Category: Unpresidential

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/)

Trump administration to dismantle National Center for Atmospheric Research – The Washington Post

The Trump administration announced plans to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), a leading Colorado-based institution for Earth and atmospheric science research. The administration cited concerns about “climate alarmism” as justification for the closure, marking a direct attack on scientific infrastructure studying climate change and global warming.

NCAR conducts fundamental research on atmospheric systems, weather patterns, and climate dynamics that informs policy decisions and public understanding of environmental trends. The facility’s dismantling would eliminate a major hub for peer-reviewed climate science and eliminate institutional capacity for atmospheric monitoring and modeling.

The timing of the announcement coincides with the Trump administration’s escalating attacks against Colorado’s Democratic elected officials, suggesting the action serves political retaliation rather than policy rationale. The closure exemplifies broader efforts to suppress climate research and defund institutions that contradict the administration’s anti-science agenda.

Dismantling NCAR removes independent scientific capacity to document climate trends and threatens the nation’s ability to understand atmospheric processes essential for weather forecasting, disaster preparedness, and environmental protection. The action prioritizes ideological opposition to climate science over institutional preservation and research continuity.

(Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/12/17/trump-national-center-atmospheric-research-climate/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_source=bluesky,facebook,threads,twitter&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwdGRleAOvnWdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeSeCCzP2GCweingyC6zHt-V11mfgLSKuNB2sgNbWmaoOWd_KCTuFzIlRXu84_aem_3ZrxZA21Dd1nEtiQyoDcjw)

‘An Appeal to Heaven’ flag seen hanging at Education Department office

A senior official at the U.S. Department of Education has displayed the "An Appeal to Heaven" flag outside his office, according to union leadership and department staff. The flag, historically tied to the American Revolution, has been adopted in recent years by evangelical Christian nationalist groups, the Proud Boys, and neo-Nazi organizations, and was carried by rioters during the January 6 Capitol assault.

Murray Bessette, principal deputy assistant secretary in the Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, has kept the banner hanging at the agency's Washington office. The flag's presence at an institution overseeing billions in federal education funding violates the separation of church and state and contradicts the agency's responsibility to serve all students regardless of religious affiliation.

Rachel Gittleman, president of the Education Department union, stated the agency "has no place for symbols that were carried by insurrectionists" and noted that employees have endured threats and harassment since January while now being forced to work under a symbol representing "intolerance, hatred, and extremism." The union directly linked the flag's display to ongoing demoralization within the department.

The Education Department did not confirm the flag's existence or address extremist associations. Deputy Assistant Secretary Madi Biedermann dismissed concerns as "imagined grievances" rather than addressing the documented history of the symbol's adoption by extremist movements.

The flag has appeared at multiple federal agencies and with high-ranking officials in recent months, including at the Small Business Administration in June and outside the vacation home of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in 2023. House Speaker Mike Johnson has also displayed the symbol outside his Capitol Hill office.

(Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/12/15/flag-appeal-to-heaven-education-department/87778953007/?utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwdGRleAOvHStleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeGxD1KOqmayUcnMh7ghzmxyHAYGXloFm0oOnqT9P-iDZsL_Ld74VKbBhHR6c_aem_jtc8a0ueUHKs5OzrVNTLGg)

JD Vance Responds to Bombshell Susie Wiles Story

Vice President JD Vance responded to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles calling him a “conspiracy theorist” in a Vanity Fair article. Wiles also described Trump as having “an alcoholic’s personality,” called Budget Director Russell Vought a “right-wing absolute zealot,” and characterized Vance’s Trump support as politically expedient rather than principled.

At a Pennsylvania economic event, Vance acknowledged the label but redefined conspiracy theories as “something that was true six months before the media admitted it.” He cited opposition to masking young children during COVID-19 and claims about Biden’s cognitive fitness as examples he now frames as validated positions.

Vance suggested the administration will reduce media access following the Vanity Fair story, stating the White House should give “fewer interviews to mainstream media outlets.” He framed this as a lesson learned from Wiles’s candid remarks being published.

Despite the criticism, Vance defended Wiles’s loyalty to Trump, contrasting her with other officials who he claims say one thing publicly and act differently behind closed doors. He praised Wiles for never being disloyal to the president, positioning her as trustworthy despite her damaging comments to the press.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/jd-vance-fires-back-says-he-hopes-trump-admin-has-learned-lesson-after-susie-wiles-called-him-a-conspiracy-theorist-in-vanity-fair/)

Dershowitz tells Trump the Constitution is unclear on third term, WSJ reports     | Reuters

Donald Trump reviewed a draft manuscript by lawyer Alan Dershowitz arguing the Constitution may permit a third presidential term, according to the Wall Street Journal. Dershowitz claimed he told Trump during an Oval Office meeting that constitutional language on presidential term limits is ambiguous, contradicting the 22nd Amendment, which explicitly bars anyone from being elected president more than twice.

The 22nd Amendment, ratified after Franklin D. Roosevelt served four terms, states unequivocally: “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.” Dershowitz’s unpublished book, titled “Could President Trump Constitutionally Serve a Third Term?”, examines scenarios potentially circumventing this restriction.

Trump has previously signaled interest in circumventing constitutional term limits. He spent months publicly teasing the idea of testing the Constitution’s language before stating in October that he would not pursue a third term, calling the restriction “too bad” but acknowledging it prevented him from running again. Trump’s pattern of attacking institutions and officials who oppose him extends to questioning constitutional boundaries when they constrain his power.

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson responded to the report by stating “the American people would be lucky to have President Trump in office for even longer,” signaling openness to the idea without committing to it. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles told Vanity Fair that Trump “knows he can’t run again,” creating contradictory messaging from the administration.

Trump has continuously falsified that he lost the 2020 election to widespread voter fraud, a claim rejected by numerous investigations and courts. His willingness to entertain arguments that constitutional limits may be negotiable reflects a broader pattern of treating constitutional constraints as obstacles rather than foundational law.

(Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/lawyer-dershowitz-told-trump-constitutionality-third-term-is-unclear-says-wsj-2025-12-17/)

Trump orders ‘total and complete blockade’ of sanctioned oil tankers coming to and leaving Venezuela | CNN Politics

President Donald Trump announced a “total and complete blockade” of oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela on Tuesday via Truth Social, escalating military and economic pressure against Nicolás Maduro’s government. Trump stated that U.S. military assets surround Venezuela and demanded the country return oil, land, and assets to the United States, exposing the operation’s economic objectives beyond stated anti-drug efforts.

The blockade targets Venezuela’s primary economic lifeline amid existing international sanctions on its oil sector. Trump has repeatedly indicated that U.S. companies should regain access to Venezuela’s oil reserves—the world’s largest—if Maduro is removed from power. State-owned Petroleos de Venezuela controls the petroleum industry, though Houston-based Chevron operates under a sanctions carve-out that Trump revoked in March before conditionally reissuing it.

Trump accused Maduro of using “stolen oil” to finance terrorism, human trafficking, and criminal activity. White House chief of staff Susie Wiles told Vanity Fair that the administration’s military campaign aims to pressure Maduro to step down, contradicting earlier framing focused solely on narcotics interdiction. Venezuela’s government condemned the announcement as “a reckless and serious threat” and “a grave violation of International Law,” noting that blockades constitute acts of war under international treaties.

A 1961 Justice Department memo regarding Cuban tensions established that blockades are justified only when a state of war exists. Trump’s military operations in the region, including threatened ground invasions, follow Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s announcement of “Southern Spear,” a hemisphere-wide military operation targeting suspected drug operations.

The blockade represents an explicit shift from counternarcotics justification to resource seizure, with Trump signaling intent to restore American corporate control over Venezuelan petroleum assets previously nationalized in the 1970s. Venezuela’s oil is sold primarily to China due to existing U.S. sanctions imposed since 2005.

(Source: https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/16/politics/blockade-venezuela-sanctioned-oil-tankers)

Trump defends his criticism of killed Hollywood director Rob Reiner

President Trump attacked Hollywood director Rob Reiner after Reiner’s death, posting on Truth Social that the director died from “Trump derangement syndrome” and calling him “very bad for our country.” Trump repeated these criticisms to reporters in the Oval Office, describing Reiner as “deranged” and falsely suggesting the director was involved in Russia collusion claims, providing no evidence for either assertion.

Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife Michele Singer Reiner, 68, were found dead at their Los Angeles home on Sunday. Police arrested their son Nick on suspicion of murder but have not indicated any motive or suggested that Reiner’s political views or criticism of Trump factored into the deaths.

Trump’s remarks drew rebukes from senior Republicans. Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie, a Republican critic of Trump, called the comments “inappropriate and disrespectful discourse about a man who was just brutally murdered.” Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, once a Trump supporter, stated the deaths were “a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies” and should be “met with empathy.” Senator John Kennedy criticized Trump for speaking, suggesting the president should have remained silent.

Reiner was a lifelong Democrat and prominent liberal activist who frequently criticized Trump, calling him “mentally unfit” in 2017 and describing his administration as “full-on autocracy” in October. Trump acknowledged his antagonism toward the director, stating he “was not a fan of Rob Reiner at all, in any way, shape or form.”

This follows Trump’s pattern of attacking political opponents after their deaths. In 2019, following Senator John McCain’s death, Trump said he “was never a fan” and “never will be.” That same year, Trump made remarks about deceased Democratic lawmaker John Dingell that were widely interpreted as suggesting damnation, with the White House later claiming Trump was “just riffing.”

(Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7413d9xvkeo)

‘This is truly insane’: Trump stuns with eye-popping multi-million-dollar purchase – Raw Story

President Trump personally purchased between $1 million and $5 million in Intel corporate debt between August and October, according to financial disclosures released in November. This transaction occurred simultaneously with the Trump administration’s decision to secure an $11 billion government stake in Intel, giving the U.S. a 10% ownership position in the company.

Trump has also purchased up to $6 million in Boeing corporate bonds, with a separate purchase of $500,000 to $1 million in Boeing bonds made in September, close to Boeing receiving an $877 million Defense Department contract. Since January, Trump has purchased a minimum of $185 million worth of bonds across multiple companies.

The administration characterizes its broader corporate investment strategy as driven by national security interests, committing over $10 billion in taxpayer funds to minority stakes in at least nine companies involved in steel, minerals, nuclear energy, and semiconductors, with the majority of deals struck in October and November. Journalist Molly Jong-Fast stated this purchase pattern would constitute “a huge scandal” in a normal administration, while journalist Ryan Grim called the situation “truly insane.”

Trump’s personal investments in companies receiving substantial government contracts and funding directly conflict with federal ethics standards prohibiting self-dealing and conflicts of interest. The lack of mainstream media coverage of these transactions has drawn criticism, with observers noting the administration’s pattern of leveraging taxpayer resources to benefit the president’s personal financial interests.

(Source: https://www.rawstory.com/trump-2674341799/)

Trump’s Post Attacking Rob Reiner After Stabbing Death Draws Immediate Outrage

President Trump posted on Truth Social accusing Hollywood director Rob Reiner of dying from “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” linking Reiner’s criticism of Trump to his murder less than twenty-four hours after reports of his death. Trump doubled down when questioned by reporters, stating Reiner was “a deranged person” and “very bad for our country,” without evidence connecting political beliefs to the killing.

Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead at their Los Angeles home on Sunday. Their 32-year-old son was booked on suspicion of murder; police provided no indication that the couple’s political views factored into their deaths.

Trump’s attack triggered rare backlash from MAGA-aligned Republicans, some of whom called for him to retract the comments. The criticism underscored the inconsistency of conservative demands for civility—prominent conservatives had called for public shaming, firings, and prosecution threats against those who spoke negatively about Charlie Kirk following his assassination.

(Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/15/us/politics/trump-rob-reiner.html)

Trump Spread False Information About Brown Shooting. That’s a Problem | The New Republic

Donald Trump’s reckless dissemination of unverified information regarding a shooting incident at Brown University has rightfully drawn fierce criticism. During this highly tense situation, Trump prematurely declared the suspect as captured, creating potential danger for students sheltering on campus. Despite police advisories indicating an active situation, Trump’s irresponsible social media display added chaos and confusion.

As the ordeal unfolded, Trump’s assertions were quickly contradicted by official sources, exposing his carelessness. His hasty statement claiming the shooter was detained was retracted only minutes later, an action that has been condemned for spreading insecurity among the already terrified students. Providence’s Mayor emphasized relying on official channels for accurate information, a direct refutation of Trump’s baseless announcements.

This incident is illustrative of Trump’s habitual disregard for the truth and his alarming tendency to spread misinformation. Consequences of his actions are more than just errors; they embody serious risks, particularly in volatile situations where accurate information is critical for public safety. Trump’s volatile online rants contribute significantly to spreading misinformation, jeopardizing people’s safety, and reflect poorly on his leadership.

Criticism also extends to Trump’s divisive rhetoric which inflames tensions and incites threats against many, including his political allies. His continuous intimidating social media uses have been linked to numerous threats against both Democratic and Republican officials, illustrating the dangerous consequences of his inflammatory behavior.

Overall, Trump’s irresponsible actions and statements serve as a shining example of his continued disregard for authenticity and safety. His habit of hastily spreading false information endangers public safety and reflects the broader dangers of an administration marked by misinformation and chaos. Trump’s behavior in tense circumstances as shown here underscores his unsuitability for leadership.

(Source: https://newrepublic.com/post/204391/trump-brown-university-rhode-island-shooting)

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