Category: Policies

Trump Rages Over the Stock Market’s ‘TRUMP RULE’

President Trump attributed positive economic data to his tariff policies while simultaneously blaming the Federal Reserve and “Wall Street heads” for failing to celebrate economic growth with corresponding stock market gains. The Commerce Department reported fourth-quarter GDP growth of 4.3%, exceeding economist forecasts of 3.2%, yet Trump characterized this as evidence of a broken market system he labeled “The Trump Rule,” where good news triggers market stagnation or decline due to trader concerns about potential interest rate increases.

Trump demanded the next Federal Reserve Chair lower rates during periods of market strength and stated anyone disagreeing with this position would be disqualified from the role, targeting incumbent Jerome Powell by name. He claimed the current Fed structure prevents economic greatness and prevents the nation from achieving GDP gains of “10, 15, and even 20 points in a year.” His demands directly contradict the Federal Reserve’s statutory independence from presidential direction in setting monetary policy.

Trump’s public grievance contradicts standard economic principles: markets respond to inflation expectations, and Fed rate decisions reflect data rather than political pressure. His characterization of Federal Reserve officials as “eggheads” and his assertion that the market “should” rise on good news and fall on bad news disregards the complex relationship between growth, inflation, and monetary policy that shapes investor behavior.

Trump’s stated intention to replace Powell and reshape the Federal Reserve’s leadership around personal economic preferences represents an effort to subordinate an independent institution to presidential demands. This pressure campaign directly undermines the structural autonomy the Federal Reserve requires to manage inflation without regard to short-term political consequences or equity market performance.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump/trump-rages-over-the-stock-markets-trump-rule-amid-good-economic-news/)

Trump Calls NY Times ‘Serious Threat’ to ‘National Security’

President Donald Trump labeled the New York Times “a serious threat to the national security of our nation” in a late-night Truth Social post on Monday, calling the outlet “a true enemy of the people” and demanding their behavior “must be dealt with and stopped.” Trump’s attack followed the Times’ publication of an investigative article documenting his decades-long friendship with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, based on interviews with over 30 former employees, abuse victims, and others who knew both men.

The Times reported that beginning in the late 1980s, Trump and Epstein formed an intense bond, with Epstein serving as Trump’s “most reliable wingman” in pursuing women. According to the article, Epstein and his partner Ghislaine Maxwell introduced at least six women who accused them of grooming or abuse to Trump, including one minor, though the Times noted none have accused Trump himself of inappropriate behavior. One victim told the newspaper she was “coerced” into attending four Epstein parties that Trump also attended, at two of which Epstein directed her to have sex with other male guests.

Trump’s public attack on the Times represents his continued pattern of aggressive hostility toward journalists questioning his connections to Epstein, including prior confrontations with ABC News and other media outlets. His characterization of factual reporting as a national security threat aligns with his broader effort to delegitimize independent journalism and suppress scrutiny of his conduct.

The president’s response echoes authoritarian language targeting press freedom, weaponizing national security rhetoric against newsroom investigations that document documented facts about his associations and conduct. By framing investigative journalism as a threat requiring action “must be dealt with,” Trump signals intent to restrict press freedom and suppress accountability reporting.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump-brands-new-york-times-a-serious-threat-to-the-national-security-of-our-nation/)

Trump Admits No One Wants to Build Him a Monument

Donald Trump publicly acknowledged that his $400 million White House ballroom project functions as a personal monument because he cannot secure one through conventional means. During a meeting with Fox News host Jesse Watters aboard Air Force One, Trump stated, “It’s a monument. I’m building a monument to myself because no one else will,” according to Watters’ account delivered at the Turning Point USA AmericaFest event on December 21, 2025. The admission exposes the vanity-driven nature of a project that Trump plans to name after himself.

The ballroom, originally budgeted at $200 million, has surged to $400 million in costs and occupies 90,000 square feet—reportedly four times the size of the White House itself. Trump demolished the East Wing in October to make room for the project without submitting official plans to the National Capital Planning Commission, violating standard federal construction oversight procedures. The National Trust Preservation Committee has questioned Trump’s authority to proceed with construction absent independent architectural and historical reviews.

Corporate donors including Microsoft, Caterpillar, Lockheed Martin, Amazon, and Comcast are funding the project—many of which hold private government contracts, creating direct conflicts of interest. The White House claimed the ballroom represents “historic beautification” at no taxpayer expense, though the reliance on corporate donors with federal business relationships contradicts assertions of independence from public financial burden.

The structure will include a 90,000-square-foot ballroom, multi-level colonnade, passageway to the executive residence, visitor entrance, bedrooms, offices, and “monumental stairs,” designed for completion by 2029 coinciding with the end of Trump’s second term. Trump’s explicit framing of the project as a personal monument to himself, combined with his documented attacks on journalists questioning the project’s costs, demonstrates his use of federal property and resources for self-aggrandizement.

Critics have characterized the ballroom as Trump’s most ambitious vanity project, part of a broader pattern of rebranding federal landmarks and institutions to bear his name. The project’s escalating cost, corporate funding mechanism, lack of regulatory compliance, and Trump’s own admission of its purpose as a personal monument collectively demonstrate how Trump weaponizes presidential authority to enrich and memorialize himself at the expense of constitutional process and institutional integrity.

(Source: https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-admits-no-one-wants-to-build-him-a-monument/)

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)

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/)

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)

1 … 31 32 33 34 35 … 360