Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[gondrin]

...fucking what? Is this going to be a stupid thing Republicans do? "The so-called..."...bro they're the New York Times, roflmao. Can't you read? Don't you work for a literal news outlet?

I mean, that is what Donald Trump used in his EO that dealt with trying to take away the independence of the Independent Agencies that Congress created.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/president...-all-agencies/

However, previous administrations have allowed so-called “independent regulatory agencies” to operate with minimal Presidential supervision.

It is a legit tactic that tries to undermine something that they think is illegitimate.

[Bwgmon]

...fucking what? Is this going to be a stupid thing Republicans do? "The so-called..."...bro they're the New York Times, roflmao. Can't you read? Don't you work for a literal news outlet?

I bet "The New York Times" isn't even their real name!

[Edge-]

I mean, that is what Donald Trump used in his EO that dealt with trying to take away the independence of the Independent Agencies that Congress created.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/president...-all-agencies/



It is a legit tactic that tries to undermine something that they think is illegitimate.

it's just such a weird fucking thing to say, man.

like, nobody in real life talks like that on a normal basis.

that's just fuckin weird shit, IMO.

[gondrin]

In a move that should surprise nobody, Kash Patel is basically telling everyone that the standards at the FBI are officially out the window. Wear whatever you want and pretty much speak in Bro language all the time(the second part of this is fictional, maybe).

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...84ae052c&ei=55

Kash Patel's first actions as FBI head leave onlookers puzzled

New FBI Director Kash Patel hit the ground running with a to do list once he took over — and his priorities have left some puzzled.

"He told officials he planned to spend a lot of time in Las Vegas, where he was living last year," the report said. 'He ordered new decor for his Washington office, and asked for his personal trainer to be cleared to enter the building for his workouts, among other changes."

Meanwhile, he's been living it up in Washington. In the past, FBI directors wouldn't attend social events, "to avoid being alone with a lawmaker or chief executive who might make an uncomfortable request," the Journal reported.

Patel was at the British ambassador's residence on Wednesday for a party, the report said.

He's also telling agents that they shouldn't be concerned about being so formally dressed.

“I’m not planning on wearing a suit, and I don’t expect you to wear one,” Patel said, according to the report.

While Patel intends to run the FBI, he was also sworn in to oversee the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

"Justice Department officials haven’t publicly explained how he plans to oversee both agencies simultaneously, something no previous FBI director appears to have done. Both are components of the Justice Department," the Journal reported.

News Nation reported it's made the future of the ATF look uncertain.

Patel said in a podcast that he intended to empty out the FBI office on "Day 1," and send agents into the states to serve in the offices there, NPR recalled. President Donald Trump's administration hasn't indicated yet whether the D.C. headquarters will close.

However, on his first day, Patel demanded 1,500 FBI agents be relocated to cities with high crime rates.

"Another FBI official piped in with a harsh reality, according to people familiar with the exchange: Each move could cost up to $100,000, and the bureau didn’t have the funds to cover such a restructuring," the official toldJournal.

The report also indicated Patel wants a partnership between the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship)and FBI.

[We are covfefe]

https://www.reddit.com/r/fednews/com...opm/?rdt=35670

I know its reddit, but TLDR judge ruled that the OPM firings were illegal and they cannot terminate people from other departments. Person who sent out the emails must testify 2 weeks from today in a separate hearing.

-Extraordinary hearing. Good job by both sides. Hot off the press:

Judge rules from the bench. Quotes follow:

-OPM cannot order agencies to hire or fire probationaries. In no universe can they do that.

-Court is entering limited relief. Believes plaintiffs are likely to win on the merits.

-Court believes agencies were instructed by OPM to fire terminated employees because there's so much evidence from agency statements, testimony in congress

-How could so much of the workforce be amputated suddenly overinight? It's so irregular widespread and aberrant in the history of our country. How could that all happen with each agency deciding on its own to do that? I believe they were ordered to do so by OPM. That's where the evidence points.

-Compliments the government lawyer because he has a hard case to make and he's done an admirable job.

-But all the evidence points against you. All the evidence points there was an order to terminate these probationaries.

-This is ultra vires--beyond congressional authority.

-Believes employee unions have to channel their claims. But when congress set up MSPB it was thinking of individual claims. Is an agency action this widespread something that needs to be channeled to MSPB? Plaintiffs lose on jurisdiction as to the unions. Wonders why union didn't make that claim.

-Organizational (non-Union) plaintiffs win the day though. Organizational plaintiffs are hurt by these terminations. Not layoffs, but terminations. It's not true that these were layoffs. These are terminations. That's just not right on our country, that we would run our agency with lies and stain somebody's record like that. Probationary employees are the lifeblood of our government. That's how we renew ourselves in the government. They are the bright minds that lift up our government.

-In terms of relief. I might say it better in writing. Feb 14 email and Jan 20 communication and all efforts by OPM in support thereof, lis illegal should be stopped and rescinded. ultra vires and violation of APA (should've gone through rule making process). Limited to agencies affected by organizational plaintiffs.

-Agencies affected: NPS. VA. BLM, NSF, SBA

-Wants an evidentiary hearing. Judge says that Charles EZELL FROM OPM Will be forced to testify at the evidentiary hearing! Hearing will take place in 14 days at 8 am.

Written ruling to follow!!!

[tehdang]

You keep thinking the Judges don't have a say in anything but forget that their whole job is to interpret the law. Article 3, Section 2 gives them that authority along with the Judiciary Act of 1789 along with Maybury v Madison ruled that they do. Which is what they are doing when they actively issue any ruling. They are saying that the law says "X thing" and that what is going on shouldn't be happening because of "X thing". So they are putting an injunction or a restraining order to prevent said "X thing" from happening. They also said, and it is being used, that if they don't like the ruling to appeal it, which happened which SCOTUS put a temporary stay on said injunction.

So, unless SCOTUS is going to overturn Maybury v Madison and therefor basically lose every single bit of authority they have, Trump is going to have a big major loss on this.

Which Judges? You want to compel payments that the federal government owes you (that you think the federal government owes you), you go to the US Court of Federal Claims. They have jurisdiction.

If you try elsewhere for that remedy, and especially if the judge is dumb enough to issue a TRO on an expedited hearing for relief, you're liable to get slapped down by the higher courts. (The DoJ did submit sworn testimony of obstruction of the review process of USAID grants by senior staff, as well as delays, noncompliance with directives).

The good news is that the case does not boil down to unconstitutional desired remedies. They can still plead their case in the proper forum, or argue in a traditional way that there is relief that the court can provide.

[Muzjhath]

And considering how Jeffries, Schumer, and lots of other elected Democrats are pussy footing around. How Garland was a spineless moron letting the corrupt corporate oligarchy of the US play him as a clown.

How the only federally elected people of the Democrats i see loudly and repeatedly is AOC and Jasmine Crockett.

Allow me to doubt.

[PhaelixWW]

And considering how Jeffries, Schumer, and lots of other elected Democrats are pussy footing around. How Garland was a spineless moron letting the corrupt corporate oligarchy of the US play him as a clown.

How the only federally elected people of the Democrats i see loudly and repeatedly is AOC and Jasmine Crockett.

Allow me to doubt.

I have to believe that Democrats will more strenuously push for the kinds of reform that they've been soft on for a while. It's one thing when they think that going tough will lead to a loss in votes, but if they're confronted with not being tough leading to dismantling the entire government and risking a decline into authoritarianism... well, all of a sudden the risk of losing some votes may seem worth it.

[david0925]

I'm not that optimistic that Dems are going to be aggressive because all the old guys in charge are never the ones making aggressive moves and just doing a lot of empty political talks. It's not really a good party either; it's just that the Republicans are much worse

It's just sad that these are the choices we have

[Muzjhath]

I have to believe that Democrats will more strenuously push for the kinds of reform that they've been soft on for a while. It's one thing when they think that going tough will lead to a loss in votes, but if they're confronted with not being tough leading to dismantling the entire government and risking a decline into authoritarianism... well, all of a sudden the risk of losing some votes may seem worth it.

Lots of them are beneficiaries of deregulation, and the things Trump is pushing.
There is a huge reason why most of those quiet are older, whiter, and men. If not exclusively that.

[david0925]

Lots of them are beneficiaries of deregulation, and the things Trump is pushing.
There is a huge reason why most of those quiet are older, whiter, and men. If not exclusively that.

Yeah. I think until we figure out a way to greatly limit money from elections (maybe you can't but just saying) we are going to be dealing with the majority of Congress being heavily influenced by corporate

[s_bushido]

I have to believe that Democrats will more strenuously push for the kinds of reform that they've been soft on for a while. It's one thing when they think that going tough will lead to a loss in votes, but if they're confronted with not being tough leading to dismantling the entire government and risking a decline into authoritarianism... well, all of a sudden the risk of losing some votes may seem worth it.

The only way that's going to happen is if public/political pressure is so severe that it outweighs the will of their donors. Considering the shit that's gone down in just a month, it seems like it's headed that way...but I'm not holding my breath that the American people as a whole won't have just shrugged and rolled over in a year and a half under the constant barrage of horseshit.

[Mekh]

OMG, DOGE staffers have been doxxed. MAGA is upset. /s

Fun fact: Anyone who works in government, including "special government employees" and contractors, their names and other PII that would show that they work for the government in some fashion is considered public information and is to be readily available for the public to see unless it is a matter of national security like the names of individual troops, lower level intelligence agents and the like.

So no MAGA, revealing who works for DOGE isn't a violation of anything. As it isn't a matter of national security to hide their identities and in fact that it is a matter of national security that people do know who these people are seeing as they are getting access to very sensitive databases. It is no different than IRS workers, workers at the Treasury Department and other agencies having their name revealed.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...7ecd910e&ei=29



So yes, MAGA members, Americans do have a right to know who is rooting around in the government trying to change things.

"so-called New York Times". Is he alleging it's an alias?

Edit: Edge beat me to it.

[Gabriel]

I'm reminded of the Eddie Izzard bit where he jokes about cross-dressers in the military and how they'd be great.. Such fantastic makeup. And surprises. Just don't let those damn squirrels get at the makeup.

Based fellow Eddie enjoyer.

[Corvus]

Australia is also experiencing an egg shortage like the US, thanks to avian flu that has seen 10% of the laying flock culled. And we haven't disbanded the departments overseeing it.

So how long do experts and the industry think it will be before prices stabilise? Not until 2028.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-...2028/104993728

I doubt it will be much faster over there so egg prices are likely to stay high until the next presidential election.

[Draco-Onis]

Justin Sun, SEC Seek ‘Pause’ in Case Against Crypto Entrepreneur

Sun has invested $75 million in one of Trump’s crypto projects, World Liberty Financial. Per the terms of the project, 75% of the proceeds of token sales are sent to the Trumps as a fee—or around $56 million.

Trump's crypto coins are basically his Venmo, this is one of the few people we know bought the coin. If you are a foreign country or someone under investigation you may suddenly feel that Trump coins are a great investment and no one else has to know.

- - - Updated - - -

The only way that's going to happen is if public/political pressure is so severe that it outweighs the will of their donors. Considering the shit that's gone down in just a month, it seems like it's headed that way...but I'm not holding my breath that the American people as a whole won't have just shrugged and rolled over in a year and a half under the constant barrage of horseshit.

They won't because it affects us directly, Americans don't care so long as it affects someone else and Trump's policies are affecting all of them especially on red states who take the most federal money. The only issue is that democrats do not seem to be able to take advantage of this.

[gondrin]

So, Part 1 of the Epstein files have been released and the hornet's nest has been kicked in MAGA verse. But instead of finding anything new like any Democrat names on it, all they got was redacted list of victims(which it should be redacted), a contact list that mysteriously doesn't have Bill Clinton or Joe Biden on it but yet has Donald Trump in it along with it being circled for whatever reason along with the same flight logs that were released a few years ago with Trump's name on it.

So, they have started to turn on Pam Bondi, Kash Patel and the like. Oh, may the leopards eat each other's faces.

However, David Copperfield(yes, the magician) does have his contact information there.

EDIT: I predict this will be this generation's Al Capone's Vault moment. All we need now is Geraldo Rivera to open the door and show what a massive disappointment looks like.

[s_bushido]

So, Part 1 of the Epstein files have been released and the hornet's nest has been kicked in MAGA verse.

I just don't understand why anyone should care at this point. Anyone who's been paying attention already understands that Trump is a pedophile and a rapist...and that MAGAts will deny/ignore it to their dying breath. If the man's character mattered in the slightest, he wouldn't have won in 2016, much less still be here a decade later actively trying to ruin the lives of tens of millions of people.

[Breccia]

EDIT: I predict this will be this generation's Al Capone's Vault moment.

That's a deep cut. Yes, Team Trump likes to tilt at windmills, probably because they think windmills cause cancer. Trump specifically has promises things like the truth behind JFK. And, every time he's promised to blow the lid off something, it turns out the vault is empty.

Trump wants flash, not substance. And he correctly figured out his cult would accept cuts to their social programs and higher prices, as well as handing Trump millions and millions of dollars directly, in exchange for Bigfoot's home address.

[Gabriel]

I have to believe that Democrats will more strenuously push for the kinds of reform that they've been soft on for a while. It's one thing when they think that going tough will lead to a loss in votes, but if they're confronted with not being tough leading to dismantling the entire government and risking a decline into authoritarianism... well, all of a sudden the risk of losing some votes may seem worth it.

Don't worry. I'm sure the Democracts will file many lawsuits if Trump actually decides to officially declare himself king.

They might even... and may God forgive me for even daring to utter this forbidden suggestion... use some strong language on national television.