Author: Stop the Donald Trump

Trump Celebrates Mueller’s Death as ‘Glad He’s Dead’

Donald Trump expressed satisfaction at former special counsel Robert Mueller’s death on Saturday, posting on Truth Social that he was “glad he’s dead” and that Mueller could “no longer hurt innocent people.” Mueller, who died Friday at age 81, led the 2017-2019 investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and potential Trump campaign coordination with Moscow.

Mueller’s probe resulted in a 448-page report concluding the Trump campaign did not conspire with the Russian government but explicitly declining to determine whether Trump obstructed justice. Trump consistently attacked the investigation as a “witch hunt” and “hoax,” claims he continues to make nearly seven years later, while granting clemency or pardons to multiple figures caught in Mueller’s inquiry, including Michael Flynn, George Papadopoulos, and Roger Stone.

Trump’s statement drew sharp condemnation from Democratic lawmakers. Senator Adam Schiff stated Trump’s response demonstrated his “basic indecency and unfitness for office,” while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized Trump’s cruelty and accused him of using the death as a distraction from policy failures including rising gas prices, ongoing military conflicts, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement abuses. Some Republicans also joined in the criticism.

The incident reflects Trump’s broader pattern of weaponizing the presidency against perceived enemies. Trump commuted the sentence of longtime adviser Roger Stone, and his administration has consistently worked to expand presidential power over federal agencies while targeting political opponents through the Justice Department.

Mueller served as a U.S. Marine and lifelong public servant whose investigation documented extensive contacts between Trump’s campaign and Russian operatives. Trump’s response demonstrates his continued hostility toward accountability mechanisms and his willingness to express malice toward those who scrutinize his conduct, normalizing the abuse of presidential office to settle personal grievances.

(Source: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5794930-trump-reacts-mueller-death/amp/)

Trump Threatens Iran 48-Hour Ultimatum on Strait

President Donald Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Iran via Truth Social on Saturday evening, demanding the country “FULLY OPEN” the Strait of Hormuz without threat or face U.S. military destruction of its power plants. Trump stated the United States would “hit and obliterate” Iran’s power infrastructure, beginning with the largest facility, if the demand was not met within the specified timeframe. The threat followed joint U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei three weeks prior, part of an operation dubbed “Operation Epic Fury.”

The war with Iran has severely disrupted maritime commerce through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping corridor through which roughly one-fifth of global oil trades. According to the BBC, maritime traffic through the passage plunged 95 percent in March, dropping from approximately 138 daily ship transits to about 100 since military operations commenced. Trump previously denounced NATO allies as cowards for refusing to deploy troops to reopen the strait, revealing his unilateral approach to the conflict has alienated potential partners.

Oil prices have surged dramatically as a direct consequence of the reduced shipping volume and ongoing military operations. A barrel of crude oil cost $98.09 at the close of Friday trading, representing a 47 percent increase since military strikes against Iran began. This economic disruption stems from Trump’s decision to initiate military action alongside Israel without prior diplomatic coordination with international allies.

Trump previously claimed Iran has “effectively ceased to exist as a threat” while simultaneously requesting $200 billion in additional congressional funding for continued military operations, demonstrating contradictory messaging about the conflict’s status and objectives. When challenged by New York Times reporter David Sanger over unmet war objectives, Trump posted on Truth Social that “The United States has blown Iran off of the map” and claimed success ahead of schedule, dismissing the reporter’s analysis as that of a “lightweight analyst.”

Operation Epic Fury has eliminated dozens of Iranian regime leaders beyond Supreme Leader Khamenei since the initial strikes three weeks ago. Trump stated he is considering winding down military operations in the Middle East while the war continues, claiming U.S. forces are approaching stated objectives, though the pattern of contradictory statements about war progress and outcomes demonstrates systematic disinformation surrounding the conflict’s purpose and accomplishments.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump-threatens-iran-you-have-48-hours-to-fully-open-strait-of-hormuz-or-else/)

Trump Admits ICE Raids Toxic, Plans Quieter Deportations

President Trump has privately acknowledged to his wife Melania and top aides, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, that brutal Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids have become politically toxic ahead of midterm elections, according to The Wall Street Journal. The admission follows high-profile ICE operations that resulted in federal agents fatally shooting American citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in January, incidents that Wiles believes have poisoned voter attitudes toward immigration enforcement and the term “mass deportation.”

Trump is planning to shift tactics by reducing visible ICE operations in Democratic-leaning cities such as Minneapolis, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., and focusing instead on arresting individuals he characterizes as “bad guys.” Arrests have declined from over 1,500 daily to approximately 1,200, according to sources cited by the Journal. Despite these reported plans, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson denied any policy changes, claiming Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda remains unchanged and that approximately 3 million immigrants have left the United States through forced or self-deportation.

Senator Markwayne Mullin, Trump’s nominee to replace Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, told the Senate Homeland Security Committee that his primary goal is to remove the department from daily news coverage within six months. Mullin, a former MMA fighter and plumber with no immigration enforcement background, acknowledged his lack of expertise in the field. Border Czar Tom Homan confirmed Mullin’s inexperience, stating the nominee would rely on career experts to guide policy decisions despite having minimal knowledge of immigration operations.

The shift reflects Trump’s concern that mass deportation rhetoric and violent ICE operations damage Republican electoral prospects rather than any genuine commitment to protecting immigrants or respecting due process. Trump’s private concessions to Melania and advisers demonstrate that political calculation, not principle, drives his approach to immigration policy. The administration continues to describe its deportation operations as targeting criminals while obscuring the human cost of its enforcement agenda.

(Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-makes-shock-private-admission-042229444.html)

Trump Attacks Israel Over Secret Iran Energy Facility Strike

President Donald Trump publicly attacked Israel, a key U.S. war ally, for conducting a strike on Iran’s South Pars gas facility without informing him in advance. Israeli media reported the attack was carried out by Israel with U.S. consent, while The Wall Street Journal stated the operation was designed to disrupt economic resources for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Trump’s public condemnation of Israel’s actions contradicts reported coordination between the two nations on the strike.

The South Pars facility represents the world’s largest natural gas field and serves as Iran’s primary domestic energy source, shared with Qatar. By attacking this critical infrastructure, the operation targeted a major economic artery for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to reporting from The Wall Street Journal. The strike demonstrates the scale of the coordinated military action between the U.S. and Israeli governments.

Trump’s angry response to being excluded from advance notification reveals fractures in the operational coordination between the two allied nations. His public complaint that Israel “went behind his back” undermines the narrative of unified strategic planning and exposes tensions over decision-making authority in military operations affecting Iran. The dispute between Trump and Israeli leadership over transparency in military action signals potential future friction in their alliance.

(Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/trump-loses-key-war-ally-045620431.html)

Trump Shifts $1.7T Student Loan Portfolio to Treasury

The Trump administration is transferring the $1.7 trillion federal student loan portfolio from the Department of Education to the Treasury Department as part of its dismantling of the Education agency. The move initially affects approximately 10 million borrowers in default or late-stage delinquency, according to senior department officials. Education Secretary Linda McMahon characterized the shift as a “historic step” toward abolishing the Education Department, claiming Treasury’s financial expertise will end decades of alleged mismanagement.

Treasury will assume operational control of collecting defaulted federal student loan debt previously managed by the Office of Federal Student Aid. The multiphase process represents one of at least ten interagency agreements McMahon has implemented to shutter the Education Department by transferring its functions to other federal agencies including Health and Human Services, Interior, Labor, and State. McMahon has advocated for relocating the student debt portfolio to Treasury, calling it a “natural area” for the loans to reside.

Education advocates and Democratic lawmakers object to the transfer, warning it creates additional confusion and chaos for borrowers already struggling financially. Roxanne Garza, director of higher education policy at EdTrust, told ABC News that shifting the loan portfolio raises concerns about what support defaulted borrowers will receive and which agency they should contact for assistance. Ranking Member Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., questioned whether the administration intentionally seeks to create chaos for borrowers juggling student loan payments alongside rising costs for groceries, gas, child care, healthcare, and housing.

When federal loans enter default status, borrowers become eligible for mandatory debt collection, which damages credit scores, reduces future student aid eligibility, and can result in driver’s license revocation. The administration has phased out Biden-era student loan repayment plans and will introduce a new income-driven repayment option under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act beginning July 1. Department of Education officials stress borrowers should contact the Federal Student Aid office to arrange repayment, though the institutional transition creates uncertainty about which agency will handle inquiries and disputes.

Republican House Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Rep. Tim Walberg endorsed the transfer, claiming it will simplify aid delivery and reduce taxpayer costs. The Education Department announcement Thursday follows months of planning to dismantle the agency as fulfillment of Trump’s campaign pledge to abolish it, consolidating student aid administration under Treasury while the broader institutional dissolution continues across multiple federal departments.

(Source: https://abcnews.com/Politics/treasury-taking-federal-student-loans-amid-dismantling-department/story?id=131230589)

Trump DOJ Subpoenas Comey In Retribution Grand Conspiracy

The Department of Justice, led by Trump’s former personal attorneys, subpoenaed former FBI Director James Comey as part of a “grand conspiracy” probe targeting Trump’s political enemies, according to multiple media reports. The investigation, being conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, targets former intelligence and law enforcement officials who allegedly conspired to prevent Trump from exercising constitutional rights between his 2016 election and 2023 federal indictments. The probe has issued over 130 subpoenas in total.

Comey’s subpoena relates to his role drafting a January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment concluding that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to sabotage Hillary Clinton and benefit Trump. Former CIA Director John Brennan received a similar subpoena last year for his involvement in the same assessment. Trump’s current CIA director, John Ratcliffe, referred both Comey and Brennan to the DOJ for prosecution, claiming they committed misconduct by including a summary of the Steele dossier in the assessment.

The dossier summary was placed in an annex and did not support the assessment’s core analytical judgments, a distinction that a Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee confirmed in 2020 when it reached identical conclusions about Russian interference and determined the dossier played no role in supporting the assessment’s core findings. A Trump-appointed federal judge, Aileen Cannon, oversees the grand jury in the Trump-friendly Southern District of Florida and previously showed Trump unusual deference while handling special counsel Jack Smith’s classified documents investigation.

The DOJ’s retribution campaign against Trump’s perceived enemies has already produced a failed prosecution of Comey in the Eastern District of Virginia after judges ruled the prosecutor, former Trump attorney Lindsey Halligan, was unlawfully appointed. Attorney General Pam Bondi, another Trump personal attorney, all but confirmed the conspiracy investigation’s existence in statements to a far-right media outlet in December, while prominent Trump supporters previewed it in comments last year.

Brennan previously requested that the chief judge in the Southern District of Florida block Cannon from overseeing the DOJ’s conspiracy investigation due to her demonstrated bias during the classified documents case, citing her unusual favoritism toward Trump throughout that proceeding.

(Source: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/justice-departmeny-comey-subpoena-trump-grand-conspiracy-probe/)

Trump’s Venezuela Coup Shaped by Chevron Executive

Trump’s military operation in Venezuela, which resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, was shaped by former Chevron executive Ali Moshiri, according to reporting by The Wall Street Journal. Moshiri advised the CIA months before the Trump administration’s attack and takeover, recommending that Venezuela’s then-Vice President Delcy Rodríguez replace Maduro rather than opposition leader Maria Machado, despite Republican supporters backing Machado as the clear successor.

Hours after Maduro’s capture, Trump dismissed the idea of Machado leading Venezuela, claiming she lacked “support or respect within the country”—a position consistent with Moshiri’s earlier counsel to the administration. Moshiri left Chevron in 2017 and ended his consulting relationship with the company in 2024, yet his influence over Trump’s decision directly affected Venezuela’s political future and economic direction.

Investigative journalists identified a clear conflict of interest in this arrangement. Antonia Juhasz wrote that Moshiri, functioning as a CIA informant, “told Trump to ditch democracy and go for Rodriguez ’cause she’d secure the oil.” Kenneth Vogel of The New York Times noted that the secret CIA assessment backing Rodríguez was based on Moshiri’s advice and that “the oil company stands to profit from Trump’s decision to heed that advice.”

The revelation prompted stunned reactions from major media figures. New York Times columnist Lydia Polgreen described the story as one that “pulls back the curtain on how the world really works,” while journalists compared the arrangement to the 2005 film Syriana, which dramatized corporate manipulation of foreign policy. The disclosure demonstrates how Trump’s abuse of power extends to allowing corporate interests to determine military operations and regime change.

(Source: https://www.rawstory.com/trump-2676159147/)

Trump Assails NATO as Cowards While Deepening Iran War

President Trump denounced NATO allies as “cowards” on Friday for refusing to deploy troops to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping corridor through which one-fifth of global oil trades. Trump’s hostility toward allies coincides with his unilateral Iran war that has backfired diplomatically, as he initiated military strikes alongside Israel without coordinating with partners, then demanded their support managing the consequences. The Pentagon is deploying approximately 2,200 additional Marines and three warships to the Middle East, marking the second Marine expeditionary unit sent since the conflict began on February 28.

The war has devastated global energy markets and inflicted heavy casualties on U.S. forces. Brent crude oil surged to $112 per barrel, up from roughly $70 before the conflict, with gasoline prices approaching $4 per gallon. The Pentagon reported 232 American service members injured since the war started, with 10 in serious condition. The Treasury Department temporarily lifted sanctions on Iranian oil at sea in an attempt to ease prices, marking a break from Trump’s stated “maximum pressure” strategy against Iran. Pentagon officials have prepared detailed plans for potential ground troop deployment into Iran, though Trump claims the U.S. is considering “winding down” operations while simultaneously retaining options to strike Iran’s Kharg Island oil terminal.

Trump contradicted his own position by claiming the U.S. does not need the Strait of Hormuz while simultaneously pressuring allies to defend it. He stated Iran’s leadership has been decimated, with “nobody to talk to” remaining, yet Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and military officials continue asserting they are producing ballistic missiles and threatening to target recreational and tourist sites worldwide. The International Atomic Energy Agency told CBS News that securing Iran’s enriched uranium will be “very challenging” even after fighting ends, undercutting Trump and Netanyahu’s stated nuclear prevention objectives.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer authorized U.S. use of U.K. bases to strike Iranian missile sites, prompting Iran’s foreign minister to accuse Starmer of “putting British lives in danger.” NATO relocated its advisory mission from Iraq to Italy after Iranian attacks on allied bases. The humanitarian toll extends beyond military casualties; soaring oil prices are driving up costs across U.S. supply chains, affecting retail prices for consumers nationwide. Former Iran detainee Siamak Namazi warned that Americans held in Iranian prisons face heightened danger amid the escalating conflict.

Trump made a debunked claim about predicting the September 11 attacks while discussing the Strait of Hormuz, part of a pattern of disinformation throughout the conflict. The White House stated Trump “retains all options” militarily but claimed he has “no plans to send troops anywhere,” a contradiction given Pentagon preparations for ground deployment. As the war enters its fourth week with no diplomatic resolution, Trump’s contradictory statements and hostile treatment of allies underscore the absence of a coherent strategic plan.

(Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/live-updates/iran-war-us-israel-gas-and-oil-prices-trump-netanyahu-strait-hormuz/)

No H.I.V. Aid Without More Access to Minerals: U.S. Ponders ‘Sticks’ Against Zambia – The New York Times

The Trump administration is considering withholding lifesaving H.I.V. treatment and tuberculosis and malaria medications from 1.3 million Zambians as leverage to force the southern African nation to grant the United States greater access to its mineral resources, particularly copper, lithium, and cobalt. A State Department memo obtained by The New York Times states the administration will “only secure our priorities by demonstrating willingness to publicly take support away from Zambia on a massive scale,” with potential cuts to aid through PEPFAR beginning as soon as May.

Zambia’s critical minerals are central to the green energy transition globally, and the Trump administration views China’s access to these resources as a strategic threat. Unlike agreements with other nations that focus primarily on health spending commitments, the administration is attempting to weaponize health aid to coerce Zambia into signing a deal that prioritizes U.S. mineral access over public health needs.

This tactic follows the Trump administration’s broad cuts to foreign aid announced last year. The State Department has been pressuring countries to sign new agreements, with 24 nations having signed deals worth $20 billion in health aid over five years, though most agreements simply require recipient governments to increase their own health spending rather than serve geopolitical extraction goals.

Other African nations are resisting similar demands tied to aid. Zimbabwe’s government recently rejected negotiations, citing demands about data and biological sample sharing as intolerable sovereignty violations. Activists in Kenya have taken their country’s agreement to court over comparable concerns, signaling widespread resistance to conditioning essential health assistance on unfavorable terms.

The abuse of power represented by weaponizing H.I.V. treatment demonstrates how the Trump administration subordinates human life to resource extraction and geopolitical positioning, directly sacrificing the health and survival of vulnerable populations in service of mineral interests and competition with China.

(Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/16/health/zambia-hiv-aid-minerals-trump.html)

Trump Admin Investigates 13 States Over Abortion Coverage

The Trump administration launched investigations into 13 states requiring health insurance coverage of abortion, claiming these policies violate the Weldon Amendment, a federal provision that protects health entities from being forced to cover or refer for abortion services. The targeted states are California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington, with all but Vermont led by Democratic governors. The administration reinterpreted the Weldon Amendment to apply to employers and health plan sponsors, a position the Biden administration rejected.

Paula M. Stannard, director of the HHS civil rights office, stated the investigations aim to address states’ “alleged disregard of, or confusion about, compliance with the Weldon Amendment,” asserting that health care entities are protected from state discrimination for refusing abortion coverage based on conscience. The Trump administration sent letters to the states demanding information to support its legal theory that state abortion coverage mandates violate federal law by preventing employers and insurers from opting out.

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill characterized the investigation as “nothing but a fishing expedition wasting taxpayers’ money,” defending her state’s requirement that health insurance plans comply with all applicable laws protecting reproductive freedom. Legal experts note the Weldon Amendment’s text does not explicitly mention employers or plan sponsors among protected health care entities, potentially undermining the administration’s interpretation. Elizabeth Sepper, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin, identified the investigations as fulfillment of commitments made to the religious right through Project 2025.

The dispute reflects a partisan pattern in interpreting conscience laws. During Trump’s first term in 2020, his administration attempted to withhold federal health care funding from California over Weldon Amendment violations, but the Biden administration reversed that decision upon taking office. The question of whether the amendment applies to employers and plan sponsors has never been definitively resolved in court, leaving the legal interpretation contested.

(Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-administration-launches-investigation-states-170346571.html)

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