We Doing This Shit Again? (Trump Admin Meltdown II)

[rass]

I watched to make sure said it more than once and she did and she was clearly speaking off the cuff and not reading so yeah holy shit

[DaveInSeattle]

Head of US military base in Greenland fired after JD Vance visit

The head of the US military base in Greenland, a Danish territory coveted by Donald Trump, has been fired for criticising Washington’s agenda for the island.

Col Susannah Meyers, who had served as commander of the Pituffik space base since July, was removed amid reports she had distanced herself and the base from JD Vance’s criticism of Denmark and its oversight of the territory during the US vice-president’s visit to the base two weeks ago.

The US Space Force said in a statement on Thursday night: “Commanders are expected to adhere to the highest standards of conduct, especially as it relates to remaining nonpartisan in the performance of their duties.”

The statement did not expand further, but the US website military.com said Meyers sent an email to all personnel at Pituffik on 31 March “seemingly aimed at generating unity among the airmen and guardians, as well as the Canadians, Danes and Greenlanders who work there, following Vance’s appearance”.

[P.D.X.]

I watched to make sure said it more than once and she did and she was clearly speaking off the cuff and not reading so yeah holy shit

just defaulting to what she knows best

(steak sauce)

[The Sybian]

So great to finally live in an era where people get high level positions solely based on merit.

[Steve of phpBB]

In her defense, A-1 tastes pretty damn good on fries.

[Nonlinear FC]

Head of US military base in Greenland fired after JD Vance visit

The head of the US military base in Greenland, a Danish territory coveted by Donald Trump, has been fired for criticising Washington’s agenda for the island.

Col Susannah Meyers, who had served as commander of the Pituffik space base since July, was removed amid reports she had distanced herself and the base from JD Vance’s criticism of Denmark and its oversight of the territory during the US vice-president’s visit to the base two weeks ago.

The US Space Force said in a statement on Thursday night: “Commanders are expected to adhere to the highest standards of conduct, especially as it relates to remaining nonpartisan in the performance of their duties.”

The statement did not expand further, but the US website military.com said Meyers sent an email to all personnel at Pituffik on 31 March “seemingly aimed at generating unity among the airmen and guardians, as well as the Canadians, Danes and Greenlanders who work there, following Vance’s appearance”.

This stuff with Greenland and the Panama Canal is straight out of the authoritarian playbook. Because Autocrats always make economies worse for the average citizen (to the benefit of their cohort) they need to "expand" to make the plebes feel like they are part of "greater movement." It's all incredibly transparent, once you know what to look for...

Same thing with the glorification of a mythically "great" past... When men were men and women were women and we all spoke the same language, dammit. (Even though that's all bullshit.)

The "bully lie" where Trump and Co. just spout bullshit with no factual backing is all part of this, too. Force people to accept their nonsense reality in the face of actual facts.

Really good TAL on this a few weeks back.

[A_B]

In her defense, A-1 tastes pretty damn good on fries.

Had an A1 Bomber (steak sub with a1, peppers, onions, etc.) a couple of weeks ago. It was good, but probably a bit too much A1 for my personal taste. I'm more of a 57 sauce kinda guy anyway.

[Steve of phpBB]

In her defense, A-1 tastes pretty damn good on fries.

Had an A1 Bomber (steak sub with a1, peppers, onions, etc.) a couple of weeks ago. It was good, but probably a bit too much A1 for my personal taste. I'm more of a 57 sauce kinda guy anyway.

If you're able to actually get 57 sauce out of that little bottle, you're a better man than me.

[tennbengal]

I know you all know this, but...just to be clear, what we've been saying is here -

At around noon on April 14 2025, America ceased to have a law-abiding government. Some would argue that had already happened on January 20, when Donald Trump was inaugurated. On Monday, however, Trump chose to ignore a 9-0 Supreme Court ruling to repatriate an illegally deported man. He even claimed the judges ruled in his favor. The US president’s middle finger to the court was echoed by his attorney-general, secretary of state, vice-president and El Salvador’s vigilante president Nayib Bukele. The latter is playing host to what resembles an embryonic US gulag.

...

If Trump deems that you are a gang member, pro-terrorist, or simply anti-national, he claims impunity over your liberty. The fact that one deportee was a hairdresser, not a gang member, and another target was an innocuous op-ed writing student, not a terrorist, is no protection.

Trump’s lawyers are barely even pretending to phone it in. Evidence can be withheld on national security grounds or seemingly invented, as it was on Monday with Garcia. A government lawyer who conceded that Garcia’s deportation was mistaken was placed on administrative leave. Should the wrong person be deported in shackles, the US can do nothing about it. That would interfere with another country’s sovereignty, they say. This is from the same administration that is demanding other countries’ territory. El Salvador is as sovereign as Trump chooses it to be. Bukele is Trump’s hemispheric sidekick.

Literally, any of us can be disappeared, at any time. No recourse. It's here now.

[The Sybian]

And Trump is openly saying citizens are next, and we need 5 more prisons in El Salvador to house all the terrorists. He’s investigating two members of his first admin for the heinous crime of saying the 2020 election wasn’t stolen. He’s holding major universities and the most prestigious/largest law firms hostage. It’s so much worse than I thought possible.

Oh, the student deported for the op-ed didn’t even write it, but merely signed. And it wasn’t remotely calling for violence or anything that could be construed as a supporting terrorism.

I heard clips of the press conference. Trump proudly declared the Court ruled 9-0 against him. Then Stephen Miller shrilly yell-whined “we won 9-0!” Trump chastised and threatened the reporter. Then in another presser, Lindell News (yes, Pillow Man Mike Lindell has a reporter with WH Correspondent credentials) asked with the hard hitting question, “The President looks healthier than ever, has he been working out?” Democracy officially died, and this is the press corps we have reporting on it. We are truly living Idiocracy.

[tennbengal]

Yes, it's all bad.

Been warning people that laws are not worth the paper they are written on if they can't be enforced and/or don't apply to certain persons. In this case, the certain persons are anyone that Trumps says the law doesn't apply to and in fact there don't need to be laws in place to have them disappear someone in any event. It's horiffic.

It is exactly as bad as I thought it would be, but that is cold comfort.

[Steve of phpBB]

He’s investigating two members of his first admin for the heinous crime of saying the 2020 election wasn’t stolen.

Sorry, but isn't it even worse than that? I think his executive orders suspended the security clearances of those two guys, plus everyone associated with two companies, which I assume are the ones employing those guys now.

I think (blindly hope) that Trump is getting so extreme that he's basically going to give the courts no choice but to rein him in.

I do not think the courts will grant any meaningful relief in the Abrego Garcia case, but a lot of these other disputes are better situated for courts to order the administration to do things and to impose contempt sanctions if they don't.

[The Sybian]

He’s investigating two members of his first admin for the heinous crime of saying the 2020 election wasn’t stolen.

Sorry, but isn't it even worse than that? I think his executive orders suspended the security clearances of those two guys, plus everyone associated with two companies, which I assume are the ones employing those guys now.

I think (blindly hope) that Trump is getting so extreme that he's basically going to give the courts no choice but to rein him in.

I do not think the courts will grant any meaningful relief in the Abrego Garcia case, but a lot of these other disputes are better situated for courts to order the administration to do things and to impose contempt sanctions if they don't.

How can the courts rein him in when he’s exclusively hired people loyal to him over the Constitution? Theres a reason appointees are supposed to be segregated from the President and politics and loyal to the duties of their job and the law above all else. Is Pam Bondi going to prosecute anyone for obeying Trump over the SCt? Are Kash Patel and Dan Bongino going to order the FBI to investigate Trump? We know Congress won’t do shit, and 2/3 impeachment vote ain’t happening.

[Steve of phpBB]

He’s investigating two members of his first admin for the heinous crime of saying the 2020 election wasn’t stolen.

Sorry, but isn't it even worse than that? I think his executive orders suspended the security clearances of those two guys, plus everyone associated with two companies, which I assume are the ones employing those guys now.

I think (blindly hope) that Trump is getting so extreme that he's basically going to give the courts no choice but to rein him in.

I do not think the courts will grant any meaningful relief in the Abrego Garcia case, but a lot of these other disputes are better situated for courts to order the administration to do things and to impose contempt sanctions if they don't.

How can the courts rein him in when he’s exclusively hired people loyal to him over the Constitution? Theres a reason appointees are supposed to be segregated from the President and politics and loyal to the duties of their job and the law above all else. Is Pam Bondi going to prosecute anyone for obeying Trump over the SCt? Are Kash Patel and Dan Bongino going to order the FBI to investigate Trump? We know Congress won’t do shit, and 2/3 impeachment vote ain’t happening.

Oh, for sure, political appointees like Bondi, Patel, Bongino, etc., will not help. Nor will Republicans in Congress.

But a lot of these things are going to involve lower level career federal employees. For example, if a lower level federal employee fails to share information with Perkins Coie on the ground that their security clearance is suspended, in violation of an injunction, the lower level employee can be put in jail for contempt.

That kind of thing will involve people who may not be MAGA and won't want to go to jail for Trump.

[The Sybian]

He’s investigating two members of his first admin for the heinous crime of saying the 2020 election wasn’t stolen.

Sorry, but isn't it even worse than that? I think his executive orders suspended the security clearances of those two guys, plus everyone associated with two companies, which I assume are the ones employing those guys now.

I think (blindly hope) that Trump is getting so extreme that he's basically going to give the courts no choice but to rein him in.

I do not think the courts will grant any meaningful relief in the Abrego Garcia case, but a lot of these other disputes are better situated for courts to order the administration to do things and to impose contempt sanctions if they don't.

How can the courts rein him in when he’s exclusively hired people loyal to him over the Constitution? Theres a reason appointees are supposed to be segregated from the President and politics and loyal to the duties of their job and the law above all else. Is Pam Bondi going to prosecute anyone for obeying Trump over the SCt? Are Kash Patel and Dan Bongino going to order the FBI to investigate Trump? We know Congress won’t do shit, and 2/3 impeachment vote ain’t happening.

Oh, for sure, political appointees like Bondi, Patel, Bongino, etc., will not help. Nor will Republicans in Congress.

But a lot of these things are going to involve lower level career federal employees. For example, if a lower level federal employee fails to share information with Perkins Coie on the ground that their security clearance is suspended, in violation of an injunction, the lower level employee can be put in jail for contempt.

That kind of thing will involve people who may not be MAGA and won't want to go to jail for Trump.

A federal officer will need to make the arrest, and they are all getting orders from Trump appointees. Marshall Service has shown themselves to be boot lickers so far, and I discussed the FBI. Any officer will to make an arrest like that will be fired for sure. And if they bring a claim for wrongful termination, Trump has already fired anyone in the MSPB, EEO, NLRB… willing to uphold rights over Dear Leader.

[bfj]

The 3 classes we were scheduled to teach for Homeland Security next week were cancelled due to the federal DEI ban.

Since 2012, we have taught over 20,000 officers in over 900 police classes. In our “Understanding Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities” trainings, topics include:
- Recognizing characteristics so behaviors are not misinterpreted
- De-escalation and communication strategies
- Search and rescue for critical missing individuals

[Steve of phpBB]

Jesus Fucking Christ.

Morons.

[TankFarm2023]

Welcome to the terrordome!


(I'm willing to bet even Chuck never dreamed it would get this bad)

[Steve of phpBB]

The Constitutional Crisis is heating up, as the judge on the Venezuelan planeload case has found probable cause to find the government in criminal contempt.

[The Sybian]

The Constitutional Crisis is heating up, as the judge on the Venezuelan planeload case has found probable cause to find the government in criminal contempt.

This is great, but who is going to enforce if the Judge finds criminal contempt? And since the SCt. declared Trump is immune, he is allowed to refuse to obey judicial orders.

[P.D.X.]

oooh can we please get in a cycle of the government doing illegal shit and t just pardoning everyone in real time? pretty sure that's what the founding fathers had in mind

[Steve of phpBB]

In all honesty, I don't know - but I also don't know if it matters. Criminal contempt proceedings by a judge will bring attention to this whole sordid mess than a bunch of conflicting arguments about murderous Venezuelan or Salvadoran gang members.

HOWEVER, PDX, that's a good point. Trump can pardon criminal contempt. If he's smart, he will do so this morning, before the issue gains traction.

[The Sybian]

In all honesty, I don't know - but I also don't know if it matters. Criminal contempt proceedings by a judge will bring attention to this whole sordid mess than a bunch of conflicting arguments about murderous Venezuelan or Salvadoran gang members.

HOWEVER, PDX, that's a good point. Trump can pardon criminal contempt. If he's smart, he will do so this morning, before the issue gains traction.

Granting blanket immunity for government employees is terrifying, but 40% of the country will cheer because they’ll believe Trump when he says Radical Liberal judges are going crazy weaponizing the courts to prevent his good work because they hate America. Then he’ll threaten to impeach the judges and MAGAts will send death threats and eventually try to kill a judge.

[Steve of phpBB]

In all honesty, I don't know - but I also don't know if it matters. Criminal contempt proceedings by a judge will bring attention to this whole sordid mess than a bunch of conflicting arguments about murderous Venezuelan or Salvadoran gang members.

HOWEVER, PDX, that's a good point. Trump can pardon criminal contempt. If he's smart, he will do so this morning, before the issue gains traction.

Granting blanket immunity for government employees is terrifying, but 40% of the country will cheer because they’ll believe Trump when he says Radical Liberal judges are going crazy weaponizing the courts to prevent his good work because they hate America. Then he’ll threaten to impeach the judges and MAGAts will send death threats and eventually try to kill a judge.

Twenty percent of the country will cheer.

[The Sybian]

In all honesty, I don't know - but I also don't know if it matters. Criminal contempt proceedings by a judge will bring attention to this whole sordid mess than a bunch of conflicting arguments about murderous Venezuelan or Salvadoran gang members.

HOWEVER, PDX, that's a good point. Trump can pardon criminal contempt. If he's smart, he will do so this morning, before the issue gains traction.

Granting blanket immunity for government employees is terrifying, but 40% of the country will cheer because they’ll believe Trump when he says Radical Liberal judges are going crazy weaponizing the courts to prevent his good work because they hate America. Then he’ll threaten to impeach the judges and MAGAts will send death threats and eventually try to kill a judge.

Twenty percent of the country will cheer.

And nobody will change how they vote.

[Steve of phpBB]

In all honesty, I don't know - but I also don't know if it matters. Criminal contempt proceedings by a judge will bring attention to this whole sordid mess than a bunch of conflicting arguments about murderous Venezuelan or Salvadoran gang members.

HOWEVER, PDX, that's a good point. Trump can pardon criminal contempt. If he's smart, he will do so this morning, before the issue gains traction.

Granting blanket immunity for government employees is terrifying, but 40% of the country will cheer because they’ll believe Trump when he says Radical Liberal judges are going crazy weaponizing the courts to prevent his good work because they hate America. Then he’ll threaten to impeach the judges and MAGAts will send death threats and eventually try to kill a judge.

Twenty percent of the country will cheer.

And nobody will change how they vote.

I dunno. In the last three elections, millions of people have changed their votes and/or changed their decision as to whether to vote.

[degenerasian]

maybe this will matter

[DaveInSeattle]

GOP photos at El Salvador prison evoke Abu Ghraib—and worse

Once the congressmen’s photos from CECOT went viral, many drew comparisons to the prisoner torture at Abu Ghraib and subsequent photos released during the Bush administration’s War on Terror. For those who don’t recall, the images first published by CBS News in 2004 show US military police posing and smiling in front of Iraqi prisoners who they’d been abusing and humiliating. In one photo, a GI makes a thumbs up while pointing at naked prisoners with bags over their heads; Rep. Moore’s thumbs up at CECOT had disturbing echoes.

But to the eye of Wesley Morgan, a freelance journalist who covered the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and author of The Hardest Place, there are fundamental differences between the situations that make the comparison not entirely apt.

“When US soldiers posed with prisoners at Abu Ghraib, they did so with the expectation that no one outside their unit would ever see those photos—they knew they were committing a crime for which they would likely be held accountable if the photos got out,” Morgan told me Wednesday. “It was not intended for public consumption.” Whereas the photos posted by the Congressmen are “being posted straight to social media, unabashedly.”

[L-Jam3]

The GOP has such a deep bench of people who couldn’t ever get a job doing anything if they weren’t politicians.

[mister d]

He should never again be acknowledged by anyone in the Dem party, he should never be comfortable in public, etc, etc at the absolute fucking minimum. Horrifying these people exist, let alone hold power.

[Steve of phpBB]

Banger of a ruling written by a Reagan-appointed judge who’s been a stalwart of the conservative legal movement for decades.

And it’s only a few pages long.

[Steve of phpBB]

The top reply to the post contains a gift link to Brooks’s article.

[Steve of phpBB]

Apparently they are not impressed with Judge Wilkinson.



This prompted me to call my congresspeople and leave voicemails. They are both Republicans, so I figure I'm wasting time, but it's all I can do.

[DaveInSeattle]

Apparently they are not impressed with Judge Wilkinson.



This prompted me to call my congresspeople and leave voicemails. They are both Republicans, so I figure I'm wasting time, but it's all I can do.

Always nice to see that our government is being run by Jr High kids...

[HaulCitgo]

Banger of a ruling written by a Reagan-appointed judge who’s been a stalwart of the conservative legal movement for decades.

And it’s only a few pages long.

This type of reading does not count as a hobby

[EdRomero]

maybe this will matter

I needed a mental break from all the murder of democracy shit going on, and there is a strong attempt to cover that up and distract from that, but just sticking with the economy, it looks like so many people are going to get fucked with the tariff uncertainty, the trickle down effect of federal money being withheld, and the US being giant assholes to our greatest allies ruining the tourist industry among other things. Is the narrative still going to be that Biden destroyed the economy when businesses get shut down, retirement funds disappear, and everyone loses their jobs. Maybe it happens in certain areas first --Vegas, Florida, I don't know. And when will it be a big enough thing that it can't be ignored? Republicans in power don't seem to be persuaded by the embarrassment of enormous human right's abuses and blatant disregard of the Constitution, but eventually they may be persuaded by losing lots of money and/or their community being destroyed by newfound poverty.

[Nonlinear FC]

Yep, I keep saying it... What will break through with low information voters is when they don't have their job, can't buy stuff they need because it's too expensive, they somehow have to figure out how to pay for their parents care when social security and 401ks are up in smoke.

This shit isn't sustainable.

[The Sybian]

Yep, I keep saying it... What will break through with low information voters is when they don't have their job, can't buy stuff they need because it's too expensive, they somehow have to figure out how to pay for their parents care when social security and 401ks are up in smoke.

This shit isn't sustainable.

The true believers are saying Liberals and the media are stupid and shortsighted, making a big deal out of short term losses and prices because TDS, but soon we’ll all be rich off Trump’s genius. That, and they believe the bullshit that the US is being ripped off by the rest of the world and Trump is finally the first President smart and tough enough to stand up for us. Plus, he is a billionaire, so he obviously knows what he is doing! At some point, they are going to lose patience when it hits them personally, or they will continue to fall for the lies and think it’s Biden’s/Dems fault.

[mister d]

We just have to hope its unsustainable in a "everyone now fights for even better than before" way and not "well, we're done here" way.

[P.D.X.]

The town hall events are proof that the reckoning has legs already.