Washington Post: Records of dead people show how the pro-Trump spin machine keeps going

Supporters cite a prosaic DOGE announcement as evidence that a Social Security problem that never existed has been fixed.

The big lie:

“We’re also identifying shocking levels of incompetence and probable fraud in the Social Security program for our seniors, and that our seniors and people that we love rely on. Believe it or not, government databases list … 3.47 million people from ages 120 to 129, 3.9 million people from ages 130 to 139. 3.5 million people from ages 140 to 149. And money is being paid to many of them.”

 President Donald Trump, in a speech to Congress, March 4

The simple explanation:

Social Security databases rely on COBOL, a nearly 70-year-old computer programming language, and COBOL doesn’t have a standardized way to store dates. So a default date, such as 1875, was chosen for people lacking birth information.

But Trump and his cronies will never let a good lie go unrepeated, every chance they can.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/06/03/social-security-dead-trump-false

Techdirt: Trump Administration Tells Supreme Court DOGE Can’t Be FOIAed

The destructive force that is DOGE still somehow manages to exist, despite it not being (depending on which claim is made and when) an official federal agency and/or overseen by anyone specifically identifiable as the head of DOGE.

Until recently, everyone — including Donald Trump — knew (and said as much in public) that DOGE was both a government agency and headed by Elon Musk. When the lawsuits started flying, the backtracking began by the administration, which apparently thought it could cover its tracks by walking backwards in its golf-cleated clown shows.

Trump’s love for DOGE has managed to undercut the protections DOGE hoped it would be able to avail itself of when the FOIA requests began pouring in and the discovery demands started hitting federal dockets.

The Hill: Musk rips media over hypocrisy over Booker gesture

Tech billionaire Elon Musk slammed the “legacy media” over the weekend, alleging hypocrisy in how news outlets covered Sen. Cory Booker’s (D-N.J.) recent arm gesture after he faced criticism for a similar gesture earlier this year.

Booker, while speaking at the California Democratic Convention on Saturday, placed his hand on his heart before extending his arm toward the crowd.

We know a Nazi salute when we see one. You thought you’d get away with it. You didn’t.

Suck it up, Bubba!

https://thehill.com/media/5328855-musk-accuses-legacy-media-hypocrisy

Wired: The Trump Administration Wants to Create an ‘Office of Remigration’

“Remigration”—a far-right European plan to expel minorities and immigrants from Western nations—may soon have a dedicated office following a Trump administration reorganization of the State Department.

As part of a sweeping reorganization of the State Department, the Trump administration is creating an Office of Remigration. Remigration is an immigration policy embraced by extremists that calls for the removal of all migrants—including “non-assimilated” citizens—with the goal of creating white ethnostates in Western countries.

The details of the plan are contained in a 136-page notification document sent by the State Department to six Congressional commitees—including the House Foreign Affairs and Appropriations Committees and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee—for approval by July 1, according to a copy reviewed by WIRED.

“The Office of Remigration will serve as the [Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration]’s hub for immigration issues and repatriation tracking,” the document reads. “It will provide a policy platform for interagency coordination with DHS and other agencies on removals/repatriations, and “for intra-agency policy work to advance the President’s immigration agenda.”

The notification says that the Office of Remigration “will also actively facilitate the voluntary return of migrants to their country of origin or legal status,” which is a key aim of remigration ideology.

There are three phases to “remigration”:

On [Martin Sellner’s] site, he lays out a three-phase plan to implement remigration. The first phase, dubbed the “Immediate Stabilization of Asylum Chaos,” has striking similarities to Trump’s current immigration policies.

The second phase of Sellner’s plan, following the initial removal of undocumented immigrants, includes the removal of “migrants who entered the country legally and have a residence/work permit, or temporary visa, but are an economical, criminal or cultural burden.”

The final phase targets citizens who are seen as “non assimilated,”and it involves passing laws to “target parallel societies with economic and cultural pressure” and entice citizens to migrate abroad with the use of loans, payments, and other assistance. The plan, Sellner claims, will allow “the wounds of multiculturalism to heal.”

This is like Hitler’s Mein Kampf, all laid out in writing and scarcely anybody is paying attention.

https://www.wired.com/story/trump-office-remigration-state-department-europe-far-right

Newsweek: DOGE cuts to cause 2 million extra visits to Social Security offices: Study

Staffing cuts and office closures at the Social Security Administration (SSA), driven by Elon Musk‘s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), are estimated to force seniors to make nearly 2 million additional annual trips for necessary in-person assistance, according to a new study.

It’s never good to remove options, but for some people this will work out better. Getting through to Social Security by phone can waste many hours of time. Depending on the wait time at your local office and the travel time, it can be more convenient.

In my family’s case the local office was hopeless — the line was out the door and down the block. But we found a suburban office where the waits were much shorter with sufficient indoor seating for everyone.

Nevertheless I expect there will be more losers than winners here.

https://www.newsweek.com/doge-social-security-seniors-benefits-elon-2078102

Raw Story: MAGA senator fact-checked over ‘baffling’ list of false Trump accomplishments

Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) went to X to post some of the triumphs that President Donald Trump had accomplished in just a few short months in office — the only problem is, almost none of what he advertised was actually true.

Even in the U.S. Senate you’ll find a few bozos who are a few cards short of a full deck. Today we pay homage to Senator Bernie “Short Deck” Moreno from Ohio.

Click the links below to read Short Deck’s fanciful recitation of Trump’s achievements:

https://www.rawstory.com/bernie-moreno-2672225616

Raw Story: ‘Lying!’ Karoline [Bimbo #1] Leavitt derided as she claims to ‘debunk’ budget accusations

Social media users railed against Press Secretary Karoline [Bimbo #1] Leavitt for saying the House spending bill, aka “the big, beautiful bill,” will not increase the nation’s deficit.

Independent journalist Aaron Rupar was the first to flag the questionable remarks, uttered at an event Thursday.

“[Bimbo #1] Leavitt: ‘I also want to take the opportunity to debunk some false claims that have been circulating in the press. The blatantly wrong claim that the one big beautiful bill increases the deficit is based on the CBO and other scorekeepers who use shoddy assumptions.’”

Spencer Hakimian told his more than 100,0000 followers on X, “Has there ever been a less intelligent press secretary in U.S. history?”

Several more comments followed. Click the links below to read them:

https://www.rawstory.com/karoline-leavitt-2672231170

Daily Beast: Pentagon Shuts Down Musk’s ‘What Did You Do Last Week’ Emails

As the DOGE boss departs, staff have been told to come up with their ideas to cut waste and boost efficiency.

The Pentagon has ended Elon Musk’s directive for federal workers to provide a list of five of their accomplishments every week as it distances itself from one of DOGE’s most contentious policies.

Democrat Congressman Joe Courtney, a ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, said it was about time the department scrapped the policy.

“Good riddance,” he told the Daily Beast.

“For months, dedicated Defense Department civilians received Elon Musk’s insulting ‘five things’ emails. Many of these people served in the military, are highly trained and experienced, and are doing this job because they actually care about the mission.

“And yet, they were being constantly pummeled with these communications from DOGE questioning their dedication and the value of their work.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/pentagon-shuts-down-musks-what-did-you-do-last-week-emails

Independent: Musk tried to block massive Trump-backed Mideast AI deal unless he was included: report

Elon Musk rushed to the Mideast to hold up a massive Trump-endorsed American AI operation in Abu Dhabi unless it included him, according to a new report

Retiring DOGE hatchet man Elon Musk rushed to the Middle East during Donald Trump’s visit there earlier this month to block a massive American AI partnership with the United Arab Emirates backed by the president – unless it included him, according to a new report. That apparently explains the tech billionaire’s sudden appearance at a Trump meeting with Saudi Arabia officials during the president’s three-country Middle East tour.

Trump’s team scrambled to soothe an irritated Musk so the president could announce the deal while he was in the Middle East, the Journal reported.

It wasn’t immediately clear if some kind of accommodation was worked out for the tech boss who has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to the campaigns of Trump and other Republicans, or if he is now part of the deal. He could not immediately be reached for comment. His company has not been named as a participant in the business by any announcement of the deal.

Poor F’Elon!

https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/musk-trump-middle-east-ai-deal-b2759700.html

The Hill: Musk drug use on campaign trail sparked concerns: Report

Alleged drug use by tech billionaire and close President Trump ally Elon Musk on the campaign trail during the 2024 presidential election has sparked concerns, according to an explosive New York Times report published Friday morning

The article comes as Musk is exiting the Trump administration after a whirlwind several months in which he led efforts to cut down on the government’s size.

Musk told people he was using ketamine so often that it was impacting his bladder, along with utilizing psychedelic mushrooms and taking ecstasy, the Times reported.

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5325589-elon-musk-drug-use-reports