Category: Corruption

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 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/)

Trump Admin Sends Saudi Nuclear Deal With Uranium Enrichment to Congress

The Trump administration submitted a nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress on Monday, which would permit uranium enrichment on Saudi territory and take effect automatically in 90 days unless both chambers pass disapproval resolutions. Energy Secretary Chris Wright confirmed the deal includes a pathway for Saudi enrichment of uranium fuel for civilian reactors, though he stated such arrangements remain “many years down the road.” The agreement’s full text was sent to Congress in classified form, described by sources as “highly unusual,” with experts noting that classifying an entire civil nuclear cooperation agreement would be “unprecedented.”

The White House conditioned the agreement’s advancement on Saudi Arabia joining Trump’s Abraham Accords initiative, which normalizes diplomatic relations with Israel, despite the signed agreement containing no such mandate. An administration official stated Trump’s “position has not changed” and that the agreement will proceed only if Riyadh joins the accords. However, the White House offered no explanation for how it would prevent the deal from automatically taking effect after 90 days if Saudi Arabia does not comply, leaving the mechanism for enforcing this condition unclear.

The agreement permits Saudi enrichment without requiring adoption of the Additional Protocol, the standard international safeguard that grants the UN nuclear watchdog broad authority to inspect suspected weapons sites. Wright argued that bilaterally negotiated safeguards developed “in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency” would be sufficient to prevent weapons development. IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi stated the agency’s Board of Governors must review and approve the safeguards agreement and pledged he would “never put forward an agreement that would not guarantee nonproliferation.”

The diplomatic condition linking the deal to the Abraham Accords surprised Trump’s own nuclear negotiators, according to sources briefed on the matter. Trump formally approved the 30-year nuclear agreement in July, structuring it to secure dominant market access for American companies while excluding foreign competitors from Saudi Arabia’s nuclear infrastructure. Scott Roecker of the Nuclear Threat Initiative suggested the administration could refuse to finalize the agreement after Congress completes its review, potentially using the accords condition as leverage to pressure Saudi Arabia toward Israeli normalization.

The administration’s approach mirrors precedent set during George W. Bush’s presidency, when his administration withdrew a nuclear agreement with Russia from congressional consideration in 2008 following Moscow’s invasion of Georgia. Trump issued his certification for the Saudi agreement on July 16, according to the Federal Register, but the intertwining of the nuclear deal with unrelated diplomatic objectives has left lawmakers uncertain how to evaluate the agreement’s nuclear merits independently.



(Source: https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/26/politics/trump-saudi-arabia-nuclear-deal?Date=20260826&Profile=CNN&utm_content=1787777104&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwdGRjcAT8SR5wZG9mBWZkaWQWUNPW_zGo1xpalQI2bG2ghAonaG4g3GV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR55T2Hst1IZkGT4sMiro6WFCClyed7RwMEwsG5N7LjK4z4diwjPhGSzT9vEnQ_aem_RBwOCizapX4ifgZJ62oCcA)agreement’s nuclear merits independently.

Trump Brags About White House Renovation Costing Nearly $1 Billion

Trump posted on Truth Social Tuesday boasting about White House beautification and renovation projects, claiming credit for fixes including 2,300 lights repaired, 1,460 benches installed or refurbished, and over 500 graffiti removal instances across Washington, D.C. He specifically highlighted the restoration of Thomas Jefferson Columns at the White House, posting photos and stating the work “turned out beautifully.”

Since returning to office in January, Trump has initiated multiple major renovation projects at the White House. These include a complete Rose Garden redesign that replaced the lawn with a stone patio, which Trump justified as necessary for holding press conferences during poor weather. The centerpiece of his renovation agenda is a massive White House Ballroom project requiring demolition of the entire East Wing.

The ballroom construction faced significant legal obstacles delaying formal approval and project progress. Trump’s various White House renovations have cost nearly $1 billion to date, representing a substantial allocation of federal resources to properties already owned and maintained by taxpayers.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-brags-about-white-house-restoration-turned-out-beautifully/)

Trump admin says White House ballroom ‘beyond the point of no return’ in Supreme Court appeal – ABC News

Trump administration officials filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court on Friday seeking to overturn a lower court injunction that would halt construction of a White House ballroom and helipad. Solicitor General John Sauer, invoking six alleged assassination attempts against Trump, claimed the project is essential to presidential security and that halting work would endanger Trump’s life. The administration asserts it has authority to conduct the renovation without congressional approval, citing precedent for presidential alterations to the executive residence.

A federal district court and divided appeals court determined Trump lacks authority to overhaul the White House without congressional approval, prompting the administration’s Supreme Court intervention. The injunction is scheduled to take effect August 21 unless the Court grants the emergency stay. Sauer argued the district court would improperly elevate a single judge as arbiter of presidential security decisions, framing the matter as one of executive power rather than institutional oversight.

The administration claims the project is 65 percent complete with $200 million spent or committed, operating with a 250-person crew working 20 hours daily seven days a week. White House director Joshua Fisher declared in a sworn statement that stopping construction would be “a disaster” because the concrete-and-steel structure is now “beyond the point of no return” and cannot be safely altered or dismantled. The filing asserts the project operates “on time” and “under budget” with “zero taxpayer dollars” required, though this omits reference to a $1 billion White House hardening request to Congress widely tied to the ballroom project.

The administration’s filings include declarations from the secretary of state, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, FBI director, and Secret Service director defending the project on national security grounds. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which challenged the construction as destructive to the building’s historic integrity, will have the opportunity to respond to the Supreme Court within the coming week. Trump devoted nearly 45,000 words across 84 public events to construction projects including this ballroom during the first seven months of 2026.

Senate Democrats requested the Government Accountability Office audit the project, citing the unusual scale, destruction of historic architecture, opaque funding mix of public and private sources, and absence of standard federal review processes. The Supreme Court is expected to decide whether to grant the emergency stay and potentially expedite oral arguments on the merits of presidential renovation authority versus congressional oversight.



(Source: https://abcnews.com/Politics/trump-appeals-supreme-court-white-house-ballroom-construction/story?id=135642539)de whether to grant the emergency stay and potentially expedite oral arguments on the merits of presidential renovation authority versus congressional oversight.

NAS Removes Climate Chapter From Judges Manual After Trump Pressure

The National Academy of Sciences removed a climate science chapter from its Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence after pressure from President Donald Trump and Republican officials who falsely characterized the peer-reviewed work as “biased,” “fraudulent,” and “misleading.” The chapter, titled “Reference Guide on Climate Science,” had been included for the first time in the 2025 edition and covered the greenhouse effect, atmospheric cycling, attribution science, and peer-reviewed research to assist judges in reasoning through cases involving complex scientific topics.

Trump and dozens of state attorneys general attacked the chapter in early 2026, prompting the Federal Judicial Center to remove it in February. The NAS subsequently announced the chapter would remain offline pending an “independent review,” claiming questions about development processes warranted examination. This decision subordinates scientific evidence to political pressure, despite the chapter undergoing rigorous peer review from external scientists, judges, and National Academies staff according to the same standards applied to all manual sections.

Authors Jessica Wentz and Radley Horton, both from Columbia University, defended their work as science-based and properly vetted through extensive external review. Their chapter presented established climate science findings to serve the judiciary in complex litigation. The removal demonstrates how Trump’s federal attack on the National Academy of Sciences extends beyond investigation to direct suppression of scientific guidance that contradicts his interests and those of fossil fuel allies.

The action exemplifies Trump’s systematic assault on independent institutions and scientific authority. By weaponizing accusations of bias against peer-reviewed climate science, Trump manufactures pretexts for erasing inconvenient research from judicial reference materials, obstructing judges’ access to credible scientific evidence necessary for sound legal reasoning on environmental cases. The capitulation by the NAS and Federal Judicial Center signals institutional vulnerability to authoritarian pressure campaigns disguised as procedural reviews.



(Source: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/national-academy-of-sciences-pulls-climate-chapter-from-judges-manual/?fbclid=IwdGRjcATrIC1wZG9mBWZkaWQWUMZ6s8by4ageyWFLZJOlZd9RMlUyKmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR4pJlcKCUmPfRwgQAFhKYQrqASw-byqdNMuOvzpsPkat-GNTLopRJPOkPaenw_aem_0rxQnwFSMEE7-5KTB6PYUw)

We crunched the numbers: Trump devoted 45,000 words to construction like Reflecting Pool, ballroom – PolitiFact

PolitiFact analyzed Trump's public events and speeches from January through July 2026, documenting that he devoted nearly 45,000 words to construction projects including the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and White House ballroom across 84 events over 66 days. Construction projects consumed more than a quarter of his public speaking time during this period and became his dominant topic when making unprompted remarks, second only to the Iran war when responding to reporters' questions.

Trump's focus on the Reflecting Pool intensified in May as the July 4th anniversary approached, consuming approximately 10% of his speaking time in events where he mentioned it. He made inconsistent cost claims about repairs, initially stating the project would cost $1.5 million to $2 million in April, then raising estimates to $10 million to $16 million by June. Trump cited contradictory figures about predecessor spending, claiming Obama spent either $38 million or $100 million on repairs when records show Obama actually spent $35 million. After a new pool liner began peeling in June, Trump blamed vandals without evidence, but prosecutors led by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro determined that faulty contractor installation caused the damage and dropped all charges.

Trump's $200 million White House ballroom project, later doubled in size to $400 million at what he claimed was military request, exemplifies how he frames construction through his personal identity. Trump repeatedly asserted no taxpayer funds would be used, claiming wealthy donors including Apple and Microsoft would pay, yet a Washington Post investigation of contractor estimates revealed taxpayers could cover more than half the $600 million projected cost. A federal appeals court blocked the ballroom construction in August, ruling Trump needs Congressional approval, prompting him to announce plans to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Political communication experts identify Trump's construction rhetoric as distinctly narcissistic, transforming projects into extensions of his personal judgment rather than institutional stewardship. Sam Martin, Boise State University associate professor, noted that Trump's framing reflects "a view of presidential power that depends primarily on the judgment, instincts, and abilities of one exceptional individual rather than on constitutional processes or institutional collaboration." Allison Prasch, University of Wisconsin-Madison rhetoric professor, observed that Trump disregards expert recommendations and historical preservation standards to "shape this national narrative" in ways that "his influence and eminence will outlast himself."

Public opposition to Trump's construction agenda contradicts his rhetoric. A July Washington Post/Ipsos poll found nearly two in three Americans dissatisfied or upset with the projects, including 90% of Democrats and 68% of Republicans, though 86% of self-identified MAGA Republicans supported them. Trump's preoccupation with construction projects and the Reflecting Pool during an ongoing Iran war, rising gasoline prices, and accelerated Kennedy Center renovations bypassing federal contracting standards demonstrates his prioritization of monument-building and personal legacy over governance.

(Source: https://politifact.com/article/2026/aug/11/trump-construction-ballroom-reflecting-pool/)

Surprise! Todd Blanche Immediately Breaks His Promises to GOP Senators | The New Republic

Todd Blanche issued a Department of Justice memo on his first day as Attorney General that expands executive privilege protections for President Trump, allowing him to shield communications with private advisers from congressional oversight. The memo extends privilege claims to cover exchanges between the president's advisers and civilians, a significant expansion from traditional interpretations. Senate Democrats, particularly Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, identified the move as evidence Trump is preparing to obstruct potential investigations if Democrats regain House control.

Blanche's immediate action contradicts assurances he provided during his confirmation hearing to Senators Bill Cassidy, John Cornyn, and Tom Tillis regarding limits on presidential immunity and accountability. His memo demonstrates the Attorney General is committed to shielding Trump from legal consequences and blocking government transparency rather than enforcing the law independently. The move directly undermines the stated commitments that secured his confirmation vote.

The administration is simultaneously pursuing aggressive immigration enforcement that targets military families despite ongoing recruitment efforts that promise immigration protections. In April 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement reversed longstanding policy treating military service as a mitigating factor in enforcement decisions, leading to detention of over 50 military spouses and relatives. More than 60 congressional Democrats, led by Senators Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Duckworth, and Richard Blumenthal, launched an investigation into whether the Defense Department collaborated with Homeland Security to detain servicemembers and their families, a potential violation of the Posse Comitatus Act.

The administration also announced plans to separate the MMR vaccine into three individual shots, falsely linking the combined vaccine to autism, despite CDC confirmation that no scientific evidence supports splitting the vaccine. Outgoing Senator Bill Cassidy, a physician, directly condemned the executive order as medically unsound and likely to increase vaccine hesitancy among families. Cassidy's criticism carries limited credibility given his decisive confirmation vote for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist without public health expertise.

Trump nominated Dennis Kirk, a Project 2025 author and former Office of Personnel Management official, as Interior Department Inspector General, positioning a Trump loyalist to oversee ethics investigations and potential probes into the $16 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The nomination drew Democratic opposition, with House Natural Resources Committee ranking member Jared Huffman calling Kirk a "fake and fraudulent watchdog" designed to shield administration officials from accountability. Trump's administration has already defied federal court orders in other contexts, signaling systematic resistance to judicial oversight.

(Source: https://newrepublic.com/post/214186/todd-blanche-breaks-promises-donald-trump?utm_medium=social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SF_TNR&fbclid=IwdGRjcAToUhpwZG9mBWZkaWQWUMSMzAgdnNxqwI-26BM6ALF5VHUZa2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR6Q_bhedKdybU3lTo998_TuvOU4ympm8H4ySVS25-LyOmFWhcKbh6WzNuH6MQ_aem_ozjN_-gR48igEMiBuFNGiw)

Trump Attacks Pirro After Pool Charges Dismissed

President Trump publicly attacked U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro on Monday after she dismissed criminal charges against Olympic canoeist David Hearn, who had been accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Trump told reporters Pirro had “choked” and “folded like an umbrella” in dropping the charges, marking his strongest public comments yet on whether her job remains secure.

Pirro appeared at the White House Monday afternoon with a banker’s box of evidence to defend her prosecutorial decision to Trump directly. During the contentious meeting, Pirro lashed out at Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and accused him of misleading the president and covering up mistakes regarding the pool’s damage. National Park Service engineers had privately blamed a private contractor hired through a no-bid Department of Interior contract for the flawed installation, evidence Pirro said emerged after charges were already filed.

Pirro’s 20-page filing stated the damage resulted from “flawed installation by the contractor” rather than vandalism, contradicting Trump’s longstanding public position on the matter. She dismissed not only Hearn’s felony indictment but also misdemeanor cases against three others related to destruction at the pool. Internal National Park Service communications from June 11 raised concerns about the peeling pool liner more than a week before Hearn’s arrest, according to court documents.

Trump did not inform Pirro he intended to fire her during the meeting, nor did she offer to resign, according to sources familiar with the private discussion. However, Trump reiterated late Tuesday that Pirro is “totally wrong” about the pool and said he was “not happy” with his hand-picked U.S. attorney, leaving her employment status unresolved. A White House official confirmed the president was not aware in advance that Pirro would file court papers dismissing the charges.



(Source: https://abcnews.com/Politics/inside-trumps-contentious-oval-office-meeting-jeanine-pirro/story?id=135393382)

Trump Admin Subpoenas NY Times Reporter Over North Korea Story

The Trump administration subpoenaed freelance New York Times reporter Matthew Cole over his reporting on a failed classified military operation in North Korea, according to the Times. Federal Bureau of Investigation agents delivered the subpoena to Cole’s New York home on behalf of prosecutors in Virginia, demanding two years of his contacts and sources. Cole’s attorney, David A. O’Neil, stated the reporter will defend press freedom and the First Amendment against what he characterized as the administration’s direct attacks on journalists.

This subpoena follows the administration’s earlier assault on Times journalists covering Air Force One security vulnerabilities. Prosecutors initially subpoenaed four Times reporters, including Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, and Eric Schmitt, and sought phone records for the journalists and their relatives. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian questioned whether prosecutors followed legal standards for journalist subpoenas, and the Department of Justice ultimately withdrew those subpoenas under judicial pressure.

Trump claimed the subpoenas targeted “leakers” rather than journalists, stating he did not know “what’s appropriate and what’s not” regarding such legal actions. He framed the pursuit as necessary for national security, saying the administration must compel journalists to identify their sources to find people he described as “cowards,” “unpatriotic,” and “treasonous.” This language demonstrates the administration’s weaponization of the justice system to suppress press freedom and intimidate sources willing to expose government misconduct.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-administration-reportedly-subpoenas-new-york-times-freelancer-over-north-korea-story/)

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