START YOUR ENGINES - IT'S MONDAY

There are 182 days to the mid terms. And yes, the loonies are still loose.

Disapproval of Trump’s performance in office has climbed to 62%, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll, the highest level seen in either of his two terms. His overall approval has slipped to 37%, down two points from 39% in February. Trump’s approval rating among Republican-leaning independents has hit a record low of 56%. He earned only a 25% approval among all independents. 66% disapprove of his handling of the situation in Iran, compared with 33% who approve. Trump’s approval rating on the economy fell seven points to 34%. While Trump promised during the campaign to ease the cost of living and “end inflation,” only 23% approve his handling of the general cost of living, with 76% disapproval. His approval rating on inflation is now 27%.

Yes, he’s really declined during April, here are the receipts: Trump’s late-night and early- morning posting habit is now so prolific there were only five days in April when he could have had a full night’s sleep. The breathtaking scale of Trump’s use of his Lies Anti-Social platform has exploded in comparison to his use of Twitter at comparable times in his first term. At this point in his first term, the president had posted 250 times in April 2018. This April, he made 565 posts on Lies Anti-Social, an average of about 18 a day. A third of his social media output now comes during the night. Trump’s nocturnal social media rampages in April have ranged from petty and embarrassing to blasphemous and apocalyptic. And they have at times been so baffling that even his former staffers and allies have voiced concerns that he’s “clearly not well.” In total, Trump posted 189 times between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. local time in April. This means 83 percent of nights in April saw at least one nighttime post. After 13 straight nights of this—his longest run of the month—Trump nodded off on camera again on April 23, as pharmaceutical executives and members of his cabinet, including Dr. Oz, Howard Lutnick, and RFK Jr., surrounded him at the Resolute Desk. Trump made 18 posts between midnight and 2:45 a.m. on April 24. His final post of the early-morning spree was a link to a right-wing Breitbart report about birth tourism. He began posting again at 7:33 a.m. later that morning, suggesting he had slept for fewer than five hours. Trump maintained his bizarre posting habits into the first days of May as well. Weekends were Trump’s most prolific. There was just one weekend night on which he did not post, April 4, suggesting that he cannot be recovering from a lack of weeknight sleep on weekends. The health effects of sleeplessness on physical and especially mental health in the elderly are well- documented. A survey by the Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that the risk of dementia was double among participants who reported getting less than five hours of sleep compared to those who reported seven to eight hours per night. White House spokesman Davis Ingle replied: “President Trump is the most transparent and accessible President in American history to the media, and his return to the White House saved the legacy media from going out of business. The press knows that they can’t get enough of Trump, and the American people appreciate hearing his first-hand insights on topics of importance to our country.”

In what is likely his final appearance on CBW, Anderson Cooper introduced the final segment of “60 Minutes” Sunday, which saw Harvard historian Jill Lepore make an argument that landed with particular weight given where the Supreme Court has been taking the country. Lepore told viewers the Constitution has not been amended “in any meaningful way” since the 26th Amendment lowered the voting age in 1971. But she argued that does not mean it has been static. “You’d have to concede that the U.S. Constitution is being amended all the time,” she said. “Not by the people, but by the Supreme Court.”

Marjorie Taylor Greene gave her most detailed public account yet of the phone call she says ended her alliance with Donald Trump, speaking at a Ron Paul Institute conference in Texas on April 25. By her account, Trump called her after she signed a bipartisan discharge petition to force release of the Epstein files. He told her: “Marjorie, you’re gonna have to take your name off that discharge petition. It’s a Democrat hoax. My friends are going to get hurt.” She said Trump also told her that “people in Palm Beach” and “people you know at Mar-a-Lago” would be hurt by the files’ release, and that he leaned on Speaker Johnson to bury any Epstein bill in committee and ordered then-Attorney General Pam Bondi not to release the files at all. She refused. “That’s when MAGA died,” she said. “That’s when the entire thing shattered for me.” Sunday she reframed Trump’s signature insult directly: “I don’t have Trump Derangement Syndrome. I have Trump Disappointment Syndrome.”

So much for Joe Walsh: Noted Tea Party bomb-thrower and one of the inventors of today’s loving atmosphere in political conversations (I jest) Joe Walsh was welcomed into the resistance when he became a never-Trumper and decided he was a Democrat. Well, some Democrat: Walsh went on his podcast Friday and spewed a vitriolic tirade against Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner, calling him “despicable,” a “bullshitter,” even throwing around accusations like “anti-Semitic,” and then said he wouldn’t support him even if it helps keep a Republican in power. The fact he can turn that same scorched-earth, character-assassination playbook he used to ride to Congress on a real progressive who’s actually connecting with voters on the number one issue in this country, affordability, ian’t “principle,” that’s hypocrisy dripping with arrogance. Walsh doesn’t want a “big tent,” he wants a tent where he gets to decide who’s worthy. And when someone comes along with a message that resonates with working people, he panics and goes for the jugular. It’s the same old Tea Party venom, just dressed up in a different jersey. Fuck you, Joe. Time to call the bouncer over to 86 you.

Following the withdrawal of MAHA “influencer” Casey Means for the office, Trump nominated Dr. Nicole Saphier, a radiologist and former Fox News Channel contributor, for the role of surgeon general. It’s his third pick for this position, often called “the nation’s doctor,” responsible for promoting health and wellness to the general public in the United States. Saphier can expect many questions about her qualifications, views on vaccines and other topics she’s publicly addressed. She currently sells herbal supplement drops that promote “focus” and “calm” and hosts a podcast called Wellness Unmasked on iHeartRadio. She is an active licensed physician - which Means wasn’t - practicing at a top academic medical center. These credentials make her a “reasonable choice” for surgeon general. She criticized Wrong RFK’s attempts to link vaccines with autism in an op-ed last year in the Wall Street Journal. “When it comes to autism, we can’t afford to chase ghosts,” she wrote, advocating for more research into genetic and environmental causes. Based on what Saphier has said publicly, she’s been opposed to vaccine mandates, but she’s not anti-vaccine; this is what sank Means. Essentially, Saphier is further proof that you don’t want a medical professional who’s a modern Republican messing with your vitals.

Trump’s controversial new Air Force One will be less government issue, more royal suite. The Boeing 747, originally built for Qatar’s royal family, is being refitted for Trump after it was gifted to the United States last year. But despite a $400 million overhaul, much of its lavish interior is staying put. “By and large, the airplane that we’re getting is in the same condition from an interior perspective,” Air Force Gen. Dale White told The Wall Street Journal. Oversized leather seats, plush couches, and faux library-style bookshelves will all remain onboard, now paired with U.S. presidential seals instead of royal insignia. Trump said the plane would be handed over to his presidential library upon his leaving office, and he would not use it after his presidency.

Saturday, Trump went blathering on Lies Anti-Social about his dislikes and grievances: Trump lost his cool when he saw Fox News covering a late-night host and his interview with a Democratic governor. Comedian Bill Maher interviewed California Gov. Gavin Newsom in an episode of his HBO show “Real Time” on Friday. In a Truth Social post on Saturday, Trump blasted the interview as well as Fox News for covering it the next day. “I hate seeing Fox, and other Conservative Outlets, constantly making Low Rated Bill Maher ‘relevant,’” Trump wrote. “Bill Maher is weak and ineffective person who I got to know very well during my dinner with him.” His post also referred to “Gavin Newscum, an admittedly Low IQ person.” Trump ended his latest tirade by saying, “Bill Maher is a MORON, though slightly more talented than Jimmy Kimmel.”

Of course, never stop when you’re on a roll: Political analysts and observers brutally mocked Trump Saturday, after his latest attack on Democrats immediately blew up in his face. He raged at Sen. Chuck Schumer and former Attorney General Eric Holder for committing allegedly “treasonous” activity by trying to stop his attempt to overhaul the U.S. election system. In the post, Trump called the Democrats “human garbage” and suggested the party was full of “highly dishonest” people. (His statements came just days after the White House called on Democrats to tone down their rhetoric after the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.)”They’re no good for our Country, they almost destroyed it, and we don’t want to let that happen again! These are highly dishonest people who are, in many ways, treasonous, in that they are trying to destabilize the United States of America in what, some would call, a War.” Analysts and observers reacted to the post: “And it’s even stupider because Trump is accusing Obama’s AG of rigging the *2020* presidential election when Trump was president,” Eric Columbus, senior editor at Lawfare.com. “At a certain point, is he going to notice that the Republicans aren’t doing what he’s telling them to?” ex-journalist Helen Kennedy posted. “Calling Democrats ‘treasonous’ and ‘human garbage’ would’ve been a big deal in any other era. Now it’s just another fucking Saturday,” journalist Matt Novak posted.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stunned political analysts and observers on Sunday during an interview on “Meet the Press” with a strange argument in defense of Trump’s election scheme. Blanche discussed some of the major election changes Maladministration II is pushing for, including adding nationwide voter ID laws, arguing that having voter ID laws is a common-sense solution to cases of alleged voter fraud, but his reasoning left many with their jaws on the floor. “There are a lot of things we can be doing, like voter ID. Every time you walk into a restaurant or a club, you have to show your ID (FACT CHECK: no you don’t). How about you have to show your ID to vote? That’s not anything that’s crazy, and that is what we should be talking about.” “How is this real life?” Fox News host Jessica Tarlov asked. “Maybe he is used to dining at exclusive members-only clubs, but the rest of us don’t have to show ID to walk into a restaurant,” MeidasTouch Network posted. “I hate when I forget my driver’s license when I go to Chili’s,” former Republican lawmaker Adam Kinzinger posted.

Remember, you are not the crazy ones, and we were made for these times.

“Neither let us be slandered from our duty by false accusations against us, nor frightened from it by menaces of destruction to the Government, nor of dungeons to ourselves. Let us have faith that right makes might; and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty, as we understand it.” - Abraham Lincoln

Mary B’s Iris

The current media scene is a stark reminder of the importance of independent journalism. No billionaires. No oligarchs. No corporate media. No dark money PACS. None of us can do it alone. You are not the crazy ones. These are truly the times that try men’s and women’s souls. This is the fight of our lifetimes, and the challenge of our generation. I realize times are getting harder, which is why some readers understandably didn’t renew their subscriptions. There are free subscribers who read TAFM daily according to the site stats. If you folks happen to be in a position to help make up the gap, please consider joining the other paid subscribers here at That’s Another Fine Mess to keep things going. Across Substack, authors like me need your help! It’s only 21 cents a day. I am deeply thankful to those who have done so. Remember, independent media brought down Viktor Orbán - we can bring down Trump, with your support.

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