiring decisions shall be made in consultation with the agency’s DOGE Team Lead, consistent with applicable law.
(ii) The agency shall not fill any vacancies for career appointments that the DOGE Team Lead assesses should not be filled, unless the Agency Head determines the positions should be filled.
(iii) Each DOGE Team Lead shall provide the United States DOGE Service (USDS) Administrator with a monthly hiring report for the agency.
(c) Reductions in Force. Agency Heads shall promptly undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force (RIFs), consistent with applicable law, and to separate from Federal service temporary employees and reemployed annuitants working in areas that will likely be subject to the RIFs. All offices that perform functions not mandated by statute or other law shall be prioritized in the RIFs, including all agency diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives; all agency initiatives, components, or operations that my Administration suspends or closes; and all components and employees performing functions not mandated by statute or other law who are not typically designated as essential during a lapse in appropriations as provided in the Agency Contingency Plans on the Office of Management and Budget website. This subsection shall not apply to functions related to public safety, immigration enforcement, or law enforcement.

(e) Developing Agency Reorganization Plans. Within 30 days of the date of this order, Agency Heads shall submit to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget a report that identifies any statutes that establish the agency, or subcomponents of the agency, as statutorily required entities. The report shall discuss whether the agency or any of its subcomponents should be eliminated or consolidated.

Hey, don't worry though. Musk has been known for his thoughtful and conservative way of running a business.

[Edge-]

So, if anyone has any doubt over who actually controls the government now, lets look at the new EO just dropped. It effectively puts the hands of the hiring of any and all government employees directly in the hands of Musk. Not the President. Not the Agency Heads themselves. Musk.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/president...on-initiative/





Hey, don't worry though. Musk has been known for his thoughtful and conservative way of running a business.

Republicans just handing the government to a South African pedo guy.

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You've bolded "and other agencies," so I have to conclude that you've read it. That is, in fact, a total reflecting USAID and other agencies.

Of course, naturally, USAID being the only one mentioned by name is just a complete and total coincidence. Just not intentional at all and feeding into those conspiracy theories in any way. No sir. Not a chance.

Again, you're peeing on our heads, in the nude, telling us it's raining. I'm just citing the most obvious example of this in your post because the rest of it is of a similar nature.

- - - Updated - - -

https://www.npr.org/2025/02/11/nx-s1...se-oval-office

The AP was not present for President Musks interview, apparently. Why?

The Associated Press says the White House blocked it from covering an official event on Tuesday because it did not refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.

AP Executive Editor Julie Pace said that the White House informed the news agency that its journalists would be barred from attending President Trump's signing of a new executive order because it had not aligned its language with Trump's preferred name for the body of water.

Because they're not indulging Donald's fantasies.

Again, Donald and Republicans are trying to create reality to fit their fantasies.

[Gabriel]

What pisses me off about these "audits" is that there is no way in heck that even one would be completed in a day. I work in the clinical industry, specifically data collection. When an audit happens, it takes weeks for just 1 study to collect and analyze upwards of 10 years of data.

None of what is happening is an audit. It is a skim of the data to find things that they don't like the sound of. How this is legally continuing is embarrassing.

Laws only work if someone enforces them.

[Somewhatconcerned]

Adding to this I have many questions.

How does Musk know the net worth of former federal employees?

Why does he care in the first place?

If he found evidence of corruption then just present it, otherwise its a moot point.

IDC how other workers have made their wealth and I dont think bosses should either. Musk caring about the wealth of former workers is him showing his worst instincts as a business owner. Obsessed with control

How does he know? I assume through available financial and COI disclosures. And that is just what is reported, the actual figure (and potential fraud) may be much higher, then.

I don't think he cares for the sake of finding out how much money a certain individual(s) made, but rather to try to find any fraudulent/corrupt pipeline that keeps making this happen.

He has presented many examples of wasteful spending so far.

[Edge-]

He has presented many examples of wasteful spending so far.

I see just like the example of:

And surely you can tell us your thoughts on the example of:

And I was shocked to learn about:

[postman1782]

How does he know? I assume through available financial and COI disclosures. And that is just what is reported, the actual figure (and potential fraud) may be much higher, then.

I don't think he cares for the sake of finding out how much money a certain individual(s) made, but rather to try to find any fraudulent/corrupt pipeline that keeps making this happen.

He has presented many examples of wasteful spending so far.

No, he hasn't, in fact almost everything he has shown has been debunked. So, show us some examples.

[DarkTZeratul]

Reporter: "You said an example of fraud that you have cited was $50 million of condoms was sent to Gaza but after a fact-check apparently it was Gaza in Mozambique meant to protect them against HIV.

Musk: First of all, some of the things I say will be incorrect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YgZd44m93k

So he's just openly admitting to being full of shit.

[Edge-]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YgZd44m93k

So he's just openly admitting to being full of shit.

So...he's Google Gemini?

Interesting admission.

[Kaleredar]

How does he know? I assume through available financial and COI disclosures. And that is just what is reported, the actual figure (and potential fraud) may be much higher, then.

I don't think he cares for the sake of finding out how much money a certain individual(s) made, but rather to try to find any fraudulent/corrupt pipeline that keeps making this happen.

He has presented many examples of wasteful spending so far.

And we're to assume that all of this government wasteful spending that you can't find a single example of to cite here is responsible for why the price of eggs continues to go up, isn't it?


You know what, I'm just gonna say it:

Price of eggs was cheaper under Biden.

[gondrin]

How does he know? I assume through available financial and COI disclosures. And that is just what is reported, the actual figure (and potential fraud) may be much higher, then.

I don't think he cares for the sake of finding out how much money a certain individual(s) made, but rather to try to find any fraudulent/corrupt pipeline that keeps making this happen.

He has presented many examples of wasteful spending so far.

Provide proof. Since people, like yourself, demand proof all the time and constantly even when shown proof, show this actual proof.

And I don't mean some vague figure. Like actual examples of it with receipts of it that can be independently verified.

As of now, other than Musk being actually wrong on things like the Gaza condoms thing(not going to Gaza strip but to Gaza in Mozambique to help with the spread of AIDS), he really hasn't shown much of anything of fraud.

Oh, and here is Musk actually admitting he was wrong, something Trump doesn't do. It also shows that he will break the thing first and hope to put it back together instead of figuring out the best way of actually, you know, getting results without breaking things.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/society-cu...d=BingNewsSerp

“Mr. Musk, you said on X. That’s an example of the fraud that you have cited. Was $50 million of condoms were sent to Gaza. But after fact-checks on this. Apparently, Gaza in Mozambique, and the program was to protect them against HIV. So can you correct that statement?” a reporter asked Musk, who recently changed his name on X to “Harry Bolz,” as he took questions in the Oval Office.

“It wasn’t sent to Hamas. Actually, it was sent to Mozambique, which makes sense why condoms were sent there. And how can we make sure that all the statements that you said were correct so we can trust what you say?” added the reporter.

“Well, first of all, some of the things that I say will be incorrect and should be corrected. So nobody’s going to bat a 1,000. I mean, any, you know we will make mistakes, but we’ll act quickly to correct any mistakes,” Musk replied, adding:

So, you know, if the– I’m not sure we should be sending $50 million worth of condoms to anywhere, frankly, I’m not sure that’s something Americans would be really excited about. But it’s really an enormous number of condoms. If you think about it. But, you know, if it went to Mozambique instead of Gaza, I’m like, okay, that’s not as bad. But still, you know, why are we doing that?

While fact-checkers did uncover that the U.S. government sent condoms to Mozambique, many experts still highly doubt the figure Musk cited. USA Today ran a fact check of his claims and noted, “The U.S. Agency for International Development, the government agency responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance, said in a report last April that it had spent $61 million in 2023 to provide condoms and other contraceptives to other countries.”

“But just $8 million of that went for the purchase of condoms, the report said. And not a cent was used to send condoms to Gaza. From 2016 to 2022, the agency spent $118 million on condoms for 60 countries – an average of about $17 million a year, according to a separate report released in 2023,” explained USA Today, suggesting it’s highly unlikely $50 million was spent on condoms anywhere on the planet.

So, anytime one of you who supports this, or anyone else for that matter, you need to bring receipts, like actual pictures or video that can be independently verified, or you will be summarily dismissed as being false. Seeing as the actual figures Musk is given so far have also been outright false.

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And we're to assume that all of this government wasteful spending that you can't find a single example of to cite here is responsible for why the price of eggs continues to go up, isn't it?


You know what, I'm just gonna say it:

Price of eggs was cheaper under Biden.

Hey, you'll like your $4 per egg and like it mister. That is the new reality under the Trump vision of America. Pay more for everything, get worse service and make sure nothing is ever safe to eat.

/s

[PhaelixWW]

I fear the seemingly-inevitable I Can't Believe It's Not Eggs! food product.

[gondrin]

I fear the seemingly-inevitable I Can't Believe It's Not Eggs! food product.

That is already a thing. Just not in name.

https://www.target.com/p/bob-s-red-m...64279e5d8bf9ac

And it is far cheaper too.

At the store I work for, you can literally buy a 12 pack of hard boiled eggs for about 1/2 the price of a dozen uncooked eggs at the moment.

[DarkTZeratul]

That is already a thing. Just not in name.

https://www.target.com/p/bob-s-red-m...64279e5d8bf9ac

And it is far cheaper too.

At the store I work for, you can literally buy a 12 pack of hard boiled eggs for about 1/2 the price of a dozen uncooked eggs at the moment.

I'm not quite sure why hard-boiled eggs would be cheaper than raw eggs, when it's the egg supply itself that's impacted.

[PhaelixWW]

That is already a thing. Just not in name.

https://www.target.com/p/bob-s-red-m...64279e5d8bf9ac

And it is far cheaper too.

Well, that's only for baking.

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I'm not quite sure why hard-boiled eggs would be cheaper than raw eggs, when it's the egg supply itself that's impacted.

Probably just a delay in price impact.