These are news article links and comments that were listed on our website, prior to the November 2024 election. For newer links on this topic visit our website: https://www.dalecodemocrats.com
Focus On the Dangers of a Second Trump Term:
Trump says ‘war hawk’ Liz Cheney should be fired upon in escalation of violent rhetoric against his opponents
https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/01/politics/donald-trump-liz-cheney-war-hawk-battle/index.html
Comment: "Donald Trump said former Rep. Liz Cheney is a 'war hawk' who should be fired upon, as he raged against one of his most prominent intra-party critics while campaigning Thursday night in Arizona."
" 'Let’s see how she feels about it, you know, when the guns are trained on her face.' "
"Trump also hurled insults at Cheney, once the third-ranking Republican in House leadership, calling her 'very dumb,' a 'stupid person' and 'the moron.' "
"Trump’s suggestion that Cheney be fired upon represents an escalation of the violent language he has used to target his political foes. And it comes days before an election in which the former president — who never accepted his 2020 loss — has already undermined public confidence. In recent weeks, he has also suggested a military crackdown on political opponents he has described as 'the enemy within.' "
"Cheney responded to Trump’s comments overnight, saying: 'This is how dictators destroy free nations.' "
"In a post on X, the former congresswoman goes on to say: 'They threaten those who speak against them with death. We cannot entrust our country and our freedom to a petty, vindictive, cruel, unstable man who wants to be a tyrant.'"
Obama: ‘Just because Donald Trump acts goofy doesn’t mean his presidency wouldn’t be dangerous’
https://www.yahoo.com/news/obama-just-because-donald-trump-141148297.html
Comment: " 'He acts so crazy, and it’s become so common that people no longer take it seriously,' Obama said during the event alongside Vice President Harris. 'I’m here to explain to you: Just because he acts goofy, does not mean his presidency wouldn’t be dangerous.' "
"The former Democratic president questioned his successor’s competence during the rally, invoking comments Trump reportedly made praising Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and the 'loyalty' of his generals. The remarks were confirmed by former White House chief of staff and retired Gen. John Kelly, who also called his ex-boss a 'fascist' in a recent interview with The Atlantic."
"He also took a swing at the GOP presidential nominee’s ego and confidence while in Atlanta, citing the number of officials who have spoken up against Trump, including Kelly and former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Mark Milley. More than a dozen former Trump officials also signed an open letter backing Kelly."
"Obama pointed out that these are not Democratic figures or 'woke liberals,' and yet, they are still going against Trump."
" 'They are people who have never, in the past, even talked about politics, because they believe that the military should be above politics,' he continued. 'But the reason they’re speaking up is because they have seen that in Donald Trump’s mind, the military does not exist to serve the Constitution or the American people.' "
"He suggested the former president would also fill his administration with people who are 'just as looney as he is' if he’s elected in November."
“Put Them in Trauma”: Inside a Key MAGA Leader’s Plans for a New Trump Agenda
https://www.propublica.org/article/video-donald-trump-russ-vought-center-renewing-america-maga
Comment: "A key ally to former President Donald Trump detailed plans to deploy the military in response to domestic unrest, defund the Environmental Protection Agency and put career civil servants 'in trauma' in a series of previously unreported speeches that provide a sweeping vision for a second Trump term."
This is a lengthy article, outlining many proposals and plans that should scare any reasonable voter. There are too many outrages to document here. Please read the article at the ink above.
Trump transition team co-chair warns prospective appointees must prove ‘loyalty’
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-transition-team-co-chair-164535399.html
Comment: For those who think Trump's cabinet and other advisors would help stop his most radical and dictatorial tendencies, think again.
"Howard Lutnick, former President Trump’s transition team co-chair, said prospective appointees will only be tapped for future roles in a hypothetical Trump administration if they prove 'loyalty' to the former president and his policies."
" 'Those people were not pure to his vision,' Lutnick told the Financial Times of the advisers who quit or became hostile during Trump’s first term.' "
"In a hypothetical second term, Lutnick said, 'They’re all going to be on the same side, and they’re all going to understand the policies, and we’re going to give people the role based on their capacity — and their fidelity and loyalty to the policy, as well as to the man.' "
Meet the Trump loyalists prepping for aggressive policy action on Day 1 - POLITICO
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/11/02/trump-transition-day-1-aggressive-policy-00186879
Comment: "In an interview with NBC News, the former president also said a push by RFK Jr. to remove fluoride in water 'sounds OK to me.' "
"Former President Donald Trump said Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would have a 'big role in the administration' if he wins Tuesday, telling NBC News in a phone interview that he is open to some of his more controversial ideas."
"Kennedy, who ran for president as an independent this year before he dropped his bid and endorsed Trump, has long spread conspiracies and falsehoods about vaccines and other public health matters. He has, for example, frequently claimed that vaccines are linked to autism, even though studies have debunked that theory for decades."
"Asked Sunday whether banning certain vaccines would be an option during a second term, Trump didn’t rule it out."
" 'Well, I’m going to talk to [Kennedy] and talk to other people, and I’ll make a decision, but he’s a very talented guy and has strong views,' Trump said."
"On Friday, Kennedy tweeted that on its first day in office, a Trump administration would push to ban fluoride in water. claiming it is 'industrial waste' that leads to problems like cancer and other diseases."
"Major public health groups support water fluoridation, and health groups also emphasize that the practice is safe."
"The Trump team has embraced Kennedy and some of his fringe views in recent days."
RFK Jr. said Trump promised him ‘control’ of HHS and USDA
https://www.yahoo.com/news/rfk-jr-said-trump-promised-232348383.html
Comment: "Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told supporters on Monday that former President Donald Trump has promised to give him “control” of several public health agencies, including the US Department of Health and Human Services and the US Department of Agriculture, if he wins a second term in November."
" 'The key that I think I’m – you know, that President Trump has promised me is – is control of the public health agencies, which are HHS and its sub-agencies, CDC, FDA, NIH and a few others, and then also the USDA, which is – which, you know, is key to making America healthy."
"On Sunday, Trump said during a campaign rally in New York that he would let Kennedy 'go wild on food' and 'go wild on medicines' if he wins in November."
"Kennedy has been one of the leading proponents of anti-vaccine conspiracy theories [Emphasis Added] in the United States. He made false attacks on the safety and efficacy of vaccines and sharp criticisms of public health and agriculture policy a centerpiece of his presidential campaign."
Does anyone else think that giving this anti-vaxx nut control of Heath and Human Services is really, really dangerous?
I wonder what farmers and ranchers think about RFK controlling the U.S. Department of Agriculture?
NBC News: Michelle Obama hits the trail, warning what a Trump presidency would mean for women's health
Comment: "In her first stop on 2024 campaign trail, former first lady Michelle Obama delivered an urgent message to men, arguing that the election could have life or death consequences for the women they love."
"The former first lady praised Harris' credentials and urged voter turnout and engagement in her speech. But she devoted significant time, laden with emotion, to arguing that there would be dire consequences for the future of women's health if former President Donald Trump, who spent Saturday campaigning in Michigan and Pennsylvania, were elected once more."
"Obama expanded beyond abortion, suggesting that increasingly limited access to types of women's health care could also have serious ramifications for miscarriage care, cancer screenings and access to medical professionals."
" 'Your wife or mother could be the ones at higher risk of dying from undiagnosed cervical cancer because they have no access to regular gynecological care,' she said."
" 'And then there is the tragic but very real possibility that in the worst case scenario, you just might be the one holding flowers at the funeral,' she later added. 'You might be the one left to raise your children alone.' "
Trump ‘considering withholding funds’ for police who refuse to carry out his mass deportation plans
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-considering-withholding-funds-police-172556896.html
Comment: Trump's version of Defund The Police.
"Donald Trump is considering withholding federal police grants to local agencies that refuse to carry out his mass deportation plan, a report claims."
"In order to make the plan work, members of Trump’s team have floated the idea of holding funds hostage to motivate local police to participate, three people close to his campaign told NBC News."
"If implemented, this could be an attempt to skirt around any potential legal challenges. During his first administration, Trump’s harsh immigration policies like the Muslim ban, ending DACA and his separation of families at the border all were met with opposition in the courts."
"One of those challenges that was never officially settled was from states suing the Trump administration for cutting off federal funding under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program (Byrne JAG)."
"But the lawsuit never played out fully because President Joe Biden reinstated that federal funding when he took office in 2021."
"A second Trump administration could use a similar framework to implore cities and states to participate in the mass deportation program by withholding Byrne JAG grant funding – which could spawn a series of legal challenges that would likely work their way to the Supreme Court."
You really think Donald Trump was a good president? Look at his record | Opinion
https://www.yahoo.com/news/really-think-donald-trump-good-141226513.html
Comment: "Trump’s continuously repeated falsehoods about his record as president have convinced many people who find him to be a horrible person, but nevertheless support him because of what Trump says about his term in office."
"Let me share with you some facts to help fight political amnesia. In fact, Trump was one of the worst presidents in recent history. Here are the facts:"
The article goes on to discuss the following topics, describing Trump's failures during his term:
"A larger deficit"
"A weakened democracy"
"Emboldening dictators"
"Reproductive rights"
"More hatred"
"False border promises"
The Hill: ‘You’re fired’: How Trump will declare war on the federal government if he wins
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/4941371-trump-war-on-civil-service/
Comment: "A long time ago, patronage determined who worked in the U.S. government. Jobs were awarded based not on merit and expertise but on a person’s political connections to the sitting president or his party. The result was 'rampant incompetence and cronyism,' so Congress reformed the system in 1883 by creating a professional, merit-based civil service system."
"More than 2 million civilians work in the federal government today. Donald Trump believes that many are 'rogue bureaucrats' in a mythical deep state. 'They’ve got to be held accountable,' Trump has said. 'They’re destroying this country. They’re crooked people. They’re dishonest people.' "
"The former president plans to revive the spoils system by firing as many as 50,000 careerists and replacing them with loyalists. He also plans to move 100,000 federal jobs out of Washington, D.C. Forced relocations in the past resulted in many workers choosing to leave federal service rather than uproot their families."
The plan is spelled out in Project 2025 (which Trump says he has ' nothing to do with,' despite his ties to many of the project's authors) and a bill in the House of Representatives, the Public Service Reform Act. It would allow the president or his appointees to fire any federal worker 'for good cause, bad cause, or no cause at all.' Employees would have no right to appeal, even if fired because they refused to break a law or execute an unethical order."
Obama Says Trump 'Ignored' Pandemic Playbook He Gave To Him
https://www.yahoo.com/news/obama-says-trump-ignored-pandemic-155320234.html
Comment: "Former President Barack Obama said he gave ex-President Donald Trump a pandemic playbook when Trump took office — but he disregarded it."
" '“He ignored it,” Obama said during a rally for Vice President Kamala Harris in Las Vegas on Saturday. 'And three years later, a pandemic hits.' "
"He said the COVID-19 pandemic was a 'generational pandemic' and that any president would have had a hard time before noting how the United States’ death rate compared to countries like Canada that responded proactively to the global outbreak."
" 'But if you look at a country like Canada, their per capita death rate was 40% lower than it was here in the United States. So just do the math. That’s more than 400,000 people, 'Obama said. 'People’s grandmothers, people’s fathers, people’s moms who would have been alive if Donald Trump had just paid attention and tried to follow the plan that we gave him.' "
Ex-Top General Calls Donald Trump the ‘Most Dangerous Person Ever’
https://www.yahoo.com/news/ex-top-general-calls-donald-230841277.html
Comment: "A former top general in Donald Trump's administration 'warned former colleagues' about the Republican presidential nominee’s temperament and called him a 'total fascist.'
"Former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley was quoted in Bob Woodward's upcoming book, War, as saying Trump is 'the most dangerous person ever,' who could not control his authoritarian tendencies while in the White House."
13 former Trump administration officials sign open letter backing up John Kelly's criticism of Trump
https://www.yahoo.com/news/13-former-trump-administration-officials-125310694.html
Comment: "Thirteen former Trump White House officials signed an open letter backing up former Trump chief of staff John Kelly, who told the New York Times that Trump fits the definition of a fascist."
" '“We applaud General Kelly for highlighting in stark details the danger of a second Trump term. Like General Kelly, we did not take the decision to come forward lightly,' the letter said. 'We are all lifelong Republicans who served our country. However, there are moments in history where it becomes necessary to put country over party. This is one of those moments.' "
NBC News: John Kelly says Donald Trump meets the definition of a 'fascist'
Comment: "John Kelly, who was White House chief of staff during the Trump administration, said in a series of recent interviews that former President Donald Trump spoke positively about Adolf Hitler when he was in office."
" 'He commented more than once that, you know, that Hitler did some good things, too,' Kelly said. He also told the New York Times that Trump meets 'the general definition of a fascist.' "
The Guardian US: ‘Fascist’, ‘conman’, ‘predator’, ‘cheat’: what 11 former Trump staffers say about him now
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/25/election-trump-staffers-john-kelly
Comment: These are the words that his former staffers use to describe Donald Trump! Please listen to them.
Trump Promises Immigrants He Wants to Deport Will Get Serial Numbers
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-just-went-full-holocaust-143304311.html
Comment: "Immigrants are no longer welcome in Donald Trump’s America. Instead, the Republican presidential nominee posited that under his potential second administration, he would round up and mass-deport noncitizens based on their 'serial numbers.' "
"Trump has regularly mimicked Adolf Hitler during his campaign. But the mention of serial numbers—a terrifying echo of the identification numbers forcibly tattooed on concentration camp prisoners—is one of his most chilling references yet."
POLITICO: We watched 20 Trump rallies. His racist, anti-immigrant messaging is getting darker.
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/10/12/trump-racist-rhetoric-immigrants-00183537
Comment: "The supposed threat migrants pose is the core part of the former president’s closing argument, as he promises his base that he’s the one who can save the country from a group of people he calls 'animals,' 'stone cold killers,' the 'worst people,' and the 'enemy from within.' ”
"He is no longer just talking about keeping immigrants out of the country, building a wall and banning Muslims from entering the United States. Trump now warns that migrants have already invaded, destroying the country from inside its borders, which he uses as a means to justify a second-term policy agenda that includes building massive detention camps and conducting mass deportations."
"His rhetoric has veered more than ever into conspiracy theories and rumors, like when he amplified false claims about Haitian immigrants in Ohio eating pets. And Trump has demonized minority groups and used increasingly dark, graphic imagery to talk about migrants in every one of his speeches since the Sept. 10 presidential debate, according to a POLITICO review of more than 20 campaign events. It’s a stark escalation over the last month of what some experts in political rhetoric, fascism, and immigration say is a strong echo of authoritarians and Nazi ideology."
"Vivid imagery, such as telling crowds of rally attendees that migrants will 'cut your throat,' are now a staple of Trump’s speeches. He cites cases of U.S. women and girls allegedly murdered by immigrants in the country illegally, even as studies have shown that immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born Americans."
"But Trump says they are — because they are inherently worse people. He’s told nearly all-white crowds in the past that they have 'good genes,' even before his explicit suggestion this week that non-white immigrants are genetically inferior — when he told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt that migrants have 'bad genes.' "
" 'What is so jarring to me is these are not just Nazi-like statements. These are actual Nazi sentiments,' said Robert Jones, founder of the Public Religion Research Institute, the author of 'The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy' and a vocal critic of Trump’s rhetoric. 'Hitler used the word vermin and rats multiple times in Mein Kampf to talk about Jews. These are not accidental or coincidental references. We have clear, 20th century historical precedent with this kind of political language, and we see where it leads.' "
Fact check: Trump, on a lying spree, made at least 40 separate false claims in two Pennsylvania speeches
https://www.yahoo.com/news/fact-check-trump-lying-spree-212929271.html
Comment: What makes you think he will be any more truthful if elected?
Newsweek: Donald Trump's Call for 'Really Violent Day' Compared to 'The Purge'
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-call-really-violent-day-compared-purge-1961090
Comment: "Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has called for 'one really violent day' to crack down on shoplifting, drawing comparisons to The Purge and to Kristallnacht in 1930s Germany."
"The Purge is a film franchise in which one day every year all crimes are legal. Kristallnacht was a series of Nazi-orchestrated mob attacks against Jewish people and businesses in 1938."
"Speaking at a Sunday rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, former President Trump said that police needed one violent day to restore order."
" 'You know, if you had one day, like one real rough, nasty day,' he said, during a section of the speech about how left-wing politicians are allegedly preventing police from enforcing the law, 'one rough hour, and I mean real rough, the word will get out and it will end immediately. End immediately. You know, it'll end immediately.' "
Trump calls for police violence against suspects, vigilantism, and mob rule.
Axios: How Trump's plan for mass deportations fits into U.S. history
https://www.axios.com/2024/09/28/trump-mass-deportations-us-history
Comment: "Former President Donald Trump's call for historic 'mass deportations' of immigrants from the United States is forcing the nation to revisit past expulsions that left deep wounds still felt today."
"The big picture: From the Palmer Raids of Jewish and Italian immigrants of 1919 to the mass deportation of Mexican immigrants in the 1950s, previous deportation operations ignored civil liberties, heightened racial tensions and disrupted families of American citizens for generations."
"Catch up quick: In campaign speeches, Trump has said he would launch 'the largest deportation operation in American history' and end birthright citizenship as outlined in the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution."
"Reality check: To end birthright citizenship, the U.S. Constitution would have to be amended by three-fourths of the state legislatures or three-fourths of conventions called in each state for ratification — an unlikely event."
The article goes on to describe the history of past attempts at expelling immigrants and the impact of these efforts.
Trump: Military could be used to preserve order on Election Day
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-military-could-needed-preserve-215412622.html
Comment: "Former President Donald Trump said that 'if really necessary' the military should be called for 'some sick people, radical-left lunatics,' when asked about if he is expecting chaos on Election Day in an interview Sunday with Maria Bartiromo."
"The idea of deploying the military on Election Day would be an unprecedented intrusion on the voting process, though the Insurrection Act of 1807, enacted during the presidency of Thomas Jefferson, gives the president the authority to deploy the National Guard and the military to combat insurrections or other disorder. During his presidency, Trump warned he would invoke the law in response to the protests over the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, but ultimately did not do so."
"The Harris campaign quickly responded to the comment: 'Donald Trump is suggesting that his fellow Americans are worse ‘enemies’ than foreign adversaries, and he is saying he would use the military against them,' Harris campaign spokesperson Ian Sams said in a statement."
" 'Taken with his vow to be a dictator on ‘day one,’ calls for the ‘termination’ of the Constitution, and plans to surround himself with sycophants who will give him unchecked, unprecedented power if he returns to office, this should alarm every American who cares about their freedom and security,' Sams said. 'What Donald Trump is promising is dangerous, and returning him to office is simply a risk Americans cannot afford.' "
'Totally illegal': Trump escalates rhetoric on outlawing political dissent and criticism
Comment: "Donald Trump is ramping up his rhetoric depicting his political rivals and critics as criminals, while dropping a long trail of suggestions that he favors outlawing political speech that he deems misleading or challenges his claims to power."
"It’s a pattern of messaging that has long been part of Trump’s stump speeches but has escalated significantly in his 2024 candidacy. In the final stretch to the Nov. 5 election, the former president has developed a tendency to claim that speech he disapproves of is illegal, even if it is protected by the First Amendment."
"Trump has suggested investigations involving his conduct are illegitimate under the law and vowed revenge against the prosecutors who oversee them. He has also claimed, with no evidence, that President Joe Biden directed those prosecutions, even the state indictments he has no authority over."
NPR Reveals That Donald Trump Made Over 100 Chilling Threats To Perceived Enemies
https://www.yahoo.com/news/npr-reveals-donald-trump-made-224519241.html
Donald Trump threatens to imprison Biden, Harris, Pelosi, and others. Experts are worried
Comment: "Former President Donald Trump's consistent threats to prosecute his perceived enemies – most recently this past weekend - are concerning to many legal and democracy experts, who say Trump's own history shows he could make good on those promises in a second presidential term."
Trump Says People Who Criticize Supreme Court Justices Should Be Jailed
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-says-people-criticize-supreme-032022484.html
Comment: More threats to jail critics. Straight out of the authoritarian playbook.
Trump threatens lawyers, donors and election officials with prison for 'unscrupulous behavior'
Comment: "Former President Donald Trump, who makes frequent false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen through rampant fraud, warned Saturday that he would try to imprison anyone who engages in 'unscrupulous behavior' during this year's race."
"He continued, 'Please beware that this legal exposure extends to Lawyers, Political Operatives, Donors, Illegal Voters, & Corrupt Election Officials. Those involved in unscrupulous behavior will be sought out, caught, and prosecuted at levels, unfortunately, never seen before in our Country.'"
Trump’s threats to ‘go after’ opponents will subvert rule of law, experts warn
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/20/trump-election-opponents-threats
Comment: "Trump’s escalating legal threats against lawyers, donors and others raise concern as Project 2025 seeks to curtail DoJ."
Attorney General Merrick Garland denounces 'dangerous' and 'outrageous' attacks on DOJ prosecutors and personnel
Comment: "Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday denounced 'dangerous' and 'outrageous' attacks on Justice Department prosecutors and personnel and sought to reassure them that he has their backs."
"The speech to his employees, at times emotional and forceful, appeared to allude to the kinds of accusations and threats made by former President Donald Trump, his allies and supporters, though Garland didn’t explicitly name Trump in his remarks."
Trump’s Repetitive Speech Is a Bad Sign - The Atlantic
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2024/09/trump-harris-debate-cognitive-decline/679803/
Comment: "If the debate was a cognitive test, the former president failed."
Senator expresses "heightened" concern that foreign governments could exploit ties to Jared Kushner
https://share.newsbreak.com/8y5z7p1c
Comment: "The Senate Finance Committee is stepping up its investigation of Affinity Partners, an investment firm owned by former President Donald Trump's son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner that has been receiving funds from Saudi Arabia and other foreign governments. Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, said new findings suggest the firm could amount to a compensation scheme designed to skirt federal disclosure requirements."
"According to a press release from the committee, its investigation has found that Affinity pocketed as much as $157 million from foreign clients, including $87 million from the Saudi government alone."
"As of July 2024, Affinity generated no return on investment and deployed only a small amount of capital, with not 'a penny of earnings' going back to its clients, per the committee. Saudi Arabia's own investment advisors deemed Affinity to be 'unsatisfactory in all aspects,' only to be overruled by a board led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman."
"But the firm could provide something else for its investors: leverage over a potential Trump administration through Kushner and Affinity's cadre of employees connected to the previous Trump White House. Affinity confirmed that investors, including foreign government officials, have worked with the company on real estate deals and can renegotiate their investment plans or withdraw all of their funds starting in August 2026, giving them influence over the finances of a potential second-term president's family."
7 Trump allies who appeared on allegedly Russia-backed podcasts
Comment: "Lara Trump, Kari Lake, other notable Republicans appeared on podcasts accused of Russia tie."
"Tenet Media’s podcasts, broadcast on platforms such as YouTube, included appearances by Republican National Committee Co-Chair Lara Trump, who is married to Donald Trump's son Eric; Rep. Brian Mast of Florida; longtime Trump lawyer Harmeet Dhillon; and former Trump national security aide Kash Patel."
"Other notable Trump-supporting guests who have appeared on Tenet Media include Republican U.S. Senate nominee Kari Lake of Arizona, former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, who recently endorsed Trump."
RFK Jr. influence on Trump leaves health experts worried
https://thehill.com/newsletters/health-care/4860715-rfk-jr-influence-trump-health-experts-worried/
Comment: "Kennedy, who last month suspended his Independent presidential bid, has been appointed an honorary co-chair of Trump’s presidential transition team. The move has stoked fears among the public health experts that the anti-vaccine activist could have an outsized influence on the former president’s health policies in a potential second term."
Faced with the unique challenges of filling a potential Trump Cabinet, quiet transition work is underway
https://www.yahoo.com/news/faced-unique-challenges-filling-potential-110000603.html
Comment: "Should he return to the White House, Trump would need to build a leadership team once again — a challenge made more daunting by his track record and his ability to win Senate confirmations for the loyalists he would need to carry out his orders."
"Former advisers churned out memoirs detailing their frustrations with Trump, who in turn used his massive public platform to shower them with insults."
"Trump would be creating a Cabinet from scratch. His distinct challenge would be to find people who are loyal to him — always a priority for Trump — but who are also sufficiently respected in their fields to win Senate confirmation."
"'He’d have no difficulty staffing his Cabinet,' Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said in an interview. 'The question would be whether they are people of stature or capacity and are up to the job required and whether they could be confirmed.'"
Trump says he'd create government efficiency commission led by Elon Musk | AP News
Comment: Government for the billionaires, by the billionaires. I guess Elon Musk can turn the federal government into another Twitter, where he destroyed that business just so he could have a platform to espouse his personal positions, no matter how bizarre.
Trump says he had 'every right' to interfere in the 2020 election
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-every-right-interfere-2020-election-rcna169245
Gen. McMaster’s blistering account of the Trump White House
https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/25/politics/mcmaster-trump-book-account/index.html
Comment: H.R. McMaster served as National Security Advisor during the prior Trump Administration.
"McMaster provides unique detail on Trump’s approach to foreign policy and — similarly to his successor in the national security adviser role, former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton, who wrote scathingly about the former president in a book published in 2020 — his account is likely to do little to reassure US allies about the prospects of a second Trump term."
JD Vance suggested the US's support for NATO could be pulled if Europe tries to regulate Elon Musk's X as free speech debate rumbles on
https://share.newsbreak.com/8vtbxrnj
Comment: Another Trump campaign attack on NATO, just so that Trump can help his billionaire buddy and campaign contributor Elon Musk.
CNN: Trump is drowning in the misinformation swamp he helped create
https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/12/business/trump-misinformation-social-media-moderation/index.html
Elon Musk’s attacks on Kamala Harris become more unhinged, with help from AI
https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/elon-musk-attacks-kamala-harris-194846557.html
Comment: This is what happens when billionaire MAGA maniacs, armed with the latest artificial intelligence (AI) technology, dominate social media, especially when they violate their own "policy on manipulated content."
Please get your information from trusted news sources.
The New York Times: Deploying on U.S. Soil: How Trump Would Use Soldiers Against Riots, Crime and Migrants
Trump Reveals Transition Team Stacked With Stooges
https://newrepublic.com/post/184977/donald-trump-transition-team-stooges
Poll: Project 2025 is broadly known and severely unpopular with voters
https://www.yahoo.com/news/poll-project-2025-broadly-known-201441782.html
Comment: "Among independents, 52% report feeling negatively about the plan, while 85% of Democrats say the same. About 33% of Republicans say they also view the plan negatively, with just 7% saying they have positive views of the plan, which Trump has criticized since Democrats ramped up efforts to tie him and Project 2025 together."
Email Shows Project 2025 Coordinator Dangling Administration Job To Possible Contributor
https://share.newsbreak.com/8vt6j9vv
Comment: "A coordinator of Project 2025, the right-wing policy playbook for a second Donald Trump administration, suggested to a possible contributor that working on the project would be a good way to win an administration job. "
"Steve Bradbury, a former Trump administration official now with the Heritage Foundation, said in an email last year to a prospective Project 2025 contributor that the leaders of the project would be able to put in a good word if Trump gets back in the White House."
"Despite disavowals from Trump and his campaign, the Bradbury email is another reflection of the likely ties between Trump’s inner circle and the authors of the 900-page policy agenda. Russ Vought, the former director of the Office of Management and Budget under Trump and a lead author of the project, recently told undercover videographers that the former president is 'very supportive' of his work."
Forbes: What To Know About Project 2025’s ‘Fourth Pillar’ Playbook—That Authors Say Is ‘Closely Held’
Hidden-camera video shows Project 2025 co-author discussing his secret work preparing for a second Trump term
Comment: This video is different from the training videos discussed below.
"The nonprofit, the Centre for Climate Reporting, published a video of the meeting on Thursday – offering a window into the thinking of one of the top policy minds of the MAGA movement, who’s been floated as a possible White House chief of staff."
"Vought said his group, the Center for Renewing America, was secretly drafting hundreds of executive orders, regulations, and memos that would lay the groundwork for rapid action on Trump’s plans if he wins, describing his work as creating 'shadow' agencies. He claimed that Trump has 'blessed' his organization and 'he’s very supportive of what we do.'”
Inside Project 2025’s Secret Training Videos — ProPublica
https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-project-2025-secret-training-videos-trump-election
Comment: "Project 2025’s plan to train an army of political appointees who could fight the so-called deep state on behalf of a future Trump administration remains on track."
"Dozens of never-before-published videos created for Project 2025 were provided to ProPublica and Documented by a person who had access to them."
Watch: 14 Hours of Never-Before-Published Videos From Project 2025’s Presidential Administration Academy
https://www.propublica.org/article/video-project-2025-presidential-training-academy-trump-election
Comment: You can watch some of the videos described in the preceding article.
Vox.com: The First Amendment is in grave danger if Trump wins
https://www.vox.com/scotus/365418/supreme-court-first-amendment-donald-trump-thomas-alito-gorsuch
Military.com: Republican Project 2025 Takes Dead Aim at Veterans' Health and Disability Benefits
POLITICO: JD Vance’s ‘Constitutional Crisis’ in the Making
Comment: Article discusses Trump's Schedule F plan, "which would strip civil service protections from potentially tens of thousands of federal employees so that they can be replaced by Republican political appointees." "Most provocatively, Vance has suggested in a series of interviews this year that Trump should defy the Supreme Court if the justices invalidated the effort."
JD Vance: 'Nothing wrong’ with Donald Trump ‘complimenting’ Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin
Comment: Does anyone remember when the Republican Party used to condemn Asian communists and Russian dictators? "Trump’s comments regarding Xi and other foreign leaders have been criticized at times by Democrats and even some Republicans as being too friendly toward authoritarian leadership."
We fact-checked Trump's recent news conference : NPR
https://www.npr.org/2024/08/11/nx-s1-5070566/trump-news-conference
Comment: "162 lies and distortions in a news conference."
The New Republic: John Bolton Issues Dire Warning About Trump’s Grasp of Reality
https://newrepublic.com/post/184721/john-bolton-donald-trump-mental-health-reality
Comment: "Former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton was thoroughly unimpressed with Donald Trump’s last-minute presser at Mar-a-Lago, criticizing him as a man so dishonest that he can no longer perceive the difference between the truth and his lies."
AL.com: 6 things Trump lied about at his Mar-a-Lago news conference
https://www.al.com/news/2024/08/6-things-trump-lied-about-at-his-mar-a-lago-news-conference.html
A chief architect of Project 2025 is ready to shock Washington if Donald Trump wins a second term
Trump splits with GOP lawmakers on national security, raising alarm
J.D. Vance Has Bonkers Response to the QAnon Shaman
https://www.yahoo.com/news/j-d-vance-bonkers-response-203218872.html
Comment: "In a recently resurfaced speech from 2023, Vance said that Jacob Chansley, more popularly known as the 'QAnon Shaman,' should have gotten a lighter prison sentence since he was only 'walking around the Capitol.'
'It was a crazy guy with, like, the bullhorns … he looked like he’d be a fun guy to have a beer with, right? The Q shaman,' said Vance."
I guess J.D. Vance thinks the January 6th insurrection was just a big joke.
Trump tells Christian voters they "won't have to vote anymore" if he is elected in November
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-christian-voters-turning-point-action/
Comment: As crazy as it sounds, Trump may be imagining a future without elections.
Cheney: Vance would help Trump ‘illegally seize power'
https://thehill.com/elections/4774911-cheney-vance-trump-ticket-warning/
Trump Jr. says he wants ‘veto power’ in staffing second Trump term
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4775730-trump-jr-wants-veto-power/
Comment: When did Don Jr. become a candidate? I guess he figures that if Dad is planning to be the KING, he is planning to be a PRINCE. "Veto power?" What arrogance!
Center For American Progress: Project 2025: The Plan To Seize Power by Gutting America's System of Checks and Balances
Project 2025: Heritage Foundation's conservative agenda
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4753684-heritage-foundation-project-2025/
Trump’s Schedule F plan, explained
https://protectdemocracy.org/work/trumps-schedule-f-plan-explained/
Comment: If you're a federal civil service worker, like many employees at Fort Novosel, you need the understand how Schedule F might adversely impact your employment. Trump enacted Scedule F at the end of his first term, but Biden rescinded it before it could go into effect. Now Schedule F is back, as part of Project 2025. If Trump is elected, many civil service protections would likely be eliminated so that Trump could appoint loyalists into government jobs, in a return to the old patronage system.
Project 2025 would overhaul the U.S. tax system. Here's how it could impact you. - CBS News
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/project-2025-tax-trump-economy-heritage-foundation-how-it-works/
Comment: Plan is great if you're rich, bad if you're middle class.
TIME: Project 2025’s Plan to Eliminate Public Schools Has Already Started
https://time.com/7001264/project-2025-public-school-closure/
The Hill: What to know about Project 2025’s plan for agriculture, and how it could lead to ‘real chaos’
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/4791069-project-2025-farming-food-aid/
Comment: Dale County farmers need to understand how Project 2025 might impact them.
The Hill: What Project 2025 would mean for the fight against climate change
NBC News: Sunday was the hottest day ever recorded on Earth
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/hottest-day-ever-recorded-rcna163262
Comment: This is only one reason why fighting climate change is important. Trump and the GOP want to curtail the fight.
Trump claims not to know who is behind Project 2025. A CNN review found at least 140 people who worked for him are involved | CNN Politics
https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/11/politics/trump-allies-project-2025/index.html
Comment: Recently Trump has been trying to distance himself from Project 2025, because the public is starting to realize how dangerous Project 2025 is. However, the facts show that Trump's claim that he knows nothing about Project 2025 is a lie.
Trump shared private flight with Project 2025 head despite denying connection | Donald Trump | The Guardian
J.D. Vance in Serious Trouble After Damning Project 2025 Book Foreword
https://newrepublic.com/post/184182/jd-vance-trouble-heritage-foundation-project-2025-book-foreword
Comment: "Donald Trump’s running mate can’t claim he knew nothing about the extremist Project 2025 after this."
Slate: There’s a Reason Trump Is Suddenly Lying About Project 2025
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/07/why-donald-trump-lying-project-2025.html
Ex-Mike Pence aide: Donald Trump's denial of Project 2025 ties is 'ludicrous'
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4759743-trump-project-2025-ties-pence-aide/
The Daily Beast: Man Behind Project 2025 Just Said the Quiet Part Out Loud
Comment: "Kevin Roberts, whose uber-conservative think tank is behind the highly controversial' Project 2025' blueprint for a second Donald Trump presidency, made the comment during an appearance on Real America’s Voice. 'We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be,' Roberts said." Roberts is the president of the Heritage Foundation. "Revolution?" References to blood and violence? Who are the real radicals?
The Guardian US: Kevin Roberts, architect of Project 2025, has close ties to radical Catholic group Opus Dei
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/26/kevin-roberts-project-2025-opus-dei
Comment: "'Kevin Roberts, like all Americans, has a guaranteed freedom to worship or not under our constitution,' said Lisa Graves, co-founder of Court Accountability, a non-partisan group that seeks to combat judicial corruption. 'That is not at issue. What is of concern is how some powerful elites, like Roberts, who have failed to persuade the American people to embrace their agenda, seem eager to use the power of the executive branch to impose their personal religious views as binding law on other Americans – by barring abortion, using the government to endorse the rhythm method of contraception, even banning mention of ‘condoms’ in women’s preventative health, as well as assailing the rights of LGBTQ+ Americans.'”
Rep. Jamie Raskin Sounds the Alarm on Trump’s Self-Declared ‘Secretary of Retribution’
Trump’s Rumored AG Candidate Warns of Retaliation Against Liberal Prosecutors, Judges, Witnesses: 'Go to Hell'
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-rumored-ag-candidate-warns-174840818.html
Comment: How would you like this guy to be the next Attorney General of the United States?
Report on Trump, Egypt, and $10 million sparks questions about Bill Barr's DOJ and campaign finance
Comment: Trump's last Attorney General, Bill Barr, was bad enough. As Trump's Attorney General, Barr shut down an FBI investigation checking to see if Egypt illegally contributed $10 million to Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.
Some ex-DOJ officials who worked for Trump say the Supreme Court just made it easy for him to weaponize the DOJ
Trump amplifies posts calling for televised military tribunal for Liz Cheney
https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/02/politics/trump-liz-cheney-military-tribunal/index.html
Cheney fires back after Trump boosts post calling for her televised military tribunal
Comment: Cheney has more guts than the rest of her Republican counterparts.
"We're going to come after you": Kash Patel pledges revenge if Trump wins again
Comment: Never heard of Kash Patel? "Patel's zeal for Trump landed him in the administration's National Security Council, and he served briefly as chief of staff to acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller. In his final months in office, Trump considered installing Patel as the deputy director at either the FBI or CIA to strengthen his control of the intelligence committee, but was forced to scotch the plan after CIA Director Gina Aspel and Attorney General Bill Barr threatened to resign." Patel now sounds like he is auditioning for an appointment in a second Trump Administration.
Schumer pushing bill to strip Trump of court-granted immunity
https://www.yahoo.com/news/schumer-pushing-bill-strip-trump-203115609.html
The Supreme Court’s Trump immunity decision is a blueprint for dictatorship - Vox
https://www.vox.com/scotus/358292/supreme-court-trump-immunity-dictatorship
The terrifying SEAL Team 6 scenario lurking in the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling - POLITICO
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/07/02/trump-immunity-murder-navy-sotomayor-00166385
The Hill: Supreme Court immunity ruling raises questions about military orders
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4757168-supreme-court-immunity-military-orders/
What does the Supreme Court immunity ruling mean for Trump? 6 questions answered | PBS News
Trump’s criminal conviction won’t stop him from getting security clearance as president − but Biden can still control his access for now
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-criminal-conviction-won-t-122412583.html
Comment: Article points out that, based on normal security clearance criteria, Trump would never get security clearance access unless he became President. This denial of access would be based not only on his recent felony convictions, but also on a number of other issues, including character, trustworthiness, financial history, marital infidelity, etc.
If Donald Trump wins
Fauci blames Trump admin staff for feeding him misinformation, animosity
Comment: In case you have forgotten the "good ol' days" in Trump's first term, when Trump and his staff put politics above the health and safety of the public. Do you think the priorities will be any different in a second Trump term?
The Daily Beast: New Pics Show Nuclear Secrets Stashed Beside the Diet Cokes at Mar-a-Lago
The GOP fires up its vengeance 2024 tour | CNN Politics
https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/06/politics/republicans-revenge-tour-2024-trump/index.html
Conservative-backed group is creating a list of federal workers it suspects could resist Trump plans
https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-president-project-2025-33d3fc2999a74f4aa424f1128dca2d16
Trump says he would have "every right to go after" political enemies if elected
https://www.axios.com/2024/06/06/trump-hannity-biden-prosecution-fox-news
'It's very possible': Trump floats imprisoning his political opponents
Donald Trump Threatens Mark Zuckerberg With Prison If He Is Elected - Business Insider
https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-mark-zuckerberg-sent-prison-elected-truth-social-2024-7
Donald Trump calls for Jan. 6 committee members to be indicted
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4708462-trump-jan-6-committee-members-indicted-bannon/
Comment: Trump calls for members of Congress to be indicted for investigating the January 6th insurrection. He's angry that his henchmen, Bannon and Navarro, were ordered to prison for failing to comply with separate federal congressional subpoenas to testify before the committee.
Steve Bannon: Ex-Trump aide ordered to prison - BBC News
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cxee7gyrmnzo
Trump's MAGA movement nurtures violent threats. Don't ignore them
Trump has promised mass raids and deportation if he wins the election. The ACLU is preparing to fight back | PBS NewsHour
He Went To A White Supremacist Conference. He Just Spoke At The RNC.
https://share.newsbreak.com/7slvh6aj
Comment: "On Wednesday evening, Thomas Homan, who oversaw former President Donald Trump’s brutal anti-immigrant regime as head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, stepped onto the main stage of the Republican National Convention and described immigrants as an existential threat to America." "Trump recently promised to rehire Homan if he retakes the White House — something Homan described as inevitable."
Trump says business executives should be 'fired for incompetence' if they don't support him
Why CEOs fear Trump
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-ceos-fear-trump-201630254.html
Biden rips into Supreme Court, calls appointments ‘one of the scariest parts’ of a second Trump term
Comment: If you don't like the ethical problems with the current Supreme Court and if you don't like recent right wing Supreme Court decisions, just think how much worse it will be if Trump is elected and then selects more justices. That's why you need to vote, and vote for Democrats.
A wargame simulated a 2nd Trump presidency. It concluded NATO would collapse.
Donald Trump's man to make America a great Christian nation has even bigger plans
https://www.yahoo.com/news/donald-trumps-man-america-great-133953737.html
Extremist ex-adviser drives ‘anti-white racism’ plan for Trump win – report
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/01/trump-stephen-miller-anti-white-racism-plan
White House slams ‘sickening’ video shared by Trump referencing ‘unified Reich’
During arraignment, Capitol riot defendant defiantly predicts Trump will win election and shutter Jan. 6 criminal cases - CBS News
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/january-6-defendant-predicts-trump-win-election-criminal-cases/
15 promises Donald Trump has made so far in his campaign for a second term
https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/06/politics/trump-campaign-promises/index.html
White House: Trump NATO-Russia Comments Are 'Appalling,' 'Unhinged'
https://www.businessinsider.com/white-house-trump-nato-russia-comments-appalling-unhinged-2024-2
'So appalled': What witnesses told special counsel about Trump's handling of classified info while still president
Trump II: How Bad It Could Be
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/01/trump-2024-democracy-fascism/
Trump's former Attorney General Bill Barr reveals chilling prediction of what will happen if ex-president is re-elected amid fears staff will be unable to say NO during nothing-to-lose second term
Comment: It's a shame that Bill Barr didn't have the courage to speak up when he was Attorney General in Trump's first administration.
Fortune: The Trump donor whom Biden can't fire is running the U.S. Postal Service directly into the ground—just what everyone warned about when he was confirmed in the depths of the pandemic
https://fortune.com/2024/04/10/usps-dejoy-price-hikes-customer-dissatisfaction/
Comment: Your mail delivered late? Blame Trump. Also think about his future appointments, if Trump is elected in November.
US Postal Service Plans to Change Mail Delivery Times - Newsweek
https://www.newsweek.com/us-postal-service-change-mail-delivery-times-1943590
Comment: Mail delivery times for rural areas, like Dale County, will be longer. At the same time, postage and other mail service costs are increasing much faster than inflation. This is what happens when Trump's political donors are appointed to important positions (like Postmaster General) rather than qualified candidates. Trump's plans for his second term include replacing civil service personnel with even more political appointments. Please refer to Trump's Schedule F plans.
New Biden rule aims to protect US federal employees if Trump is elected
Comment: Federal civil service employees, like many workers at Fort Novosel, need to pay attention to Trump's Schedule F plans.
The fight to stop Schedule F, a cornerstone of Trump's 'retribution' agenda, is underway
Trump trade advisers plot dollar devaluation
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/15/devaluing-dollar-trump-trade-war-00152009
Trump vows to replace ObamaCare with his own alternative | The Hill
Comment: Trump couldn't replace Affordable Care Act in his first term, despite GOP control of Congress. Never even proposed an alternative. Now Affordable Care Act has proven popular.
ProPublica: Inside Ziklag, the Secret Organization of Wealthy Christians Trying to Sway the Election and Change the Country
https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-ziklag-secret-christian-charity-2024-election
Christian Nationalism: A grave threat to America
https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/christian-nationalism-grave-threat-america
Charlie Kirk badgers Christian pastors to do more to elect Donald Trump
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/12/charlie-kirk-trump
Comment: "At a three-day political training session for pastors in a Dallas suburb this month, Charlie Kirk – the powerful rightwing activist and executive director of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) – railed at faith leaders, who he complained had not been doing enough to get Donald Trump elected, and begged them to enlist congregants into 'deployments' to swing states."
"Although electioneering and other forms of partisan political activism by non-profits and churches are technically barred by a 1954 law, the rule is rarely enforced. And in 2023 remarks, Trump vowed to end those restrictions."
Axios: Inside Trump's plans to deport millions from the U.S.
https://www.axios.com/2024/02/11/trump-promise-deport-millions-migrants-reality
KQED: Over 1 Million Were Deported to Mexico Nearly 100 Years Ago. Most of Them Were US Citizens
Comment: As Trump plans to deport millions of migrants if he is elected, it may be worthwhile to take an historical look at the last time this was done.