Trump+Musk: Folie à Deux - Trump thread #137

[Spandauer]

The clock is already ticking and he's an old man. Mid-terms: November 3, 2026

Thanks to @AcrossThePond55 for the thread title.

Previous thread:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5206120-the-grown-ups-have-left-the-building-trump-thread-136

It's even more insane

https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3lhjqtveqxc2x

Here's a transcript of Trump's comments today on air traffic control systems

I repeat my point that all my life I have been told the reason for the second amendment was as a backstop to tyranny.

I think the reasoning behind that was that in the 'early days' there wasn't a 'powerful/cohesive' US military, thus there was a need for 'Citizen Soldiers' to arise if needed to defend the Country. But I have a feeling they were thinking of the threat of tyranny from outside, rather than the rise of a 'domestic' tyrant.

The problem is that these days the majority of guns are in the hands of Trump supporters. At this point they're still drinking the KoolAid. God only knows what would need to happen to wake them up. Probably Trump saying he was suspending the 2nd Amendment and confiscating guns.

Yes, there are liberal/Democrat/independent gun owners but they are far outnumbered by those who would love nothing more than to 'take to the streets' and 'use lethal force' in support of Trump. We saw that with the insurrection and the Black Lives Matter protests.

My DH's ex friend, a hardcore Trumpinista, used to talk about 'The Revolution' and how the militias will 'take to the streets'. And this was even before Trump. The Proud Boys, Militias, etc didn't occur because of Trump, they've been around for decades and are rooted in White Supremacy. He just gave them a 'figurehead' to pledge their 'loyalty' to.

You just don't hear 'left leaning' gun owners forming 'militas' or vowing to take to the streets. I have heard them lately musing about the possible need to protect their homes and families against 'what may come'. But never about violent protest. What would it take for that to happen? I just don't know. Nonviolence has been our mindset for a long, long time.

Judge pushes the pause button on the 'buy out'.

"The pause stems from a lawsuit that the American Federation of Government Employees and several other unions filed in US District Court in Massachusetts on Tuesday seeking a temporary restraining order to halt the February 6 deadline. The unions also want to “require the government to articulate a policy that is lawful, rather than an arbitrary, unlawful, short-fused ultimatum which workers may not be able to enforce”."

https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/06/politics/federal-worker-resignation-deadline-trump/index.html

One of the Doge boy has resigned after links to a deleted X account that advocated repealing the Civil Rights Act, backed a “eugenic immigration policy,” and wrote, “You could not pay me to marry outside of my ethnicity."

Part of me is glad they still think that’s something worth resigning over!

"In a lawless situation, it actually does come down to guys with guns standing in front of doors,"

https://www.alternet.org/musk-treasury-systems/

From Sky -“Donald Trump has signed an executive memorandum ordering a review of funding to all non-governmental organisations that rely on federal dollars, according to a White House official.”

I honestly feel like I’m in a washing machine being spun around and no longer know which way is up 😵‍💫

WSJ

The Trump White House is working on an executive order to fire thousands of workers from Health and Human Services.

Under the order, the FDA, CDC, and other health agencies would have to cut a certain percentage of employees.

NYT

The Senate confirmed Russell Vought to lead the Office of Management and Budget, putting in place a Project 2025 architect.

believe them when they are telling you what they are going to do

Private-sector employers and nonprofits are starting to lay off workers as a result of the Trump administration’s sweeping cuts and funding freezes, unleashing a wave of job losses that economists say could pick up steam in the coming weeks, threatening the broader labor market.


The tally appears to be about several thousand private-sector jobs lost in the past two weeks since federal funding cuts and freezes took hold. More than 7.5 million Americans work in jobs directly connected to the federal government, according to the Brookings Institution, as contractors or grant workers — some of whom are already out of a job. And there are millions more who work in positions indirectly connected to federal funding delays.


So far, the fallout includes rescinded contracting jobs in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and Austin; layoffs at an independent-living facility in West Virginia that relies on federal funding to pay staffers; and furloughs at after-school programs in Maine and community health centers in Virginia facing federal funding delays.

Full report here:
wapo.st/4jJINrJ

Trump must be an absolute gift to someone like Vought.
That's a chilling thought.

Vought, Vance, Bannon, Putin, MBS, Erdogan, Kim Jong-un, Orban, Curtis Yarvin.

Trump is indeed the gift that keeps on giving for all the best people.

There was an excellent segment on USAID and PEPFAR on last night's Deadline White House for anyone interested. It included the fact that it's estimated the US gets a $7 return for every $1 spent on USAID.

And that’s not counting the soft power influence that frankly is immeasurable.

Yes, one of the things discussed was that the US gave 20,000 scholarships last year. These people return to their home countries and help make positive change. China gave 40,000 scholarships. These people are taught in Mandarin, and guess where their loyalties will lie. And if the US creates an even bigger void...

Why or how have we created an electorate that is too blinkered to see this?

The new cover of Time

https://bsky.app/profile/kylegriffin1.bsky.social/post/3lhlrpnng3c2h

😂 I love Andy Borowitz!

I just wanted to let you know, in case you didn't, that the link shows your first initial and last name when it comes up.

Oof! The Donald may not be liking that?
He keeps his Time mag covers framed on the wall doesn't he?

Executive order coming.
Trump administration will conduct a 6-month review of US participation in global institutions, including the IMF and World Bank - to see if they are „contrary to the interests of the US" or "can be reformed".

Project 2025 called for the US to pull out.

Hide the crayons

redundant post now image is published

Finally something Donald and I agree on 😂 I fucking hate paper straws!

Screen grab of the Borowitz Report that I posted earlier - now removed 😬
(It's satire incase you don't know him!)
Images are back - yay!