POKING AROUND ON THE FOURTH SATURDAY OF THE 2ND 100

Today is Day 117 of Donnie’s attempted fascist coup against America.

There are 535 days to the midterms

Amidst the most brazen corruption in American history, Donald Trump, the president of the United States, took time out to call Bruce Springsteen a “dried out ‘prune’ of a rocker”; and declared, “Has anyone noticed that, since I said 'I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,' she's no longer 'HOT?” — on the same day that he was forced to admit that he could not make 90 tariff deals in 90 days and would be sending strongly worded letters instead. It was also the day that Moody’s downgraded the credit rating of the United States for the first time in history, and the Supreme Court slapped the Trump Administration with a stinging rebuke, even as Trump’s minions called for jailing the former director of the FBI for posting an internet meme. And, in case you have a life or something, you may have missed this morning’s unhinged rage-fest from the world’s most powerful preternaturally thin-skinned man-child.

Here’s a giggle to begin: Police in Slovenia are investigating the disappearance of a bronze statue of U.S. first lady Melania Trump that was sawed off and carried away from her hometown. The life-size sculpture was unveiled in 2020 during President Donald Trump’s first term in office near Sevnica in central Slovenia, where Melanija Knavs was born in 1970. It replaced a wooden statue that had been set on fire earlier that year. Police spokeswoman Alenka Drenik Rangus said Friday that the police were informed about the theft of the statue on Tuesday. She said police were working to track down those responsible. According to Slovenian media reports, the bronze replica was sawed off at the ankles and removed. A bronze sculpture representing Melania Trump stands on a bank of the Sava river in the village of Rozno, near her hometown of Sevnica, Slovenia, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic, File) The original wooden statue was torched in July 2020. The rustic figure was cut from the trunk of a linden tree, showing her in a pale blue dress like the one she wore at Trump’s presidential inauguration in 2017. The replica bronze statue has no obvious resemblance to the first lady.

Exclusive: President Trump’s political team commissioned a poll that showed Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene losing a potential race for Senate in Georgia by double-digits

The poll saw her losing to Ossoff by 18 points. it got even better when Marge put out a statement showing just how angry she really was that the mega-embarrassing poll numbers leaked

For the first time since 1917, Moody’s Rating Service downgraded the credit rating of the US yesterday, which will shake up the markets, affect interest rates on the debt, and is a slap in the face to Trump and Mike Johnson: “We expect federal deficits to widen, reaching nearly 9% of GDP by 2035, up from 6.4% in 2024, driven mainly by increased interest payments on debt, rising entitlement spending, and relatively low revenue generation.” This move came hours after the budget reconciliation bill was voted down 16-21 by the House Budget Committee. That doesn’t mean that it is dead, but it means they have to go back to the drawing board and this will delay passage. The no votes on the committee are right-wingers who want much larger spending cuts These no voters don’t even include the faction that will oppose the bill if Medicaid is cut drastically, or the other faction opposed to the $30K cap on SALT (deduction for state & local taxes paid). Donnie’s also demonstrated his lack of power and irrelevance: he tried to push Republicans on the budget committee to vote for it this morning, but he was largely ignored: “Republicans MUST UNITE behind, ‘THE ONE, BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL!’ Not only does it cut Taxes for ALL Americans, but it will kick millions of Illegal Aliens off of Medicaid to PROTECT it for those who are the ones in real need. We don’t need ‘GRANDSTANDERS’ in the Republican Party. STOP TALKING, AND GET IT DONE!” Ranking member Brendan Boyle (D-PA) drew laughter with this comment: “There is a strong divide between Republicans and some other Republicans.” Michael Jackson Nose enthusiast and Official Fluffer Karoline Leavitt issued a threat from Dear Leader: “The White House will continue to have conversations over the weekend, strongly urging House Members to seize the generational opportunity before them and vote for this historic legislation to fix the mess Joe Biden created. The president expects ALL Republicans to vote for this bill and successfully pass it through Committee in the near future.” Bottom line: it’s a steaming Republican mess and it’s unlikely Donnie is going to see his tax cut. The best these mopes will be able to do is another CR.

He finished his crybaby event this morning when he went on a falsehood-riddled social media rant about the “AUTOPEN” and the “RIGGED AND STOLEN ELECTION” and the January 6 committee. He went on in the posted rrant, listing a slew of familiar grievances like the election he lost that was not rigged, the Jan. 6 evidence that wasn’t destroyed, and the “AUTOPEN” that former President Joe Biden and many other presidents have used, but which MAGA supporters claim was used without Biden’s knowledge, posting on Lies Anti-Social: “Whoever had control of the “AUTOPEN” is looking to be a bigger and bigger scandal by the moment. It is a major part of the real crime, THAT THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 2020 WAS RIGGED AND STOLEN! Millions and millions of people knew that, but the Radical Left Democrats waged a campaign of inoculation and innocence like none that had ever been waged before. THIS IS WHY THE UNSELECT COMMITTEE OF POLITICAL THUGS, WHO WERE GIVEN A FULL AND COMPLETE PARDON BY THE PERSON WHO WIELDED THE NOW ILLEGALLY USED AUTOPEN, DELETED AND DESTROYED ALL EVIDENCE AND INFORMATION FROM THEIR CORRUPT AND VICIOUS WITCH HUNT AGAINST ME, AND MANY OTHER PEOPLE, WHOSE LIVES WERE COMPLETELY SHATTERED AND DESTROYED BY THIS HISTORICALLY CRIMINAL EVENT. Remember, it all began with DIRTY COP James Comey, Obama, a hapless and cognitively impaired Sleepy Joe Biden, and my now very famous ACCUSATION that,“THEY SPIED ON MY CAMPAIGN!” Whoever had control of the Autopen is just the beginning. The biggest crime of all is that THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WAS RIGGED! I (MAGA!) WON THE ELECTION BY MILLIONS OF VOTES, AND EVERYONE KNOWS IT. GOD BLESS AMERICA, FOR THE FIGHT HAS JUST BEGUN!!!” He really is loonier than a tune.

From the Department of The Trumps Are Too Fucking Stupid To Do Corruption Right: The Trump family's plan for a grandiose $500 million hotel in Serbia has hit an embarrassing setback. A vital document the Serbian government needed to greenlight this deal turns out to be forged, officials announced. Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner is itching to break ground on the Belgrade site where the old Yugoslav Ministry of Defense headquarters stand. Kushner's property management company, Affinity Partners, has said they plan to build a lavish resort. The leader of Serbia's agency admitted to faking an official pass to bulldoze the historical spot and make way for Trump's international luxury retreat for elites with deep pockets. Goran Vasic, the former at the Republic Institute for Protection of Cultural Monuments, got arrested after creating a phony expert opinion to justify stripping the site's protected status, which kept it safe from demolition. "Vasic forged a proposal for a decision to revoke the status of cultural property. Goran Vasic caused damage to the cultural heritage of the Republic of Serbia," the Office of the Prosecutor for Organized Crime said in their no-nonsense announcement. Affinity Partners, the Miami-based coperation, has issued a statement firmly denying any involvement or knowledge of the scandal unraveling before them. "Today we learned from media reports that a former Serbian government official with no connection to our firm allegedly falsified documents related to the landmark designation of the Belgrade Square project," the company said. (If you believe t hat, I have a bridge on offer you won’t be able to refuse.)

From the Department of This Guy Is Much Tougher Than You Are Donnie: Hollywood star Robert De Niro said he has no intention of remaining quiet over his view on PINO and won't be silenced by anyone. De Niro has never shied away from making his thoughts on Trump known and has even sparked a response from the president himself on occasion when he has taken him on. The first night of the Cannes festival saw one such incident as De Niro used his acceptance speech at the opening ceremony to slam the president. In an interview, he said: “We have to stop what’s going on, it’s insane. We can’t have apathy and silence. You have to speak up and risk being harassed.” He was then asked bu The Guardian if he worries that his outspoken views on the Trump administration could be putting his safety at risk. He replied: “You always think about it, of course. But I’m too old for all that. The man is a bully and you can’t let bullies win. If a bully comes for your lunch money on Monday, he’s going to ask for more on Tuesday. You have to stand up. And I wouldn’t want to look at myself if I didn’t." De Niro then named specific members of Trump's team as he continued: “I look at people like Rubio [Trump’s secretary of state]. I see him sitting by when they [Trump and JD Vance] beat up Zelenskyy [the Ukrainian prime minister], after all the times that he has defended Ukraine in the past. And I think, what the hell does he tell his kids about that? It won’t be forgotten. Historically, this will not be forgotten.”

Corky in the cat tree

From the Department of What A Mark Donnie Is: Once again, Widdle Donnie Dimbulb has demonstrated that he’s every bit as dumb, ignorant and easily swindled as are the deranged cultists who worship him. Additionally, he’s lazy, greedy, and pathetically susceptible to flattery, all of which adds up to he is the world’s most perfect mark. Thus, it’s completely unsurprising to learn that the flying whorehouse he’s proud of having been gifted is actually a ginormous piece of shit. Qatar has been trying find a patsy to unload it on since 2020. What’s supposed to become Pimp Force One is actually a white elephant. Qatar has desperate to get rid of the thing, and nobody wanted to buy it; since the people buy such things for their own use pimp them out to their taste, and “Saddam’s Whorehouse” isn’t exactly an advertisement for taste and intelligence, which is what such operators think they are. It’s too expensive to operate, too expensive to maintain, and too expensive to store - it’s a money-loser sitting there no matter how you look at it. The Qataris figure to save the price of the airplane in not paying for fuel, maintenance and parking fees. Fortunately for the Qataris, “Saddam’s Whorehouse” is exactly Dimbulb’s style, and the more gauche the better.“Large ostentatious planes are a security risk,” notes Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace consultant with Aerodynamic Advisory. “These things are big targets.” But try explaining to Dimbulb that having the Biggest Fucking Plane - which he thinks is a terrific thing - makes you the biggest fucking target. Politico’s Meredith Lee Hill: “A brutal week for Hill Republicans: 1. Bond market chaos; 2. Failed Trump megabill vote; 3. Moody’s downgrades US credit rating.”

From the Department of So Much Winning: In another spectacular public flameout Maladministration II got slapped across its Anusmouth once again by the Supreme Court, which extended its order temporarily blocking Maladministration II from swiftly deporting alleged Venezuelan gang members being detained in portions of Texas, and chastising the administration for not giving them more due process. Over the dissents of the two Usual Suspects, the emergency decision prevents authorities from removing the migrants under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 as a legal challenge proceeds, a win for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which is suing on the migrants’ behalf. The case will return to the lower courts alongside a handful of other challenges being brought by the civil rights group around the country. The issue could ultimately return to the justices, who directed the lower courts to act “expeditiously.” “Notice roughly 24 hours before removal, devoid of information about how to exercise due process rights to contest that removal, surely does not pass muster,” the seven judge majority said in an unsigned opinion. After t he decision was announced, Widdle Donnie Dumbfuck went on Lies Anti-Social and had a tantrum over how mean the courts are to him: “THE SUPREME COURT WON’T ALLOW US TO GET CRIMINALS OUT OF OUR COUNTRY! The Radical Left SleazeBags, which has no cards remaining in its illegal bag of tricks, is, in a very coordinated manner, PLAYING THE REF with regards to the Supreme Court. They lost the Election in a landslide (FACT CHECK: No, that’s a lie. You won by a 1.7% margin. Some “landslide.”), and with it, have totally lost their confidence and reason. They are stone cold CRAZY. I hope the Supreme Court doesn’t fall for the games they play. The people are with us in bigger numbers than ever before.” (FACT CHECK AGAIN: No, they aren’t. Only 37% of us don’t wish you were fucking dead, dipshit.) Later on Friday, he added an all-caps follow-up: “THE SUPREME COURT IS BEING PLAYED BY THE RADICAL LEFT LOSERS, WHO HAVE NO SUPPORT, THE PUBLIC HATES THEM, AND THEIR ONLY HOPE IS THE INTIMIDATION OF THE COURT, ITSELF. WE CAN’T LET THAT HAPPEN TO OUR COUNTRY!” Noted Konztitoooshinull skoler Mike Lee posted: Mike Lee (R-UT): “SCOTUS extends deportation block. Do seven of our nine justices really want to Make Aliens Terrorists Welcome Again? Do American voters get no say in this?” (This guy is living proof my father was right. You can understand Mormons by removing the second “m.”)

From the Department of Widdle Donnie Fails Again: Before Donnie Dumbfuck climbed aboard Air Farce One, he president boasted about the hundreds of billions of dollars in business he had conducted during his four-day visit to the Middle East. But he did not get the deal he wanted the most. He was left with the growing sense that he’d been played by his “old friend” Vlad. After a week of being flattered and feted by a succession of Arab rulers thrilled at the opportunity to come in from the cold, PINO felt the heat from Ukraine. When the White House initially “set up” the Saudi Arabia date Widdle Donnie expected it to be the venue for a superpower summit with the Russian leader. He brazenly curried favor with Putin, talking about what great friends they were, how Russia should once again be welcomed into the G7 meetings of world leaders to make it the G8, and suggesting the Russian invasion of Ukraine was the fault of Ukraine. But all Trump’s hints and come-ons to the media about an impending ceasefire couldn’t hide the reality of his broken brokerage. The talks have gone sour. The bluffer has been bluffed. Putin ensured the peace mission was doomed from the outset this week by sending a minion to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky as a not-so-veiled insult. The first head-to-head talks in three years quickly spiraled into name-calling before ending altogether. The low-level leader of the delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, hadn’t even bothered to attend. A Ukrainian diplomatic source said the Russians demanded the Ukrainian army withdraw from several areas inside Ukraine that Russia has been unable to occupy and conquer in return for a ceasefire: "Russian demands are detached from reality and go far beyond anything that was previously discussed." Bloomberg UK: “Russia made a series of hardline, maximalist demands in today’s meeting in Turkey as it once again refused a ceasefire. Its delegation said: Ukraine must adopt neutral status; it can have no foreign troops on its territory; it cannot have weapons of mass destruction; it must abandon claims for war reparations from Russia; there must be international recognition of five Ukrainian territories including Crimea as Russia’s; Ukrainian troops must leave areas claimed by Russia that Russia doesn’t currently control. Putin’s as delusional as Donnie is.

From the Department of How Fucking Stupid Is He?: One of PINO’s ondest pastimes has been firing off randomly capitalized social media posts lambasting various laws as—and this is a technical term—too woke to be legal. Among his targets last week was the Digital Equity Act, which he deemed “RACIST,” “ILLEGAL,” and “totally UNCONSTITUTIONAL.” He wrapped by promising to (attempt to) end the program immediately. “No more woke handouts based on race!” he wrote. Other than the name of the Digital Equity Act, everything in the post is wrong. Overall, the vast majority of Americans use the internet—96% of adults, according to Pew Research Center data. Yet there remains a persistent “digital divide” in this country, which breaks down on lines that will be unsurprising to anyone with a passing familiarity with its history. As recently as 2019, for example, only 71% of people who didn’t graduate from high school said they used the internet, and less than half—46%—subscribed to home broadband. In 2021, 85% of households making less than $25,000—nearly 23 million households—had a computing device (desktop, smartphone, or tablet) at home, compared to over 99% of households earning $150,000 or more, per U.S. Census Bureau data. Among those households making less than $25,000 a year, 16% had internet access only through a smartphone, compared to just 5% of households at the other end of the income spectrum. The Digital Equity Act aims to narrow these gaps, if not close them altogether. The law established a trio of grant programs that allow states, Tribes, and other organizations to apply for money they can use to get people online and provide them with the tools necessary to make safe, effective use of the web. On passing the DEA, Congress acknowledged the simple fact that it is more or less impossible to find jobs, do homework, obtain healthcare, apply to college, pay taxes, and otherwise fully participate in modern society with limited and/or unstable internet access. The law set aside a total of $2.75 billion over five years for its purposes, which, in the context of the federal budget, is roughly analogous to a thimbleful of Evian poured into the infinity pool on a megayacht. Donnie Dumbbell wing Dumbest Motherfucker Ever for the fifteenth week in a row. So much winning!

From the Department of The Emperor Wills It: Donnie’s happy birthday military parade and festivities scheduled to take place next month in the nation’s capital could cost between $25 million and $45 million, according to the Army. An Army spokesperson confirmed that the June 14 parade, which will mark the service’s 250th anniversary, could cost up to $45 million, including the concert and fireworks show. The parade will feature thousands of service members and dozens of military vehicles. Some 150 vehicles and 50 aircraft are scheduled to be at the festivities, which will stretch for nearly 4 miles, from the Pentagon to the White House. The thousands of soldiers are slated to stay in federal government office buildings. Roughly 3,000 soldiers are planned to sleep in parts of a General Services Administration building, while another 2,000 would be at the Agriculture Department. The parade will have representation from nearly all Army divisions, along with nonactive veterans from the Vietnam War. (One thing that never surprises me is a reminder of how many dumbfucks got drafted. And of course they’re only dumber now.) “We have the greatest missiles in the world. We have the greatest submarines in the world. We have the greatest army tanks in the world,” Trump said in a recent “Meet the Press” interview. “We have the greatest weapons in the world. And we’re going to celebrate it.”

From the always-busy Department of The Wrong RFK Got Shot: HHS Secretary RFK Jr. is set to announce that HHS will stop recommending Covid vaccines for children and pregnant people, a close Kennedy ally said Thursday. The news arrived between panels at a daylong event marking the launch of a new Make America Healthy Again-affiliated think tank called the MAHA Institute. “Something just happened that’s really special. I was asked to please make this announcement,” Executive Director Leland Lehrman told attendees. “You might’ve already heard, but today the secretary is announcing that HHS and the CDC are going to stop recommending routine Covid shots for children and pregnant women.” As the room broke out into applause, he chuckled and said, “That’s good! That’s really good.” The news was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. It’s unclear how Doctor Feel Bad would enact such a change, since federal health agencies typically rely on independent advisory bodies for vaccine recommendations. It would be highly unusual for the secretary to circumvent his advisers and reverse a recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. “And without any process, it’s even worse,” said Dorit Reiss, a law professor at UC Law San Francisco who studies the anti-vaccine movement. “Overturning the recommendation means that insurance companies will no longer have to cover these vaccines.” During and after his confirmation hearings in the Senate, he assured on-the-fence lawmakers that he would not take away anyone’s vaccines. However, withdrawing a recommendation would have the effect of limiting access by making people pay out of pocket for Covid shots. There are myriad other ways he could reshape the nation’s vaccine policy, and he has shown so far that he is willing to cast doubt on shots. A key committee set to meet next month was likely to recommend the shots only for people at highest risk. Kennedy and his followers have been pushing for an even more stripped-down vaccine recommendation (and, in the most staunchly distrustful corners, no Covid shots at all). Thursday’s news would be an even bigger change, since pregnant people are considered to have a higher risk of Covid complications. At the last meeting of an expert panel that has guided the nation’s vaccine policy, a subcommittee presentation suggested they would recommend annual shots for adults 65 and older and some younger adults with medical conditions that increase their risk of severe illness from Covid infection, including pregnant people. The group seemed to also be considering shots for health care workers and some very young children. The MAHA Institute’s first event gave a platform to many people with controversial views, including proponents of raw milk, union leaders against vaccine mandates, and psychiatrists who want to wean patients off of mental health drugs. (90% of psychiatrists are the ones most in need of “help”.)

From the Department of How Thin Is Donnie’s Skin?: To no one’s surprise, President Thinnestskin had a comment about Bruce Springsteen: To very little surprise, Donald Trump responded to Bruce Springsteen‘s scathing take on his presidency earlier this week, as the president labeled him a “dried out prune of a rocker.” At the start a European tour earlier this week, Springsteen lashed out at the president, telling a concert crowd in Manchester, England that Trump was leading “a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration.” “Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experience to rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism and let freedom ring,” Springsteen said. Dilbert, in the midst of his tour of the Middle East, responded on his social media platform Truth Social Friday morning: “I see that Highly Overrated Bruce Springsteen goes to a Foreign Country to speak badly about the President of the United States,” he wrote. “Never liked him, never liked his music, or his Radical Left Politics and, importantly, he’s not a talented guy — Just a pushy, obnoxious JERK, who fervently supported Crooked Joe Biden, a mentally incompetent FOOL, and our WORST EVER President, who came close to destroying our Country. This dried out ‘prune’ of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!) ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country, that’s just ‘standard fare.’ Then we’ll all see how it goes for him!” Of course there had to be a threat. Let’s see President MiniHands try to order ICE to take the E Street Band into custody. On the tour, Bruce said, “The last check on power after the checks and balances have failed, are the people, you and me. It’s in the union of people around a common set of values — now that’s all that stands between democracy and authoritarianism.” Poster Mike Young replied to Donnie’s Xit on Xitter: “It’s ironic that someone who once claimed to champion free speech now seeks to silence dissenting voices. Bruce Springsteen, through his music and commentary, embodies the spirit of American resilience and the right to question leadership. Your attempts to discredit him only underscore the validity of his critiques. Instead of addressing the substance of his concerns, you attack his appearance and character. Perhaps it’s easier to mock than to reflect.” User “Ken” said: “Real classy? Dignified? Befitting the President of the United States? Why does he feel compelled to take shots at celebrities like Springsteen and Taylor Swift? I have no clue. One would think that more important things should occupy his time.” The MAGAts also posted their usual MAGAttry. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) posted a screen shot of Donnie’s post with this quote from Springsteen’s Badlands: “Poor man wanna be rich. Rich man wanna be king. The king ain’t satisfied ‘til he rules everything.”

From the Department of These Gus Couldn’t Organize a Fraternity Party: Fiscal hawks on the House Budget Committee on Friday sunk a key vote on advancing the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” that encompasses President Trump’s legislative agenda, marking a stunning setback for the legislation. The 16-21 vote throws up a hurdle for leaders hoping to send the bill to the Senate by Memorial Day — but are still haggling over last minute changes to appease not only the fiscal hawks but moderates seeking bigger blue-state tax breaks.Five Republicans voted no: Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), Josh Brecheen (R-Okla.), Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) and Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.). Republicans could only afford to lose two of their members and still advance the legislation. Smucker changed his vote from yes to no in a procedural move. “To be clear—I fully support the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB). My vote today in the Budget Committee is a procedural requirement to preserve the committee’s opportunity to reconsider the motion to advance OBBB,” Smucker wrote on X. House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) said after the vote: “We’re working through some remaining issues here, there are just a few outstanding issues I think everyone will get to yes, and we’re going to l resolve this as quick as we can and hopefully have a vote, ideally on Monday, and we can advance this bill.” Smucker said the panel plowed ahead with a vote despite the reservations among hardliners because “there were continued, ongoing discussions and we were very close to having a yes.”

Later Friday afternoon, three sources told The Hill the committee would reconvene on Sunday at 10 p.m. Negotiations took place during the committee markup in a neighboring room with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), but leaders apparently did not make enough progress to sway the holdouts. “This bill falls profoundly short. It does not do what we say it does with respect to deficits,” Rep Chip Roy (R-Texas), one of those holdouts, said during the markup. Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), another one of the holdouts, said he was “very disappointed” with the state of the measure, adding in the committee: “Sadly, I’m a hard no until we get this ironed out.”

From the Department of There he Goes Again: PINO stirred new controversy when, during his tour of the Middle East, he was accused of using U.S. troops stationed in Qatar as props to boost his false election claims. Speaking at the Al Udeid Air Base southwest of Doha on Thursday, Trump again falsely asserted he won the 2020 election against now-former President Joe Biden. He also, yet again, floated the unconstitutional idea of extending his stay in the White House even longer. “As you know, we won three elections, OK?” Trump told the assembled troops. “And some people want us to do a fourth. I don’t know, I’ll have to think about that.” Trump then referenced new campaign merchandise, saying: “You saw the new, the new hat. The hottest hat is, it says, ‘Trump 2028.’ We’re driving the left crazy.” Trump also reportedly thanked the service members for their political support. The troops appeared to remain largely silent throughout the president’s address. On social media, though, the criticism was loud: “If this was a rally, the president’s remarks would be fine. But in front of service members who are expected to be apolitical, many Defense Department officials would find these remarks inappropriate.” “That kind of self-serving rhetoric is utterly embarrassing. It's the epitome of using our Armed Forces as mere props.” “On a positive note, at least he did not ask them to swear an oath of personal allegience.”

David Frum gets today’s last word: “And the thing I love about the story is because if you are a Trump skeptic, you're always having to balance two truths in your mind. One is the president is unfathomably corrupt and wicked and immoral. On the other hand, he's kind of a goofball, and a fool, and a sucker, and a dupe."

Sammy in the cat tree.

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