Seniors must revolt against the Trump/Musk attack on Social Security

There are 69 million Americans on Social Security. I am one of them. And I am satisfied with the benefits I receive. I also realize Social Security isn't paying for itself and something must be done. There have been proposals for years to expand Social Security benefits and revenues by expanding the tax base...

In the House of Representatives, Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) has led proposals for years to expand Social Security benefits and revenues by expanding the tax base. In the Senate, “The Social Security Expansion Act,” introduced by Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Congresswomen Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and Val Hoyle (D-Ore.) would raise the taxable earnings cap to $250,000, and like Larson’s bill, include investment income.

The above " would raise more money than needed to solve the long run deficit." And there has also been talk of taxing the income of the wealthiest, which would not only solve the Social Security crisis, but also put the U.S. budget on solid ground. And why not? Larson says...

"164 million workers (about 94% of us) pay Social Security taxes all year long. The point is a lot of income escapes the Social Security system; and the escaping income is that from the wealthiest Americans."

This could all be moot if Donald Trump and Elon Musk get their way, with The New Republic reporting the "systemic destruction" of Social Security started last Tuesday night in t-RUMP's speech. 7,000 SS employees are already scheduled to be laid off, another 30,000 in the near future. With half of its staff gone, experts expect delays in every aspect of the Social Security program. There are many in the program that depend entirely on their benefits and it is likely there will be deaths if they lose them.

Contact Congress NOW!

Trump and Musk don't care. Hell, most Republicans don't care. And many others in the country are apathetics, which is one of the reasons we are in the situation we are. But this is what U.S. voters elected, and hopefully it will be the Trump-voting group that suffers the most from the actions of the radical right. Here's what Republican anti-Trump publication, The Bulwark, says...

"House Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-Mass.) said that "after years of hard work and a lifetime of contributions, our seniors shouldn't have to worry about Republicans meddling with their Social Security. This is an attack on our nation's seniors—plain and simple.""

Emphasis my own. 

The GOP and its wealthy donors have wanted to get rid of Social Security or, privatize it, for years. It comes up regularly in Congress but even Republicans realize you don't meddle with something as sacred as this senior benefit. But, under t-RUMP it is different...

"They’ve [Republicans] called it everything from communism to socialism to a Ponzi scheme, which Musk just called it this week (“the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time,” no less)."

But The New Republic counters...

"In fact, it has been the most successful anti-poverty program in the history of America, one now emulated by virtually every democracy in the world."

The masquerading president, Elon Musk, appears to have his sights on privatizing Social Security, according to a leaked email from acting Social Security Administration Commissioner Leland Dudek, posted on AlterNet. It goes without saying, this maniac should not have the power given him by Trump, and he most certainly should not have the capacity to make changes to Social Security. So, it all gets back to the morons who elected Donald Trump, knowing full well he carried the baggage of Elon Musk.

The Bobbsey twins who want to take your Social Security

Other salient points from The Bulwark and AlterNet: former SS admin. Martin O'Malley says there is a toxic work environment there, "they are driving people out there with a viciousness that I believe will collapse the agency, which could result in an 'interruption of benefits.';" "We have a 50-year low in staffing while the baby boomer generation is swelling their ranks," O'Malley said. In fact, O'malley thinks Trump and Musk want to break the agency.

Continuing these points...

"House Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-Mass.) said that "after years of hard work and a lifetime of contributions, our seniors "shouldn't have to worry about Republicans meddling with their Social Security."

"Congressman Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) declared that 'in no way, shape, or form, should we privatize any aspect of Social Security.'"

Here is an interview from The New Republic with Tracey Gronniger, a leading advocate for social insurance, who argues that Musk’s ransacking of Social Security is getting worse—and will prompt a major political backlash: "Transcript: Musk’s Attack on Social Security Exposed in Shocking Leak." It illustrates the disaster Elon Musk could cause if he is allowed to mess around with Social Security.

John Larson reports...

"that recently House Republicans advocated cutting Social Security benefits by (about 8%) by raising the full retirement age to 69 and President-elect Donald Trump’s only Social Security proposal would drain Social Security of revenue by $23 billion, according to a report by the thorough Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget."

But Larson also says there is, "Political Hope For Social Security Fixes"...

There is hope. In December 2024, Republicans and Democrats raised Social Security benefits for more than 2 million people by repealing the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO).

The hope is that the bipartisan support for the expansion of Social Security benefits may mean Congress is listening to the majority of Americans — Republicans and Democrats — who want more revenue for Social Security and do not want benefit cuts.

The other hope is that the Republicans in Congress will finally get some balls and keep Trump and Musk from any tampering with Social Security benefits. 

Executive Orders=Executive Power=Dictatorship

If you have been able to keep up with Donald Trump's eradication of the U.S. Constitution, then you know how much damage he has done in the short period since he was inaugurated. Right out of the box, he halted all federal aid. Then there was an executive order targeting transgender medical care for young people under 19. The BBC also reports...

"He has signed a number of orders since taking office, aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration and reshaping the federal government. He has also issued a number of controversial pardons."

The executive order does "carry the weight of law," but can be more easily overturned. However, with T-rump controlling Congress, this likelihood would be virtually impossible. Notwithstanding, some of these executive orders have been challenged legally, but, again, Donald Trump has been known to challenge the courts, in some cases ignore their decisions. Of course, there is the new Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), headed up by the world's richest, and becoming the most hated man, Elon Musk.

The general consensus is that Musk has done just about as much damage to the country as

Donald Trump has no interest in the people

Trump, as it seems the billionaire has stuck his nose into a number of government departments. The outset is massive firings and cuts in budgets, some of which had to be reversed. The BBC said this all...

"...could lead to "a high-stakes confrontation between two branches of government that the nation’s founders designed as co-equals: the executive and the judicial."

And this was The Conversation's headline following Donald Trump's speech to Congress on Tuesday, March 4...

"Trump is the kinglike president many feared when arguing over the US Constitution in 1789 – and his address to Congress showed it"

The piece quickly skims over the litany of T-rump's claims of accomplishments, many of which are denied or listed as only partially true. BBC makes it clear that the U.S. President is not granted unlimited power in the Constitution but says...

"The extravagant claims appear to match Trump’s view of the presidency – one virtually kinglike in its unilateral power."

But as the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy, his corner on America's military clout could harken back to what he said in 2019, that he can do “whatever I want as President.” The Conversation comments...

"I think legal experts are concerned that Trump is expanding executive power beyond anything we have known in American history. And as executive power continues to expand, we may eventually hit a tipping point that threatens the structure of the government, as laid out in the Constitution."

The authors of the Constitution, along with a host of readers, "...believed that endowing the president with such powers was dangerous." And it would appear that their foresight has culminated in Donald Trump.

Selective wealth and power will bring America to its knees

It is called an oligarchy, "a form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique; government by the few," according to Dictionary.com. And the current oligarchs are, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos. If ever, any one of the three ran their business with the customer's best interest in mind, this all vanished when Donald Trump was sent to the White House for the second time.

It's like all the rules were discarded, the direction of the country changed to reflect rights only for the chosen. For those of you who put the White House maniac back in office, one can only assume you had a total memory loss of what this lunatic did the first time in this position. And, you must also have your head in the sand if you don't see the destruction to the United States Donald Trump has promised. Here's the scenario from The Guardian...

One of the unacknowledged advantages of the horrendous era we’ve entered is that it is revealing the putrid connections between great wealth and great power for all to see.

Oligarchs are fully exposed and they are defiant. It’s like hitting the “reveal codes” key on older computers that let you see everything.

Now, addressing each oligarch individually, starting with Jeff Bezos...

"On Wednesday, Jeff Bezos, the third-richest person in America, who bought the Washington Post in 2013, announced that the paper’s opinion section would henceforth focus on defending “personal liberties and free markets”. 

"Anything inconsistent with this view would not be published, according to his statement. “Viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others.”

"The Post’s opinion editor, David Shipley, promptly resigned, as he should have."

 Defending “personal liberties and free markets” means simply supporting Donald Trump and his far-right ideologies, also turning a once great newspaper into bush league journalism.

Next is Mark Zuckerberg...

"Mark Zuckerberg, the second-richest person, has followed suit, allowing Facebook to emit lies, hate and bigotry in support of Trump’s lies, hate and bigotry."

Zuckerberg has reneged on promises to improve the security of FB users' personal information for years, selling much of this private information to advertisers actively. 

And now Elon Musk...

"Elon Musk, the richest person in the world, bought Twitter in 2022, laid off everyone who was filtering out hateful crap on the platform, renamed it X and turned it into a cesspool of lies in support of Trump."

Musk, with the "play-like" government department, DOGE, has all but decimated several U.S. agencies and fired millions of employees without cause, many of which had to be called back in desperation.

Each, in his own way, has put this country into a jeopardy that could work in three different ways to put this country over the edge. The American dream is no longer just to own a home; we've now added the idea of shared equity, that is to bring the classes together when it comes to the standard of living. This won't work under an oligarchy.

 

Zelensky and Trump: The meeting from hell

If you don't already know, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump had a knock down drag out meeting at the White House this past Friday. Although Zelensky wasn't dragged out, he was thrown out of the Oval Office by Trump. The Guardian said about Zelensky's treatment...

Adjectives including disastrous and vile were used to describe the meeting in which Donald Trump and his vice-president JD Vance openly berated the Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

At one point Trump said to Zelensky, “You are gambling with world war three.” David Smith commented, that “Trump on Friday presided over one of the greatest diplomatic disasters in modern history.” Smith also wrote a zinger titled, "Diplomacy dies on live TV as Trump and Vance gang up to bully Ukraine leader." The Manchester News of North West England says it has proof the meeting was a "set up" on the part of Trump and Vance, signified by the fact that Trump winked at a planted reporter in a crucial moment.

Just before booting Zelensky from White House

Here's the scenario from The Manchester News...

"There are suggestions that Volodymyr Zelensky may have been the victim of a set-up at the White House, with a wink from Donald Trump seen as evidence. The now notorious confrontation between the US president and the Ukrainian leader saw Trump accuse Zelensky of being "disrespectful" and "gambling with WW3" last Friday.

"From the outset, Trump sarcastically commented that he was "all dressed up", a remark caught on mic as the two men met after Zelensky exited his SUV and approached the West Wing entrance to the White House. "Yes I had to," responded the Ukrainian leader."

There's more...

"... the manner in which Zelensky was mocked has led to allegations that he could have been ambushed, with a possible giveaway being a wink to right-wing media reporter Brian Glenn who questioned the Ukrainian about his choice to wear a combat outfit - despite it being common for leaders to do so during peacetime."

Zelensky Biden in better times

Contrary to the White House escapade, "European leaders back Zelensky after Trump clash." Just look at the support...

"The leaders of Germany, France, Spain, Poland and the Netherlands were among those who posted social media messages backing Ukraine - with Zelensky responding directly to each one to thank them for their support.

"The Ukrainian president has arrived in London to attend a summit hosted by UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer who "retains unwavering support for Ukraine", Downing Street said."

Later came this,

"Starmer announces £1.6bn missile deal for Ukraine." Here's what happened...
Sir Keir Starmer has announced a £1.6bn missile deal for Ukraine, following a summit of European leaders in London.

"The prime minister also announced "a number" of allies had signed up to a "coalition of the willing", alongside France's President Emmanuel Macron, prepared to commit troops to the Ukrainian frontline in the event of a peace deal.

"Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky attended the meeting, where 17 European leaders and Canadian premier Justin Trudeau discussed next steps in securing peace for Ukraine."

So, it would appear that Zelensky had the last laugh and T-rump's mediocre and déclassé move to demean and embarrass the Ukrainian leader backfired. In reality, it is the kind of thing you would expect from a child, and I don't mean to disparage childhood.               

 

Elon Musk and Donald Trump hit the skids...opening door for the left

Just who is pulling the strings

It has happened, and with only one month of Donald Trump entering the White House for the second time. The polls have him tanking and as The New Republic put it, "Even more tellingly, however, the new polls show that majorities are rejecting Trump’s authoritarian governing tactics." Those voters who temporarily lost their minds voting for the Oval Office lunatic have reattached to reality and decided on democracy, not living under a dictator. TNR adds this...

"And on top of that, Elon Musk, who’s been tapped to carry out some of Trump’s most autocratic designs, fares even worse than Trump does in this polling."

I covered the polls in my earlier post, "Donald Trump takes a dive in the polls - Democracy wins," where it is clear T-rump is flailing wildly with many of the top pollsters showing him to be losing support. Quickly again...

"CNN finds that 47 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s performance while 52 percent disapprove"

"Gallup finds him at 45 to 51"

"And The Washington Post finds that 43 percent support what Trump has done in his first month while 48 percent oppose it."

Greg Sargent from TNR is interviewing political scientist Julia Azari and she thinks "public backlash to Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s authoritarian overreach give Democrats an opening." The scenario from Azari...

"They’re [the polls] not entirely unexpected, but they really do underscore the point that I’ve been trying to make since the November election, which is that there’s not a lot of conclusive evidence that Trump’s specific agenda is very popular. In a context in which there’s a lot of distrust of government, it’s not obvious that strong executive overreach is the answer to that distrust."

Then Azari talks about voters who must have voted for Trump to see what the outcome of him returning to the White House would be. That's hard to believe but then Sargent comes up with...

It's the Bobbsey Twins

"What’s been missing is a big argument about why Trump’s authoritarianism is bad. On the other hand, we are seeing this polling here, which shows majorities are troubled by the authoritarian rule they’re seeing. I would like those numbers to be higher and maybe they’re not higher because of what you’re pointing out, which is the lack of the counternarrative explaining it all."

Sargent asks...

"Should we take at least a tiny bit of solace from the fact that majorities are already seeing Trump as an overreacher and potentially even an abuser of his powers?"

Azari's answer is simply that Democrats must build power; something they have sorely lacked for the last several years. Something the Republican Party has emphasized as far back as when Newt Gingrich was Speaker of the House. Something that put Bill Clinton and Barack Obama in the White House. Maybe they need to bring back James Carville and David Axelrod...together. This is not too far-fetched; you combine the two strategies and add to that modern methods and technology.

Azari and Sargent both agree, it's time for the Democrats to jump on the bandwagon and ride this wave of the rejection of the Trump adminstration while it's on the upward swing. And then there is the other element in Trump's boondoggle...Elon Musk. Here's Sargent's take...

"By the way, speaking of unpopularity, let’s talk about Elon Musk. The Post poll finds that only 34 percent, and only 26 percent of independents, approving of Musk’s role. Even worse, Americans disapprove by 2 to 1 of Musk shutting down government agencies, and 63 percent are concerned by his team’s access to sensitive government data." 

There's much more in this piece, and everything combined could be a prelude to bringing Trump to the fore. No, we'll never get to all the secrets of the White House maniac, but maybe we can get enough cards on the table to bring the American public to the conclusion Donald Trump is corrupt and should not be in the position he is in.

 

. 

John Roberts bails Trump out once again

 

Isn't it amazing how corrupt Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is right around the corner when an also corrupt Donald Trump needs to be rescued? Here's the headline from CNN: "Chief Justice John Roberts pauses order for Trump admin to pay $2 billion in foreign aid by midnight." Hre's the scenario...

"Chief Justice John Roberts on Wednesday paused a court-imposed midnight deadline that would have required the Trump administration to release $2 billion in frozen foreign aid, a goal that the government has claimed it is unable to meet.

"The emergency appeal marks the first time President Donald Trump’s efforts to drastically remake the federal government – including with deep cuts across government agencies – have reached the nation’s highest court. The case appears likely to put the justices on a collision course with Trump’s sweeping efforts to consolidate power within the executive branch."

This is called an “administrative stay” which allows the court and litigants to prepare for a formal hearing. This is the second time T-rump has gone sniveling to the higher court for help, this time in a case the lower court had ordered him to obey their decision. SCOTUS' final decision will be a good indication of its partnership with Trump.

Trump unimaginables and unbelievables you shouldn't miss...

After a day of surfing through all the reputable and credible news sites, I had such a collection of unbelievable articles on Donald Trump and Elon Musk that I couldn't resist sharing them with you. Here are the results:

Donald Trump had his first cabinet meeting today and guess who was there? You got it, Elon Musk. READ MORE

Washington Post says, "The anti-Trump resistance begins to wake in earnest." READ MORE

WaPo owner Jeff Bezos dumps opinion editor to add more Trump fluff. READ MORE

Trump wants to abolisg the Small Business Administration. READ MORE

Trump announces large-scale federal worker layoffs. READ MORE

Trump wants to take away the power from Republican women. READ MORE

RawStory says, "Bombshell report reveals staggering amount of government funds paid to Elon Musk." READ MORE

What Trump thinks of Ameridca: "Bloated and Fat and Disgusting!" READ MORE

Trump freezes $4 billion endangering drinking water for 40-million along Colorado River. READ MORE

'Showing You Exactly Who They're Working For,' GOP Votes to Gut Medicaid for Tax Cuts. READ MORE

Trump is the most unpopular president in more than 70 years. Sorry, MAGA. READ MORE

Trump’s FBI Is the Nightmare We All Feared. READ MORE

"President Trump says U.S. can pay off $36 trillion debt by selling wealthy immigrants $5 million ‘gold card’ visas and eventual citizenship." READ MORE

"Donald Trump Cuts Medicare Telehealth Funding: Who Will Be Most Affected?" READ MORE

"Petition to revoke Elon Musk’s Canadian citizenship gets more than 250,000 signatures." READ MORE

Boycott the TODAY SHOW: Host Kathie Lee Gifford says President Donald Trump will 'fulfil every promise' he has made. YEAH! SURE! READ MORE

'Crossed the line': Analysts warn 'something has changed' for Musk's place in Trump team. READ MORE

Trump firings are illegal with million-dollar payback at stake

Here's the take from a top labor attorney: "Donald Trump’s administration could rack up a 'monumental' bill and is breaking the law by firing government workers on spurious grounds." The key word here is spurious defined as: "not genuine, authentic, or true; not from the claimed, pretended, or proper source; counterfeit." Counterfeit, that's a good characterization of Donald Trump and his minions. There is nothing genuine about the Oval Office lunatic, his bootlickers, and the GOP wimps in Congress that are horrified by him.

Here's the scenario...

"Officials have cited 'poor performance' when terminating thousands of federal workers. In many cases it’s not true, according to employees embroiled in the blitz, many of whom are now seeking legal advice."

The acting deputy assistant secretary for policy and environmental management, and director of the office of policy analysis at the US Department of the Interior, resigned in protest this week against the mass firings of probationary employees. This is his observation...

“This is being done under the guise of ‘poor performance’ or ‘skills not aligned with needs’ but neither are true,” he told the Guardian. “First, no evidence was provided that would suggest that poor performance; in fact, I know some of the individuals that were down my chain of supervision and know they were among the best performers."

There's more...

“Second, [there has been] no evidence or analysis of a lack of alignment with needs. Some of the people terminated in my chain actually work on performance and efficiency, so they literally work on the public argument of the Doge.”

An “astounding” level of “fraud, waste and abuse” has been occurring in the Trump administration , according to Suzanne Summerlin, a labor attorney, in the process of revamping a string of departments and agencies. This lawlessness will result in...

"...hundreds of thousands of former federal employees being owed back pay, plus interest, plus benefits, plus attorneys fees,” said Summerlin. “When the bill comes it will be monumental.”

The Guardian says the number is 220,000...federal government probationary employees

working around the US who have received termination notices in recent days. Here's one comment...

"One veteran federal worker who spoke to the Guardian had only been a few weeks away from passing her one-year probationary period to be hired permanently by the US Forest Service. Instead they received a termination notice citing poor performance. They had, in fact, received positive performance reviews, a copy of which they shared with the Guardian."

Not only do we have a situation of illegal firings that experts say will most likely lead to litigation, the Trump administration has put 220,000 workers out of work, some of whom will seek unemployment benefits. And Musk and Trump say they are only getting started. Hey, no one will deny that the U.S. government is a whirling pork barrel, but the US Forest Service incident, above, is an example of doing it the wrong way. And this is all confirmed by several labor professionals around the country.

Here's another devastating episode...

“I would have been a permanent employee on March 10,” they said. “I’ve lost my medical insurance. I have an incurable disease that I kind of need a doctor for. I won’t be able to pay those bills. I’m waiting for my eviction notice right now.”

This worker exclaims...

“Elon Musk destroyed 19 years of my career, it’s gone. He put a label on us. We’ve been labeled the fraud, the waste and the bloat of the government,” the worker said. “They have effectively destroyed our careers. We won’t recover from this. There’s no way. The financial fallout is catastrophic, and he’s dismantling everything. I mean, I don’t know how this helps the working man.'

No, "none of this helps the working man. It only helps the two corrupt individuals who are making most Americans miserable...Donald Trump and Elon Musk. In both cases they stand to gain from this whole debacle on a financial basis, as well as usurping more power for themselves and the radical right. But what is more overwhelming and pathetic is the fact that voters put something like Donald Trump in the White House. Yes. I said "something," because, as I described him in a recent post, he is "enamored with Satan"...

"...because the Prince of Darkness represents the evil ways in which Donald Trump has led his life, conducted his businesses, and is now terrorizing and destroying America."

It goes without saying, if we don't do something soon, it will be too late. But I said it anyway. 

Will the real President of the United States please stand up

This is a clear example of the turmoil between Donald Trump and Elon Musk, indicating just what a disaster the White House is, thus, the running of this country. On Monday, Feb. 24, this headline from AP: "Trump backs Musk as he roils the federal workforce with demands and threats."  On the same day, this headline from The Washington Post: "Trump administration tells agencies they can ignore Musk order on email reply."  

First the AP version...

"President Donald Trump backed Elon Musk’s demand that federal employees explain their recent accomplishments by the end of Monday or risk getting fired, even as government agency officials were told that compliance with Musk’s edict was voluntary."

Now the WaPo version...

"The Trump administration has told federal agency leaders that they can ignore the public decree from Elon Musk to effectively fire employees who do not send in bullet-point summaries of their work last week, according to three people familiar with the matter, a break with the billionaire who has exerted significant power to slash the 2.3-million-person federal workforce."

I ask you again: Will the real President of the United States please stand up. 

Donald Trump takes a dive in the polls - Democracy wins

Trump has hit the skids in recent polling where "a majority of Americans say he has overstepped his presidential authority," according to Politico. The question of whether he has addressed high prices has come up; I just saw today where food prices are going up, gas is already up there. Here's the scenario...

"Two new polls from CNN/SSRS and The Washington Post/Ipsos show the GOP president’s approval rating underwater (47-52 in the CNN poll, 45-53 in the Post), a shift from polling earlier this year that found voters roughly divided on him, with some surveys even showing a positive approval rating."

The change of heart is a mixture of unrest over the number of executive orders Trump has initiated, along with the areas they effect in terms of their relationship to the public. It comes down to "his attempts to reshape the federal government driven by tech billionaire Elon Musk." But now the Oval Office lunatic is facing obstacles...

"Many of Trump’s most controversial early initiatives, including a sweeping spending freeze, have been blocked in court thus far, but the new administration has still made waves with layoffs of federal workers, cuts to federal contracts and a flood of executive orders."

Here are three positions on Trump's popularity from The Hill... 

"More than half of the respondents (CNN poll conducted by SSRS), 55 percent, say Trump has not paid attention to the country’s most important problems. 

"Another 54 percent said they either feel pessimistic or afraid as they look ahead to the remainder of Trump’s second term.

"Another poll from Reuters/Ipsos published Wednesday showed the president’s approval rating, 44 percent, was slipping amid his recent moves to impose tariffs on the U.S.’s main trading partners and signaling that more are on the way. Some 51 percent disapproved of his work so far, according to that survey."

There are several other figures that represent the unhappiness with the Trump

administration...

'58 percent of respondents opposed laying off large numbers of federal workers 

"Just 34 percent of respondents in the Post poll approved of Musk’s role in the federal government, while 54 percent of respondents in the CNN poll said it was bad for Trump to have given the SpaceX CEO a prominent role in his administration.

"Americans also remain skeptical of Trump’s handling of an issue the public has long said is among the most important: high prices. In the CNN survey, 62 percent of respondents — including 47 percent of Republicans — said the president has not done enough to try to reduce the prices of everyday goods. 

"69 percent of respondents in the Post poll said tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China would make products in the U.S. more expensive."

Trump, however, made the startling claim just last week that he had “the best polling numbers I’ve ever had.” But at this point not many pay attention to the habitual liar anymore. Just last week U.S. news reported "Economic Outlook Worsens as Polls Find Disapproval of Donald Trump’s Economic Policies." The main factor here was a reversal from two months of gains. And next, The Washington Post says "Trump’s honeymoon is over." Here is their take...

"Trump’s win was relatively modest, historically speaking. And while his approval rating upon taking office reached a new all-time high for him — around 50 percent — his “honeymoon” phase still paled in comparison with every modern president not named Trump.

"And now, after one month in office, whatever honeymoon (and mandate) Trump enjoyed appears to be slipping away."

So what is the takeaway from all this? First off, if those poor souls out there who voted for Trump aren't wringing their hands with despair, then they need to seek help. Second, it will be a rough ride to the 2026 midterms, but if we can make it, a left takeover of Congress is a must. Third, during the next four years, the anti-Trump folks must do everything in their power to express their mistrust in and lack of confidence for the Trump administration. Liberals have been quiet lately; they need to wake up and start shouting the news.

The impossible: Donald Trump destroying a countryl

If Trump wins here, well...you know

If there was anything that Joe Biden was zealous about, it was supporting Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his besieged country, Ukraine. Yes, attacked by Russia's Vladimir Putin who thought he could get away with steamrolling the adjacent land and make it a part of Russia. But Ukraine has put up a magnificent front, fighting a nation several times its size. And then Donald Trump comes along calling Zelensky " incompetent and a “dictator without elections” who had duped the U.S. into coughing up billions of dollars in military support."

This is what happened...

"Ukrainian politicians, officials and soldiers leaped to their president’s defense."

You see, Ukraine has a president that is passionate about his country, isn't corrupt, and has the respect of his government and its people. Something Donald Trump has never had and never will have. Here's a statement from Yulia Tymoshenko, former prime minister of Ukraine and leader of the mildly oppositional Motherland faction in the Ukrainian parliament...

“Ukraine is a sovereign state! Volodymyr Zelensky is the President of Ukraine. Legitimate until another is elected. Only Ukrainians can decide when and under what conditions they should change their government. Today, there are no such conditions.”

And then can you believe it, no one from Ukraine was invited to the meeting in Rayadh, where the Trump minions and Putin held court to decide the fate of Ukraine? Further, U.S. politicians, and others around the world, are totally exasperated why Trump is trying to force Zelensky into an election, right in the middle of warfare. Here's the scenario...

"Speaking to reporters in Kyiv, Zelensky pushed back on several unfounded claims the US president made on Tuesday, while reinforcing Ukraine’s position that a deal to end the war needed its involvement." 

 The White House maniac is, again, playing right into the hands of Putin, with the Russian dictator grabbing Trump's balls again; and he probably won't let go this time. According to CNN, in siding with the Kremlin, T-rump "has at times adopted Kremlin’s narrative and blamed Ukraine and NATO for the conflict, even saying that Ukraine 'may be Russian some day.'” More on this...

"But Trump’s boosting of Russia goes well beyond rhetoric. The president raised many eyebrows last week when opting to hold a 90-minute phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin before speaking to Zelensky.

"Then on Tuesday, US and Russian officials held high-level talks on ending the war in Ukraine in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, excluding Kyiv from the meeting."

Putin, of course, is happy as hell, commenting on the U.S.'s new friendliness...

“There were completely different people on the American side, who were open to the negotiation process without any bias, without any condemnation of what had been done in the past,” Putin added.

Yeah, the people on the American side were definitely different. Joe Biden held a hard line because he knew Putin was deceptive and dangerous. I say Trump offered his balls again because he still wants to build a hotel in Moscow. And you can bet your ass, the American people will pay for it. 

RFK Jr. asks for sympathy...poor baby

Can't hear you, have a worm in my ear

Just yesterday RFK Jr. "implored" federal health agency workers to 'let go' of preconceived notions of him and start from 'square one.'" That's like the guy who just shot you asking you not to think he has a gun. It's completely ludicrous since he has long peddled conspiracy theories and debunked claims, including that vaccinating babies against measles, mumps and rubella is linked to autism, and had previously said that “no vaccine is safe and effective”. Then he threatened future actions to accomplish his goals.

Here's the scenario from a parent of a 13 year-old son with autism, exposing RFK Jr.'s plans...

“Some of the possible factors we will investigate were formerly taboo or insufficiently scrutinized,” Kennedy told HHS staff in his first address to the department he now leads. “I’m willing to subject them all to the scrutiny of

 

unbiased science.”

The talk of "unbiased science" by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. should send the healthcare community into an uncontrolled laughter explosian. The Common Wealth Beacon says...

"...with last week’s confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health and human services secretary, we are confronted with the reality of the nation’s highest authority on health care believing in junk theories about our wellbeing."

Elon Musk has already done damage to HHS through his play-like department, Doge, "leaving career officials and lawmakers worried about the impact on public health. Kennedy asked for retirement from those who didn't believe as he believes, and he won't give up on those beliefs...

"For years, Kennedy has cast doubt on the safety and efficacy of vaccines and spread misinformation linking vaccines to autism. During his Senate confirmation hearings, he refused to disavow those comments, only promising he would if 'shown the data.'”

Either the man is plain dumb, can't read, or just chooses not to believe what is clearly and credibly right before his eyes. In the Politico piece RFK Jr. did say he was willing to be wrong. He should stop right there, resign on site, and see who the Oval Office lunatic can come up with to replace him. Probably no better, or even worse, so there's probably no reason to waste taxpayer time and money. Does this all sound hopeless? Of course it is. T-rump is in the White House.

RFK Jr. is Sec. HHS...We just shut the door to healthcare

RFK Jr. ANTI-VACCINE

One of the major considerations with RFK Jr. running the U.S. health system is Sen. Mitch McConnell's decision to vote against him for Sec. Health & Human Services. The reason, RFK Jr.'s anti vaccine advocation over the years when the Senator knows just how much the polio vaccine means to children; McConnell had childhood polio. Here's the scenario from The Guardian...

“I’m a survivor of childhood polio,” McConnell said. “In my lifetime, I’ve watched vaccines save millions of lives from devastating diseases across America and around the world. I will not condone the re-litigation of proven cures.”

Then, Kennedy replied...

At his confirmation hearing, Kennedy equivocated and said he just wanted to ensure vaccine safety and would not stop vaccines from being available. But he has long peddled conspiracy theories and debunked claims, including that vaccinating babies against measles, mumps and rubella is linked to autism, and had previously said that “no vaccine is safe and effective”.

Time calls him, "one of America’s most notorious vaccine skeptics with claims that he "will harm public health and further erode trust in science and medicine." Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia said...

“I think it’s a sad day for America’s children. I think it’s a sad day for public health when someone who is a science denialist, conspiracy theorist, and virulent anti-vaccine activist is [leading] the biggest public health agency in the United States.”

RFK Jr.s confirmation by the Senate should be no surprise after the approval of Trump's

Trump and 2024 nominee minions

gang of incompetent and inexperienced losers you can see here. You will witness the epitome of a rogues' gallery, a kind I trust has never graced the sacred halls of Washington's political system. If you sit at the breakfast table each day and just shake your head at the new inept dufus who has joined Trump's administration, you aren't alone. The question is, when will we get up from the table and do something about it?

After RFK Jr. had become HHS Sec., Your Local Epidemiologist asks the question, "What comes next?" The answer, says YLE, is...

"While beyond heartbreaking to those of us who strive for evidence-based medicine, this confirmation is a mile marker: growing mistrust in institutions, changing information landscape thanks to social media, and a growing consensus among Americans that systems are making them sicker."

The piece goes on to point out how anti-science hacks like RFK Jr. have thoroughly confused the American public, to the extent they don't know what to believe. And if you pile on the misinformation day after day, the people will begin to believe it. It is the Republican way, and T-rump has and will continue to use the concept to keep the U.S. in the deep unknown. Just look at Florida during the covid pandemic. Gov. Ron DeSantis, along with surgeon general Joseph Ladapo, released a steady stream of lies and misinformation.

RFK Jr.'s most critical aspect is his anti-vaccine stance, and no matter how he formulated it for Congress, he cannot be trusted on this most important issue for the Country's children. Here's the scenario...

Still, despite his promise to a senator that he wouldn’t touch vaccines, RFK Jr. has spent decades sowing doubt in them, and even during his confirmation hearings, he brought up the three-decades-old rumor that vaccines cause autism (they don’t). It’s hard to imagine he’ll stay away.

RFK Jr. is just another of Donald Trump's minions we are going to be forced to deal with, like the others mentioned earlier. So, the question still is, when will we get up from the table and do something about it?

FRIDAY NEWS WRAP - FEBRUARY 14, 2025

 

Sure you do... 

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