Category: Bullying

Donald Trump’s rhetorical style is straight out of middle school. He’s like an eighth-grade girl.

Trump Sues Dimon $5B After CEO Opposes Credit Card Rate Cap

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon faced immediate retaliation after publicly opposing Trump’s proposal to cap credit card interest rates at 10%, which would slash rates roughly in half from their current average of 20%. On January 22, 2026, Trump filed a $5 billion lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase and Dimon in Florida state court, alleging the bank improperly “debanked” him following the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack. The lawsuit arrived one day after Dimon told attendees at the World Economic Forum in Davos that Trump’s affordability proposal would trigger “an economic disaster.”

Trump’s lawsuit exemplifies his use of federal power to punish corporate executives who contradict him. The president has investigated, sued, or brought criminal charges against perceived enemies including media companies CBS, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. Trump threatened Apple with massive tariffs over CEO Tim Cook and blocked Exxon from entering Venezuela because he disapproved of CEO Darren Woods’ demeanor at a meeting. The filing demonstrates Trump weaponizing litigation as retaliation for speech that contradicts his agenda.

Corporate America has largely remained silent under Trump’s second term, with executives adopting an unofficial strategy of compliance to avoid becoming targets. When Trump imposed steep global tariffs last spring and began explicitly meddling in private company revenues—carving out government cuts from firms like Nvidia and Intel—business leaders stayed quiet. Trade groups drafted plans to oppose the administration but shelved them after worrying about inviting White House retaliation, according to CNN sources. Normally vocal business lobbies have been notably quiet, revealing how thoroughly Trump has chilled legitimate corporate speech.

Dimon and other Wall Street leaders broke ranks over the credit card rate proposal because it struck directly at banking’s profit engine. Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser stated the bank could not support a rate cap, and Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan argued it would restrict credit availability. However, Dimon’s “economic disaster” comment—coming from Wall Street’s most prominent figure—represented the rare direct critique that prompted Trump’s swift legal action. Trump subsequently attacked Dimon publicly, falsely suggesting he profits from higher interest rates before announcing the lawsuit.

The pattern reveals authoritarian governance by retaliation: Trump uses his control over federal agencies and courts to punish dissent from business leaders whose compliance he demands. Dimon has not endorsed Trump, contradicting Trump’s false claims, yet the CEO still faced legal assault for opposing a specific policy. This abuse of executive power to settle personal grievances and enforce political loyalty demonstrates corruption at the core of Trump’s administration, where government becomes an instrument for silencing opposition and enriching those in the president’s favor.

(Source: https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/23/business/jamie-dimon-donald-trump)

Trump Attacks Powell, Demands Fed Rate Cuts

President Donald Trump attacked Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Thursday via Truth Social, demanding the central bank cut interest rates immediately and claiming Powell is "hurting our country and its national security." Trump called Powell a "moron" responsible for "costing America Hundreds of Billions of Dollars a year" in interest expenses, despite the Federal Open Market Committee voting 10-2 to hold rates steady after three consecutive months of reductions.

Trump falsely linked the Fed's interest rate decision to his tariff policies, claiming that revenue from tariffs should result in the lowest interest rates globally. He did not explain the relationship between import taxes and the Fed's overnight interbank lending rate, nor did he acknowledge that tariffs are paid by American consumers rather than foreign countries.

Only two Trump appointees to the Federal Reserve's board—Christopher Waller and Stephen Miran—supported further rate cuts aligned with Trump's demand. The broader committee cited solid economic expansion and elevated inflation as reasons to maintain current rates, noting that future adjustments would depend on economic data and outlook rather than presidential pressure.

Trump's attack followed a Department of Justice criminal investigation into Powell and the Federal Reserve, which Powell publicly characterized as retaliation for the bank's refusal to artificially lower rates. Powell stated the investigation represents "a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the President."

The DOJ probe drew bipartisan congressional criticism, including from Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who vowed to block any future Trump nominees to the Fed board until the investigation concludes. Trump has previously threatened to sue Powell over Federal Reserve building renovations, continuing his pattern of weaponizing federal authority against officials who resist his economic demands.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-jerome-powell-interest-rates-reaction-b2910171.html)

Trump Demands Jack Smith Prosecution After Election Conspiracy Testimony

President Donald Trump demanded prosecution of former special counsel Jack Smith on Truth Social following Smith’s House Judiciary Committee testimony on Thursday, labeling him “Deranged” and accusing him of perjury and destroying lives. Smith had testified that he possessed evidence “beyond a reasonable doubt” that Trump conspired to overturn the 2020 election, investigating both the January 6 Capitol riot and classified documents stored at Mar-a-Lago.

During his public testimony, Smith stated he anticipated the Trump Department of Justice would attempt to indict him, characterizing Trump’s social media attacks as intimidation tactics and warnings to others who challenge the president. Smith declared he would not be intimidated and affirmed his team followed department policy, facts, and law in their investigation, which produced proof of serious crimes.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has already acted on Trump’s prior social media suggestions to prosecute perceived enemies, initiating charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James, former FBI Director James Comey, and former National Security Advisor John Bolton. Trump continues to falsely claim the 2020 election was rigged, repeating this assertion at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week while predicting prosecutions of unspecified individuals responsible for the alleged fraud.

Smith’s testimony directly contradicted Trump’s assertions, with the former prosecutor explaining that his investigation followed established legal procedures and produced substantial evidence of criminal conduct. Trump’s demand for Smith’s prosecution exemplifies his pattern of weaponizing the Justice Department against adversaries and leveraging federal power to silence critics and investigators.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/deranged-jack-smith-should-be-prosecuted-trump-calls-for-special-counsels-indictment-in-angry-truth-social-post/)

Trump Suggests Switzerland Tariffs Stemmed From Friction With Swiss President – The New York Times

President Trump disclosed that he imposed a 39 percent tariff on Switzerland in August 2024 after a personal dispute with then-President Karin Keller-Sutter during a phone call he characterized as adversarial. Trump stated he initially planned a 30 percent rate but increased it to 39 percent after Keller-Sutter repeatedly objected, saying her repetitive pushback and aggressive tone “rubbed me the wrong way.” The tariff far exceeded rates negotiated with the European Union at 15 percent and Britain at 10 percent, revealing that personal friction—not trade policy analysis—determined the rate.

Trump recounted that Keller-Sutter emphasized Switzerland’s small size and inability to absorb such tariffs, to which Trump responded by referencing the U.S. trade deficit with the country. The Swiss central bank had noted that gold bullion and bars—which comprised roughly two-thirds of Swiss exports to the United States at that time—should not be counted in trade balance calculations, undermining Trump’s rationale. Trump’s acknowledgment that the tariff was retaliatory rather than economically justified contradicts any legitimate trade policy framework.

After the rate hike, Trump said “all hell really broke out” and that Rolex and other Swiss representatives lobbied to reduce the tariff. Trump eventually cut the rate to 15 percent, matching the European Union’s rate. Keller-Sutter’s presidential term ended in December, and Trump later remarked that Switzerland exists only because of U.S. support, stating “They’re only good because of us,” a comment that prompted gasps from World Economic Forum attendees in Davos.

Trump’s public explanation reveals how personal grievance and authoritarian impulse shape his trade decisions rather than coherent economic strategy. Using tariffs as punishment for perceived disrespect weaponizes trade policy as a tool for enforcing personal loyalty, establishing a pattern where foreign leaders must defer to Trump’s demands or face economic retaliation regardless of factual merit or proportionality.

(Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/21/us/politics/trump-switzerland-tariffs-personal-friction.html)

Trump Posts Private Macron Message Threatening French

President Trump posted a private text message from French President Emmanuel Macron to Truth Social on Monday evening, revealing Macron’s explicit rejection of Trump’s Greenland annexation ambitions. The message, which Macron sent inviting Trump to dinner in Paris, stated “I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland” while offering cooperation on Syria, Iran, and a potential G7 meeting. Trump’s decision to publicly expose the private communication occurred just one hour after he threatened Macron with a 200% tariff on French wines and champagnes for declining an invitation to join Trump’s controversial “Board of Peace.”

Macron had formally rejected Trump’s Board of Peace invitation on Monday, asserting that the board’s charter “goes beyond the framework of Gaza and raises serious questions, in particular with respect to the principles and structure of the United Nations, which cannot be called into question.” Trump responded to reporters by dismissing Macron, claiming “nobody wants him because he’s gonna be out of office very soon” and threatening economic retaliation through punitive tariffs if Macron continued to resist his demands.

Trump’s breach of diplomatic confidentiality demonstrates his pattern of weaponizing personal communications for public humiliation. By posting Macron’s private message without consent, Trump violated established norms of executive-level diplomacy and transformed a confidential appeal for constructive engagement into a public spectacle on his Truth Social platform. The move reflects Trump’s documented hostility toward allied leaders who resist his territorial ambitions, as evidenced by his continued promotion of annexing Greenland, Canada, and Venezuela.

Macron’s message attempted diplomatic persuasion by emphasizing areas of agreement on Syria and Iran while directly confronting Trump’s Greenland agenda. However, Trump’s response—combining economic threats with public exposure of private communications—signals his abandonment of traditional diplomatic channels in favor of coercive tactics. The incident underscores the deteriorating state of U.S.-France relations under Trump’s leadership, characterized by contempt for allied leadership and disdain for confidentiality.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump-posts-private-message-from-french-president-macron-to-truth-social-i-do-not-understand-what-you-are-doing/)

Trump Falsely Claims Protest Witness Was Paid Agitator

At a White House press conference on Tuesday, President Trump made an unsubstantiated claim that a woman captured on video shouting “Shame! Shame!” after ICE officer Jonathan Ross fatally shot Minneapolis resident Renee Good on January 7 was a “paid agitator” or “professional agitator.” Trump offered no evidence for the accusation, instead characterizing the woman’s vocal protest as unnaturally loud and professional in manner, concluding she must be a paid operative rather than a genuine bystander expressing outrage at the killing.

During the same briefing, Trump defended the ICE immigration crackdown in Minnesota by displaying printouts labeled “MINNESOTA WORST OF WORST,” claiming they documented immigrants with criminal records that agents had detained. He repeatedly asserted that ICE agents are “patriots” seeking only to remove dangerous individuals from the country, framing opposition to the operation as the work of “paid agitators and insurrectionists” rather than concerned residents reacting to enforcement actions in their community.

Trump’s accusation contradicts documented evidence and patterns of protest. Multiple recorded incidents over the past year show genuine community members expressing opposition to immigration raids without compensation, according to reporting that examined his earlier repetition of the same baseless claim. The president provided no documentation, financial records, or identifying information linking the protesting woman to any organization or payment scheme.

The video of Good’s shooting was recorded by multiple bystanders, including by Ross himself, and shows the fatal incident occurred in public view on a Minneapolis street. The woman shouting “Shame!” is visible in at least one cell phone recording, though it remains unclear from available footage whether she is the person recording or a separate bystander. Trump acknowledged feeling “terribly” about Good’s death while simultaneously dismissing vocal responses to it as inauthentic and orchestrated.

Trump’s dismissal of protester motivation follows a pattern of administration officials defending the shooting, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Vice President JD Vance both characterizing the fatal shooting as justified. By labeling all opposition as paid and inauthentic, the administration avoids addressing the substantive objections residents have raised to the ICE enforcement campaign in Minnesota.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump/trump-wildly-claims-bystander-who-yelled-shame-after-renee-good-shooting-was-a-paid-agitator/)

Trump Links His Push for Greenland to Not Winning Nobel Peace Prize – The New York Times

President Trump sent a text message to Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store on Sunday, stating that he is pursuing Greenland acquisition partly because Norway did not award him a Nobel Peace Prize. In the message, Trump claimed he had “stopped 8 Wars PLUS” and said that failing to receive the prize means he no longer feels obligated to prioritize peace, instead focusing on “what is good and proper for the United States of America.” Trump also disputed Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland, asserting “There are no written documents” supporting Danish claims and demanding “Complete and Total Control of Greenland” for global security.

The text message escalates Trump’s campaign to seize Greenland, an Arctic territory that has been part of the Danish Kingdom for over 300 years. Trump’s claim that lack of a Nobel Prize justifies shifting away from peace-focused policy to territorial acquisition contradicts his stated commitment to peaceful resolution. Trump has previously threatened to acquire Greenland through either an “easy way” or “hard way,” rejecting questions about financial incentives or local consent.

Trump has directed military planners to prepare an invasion plan for Greenland, with advisers accelerating efforts following operations against Venezuela. Trump has declared his commander-in-chief powers are constrained only by his “own morality,” rejecting international law as binding on military action.

World leaders have condemned Trump’s push to acquire Greenland, viewing it as a violation of international law and Danish sovereignty. The message to Norway’s prime minister reveals Trump’s willingness to weaponize personal grievances—in this case, not receiving an international peace prize—to justify geopolitical aggression and abandonment of stated principles.

(Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/19/world/europe/trump-norway-greenland-nobel.html)

Trump Curses, Flips Off Autoworker at Ford Plant

During a Tuesday visit to a Ford plant in Dearborn, Michigan, Donald Trump responded to an autoworker’s accusation of being a “pedophile protector” by cursing at the worker and making an obscene gesture. Video footage obtained by TMZ shows Trump standing on an elevated walkway above the factory floor, pointing downward while mouthing profanities and the phrase “you’re fired” before extending his middle finger toward the crowd below.

The autoworker’s reference targeted Trump’s documented connections to deceased sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and his administration’s efforts to block the release of Department of Justice files related to Epstein. Trump’s hostile reaction—captured on camera in a black peacoat—demonstrated his pattern of responding to criticism with personal attacks rather than substantive engagement.

White House spokesperson Steven Cheung defended Trump’s conduct, characterizing the worker’s statement as a “complete fit of rage” and labeling Trump’s obscene response as “appropriate and unambiguous.” This framing inverted the facts: Trump initiated the escalation through his visible anger and deliberate vulgarity rather than addressing the underlying allegation.

The incident reflects Trump’s broader conduct in public settings, where he routinely demeans individuals who question him. His use of profanity and dehumanizing language—including “you’re fired”—mirrors his documented pattern of demanding absolute loyalty from subordinates, treating dissent as personal betrayal rather than legitimate expression.

Trump’s behavior at the Ford plant exemplifies how he leverages his office to attack citizens rather than engage with substantive concerns about his past associations or policy decisions. The incident underscores the normalization of executive vulgarity and hostility toward ordinary Americans who dare to challenge him publicly.

(Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-drops-f-bomb-flipping-224633176.html)

Leavitt Defends ICE Shooting, Dismisses Renee Good Protesters

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed Minneapolis protesters demonstrating against the fatal shooting of 37-year-old poet and mother Renee Good by ICE officer Jonathan Ross, questioning their grievances during a Monday press gaggle. Leavitt framed the killing as justified self-defense, claiming Good rammed Ross with her vehicle during what she characterized as an organized effort to impede law enforcement operations. Vice President JD Vance has falsely claimed the officer is protected by absolute immunity, a legal assertion that contradicts established law.

Leavitt attacked protesters by asserting they opposed ICE’s removal of individuals she described as “heinous murderers and rapists and criminals,” framing opposition to the agency as protection of “illegal alien pedophiles” rather than engagement with the specific circumstances of Good’s death. She declared ICE performs a critical national security function and pledged the administration’s full support for “the brave men and women of ice, including the officer in Minneapolis.” This rhetorical strategy conflated general immigration enforcement with the narrow question of whether Ross’s use of lethal force was proportional and lawful.

Protesters have explicitly demanded ICE’s removal from their communities, justice for Good, and state involvement in the shooting investigation—specific demands grounded in accountability for the killing itself. President Trump has blocked Minnesota state investigators from the probe, citing the state’s purportedly “corrupt” government, centralizing control over the investigation in federal hands where the Trump administration exercises direct authority over the Department of Justice.

Video evidence of the incident has been widely described as a “Rorschach Test” reflecting observers’ preexisting political positions rather than settling disputed facts about whether Good’s actions constituted a lethal threat requiring deadly force in response. Leavitt’s dismissal of protesters’ concerns sidestepped the substantive questions surrounding the shooting itself, instead reframing the event within an immigration enforcement narrative designed to delegitimize dissent.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/protesting-what-exactly-karoline-leavitt-rages-at-protesters-angry-over-renee-good-shooting/)

Federal prosecutors open criminal investigation into the Fed and Jerome Powell | CNN Business

Federal prosecutors have initiated a criminal investigation into the Federal Reserve’s $2.5 billion headquarters renovation in Washington, DC, according to CNN Business reporting on January 11, 2026. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell stated in a Sunday evening video that the investigation constitutes “pretext” stemming from the administration’s ongoing pressure regarding interest rate policy, characterizing it as part of broader “threats and ongoing pressure” directed at the Fed’s independence.

Powell directly attributed the investigation to the Federal Reserve’s decision to set interest rates based on economic conditions rather than presidential preferences. “The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the President,” Powell said, emphasizing that the investigation threatens the Fed’s ability to conduct monetary policy free from political intimidation.

Trump has previously threatened to sue Powell over the renovation project, claiming mismanagement and cost overruns. Trump allies including Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte and Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought have publicly attacked the project’s management, though the Federal Reserve maintains the upgrades were necessary for critical infrastructure improvements, including asbestos removal and electrical system replacements.

The investigation arrives as Trump escalates his campaign to reshape Federal Reserve leadership, having already targeted Fed Governor Lisa Cook with removal efforts while preparing to announce Powell’s successor ahead of his May term expiration. The Justice Department declined substantive comment but stated through spokesperson Chad Gilmartin that the attorney general prioritizes investigating “any abuse of tax payer dollars.”

(Source: https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/11/business/federal-prosecutors-criminal-investigation-federal-reserve-chair-jerome-powell)

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