Trump Tantrums are Endangering Americans and Our Allies

A day after Trump's signature tariffs were declared illegal by the Supreme Court, he was having one of his classic temper tantrums.

Declaring the Supreme Court decision was "unpatriotic" Trump leveled a new type of tariff of 10% on other countries. That night after ranting on X he decided to make it a 15% tariff after his advisors told him he could (despite it only being a temporary levy).

Trump has been loading his diapers at a new rate as he tries to turn the tables on current laws. While the rest of the world is celebrating Donnie's loss, Americans are overwhelmingly pleased at seeing the draconian tariffs reduced.

Between Trump's illegal tariffs and his support for Russia (and other far-right countries) world leaders that use to be our staunchest allies are breaking diplomatic ties because of Trump's aggression towards them and defiance of international laws.

Suddenly all the good will among the United Nations has been destroyed by Trump's naked ambition of power. We're seeing the results playing out in real time as countries like the UK are denying Americans from staging a war against Iran in their airbases. That's never happened before.

To be clear, the democracies in the world don't trust Trump and are preparing themselves for a prolonged fight against the illegal actions coming from our government.

Because of Trump's tantrums we have a partial government shutdown that doesn't look like it's going to be resolved any time soon.

Watching Trump insult reporters who dare to ask him legitimate questions is like witnessing a four-year-old with a foul mouth as he personally attacks them.

I have no doubt that those who have to work around our first felon live in fear of his terrible temper tantrums. I think a regular clean-up crew follows him around the White House cleaning ketchup off the walls.

No one - not his advisors or friends - are safe from a sudden tantrum that comes on like a storm when Trump is on his grievance agenda, which is about 98% of the time. 

American lives are in danger daily as Trump's private army - aka ICE - roams the streets killing American citizens and illegally kidnapping immigrants by denying them their rights under American law.

Because Trump is a sociopath and malicious narcissist, those tantrums will continue too negatively affect Americans, and other countries until he's kicked out of office - one way, or another.

As it Stands, historians will forever be puzzled why Trump was re-elected after trying to stage a coup. A generation of Americans will suffer the consequences of the Trump regime's attempt at an authoritarian government. 

Now What? Supreme Court Rules Against Trump Tariffs

When the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Trump's tariffs were illegal, he immediately attacked the justice's decision while claiming that he doesn't need Congress to enact tariffs.

For months Trump has been saying if the Supreme Court ruled against his tariffs, it would ruin the U.S. economy. When the word came down about the ruling Trump and his cronies suddenly changed their minds and claimed it wouldn't change anything.

In typical Trumpian style he accused the justices that ruled against him, without evidence, claiming that foreign interests influenced the court's decision. "Foreign interests have a lot of influence over the Supreme Court, whether it's through fear or respect or friendships, I don't know," he told the press shortly after the decision became public.

Trump also said that he's going to sign an order today to, "impose a 10% global tariff under Section 122." Section 122 allows the president to TEMPORARILY institute a "temporary import surcharge" of up to 15% if he finds there are "large and serious balance-of-payments deficits," and to prevent an "imminent" and "significant" depreciation of the U.S. dollar in foreign exchange markets.

If implemented as Trump described in his press conference, a 10% global tariff would be a major downgrade of Trump's sweeping import duties. Moving global trading partners to a 10% levy would cut tariffs on nearly all foreign nations except the U.K., which secured a 10% tariff last year.

Defiant as ever, Trump said he won't refund companies that paid tariffs over the last year because the Supreme Court didn't address that in the filing, paving the way for years of litigation. It's Trump's favorite stalling tactic that's worked throughout his corrupt career. 

Everyone in the regime hierarchy is going out of their way to act like the court's decision isn't going to slow Trump down despite his dire warnings for months claiming that if the court didn't side with him, "it would be an economic disaster."

MAGA Treasure Secretary Scott Bessent, speaking in Dallas today, said the regime is going to rework the sweeping import taxes under "other" legal authorities. He claimed that the ruling will "result in virtually unchanged tariff revenue in 2026." This pathetic propaganda is going to be repeated in the days and months ahead as the regime struggles with the side effects of the Supreme Court's decision.

I don't think it helped Trump's standing with at least six of the justice's when Trump called them "...lap dogs for RHINOS and the radical left" and "very unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution."

As it stands, as we all know it's Trump who is unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution and if it wasn't for the courts he would declare himself a dictator today.

Trump's Pardons are Endangering Americans

When Trump released the hounds on Jan. 20, 2025, freeing 1,500 insurrectionists, he created a new public safety threat that is still ongoing.

At least 33 Jan.6th insurrectionists pardoned by the First Felon have been rearrested, charged or sentenced for other crimes according to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). There's no telling how many more have committed crimes because they haven't been caught yet.

This unprecedented mass pardon by the most corrupt president in American history, is bearing toxic fruit as we watch freed criminals re-infect society.

Let's face it, Trump has a soft spot for criminals of all stripes.

Just look at who else Trump has pardoned in his first year. A dictator who smuggled 400 tons of drugs into the states and who was sentenced to 47 years in prison got Trump's Get out of Jail Free card just because he was sentenced by the Biden administration.

Since that infamous release of criminals Trump has even discussed the possibility of compensating them. Thus far no one has received any payments. That we know of.

Just last week a Jan. 6 rioter, Andrew Paul Johnson, was convicted of child molestation and other crimes after he tried to use an anticipated payout from Trump to silence the victim. Now Johnson is facing life in prison. What are the odds that he gets another pardon from our pedophile president?

One, Christopher P. Moynihan pleaded guilty last week to a harassment charge after he was accused of threatening to kill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, according to the Associated Press.

Last month after Trump baselessly accused California of "massive fraud" Governor Gavin Newsom updated a public tracker with new information showing who Trump is actually protecting convicted fraudsters, campaign finance criminals, and corrupt operatives.

The refreshed website - Gov.ca.gov/TrumpCriminals - establishes a public record of some of Trump's worst clemency actions, allowing anyone to see which criminals Trump has chosen to free. 

The list includes criminals convicted of fraud, tax evasion, securities fraud, campaign-finance violations, Medicare and Medicaid fraud, public corruption, and conspiracy to defraud the United States, among other crimes.

A recent analysis into the Trump pardons and commutations, including for a family member of a large donor loyalist who has contributed to his super PAC. His second term shows he pardoned an unusually high number of wealthy people accused of financial crimes.

The irony of having a president whose been convicted for fraud in a New York court is inescapable. Two Trump organizations entities were also convicted for a years-long scheme to defraud, including criminal tax fraud and falsifying business records.

And yet, he got reelected thanks to his billionaire buddies like Musk who paid people to vote for him. I hope it was worth it to those idiots who allowed Trump to foul the Oval Office for a second term.

As it Stands, the biggest threat Americans face today is a lawless malicious narcissist who has no guard rails and an affinity for criminals.

GOP Wants to 'Move on' From Epstein Files: The Majority of Americans & the Rest of the World Say 'Not so Fast!'

Trump is ready to start a war with Iran to distract Americans from hearing more about the Epstein files.

Out of sheer desperation Trump is doubling down on his distractions. But the deceased pedophile continues to haunt him despite his best efforts.

If anything, interest in the infamous files has grown worldwide in the last month. The scandal is rippling throughout Europe. Politicians, diplomats, officials and royals have seen their reputations ruined.

Some experts note in Europe's parliamentary democracies has been swifter and more severe than in the United States, where Epstein built his empire and hobnobbed with many American elites.

This is not surprising. Unlike the other countries we're stuck with a pedophile president whose doing everything in his power to conceal his own involvement with Epstein. Despite Trump's name turning up in the files an amazing one million times, he maintains his innocence.

The contrast between Europe and America's treatment of the Epstein files is striking. Some people whose names came up overseas in the Epstein files are already facing consequences.

It's a different story in the United States where prominent Americans - from Trump to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick - that have ties to Epstein have largely kept their positions of power.

Thus far in America the connection between money and politics has shielded some of those named in the files. 

Because our politics involve massive amounts of money the billionaire class is definitely going to want to be protected. I don't think anyone can argue that the Tech bros are running the country. It's pretty damn obvious.

UN experts gathered in Geneva yesterday to discuss the impact of the Epstein files in other countries.

"These crimes were committed against a backdrop of supremacist beliefs, racism, corruption, extreme misogyny, and the commodification and dehumanization of women and girls from different parts of the world," the experts agreed.

The assembly concluded that those involved in Epstein's traffic of underage girls may reasonably meet the threshold of crimes against humanity.

What Trump doesn't understand is those pesky Epstein files aren't just going to fade away to another day. They're going to stick to him like flypaper and become part of his corrupt legacy.

As it Stands, until Republicans in Congress grow spines, Americans are going to have to endure and wait for the Democrats to win the midterms and hold Trump accountable.

RIP Reverend Jesse Jackson: He and Trump Were Friends Once

Did you know that Trump and Reverend Jesse Jackson had a long relationship that stemmed back to at least the 1980s?

Twice in the 1980s, Jackson ran for the Democratic presidential nomination, losing out both times, but not without having a major impact on the party's politics.

During this time, Jackson got to know Trump, then a real estate mogul, and the two were pictured together at boxing events.

Trump's initial foray into politics - he explored the idea of running for president on the Reform Party ticket - didn't go anywhere, but Jackson offered positive remarks about him, praising him for his business record and willingness to engage with minority communities.

When Trump decided to run for president in 2015, he used Jackson's words of praise to prove he wasn't racist. By then their relationship had cooled off and Jackson became a vocal critic, warning that Trump's rhetoric "seeded these clouds" of division and fear.

In 2016, Jackson told BBC Radio 4 that Trump was a symptom of a "mean-spirited divide" emerging in the U.S.

"He is a factor in that, but it's not just Trump, it's the followers of Trump who really believe that somehow they have lost... the blacks and browns and Muslims, we've globalized capitol by globalizing human rights," Jackson said.

Jackson concluded, "We've been used as scapegoats for deeper and deeper economic and cultural fears. But we're not the cause of them."

There's no doubt that Jackson was a champion of minorities, social justice, and a catalyst for forwarding civil rights for all Americans. 

Setting that aside for a moment, there was a 40 plus year relationship between Trump and Jackson. Did Jackson know - or suspect - that Trump was a racist during those decades? Trump certainly had a record of demeaning minorities, especially blacks. Newspaper accounts listed his racial improprieties throughout those years.

Before Trump got into politics, he donated some of his office space in Manhattan to Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH Coalition.

Fast forward to the 2016 election, Jackson endorsed Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton against Trump. If they weren't already on the outs that cemented the new phase of the Jackson Trump relationship

In 2020, Jackson endorsed Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary. He was honored as a civil rights icon at the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

So, what can we deduce from that long relationship that eventually went sour? 

Maybe Jackson had a Road to Damascus revelation along the way. Whatever happened the two went down vastly different political roads.

As it Stands, like all great men Jackson was a complex man who left behind a civil rights legacy that will continue to go down into history. 

States and Cities Are Pushing Back Against ICE's Attempt to Build Detention Centers

Enough is enough.

Americans are fighting back against the Trump regime's attempts to convert warehouses into jails for immigrants. 

As part of the Trump regimes plan for mass deportations ICE has been attempting to buy warehouses across the country so that it can turn them into gulags for people of color.

The good news is there's been a substantial pushback against the detention centers by states and cities across America. Communities and city officials have protested - and successfully blocked - some of these purchases. But the fight goes on.

Some examples:

In Ashland, Virginia, protestors braved freezing temperatures to successfully lobby the local board of commissioners against the Department of Homeland Security's attempt to buy a warehouse to convert it into a prison. You'll notice I didn't say detention camp because people (men, women and children) have been held indefinitely in many cases. 

In January, residents of Oklahoma City packed a city council meeting to express their displeasure that DHS was interested in buying a local warehouse to turn into another hellhole for immigrants. The Republican mayor met with the owners of the facility and later announced that they had decided not to sell to the DHS.

In Durant, Oklahoma, the Choctaw Nation issued an ordinance banning the sale of an empty distribution center near tribal lands to the DHS.

In Kansas City, Missouri, the port authority moved to cut ties with a local company to discourage the city's plans to sell a warehouse to the DHS.

Resistance to ICE's attempts to expand its immigration prison system has been manifested in different tactics. One common strategy over the past year has been to identify local contacts with ICE - and to push elected officials and institutions to cut them.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car has been a common target for its partnership with ICE. City and state officials are starting to pay attention to the company's relationship with ICE. Last December, ICE agents were reported to be illegally swapping license plates on rental cars to make tracking them more difficult. 

Local officials are also targeting contracts for ICE's office spaces and parking garages.

And in Philadelphia, city councilors are pushing to end or restrict collaboration with the DHS in what they call their "ICE Out" package.

As proof how bad these immigrant detention facilities are, DHS is doing everything it can to keep members of Congress from visiting them despite their legal authority to conduct unannounced visits, or spot check, in person.

As it Stands, it's no wonder people are calling ICE agents the Gestapo. The Trump regime is doing its best to copy Hitler's tactics.

Troops Pressured to Attend Screenings of Melania Movie

In the ongoing saga of Trump politicalizing our military here's two recent examples that further the narrative.

One: Thousands of active-duty service members were reportedly "pressured" by commanding officers to attend screenings of "Melania" in cinemas.

The documentary received harsh criticism and was ridiculed for drawing nearly empty auditoriums. Critics also panned the film itself, with reviews being overwhelmingly negative. 

According to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) a watchdog group, they received multiple complaints from U.S. military personnel stationed at no fewer than eight bases globally, that MAGA-aligned officers were "instructing" service members to attend the Melania movie.

MRFF founder and president Mikey Weinstein revealed to Business Insider that his organization has documentation proving military members were threatened if they didn't agree to see the movie.

"People are scared," Weinstein cautioned Business Insider. "They were pressured to see the movie. Your military superior, that's not your shift manager at Taco Bell or Starbucks. They have complete and total control of you."

There were reports of unit commanders occasional wearing MAGA hats and threatening disciplinary action against troops who didn't back the Trump administration. 

One service member who sent a letter to MRFF said that watching the documentary counted as one of three mandatory "unit activity events" that military personnel must participate in each month to strengthen bonds within their combat units and with their families.

The fact that military members are being groomed to be MAGA supporters is scary...and ongoing. 

 Two: While speaking at Ft. Bragg last week Trump told the troopers that they needed to VOTE REPUBLICAN if they wanted to keep the name of their fort. It was just another blatant misuse of presidential power and political bias. 

As it Stands, the MAGA cult has been like a cancer and unfortunately, we haven't found a cure for it yet.

ICE: Cruelty Domination Intimidation Across the Nation

Three words sum up the Trump regime in America today.

Cruelty. Domination. Intimidation.

Guilty of all three is ICE, an agency that's been turned into a private army for Trump. Those three words sum up ICE's mission under our rapidly spreading authoritarian government.

Examples of legal violations include:

* Violating Fourth Amendment Rights: Agents have been accused of entering private homes without consent using only administrative warrants rather than judicial warrants.

* Detaining U.S. Citizens: Instances have occurred where U.S. citizens were arrested or retained based upon their appearance or accent.

* Excessive Force and Reckless Tactics: Reports include the use of chokeholds, pepper spray balls, against protestors, and reckless vehicular pursuits.

* Questionable Arrest Locations: ICE has been accused of arresting individuals at sensitive locations, including schools, churches, and hospitals.

* Violation of Policies: Agents have sometimes employed tactics, such as smashing car windows, that violate Department of Homeland Security policy.

* Unlawful Detention: Reports indicate instances of, or threats of, unlawful detention of individuals, including legal observers.

By now the whole world has seen what ICE agents have done in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After surging 3,000 agents into the city streets there was complete chaos as thousands of protestors flooded the city (and across the state and several other states) demanding ICE go home.

After a month of terror and two American citizens being murdered by ICE agents the national (and international) outcry was so massive even Trump had to concede and promise to pull out his bully boys.

Meanwhile Congress is in the process of getting more funding for ICE. Under MAGA Mike, the House forwarded a bill to give Trump's private army more money. 

However, it doesn't look like the Senate will go along with the House for a couple of reasons. Foremost being the Republicans not having the supermajority to override the Democrats opposition.

If the funding bill hits a dead end in the Senate, then it'll get booted back to the House. The partial government shutdown is over getting reforms to federal immigration enforcement. 

The GOP doesn't think there should be reforms. The Democrats do. With more than 95% of the federal government now funded for the year, all attention is on DHS funding as the two party's remain at odds over specific reforms.

One thing is crystal clear: Americans aren't going to tolerate Trump's private army violating their rights and freedoms as ICE runs rampant throughout the nation.

 As it Stands, when the Democrats win back the House and Senate in November (odds are they will despite Trump's efforts to derail the midterms) agencies like ICE will be forced to follow the rules that they now ignore.

Coal Hard Facts: Don King Coal Gets Awarded Fake Trophy

Trump turned back the clock on science and safety once again when he declared coal is king in American energy. 

He signed an order directing the Pentagon to produce electricity from coal-fired power plants.

For his reversal of energy standards and safety he was awarded the "Undisputed Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal" by Peabody Energy. He can now add that trophy to his growing collection of fake trophies created just for him. Like when FIFA  (of all things a soccer organization) awarded him the first annual Peace Prize Trophy.

Trump told the Energy Department to provide $175 million in federal funds for upgrades at several coal plants. In response, the Natural Resources Defense Council wrote, "While Americans are demanding clean, affordable energy, the Trump administration is using our tax dollars to prop up the nation's dirtiest, least efficient power plants. It's no wonder fossil fuel lobbyists are handing Trump an award."

In 1980 I was a regional editor for a national publication called The National Woodstove and Fireplace Journal. Just out of college I was thrilled to have such a well-paying journalistic job. So, I ended up doing a lot of research on the different types of coal.

I learned that Anthracite was the cleanest burning type of coal (containing 86%-97% carbon). It was heavily promoted by The Journal and at the time I was in favor of Anthracite coal. The only problem was a growing list of reasons why we weren't mining it. 

Today Anthracite constitutes less than 1% of U.S. coal. The major source for of coal production is subbituminous coal which accounts for about 46% of all U.S. coal production. It has a lower heating value and just contains 35%-45% carbon.

The dirtiest type of coal is Lignite (Brown coal). It only has 25%-45% carbon. It's high moisture and low energy content makes it less efficient. It's primarily used for, or near, power plants.

This coal legislation is part and parcel of Trump's plans to deregulate safety guidelines for our environment. 

He just signed the single largest deregulatory action in U.S. history. In it he eliminated the Obama-era Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Endangerment Finding and all subsequent federal emission standards for all vehicles and engines of model years 2012 to 2027 and beyond.

Trump has revoked the bedrock scientific determination that gives the government the ability to regulate climate-heating pollution. It was a gift to his billionaire polluter buddies.

The path to getting Trump's backing on something involves making up trophies or giving him golden gifts like a crown. As the most transactional president in our history continues to take away environmental safety nets there doesn't seem like a way to stop him.

As it Stands, Trump's legacy will continue to haunt future generations as gas masks become regular attire when people go outside.

It's Time to Give Credit to the Judges Who Are Protecting People Against MAGA

If we peel back Trump's daily distractions and look at the whole story, there's a silver-lining that many aren't aware of.

The good news is that the majority of judges in this country are defying Trump's lawless regime. Unless you follow court cases that fact is easily overlooked when compared to the daily assaults on our Democracy.

There's a website called the Trump Administration Litigation Tracker that follows legal challenges against the current regime. It's a bipartisan non-profit publication that tracks legal challenges to the Trump regime's executive actions that deal with national security issues, as well as cases on behalf of the Trump regime to enforce them.

The Lawfare Litigation Tracker includes:

- 238 active cases challenging the Trump regime's actions (this number considers a suit filed in district court and appeals that arise from the original suit as one case). 

- 21 suits by the Trump regime challenging state or local laws.

- 17 Supreme Court stays or orders to vacate lower court orders.

- 1 Supreme Court affirmation of a lower court order.

- 8 suits where judges ruled for the federal government in a summary judgement or by dismissing a suit.

- 9 suits where judges ruled against federal government in a summary judgement or permanent injunction.

- 6 criminal prosecutions by the Department of Justice (Rep. LaMonica Mclver, former FBI Director James Comey, former National Security Advisor John Bolton, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Congressional candidate Katherine Abughazaleh).

Editor's Note: the case against Comey was dropped by a judge today. After numerous appeals judges have ruled for Garcia and against the Trump regime. In addition, after several attempts the regime's case against Letitia James was dropped. It doesn't mean the government is done harassing them and I wouldn't be surprised to know their currently seeking appeals to those decisions.

It would only be fair to point out that the most important judges in the land have favored the Trump regime. Last year the Supreme Court overwhelmingly sided with Trump. There were at least 24 emergency docket rulings on Trump's action last year. The Supreme Court ruled in Trump's favor 20 times and against four times.

Never before has the court been asked to rule on the legality of so many presidential actions in such a short period of time. Then again, we never had a more corrupt president.

This year, the court will decide cases on the merits docket about the president's power to remove agency heads, the legality of Trump's tariffs, and the constitutionality of his executive order on birthright citizenship.

Based upon last year's preference for the Trump regime we can't expect a miracle coming from the justices this year. However, I must note that based upon some articles I read, where justices were expressing skeptical opinions on all three cases there's an outside chance they'll rule against the regime.

As it Stands, it's a pity that we can't trust the Supreme Court anymore. As for those state and federal judges that are protecting us, they deserve a big thank you.

Congressional Hearings Are Acts from the Theatre of the Absurd

Have you ever gone to a Congressional hearing or watched it online or on TV?

If you have, you can be excused if you thought that it was a staged performance, or an opening act straight out of the Theatre of the Absurd. 

Watching Attorney General Pam Bondi testify before the House Judiciary Committee today (Wednesday) was like watching an old West shootout. 

The Republican chairman, Jim Jordan, let Bondi run roughshod over every Democratic member of the committee, often letting her talk right over the person questioning her.

The hearing was a battle of truth versus lies. Bondi repeatedly lied, under oath, and was so defiant at times I thought she was going to fly out of her chair like the Wicked Witch of the East. When she didn't want to directly answer a question, she replied with personal attacks against the person and tried to flip the narrative.

Meanwhile chairman Jordan walked the fence trying to calm Bondi down at times, but he also gave her free reign again and again. Because the Republicans in the committee follow Trump's agenda they all acted like simpering little sycophants and heaped praise on Bondi who was acting like a spoiled child.

It's hard watching people lie, and even harder watching them get away with it because in the end of the day we all know Bondi will not be stopped despite the evidence of her crimes being revealed in an open hearing.

There was a time in our history when House and Senate hearings actually exposed corruption in a bipartisan way. Members didn't insult their colleagues throughout the proceedings and the person being interviewed wasn't allowed too defiantly lash out every time they were asked a simple question. 

Once upon a time Congressional committees didn't tolerate such defiance and actually held the person in criminal contempt for their actions. Those days are long gone.

Thanks to a Republican majority in the House and Senate all congressional hearings now are just acts from a scripted play by the director in the Oval Office.

Frankly I don't know why the Republican majority is even holding these hearings. Nothing is ever solved. Little, or no action, is ever taken. The whole exercise seems meaningless.

I watched the hearing live on the Associated Press platform online. There were 31,000 other viewers watching the play unfold. We only represented a tiny fraction of the entire population.

As for the rest of the country people will go to their silos and watch snippets of the hearing - each pushing a different interruption of what actually occurred.

The result? Chaos. Misinformation. Polarization. Nothing good for the nation. 

As it Stands, on the positive side if you like soap operas these hearings are for you.