Author: Stop the Donald Trump

Trump Accused of Denying Aid For Flood Victims to Punish Dem

President Trump denied federal disaster assistance to Colorado on Saturday night following devastating wildfires and flooding that affected the state in fall 2025, triggering accusations he weaponized aid to punish Democratic Governor Jared Polis. Governor Polis stated Trump was “playing political games” and announced Colorado would appeal the decision, noting that both disasters exceeded FEMA criteria for major presidential disaster declarations under the Stafford Act.

Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) directly accused Trump of weaponizing disaster relief, calling the denial “malicious and obscene” and stating that Trump “continues to use Coloradans for political games.” Bennet vowed to exhaust all available avenues to reverse the decision alongside Governor Polis and the Colorado delegation.

The White House offered no specific justification for denying aid but claimed the administration “responds to each request for Federal assistance under the Stafford Act with great care and consideration.” Spokesperson Abigail Jackson asserted there was “no politicization to the President’s decisions on disaster relief,” citing Trump’s mobilization of aerial firefighting resources during the actual fire response.

Trump had attacked Governor Polis the previous week over his refusal to release Tina Peters, a former county clerk convicted of tampering with voting machines to leak voter data. Peters is a Trump supporter who claimed to be acting on Trump’s 2020 election fraud allegations; Trump issued a pardon for Peters this month that carried no legal effect since she was not convicted in federal court.

Trump has a documented pattern of withholding or delaying federal funds to states and cities governed by Democratic officials, including Virginia and Maryland earlier in 2025, establishing a practice of conditioning disaster aid on political alignment.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/malicious-and-obscene-senator-accuses-trump-of-withholding-help-for-states-flood-and-fire-victims-to-punish-dem-governor/)

Trump Called His Twitter The Modern-Day Gettysburg Address

During a White House tour with Fox News anchor Jesse Watters, President Donald Trump compared his Twitter account to Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, claiming it represented the modern-day equivalent of the historic 1863 speech. Watters recounted the exchange at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday, stating Trump said “some people say my Twitter account is the modern-day equivalent of the Gettysburg Address” while standing next to the glass-encased original document. Watters responded by questioning whether Trump meant “some people, meaning you,” drawing laughter from the crowd.

The comparison exemplifies Trump’s pattern of inflating his own significance through false historical analogies. Trump previously falsely claimed the “fake news” media of Lincoln’s era “excoriated” the Gettysburg Address, a fabrication unsupported by historical evidence. In 2024, Trump also stated he had “done more for the Black individual” than Lincoln, further demonstrating his pattern of positioning himself as equivalent to or superior to one of America’s most revered leaders.

The tour included Fox News personalities Sebastian Gorka and Stuart Varney, and Watters revealed that Trump intended to take a Claude Monet painting—formerly belonging to Jackie Kennedy—from the White House when departing. Watters stated he advised Trump against removing the artwork, though Trump’s response was not disclosed.

Lincoln’s 272-word address, delivered at the Battle of Gettysburg battlefield in Pennsylvania, honored Union soldiers killed in combat and articulated a vision of democratic governance enduring “that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Trump’s social media posts, by contrast, are archived by the National Archives and Records Administration as official presidential records.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump/trump-called-his-twitter-posts-the-modern-day-equivalent-of-the-gettysburg-address/)

Outrage and legal threats: Trump justice department slammed after limited Epstein files release | Jeffrey Epstein | The Guardian

Trump’s justice department released a limited, heavily redacted batch of Jeffrey Epstein files on Friday, violating the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which mandated near-complete disclosure by December 19 with only narrow exemptions for ongoing investigations, national security, and victim protection. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump’s former criminal defense lawyer, announced in advance that the department would withhold documents and release materials piecemeal over weeks, directly contradicting the law’s requirements.

Representative Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, the bipartisan co-authors of the transparency legislation, publicly condemned the release as non-compliant. Khanna stated they are exploring all legal options, including possible impeachment of justice department officials, finding them in contempt of Congress, and referring obstructionists for prosecution. Massie emphasized that future administrations could prosecute current Attorney General Pam Bondi and others, as the transparency act’s obligations do not expire with Congressional sessions.

At least 16 files disappeared from the justice department’s public webpage without explanation, including a photograph showing Trump alongside Epstein, Melania Trump, and Ghislaine Maxwell inside a drawer. House Democrats noted the removal of this image and questioned what else was being withheld, demanding transparency.

Democrats across both chambers condemned the rollout. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Robert Garcia called the release a coverup, with Ocasio-Cortez demanding Bondi’s resignation. The House oversight committee Democrats, led by Garcia and Jamie Raskin, stated Trump’s administration is violating federal law by continuing to conceal facts about Epstein’s sex trafficking operation and announced they are examining all legal options.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said the release violated both the transparency law’s spirit and letter, pledging to pursue every option to ensure the truth emerges. The justice department defended itself on social media, claiming no politically exposed persons were redacted and pointing to released Clinton photographs as proof of compliance, despite the law’s explicit mandate for comprehensive disclosure absent narrow statutory exceptions.

(Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/20/trump-justice-department-legal-threats-epstein-files-release)

US seizes second vessel off Venezuelan after Trump’s blockade threat, reports say | The Independent

The United States Coast Guard seized the Panama-flagged tanker Centuries off the coast of Barbados in the Caribbean Sea, marking the second vessel confiscated in recent weeks as part of Trump’s blockade of Venezuelan oil. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated the Coast Guard would “continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco terrorism in the region,” though legal experts dispute the justification for seizing unsanctioned vessels.

Jeremy Paner, a former U.S. Treasury Department sanctions investigator, directly contradicted Trump’s stated policy by confirming the Centuries had not been sanctioned by the United States. Paner stated the seizure of an unsanctioned vessel “marks a further increase in Trump’s pressure on Venezuela” and “runs counter to Trump’s statement that the U.S. would impose a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers,” exposing the operation’s scope beyond its stated legal framework.

The Centuries carried 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan crude bound for China under a false vessel name and was part of a shadow fleet designed to evade sanctions. Since Trump’s first tanker seizure last week, Venezuelan crude exports have collapsed sharply, with an effective embargo forcing loaded vessels to remain in Venezuelan waters rather than risk confiscation, despite many not being under U.S. sanctions.

Trump’s military campaign against Venezuela has killed at least 100 people through more than two dozen strikes on vessels in the Pacific and Caribbean, with announced plans for imminent land operations. Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro contends the military buildup aims to overthrow his government and seize the nation’s vast oil reserves, the world’s largest crude deposits.

The seizure strategy contradicts international law governing unsanctioned vessels and exposes economic objectives beyond counter-narcotics claims. If the blockade persists, the loss of nearly one million barrels daily will drive global oil prices higher, shifting market leverage and destabilizing energy markets while demonstrating Trump’s use of military and economic coercion to control foreign governments and resources.

(Source: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/us-seizing-vessel-venezuela-trump-blockade-oil-tanker-b2888347.html)

‘We have to do something about it!’: Trump unleashes bizarre underwear rant at rally

President Donald Trump delivered a rally speech in Rocky Mount, North Carolina on Friday, during which he continued promoting the false claim that the 2020 election was “rigged” and attacked the 2022 FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago resort. Trump spent an extended portion of his remarks describing in detail how FBI agents allegedly disturbed First Lady Melania Trump’s underwear drawer during the search, claiming her undergarments were “folded perfect, wrapped” and “steamed” before agents left them “a mess” and “all over the place.”

Trump characterized the FBI search as an attack by “thugs” and stated “We have all the evidence now. We have to do something about it! It’s illegal, and it’s disgusting.” He offered no substantiation for claims that agents intentionally disarranged his wife’s belongings or that the search itself was unlawful. The 2022 search was conducted pursuant to a court-authorized warrant related to classified documents removed from the White House.

The speech, which extended nearly 90 minutes, saw rallygoers begin departing after the one-hour mark, with attendees visible on live feeds leaving the stage as Trump continued speaking. Trump asserted without evidence that “If I didn’t get elected, our country would be ruined” and declared the United States is currently “the greatest country in the world” and “the hottest.”

Trump’s focus on the intimate details of his wife’s clothing storage reflects a pattern of digressing into grievances unrelated to policy or governance. His repeated promotion of the debunked stolen election narrative, combined with the fixation on personal complaints about the lawful FBI search, demonstrates a continued absence of substantive messaging.

(Source: https://www.rawstory.com/you-have-not-heard-the-last-of-that-trump-revisits-old-claims-in-rambling-rally-speech/)

Trump: ‘I Hereby Give Myself $1 Billion’ in Taxpayer Money

President Donald Trump announced at a North Carolina rally that he is demanding the U.S. government pay him $1 billion in settlement of a lawsuit he filed against the Department of Justice. Trump claimed he would give the money to charity, then contradicted himself by suggesting he might keep it.

In October 2024, the New York Times reported Trump had filed administrative claims demanding $230 million from the DOJ as compensation for federal investigations into his activities. The claims, filed in 2023 and 2024, reference the FBI’s search warrant execution at his Mar-a-Lago residence in 2022 and the bureau’s investigation into alleged ties between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia.

At the rally, Trump stated he is “suing” the United States and simultaneously must “settle” the suit himself as president. He declared, “I hereby give myself $1 billion,” then wavered on whether the funds would go to charity, saying “maybe I shouldn’t give it to charity. Maybe I should keep the money.”

Trump characterized the situation as unprecedented, claiming no president has faced such circumstances. He described the position as “strange” and said he must “negotiate with myself” regarding the settlement terms.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/trump-brags-about-suing-the-government-and-declares-i-hereby-give-myself-1-billion/)

Trump administration urges White men to file discrimination claims

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, chaired by Andrea Lucas, publicly solicited discrimination claims from White men this week, stating the agency is “committed to identifying, attacking, and eliminating ALL race and sex discrimination – including against white male employees.” This call aligns with the Trump administration’s characterization of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs as “unlawful” and “woke” discrimination against White workers.

Vice President JD Vance described DEI as a “deliberate program of discrimination primarily against White men” and promoted an essay claiming DEI policies harmed White male millennials’ careers. Lucas responded by tweeting the essay contained “unlawful discrimination,” framing the EEOC’s new direction as enforcement against bias rather than investigation of structural inequities. The agency now operates under Lucas’s pledge to enforce civil rights laws without regard to what she termed the notion that only certain “charging parties” merit access.

White workers comprise approximately two-thirds of the U.S. workforce but file only about 10% of race-based discrimination claims with the EEOC, according to 2023 data. However, “reverse discrimination” lawsuits have increased, including a recent case by a money manager at Carl Icahn’s firm alleging denial of a board seat because of his race. Conservative commentators, including Christopher Rufo of the Manhattan Institute, framed the EEOC’s explicit recruitment of White claimants as federal recognition of “anti-White racism.”

DEI advocates, including David Glasgow of NYU’s Meltzer Center, stated that diversity programs aim to remove bias and create equal opportunity, not to disadvantage any group. Glasgow noted that White households possess 9-10 times the wealth of Black households, White men comprise 74% of Fortune 50 CEOs, and Black Americans remain outnumbered 12 to 1 by White people in executive roles. Corporate rollbacks of DEI initiatives following Trump’s campaign promises already impacted Black Americans’ career advancement across major companies.

Trump campaigned against DEI for fostering “anti-White feeling” and on his first day in office moved to eliminate such programs from the federal government and military while threatening to strip billions in federal funding and grants from universities and contractors. Companies across corporate America accelerated efforts to dismantle or scale back DEI initiatives to avoid losing federal contracts, directly eroding representation gains achieved by women and people of color in executive positions.

(Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2025/12/18/trump-anti-dei-eeoc-discrimination-white-men/87830694007/?utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwdGRleAOy7WZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeRHC4Edio8cwGzlZP8ujagqeqZ3JpBY5B3gPLAOtiLaOJr7Cj2gNPJEsSMDk_aem_Nn4gYA96S6kn3bgF0f3ALA#eyb73jsweqjc32ytxzjwrdmvqs6shjnp)

HHS moves to slash funding and access to care for transgender minors

The Trump administration’s Department of Health and Human Services announced December 18, 2025, that it will move to eliminate federal funding for transgender healthcare for minors nationwide, targeting puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgical procedures. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will initiate rulemaking to prohibit hospitals from providing such care as a condition of Medicare and Medicaid participation, and will bar Medicaid funding from supporting these treatments. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. characterized transition-related care as “malpractice” that violates the Hippocratic Oath, and CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz stated the administration will prevent “taxpayer money” from funding what he termed “sex-rejecting procedures.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics’ president, Dr. Susan Kressly, stated the HHS policies “misconstrue the current medical consensus and fail to reflect the realities of pediatric care,” warning that allowing government to determine which patient groups receive care “sets a dangerous precedent.” Dr. Kenneth Haller, a pediatrician, characterized the actions as “anti-science,” noting that identical hormone treatments remain legal when used to treat other conditions affecting hormone production, revealing the policies target transgender minors specifically rather than medical safety. The FDA will issue warning letters to 12 manufacturers and retailers of breast binders for minors, alleging illegal marketing for gender dysphoria treatment.

The HHS Office for Civil Rights proposed revisions to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act to clarify that gender dysphoria does not constitute a disability under federal nondiscrimination law, allowing funding recipients to restrict transition-related care without violating federal civil rights protections. The proposed rules and revision will undergo 60-day and 30-day public comment periods before finalization. This action builds on prior Justice Department subpoenas targeting hospitals providing transgender youth care, which created a chilling effect across the healthcare system.

The administration’s effort follows executive orders issued in January declaring only two unchangeable sexes exist and barring federal funding to hospitals offering transition-related care to minors. In July, federal investigations prompted over 20 hospitals in cities including Los Angeles and Boston to roll back or eliminate gender-affirming programs. Families with transgender children, including the Gonzales family of Texas, have relocated outside the United States to access care, with Rachel Gonzales stating they became “political targets” despite the consensus of their physicians. An estimated 724,000 youth ages 13 to 17 identify as transgender; research shows fewer than 0.1% of adolescents with private insurance receive puberty blockers or gender-affirming hormones.

On December 17, the House passed legislation introduced by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene that would charge doctors with felony charges punishable by up to 10 years in prison for providing gender-affirming care to minors—the harshest federal penalty ever enacted by the chamber. Representative Dan Crenshaw introduced a companion bill, expected for a House vote, to prohibit Medicaid coverage of transition procedures for anyone under 18. The Senate is expected to block both measures.

(Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/hhs-slash-funding-prohibit-access-trans-care-minors-rcna249874)

Kennedy Center Board Moves to Rename It the Trump-Kennedy Center – The New York Times

The Kennedy Center board, composed predominantly of Trump appointees, voted to rename the performing arts center the Trump-Kennedy Center, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Representative Joyce Beatty, a Democrat board member, stated she was muted during the call and prevented from voicing opposition to the measure. The center’s legal name—the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts—remains unchanged by federal law, and Congress retains authority to alter official designations.

Trump assumed the Kennedy Center chairmanship after purging Biden-appointed board members and installing loyalists including Susie Wiles, Pam Bondi, Usha Vance, Dan Scavino, Elaine Chao, and Ric Grenell. Trump voted on a measure to rename an institution after himself while serving as board chairman, then claimed the vote was a surprise. House Republicans previously advanced separate proposals to rename the Opera House after Melania Trump and the entire center the Donald J. Trump Center for the Performing Arts.

Under Trump’s leadership, the Kennedy Center has undergone dramatic institutional changes in 54 years. Dozens of employees were fired or resigned, and staffing declined approximately 30 percent according to the center’s human resources head. Unqualified outsiders received top positions within the organization.

Box-office revenue collapsed during Trump’s chairmanship, with ticket sales down approximately 50 percent during a typical October week compared to the same period the previous year, according to internal New York Times data. The institutional deterioration reflects a pattern consistent with Trump’s business approach of affixing his name to properties regardless of operational substance or public benefit.

(Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/18/us/politics/trump-kennedy-center-name.html?fbclid=IwdGRleAOxSx1leHRuA2FlbQExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR5Rts1bRUVy4gb3uxg7mWzNldCDc7SfZjfTMFmmKnD643sGSrEwcBIkByVAQA_aem_Li3V-I_KdUwfOokDTDecjw)

Trump’s $1,776 Warrior Dividends Not from Tariffs

President Trump announced $1,776 “warrior dividend” checks for 1.45 million service members before Christmas, claiming the funds originated from tariff revenue. Defense One reported the next day that the money actually derives from Congressional appropriations under the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act, specifically from the Basic Allowance for Housing entitlement meant to subsidize off-base housing costs including rent, mortgage, and utilities.

Congress allocated $2.9 billion to the Defense Department for housing supplements, with $2.6 billion designated as a one-time payment to approximately 1.28 million active-duty and 174,000 Reserve component service members ranked O-6 and below. PBS NewsHour’s Lisa Desjardins confirmed the funding source is not tariff revenue and noted the assistance was originally intended to span two years before the Pentagon redirected it into this single payment.

Budget analyst Jessica Riedl from the Brookings Institution criticized the action as “gimmicky” and “likely illegal,” stating the administration announced troop bonuses while quietly extracting funds from housing allowance accounts. The maneuver accomplishes no net increase in military compensation; it reallocates existing housing assistance into a headline-grabbing payment announced with misleading attribution to tariffs.

The administration’s tax-exemption claim may be accurate since supplemental housing allowances have received favorable tax treatment under a 1925 court ruling and 1986 legislation. However, the budgetary mechanism remains deceptive—the funds were never surplus tariff proceeds but pre-existing Congressional appropriations redirected from their original two-year housing support purpose.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump/the-1776-checks-for-troops-trump-claimed-were-because-of-tariffs-are-actually-congressionally-allocated-housing-allowances/)

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