Category: Policies

DOJ Defies Judge’s Oath Demand on Trump Weaponization Fund

The Justice Department defied a federal judge’s order on Friday by refusing to swear under oath that Trump’s nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” is dead. Judge Leonie Brinkema had given the administration a seven-day deadline to declare, under penalty of perjury, that the fund would not proceed. Instead, DOJ attorneys claimed the oath requirement violated “separation of powers,” rejecting the judge’s explicit demand.

The fund, announced in May by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche following a Trump-IRS settlement, was designed to compensate individuals claiming “weaponization and lawfare” by the federal government. Lawmakers and watchdogs immediately flagged that the $1.776 billion would likely flow to Trump’s political allies and supporters, with no genuine safeguards against partisan abuse. After public backlash, Blanche told House lawmakers in June the fund was “not moving forward, ever,” yet the administration has continued to dodge court accountability through written oath.

Democracy Forward, representing plaintiffs challenging the fund, characterized the DOJ’s filing as proof of evasion. “It is telling that even after the federal court gave them a week, the Acting Attorney General and other senior administration officials continue to refuse to say under oath that the Slush Fund is dead,” said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of the organization. The DOJ’s refusal to commit in writing contradicts its public assurances and signals the fund’s legal status remains unresolved despite official denials.

DOJ counsel Andrew Block argued that prior statements by administration officials, made “against the backdrop of serious penalties for falsity,” should satisfy the court without formal sworn declarations. However, his assertion that penalties alone substitute for testimony under oath undercuts the judicial authority to enforce compliance and verify executive accountability. Trump previously attacked media coverage of his abandoned anti-weaponization fund during an Oval Office press session, indicating the administration’s sensitivity to scrutiny of the scheme.

Federal courts were closed Friday for Juneteenth, with Judge Brinkema unlikely to respond before Monday. The administration’s defiance of the judge’s direct order exemplifies Trump’s broader pattern of disregarding judicial oversight and refusing transparent accountability for executive action, particularly regarding funds that would have redistributed billions toward his political base.



(Source: https://thehill.com/homenews/5932296-doj-snubs-judge-weaponization-fund/?fbclid=IwdGRleASjHeNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEe0RHlZAtCTd-K1VzzDlsNgkPiPV2ofZ6eegFe9bcVc_HCWwpiOljhMudJL5w_aem_qnM_3Nm8oGzpkfnt_vuGDw)

Trump Blames Vandalism for Reflecting Pool Algae

President Trump blamed “vandalism” and ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl for damage to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Friday, claiming unknown actors used chemicals to harm the newly installed surface after the $13.1 million renovation project deteriorated within days of completion. Trump alleged Karl was “sticking his hand into the Pool” and “trying to rip the rubber off of the surface,” while asserting the algae bloom affecting the pool—which was supposed to display “American flag blue” water—is “75 percent gone” and will be repaired by early the following week. Law enforcement is investigating the alleged damage as the project, which Trump self-congratulated for completing in one month instead of the originally projected timeline, continues to face persistent algae growth and visible surface deterioration.

Trump used a lengthy Truth Social post to tout his administration’s work “cleaning, renovated, and beautified” dozens of sites across Washington, D.C., while claiming the pool damage stemmed from “real problems with vandalism” rather than acknowledging the project’s structural or maintenance failures. The president framed the algae bloom and peeling material as external sabotage, deflecting from questions about why the multimillion-dollar renovation produced substandard results immediately after completion. Trump stated that damage is “limited” and law enforcement is investigating the alleged vandalism.

Former George W. Bush adviser Scott Jennings defended Trump’s vandalism claims during a CNN appearance, stating it is “absolutely true” that someone vandalized the grass surrounding the pool. Jennings characterized Trump’s critics as “broken brained” for allegedly vandalizing national monuments out of hatred for the president, and expressed hope that perpetrators would face jail time. Jennings praised Trump’s efforts to clean up the nation’s capital, endorsing the president’s framing of the pool’s problems as deliberate destruction rather than project defects.

Trump previously promoted the Lincoln pool renovation at an Oval Office event focused on executive orders, characterizing the historic structure—which has operated since 1922 and required only routine maintenance until his administration’s intervention—as “filthy” and “dirty” to justify the expensive overhaul. The project’s rapid deterioration and persistent algae bloom have drawn public scrutiny, yet Trump continues to attribute visible problems to external sabotage and media interference rather than project execution.



(Source: https://www.newsweek.com/trump-reflecting-pool-algae-vandalism-peeling-floor-12098491)

Trump DOJ Investigates MLB Over Pride Night Bible Verse Cap Policy

The Trump administration’s Justice Department has opened an investigation into Major League Baseball following the organization’s reprimand of San Francisco Giants players who wrote Bible verses on their caps during the team’s Pride Night event on June 12. Giants players Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker, and Ryan Walker added religious messages to their uniforms, with Roupp inscribing “Gen 9:12-16,” a Genesis passage frequently invoked by those opposing LGBTQ rights. MLB issued a routine warning that modifying caps violates league uniform policy, clarifying the concern was the physical alteration of equipment rather than the message content.

Harmeet Dhillon, the Justice Department’s assistant attorney general for Civil Rights, escalated the matter by sending a letter to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred warning that the league had been referred to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Dhillon framed the players’ actions as religious expression, claiming MLB’s Pride-themed uniform requirements constituted unlawful religious discrimination under federal law. “The three players expressed their opposition to MLB’s pro-Pride orthodoxy,” Dhillon wrote, arguing that employers must accommodate employees’ religious objections to uniform directives. The Justice Department characterized its involvement as part of the Trump administration’s stated commitment to combatting religious discrimination.

MLB’s response emphasized that the warning was procedurally routine and content-neutral. The league stated it has issued identical cautions for messages including “Dad,” “Happy Mother’s Day, I Love Mom,” and family member names, establishing that the policy applies uniformly regardless of message type. The organization has not publicly responded to the federal investigation. EEOC chair Andrea Lucas confirmed the agency received Dhillon’s letter but stated the commission cannot confirm or deny the existence of any investigation absent court filings or public resolution, while reaffirming its commitment to protecting workers’ religious liberty.

Vice President JD Vance publicly supported the players, posting on X that “Trump won we don’t have to do this anymore,” signaling the administration’s opposition to MLB’s Pride initiatives. Roupp defended his actions to reporters, describing the biblical passage as reflecting religious faith rather than opposition to LGBTQ individuals, though the passage is commonly cited in arguments against LGBTQ rights. Los Angeles Dodgers players had similarly declined to wear Pride-themed caps days earlier, though their actions did not trigger formal league warnings.



(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/doj-mlb-pride-night-investigation-b2999392.html)

Trump Berates Vance for Not Repeating Iran Nuclear Line

President Donald Trump reportedly berated Vice President JD Vance for failing to repeat Trump’s specific phrase that a 2025 U.S. military strike had “totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program, according to a forthcoming book by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan titled “Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump.” After the June attack, Vance had stated on ABC News that the strike “severely damaged” Iran’s nuclear program rather than obliterated it, noting that intelligence at the time suggested the program had not been fully destroyed.

Trump’s anger escalated when Vance, a military veteran skeptical of foreign military interventions, suggested the president soften language in his speech about the Iran operation. According to the book, Trump dismissed the vice president’s concerns by declaring, “I know what I’m doing,” then turned his back on Vance without further response. The tension reflected broader friction between the two men over Iran policy, with aides noting Vance appeared anxious following the strike and concerned about potential escalation.

Despite these reported disagreements, Vance has served as a central figure in the administration’s Iran strategy, conducting negotiations and publicly defending a recent memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran aimed at ending the conflict. This week, Vance defended the agreement against criticism from Israeli leaders, cautioning Israel against attacking “the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world.” The deal largely restores pre-war conditions without achieving a finalized peace settlement and defers nuclear negotiations indefinitely.

The book’s publication has sparked concerns within the Trump administration about classified information security. Administration officials believe the book may contain leaked secret recordings from the Situation Room, the highly secured area where the president addresses critical national security matters. An unnamed administration source told Axios, “We’re afraid some of our most sensitive conversations were being recorded, and we have no idea which ones.”

“Regime Change,” releasing Tuesday, also reportedly details internal conflict over handling the Epstein files, including a Situation Room meeting about the administration’s delayed release strategy. The book describes an incident in which then-FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino allegedly attacked then-Attorney General Pam Bondi over what he called the “dumb f***ing charade” of distributing early file batches to right-wing influencers while withholding broader releases for months.



(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-vance-jd-iran-maggie-haberman-book-b2999402.html)

Trump Invents False G7 Photo Claim to Attack Ally Meloni

President Donald Trump escalated his feud with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni by repeating and expanding false claims about her conduct at the Group of Seven summit in France. Trump initially claimed Meloni “begged” him to take a photograph together, stating he “felt sorry for her,” before later telling NBC News she “was a big fan” but was unhelpful regarding the Strait of Hormuz and NATO commitments.

Meloni directly refuted Trump’s fabricated account in a social media video, declaring “Neither I nor Italy ever beg” and calling his statements “completely made up.” She expressed astonishment at Trump’s behavior toward an ally, noting this was not the first instance of such conduct and contrasting it with his lenient treatment of adversarial leaders, as she had previously done when rejecting his fabrications about the G7 encounter.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani condemned Trump’s remarks as serious and offensive to all of Italy, announcing he would cancel his scheduled U.S. visit for June 21 and 22 in response. The diplomatic breach underscored the damage Trump’s unfounded accusations inflicted on U.S.-Italian relations and NATO cohesion.

The conflict reflects a broader pattern in Trump’s approach to allies. Earlier this year, Meloni criticized Trump’s attacks on Pope Leo XIV as unacceptable, prompting Trump to retaliate by claiming he was “shocked by her” and that he had been wrong about her courage, demonstrating his tendency to turn on supporters who fail to align with him completely.

Trump’s false narrative about Meloni at the G7 summit exemplifies his pattern of inventing interactions to demean political figures. His claims lacked credible basis yet were deployed to undermine a key European partner, revealing how he weaponizes unsubstantiated stories to manage personal grievances regardless of diplomatic consequences.



(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-meloni-feud-iran-g7-b2999448.html)

Meloni Rejects Trump Fabrication About Begging for G7

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni directly contradicted President Donald Trump’s claim that she begged him for a photograph at the Group of Seven summit in Evian-les-Bains, France on June 17. Trump told Italian broadcaster La7 that Meloni “begged me to take a photo with her” and that “she wanted a photo with me so badly,” adding he “felt sorry for her.” Meloni stated the account was “totally fabricated,” declaring “I and Italy never beg,” and expressed being “stunned” by Trump’s false characterization of their interaction.

Meloni used Trump’s fabricated claim to highlight his pattern of disrespecting longstanding Western allies while treating adversaries with greater deference. “I don’t know why the president of the United States behaves this way with his own allies. It’s not, after all, the first time this has happened,” she said, referencing an April interview where Trump attacked her refusal to support U.S.-Israeli military action against Iran. Video footage from the summit showed the two in an extended seated conversation, contradicting Trump’s framing that he granted her an audience she had desperately sought.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani condemned Trump’s statements as “serious” and “offensive” to Italy, announcing he would cancel a planned trip to the United States the following week. When Trump doubled down on his false claim in a subsequent phone call with NBC News, he again attacked Meloni for insufficient NATO support during U.S. military operations, conflating the photograph dispute with geopolitical disagreements over the Strait of Hormuz and the Iran conflict.

The escalating conflict marks a sharp reversal between the two right-wing leaders, who were once considered close political allies. Meloni attended Trump’s January 2025 inauguration as the sole European leader present, and Trump previously praised her at his Mar-a-Lago resort as a “fantastic woman” reshaping Europe. Earlier tensions emerged when Meloni publicly defended Pope Leo XIV against Trump’s attacks, prompting Trump to accuse her of lacking courage.

The incident underscores Trump’s pattern of weaponizing false personal narratives against former allies who fail to demonstrate absolute loyalty, particularly when they decline to support his military ventures or defend institutions he attacks. Meloni’s refusal to validate Trump’s fabrication and her public criticism of his treatment of Western partners signal a definitive break in what was marketed as a unified alliance of right-wing populist leaders.



(Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/world/italy/trump-italy-meloni-begged-photo-fabricated-g7-summit-france-rcna350836)

Trump Threatens Last GOP President If Voter ID Bill Stalls

President Donald Trump threatened Senate Republicans that he will be the “last Republican president” if they do not eliminate the filibuster and immediately pass his SAVE America Act, which mandates voter identification requirements. Trump posted the ultimatum on Truth Social, using inflammatory language and calling Republicans who oppose filibuster removal “fools” and “very stupid ones.” He claimed that without the bill’s passage, Democrats will destroy the country by adding states, senators, and expanding the Supreme Court, ultimately making Republican electoral victory impossible.

The SAVE America Act passed the House in February but has stalled in the Senate facing Democratic opposition through filibuster. Democrats argue the bill functionally suppresses voting access by targeting married women who change their names and others without immediate access to identification documents like birth certificates. The legislation represents Trump’s demand for absolute party loyalty on his priorities, with no tolerance for procedural or policy disagreements.

Trump previously directed Republicans to advance a $350 billion Reconciliation Bill that would incorporate the SAVE America Act alongside military spending provisions. He explicitly demanded Republicans pass it “ASAP” with “no games, no delays, and no weak compromises,” signaling that dissent from his agenda will be treated as disloyalty. Trump’s promotion of “Four more years” merchandise and rhetoric about extended presidencies reflects his broader pattern of conditioning Republican survival on unconditional obedience to his legislative demands.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Republicans face Trump’s implicit threat that opposition to his priorities will be classified as betrayal worthy of historical condemnation. Trump has previously attacked Thune and other Senate leadership, demanding the removal of Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough for blocking his fiscal initiatives, establishing a pattern of purging institutional independence when it obstructs his will. Sen. John Kennedy warned that passing a third reconciliation bill would require Republicans to act urgently given time constraints, but Trump’s ultimatum attempts to override procedural concerns with existential pressure on the party’s future.

Trump’s warning operationalizes a model of permanent executive dominance where legislative branches exist to execute his directives rather than exercise independent judgment. His framing positions the Republican Party’s existence itself as contingent on rubber-stamping voter suppression measures, transforming institutional authority into personal loyalty infrastructure and explicitly conditioning democratic participation rules on submission to his control.



(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-warns-he-will-be-the-last-republican-president-if-his-voter-id-bill-doesnt-pass/)

Two months after Hegseth’s regressive move, Air Force base faces major flu outbreak

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth eliminated the Pentagon’s mandatory flu vaccination requirement for service members in April 2026, reversing a longstanding military policy. Hegseth justified the change by invoking “medical autonomy,” despite the military’s historical practice of requiring up to 17 vaccinations depending on deployment location.

Less than two months after Hegseth’s policy reversal, a major flu outbreak sickened nearly 160 troops at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, with one trainee in basic training dying after falling ill. The outbreak spread rapidly through a basic military training wing where recruits sleep in open bays and share communal dining facilities, creating ideal conditions for disease transmission.

Only approximately 40% of Air Force trainees at Lackland opted to receive the flu vaccine following Hegseth’s change, compared to the previous 100% compliance rate under the mandatory policy. In response to the outbreak, Lackland received an exception from Hegseth’s directive and reinstated the flu vaccine requirement for its recruits.

Military readiness has depended on disease prevention for centuries. General George Washington mandated smallpox inoculation for all troops in 1777, a decision that historian Craig Bruce Smith credited with saving countless lives and helping ensure American survival. The Atlantic’s Adam Serwer noted that disease has killed more soldiers throughout human history than any other cause.

Despite the outbreak at Lackland, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman stated the department stands by Hegseth’s decision to end the universal flu vaccine mandate across all military bases. The contradiction between revoking the policy and then reinstating it at a single base reveals the incoherence of an approach that prioritizes ideological framing over military health and operational readiness.



(Source: https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/hegseth-vaccines-air-force-base-flu-outbreak?cid=sm_fb_maddow&fbclid=IwdGRjcAShbURleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeL1WX56j9Hl6vJjx4fJIoH6eujjAQJaCRwTXs_bVGbG2BkkjAtjSxmHL_Nsk_aem_S_8AggQzLGIGLQ18Eg7R2w)of an approach that prioritizes ideological framing over military health and operational readiness.

Trump Threatens Unemployment Benefits Cuts in All States

Donald Trump’s administration is threatening to withdraw federal funding for unemployment insurance administration from all 50 states, marking the first time in history the federal government has wielded this weapon against state programs. Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling warned governors in a letter that the administration would withhold administrative funds to combat what it characterizes as “waste, fraud and abuse” in state unemployment systems, despite nearly 2 million Americans currently receiving those benefits and roughly 229,000 filing initial jobless claims weekly.

The threat targets the federal government’s financial support for state administrative costs, which could force state-run unemployment systems to shut down if implemented. Most states provide approximately six months of unemployment payments to qualified workers, funded primarily through state unemployment taxes paid by employers, with federal support covering administrative operations. Without federal backing, the loss of funding would directly harm the delivery of benefits to unemployed Americans who depend on those payments to survive.

Vice President JD Vance leads a task force ostensibly designed to eliminate fraud but operates as part of the administration’s politically motivated assault on Democratic-led states. The same task force already withheld $1.4 billion in federal Medicaid funding after what the White House called “sweeping crackdowns on fraud operations” in California, Minnesota, and other states. Democratic Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley directly accused the government’s anti-fraud campaign of targeting vulnerable populations rather than actual fraudsters, cutting “vital funding for services that seniors, people with disabilities, and children rely on to survive.”

The unemployment benefit threat builds on the administration’s broader assault on social programs across multiple agencies. The Department of Agriculture recently threatened to withhold funding from states that fail to provide participant data for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, including immigration status information, and the Trump administration attempted to freeze the entire program during last year’s government shutdown by declaring “the well has run dry.” The timing of the unemployment fraud focus follows the COVID-19 pandemic, when millions of Americans relied on government assistance during economic upheaval in Trump’s first term.

The administration’s weaponization of federal funding against state programs systematically dismantles the social safety net while disguising cuts as anti-fraud enforcement. By threatening to eliminate federal support for unemployment administration, the Trump administration denies due process and survival resources to millions of working Americans, compounding the authoritarian consolidation of power through institutional capture and the strategic defunding of programs that protect vulnerable populations from destitution.



(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-unemployment-benefits-fraud-b2997881.html?fbclid=IwdGRjcASgSCxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeEMg5UYetR6T_iIYA4AjoE95C5qIIO670RPk_-O8bvIX-sQs7stGHX-Ah5rU_aem_mhSSR11XtDAVg3hK7mDvqQ)

Trump Drops Stunning Quote on Letting Iran Have Missiles

At the G7 Summit in Evian-le-Bains, France on Wednesday, Trump defended allowing Iran to retain missile capability during a press conference closing the summit. Trump stated that missiles "hurt a little location, but they don't blow up the planet," dismissing concerns about Iranian conventional ballistic weapons as part of broader negotiations tied to a leaked 14-point Iran Memorandum of Understanding that includes a $300 billion reconstruction fund.

Trump's comments contradicted established nonproliferation policy by normalizing Iranian missile development. He argued that preventing Iran from possessing missiles while permitting Saudi Arabia to retain them would be inconsistent, claiming "it doesn't work that way," and positioned missile capability as inevitable given that other regional actors possess such weapons.

The statement represents Trump's continued pattern of claiming imminent Iran deal breakthroughs while simultaneously conceding major concessions to Iranian demands. Trump's acknowledgment that Iran would retain missiles—a core non-nuclear component of the disputed agreement—signals capitulation on a key security concern that regional allies and defense analysts have identified as destabilizing.

Trump framed the position through false equivalence, suggesting that allowing a state designated as a terrorism sponsor to develop missiles mirrors regional arms balancing. His dismissal of missile threats as affecting only "a little location" contradicts U.S. military assessments of Iranian ballistic capability and previous rhetoric in which Trump threatened Iran with unspecified consequences following military escalations tied to Iranian missile systems.

The remarks underscore Trump's willingness to abandon longstanding security positions to secure a deal that he has declared imminent repeatedly over recent months, prioritizing a negotiated agreement over substantive limits on Iranian weapons development.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-drops-stunning-quote-in-riff-on-letting-iran-have-missiles-they-hurt-a-little-location-but/)

1 2 3 … 367