Category: Unpresidential

Donald Trump Slams Judge Deciding Kennedy Center’s Fate

Trump continues his campaign to rename and renovate the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, attacking the federal judge overseeing the legal challenge to his efforts. On Truth Social, Trump called the building “old and decrepit” and accused the judge of being “highly conflicted” for blocking his plan to inscribe his name on the structure. In May, a federal judge ruled that only Congress holds authority to rename the institution, which was built to honor President John F. Kennedy.

Trump violated federal law by adding his name to the building’s facade without authorization, then had the sign covered with a tarp in June to conceal the violation. Rather than comply with the court’s ruling, Trump’s Justice Department lawyers have argued that blocking his $250 million renovation project would render the building so unsafe it would require demolition, a threat designed to pressure Congress into allowing the rename. Trump’s allies are attempting to circumvent Congressional approval by proposing an inscription reading “Renovated and Restored by President Donald J. Trump.”

Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio and ex officio member of the Kennedy Center’s Board of Trustees, characterized Trump’s renovation and renaming scheme as “very childish” after an emergency court hearing held Thursday. Beatty invoked Trump’s controversial alterations to the White House as evidence of his destructive approach to historic institutions, stating “We’ve seen what he’s done, in the most embarrassing ways, to the White House.”

The Kennedy Center, a storied performing arts venue, has faced significant operational challenges since Trump assumed his chairmanship. Artists have withdrawn from performances, and ticket sales have declined sharply, though Trump blamed the downturn on the need for renovations rather than acknowledging his role in driving away performers and audiences.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/donald-trump-takes-a-shot-at-highly-conflicted-judge-deciding-the-decrepit-kennedy-centers-fate/) than acknowledging his role in driving away performers and audiences.

Trump Official Leaks Debunked Censorship Files

A Trump administration official leaked government files to a conservative online data analyst in a failed attempt to prove that the shuttered Global Engagement Center had conducted domestic censorship operations. Sarah Rogers, the State Department’s undersecretary for public diplomacy, provided the documents to Jennica Pounds, known as DataRepublican, who claimed she was being “entrapped.” Rogers then published the files herself, alleging center officials “betrayed their stated mission.”

Two former senior GEC officials, Daniel Kimmage and Carrie Goux, examined the leaked material and concluded it demonstrates nothing. The files contained a 2022 GEC report on “gendered disinformation” and Kimmage’s congressional testimony, which Rogers selectively presented to suggest the center had targeted American speech. Kimmage stated Rogers “tried to twist” his testimony, in which he explicitly said the GEC “did not” take positions on US outlets, into false evidence of domestic censorship.

The GEC, which operated from 2017 until dissolution in 2025, spent nearly a decade tracking foreign influence operations from Russia, China, and Iran under an explicit foreign-facing mandate. During that period, it published eight detailed reports on Russian and Chinese disinformation campaigns, exposed four major Kremlin operations across Latin America, Africa, Moldova, and against RT, and brokered an international pact on countering state disinformation signed by over two dozen governments. A 2022 inspector general review found the center “generally effective,” though it noted weaknesses in internal controls and contractor oversight.

Republicans, including former House Foreign Affairs Committee chair Michael McCaul, attacked the GEC for allegedly stretching the definition of disinformation to suppress conservative speech. The campaign centered on the center’s funding of the Global Disinformation Index, a UK nonprofit that rated media outlets; the GDI’s separate 2022 study of the US media market rated Newsmax, One America News, and the New York Post as high-risk for disinformation, which critics weaponized as evidence of domestic meddling despite the GEC’s foreign mandate.

The State Department is now resuming counter-disinformation work through other offices, including a proposal to pay up to 30 social media influencers across 11 Southeast Asian countries $2,500 each as part of an $11 million campaign to counter Chinese propaganda. The influencer program, operated by the US Mission to ASEAN, includes messaging, training, and studio visits to “intensive collaboration” in Washington and Houston, with recruitment materials citing Pounds as an ideal model. Goux stated the administration is “spending a lot more tax dollars” attempting to reconstruct the GEC’s functions through contractors while the US “has lost their seat at the table” internationally and “losing trust too.”



(Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/30/state-department-global-engagement-center-leaked-documents-foreign-propaganda?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=fb_us&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwdGRjcAUB2bFwZG9mBWZkaWQWUNhA2nVC-1TIXlpnQcULA8nZq7U7QGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR4e46YPv-u3jinexDLfVD5pbBRWNKDJWnPzteIVor6UwLqdj-AiK3cye1072Q_aem_qPXIWAbHlImdCnG_ibNBHg#Echobox=1788089080)

Pentagon Stealth Hires Influencers To Pump Up Pete Hegseth

The Pentagon secretly hired conservative military veterans with large social media followings to amplify Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s agenda and attack Trump administration critics, according to The Washington Post. Retired Air Force Colonel Rob Maness (135,000 X followers), retired Army Colonel Kurt Schlichter (620,000 X followers), and retired Army Colonel Thomas Anderson, who writes as Cynical Publius (323,000 X followers), were assigned to the office of Anthony Tata, the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, with active civilian government email addresses as of late August 2026.

Pentagon spokesman Joel Valdez refused to disclose whether the three influencers draw taxpayer-funded salaries, their specific roles, or the duration of their assignments, contradicting Trump administration claims of running “the most transparent Defense Department ever.” The secrecy surrounding their placements and compensation demonstrates the administration’s use of government resources to orchestrate propaganda through influencers who then amplify official messaging to civilian audiences without public accountability.

All three individuals declined to comment to The Post about their positions and activities. Tata and Hegseth also refused to respond to questions about the program, leaving no official explanation for how the Pentagon justifies placing active political operatives on the public payroll or what oversight, if any, monitors their work.

The revelation follows reporting that Democratic and Republican politicians pay influencers on TikTok and other platforms to promote their agendas, but the Pentagon’s covert hiring of active-duty adjacent figures represents a direct weaponization of military resources for partisan message amplification by the Trump administration.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/the-pentagon-secretly-hires-conservative-influencers-to-amplify-pete-hegseths-agenda/)

Trump bought Boeing stock on same day Navy gave company $880M contract. Here’s proof | Snopes.com

Trump purchased between $250,000 and $500,000 in Boeing stock on June 18, 2026, according to his financial disclosure filed with the Office of Government Ethics. On the identical date, the Department of Defense announced an $880 million contract awarding Boeing a firm-fixed-price agreement for P-8A Poseidon aircraft training systems and sustainment services for the U.S. Navy.

Trump’s financial disclosures demonstrate he has traded millions of dollars in securities throughout his second term, including substantial investments in Boeing and other corporations that maintain major contractual relationships with the federal government. Unlike previous presidents, Trump maintains direct equity stakes in defense contractors receiving government contracts, creating documented conflicts of interest between his personal financial interests and his executive authority over defense spending.

The White House claims Trump’s portfolio is independently managed by third-party financial institutions through discretionary accounts with automatic index replication, asserting Trump exercises no control over investment timing or selection. This defense contradicts the structural reality that Trump personally benefits from stock appreciation resulting from government contracts awarded during his administration, regardless of the mechanical process executing the trades.

Securities law prohibits insider trading under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, but prosecution requires proving intent. Trump’s pattern of acquiring substantial positions in defense contractors immediately preceding or concurrent with major government awards violates ethical standards governing federal officials, even if legal prosecution faces evidentiary barriers regarding knowledge and intent. Trump similarly purchased Intel corporate debt while simultaneously directing an $11 billion government stake in the company, demonstrating systematic self-enrichment through executive power.

Historical Boeing stock data shows the company’s share price declined in the days following June 18, rendering Trump’s timing potentially disadvantageous from a pure profit motive, though this pattern is consistent with Trump acquiring positions before government announcements that boost defense contractor valuations over longer time horizons rather than daily trading cycles.



(Source: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-boeing-navy-contract/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwdGRjcAUBV9VwZG9mBWZkaWQWUNcR-T08h1U5UsiJAsvZ0EZRLcI8KmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR4qu28QnJhWpigVHOfbfUvq87liZM7uSYU7TS5vmeJFwEB7Am_hZHsTYGs2cQ_aem_JkpE5BepPA1k5aXzNjYiVg#Echobox=1787927122)

RFK Jr. Dismisses Measles Deaths, Attacks Shapiro

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Health and Human Services secretary, attacked media outlets and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro during a Fox News town hall, dismissing concerns about a measles outbreak that has reached a three-decade high with approximately 2,200 cases recorded by mid-July. Kennedy questioned whether two reported measles deaths in Lancaster County were actually caused by measles, accused Shapiro of exploiting the deaths for political gain, and claimed the governor’s response mirrored “the old Covid playbook” of “fear mongering.”

Kennedy claimed that in the past decade, only three measles deaths occurred in America and downplayed the disease relative to other health threats, stating that approximately 1.2 million deaths annually result from food-induced illness. He argued that media and politicians distract from chronic diseases caused by major food and pharmaceutical companies by focusing on infectious disease risks. When directly asked about the MMR vaccine’s recommendation, Kennedy acknowledged its effectiveness at 97 percent efficacy while maintaining his broader critique of public health messaging.

Kennedy attributed declining childhood vaccination rates worldwide to loss of faith in public health systems following the pandemic, framing vaccine hesitancy as a consequence of institutional mistrust rather than his own anti-vaccination advocacy. His response followed Pennsylvania officials’ announcement of measles deaths in the state and preceded a broader surge in preventable disease cases under his health department’s authority. The department previously eliminated routine childhood vaccinations for hepatitis A and B, rotavirus, RSV, bacterial meningitis, influenza, and other diseases from federal recommendations.

Kennedy’s remarks reflect a pattern of dismissing measles as a negligible public health concern while attacking the credibility of elected officials and journalists reporting disease outbreaks. His framing—that food and pharmaceutical industries pose greater threats than vaccine-preventable diseases—redirects responsibility away from vaccination policy changes that have coincided with measles resurgence. Administration health appointees have similarly avoided direct engagement with vaccine safety and efficacy questions, signaling alignment with Kennedy’s anti-vaccination positions across federal health leadership.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/robert-f-kennedy-jr-slams-the-media-and-demagogue-politicians-for-making-americans-terrified-of-measles/)

Trump Threatens FCC Punishment Against NBC’s Kristen Welker

President Trump attacked NBC’s Kristen Welker on Truth Social, threatening FCC action against her after she accurately reported mixed results from his primary endorsements. Trump claimed a 99-100% success rate on endorsements while demanding FCC Chairman Brendan Carr punish Welker and NBC for what he characterized as false reporting, despite documented endorsement losses in recent races.

Welker’s comments on NBC 4 Washington noted Trump’s endorsement track record included both wins and losses, citing his recent backing of Senator Darline Graham, who narrowly defeated Rep. Ralph Norman in South Carolina. Graham’s primary victory was closer than anticipated by political experts, contradicting Trump’s claim of easy wins driven by his endorsement.

Trump escalated his attack by demanding the FCC investigate and punish NBC, calling the press “a disgrace to our nation” and framing accurate coverage of his endorsement record as a threat to the country. This follows Trump’s previous walkout from an NBC interview with Welker over her questioning of his claims, demonstrating a pattern of attacking journalists who report factually about his record.

The threat to weaponize federal regulatory authority against a news organization for unfavorable but accurate reporting undermines press freedom and reflects Trump’s broader use of government power against perceived opponents. Trump’s demand for FCC punishment represents direct executive pressure on the independent regulatory process to silence critical coverage.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-rages-at-nbcs-kristen-welker-after-she-reports-on-mixed-results-of-his-endorsements-threatens-fcc-punishment/)

Trump AI Video Shows Him Kicking Lake Ontario Sign

President Donald Trump posted an artificial intelligence-generated video on Truth Social Saturday depicting himself kicking over a “Lake Ontario” sign and replacing it with a “Lake America” sign along the shoreline. The fabricated clip shows Trump performing his signature “YMCA” dance to the Village People song while celebrating the toppled sign, escalating his ongoing dispute with Canada over trade negotiations.

Trump had signed an executive order Thursday directing the Interior Department to officially rename Lake Ontario to Lake America in the Geographic Names Information System, following the collapse of trade talks between the two nations. Trump justified the move by claiming Canada has been “ripping us off for a long time on trade” and stated the U.S. defends Canada militarily “for nothing.”

The video represented Trump’s second AI-generated post about the renamed lake in as many days. Earlier Saturday, Trump posted another fabricated video depicting “mutant Canadian geese with machine guns” patrolling the lake, which he captioned “Donald Ducks,” with the Toronto skyline visible in the background.

The posts are part of Trump’s escalating campaign to rename shared geography with Canada, mirroring his earlier pattern of distributing AI-generated self-aggrandizing images on his social media platform. The move prompted mixed reactions, with critics viewing it as inflammatory while Trump supporters characterized it as effective mockery during the trade dispute.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump-kicks-down-lake-ontario-sign-and-does-ymca-dance-in-wild-ai-video-ratcheting-up-feud-with-canada/)

Trump Ripped by Critics for NASA Speech: ‘What the F*ck?’

Trump arrived more than an hour late to a NASA ceremony at Johnson Space Center in Houston on Friday, where he was scheduled to honor four astronauts from the Artemis II lunar mission and award them the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. During the event, Trump announced plans for a new U.S. Space Academy to train Space Force members, engineers, and civilian spaceflight personnel.

Trump injected partisan politics into the nonpartisan ceremony, speaking extensively about Venezuela and Iran for over an hour while the audience sat in silence. Aaron Rupar documented that Trump spoke “to complete silence at the NASA center. Not a single person applauding or reacting to anything he said during his brazenly partisan speech.” Trump also requested that a lunar crater be named after him, mirroring the crew’s naming of a crater for astronaut Reid Wiseman’s late wife, drawing a blunt “No” from Rep. Ted Lieu.

Trump made a rambling, incoherent statement during the ceremony, claiming his “uncle who was a great scientist” and “loved space,” then saying “I guess we have genetically, we sort of, I believe in that stuff.” Biographer Seth Abramson responded directly to this moment with “What is this even supposed to be??? What the f*ck is he talking about???” Adam Kinzinger mockingly tweeted “BREAKING NOW: Trump believes in space,” while critics noted Trump falsely claimed the U.S. had no military space program before him, despite U.S. Space Command existing since the Reagan administration.

Trump falsely presented himself as the architect of American space capabilities, contradicting the expertise of the scientists and engineers present. NASA has been undergoing significant workforce reductions under Trump’s administration, cutting over 20 percent of its staff, yet he used the astronauts’ achievement as a platform for self-promotion and partisan rhetoric.

Social media reactions focused on Trump’s narcissism, cognitive decline, and disrespect for accomplished scientists. Commentator Joanne Carducci wrote that “Making incredibly accomplished people wait for him makes him feel ‘powerful,’ when it’s really just pathetic.” Critics characterized the event as one of the most awkward public ceremonies on record, with Trump’s alternate reality clashing with the actual expertise of NASA personnel forced to witness his incoherent, self-serving performance at an event designed to honor their colleagues’ achievements.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/online/trump-ripped-by-critics-for-nasa-ceremony-speech-what-the-fck-is-he-talking-about/),’ when it’s really just pathetic.” Critics characterized the event as one of the most awkward public ceremonies on record, with Trump’s alternate reality clashing with the actual expertise of NASA personnel forced to witness his incoherent, self-serving performance at an event designed to honor their colleagues’ achievements.

Trump Attacks Haberman Over 9/11 Ground Zero Snub

President Donald Trump attacked New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman on Friday via Truth Social, calling her “Maggot Hagerman” and branding her a “stalker” and “scammer” after the Times reported he plans to attend a Pentagon ceremony on September 11 rather than the Ground Zero memorial in Manhattan. Trump falsely denied that scheduling concerns or a desire to speak influenced his decision, claiming he “never even thought of” skipping Ground Zero and that he would “love not to speak” despite his track record of dominating public events.

The Times reported that Trump’s team had previously conducted advance visits to the Ground Zero site and communicated his intention to deliver remarks to organizers. The National September 11 Memorial and Museum has prohibited elected officials from speaking at its annual commemoration for over a decade to maintain focus on victims and their families. Trump is instead expected to speak at the Pentagon ceremony, while Vice President JD Vance will represent the White House at Ground Zero.

Trump’s decision reflects logistical convenience: he is scheduled to depart for his golf course in Doonbeg, Ireland the day after September 11, and flying from Joint Base Andrews in Washington causes fewer disruptions than departing from the New York area. The Times’ reporting directly contradicts Trump’s claim that he had not considered skipping the Manhattan ceremony or that external factors played no role in his choice.

Trump concluded his attack by demanding that Haberman, whose reporting on his administration has earned a Pulitzer Prize, be “forced to turn over any and all money that she’s made through her fake reporting” on him. Trump has previously attacked Haberman and journalist Jonathan Swan over their book documenting his second administration, revealing a pattern of retaliating against journalists whose work contradicts his public statements or depicts unflattering details of his conduct.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/online/trump-erupts-at-nyts-maggot-haberman-in-epic-tirade-over-9-11-report/)

Trump Loses Third Bid to Erase Hush Money Conviction

Federal Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein rejected Trump’s third attempt to move his state court hush money case to federal court and dismiss it on presidential immunity grounds. Hellerstein ruled that Trump’s reasons for the renewed request were “neither new nor legally sufficient” and that Trump had “failed to show good cause and diligence.” This marks the judge’s third denial of Trump’s effort to seize the case from New York state court where he was tried and convicted.

Trump stands as the first former and current U.S. president convicted of a crime, found guilty in May 2024 of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 hush money payment to adult film actor Stormy Daniels. He was sentenced to an unconditional discharge, leaving his conviction intact without additional punishment. Trump has consistently denied Daniels’ account of a sexual encounter a decade prior that threatened his 2016 campaign.

Hellerstein determined that Trump’s legal team made deliberate strategic choices that undermined their federal court removal argument. After the Supreme Court’s July 2024 presidential immunity ruling, Trump’s lawyers first petitioned state judge Juan Merchan to overturn the verdict rather than immediately seeking removal to federal court. Hellerstein characterized this as seeking “two bites at the apple,” a legal maneuver courts disfavor, and noted that by waiting nearly two months to file for federal removal, Trump’s team forfeited remedies available through federal court and sentencing timing.

During February oral arguments, Hellerstein questioned Trump lawyer Jeffrey Wall’s assertion that the legal strategy was sound, noting Trump could have filed a simple notice of removal to federal court and avoided sentencing proceedings entirely. Wall argued the compressed timeline after the Supreme Court ruling justified the approach, but Hellerstein rejected this rationale, stating “you made a choice” and “you didn’t have to do that.” The judge concluded Trump’s delay constituted a “quintessential strategic decision” and that discovering it was ineffective did not establish legal cause for reconsideration.

Trump continues contesting his conviction through the state court appellate process, which remains pending. His efforts to overturn the verdict through federal intervention have now failed three times under Hellerstein’s jurisdiction, with a federal appeals court last year ordering reconsideration that ultimately reinforced the original dismissal reasoning.



(Source: https://abc13.com/story/president-donald-trump-loses-bid-erase-hush-money-conviction/19752439/)

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