Tag Archives: White House

The i Paper: Democrats waited for Trump to crumble. Now they’re starting to fight back

Posted on by
Reply

Democrats are suffering because most of their supporters deem the party’s response to Trump insufficient, and not commensurate with the threat he poses to the country’s future. After spending the best part of 2024 insisting that “democracy is on the ballot”, and that the US system of government could not survive a second Trump administration, for the most part Democrats have licked their wounds and sat on their hands in the months since the President’s victory.

That is partly deliberate, with many Democrats heeding the advice of veteran party strategist James Carville. In February, he urged the party to engage in what he conceded was “the most daring political manoeuvre” in its history. Writing in the New York Times, he advised Democrats to “roll over and play dead. Allow the Republicans to crumble beneath their own weight and make the American people miss us”.

The dangers of heeding that advice are now plain to see. A growing number of voters tell pollsters that the party is failing in its civic duty to identify a path out of Trump’s America, to corral public protests, and to demonstrably lead the way.

Democrats waited for Trump to crumble. Now they’re starting to fight back
The party is craving leadership, which is giving Democrats the courage to act

https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/other/democrats-waited-for-trump-to-crumble-now-they-re-starting-to-fight-back/ar-AA1E5Awb

MSNBC: As Trump blames Biden for the shrinking economy, here’s who really owns this crisis

Posted on by
Reply

During the campaign, there were repeated warnings about what would happen if Donald Trump went through with his promise of sweeping global tariffs. Just over 100 days into his second term, we’re seeing those warnings come to life.

On Wednesday, the Commerce Department reported that the U.S. economy shrank at an annual rate of 0.3% during the first quarter, marking the first quarter of negative growth since Q1 of 2022. In a Truth Social post, Trump quickly tried to pass the blame for that number onto Joe Biden. “This is Biden’s Stock Market, not Trump’s. I didn’t take over until January 20th,” Trump wrote.

But the truth is, Trump isn’t the only one who deserves blame here. If I’m a Democrat, I’m not blaming this all on Trump. Republicans in the Senate had a chance on Wednesday to take a stand against these tariffs and terminate the “national emergency” the president used to implement them. There’s no national emergency that could justify what the president has done. Republicans know that.

Before Trump took the White House, the U.S. economy was the envy of the world. Republicans needed to protect that economy, and they had the opportunity to do that with Wednesday’s vote. But, in the end, only three Republican senators were brave enough to take a stand against Trump. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska were the only Republicans to tell the administration that they refused to forfeit all of their power on tariffs to the White House.

The American people will feel the impact of Trump’s tariffs — if they haven’t already. When the next election comes around, the same Republicans who refused to stand up to the president can’t go on the campaign trail and point their finger at Trump. Those Republicans own this. The Republican senators who refused to join their colleagues on Wednesday own it. Republican House members who have stood idly by as Trump wreaks havoc on the economy own it.

Under Trump, elected Republicans have given up their power. They had a chance to take back their constitutionally mandated power on Wednesday — all but three said “no” and effectively told the American people that they wrap their arms around this economy, around a possible recession, and they take full credit for it.

As Trump blames Biden for the shrinking economy, here’s who really owns this crisis
Joe Scarborough calls out Republicans for refusing to stand up to Trump over tariffs and says they deserve part of the blame for the struggling U.S. economy.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/as-trump-blames-biden-for-the-shrinking-economy-here-s-who-really-owns-this-crisis/ar-AA1E3o5z

Daily Express: CBS’ 60 Minutes to air segment ‘set to anger’ Donald Trump fueling media fallout

Posted on by
Reply

60 Minutes is moving forward with a sharp report on President Donald Trump this Sunday, even as CBS remains embroiled in an ongoing legal dispute with him and faces internal upheaval following the resignation of its longtime producer.

The upcoming episode is expected to focus on Trump’s alleged attempts to use presidential power to punish legal adversaries.”On the campaign trail, President Trump vowed to wield the power of the presidency to go after his perceived enemies,” the segment’s description states.

“Now in the White House, Trump is using executive orders to target some of the biggest law firms in the country that he accuses of ‘weaponizing’ the justice system against him.”

CBS’ 60 Minutes to air segment ‘set to anger’ Donald Trump fueling media fallout
CBS’ 60 Minutes set to air President Donald Trump exposé Sunday despite legal fight.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/cbs-60-minutes-to-air-segment-set-to-anger-donald-trump-fueling-media-fallout/ar-AA1E5ngZ

Latin Times: Trump Admin Laying Groundwork For Unilateral U.S. Military Action Against Cartels In Mexico: Report

Posted on by
Reply

Throughout the campaign trail, President Donald Trump promised to crack down drug trafficking operations in Mexican territory, a plan that caused concern among experts and diplomats who warned would be illegal and dangerous. Now, an organization believes Washington is laying the groundwork for military actions anyway.

Some in the Trump administration are reportedly considering launching drone strikes on drug cartels in Mexico as part of an effort to combat the criminal gangs operating across the southern border.

In those discussions, the White House, Defense Department and intelligence officials were still at the early stages of sketching out potential plans. The administration has not made a final decision or reached a definitive agreement about countering cartels. Nonetheless, a unilateral covert action, without Mexico’s consent, had not been ruled out and could be an option of last resort, NBC News reported.

Trump Admin Laying Groundwork For Unilateral U.S. Military Action Against Cartels In Mexico: Report
The Trump admin is considering military action to curb down drug operations in Mexico, with or without the consent of Sheinbaum’s government, according to the Crisis Group

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/trump-admin-laying-groundwork-for-unilateral-u-s-military-action-against-cartels-in-mexico-report/ar-AA1E4leJ

Rolling Stone: Trump Suggests Republicans Start Expelling Dems From Congress

Posted on by
Reply

President Donald Trump suggested that congressional Republicans should expel Democratic lawmakers from Congress in response to a so-far small impeachment push that has not been endorsed by party leadership. 

In a lengthy Truth Social post published late Thursday night, the president wrote: “The Democrats are really out of control. They have lost everything, especially their minds! These Radical Left Lunatics are into the ‘Impeachment thing’ again. They have already got two ‘No Name,’ little respected Congressmen, total Whackjobs both, throwing the ‘Impeachment’ of DONALD J. TRUMP around.”

“The Republicans should start to think about expelling them from Congress for all of the crimes that they have committed, especially around Election time(s),” Trump continued, calling Democrats “very dishonest people that won’t let our Country heal” and “total LOWLIFES, who hate our Country, and everything it stands for.”

“Perhaps we should start playing this game on them, and expel Democrats for the many crimes that they have committed,” the president wrote. 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-suggests-republicans-start-expelling-dems-from-congress/ar-AA1E3PXf

Huffington Post: The Trump Administration Thinks You Should Be OK With Being Poor

Posted on by
Reply

But even as the bad news piles up, the Trump administration has decided to reassure panicked consumers with a chilling talking point: Poverty is good, actually.

Last month, as economists warned of the harm Trump’s tariff policies could cause, including drastically increasing the price of goods, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent attempted to dismiss those concerns by insinuating that being able to afford things is not important to Americans.

“Access to cheap goods is not the essence of the American dream,” Bessent said to a crowd of economists. 

It turns out this assertion was only the beginning of the Trump administration’s vision for a new American dream.

From Trump telling reporters that he’s not worried about empty stores to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick saying during an interview that in his version of America, multiple generations will work in the same factories, it sure seems like the Trump administration is trying to prime Americans for accepting and even enjoying a drastically lower standard of living.

The Trump Administration Thinks You Should Be OK With Being Poor
As the country’s economic outlook bleakens, Trump officials are trying to convince us that actually, being poor is a good thing.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/the-trump-administration-thinks-you-should-be-ok-with-being-poor/ar-AA1E4kNp

Raw Story: Trump ‘completely botched it’: GOP insider gives no-holds-barred take on president’s move

Posted on by
Reply

According to a former adviser to ex-House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), Donald Trump will end up paying the price for derailing a U.S. economy that was on the upswing when he took office.

Appearing on MSNBC with host Chris Jansing, GOP insider Brendan Buck hammered the president over his trade war and stated he will have to live with the consequences of the financial instability his tariffs have created.

With Jansing pointing to the new jobs report that shows unemployment stalled at 4.2 percent, she asked her guest, “I wonder if we’re going to see the president taking credit for this in the economy, right after claiming it’s actually Joe Biden’s economy?”

“Yeah, well, the White House already put out a paper declaring a jobs boom today,” the amused Buck replied before quipping, “So yeah, of course. When the GDP numbers go down it’s Joe Biden’s economy. When jobs numbers look good, it’s Trump’s economy.”

Turning serious, he continued, “Look, I think this shows two things. One, as we discussed, Donald Trump inherited an economy that was ready to take off; he didn’t have to do a whole lot to have a really solid economic legacy. But he’s completely botched it through this trade policy.”

Trump ‘completely botched it’: GOP insider gives no-holds-barred take on president’s move
According to a former adviser to ex-House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), Donald Trump will end up paying the price for derailing a U.S. economy that was on the upswing when he took office. Appearing on MSNBC with host Chris Jansing, GOP insider Brendan Buck hammered the president over his trade war and stated he will have to live with the consequence…

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-completely-botched-it-gop-insider-gives-no-holds-barred-take-on-president-s-move/ar-AA1E4o3a

Independent: Trump administration plans to send migrants to Libya’s ‘horrific’ detention centers

Posted on by
Reply

Libya serves as a hub for migrants trying to get to Europe, and the country has several detention facilities for refugees and migrants

The Trump administration has developed plans to send migrants to detention centers in Libya on a military flight, according to Reuters.

The flight could depart as soon as Wednesday, officials told The New York Times. The nationalities of those set to be on the flight were not immediately apparent.

Libya is in the middle of severe conflict, and human rights groups have called its migrant detention centers “horrific” and “deplorable.”

…

The State Department advises the American public against going to Libya “due to crime, terrorism, unexploded land mines, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed conflict.”

But it’s an ok place to dump unwanted immigrants?

Trump officials plan to send migrants to Libya’s ‘horrific’ detention centers
Libya serves as a hub for migrants trying to get to Europe, and the country has several detention facilities for refugees and migrants

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-migrants-libya-detention-centers-b2746147.html

Alternet: ‘Taunt the judiciary’: Legal scholars slam ‘invalid’ MAGA lawsuit against John Roberts

Posted on by
Reply

On April 22, according to Talking Points Memo (TPM) reporter Josh Kovensky, the America First Legal Foundation filed a “little-known lawsuit” against U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and the head of the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts — accusing the federal courts of undermining his presidential powers.

“The case ostensibly proceeds as a FOIA lawsuit, with the Trump-aligned group seeking access to judiciary records,” Kovensky explains. “But, in doing so, it asks the courts to cede massive power to the White House: the bodies that make court policy and manage the judiciary’s day-to-day operations should be considered independent agencies of the executive branch, the suit argues, giving the president, under the conservative legal movement’s theories, the power to appoint and dismiss people in key roles.”

‘Taunt the judiciary’: Legal scholars slam ‘invalid’ MAGA lawsuit against John Roberts
Many critics of President Donald Trump are accusing him of failing to respect the United States’ system of checks and balances, arguing that the federal government’s executive branch, under the U.S. Constitution, isn’t as powerful as he says it is. Regardless, Trump and his MAGA allies, including White House senior adviser Stephen Miller, maintain…

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/taunt-the-judiciary-legal-scholars-slam-invalid-maga-lawsuit-against-john-roberts/ar-AA1E3Z7a

Alternet: ‘Sad white boys’: Fear as Trump terror adviser shrugs off threat from ‘inside the house’

Posted on by
Reply

National Security Advisor Mike Waltz was removed this week but a key Trump counterterrorism official remains in place at the White House — and he’s planning a change in strategy to focus on jihadists rather than white supremacist groups that one leading expert said remain a significant domestic threat.

“The call is coming from inside the house,” said Jon Lewis, a research fellow at George Washington University’s Program on Extremism. “We all understand why the right doesn’t want to tackle domestic violent extremism — it’s their base.”

‘Sad white boys’: Fear as Trump terror adviser shrugs off threat from ‘inside the house’
National Security Advisor Mike Waltz was removed this week but a key Trump counterterrorism official remains in place at the White House — and he’s planning a change in strategy to focus on jihadists rather than white supremacist groups that one leading expert said remain a significant domestic threat. “The call is coming from inside the house,” sa…

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/sad-white-boys-fear-as-trump-terror-adviser-shrugs-off-threat-from-inside-the-house/ar-AA1E5NjM