Category: Corruption

Brendan Carr slams fired CBS journalist Scott Pelley’s remarks

FCC Chair Brendan Carr attacked Scott Pelley, the veteran CBS News correspondent fired on June 5, 2026, after the journalist told the New York Times he had not anticipated his termination. Carr, speaking on social platform X, declared that Pelley was “completely out of touch” and claimed his surprise at being fired demonstrated why “trust in media is so low,” asserting that such conduct would be unacceptable “at any run of the mill job.”

Pelley’s firing followed his criticism of CBS News Editor-In-Chief Bari Weiss and Nick Bilton, the newly appointed “60 Minutes” executive producer, during a staff meeting, which he characterized as “contentious.” In his New York Times interview, Pelley said he entered a subsequent meeting with CBS News President Tom Cibrowski unprepared for dismissal. Cibrowski accused Pelley of “physically abusing” Bilton, a claim Pelley directly refuted, stating he “didn’t come within 10 feet of Nick Bilton” and had “never put my hands on anyone in anger.” When confronted with this alleged falsehood, Cibrowski reportedly retracted the accusation.

The firing is the latest in a series of personnel changes at “60 Minutes” since Weiss assumed leadership in October 2025 under new ownership by billionaire David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance. The company has signaled a shift toward serving a “more politically diverse viewership,” resulting in the removal of correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, along with executive producer Tanya Simon’s ouster and replacement by Bilton, a former New York Times technology columnist.

Carr’s statement functioned as a defense of the network’s institutional restructuring and a dismissal of Pelley’s accountability concerns, characterizing the veteran journalist’s bewilderment at his firing as evidence of journalist(Source: https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5914770-brendan-carr-scott-pelley-60-minutes/?fbclid=IwdGRleASUQAhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeuSL0Cs4wCqbIX9EWfk851cFPqQr5WMnkng8F7B16OTTquAhGxDWCkJrmUX4_aem_LnBMYRKVkTLyTe5ehnZC2A)ic detachment rather than addressing substantive questions about the decision-making process itself.

Trump Demands Thune Fire Parliamentarian Blocking Funds

President Donald Trump attacked Senate Majority Leader John Thune on Truth Social Monday, demanding he fire Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough and accusing her of treating Republicans “horribly” while favoring Democrats. Trump’s post also targeted Senator Mitch McConnell, describing him as “very disloyal” to Thune and claiming McConnell allowed MacDonough to remain in her position to direct “trillions of dollars to the Democrats.” Trump has rarely attacked McConnell during his second term, making this public strike notable.

MacDonough blocked $1 billion in taxpayer funding for Trump’s ballroom project from a budget reconciliation bill, determining it violated the Byrd Rule prohibiting non-budgetary items from passing with a simple majority vote. Trump framed her ruling as evidence of bias, claiming she would have approved the proposal “easily” and that her continued tenure prevents passage of his “SAVE AMERICA ACT.” Trump previously demanded Thune fire MacDonough after she blocked the ballroom funds, threatening Republicans they would be “looking for a job much sooner than you thought possible” if they refused.

McConnell recently contradicted Trump by denouncing his anti-weaponization fund as “morally wrong,” directly criticizing acting Attorney General Todd Blanche for requesting a “slush fund to pay people who assault cops.” McConnell, who announced last year he would not seek reelection, has positioned himself as an occasional check on Trump’s most extreme demands, though he served as Senate leader while MacDonough worked under Democratic leadership and Trump has repeatedly pressured Republicans to remove her.

The demands to remove MacDonough represent Trump’s ongoing pressure on Republican leadership to eliminate institutional guardrails protecting the budget process. MacDonough, appointed during the Obama administration, has functioned as an independent arbiter applying the Byrd Rule to both parties’ proposals. Trump’s insistence that she be replaced with someone “favorable to his agenda” directly attacks the parliamentary independence designed to maintain legislative integrity.

Government watchdog reports show donors to Trump’s ballroom project secured over $50 billion in new or expanded federal contracts within six months, demonstrating the scale of personal enrichment at stake in removing budget constraints. Trump’s personal financial interest in the ballroom funding conflicts directly with his authority over federal spending, yet he demands loyalty from Senate Republicans to override parliamentary safeguards that prevent his self-dealing.(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-takes-a-swing-at-mitch-mcconnell-in-fiery-call-for-gop-to-fire-senate-parliamentarian/)

Trump’s Plan to Meet With AI Companies Was News to AI Companies – NOTUS — News of the United States

President Donald Trump announced Friday he had scheduled a meeting with major artificial intelligence companies to discuss the government acquiring equity stakes in their firms. The announcement blindsided the companies themselves, who learned of the purported meeting only through Trump’s comments to reporters on Air Force One, according to three sources familiar with private deliberations. As of Monday afternoon, the White House had provided no details about timing or location for the supposed meeting.

Trump stated he would meet with “all of the companies” to discuss how “the American people can benefit from the success of AI” through government ownership of “pieces” of their businesses. However, leading AI firms including OpenAI, Anthropic, SpaceX, and Google declined to confirm any scheduled meeting or prior coordination with the administration. The companies’ surprise at Trump’s public announcement underscores his pattern of using press statements to announce policy positions without advance notification to affected parties.

The proposal to nationalize equity in major AI companies would constitute one of the most consequential federal interventions in the private sector in modern history, forcing firms to forfeit billions in company value and creating novel legal and regulatory complications. Trump has already moved to claim equity stakes across American corporations, including a 10% share of Intel, and has signaled intent to execute similar deals. The AI companies face pressure to comply, as they depend on federal government support for logistics and regulatory matters, making direct confrontation with Trump administratively costly.

Internal disagreement exists within the tech industry about the nationalization proposal. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman pitched the idea to Trump in early 2025 and discussed it again with senior officials recently. However, Anthropic, now valued at $900 billion as the world’s most valuable AI company, had not yet engaged in such discussions as of last week. David Sacks, Trump’s former AI czar, publicly opposed the plan, warning that government ownership would accelerate “corporate-government fusion” and risk establishing “a CCP-style social credit system in the U.S.”

Trump’s unannounced equity nationalization scheme demonstrates his authoritarian approach to governing, using public pressure and coercive threats rather than legitimate negotiation. By announcing policy to the press before consulting affected companies, Trump forced firms into a position where resistance becomes publicly visible and administratively risky. The schem(Source: https://www.notus.org/technology/trump-blindsided-ai-companies-equity-meeting-plan)e consolidates Trump’s control over critical technology sectors essential to national defense and economic competition, embodying his drive toward state control of private enterprise.

Trump Pardons Indiana Ex-Congressman Buyer Convicted of Insider Trading

President Trump pardoned Stephen E. Buyer, a former Indiana Republican congressman convicted of insider trading in 2023. Buyer was sentenced to 22 months in prison after being found guilty on four counts of securities fraud for trading stocks based on confidential merger information he obtained through his consulting firm clients. The pardon, dated June 4, was backed by Republican lawmakers including Senators Roger Wicker and Lindsey Graham, and former House Speaker John Boehner.

According to Securities and Exchange Commission complaints, Buyer illegally profited from two separate schemes. In one instance, he purchased $568,000 in Sprint securities after learning of T-Mobile’s planned acquisition from a T-Mobile client, netting over $107,000 when the deal became public. In a second scheme in 2019, he bought more than $1 million in Navigant stock after learning from Guidehouse that it would acquire the competitor, then sold the shares for a profit exceeding $227,000.

Trump’s pardon continues an established pattern of clemency for those convicted of white-collar crimes, spawning what operatives describe as an industry around bringing clemency requests to the president. Since returning to office, Trump has issued dozens of pardons and commutations, many benefiting individuals with financial crimes convictions and apparent political connections.

The pardon drew no public opposition from Republican colleagues despite ongoing congressional debate over insider trading by lawmakers. House Republicans have advanced legislation to restrict stock purchases by members and their relatives, though Democrats have criticized the bill as containing loopholes. Buyer’s legal team did not immediately comment on the pardon.(Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/06/us/politics/trump-pardon-stephen-buyer-insider-trading.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&fbclid=IwdGRjcASRIzJleHRuA2FlbQExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR7k-0KWpsDCYEqbpSok2K4TENvtKwfnqolA_VhQN3IR4N42xkYRW9Dmwk2I1Q_aem_x777XGvvtyUgM0NB-nADwQ)

DOJ argues Trump could ‘bulldoze’ Statue of Liberty during White House ballroom hearing – ABC News

The Justice Department defended the Trump administration’s White House ballroom project before a federal appeals court on Friday, arguing that the judiciary cannot block the construction and that no court could stop the president from demolishing any historic site, including the Statue of Liberty. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit that the project, which has already demolished the White House East Wing and installed over 3 million pounds of steel rebar, cannot be enjoined because moving fast enough prevents plaintiffs from establishing legal standing to challenge government action. When Judge Patricia Millett posed a hypothetical about the Statue of Liberty, Roth acknowledged the same logic applied: if the administration moved quickly enough to demolish it, the injury would become “non-redressable” and no lawsuit could proceed.

Judge Millett rebuked what she termed the administration’s “move fast and break things” approach, questioning whether speed alone could foreclose judicial review. Roth affirmed that doctrine explicitly, stating that rapid action rendering harm impossible to undo eliminates standing. The panel also heard arguments about national security, with Roth framing the ballroom as essential protection for the president against modern threats like drones, though this claim contradicts the statutes the administration initially cited, which authorize only maintenance and upkeep of the White House, not demolition and reconstruction.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation brought the lawsuit to block construction, citing its congressional charter to protect historic sites. Judge Millett appeared skeptical of the government’s position that the organization lacked standing, noting that Alison Hoagland, a National Trust board member involved in the case, had a legitimate interest in preserving the architectural integrity of the White House complex. Trump attacked Hoagland directly overnight in response to her courtroom testimony about the harm the ballroom would cause to historic design principles.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon had halted construction in late March, finding Trump exceeded his authority in authorizing the ballroom. However, the appeals panel administratively stayed Leon’s order on April 17, allowing work to continue while the court considered the case. During oral arguments, Judges Bradley Garcia and Neomi Rao questioned whether the statutes cited by the administration actually granted the president power to demolish and replace structures, with Garcia noting the relevant law permits only maintenance, not improvements or reconstruction.

The case hinges on whether Trump possesses unilateral authority to modify the White House complex without congressional approval and whether courts retain power to review such decisions. The administration’s theory that rapid execution of government(Source: https://abcnews.com/amp/US/appeals-court-hear-arguments-trumps-ballroom-plans-continue/story?id=133589066) projects eliminates judicial oversight entirely represents an unprecedented assertion of executive immunity from legal challenge, one the appellate panel appeared divided on accepting.

Donors won $50B in contracts after giving to Trump ballroom project, report says – The Washington Post

More than half of the identified donors to President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project secured new or expanded federal contracts totaling over $50 billion within six months, according to a government watchdog report released Thursday. The pattern demonstrates Trump’s systematic use of federal procurement to reward financial backers, directly linking private donations to government spending decisions that benefit the donors themselves.

Trump’s ballroom project, housed in the White House East Wing, has become a vehicle for channeling taxpayer money to his political allies. The $50 billion in contracts awarded to ballroom donors represents a direct return on investment for those who funded the construction, establishing a quid pro quo arrangement between private contributions and federal contracts that contradicts basic principles of competitive procurement.

The watchdog group’s findings document how Trump weaponizes federal contracting authority to consolidate loyalty and enrich his network. This contracting pattern follows Trump’s demand that Senate Majority Leader John Thune fire Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough after she blocked $1 billion in taxpayer funding for the ballroom project from a budget reconciliation bill, indicating Trump’s willingness to attack institutional independence when it impedes his financial interests.

Trump has repeatedly misrepresented the ballroom project’s cost and scope. While Trump claimed the $400 million project would be completed ahead of schedule and under budget, Senate Republicans simultaneously requested $1 billion in additional taxpayer security funding tied to the construction, exposing the gap between Trump’s public statements and the actual financial burden on taxpayers.

The $50 billion in contracts awarded to ballroom donors exemplifies how Trump transforms the executive branch into a personal enrichment apparatus. By funneling federal money to those who fund his projects, Trump corrupts the procurement process, ensures absolute loyalty through financial dependency, and establishes the institutional mechanisms necessary for perpetuating his control beyond a single term.(Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/06/04/donors-won-50b-contracts-after-giving-trump-ballroom-project-report-says/)

Trump announces new coal export terminal in Oakland – Los Angeles Times

President Trump invoked the Defense Production Act on June 4, 2026, to direct nearly $700 million in federal funding toward coal infrastructure, including $75 million for a new coal export terminal at Oakland’s decommissioned Army Base. The funding will upgrade 13 existing coal plants nationwide, construct two new plants in Alaska and West Virginia, and restart a shuttered Maryland facility, with coal exports from the Oakland terminal expected to begin in summer 2028 at volumes exceeding 12 million tons annually.

Trump justified the investment as essential to national security and lowering energy costs, citing rising electricity expenses tied to artificial intelligence data center demand. Energy Secretary Chris Wright claimed the terminal would strengthen U.S. energy security and supply chains, exporting coal to allied nations including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Malaysia. However, residential electricity bills have increased nearly 11 percent since Trump returned to office in January 2025, contradicting claims that coal investment reduces costs.

Environmental and energy experts documented that the policy will increase, not decrease, utility bills and air pollution. The nonpartisan Energy Innovation report found 99 percent of U.S. coal plants are now more expensive to operate than replacement with local solar, wind, or energy storage. Margaret Gordon of the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project criticized the project as unconscionable given that state and local regulators have spent millions reducing emissions in an area already experiencing disproportionate pollution from port and industrial operations.

Coal combustion generates approximately 40 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions from fuel combustion and is a major driver of air pollution, releasing fine particles harmful to respiratory and cardiovascular health. Trump’s EPA weakened mercury and toxic air emission limits from coal plants in February 2026. Local opposition groups, including San Francisco Baykeeper and Sierra Club San Francisco Bay, announced plans to challenge the project in court, disputing whether coal export infrastructure qualifies as critical national defense infrastructure under the Defense Production Act and whether the federal spending represents proper use of taxpayer funds.

The Oakland terminal revives a decade-long battle over West Coast coal exports. Trump has simultaneously threatened to illegally cut billions in federal funding to California and other Democratic states, creating a pattern of weaponizing federal resources to punish jurisdictions that oppose his priorities. The project demonstrates Trump’s use of emergency powers and public funds to sustain failing fossil fuel industries while blocking renewable en(Source: https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2026-06-04/trump-invokes-emergency-powers-to-invest-700-million-in-coal-including-new-export-terminal-in-california)ergy investment.

‘Some homework to do’: Trump appointees vote to address gaps in arch plan in heated meeting – ABC News

Trump’s National Capital Planning Commission, stacked with his appointees, voted Thursday to conditionally advance a 250-foot “triumphal arch” project near Arlington National Cemetery, but only after staff identified significant gaps requiring the administration to provide additional details before final approval. Commission Chair Will Scharf, Trump’s White House staff secretary, acknowledged the project team has “homework to do,” requesting more renderings and technical information on lighting, stormwater management, materials, and height justification under the Height of Buildings Act. Despite Trump immediately claiming approval on social media, Scharf clarified the vote was not final and will return for further review.

The commission received 1,696 public comments before the hearing, nearly all opposing the project as a vanity structure inconsistent with American values. Veterans including Gary Langston and Marine Jimi Shaughnessy testified that the arch would obstruct views of Arlington National Cemetery and cast literal and figurative shadows over sacred ground where their families rest. Langston warned the design contains “elements that I fear won’t stand the test of time,” while Shaughnessy called the 250-foot structure “a profound disruption and insult at the entrance to sacred ground” and “a momentous symbol of selfishness.”

Commission staff, though outnumbered by Trump loyalists, raised critical unresolved issues including pedestrian safety, potential interference with Reagan National Airport flight paths, and obstruction of cemetery views. Jamie Herr, the commission’s urban planner, stated the submission lacks essential information and noted the administration must provide “necessary elements for the commission to review as the design advances.” Jessica Bowron, representing Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, supported the staff recommendations and pledged to provide the requested additional information.

The vote to accept staff concerns passed 9-1, with only Evan Cash, representing D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson, voting no on grounds that the administration cannot answer the “fundamental question about why this project belongs in this place.” Cash’s dissent highlighted the threshold issue: whether Trump’s triumphal arch near Arlington serves any purpose beyond personal aggrandizement, part of a broader pattern of Trump spending millions to gild and renovate Washington monuments while bypassing normal oversight processes.(Source: https://abcnews.com/Politics/homework-trump-appointees-vote-address-gaps-arch-plan/story?id=133600719)

HHS Employees Now Being Measured By Loyalty To Trump’s Policies | HuffPost Latest News

The Trump administration has implemented a new performance metric at the Department of Health and Human Services requiring tens of thousands of employees to demonstrate they "clearly and demonstrably support implementation" of Trump's policy agenda as a "critical element" of their annual reviews. The requirement, titled "Faithful Support of Administration of the Law and the President's Policies," mandates that Senior Professionals prove loyalty to Trump's specific policy priorities through measurable results aligned with his agenda, fundamentally inverting the merit-based civil service system designed to serve the public rather than any individual.

Federal employees are statutorily required to serve the government and public interest, not pledge allegiance to any president's policies. HHS workers report the requirement creates fear and coercion, with one employee stating employees must "go along to get along" or face termination, effectively forcing compliance under threat of job loss. The Office of Personnel Management directed all federal agencies to adopt similar language following Trump's January executive order "Restoring Accountability for Career Senior Executives," making this loyalty assessment government-wide policy.

The mandate threatens the independence of HHS's Office of the Inspector General, which operates independently to identify waste, fraud, and abuse across the department. Employees in this office now face a direct conflict between the loyalty requirement and their legal mandate to expose wrongdoing, regardless of whether it implicates Trump administration policies. Trump terminated all 18 inspectors general across federal agencies within weeks of taking office, and this new performance standard consolidates his control by subordinating their investigative function to political loyalty.

Stanford presidential scholar Terry Moe identified the requirement as part of Trump's systematic assault on the administrative state, stating the administration aims to replace merit-based civil servants with loyalists throughout the executive branch. Moe emphasized this policy "flies in the face of the entire foundation of civil service, which is merit." The requirement transforms federal workers into political operatives bound to advance Trump's agenda rather than neutral administrators applying law and expertise to serve citizens.

HHS employees remain under additional pressure from ongoing government shutdown furloughs and widespread job uncertainty as Trump carries out sweeping workforce cuts. One employee expressed the cascading effect: the loyalty requirement compounds existing morale collapse, with staff unable to predict or prepare for daily directives while fearing retaliation for dissent. The policy structurally eliminates the ability of federal workers to voice concerns or apply professional judgment independent of Trump's political priorities.

(Source: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hhs-employees-trump-loyalty-performance-reviews_n_68ffa3b7e4b0ebfddfbaf88c)

Trump Attacks CNN’s Collins as Hateful During Oval Office Press

During an Oval Office question-and-answer session on Wednesday, President Trump attacked CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins while discussing his abandoned "Anti-Weaponization fund," a Department of Justice initiative he had claimed would address alleged persecution of his supporters. Trump stated that people aligned with him were "weaponized by the Biden administration" and destroyed through prosecutions, then pivoted to attack Collins directly, describing her as someone with "hatred in her eyes" who "never smiles" and opposing his administration's policies on borders, military strength, and tax cuts.

Trump's assault on Collins exemplifies his pattern of weaponizing the presidency against critical press coverage. His rhetoric conflates legitimate law enforcement actions, including the execution of a lawful search warrant at his Mar-a-Lago residence, with fabricated claims of persecution. He accused CNN of being "crooked as hell" and "a very corrupt organization," extending his long-standing campaign to delegitimize independent journalism and undermine public trust in factual reporting.

The attack on Collins as an individual, focusing on her appearance and emotional expression rather than her reporting, demonstrates Trump's reliance on personal intimidation to silence critical inquiry. CNN responded by defending Collins as "an exceptional journalist" whose reporting from the White House and field maintains credibility with global audiences. This incident reflects Trump's broader assault on the free press as a counter-majoritarian check on executive power.

Trump's invocation of his electoral performance, claiming he "won 87% of the counties" and won by a "massive landslide," continued his pattern of inflating his political mandate to justify authoritarian governance. He framed border enforcement, military expansion, and tax cuts for his interests as popular mandates while dismissing press scrutiny as motivated by hatred rather than professional responsibility, attempting to redefine journalism itself as an enemy of the state.

The incident underscores how Trump exploits the presidency to punish media outlets and individual journalists for coverage he views as unfavorable. By using the Oval Office as a platform for personal attacks against a reporter doing her job, Trump normalizes the conflation of political opposition with disloyalty and redefines the scope of acceptable presidential conduct in ways consistent with authoritarian governance models.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/hatred-in-her-eyes-trump-suddenly-starts-berating-cnns-kaitlan-collins-during-fiery-oval-office-qa/)

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