The Trump Report: Fear and Loathing in the Heartland and Overseas

Here's the latest damage report Trump has caused in our government system, some recent examples of him flouting the laws of the land, and incidents where he shows what a creep he really is.

The first felon's creepiness credentials are for refusing to let the children of Venezuela compete in the Little League World Championships in America. He refused their visas in another show of racism and downright meanness.

Recent illegal Trump actions run down:

1. Trump used research and development (R&D) money that the Department of Defense had left over from last fiscal year - an action that was patently illegal according to experts in the field. The move was unnecessary because there's overwhelming support in Congress to enact legislation to pay the military.

Instead of taking the legal, straightforward path to pay the troops (as in the 2013 Obama shutdown, when a law was enacted to pay the troops on the eve of the shutdown) the Trump regime opted for an illegal strategy because Maga Mike Johnson shut down the House on Sept. 19, sending its members home and refusing to open the House for business.

2. Taken together with impoundments - where Trump illegally chooses not to spend money he's legally required to spend - he is now violating spending law on both ends of the spectrum. He is not spending money he doesn't want to spend while also spending money for unauthorized purposes.

3. Trump hasn't let up his attacks against Democratic cities despite numerous judgments against his deployment of the national guard. A Chicago Judge stopped any troops from patrolling the streets again yesterday... following other judgements of the illegality of deploying troops indiscriminately into America's heartland. 

4. Trump is building up a military presence in South American waters and the Caribbean. In a major escalation he's deployed an aircraft carrier group to Latin America. Meanwhile Trump has approved 10 deadly military strikes against civilians in international waters in and around the Caribbean and Latin America. He's even raised the possibility of expanding operations to include additional strikes on land.

The things I mentioned above are just a sampling of how out of control things are under a convicted felon who believes he's been divinely guided to sack the country and to impose authoritarian rule.

Since he was reelected, Trump has pursued his perceived enemies like a crazed bloodhound. He's breaking laws with impunity. Every day brings new horrors from Trump's lair in the Oval Office. He's tearing down the People's House to accommodate a massive vulgar ballroom to entertain his wealthy buddies.

As it Stands, America is staggering under the weight of Trump's lawless regime, and we still have more than three years left to endure.

Is The Government Going to Be Permanently Shut Down?

The one person in America who is enjoying the current shutdown is its instigator Trump who is in no hurry to reopen the government.

That's because the First Felon has a good thing going. He's literally demolished the East Wing of the White House with no resistance and is in the process of grifting the U.S. Treasury for $230 million. 

In a naked display of power Trump has declared that taxpayers owe him money for the past investigations against him involving a coup attempt. This sordid grift has been happening behind closed doors and the only reason we know about it is a whistleblower exposed the scheme. 

All Trump needs is for the Justice Department to sign him a check for the two illegal claims he filed totaling $230 million and he can take it to HIS bank. 

The fix is in because Todd Blanche, his personal lawyer that defended him during the coup investigations, is also now a deputy attorney general capable of giving taxpayer money away. 

In addition, Stanley Woodward the associate attorney general was another of Trump's lawyers and stands ready to support dear leaders' theft.

The Justice Department won't say if they are going to recuse Blanche and Woodward. You can bet their answer will come out after the fact. Kind of like the demolishing of the east wing of the White House when Trump claimed he wouldn't touch it with his tiny fingers and then...whoops! Too late.

The effect of the shutdown thus far has given Trump more time to devote to grifts and personal grievances. In his lizard brain the shutdown has offered all kinds of opportunities to enrich himself and his family.

At this point in time there's little Democrats can do to stop Trump's money grab and violation of laws. Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, plans on launching an investigation into what he called " a shakedown" that violates the Constitution.

The DOJ claims it'll follow the guidance of career ethics officials. Of course, Trump has gotten rid of the Ethics Department so that means there will be little - or no - pushback against the big grift.

The bottom line is Trump either gets his way and there's no compromise on the budget bill, or the nation will be paralyzed for the foreseeable future. 

As it Stands, what would have been an obstacle to prior presidents is an opportunity for the corrupt bastard squatting in the Oval Office like a venomous toad.

Organizers of "No Kings" Shares Current and Future Plans to Advocate for Americans

'No Kings" protests aren't going away.

The group plans on calling out Trump's illegal actions and corruption until the wannabe king is kicked out of the White House.

It's time to build on the largest protest in history - 7 million people from all 50 states - according to the organizers of the successful "No Kings" movement.

Event co-founder of Indivisible, Ezra Levin, recently talked with MSNBC and said the group is planning local actions and forming a major organizing infrastructure to sustain the effort. The goal is to transition from large, singular events to a continues rapid-response network.

Expect to see weekly actions which may include targeted boycotts and more local street protests. The group will be encouraging activists to amplify local stories of resistance and participate in community-level organizing.

Among the many missions on Oct. 18th the group held a meeting about engaging in local electoral organizing efforts. A key partner, the ACLU will be announcing training sessions, such as "People Power Training." 

Today the group held a Zoom call entitled, "The Disappeared in America Movement" to organize protests against kidnappings and "disappearances" by vicious and violent ICE agents against immigrants and dissenters from Trump's corrupt agenda.

The alliance between "No Kings" and the ACLU has already put its new rapid-response network into action. 

They are advocating for healthcare by urging supporters to call Senators to restore healthcare cuts made in the recent budget bill. They are also focused on urging people to put pressure on the Democrats to hold fast against Trump's partial government shutdown.

The alliance warned Americans that a massive increase in totalitarian behavior, in addition to the ones that are already underway, can be expected.

What also can be expected is that Trump and his lapdogs are going to portray the alliance as a domestic terror organization. They will weaponize the FBI, DOJ, Department of Homeland Security, and any other agencies to go full bore on the alliance. The last thing they want to see is the truth coming out daily about their illegal activities.

"We're going to have days of action," along with days of "non-violent civil resistance," said Ashlee Woodard-Henderson one of the organizers. 

I'm excited and thankful for this alliance that is using its momentum to give Americans a voice in these chaotic times.

As it Stands, speaking truth to power is an American right. Let your voice be heard today.

Convicted Sex Abuser Rapes Lady Liberty Daily

Fact: Trump has to pay $83.3 million to E. Jean Carroll after being found liable for sexual abuse and defamation in a federal court. Despite numerous appeals he still has to pay the fine.

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Two days ago, the majority of Americans were shocked to see the east side of the White House being actively demolished. But why, many people wondered? What happened? Was it the result of a domestic terrorist attack?

The answers rolled out with the news the last couple of days about the unexpected destruction on the East Wing of the White House in nearly every media outlet in the country.

Why... because our First Felon wants a giant ballroom to entertain his wealthy buddies and he deemed it necessary.

What happened? Without going through the normal process that includes the National Capital Planning Commission review, Trump decided to dismantle the east wing of the White House. 

Was it a domestic terrorist's work? You could say that as Trump has been the very definition of a domestic terrorist on steroids.

I was enraged to see the desecration as an excavator tore into the hollowed building when just the day before Trump told reporters that the White House wouldn't be disturbed because he had too much respect for its history. That didn't last long. Two days later the assault on our history began.

Historians said the construction both struck at the literal edifice of the building and the symbolism the "People's House" represents. The destruction is unprecedented. There's never been nothing on the scale of Trump's ballroom, not even close to that scale, according to a former chief historian for the White House, Ed Langel.

In a sign the administration was sensitive to the vial images of a gutted East Wing, the Treasury Department directed staff NOT TO SHARE PHOTOS of the project, which was visible from its offices. 

You may wonder who is going to pay for the projected $250 million ballroom that will be 90,000 square feet and hold a seated capacity of 650 people for events of Trump's choosing. According to Minister of Propaganda Karoline Leavitt the ballroom would be "substantially separated" from the main building of the White House and donors are going to foot the cost.

Donors who want favors will now have another way to bribe Donny to grant their wishes. We already know that representatives from Microsoft, Google, Palantir, and other companies, as well as wealthy figures such as Blackstone CEO Stephan Schwarzman and Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss got their bribes in. 

As America watches Don the Con raise hell with the biggest grifts in his life, he's also stripping away our freedoms and systematically demolishing laws that protect the public. 

As it Stands, there's nothing pretty in what's happening to our country which is being raped by a convicted sexual abuser.

Trump Wants Taxpayers to Pay for Investigations into His Criminal Activities

In the bizarre world we live in criminals can be compensated for being charged in government investigations. 

The latest example is our First Felon who has demanded that the Department of Justice give him a whopping $230 million in compensation for conducting a perfectly legal search of his Mar-a-Lago lair where he had hidden stolen classified government documents.

Your damn right! That's outrageous. Trump was convicted in federal court in Florida in connection into his retention of classified government documents and interfering in efforts by federal authorities to recover them.

But then Maga Judge Aileen Cannon tossed out that case, and the DOJ ultimately dropped an appeal of her decision and the entire case after Trump won the 2024 election. The fix was formerly in place and Trump got to pursue his perceived enemies and gripes with no pushback from the DOJ, FBI, or any other government agencies.

Trump previewed his intentions last week in an Oval Office event while standing next to Deputy Attorney (and Trump's personal lawyer) Todd Blanche, Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel. 

The corrupt trio smiled and gushed over dear leader as he said, "I have a lawsuit that was doing very well, and when I became president, I said, I'm sort of suing myself. I don't know, how do you settle the lawsuit, I'll say give me X dollars, and I don't know what to do with the lawsuit.

If you can decipher exactly what he said there, you're smarter than me. It sounded like the rambling of a demented old man looking to rip off taxpayer money with no justification for doing it. He's doing it because grifting is his gift to the world.

The New York Times reported that any potential lawsuit might have to be approved by people he has appointed. Trump submitted complaints related to the DOJ's probes "through an administrative claim process that is often the precursor to lawsuits," the newspaper reported.

It doesn't take a political expert to know that the deck is stacked and it's just a matter of time before this fraudulent lawsuit(s) will be filed by his cronies.

Watching Trump trample over every law in the land is like watching a continuing series of train wrecks, with each more devasting than the last one.

As it Stands, it's just another case of Trump stealing taxpayer's hard-earned money to enrich himself.

How Long Will Johnson Shut Down the House to Avoid Releasing the Epstein Files?

As millions of Americans face a massive increase in healthcare, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson took his members to lunch at the "Rose Garden" - a concrete slab in the back of the White House - to hear a pep talk from dear leader who wants to make sure they are still backing the shutdown.

What we know for sure is there will be no vote today to fund the government. After Monday's 11th vote failed, the shutdown has now reached 21 days and tied the 1995-1996 standoff during the Bill Clinton presidency as the second longest in U.S, history.

About 750,000 federal workers were placed on furlough and the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a warning that there will not be enough funding to pay the entirety of Supplemental Nutrition (SNAP) benefits for November if the shutdown doesn't end, according to officials, impacting over 42 million individuals across the country who rely upon it.

Even worse, there is no end in sight. We have no idea how long it will last.

Only Trump knows that. This whole gambit of shutting down the government is clumsy but necessary in Trump's lizard brain to avoid releasing the Epstein Files in the House until he can come up with another major diversion. 

I'm not really big on polls, but I saw one today that 50% of Americans blame Republicans for the shutdown and 43% blame the Democrats.

Because Republicans have the House and the Senate in their pockets along with the presidency, it stands to reason they can end the shutdown whenever they feel like it. They're just waiting for their marching orders from daddy who will probably issue new ones at today's luncheon.

Speaker Johnson's motivation to keep the House shut down partly springs from worrying about his flock interacting with Senate democrats and possibly rebelling against Trump's demands.

As one Senate Republican, who requested anonymity to speak candidly (as reported by MSNBC) on the topic, said the strategy of keeping the House members out is two-fold: "It helps keep the party's message intact, and it prevents "squishier" lawmakers from breaking ranks."

As it Stands, someday I'm going to write a book about how a pedophile froze Congress. Until then I'll keep documenting Trump and his outrageous regime that's staffed with criminals.

Why Trump Isn't Afraid of the 25th Amendment

There's no way the 25th Amendment will ever be used against Trump. 

And he knows it.

In Section 4 of the key provisions of the 25th Amendment it states that there is a process for the Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet to declare the President unable to serve, making the Vice President the acting President. If the President disputes the declaration Congress must decide by a two-thirds vote of both chambers.

The bar is so high that no president has ever been forced to step down permanently using the 25th Amendment.

In Trump's case he's inserted his cult followers in every position of power in the government and Congress. They are all so afraid of the orange-faced lunatic that they wouldn't even consider such a move... no matter what crime he committed.

I sure can't see the couch-loving baby-faced JD Vance making a move against his master. He's content with being a lapdog with no spine. When you look at the Maga morons in both houses it's immediately apparent that they would crawl through broken glass for dear leader.

There are four key provisions in the 25th Amendment clarifying who assumes power when a president dies or is temporarily unable to perform his duties.

The current situation with a demented narcissist acting out all of his fantasy agendas against Democrats and anyone he doesn't like, is a living hell for the majority of Americans. We have a man who would be a monarch befouling The White House and rejecting all laws he doesn't approve of.

Maybe in an alternate reality the possibility of successfully invoking the 25th Amendment would work. But not in the polarized society we live in today.

Let's stop talking about the 25th Amendment like it's a possible cure for stopping Trump's hostile takeover of the country. It's a fantasy that will never be reality.

We can resist the Trump regime by holding massive protests - like No Kings Day - calling out his corruption until it comes time to vote in the midterms next year.

I hope by that time next November Americans who have never voted before register to vote for Democrats to regain the House and the Senate. If that happens Trump will be up against a Congress that can't be bullied into his crazy agenda.

As it Stands, as Teodore Roosevelt once said, "Knowing what's right doesn't mean much unless you do what's right."

It Was That Close to Becoming a Disaster: Gov. Newsome Was Right About the Danger

Trump's tantrums about the national "No Kings Day" protests are getting more dangerous all the time. This time shrapnel from 155mm artillery round in a live fire exercise struck a California Highway Patrol motorcycle and Patrol car (a 2-inch piece of shrapnel) that were part of JD Vance's motorcade.

According to the Marine Corps official report one of its artillery shells prematurely detonated over I-5 and pieces fell to the ground hitting a vehicle and motorcycle.

In a statement, CHP Border Division Chief Tony Coronado called the incident an "unusual and concerning situation" and "It is highly uncommon for any live-fire or explosive training over an active freeway."

It's so uncommon it's never happened before. I think the chief was being discrete to avoid getting caught up in the stupid decision.

How has it come to this?

The first time the "No Kings Day" protest was held in June Trump staged a bigly military parade in Washington DC to counter the event. Five million Americans from every state in the union still showed up to protest and his parade was a humiliating failure that he blamed on HIS generals.

Trump knew even more Americans were going to show up in the second "No Kings Day" protest - he was right there were seven million this time - and he needed a spectacular event to get attention. Having a live fire exercise near the protestors was his way of intimidating people who he knew hated him and his corrupt regime.

 After denying that there would be live rounds going over the I-5 the Trump regime quickly turned around and admitted there would be live fire after all at the last minute.

After a prior warning that it was a dangerous stunt, California Gov. Newsome had to scramble to shut down the I-5 freeway, which carries 80,000 travelers and $94 million in freight daily between San Diego and Orange counties. He also had to cancel the afternoon rail service for the line running parallel to the interstate.

The Marine Corps said it had not requested any closure but appreciated it while conducting "realistic training." Either the commanders involved were stupid or they were blindly following Trump's orders in spite of the risk.

Gov. Newsome wrote on X, "Donald Trump and JD Vance put lives at risk to put on a show." A show indeed. A show of how Trump controls the military and how he uses the armed forces for partisan and personal politics.

What if the shell had exploded a little closer to the ground and caused mass causalities? It's conceivable. It's scary. The Marines say they canceled additional live fire over the freeway inadvertently admitting it was dangerous.

We have a president who posted AI images of himself in a fighter jet dropping shit on the protestors. One thing is for sure Trump is becoming more transparent in his crusade against Democrats and anyone else in the country who opposes him.

As it Stands, Americans must continue holding truth to power and showing their unity against Trump's tyranny.

'Pardon Me!' Trump's Transactional Pardons to Criminals Continues

On the first day of his second term America's First Felon freed over 1500 capitol rioters convicted of staging a coup on Jan.6, 2001. He also commuted the sentences of a dozen other people, including leaders of the Oath Keepers and The Proud Boys, moments after taking office.

That was just for starters. As the days turned into months Trump has continued to grant pardons for convicted criminals. The one thing they all have in common is that they are Trump supporters. Apparently, that's the only criteria the regime requires.

Why?

Because the orange Cheeto is amplifying his narrative of persecution and it casts doubts on the legitimacy of the justice system that he has since purged of perceived political enemies.

Last week Trump commuted the sentence of former GOP Representative George Santos of New York, who was jailed for multiple counts of wire fraud, aggravated identify theft, campaign finance violations, and other financial crimes. 

The First Felon has also commuted the sentences of many political allies, some who were convicted of assisting in preparing fraudulent tax returns, conspiracy to commit extortion and money laundering. So far Trump has pardoned nine GOP lawmakers.

Santos' release from federal prison has reignited a national debate about handing out pardons for political gain and personal gain. Trump's abuse of the system is historic. With a little over three years left in his term we can count on him to continue to abuse the system to serve his purposes.

Trump's disregard of the system flaunts rules, and costs victims and the public more than $1 billion, according to an article by Joseph Neff, of The Marshall Project, that appeared in the Louisiana Illuminator.

Legal experts say no president has started a term with so many pardons that violate long-standing policies and norms.

In serious crimes - violence or expensive white-collar crime, for example - the Justice Manual recommends that a suitable length of time should elapse before a pardon is even considered to avoid denigrating the seriousness of the offense.

George Santos only completed 3 months of his 87-month conviction. Also, according to the Justice Manual on pardons the person must accept responsibility and be remorseful: "A petitioner should be genuinely desirous of forgiveness rather than vindication."

Santos is not, and has not, shown any signs of remorse for his actions. As a matter of fact, he said that he isn't going to pay back any of the money he stole unless forced too.

Here's a frightening statistic: Trump has pardoned more than 1,600 people and at least two organizations in his first six months in office. We know there's been more in the last three months with Santos being the latest.

Liz Oyer, who served as a Pardon Attorney for three years has set up a "pardon tracker" on her website that tallies the price of Trump's pardons of people and companies that owed restitution and fines. 

As of July 15, the cost to taxpayers and crime victims is more than $1.3 billion. Oyer's tracker shows a growing backlog of pardon applications from ordinary Americans. The queue was just under 5,000 when Trump slung into office. Since then, the list has more than doubled to 11,664.

As it Stands, it's obvious that the First Felon has a soft spot for criminals, as long as they support him, and pay bribes.

Massive Turnout: The Nation Protests Trump -Medford Residents Show their Colors

Here in Medford, Oregon we had a large No Kings Day protest which my wife Shirley and I went to. It was fantastic to see all of the smiling, laughing, and singing people lining both sides of the streets downtown.

(Photo: Shirley and I joined a crowd of roughly 2,000 people who filled East McAndrews Road in east Medford yesterday.)

The energy was positive, and we met fellow Americans that love this country and want the corrupt Trump regime to disappear. All ages turned out. It was inspiring seeing elderly people who once protested against the Vietnam war standing alongside youths who want freedom from the autocracy that Trump brought to this country.

The event took place with no arrests or any major incidents. It was well organized and respectful.

Every state in the nation has risen up in protest with thousands of Americans of every race and religious beliefs coming together in what will turn out to be the biggest protest in American history. The last No Kings Day in June saw five million gleeful participants. Estimates of today's turnout are north of seven million according to several news sources.

Americans in Seattle, Spokane, Phoenix, Atlanta, Washington DC, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, Medford, Boulder City, Boston, New York, and over 2,500 cities stretched across our great nation turned out with a big message, "We intend to defend Democracy."

As the government shutdown approaches its third week, millions of demonstrators joined protests in more than 2,500 cities and towns in all fifty states, with global cities joining in, to stand up to what the organizers called Trump's "authoritarian power grabs."

"There is no greater threat to an authoritarian regime than patriotic people power," Ezra Levin, a co-founder of Indivisible, one of the protest organizers, said.

As it Stands, it was an uplifting experience and a declaration that we want a free nation.

Live Fire Military Event on 'No Kings Day' is a Show of Power: Missiles over I-5 Freeway!

 

Republicans are melting down in desperation over today's "No Kings Day" national protest against Trump and his corrupt regime.

After seeing about 5 million Americans turn out for the first "No Kings Day" in June to protest, Trump and his henchmen are doing their best to interfere with the second one. 

Top GOP leaders in Congress are trying to flip the script by calling the peaceful protest a "Day of Hate," and spreading lies about who is responsible for planning the massive protest.

The Trump regime is trying to intimidate peaceful protestors with a LIVE-FIRE DISPLAY involving sending armed missiles from war ships over the I-5 freeway today (for 17 miles) towards Camp Pendleton training grounds under the auspices of the Navy and Marines 250th Anniversary. The firing starts when the protest begins at 11 a.m. to 1:00. The intent is pretty obvious. 

The US has NEVER fired missiles into the homeland before. 

The demonstration of power is going to showcase integrated Navy and Marine Corps operations and is expected to be attended by VP couch-hugger Vance and Pistol Pete Hegseth, Secretary of War Defense.

Trump has shut down the government. Now he's trying to shut down an imaginary group called Antifa which he claims are domestic terrorists. The GOP cowards have been ramping up the chaos in the country and now it looks like there's nothing they won't do to ruin the "No Kings Day" protest."

California Gov. Gavin Newsom criticized the naked display of power as an unnecessary "spectacle," with no coordination from California officials.

One of my biggest concerns is that ICE agents will be trying to make arrests with an eye towards causing a riot. They're hoping to call the military in and make mass arrests. The fact that White House Production Department (a new propaganda outlet) is recording the demonstration for a TV broadcast makes me wonder if they're really there to film an expected riot.

Right wing media has been doing their part in sharing lies and misinformation about "No Kings Day." The reason why Maga politicians are panicking is because they see Americans uniting against their tyranny in greater numbers every day.

Watching the protest, which is expected to have more participants than last time, will be a stark reminder that Americans are fighting back against an authoritarian regime that's trying to take away their First Amendment rights. 

Trump's "Vanity Parade" timing is suspicious, if not downright obvious. 

As it Stands, as a Vietnam veteran I'm disgusted with the way Trump abuses our military to make political statements.