 The tenure of special government employee Elon Musk as head of DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) ended on May 30, 2025. This comes as a relief to many, including Musk himself. Musk was brought to Washington, D.C. by President Trump to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal bureaucracy. No one will dispute that this is a good and needed task, but DOGE’s work to date has created chaos without any meaningful cuts to the federal budget.  Musk was in a hurry to make significant cuts to federal spending, something that many politicians and Washinton insiders have been trying to do for years. But rather than taking a methodical approach using seasoned professionals, he brought in mostly young men from the tech world who had little knowledge of how government works or the intricacies of the federal bureaucracy. Musk’s team quickly got to work destabilizing the federal workforce, gutting entire agencies, rifling through sensitive government databases, cancelling foreign aid and research grants, and laying off thousands of workers without any knowledge of who they were or the work they did. All of this was done with the full blessing of President Trump who allowed Musk’s team to run roughshod through agency after agency with little regard for who was hurt or the impact that would result.  DOGE’s Goal: At the outset the stated goal of DOGE was to cut $2 trillion from the $7 trillion federal budget. This was soon scaled back to $1 trillion and now stands at $150 billion. DOGE’s Accomplishments: According to DOGE’s website, it has generated $175 billion in savings for the federal government. Most credible sources dispute this number, and it is impossible to verify the accuracy of DOGE’s claims. The Reality: It is very possible that DOGE’s efforts will end up costing the federal government billions of dollars more than the savings it has found. There are estimates that DOGE’s cuts to the federal workforce could result in new costs of over $100 billion to rehire and retrain for key positions that had been previously eliminated. But the real damage will result from the slashing of the IRS’s budget and the lack of investigations and enforcement that will follow. This will embolden tax evasion and reduce collections by billions of dollars per year. There are some estimates that hundreds of billions in lost revenue will result from defunding the IRS.  Legacy of DOGE: Even without Elon Musk the work of DOGE will continue with team members embedded in various departments throughout the federal bureaucracy. Even though DOGE has been in existence for only four months, the damage it has caused will have lasting impacts. Here are some of the most consequential: 
 The establishment of DOGE and appointing Elon Musk to head it will be another legacy of the Trump Administration. If Trump’s intention with unleashing DOGE on the federal government was to create chaos and to make the federal government a less appealing place to work, he certainly succeeded. If he truly wanted to rid the federal bureaucracy of waste, fraud and abuse he went about it the wrong way. In the first week of his second term Trump fired the inspectors general (IGs) of 17 federal agencies. Inspectors general act as independent watchdogs within government agencies and primarily focus on detecting and preventing waste, fraud and abuse. Unlike members of DOGE, the IGs are seasoned professionals who have the experience and knowledge of the workings of government. They are the ones who could have made recommendations to the president and to Congress about the appropriate cuts to make. With both chambers of Congress in the hands of the Republicans, the president could have allowed Congress to fulfill its Constitutional duty of conducting oversight of the executive branch to seek out waste, fraud and abuse. But that was not to be. In the end, Donald Trump will never cede power to Congress or to independent watchdog groups who might interfere with his agenda. He created DOGE and its legacy will be entwined with his, for better or for worse.  If you enjoy reading this type of commentary, please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 American @gmail.com.
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 While the press and most Americans have been distracted by President Trump’s assaults on the federal workforce, freedom of the press, free speech, universities, private law firms, and the rights of citizens and non-citizens in this country legally, Trump and his family have been busy enriching themselves. The recent news that Trump plans to accept a Boeing 747-8 jet valued at $400 million as a gift from the government of Qatar is a reminder that Trump is not constrained by the norms and ethics of past presidents. It is no surprise that Trump is using the vast apparatus of the executive branch to reward his friends and punish his enemies. What is surprising is the extent to which he is abusing his position to generate billions of dollars for himself and his family and using the office of the presidency to legitimize it. If you care to look into the facts, it’s hard not to come to the conclusion that Donald Trump is the most corrupt president in U.S. history. The checks and balances built into the Constitution to prevent the abuse of power by a president are not working to restrain the corruption of Trump. His handpicked loyalists in the Department of Justice are more than willing to carry out his every wish and the Republican controlled House and Senate are loath to cross him. With a seemingly compliant Supreme Court and not having to face the voters again in a general election, Trump is falling prey to his worse instincts. Just a few months into his second term Trump has resorted to extortion to force compliance with his agenda, accepted bribes from entities wishing to curry favor, and softened regulations to enhance his business interests. Below is a list of some of Trump’s most blatant corrupt acts. But I encourage you to dig deeper into this aspect of the Trump presidency and spread the word. Corruption will define the second Trump term!  Shakedown of Law Firms: Since taking office in January Trump has issued a series of executive orders targeting specific law firms that support his political opponents or have taken part in any legal actions against him. The executive orders threaten to revoke security clearances held by the firms' lawyers, barring the firms from government contracts, and preventing the firms' employees from entering government buildings. Several of these law firms have struck deals with the Trump Administration and have collectively pledged nearly a billion dollars in legal work to Trump approved causes. executive orders. This is extortion, plain and simple.  Accepting Bribes:
 Paying for Access to the President: A new exclusive club will soon open in the Georgetown section of Washington D.C. headed by lead investor Donald Trump Jr. The club is aptly called “Executive Branch” because its members will have access to West Wing officials, cabinet officials, and Trump family members. Membership fees start at $500,000 and will require members to pass a loyalty test before being accepted. Expect to see Washington insiders, tech industry tycoons, Fox News celebrities and foreign dignitaries on the member’s list. I have to hand it to the Trump’s, they make the “Biden Crime Family” look like a bunch of amateurs.  Real Estate Deals with Foreign Countries: Working on behalf of the Trump Organization, Trump’s sons have been busy leveraging the Trump name across the Middle East by striking lucrative real estate deals. The Trump family gets hundreds of millions of dollars in upfront licensing fees and future revenue streams worth much more. In return these countries curry favor with the Trump family, particularly the man who owns the Trump Organization, President Trump. Let’s look at some of the deals that we know about.
 Trump Crypto Businesses: Trump and his family have gone all in on crypto because this is where the real money is. Estimates of the current value of the Trump family crypto holdings are in the billions of dollars. Holding crypto currencies and starting crypto currency businesses is not illegal. But the use of the presidency to promote and benefit your personal business ventures is corruption. In addition to creating his own meme coins, Trump and related family entities have established several businesses in the crypto space, many of which have foreign investors. For his part the president has softened regulations on cryptocurrency and oversight has weakened sharply.  It is daunting to keep up with everything crypto related in Trump world, but here are a few recent developments.
 What’s to be Done? The president is on a tear to lock up as many lucrative deals for himself and his family while he still controls the reins of power. There are red flags everywhere with many of these deals, but can he be stopped? As Trump consolidates more power in the executive branch his abuse of power and corruption will only become more brazen. The main checks on the president’s actions lie within the Congress of the United States. The threat of impeachment was put into the Constitution to prevent a president from abusing his power and profiting from the position. But the Republican controlled House and Senate have turned a blind eye to Trump’s illegal and unethical actions. This makes them complicate in Trump’s corruption. Trump is free to continue to act without any constraints, and the American people and the reputation of the country will suffer as a result. We must live with the current Congress for another year and a half, so Trump’s corruption will continue to go unchecked unless the American people say enough is enough. Most ordinary Americans yawn when you point out Trump’s unconstitutional executive orders, his illegal deportations, his attacks on colleges and universities or his vulgar behavior. But the issue of corruption is the thing that will bring Trump down if enough people know about it. This is the issue that the pro-democracy people and all American’s who are queasy about Trump’s actions should hang their collective hats on. It should be the rallying cry. All elected officials should be made aware of it, and of the consequences if they stand blindly by. Tell anyone you know about the corruption; the word needs to get out.  Donald Trump is schooling the American political class on the “Art of the Con”. He has gone where no U.S. president has ever gone and is enriching himself and his family at the expense of the American people and the reputation of this country. Trump is playing the American people for suckers, many of whom voted for him for very legitimate reasons. But they didn’t vote for him so they could be conned. They didn’t vote for him to become uber wealthy while they struggle with everyday expenses. It's time for Americans to open their eyes to what is actually happening in Trump world and to spread the word. This can’t continue or the credibility and goodwill that America has built up over the decades will be destroyed and the country that we love will become another victim of Trump’s avarice.  If you enjoy reading this type of commentary, please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 American @gmail.com.
Thanks, Armchair American  We have received your email. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with President Donald J. Trump. The willingness of the American people to stay informed is essential to our enduring democracy. Please know that President Trump will never stop fighting for the citizens of our great Nation! For additional information about President Trump’s policy initiatives or current events at the White House, please visit www.WhiteHouse.gov.  On most days I write a letter to either the White House or to my Congressman and Senators. I usually receive some sort of reply. It's important to let them know my opinions in real time before the next outrage of the day takes over the news cycle and my attention. March 11, 2025 Dear Mr. President, Seriously President Trump, were you actually hocking Tesla automobiles in front of the White House? This is a new low, even for you. Just one billionaire helping a fellow billionaire, I guess. Too bad most Americans can’t afford the price of a new Tesla. Knowing your disdain for electric vehicle mandates it seems very disingenuous to purchase one. But of course, this was a favor for a friend. But it won’t play well in middle America where fair play and an even playing field still mean something. Your vulgar display of favoritism shown to Elon Musk and his Tesla Corporation shows that you are not above using the White House and the office of the Presidency to personally benefit yourself and your friends. My only conclusion is that your administration will pick winners and losers, and that the economy will be driven by favoritism. This is ethically and morally wrong, but that hasn’t stopped you in the past from acting. By the way, I won’t shut up about the price of eggs. March 12, 2025 Dear Mr. President, Congratulations, your trade war has begun. Now it is time to wield your presidential superpowers and decide who receives one of your golden “Get Out of Tariffs Free” cards. As demonstrated by your endorsement of Tesla, you are more than willing to pick winners and losers. The retaliatory tariffs imposed by Canada, Mexico, China, and the European Union will hurt a variety of private businesses and entire industries across the country. Now the process of exempting favored businesses will begin in earnest. The main issue that I have with the exemption process is that it is opaque, often arbitrarily applied, and could easily be influenced by political favoritism. I wonder if one of the main drivers of your love affair with tariffs is the influence it gives you over friends and foes. Once the exemption process begins the line of supplicants willing to grovel at your feet will stretch out from the Oval Office. These reeks of crony capitalism and is why many Americans don’t trust the federal government and view it with distain. March 13, 2025 Dear Mr. President, Congratulations Mr. President, the new administrator of The Environmental Protection Agency, Lee Zeldin, has just identified another government agency that your administration can eliminate, his own. Yesterday Mr. Zeldin announced that the E.P.A. would unwind dozens of protections against air and water pollution. He wants his agency to ease restrictions on carbon dioxide and mercy emissions from power plants, diminish tailpipe emission standards, overturn regulations that protect wetlands and other waterways, and take away the E.P.A.’s authority to regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Mr. Zeldin has said that the E.P.A.’s mission is to “lower the cost of buying a car, heating a home and running a business”. That mission can easily be handled by an existing agency such as Commerce, Energy, or the Small Business Administration. But Mr. Zeldin won’t have to fret about being out of a job. He will be able to quickly get a lucrative job lobbying for the oil and gas industry. Mr. President, I know that you are a lame duck, but you certainly care about your legacy and the country that you will leave to your children and grandchildren. If you have any doubt about the impacts from weak or unenforced environmental regulations, I suggest that you visit Delhi, India or the industrial regions of China. Being a native of New York I know that you don’t have to be reminded of the tragedy of Love Canal. In order to “Make America Great Again” you must first keep America beautiful. March 16, 2025 Dear Mr. President, You campaigned on the pledge to keep the United States out of foreign wars. But from the start of your 2nd term, you have gotten us into two. The first is the ongoing international trade war and the 2nd, which is news to most people, is the war with Venezuela. On Friday you issued an executive order invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 which allows for the deportation of people from countries at war with the U.S. In the executive order you declared that you were targeting Venezuelan gang members for arrest and deportation. Therefore, the U.S. must be at war with Venezuela. I was happy to learn that cooler heads prevailed over the weekend when a federal judge ordered your administration to cease using the wartime law to deport Venezuelans without a hearing. March 17, 2025 Dear Mr. President, The executive order establishing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) instructs all federal government agency heads to ensure that DOGE has full and prompt access to all unclassified agency records, software systems, and IT systems. This means that Elon Musk and his DOGE bros have access to citizens’ Social Security records, tax returns, medical records from Medicare and Medicaid, student loan documents, military records, and records from many other federal programs. I for one don’t trust DOGE or Elon Musk to safeguard this data or to prevent it from being used to benefit themselves or the Trump Administration. This is potentially the greatest breech of Americans’ personal data in history. What assurances can you provide me and other Americans that our personal data will be safeguarded? March 18, 2025 Dear Mr. President, I was deeply disturbed to learn that DOGE and the F.B.I. entered the headquarters of the U.S. Institute of Peace and evicted its officials. Need I remind you that this agency is a congressionally chartered nonprofit that is not part of the executive branch? This action by DOGE and your administration is an illegal takeover of a private nonprofit corporation. This is un-American and throws cold water over our democracy. Has DOGE become the equivalent of the brown shirt thugs used by Hitler to do his bidding? I don’t know where this ends Mr. President, but if you continue along this path the U.S.A. will never see its 250th anniversary. March 19, 2025 Dear Mr. President, I am writing to comment on your recent social media post in which you proclaimed that the pardons from President Biden to the congressional committee investigating the Capitol riot are void because they were signed with an autopen instead of by his own hand. To quote you, “In other words, Joe Biden did not sign them, but more importantly, he did not know anything about them”. First of all, there is no law governing a presidential use of an autopen. Your lawyers know this and so should you. But more importantly, you showed contempt for common decency and spread a vicious lie which will be taken as truth by your supporters. This will further erode faith in our government and chip away at the foundation of our democracy. But that’s been your plan all along. Say hello to your fellow traveler Putin for me! April 1, 2025 Dear Mr. President, On the eve of your historic “liberation day” for the implementation of tariffs, it is important to remember the speech given by President Reagan before he imposed tariffs on certain Japanese imports back in the 1980s. My fellow Americans: As perhaps you've heard, last week I placed new duties on some Japanese products in response to Japan's inability to enforce their trade agreement with us on electronic devices called semiconductors. Now, imposing such tariffs or trade barriers and restrictions of any kind are steps that I am loath to take. And in a moment I'll mention the sound economic reasons for this: that over the long run such trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer. But the Japanese semiconductors were a special case. We had clear evidence that Japanese companies were engaging in unfair trade practices that violated an agreement between Japan and the United States. We expect our trading partners to live up to their agreements. As I've often said: Our commitment to free trade is also a commitment to fair trade. But you know, in imposing these tariffs we were just trying to deal with a particular problem, not begin a trade war. We want to do this, because we feel both Japan and the United States have an obligation to promote the prosperity and economic development that only free trade can bring. For those of us who lived through the Great Depression, the memory of the suffering it caused is deep and searing. And today many economic analysts and historians argue that high tariff legislation passed back in that period called the Smoot-Hawley tariff greatly deepened the depression and prevented economic recovery. You see, at first, when someone says, ``Let's impose tariffs on foreign imports,'' it looks like they're doing the patriotic thing by protecting American products and jobs. And sometimes for a short while it works -- but only for a short time. What eventually occurs is: First, homegrown industries start relying on government protection in the form of high tariffs. They stop competing and stop making the innovative management and technological changes they need to succeed in world markets. And then, while all this is going on, something even worse occurs. High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars. The result is more and more tariffs, higher and higher trade barriers, and less and less competition. So, soon, because of the prices made artificially high by tariffs that subsidize inefficiency and poor management, people stop buying. Then the worst happens: Markets shrink and collapse; businesses and industries shut down; and millions of people lose their jobs. The memory of all this occurring back in the thirties made me determined when I came to Washington to spare the American people the protectionist legislation that destroys prosperity. Now, it hasn't always been easy. There are those in this Congress, just as there were back in the thirties, who want to go for the quick political advantage, who will risk America's prosperity for the sake of a short-term appeal to some special interest group, who forget that more than 5 million American jobs are directly tied to the foreign export business and additional millions are tied to imports. Well, I've never forgotten those jobs. And on trade issues, by and large, we've done well. In certain select cases, like the Japanese semiconductors, we've taken steps to stop unfair practices against American products, but we've still maintained our basic, long-term commitment to free trade and economic growth. Note: The President spoke at 12:06 p.m. from Camp David, MD. 04/25/1987 April 2, 2025 Dear Mr. President, Congratulations, your “Liberation Day” for America was a big flop. Stock markets are crashing around the world and stock futures in this country are predicting a bloodbath in the markets on Thursday. The world is in a full-fledge trade war, and you are responsible. You have apparently forgotten the lessons of the Great Depression when restrictive tariffs were implemented by our government. The result was a deeper and more prolonged economic depression. You want the American people to be patient, promising that manufacturers will come back to the U.S. and flood the economy with cash. That is a pipe dream. It takes years for companies to overhaul business plans, build factories, and develop new supply chains. In the meantime, investment portfolios of ordinary Americans have taken a big hit, upending the retirement plans of millions of Americans. Consumer confidence has plunged, resulting in declining spending and slowing economic activity. Your economic advisors should all be fired. April 5, 2025 Dear Mr. President, It is curious that you recently fired several White House National Security Council members shortly after meeting with Laura Loomer. Apparently, these individuals were fired for not being loyal enough to you or your agenda. It is your right to fire these people, but your timing couldn’t be worse. These firings come on the heals of the massive security breach by the NSA using the messaging app “Signal”. Your defense secretary texted sensitive plans on upcoming military strikes in Yemen to a Signal chat group that included a journalist. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz inadvertently included the journalist to the chat, exposing military secrets which put military personnel at risk and threatened the success of the mission. This episode exposed the incompetence of your administration’s national security leadership. The lies and blame shifting by Secretary Pete Hegseth and other members of your administration only made the matter worse. Please explain to the American people what steps your administration is taking to address this national security breach. Firing some NSA officials for being “disloyal” is not the answer. The correct course of action is to fire Pete Hegseth and/or Mike Waltz. April 7, 2025 Dear Mr. President, I am writing in opposition to your tariff policies. I believe that in the end they will harm the U.S. consumer and the overall economy of our country. I know that you don’t agree with this, but tariffs are a tax on the U.S. consumer. The producer and foreign country from which the product is shipped doesn’t pay the tariff. It is the importer or buyer within our country that pays the tariff, and to recoup the cost of the tariff they must increase prices to the end user. In this case the U.S. consumer. The whole point of tariffs is to make the price of U.S. produced goods more competitive with foreign made goods. Without the foreign competition, prices on U.S. products will tend to increase. Coupled with higher priced foreign goods this leads to inflation, the very thing you promised to decrease. You consider all trade deficits with foreign countries to be bad, but in many cases they are beneficial. It doesn’t benefit our country to produce low value items that require high labor inputs. Should the U.S. be producing all our clothing and every widget and gadget sold in Walmart and on Amazon? This would be a very inefficient use of our capital and labor. We don’t need low wage factory jobs in this country, not to mention the fact that we don’t have the labor required. Let Vietnam, China and other countries with cheap labor produce the low tech, low margin products so that we can focus on high end manufacturing, design and engineering, 21st century technologies such as advance computer chips, AI, robotics, advanced health care, biotechnologies, aerospace and other industries vital to our safety and security. We can’t and shouldn’t produce everything that our consumer-driven economy demands. You falsely equate all trade deficits as economic disadvantages. But consider this; If I pay a landscaper $500 to do some yard work for me, I have a $500 trade deficit in relation to him. I have given the landscaper $500 to render a service, but that does not put me at an economic disadvantage, I have gained a valuable service. The same goes for a foreign purchase that I make on vacation for an item only produced in that country. I am at a trade deficit with that foreign merchant because he hasn’t purchased an equivalent amount of goods or services from me. That doesn’t mean that the merchant took advantage of me, I entered freely into the transaction. The uncertainty of your messaging on tariffs has rattled financial markets around the world, frayed relations with all our trading partners, and has been a gut punch to consumer confidence. We all need clarity on whether the tariffs are simply a negotiating tactic like in 2017 or are a permanent economic policy that the world will need to adjust to. Please reconsider your tariff policies before they do lasting damage to our economy and that of the world. April 12, 2025 Dear Mr. President, Thank you for exempting smartphones, computers and other electronics from your reciprocal tariffs. This move, in addition to your recently announced 90 day pause on most tariffs, is a step in the right direction. I don’t agree with your tariff policy, and I am convinced that it will end up costing U.S. consumers more than the revenue generated. I don’t agree with Elon Musk very often, but I do agree with his stance that tariffs are bad for business. I also think that your trade advisor Peter Navarro has led you astray and should be fired. To bring sanity to your current tariff gambit you must bring certainty. Businesses will not invest in such uncertain times. Negotiating trade deals with hundreds of countries will take years, and the economies of the world cannot wait. Fire Navarro, admit that your tariff policies were misguided, allow trade negotiations to continue, but stop all tariffs now. You will be seen as a reasonable and bold leader. Otherwise, you will go down in history as the president who wrecked the world’s economy! April 14, 2025 Dear Mr. President, Your executive orders to expand the mining and use of coal are not a step forward for the country, they are a giant step backwards. Coal is the most polluting of all fossil fuels and is more expensive than other available energy sources. The use of coal has dropped significantly in the U.S. as utilities have switched to cheaper and cleaner energy sources to produce electricity. You are out of touch with the rest of the world when it comes to coal. It is the past, not the future. It is highly unlikely that utility companies will build new cold fired plants, and existing ones are getting older and more expensive to run. Even if you are unconcerned with the environmental impact of burning coal, using coal as an energy source doesn’t make economic sense. For once please look beyond the politics of an issue like coal and do the right thing for the country and future generations. April 15, 2025 Dear Mr. President, My wife and I don’t have cable TV and get a lot of our news and entertainment programing through public broadcasting. PBS and NPR are beloved institutions within our household. They provide unbiased professional journalism, and world class programs on art, history, music and science. The educational programing provided on PBS is unsurpassed, and the programing on travel, food and culture brings us closer to communities around the world. I live near a major metropolitan area so federal cuts may not be the death nail to the public television and radio stations that enrich my life. Not so for many rural communities across our country. Many stations which service rural areas will close because of federal funding cuts, diminishing the news and entertainment options for millions of Americans. Cutting funding to public broadcasting is not making America great again. It is a partisan attack on excellent broadcasting which has been caught up in the cross hairs of the GOP’s anti-woke, and anti-American campaign. Ask your children and grandchildren what they think of the programming on PBS, not a bunch of out of touch congress members. April 16, 2025 Dear Mr. President, I am writing to urge you to bring Abrego Garcia back to the U.S. from El Salvador immediately. Several years ago, he received an immigration protection called withholding of removal after the Department of Homeland Security decided that he was not a danger to the security of the U.S., allowing him to stay. There is no proof that Abrego Garcia is a terrorist or member of the MS-13 gang as you have declared. He has never even been convicted of a crime in this country. Your Justice Department called Abrego Garcia’s deportation an “oversight” and “administrative error” in a court filing. On April 10, the Supreme Court ruled that the U.S. government had to “facilitate Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador and ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador”. You are now defying court orders and playing games with the law by saying you have no authority to have Abrego Garcia released and brought back to this country. The president of El Salvador is your friend and would jump at your command. You claim to be the most powerful man in the world, so exercise some strength and courage. Abrego Garcia could be back in this country within hours if you snapped your fingers and everyone knows it. Americans and the world are watching this blatant abuse of power. April 17, 2025 Dear Mr. President, With all the pressing issues facing your administration why are you wasting valuable time and government resources going afford Harvard and other institutions of higher learning? This makes very little sense to the average American and does nothing to solve inflation and the high cost of living, things that you campaigned on. Let’s face it. Going after Harvard University is a vanity project, not to mention an abuse of power. You claim that Harvard is defying your orders to eliminate DEI from admissions, curriculum and hiring. Even if this dubious claim was true, you have no Constitutional authority to tell a private institution such as Harvard how to conduct their day-to-day business. Just because you may disagree with some of their practices doesn’t give you the right to threaten them with financial retaliation if they don’t bend to your whims. This is America, not an autocracy! You also claim that legal protests on Harvard’s campus protesting the treatment of Palestinians in Gaza at the hands of the Israel military is somehow antisemitic. Even if this was true, college students, like all Americans have the right to free speech even if that speech opposes your agenda or point of view. You equate all pro-Palestinian speech as terrorist speech, which couldn’t be further from the truth. It is hard to imagine any human being who isn’t sympathetic to the suffering of the innocent civilians in Gaza whose lives have been ruined and whose territory destroyed at the hands of the Israelis. I feel for the Palestinian people and want the wanton destruction of Gaza to stop immediately. That doesn’t make me a supporter of Hamas or any other terrorist group. Do not trample on the free speech rights of students and use it as a pretext to punish their universities. This is a blatant abuse of power and one that you will not win. If you continue down this path of infringing on the civil rights of American citizens, it will destroy your presidency, and your legacy will be tarnished for all time. April 19, 2024 Dear Mr. President, For the sake of financial market stability and the continued independence of the Federal Reserve, please don’t fire Federal Reserve Chairman Powell. He has done a great job keeping unemployment low and preventing inflation from getting out of control. If politics is allowed to influence the policies of the Fed. the confidence in the U.S. dollar will be shaken, triggering the beginning of the end to the dollar as a reserve currency. I understand that you want Chairman Powell to lower interest rates in order to boost the economy, but that will only lead to higher inflation. Don’t forget that the people voted for you to lower inflation. It is in the best interest of the economy and your legacy to keep Chairman Powell in place and to maintain an independent Federal Reserve.  Keep Writing Your Elected Officials. Your Voice Matters!If you enjoy reading this type of commentary, please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 American @gmail.com.
Thanks, Armchair American  There is an old Turkish Proverb, “When a clown moves into a palace he doesn’t become a king, it only makes the palace a circus”. If you want to join the circus, here’s an opportunity of a lifetime. But you have to be quick, the application process is only open for a few more days. I will be busy this summer so won't be able to apply, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't. You could be in the class of 2025. The White House Internship Program is a public service leadership program that provides a unique opportunity to gain valuable professional experience and build leadership skills. Focused on cultivating future leaders, the program deepens interns' understanding of the Executive Office and prepares them for careers in public service. Interns take on tasks such as conducting research, managing inquiries, attending meetings, writing memos, and staffing events, gaining hands-on experience that is both impactful and enriching. In addition to daily responsibilities, interns participate in weekly activities like a speaker series, professional development workshops, and volunteer projects. These events foster a sense of community and shared purpose among participants. The Summer 2025 program emphasizes leadership development and community impact while honoring the White House’s legacy as a training ground for emerging leaders. Summer 2025 Internship Timeline: Application Posted – April 7, 2025 Application Deadline – April 23, 2025 Acceptance Notifications Complete – May 9, 2025 Internship Start Date – June 4, 2025 Internship End Date – August 8, 2025 If you get the internship job, drop me a line. I'd love to hear all about it.
If you enjoy reading this type of commentary, please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 American @gmail.com. Thanks, Armchair American  Today is the 250th anniversary of the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. It was a war fought over eight years to free American colonists from their overlord King George III, who threatened their civil liberties and freedoms through repressive policies. In recognition of this historic anniversary I am reposting a blog that I wrote after a visit to Concord and Lexington Massachusetts two years ago. The title of the blog was The Shot Heard Round The World. The “Concord Hymn” by Ralph Waldo Emerson was written for the dedication of the Battle Monument on July 4, 1837 in Concord, Massachusetts. It commemorated the Battle of Concord which took place at the North Bridge at the outbreak of the American Revolution. By the rude bridge that arched the flood, Their flag to April’s breeze unfurled, Here once the embattled farmers stood And fired the shot heard round the world. The foe long since in silence slept; Alike the conqueror silent sleeps; And Time the ruined bridge has swept Down the dark stream which seaward creeps. On this green bank, by this soft stream, We set today a votive stone; That memory may their deed redeem, When, like our sires, our sons are gone. Spirit, that made those heroes dare To die, and leave their children free, Bid Time and Nature gently spare The shaft we raise to them and thee.  While visiting relatives in New England last month I had the opportunity to spend time in the towns of Concord and Lexington in Massachusetts. These towns witnessed the opening salvos of the Revolutionary War nearly 250 years ago.  On the morning of April 19, 1775 hundreds of British soldiers left Boston and marched toward Concord to capture and destroy stockpiles of gunpowder and military supplies stored by the local militia. Along the way the British soldiers confronted seventy-seven militia men waiting for them on Lexington Green. No one is sure who fired the first shot, but within minutes eight colonial militia men were killed and several more were wounded. The British suffered only one minor casualty and soon resumed their march to Concord. Once in Concord, British soldiers searched homes and barns for military supplies, and burned all that they found. Thinking that the soldiers had set their town on fire, the local militia confronted the British soldiers at the North Bridge. The soldiers fired upon the militia, killing two men and injuring several more. A militia officer ordered his men to return fire and two British soldiers were killed. This was an act of treason against the British government and the spark that ignited the American Revolutionary War.  At the Minute Man National Historical Park I joined a guided walk along the Battle Road Trail, part of the colonial Bay Road where several battles and skirmishes took place on that fateful day in 1775. As we walked along the woodland path lined with maple, oak and beech trees alight in their colorful autumn splendor, it has hard to imagine the enormity of the events that had taken place here.  Walking along Battle Road that day, I couldn’t stop thinking about the bravery of the local men who confronted the world's mightiest army. Pushed to the extreme, these citizen soldiers knew no other way to preserve the liberties and freedoms that they cherished. The local militias in Concord, Lexington, and surrounding communities had effectively repelled professional soldiers of an overseas king. There was no going back.  Colonial Militias: In colonial times a militia represented a military force raised from the civilian population, for the common defense of the community. Militias were distinct from professional soldiers, and were generally organized around towns, regions, or colonies. Members of Massachusetts militias were required to possess and be skilled in the use of a musket, powder, and shot. Local militia units from all of the thirteen original colonies were the backbone of George Washington’s army during the Revolutionary War. The “Militia Act of 1792” stipulated that the militia would consist of each and every able-bodied white male citizen of the respective States, who is at least 18 years of age and under the age of 45. At the start of our new republic, the founding fathers feared that a standing army could be used to suppress the liberties of the citizens, and therefore opposed the formation of one. But they needed to provide for the common defense, and saw the state and local militias as a necessary compromise. It should therefore be no surprise that armed militias were enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.  Nearly 250 years after Americans freed themselves from a tyrannical king, the citizens of our country are once again rising up in opposition to the regime in power. People across the country are joining protests to oppose a president who is trampling on civil liberties enshrined in our Constitution. We are witnessing the erosion of the rule of law and the right to due process under the law. Freedom of the press, free speech, and the rights of private institutions are being suppressed. The checks and balances built into the Constitution are not stopping the power grab by the Trump regime whose stated goal is to build the presidency into an all powerful executive. This smells of tyranny, and is what the brave patriots fought against 250 years ago. It is up to the people to prevent autocracy from once again talking hold of our great country. We threw out a king to build the freedoms we enjoy today. There are no king's in America and we all have a responsibility to see to it that we never do.  If you enjoy reading this type of commentary, please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 American @gmail.com.
Thanks, Armchair American  Donald Trump has been obsessed with tariffs for decades and would love to take our economy back to the 19th century when a large part of the federal government’s revenue came from tariffs on imported goods. Even though the U.S. is the wealthiest country, he is convinced that the rest of the world has been “ripping us off for years” and it’s time for that to change. His solution is to impose a minimum 10% tariff on all imported goods. Of course, the economic benefits to our country will only work if our trading partners cave in to Trump’s demands and don’t impose retaliatory tariffs of their own. Most economists, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and JPMorgan Chase (the country’s largest bank) all agree that tariffs are inflationary and will increase the odds of a recession. Trump is taking a huge gamble with our economy, the financial well-being of Americans, and the global trading system that the U.S. has prospered under for decades. To justify his unprecedented tariff polices Trump has declared a national emergency to strengthen the international economic position of the United States. This explanation is weak at best considering that Trump inherited an historically strong economy by most measures.  Here's What the White House is Saying: This was posted by the White House on April 3, 2025. What is Liberation Day and how does it affect me? President Donald J. Trump has declared a national emergency to tackle unfair trade practices and restore economic sovereignty. Through reciprocal tariffs, he aims to protect U.S. industries, re-shore manufacturing, and strengthen national security. These measures address trade imbalances, reduce dependence on foreign supply chains, and promote "Made in America" to drive economic growth and safeguard American prosperity. Read the Executive Order What are the current problems with trade?
What does the Executive Order address?
How does the Executive Order impact me?
How much are other countries being charged? View Tariffs to Other Countries Here ✅ FACT SHEET President Donald J. Trump Declares National Emergency to Increase our Competitive Edge, Protect our Sovereignty, and Strengthen our National and Economic Security PURSUING RECIPROCITY TO REBUILD THE ECONOMY AND RESTORE NATIONAL AND ECONOMIC SECURITY: Today, President Donald J. Trump declared that foreign trade and economic practices have created a national emergency, and his order imposes responsive tariffs to strengthen the international economic position of the United States and protect American workers. · Large and persistent annual U.S. goods trade deficits have led to the hollowing out of our manufacturing base; resulted in a lack of incentive to increase advanced domestic manufacturing capacity; undermined critical supply chains; and rendered our defense-industrial base dependent on foreign adversaries. · President Trump is invoking his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA) to address the national emergency posed by the large and persistent trade deficit that is driven by the absence of reciprocity in our trade relationships and other harmful policies like currency manipulation and exorbitant value-added taxes (VAT) perpetuated by other countries. Continue Reading  What Does Trump Really Want to Accomplish with Tariffs: It seems that even the Trump Administration is confused about what it is attempting to accomplish with its tariff policies. Are the tariffs part of a negotiating tactic which will be temporary in order for Trump to extract some unknown concessions from trading partners? Or are the tariffs meant to raise revenues and bring back U.S. manufacturing, which would suggest that they are permanent? This uncertainty further erodes confidence that the U.S. is a reliable trading partner and continues to throw financial markets around the world into turmoil. During his campaign Trump promised to impose tariffs on foreign goods once he regained the White House. But he is after much more than just fulfilling a campaign promise. Here are perhaps some of his motivations:
 What Trump Doesn't Seem to Understand: The imposition of broad import tariffs has been tried before and has been a colossal failure. Families and the overall economy will suffer because tariffs are a tax on the U.S. consumer. The producer and foreign country from which the product is shipped don’t pay the tariff. It is the importer or buyer within our country that pays the tariff, and to recoup the cost of the tariff they must increase prices to the end user. The whole point of tariffs is to make the price of U.S. produced goods more competitive with foreign made goods. Without the foreign competition, prices on U.S. products will tend to increase. Coupled with higher priced foreign goods inflation will increase, the very thing Trump campaigned against. Trump considers all trade deficits with foreign countries to be bad, but in many cases they are beneficial. It doesn’t benefit our country to produce low value items that require high labor inputs. Should the U.S. be producing every stitch of clothing we require, and every widget and gadget sold in Walmart and on Amazon? This would be a very inefficient use of our capital and labor. We don’t need low wage factory jobs in this country, not to mention the fact that we don’t have the labor required. Let Vietnam, China and other countries with cheap labor produce the low tech, low margin products so that we can focus on high end manufacturing, design and technology. Our country’s manufacturing base should focus on 21st century technologies such as advanced computer chips, AI, robotics, advanced health care, biotechnologies, aerospace and other industries vital to our safety and security. We can’t and shouldn’t produce everything that our consumer-driven economy demands. It simply doesn’t make sense to expect a poorer nation to purchase as much from our country as we do from theirs. Trump falsely labels all trade deficits as economic disadvantages. But consider this; If I pay a landscaper $500 to do some yard work for me, I have a $500 trade deficit in relation to him. I have given the landscaper $500 to render a service, but that does not put me at an economic disadvantage, I have gained a valuable service. The same goes for a foreign purchase that I make on vacation for an item only produced in that country. I am at a trade deficit with that foreign merchant because he hasn’t purchased an equivalent amount of goods or services from me. That doesn’t mean that the merchant took advantage of me, I entered into the transaction freely. It would take many years and billions of dollars to build the factories to restore the manufacturing sector as envisioned by Trump. Long term planning and investment requires a clear vision of the economic and political realities of today, tomorrow, and years into the future. Under Trump there is a no clear policy direction, precluding any levelheaded business executive from investing in this uncertain business climate. Trust is at the center of a successful trading partnership. The uncertainty of Trump’s messaging on tariffs has frayed relations with all our trading partners around the world. Hopefully the damage isn’t permanent.  Finally, Some Congressional Pushback on Trump’s Tariff Policies: Last week Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Senator Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, introduced a bill that would reassert Congress’ Constitutional authority and restrict the president’s power to levy tariffs. The legislation, called the Trade Review Act of 2025, would require the president to notify Congress of new tariffs within 48 hours of imposition, his reasons and the impact on consumers and businesses. Then Congress would have 60 days to approve it. If it does not, the tariffs would expire after that period. As spelled out in Article 1 of the Constitution, the Congress has the authority to levy taxes on imported goods. It is about time the U.S. Congress starts acting like a co-equal branch of government and stand up to the damaging policies of the Trump Administration.  It is my hope that foreign governments across the globe don’t cave in to the coercive demands of Donald Trump. Economic blackmail is not an effective trade policy. Trump’s bullying tactics are destroying decades of goodwill, strategic alliances and global security. If Trump’s tariff policies are allowed to take hold, I fear that lasting damage will be done to America’s standing in the world as a force for good. Donald Trump inherited an historically strong economy, but he seems intent on destroying it. He now owns the economy, and we will all live with the consequences.  Updated 4/9/2025: Today Trump capitulated to market pressures (or perhaps he read my blog) and put a 90-day pause on his reciprocal tariff policy. He is keeping in place a 10% tariff for most countries, but is escalating the trade war with China, announcing that tariffs will be increased to 125%. Some in the White House are trying to spin the tariff pause as part of the strategy. This is pure nonsense. Many sources, including Fox News, are reporting that Trump’s tariff pause was due to the steep sell off of U.S. Treasury bonds and the low demand for recently issue Treasuries. If the sell-off was not stopped, long term interest rates would spike, hurting borrowing costs for consumers and businesses and making the cost of funding the government’s deficit spending much more expensive. This 90-day pause does nothing to stop the uncertainty of Trump's tariff policies, and the markets will continue to be jittery until some clarity and sanity is brought into the process. If you enjoy reading this type of commentary, please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 American @gmail.com. Thanks, Armchair American   We are on the eve of President Trump's historic “liberation day” for the implementation of tariffs. I know that his favorite word is "tariffs", but I wish that someone would read to him Ronald Reagan's speech to the nation on April 25, 1987. Reagan knew the true cost of tariffs and the damage they could do to the economy and the livelihoods of Americans.  Radio Address to the Nation on Free and Fair Trade April 25, 1987 "My fellow Americans: Prime Minister Nakasone of Japan will be visiting me here at the White House next week. It's an important visit, because while I expect to take up our relations with our good friend Japan, which overall remain excellent, recent disagreements between our two countries on the issue of trade will also be high on our agenda. As perhaps you've heard, last week I placed new duties on some Japanese products in response to Japan's inability to enforce their trade agreement with us on electronic devices called semiconductors. Now, imposing such tariffs or trade barriers and restrictions of any kind are steps that I am loath to take. And in a moment I'll mention the sound economic reasons for this: that over the long run such trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer. But the Japanese semiconductors were a special case. We had clear evidence that Japanese companies were engaging in unfair trade practices that violated an agreement between Japan and the United States. We expect our trading partners to live up to their agreements. As I've often said: Our commitment to free trade is also a commitment to fair trade. But you know, in imposing these tariffs we were just trying to deal with a particular problem, not begin a trade war. So, next week I'll be giving Prime Minister Nakasone this same message: We want to continue to work cooperatively on trade problems and want very much to lift these trade restrictions as soon as evidence permits. We want to do this, because we feel both Japan and the United States have an obligation to promote the prosperity and economic development that only free trade can bring. Now, that message of free trade is one I conveyed to Canada's leaders a few weeks ago, and it was warmly received there. Indeed, throughout the world there's a growing realization that the way to prosperity for all nations is rejecting protectionist legislation and promoting fair and free competition. Now, there are sound historical reasons for this. For those of us who lived through the Great Depression, the memory of the suffering it caused is deep and searing. And today many economic analysts and historians argue that high tariff legislation passed back in that period called the Smoot-Hawley tariff greatly deepened the depression and prevented economic recovery. You see, at first, when someone says, ``Let's impose tariffs on foreign imports,'' it looks like they're doing the patriotic thing by protecting American products and jobs. And sometimes for a short while it works -- but only for a short time. What eventually occurs is: First, homegrown industries start relying on government protection in the form of high tariffs. They stop competing and stop making the innovative management and technological changes they need to succeed in world markets. And then, while all this is going on, something even worse occurs. High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars. The result is more and more tariffs, higher and higher trade barriers, and less and less competition. So, soon, because of the prices made artificially high by tariffs that subsidize inefficiency and poor management, people stop buying. Then the worst happens: Markets shrink and collapse; businesses and industries shut down; and millions of people lose their jobs. The memory of all this occurring back in the thirties made me determined when I came to Washington to spare the American people the protectionist legislation that destroys prosperity. Now, it hasn't always been easy. There are those in this Congress, just as there were back in the thirties, who want to go for the quick political advantage, who will risk America's prosperity for the sake of a short-term appeal to some special interest group, who forget that more than 5 million American jobs are directly tied to the foreign export business and additional millions are tied to imports. Well, I've never forgotten those jobs. And on trade issues, by and large, we've done well. In certain select cases, like the Japanese semiconductors, we've taken steps to stop unfair practices against American products, but we've still maintained our basic, long-term commitment to free trade and economic growth. So, with my meeting with Prime Minister Nakasone and the Venice economic summit coming up, it's terribly important not to restrict a President's options in such trade dealings with foreign governments. Unfortunately, some in the Congress are trying to do exactly that. I'll keep you informed on this dangerous legislation, because it's just another form of protectionism and I may need your help to stop it. Remember, America's jobs and growth are at stake. Until next week, thanks for listening, and God bless you". Here is a link to the radio address.  Congratulations Mr. President, your “Liberation Day” for America was a big flop. Stock markets are crashing around the world and stock futures in this country are predicting a bloodbath in the markets on Thursday. The world is in a full-fledge trade war, and you are responsible.
You have apparently forgotten the lessons of the Great Depression when restrictive tariffs were implemented by our government. The result was a deeper and more prolonged economic depression. You want the American people to be patient, promising that manufacturers will come back to the U.S. and flood the economy with cash. That is a pipe dream. It takes years for companies to overhaul business plans, build factories, and develop new supply chains. In the meantime, investment portfolios of ordinary Americans have taken a big hit, upending the retirement plans of millions. Consumer confidence has plunged, resulting in declining spending and slowing economic activity. Your economic advisors should all be fired and you need to admit that your tariff plans are a failure. Please be honest for once with the American people. If you enjoy reading this type of commentary, please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 American @gmail.com. Thanks, Armchair American  The executive order establishing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) instructs all federal government agency heads to ensure that DOGE has full and prompt access to all unclassified agency records, software systems, and IT systems. This means that Elon Musk and his DOGE bros have access to your Social Security records, tax returns, medical records from Medicare and Medicaid, student loan documents, military records, and any other federal program that you have participated in. I for one don’t trust DOGE or Elon Musk to safeguard this data or to prevent it from being used to benefit themselves or the Trump Administration. This is potentially the greatest breech of Americans’ personal data in history. The first step in safeguarding your personal data is to determine what data of yours has been obtained by DOGE. Under the Federal Privacy Act of 1974 citizens have the right to access personal information held in any U.S. government records system. Representative Jamie Raskin is encouraging all U.S. citizens to join him in filing formal demands for access to their data obtained by DOGE. The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has issued an injunction commanding DOGE to comply with citizen requests for their personal data under the Freedom of Information Act.  Jamie Raskin is a Democrat from Maryland’s 8th Congressional District, and in my opinion is one of the smartest members of Congress. He is the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, a graduate of Harvard Law School, and a former professor of constitutional law. I have followed Representative Raskin’s lead and filled out my Privacy Act request, and you can do so by filling out the form at this link. Fill out the form, print it out and mail it to DOGE at the address specified at the top of the letter. If enough citizens send in a Privacy Act Request it may overwhelm DOGE’s ability to respond, slow down their activities, and put them on notice that American citizens are paying attention. If you prefer not to access the link, here is a copy of the letter: March 16, 2025 U.S. Department of Government Efficiency 736 Jackson Place, W Washington, D.C. 20503 RE: Privacy Act Access Request Dear Privacy Officer or Coordinator: In accordance with the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552a(d)(1), I request copies of (1) all records about or pertaining to me in the possession or control of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) or the United States Digital Service (USDS), and (2) all records about or pertaining to me contained within any system of records in the possession or control of DOGE and USDS, including any records or information about or pertaining to me that is contained in a copy, made or received by an employee or contractor of DOGE or USDS, including members of “DOGE Teams” or other DOGE-affiliated individuals. Additionally, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 553a(c)(3), I request that you provide an accounting of the date, nature, and purpose of any disclosures that you, your agency, or your organization have made under 5 U.S.C. § 552a(b) providing access to a record about me to another person, organization, or agency, including within the Executive Office of the President. I further request that you confirm that DOGE, USDS, and members of “DOGE Teams” or other DOGE-affiliated individuals will comply with the requirement of 5 U.S.C. § 553a(e)(7), that no agency may maintain records cross-referenced with information about how I have exercised rights guaranteed by the First Amendment unless expressly authorized by statute or unless pertinent to an authorized law enforcement activity. To facilitate your response, I provide below my contact information and an itemized list of the records sought: Full name: _________________________________________ Mailing address: _________________________________________ _________________________________________ Preferred email address: ___________________________________ Date and place of birth: _________________________________________ Requested records pertaining to me containing my name, or the identifying number, symbol, or other identifying particular assigned to me: ◦ Education records ◦ Financial transaction records ◦ Medical histories ◦ Records relating to my eligibility for government benefits ◦ Criminal or employment histories ◦ Dissemination of my data to other entities: Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 552a(o)(2)(A)(ii), if any such records have been transmitted to a recipient agency as defined in 5 U.S.C. § 522a(a)(9), provide me a with copy of the written agreement between DOGE and/or USDS and the recipient agency or non-Federal agency specifying — (A) the purpose and legal authority for conducting the program; (B) the justification for the program and the anticipated results, including a specific estimate of any savings; (C) a description of the records that will be matched, including each data element that will be used, the approximate number of records that will be matched, and the projected starting and completion dates of the matching program; D) all other information required in such written agreement under 5 U.S.C. § 552a(o)(1)(A)-(K). Where possible, please provide responsive materials in an electronic format by mail to: ________________________________________________[INSERT email address]. Alternatively, please provide responsive materials in native format or in PDF format on a USB drive. Please send any responsive material sent in paper or USB drive form by mail to: _______________________________________ [INSERT preferred mailing address]. If you contend that inspection of records must occur in person, provide me with accessible place(s) of inspection and the procedure to schedule it. Under 5 U.S.C. §552a(f)(5), you may not charge any fees for the search and review of these records. If paper copies are provided, please state the cost of duplication, and whether it exceeds the standard $0.05 per page. If you deny this request, in whole or in part, please cite each specific exemption you feel justifies the refusal to release the information and notify me of appeal procedures available to me under the law. I expect a timely acknowledgement, response, and production of the requested records and information in accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act. Sincerely, ______________________________________________________ [WET SIGNATURE] IDENTITY VERIFICATION In accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 1746, I, ____________________________[INSERT FULL NAME], declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the foregoing is true and correct, and that I am the person named above and requesting access to records about me. I understand that any falsification of this statement is punishable under the provisions of 18 U.S.C. § 1001 by a fine of not more than $5,000, imprisonment for not more than eight years, or both, and that knowingly and willfully requesting or obtaining any record about any individual from an agency under false pretenses is punishable under the provisions of 5 U.S.C. § 552a(i)(3) by a fine of not more than $5,000. Dated: ________________ ____________________________________ [WET SIGNATURE]  If you enjoy reading this type of commentary, please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 American @gmail.com.
Thanks, Armchair American  In my last blog I suggested ways to express your dismay with the Trump Administration. One such action was to write a comment to the White House on the following web address: https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/. I am following my own advice and doing just that. Starting on February 24 I started to leave a daily comment on the White House website. The act of writing down my thoughts about a recent Trump action is very therapeutic for me. Once written down you can also send a copy to members of Congress and department heads within the Trump Administration. It seems like a small action to take, but your voice is important, and our elected officials need to hear from you. Below are copies of the comments that I have sent to the White House over the past fourteen days. February 24, 2024 Dear Mr. President, My wife and I have spent a lot of money on reservations to visit the magnificent national parks this summer. I was extremely disturbed to learn that park rangers are being fired, and funding is being cut to these parks. They are a national treasure to generations of Americans and to the millions of foreign visitors each year. National Parks are a crucial part of the regional economies of the states in which they preside. Cutting funds to these parks not only diminishes recreational experiences for our fellow Americans but it can be devastating to the folks that work and live in these areas. The jobs that are being eliminated are not high paying. They are being performed by dedicated professionals who love nature, love the parks, and love our country. Cutting funding to American's parks is a big mistake because people of all political affiliations love and use them. Please take care of our cherished parks and keep America beautiful. From a lover of America's magnificent National Parks and a dedicated voter. February 25, 2025 Dear Mr. President, I am writing about your decision to fire several thousand IRS workers. This makes little sense in the middle of tax filing season. It is unsettling to the rest of the workers during this busy time of the year and hampers the agency from helping the millions of taxpayers who struggle to do the right thing by filing their tax returns. This country runs annual budget deficits in the trillions of dollars and the national debt is becoming a national security crisis. It is estimated that over $100 billion in taxes goes uncollected each year, and firing IRS agents only encourages more tax cheating. IRS agents who investigate tax fraud bring in several times what it costs to employ them. We need to collect the tax revenue that is legally owed. What is your answer to this? This country can't cut enough expenses to put a dent in the debt and deficits. Increasing revenues while holding down expenses is the answer. You are a businessman and certainly understand this. Don't let politics get in the way of doing the right thing. I am a Tax Aide volunteer and prepare dozens of returns each year for seniors and low-income families. I am on the front lines of the annual tax filing juggernaut and the folks need more help with income taxes, not less. Please reconsider your decision to fire the IRS employees. Main street Americans need them more than do the millionaires and billionaires who will benefit most from their absence. February 26, 2025 Dear Mr. President, Your approval ratings are now under water and the main culprits are Elon Musk and DOGE. You claim that you want to bring transparency to the government bureaucracy. But DOGE has become an unelected shadow government whose structure and members are unknown to the American public. Elon Musk has claimed that in a very short period of time he has found tens of billions of dollars in waste, fraud, and abuse. If that is the case, make the evidence public. Cutting waste and saving taxpayer dollars is admirable, but it must be done with care. Otherwise, institutional integrity could be damaged, critical expertise could be lost, and national security could be undermined. Don't let your administration become the latest victim of DOGE's excesses. February 27, 2025 Dear Mr. President, I am deeply concerned that your administration is abandoning traditional allies in Western Europe, Canada and other NATO countries in favor of authoritarian regimes in Russian, China, and North Korea. Have you switched sides and upended our global alliances which have been in place since the end of World War II? By backing Russian in its war of aggression against Ukraine that appears to be the case. You have called President Zelenski of Ukraine an unelected dictator and accused his country of starting the war against Russia. These statements come right out of the Russian playbook and has unsettled the American public and European allies. In the U.N. General Assembly this week the United States joined Russia, China and North Korea in voting against a Europe-backed Ukrainian resolution that calls out Russian aggression and demands an immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine. Whose side are you own Mr. President? Have you been compromised by the Russians or are you just infatuated with murderous dictators? I know that you want the war in Ukraine to end, everyone does. But not at the expense of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity. If Ukraine is pressured into ceding land to Russia, then Putin wins, and the world will be less safe. Do you think Putin will be satisfied with the border regions of Ukraine and end his ambitions to rebuild the former Soviet Union? What will the U. S's position be if Putin sets his sights on a NATO member country such as Poland or one of the Baltic states? If the war ends and Russia is allowed to keep any of its territorial gains in Ukraine, other authoritarian governments will be emboldened. What message will this send to the Chinese? Perhaps that the U.S. will not intervene if China chooses to invade Taiwan? Don't be a puppet of Putin. Do the right thing for the people of Ukraine, for the future of Europe and our traditional strategic alliances. February 28, 2025 Dear Mr. President, I was disturbed and discussed with the “Trump Gaza” video that you shared on your social media accounts. It was callous and diminishes the dignity of your office. Even though the video was made in jest, it shows no sensitivity to the extreme hardships and suffering experienced by the Palestinian people who live in Gaza. During the war with Israeli most of the 2 million inhabitants of Gaza were displaced, 92% of their buildings were destroyed, more than 60,000 were killed and many more injured. To forward such a video does nothing to move the peace process forward. It cheapens the image of the United States in the Middle East and emboldens Hamas and other extremist groups in the region. You couldn’t have asked for a better recruiting tool for the enemies of the United States. As the leader of the most powerful country in the world your actions have consequences. It was thoughtless, irresponsible and dangerous to forward the video. Thanks to you the United States is complicit in keeping the Middle East unstable for years to come. Leadership without justice and compassion is tyranny. March 1, 2025 Dear Mr. President, The way you and your vice-president treated President Zelenskyy yesterday was a despicable and shameful treatment of an ally. This is not how diplomacy is supposed to work. You exposed yourself to all the world as a thinned-skinned bully. Very unpresidential. Was this a setup to justify an inevitable deal with Putin to end the war in Ukraine with huge territorial gains for Russia? All of Europe, and indeed the world, are now on notice that the United States is not to be trusted. Kaja Kallas, Vice-President of the European Commission put it well, "Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It's up to us Europeans to take this challenge". Of course, this plays right into Russia's hands. One high ranking Russian official was quick to tweet out about Zelenskyy "The insolent pig finally got a proper slap down in the Oval Office. And @real DonaldTrump is right: The Kiev regime is gambling with WWIII". The United States needs strong strategic alliances for the world to be safe. I’m afraid that you are beginning to dismantle the balance of power in the world, and I dread to think where it will lead. March 2, 2025 Dear Mr. President, Under your direction Elon Musk and DOGE have eliminated most of the programs and staff from the USAID agency. This was supposedly done to end the waste, fraud, and abuse at this agency. What you don’t understand is that many of the programs carried out by this agency provide vital nutrition and food supplies to thousands of starving children, mostly in Africa. This is shortsighted on many levels, but the main outcome of these actions is that innocent children will die. Mana Nutrition is a nonprofit company based in Georgia which produces a product called “Ready to Use Therapeutic Food” or “RUFT “. It is a nutrient-dense food specifically formulated to treat severe acute malnutrition and restore a child’s weight, strength, and overall health. It is made with mainly agricultural products produced in this country. This product is shelf-stable (no refrigeration needed), requires no preparation, and packaged in an easy-open, food safe pouch. RUFT is distributed around the globe by USAID to alleviate a form of acute malnutrition known as “severe wasting”. Now that DOGE has cancelled the USAID contract with Mana Nutrition about $10 million worth of life saving nutritional products is piling up in warehouses in Georgia. To add insult to injury the $14 million in reimbursements owed to Mana Nutrition is in doubt. As a result, the company may have to fire most of its employees and stop purchasing millions of dollars of agricultural products from American farmers. At a recent prayer breakfast in Washington you proclaimed that you wanted to “bring back God” into American society and to root out anti-Christian bias. Helping to feed the poor is the most Christian thing your Administration could do. Elon Musk and JD Vance both have small children. Let them explain to the thousands of mothers whose babies will die how these actions by your Administration will “Make America Great Again”. Do the Christian thing Mr. President and bring back the USAID nutrition programs for the world’s neediest. March 3, 2025 Dear Mr. President, You are correct to assert that World War III could flow out of the war in Ukraine. But it won’t be Ukraine President Zelenskyy’s fault, it will lie squarely on the shoulders of Vladimir Putin. He started the war and could stop it tomorrow if he wanted. But with your Administration pressuring Zelenskyy to negotiate away more sovereign territory to Russia, Putin is content with continuing the war to increase territorial gains. Your transparent support of Putin to the detriment of Ukraine is baffling and troubling. So is your Secretary of Defense’s order to halt offensive cyber operations against Russia. Russia has the most sophisticated cyber operations in the world and is working 24/7 to hack into U.S. government agencies, energy and aviation infrastructure, financial institutions, think tanks, election systems, and our national security infrastructure. What does the U.S. get in return for this largess? Vague promises from Putin to end the war with terms that will embolden our enemies and weaken the Western Alliance. The more you kowtow to Putin, the further you strain relations with European allies, and the more unstable the world becomes. Please reconsider your incongruous decision to halt offensive cyber operations against Russia. March 4, 2025 Dear Mr. President, As a special government employee Elon Musk is prohibited from participating personally and substantially in a particular government matter that will affect his own financial interest, according to federal law. Federal regulations also prohibit the government from awarding contracts to a government employee or company owned or substantially owned or controlled by one. The Federal Aviation Administration has been a target of Elon Musk and DOGE, resulting in hundreds of layoffs and contract cuts. Musk’s Starlink company is now on the verge of securing a $2.4 billion contract with the FAA. This stinks of conflict of interest. DOGE is looking into several government agencies that have contracts with one of Musk’s companies. It is also looking into federal agencies that have ongoing investigations of one of Musk’s companies. The White House Press Secretary said that Musk is responsible for identifying his own conflicts of interest and would “excuse himself” when his companies’ contracts overlap with his work with DOGE. The American people don’t buy any of it! March 5, 2025 Dear Mr. President, During your speech to a joint session of Congress last night you stated many falsehoods and exaggerations. I want to focus my comments on your assertions about Social Security. You stated that the Social Security database lists millions of people over the age of 100, including 1.3 million people between 150 to 159 years old and more than 130,000 people over 160. You led the American people to believe that millions of dead people are collecting Social Security checks. This is false and you know it but continue to spread the lie anyway. Just this week the new acting director of Social Security, Lee Dudek, acknowledged that there are many people in the database over the age of 100, but are not necessarily receiving benefits. Several investigations into this matter have shown that the problem lies with antiquated software which inaccurately lists the age of people born in 1920 or earlier. The age of many of these people will default to an age of 150 or higher due to the faulty software. Additionally, as of September 2015, the Social Security Administration automatically stops payments to people who are older than 115 years. The real concern is that your claim that millions of dead people are fraudulently collecting Social Security benefits dupes people into thinking that there’s an easy fix to solving Social Security’s financial problems, when there isn’t. I am also concerned that you or DOGE will claim to have saved the Social Security system billions of dollars by eliminating these dead people from the benefit roles, when no savings were achieved. That’s the problem with DOGE looking at databases and algorithms without knowing the systems and regulations behind them. They make false assumptions that end up hurting some people and deceiving the rest of us. March 6, 2025 Dear Mr. President, I don’t understand your obsession with using tariffs as a blunt force instrument against other countries to bend to your will. It is a bullying tactic that is backfiring by hurting friends and foes alike. The financial markets are getting clobbered, hurting the retirements savings of millions of Americans, and undermining confidence in the system. All the post-election gains in the stock market have been erased, and for what? You have antagonized Canada and Mexico, our closest neighbors and largest trading partners. These countries are now going to retaliate by increasing prices on food, energy, minerals, lumber and other goods used by average Americans. Recent national polls show that most Americans now believe that prices are going to continue to rise. Never forget that the main reason people voted for you in the first place is because they believed that you would lower consumer prices. You seem to think that because the tariffs you implemented during your first term didn’t damage the economy, they won’t during your second term. But during your first term the economy was in a low inflationary period and could absorb price increases due to tariffs. Today the economy is in a very different place. Prices remain stubbornly high, and inflation is once again pushing higher. As all reputable economists know, tariffs lead to higher prices. This could stop the economy in its tracks, and you will be to blame. Tread lightly Mr. President, using tariffs as your big stick isn’t working. It is disruptive to the economy and financial markets and hurts the very people who elected you. March 7, 2025 Dear Mr. President, Since the beginning of your 2nd term all U.S. aid to Ukraine has stopped, including final shipments of ammunition and equipment authorized and paid for during the Biden administration. Earlier this week the U.S. paused intelligence sharing with Ukraine, cutting off the flow of vital information to soldiers on the battlefield. The U.S. has also cut off Ukraine’s access to crucial satellite imagery, hampering air defense systems. All these moves were obviously an attempt to bring President Zelenskyy to heel and come back to the negotiating table. Unfortunately, these moves backfired and played right into Russia’s hands. Overnight the Russians launched a massive aerial attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure using cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and drones. Dozens of civilians were injured or killed, and vital infrastructure that delivers heat, light and power to homes and factories was destroyed. So much for helping a supposed ally. Well done Mr. President. March 8, 2025 Dear Mr. President, With all due respect, is the White House running a shake-down racket? First you threaten our closest neighbors and allies with tariffs if they don’t comply with your wishes, now you threaten to withhold support from any NATO ally who doesn’t comply with your spending demands. On Thursday you told reporters that you would reconsider the U.S.’s commitment to the 32-nation alliance which has been the cornerstone of peace in Europe and around the world for decades. In your own words you said, “If they don’t pay, I’m not going to defend them”. This strikes at a core tenant of the NATO security alliance- that an attack on one member is an attack on all members. Does everything have to be transactional with you? This is no way to build trust among friends and allies. It further alienates the U.S. from its traditional allies and pushes us further into the orbit of what is fast becoming the new axis of evil: North Korea, Russia, China and the United States! Let’s hope that this trend doesn’t continue. March 9, 2025 Dear Mr. President, Cutting the fat from federal programs is admirable, but making large cuts at the Social Security Administration may be a bridge too far for many Americans. Over 73 million Americans receive benefit payments from Social Security and a disruption in this income would be devastating to them and the economy. According to news reports approximately 7,000 employees will be eliminated from the Social Security Administration. Many senior staff members have already left, and divisions are being eliminated. This is all being done before your nominee to run the agency, Frank Bisignano, has been confirmed. Leland Dudek, the acting commissioner, has admitted that outsiders are the ones making the decisions on staffing reductions. People from DOGE who are unfamiliar with the policies, computer systems and other complexities of the agency are making the decisions. This is dangerous and shortsighted and will not end well. The Social Security Administration is too important to be placed in such a precarious situation. Computer systems could be corrupted, and vital institutional knowledge lost. At a minimum put a halt on the staffing reductions until the new Social Security Commissioner has been confirmed by the Senate. If you break Social Security, tens of millions of seniors will never let you forget.  If you enjoy reading this type of commentary, please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 American @gmail.com.
Thanks, Armchair American  During the first month in office President Trump has taken 108 Executive Actions: 73 Executive Orders, 23 Proclamations and 12 Memorandums. During this time the president has empowered Elon Musk and the recently formed Department of Government Efficiency to engineer the firing of thousands of federal employees and the dismantling of government agencies created by Congress. If all this activity has got your head spinning, you are not alone. The Democrat leaders in the House and Senate seem helpless to stop the onslaught of Trump 2.0. Short of throwing up their hands in resignation what are ordinary Americans to do? Here are some actions that you can take to shake off that feeling of helplessness without having to wait for the next election.  Immediate Term ActionsJoin National Boycott: A nationwide economic blackout is set to take place this Friday, February 28, 2025. The boycott is being organized by The People’s Union in response to President Trump’s dismantling of DEI programs. According to the website, “If we disrupt the economy for just one day, it sends a powerful message”. For a 24-hour period consumers are asked not to make any purchases either online or in brick-and-mortar stores. If consumers must make purchases, they are asked to buy local and pay in cash, not credit cards. Major retailers such as Amazon, Walmart and Target, who have already announced plans to roll back their DEI programs, are targets of the boycott. Donald Trump is particularly sensitive to a weakening economy, so I suspect that there will be more boycotts in the future, including those being scheduled in March and April by The People’s Union.  Call and Write the White House: You can call and write the White House to let the president know your views on his actions and policies. The president will never read these comments, but they are tallied, and the president’s team keeps track of the tone of the comments and the ratio of positive to negative comments. To leave your comments for the president you can email at https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ or if you prefer to call and leave a comment you can do so at (202) 456-1111, Tuesday-Thursday from 11AM-3PM EST. I plan to send daily comments to the president to let him know my opinion on his latest action. Call and Write Congressional Leaders: Go to the website of your elected representatives to get their contact information. They need to hear from you routinely to help them gauge the mood of their constituents.  Boycott Elon Musk’s Companies: If you are unnerved by the unchecked power of Elon Musk to slash and burn government agencies, cut thousands of federal employees doing jobs he knows nothing about, and dig through your private data, then it’s time to boycott his companies. Don’t purchase any vehicle, solar energy generator or battery storage equipment from Tesla, and avoid using his social media platform X. Many of us own Tesla stock in mutual funds or the S&P 500 index. Write to Tesla’s Board of Directors to let them know your dissatisfaction with their CEO, and ask when he has the time to manage the company.  Support Independent Journalism: Without independent journalists the American electorate will be kept in the dark of what is happening behind the curtain in Washington D.C. Since 2005 the United States has lost nearly 2,900 newspapers, and we are on pace to lose more than 100 this year. Independent news outlets and journalists need our financial support to survive. Here are some of the news outlets and journalists that I support:
Long Term Actions Longer Term Actions: The midterm elections are not until November 3, 2026, and the primaries will be heating up about a year from now. It will be difficult for the Democrats to regain control of the Senate in the next election cycle, but the House of Representatives is within reach. According to the Cook Political Report the most vulnerable House Republicans are David Schweikert (Arizona), Juan Ciscomani (Arizona), Gabe Evans (Colorado), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (Iowa), Tom Barrett (Michigan), Don Bacon (Nebraska), Ryan Mackenzie (Pennsylvania), and Scott Perry (Pennsylvania). The Democrat challengers in these districts will need financial support and help with their ground game. Pay attention to these vulnerable Republican districts as well as those in your home state. Presidents usually lose House seats in the midterm elections, but this is no time to be complacent. Make it happen. Things coming out of the Trump White House are very unsettling these days, but we are not helpless. Let your voices be heard, support independent journalists, and never miss an opportunity to remind family, friends and acquaintances that Trump is not keeping his promise to lower your costs or improve your life in any material way.  Don't Be This Guy, Take Action.If you enjoy reading this type of commentary, please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 American @gmail.com.
Thanks, Armchair American  Donald Trump’s propensity to profit off the presidency knows no bounds. He has made millions of dollars from the sales of Trump branded merchandise, used his campaign to fund raise and pay for his personal legal team, and has enriched the Trump Organization by holding government and political functions at his various properties. Foreign governments spent over $8 million at Trump properties during his first term, and various special interest groups use the same tactic to curry favor with him. Trump routinely overcharges the Secret Service for accommodations at his resorts while there to protect him and his family. The House Republicans hosted a retreat last month at Trump’s Doral resort in Miami as a way to pay homage to their party leader, and line his pockets, setting the example for any other group or individual looking to gain access to Trump.
Trump’s latest scheme to enrich himself and his family is the most insidious because it exists in the unregulated and shadowy domain of the crypto world. On January 17, 2025, just a few days before his inauguration, Trump announced to his millions of followers on Truth Social that he was releasing his own crypto meme coin. Not to be left out of the latest Trump family scheme, the incoming first lady released her own crypto meme coin two days later.  DogecoinMeme Coins: Also known as meme tokens, meme coins are a type of cryptocurrency based on a meme or image. They have been around for about ten years. The first and best-known meme coin is Dogecoin, inspired by the popular meme of a Shiba Inu dog. Meme coins can be bought and sold on cryptocurrency exchanges alongside other digital assets, or cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin. But unlike Bitcoin meme coins are not used as a form of currency and have no intrinsic value. Consider them as collectables such as trading cards or beanie babies in digital format. As with other collectables there are speculators who buy meme coins with the expectation that they will increase in value. But they are highly speculative, so buyer beware. Anyone can create their own meme coin and start selling them to the public for a very modest fee. If you are interested in creating your own meme coin, Pump.fun is a popular website to get started. For more on cryptocurrencies you can refer to my 2022 blog on the subject.  Trump Meme Coin: Trump Meme, sometimes referred to as Official Trump, has the trading symbol $TRUMP. Trump Meme is marketed with an image of Trump, fist raised in the air with the words “Fight, Fight, Fight” splashed across it. $TRUMP can be purchased through most cryptocurrency exchanges or through the Trump Meme website. According to the website one billion $TRUMP coins were created and so far 200 million have been released for sale in the open crypto market. The remaining coins will be released for sale over the next 36 months. The ownership of Trump’s meme coins is hidden behind limited liability companies controlled by the Trump family. Fight Fight Fight is the company that owns the official website for the meme coin, and Fight Fight Fight is owned by Trump’s CIC Digital and Celebration Cards. These two companies own the 800 million Trump coins yet to be sold. As of this writing the $TRUMP coin is trading for $18.89, bringing the value of the remaining coins to approximately $16 billion. The creators of the Trump meme coin receive a share of the trading fees, which can be quite lucrative. In the few short weeks that the coin has been trading the Trump controlled entities behind the coin have made an estimated $100 million in trading fees.  Influencing the Regulation of Cryptocurrencies: Currently there are no federal regulations governing the issuance and trading of meme coins, and federal regulations surrounding other cryptocurrencies are in flux. The Biden Administration attempted to build a comprehensive strategy for regulating digital assets like Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies through Executive Order 14067: Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets. Three days after taking office President Trump revoked Biden’s Executive Order 14067 with an executive order of his own, titled “Strengthening American Leadership in Digital Financial Technology”. This executive order puts into motion Trump’s promise to make America the “Crypto Capitol of the World”. Its purpose is to create a friendly regulatory environment in which digital assets and related technologies can grow across all sectors of the economy. Trump’s new treasury secretary will oversee all provisions of this executive order.  True to his vision to make America the crypto capitol of the world, Trump is stacking his cabinet with crypto friendly secretaries. The new Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is a former hedge fund manager with pro-crypto views. Paul Atkins, Trump’s pick to head the Securities and Exchange Commission, is a strong backer of cryptocurrencies, and his department will take a leading role in establishing regulations for digital assets. Howard Lutnick, Trump’s pick to head the Commerce Department, is the current CEO and principal owner of Cantor Fitzgerald, a New York Investment Bank with extensive dealings in the cryptocurrency space. Trump will essentially be selecting all the leaders whose agencies will be tasked with enforcing existing laws as well as developing new regulations for the cryptocurrency industry. Trump’s recent entry into the meme coin business is nothing short of a massive conflict of interest, one that could benefit him and his family handsomely.  Money Grab or Something More? The Trump family gets a cut of the fees generated from the buying and selling of every Trump meme coin. All information surrounding these transactions is encrypted and stored on the block chain. This means that there is absolutely no transparency surrounding the sale of these coins. There are no searchable transaction ledgers, no ownership certificates, no public records, and no way to trace the money flows in and out of any account holding Trump meme coins. As one investigative reporter from Bloomberg put it, “the Trump family crypto business offers anyone seeking favor with the new administration a legal way to send money directly to the president”. In a January 22, 2025, letter to the acting directors of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Congressman Jake Auchincloss detailed the inherent conflicts of interest and potential for foreign influence and corruption that the Trump meme coin creates. Their letter points out that Trump’s meme coin “opens the door to secretive foreign buyers seeking to curry influence with the administration, and the possibility of foreign emoluments clause violations”. I doubt that Senator Warren will ever have her letter answered or concerns assuaged.  As more and more Trump meme coins pour into the market there should be a ready source of buyers: individuals, companies and foreign entities looking to curry favor with the president. As a Washington Post reporter put it, “This meme coin has become the easiest, most convenient way to do that. The Saudis no longer need to stay at one of Trump’s hotels to line the president’s pockets, they can flash their digital wallet to show how much they boosted his net worth. After all, every dollar they put into propping up the value of Trump’s meme coin will effectively add cash to Trump’s bank account, emoluments clause be damned”.  The issuance and sale of the Trump and Melania meme coins are just the latest examples of how Trump and his family are using the presidency to build vast wealth. The conflict of interest that these meme coins present are glaring and the potential for corruption has enormous implications for the prestige of the presidency as well as for national security. Ordinarily a president’s team of lawyers and advisors would have steered him clear of such blatant conflicts. But Trump’s team of advisors was hand picked to rubber stamp any of his directives, legal or not.
If you enjoy reading this type of commentary please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 American @gmail.com. Thanks, Armchair American Political Retribution and the Rewriting of History Signal the Start of Trump’s Second Term.1/31/2025  Donald Trump’s first two weeks in office have been a blitzkrieg of executive orders, policy pronouncements and personnel purges. Call it “shock and awe” or “flooding the zone “, but the barrage of trivial as well as consequential executive orders has had the desired effect. The Republican led Congress has ceded its authority to the executive branch, the Democrats are scrambling to mount any kind of opposition, and many Americans are just happy that someone is finally doing something about the “illegals”.  Trump is a mean-spirited man on a mission to punish his political enemies and to use the enormous resources of the federal government to rewrite the historical record to reflect his “facts and truths”. Trump has had four years to prepare for this moment and has not been shy about telling the country what he intended to do once back in office. None of his actions over the past few weeks should be all that surprising, except perhaps for the speed at which they are being carried out. Many of his cabinet secretaries have not even been sworn in, proving once again that they are mere props. Most of the executive orders and personnel changes that Trump has already put in place come right out of the Project 2025 playbook, which he has previously claimed to know nothing about. As Trump continues to remake the federal government and rule through executive orders, the one thing I will never overlook or forgive is perhaps his most egregious act, that of pardoning the January 6 defendants.  Pardons for January 6 Defendants: In one of his first official acts of his second term President Trump issued a “full, complete and unconditional pardon” to over 1500 individuals convicted of crimes related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump also commuted the sentences of fourteen others, including Steward Rhodes and Enrique Tarrio who had been convicted of seditious conspiracy. With the stroke of a pen (sharpie) Trump ended the largest and most complex investigation ever undertaken by the Department of Justice. Trump has called the attacks on the police officers defending the Capitol on January 6, “very minor incidents”. He referred to those convicted and jailed as “political prisoners” and claimed that they were “absolutely innocent”. The proclamation announcing the pardons states “This proclamation ends a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people over the last four years and begins a process of national reconciliation”.  If there is one thing that most Americans agree on, it is that the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, was one of the darkest days in our country’s history, and that many who participated are violent criminals. There is no doubt, that as president, Donald Trump has the Constitutional authority to pardon anyone convicted of a federal crime. But it is morally repugnant to pardon the nearly 600 defendants convicted of violent crimes, including the assault on police officers. More than 150 officers from the Capitol Police and the D.C. Police were injured on January 6. In the days and weeks following the Capitol riot several officers died from physical and emotional trauma received at the hands of the rioters. The pardon of violent criminals by Trump undermines the rule of law, is an outrage to the men and women in law enforcement and is an affront to common decency.  Purges at the D.O.J. and F.B.I.: The pardon of the January 6 defendants was just the first step in Trump’s plans to rewrite the history of events at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Last Monday about 30 federal prosecutors who had worked on Capitol riot cases were fired by Acting Attorney General James McHenry. According to a Justice Department spokesman these prosecutors could not be trusted to “faithfully implement” the president’s agenda. On Thursday Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove instructed the top federal prosecutors in each state to compile a list of all prosecutors who had worked on the investigation of the Capitol riot. Then on Friday Mr. Bove ordered the acting leadership of the F.B.I. to compile a list of all agents and staff members from across the country who had worked on investigations and/or prosecutions relating to the Capitol riot. Eight senior F.B.I. officials along with the heads of 20 field offices have already been ordered to resign or be fired for working on January 6 cases. In a statement on Friday, the F.B.I. Agents Association called the moves “outrageous” and warned that the dismissal of potentially hundreds of field agents could weaken national security.  Revisionist History: It has been said that “history is written by the victors”, and Trump is doing his damnedest to do just that. If those who attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021, are innocent, so is Trump for sending them there. This feeds into the narrative that what happened at the Capitol that day was a legitimate protest against an election that was stolen from Donald Trump. Trump is unapologetic about spreading “the Big Lie” and uses it as a litmus test for loyalty to him. He will not stop until history records the outcome of the 2020 election in his favor, and he will use the power of the federal bureaucracy and a compliant Congress to do just that. Two days after Trump issued pardons to the January 6 defendants Speaker Mike Johnson announced that House Republicans would establish a new select subcommittee to counter the “false narratives” surrounding the Capitol riot. The Department of Justice has already removed from its website the database detailing the criminal cases and convictions of the January 6th defendants.  Donald Trump is only at the beginning of his second term, and we have already witnessed what he is capable of doing. The Constitution prevents Trump from having a third presidential term, so he has little to fear from the electorate. He will disregard any law and pardon any sin if it furthers his aims or rewards those loyal to him. If Trump’s ambitions are not checked it could result in many Americans losing faith in the rule of law and in government institutions, the pillars of a health democracy.
If you enjoy reading this type of commentary please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 American @gmail.com. Thanks, Armchair American  Last year at this time I wrote that there was no peace in the Holy Land this Christmas. Sadly this Christmas the violence continues, Lebanon has been brought into the conflict and the fall of the Assad regime has destabilized Syria. There are ongoing efforts between Qatar, Egypt and the United States to negotiate a ceasefire deal for the region, ending the years long conflict. With the end of the brutal Assad dictatorship, there is hope that the people of Syria can unite their war-torn country and live in peace. Reflecting on the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, Ukraine and elsewhere, reminds me how fortunate we are to live in the United States. Despite the political divisions that were intensified during this election year, we live in peace with our neighbors and enjoy general prosperity and safety. Wishing for peace this holiday season may seem a bit naïve, but the hope for a peaceful future for ourselves and others should never be crushed under the weight of cynicism or despair.  Nearly 60 years ago when the Vietnam War opened Americans’ eyes to the madness of war, a new Christmas song was released by Stevie Wonder. The song is as relevant today as it was then and remains one of my favorite contemporary Christmas songs. Here is a link to the song, and the lyrics are printed below. Someday at Christmas, men won't be boys Playing with bombs like kids play with toys. One warm December, our hearts will see A world where men are free. Someday at Christmas, there'll be no wars When we have learned what Christmas is for. When we have found what life's really worth There'll be peace on Earth. Someday all our dreams will come to be Someday in a world where men are free. Maybe not in time for you and me But someday at Christmastime. Someday at Christmas, we'll see a land With no hungry children, no empty hand. One happy morning, people will share Our world where people care. Someday at Christmas, there'll be no tears All men are equal and no men have fears. One shining moment, one prayer away From our world today. Someday all our dreams will come to be Someday in a world where men are free. Maybe not in time for you and me But someday at Christmastime. Someday at Christmas, man will not fail Hate will be gone and love will prevail. Someday a new world that we can start With hope in every heart. (Someday all our dreams will come to be) (Someday in a world where men are free) Maybe not in time for you and me But someday at Christmastime. Someday at Christmastime.    The world continues to be chaotic and at times unjust, making the holiday season a welcome respite for many of us. This season of holidays is a time to slow down and reflect on what really matters in life. No matter how you celebrate the holiday season I hope that you can find peace and comfort in the company of friends and family. This Christmas the world is not at peace, but at least my older brother Mark has finally found his peace. He passed away this month after a brutal fight with cancer. Rest in peace brother.  If you enjoy reading this type of commentary, please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 American @gmail.com.
Thanks, Armchair American  On December 1, 2024, President Joe Biden granted his son Hunter a full and unconditional pardon “For those offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024”. The pardon clears Hunter Biden of the nine federal tax charges that he plead guilty to in September and his three felony convictions for lying on a federal firearms application. In his statement announcing the pardon President Biden stated that Hunter had been treated differently and unfairly singled out to hurt Biden’s presidential campaign. The president went on to state that, “I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice”.  Reactions From the Right: The reaction from Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans was predictable. Trump called the pardon an abuse of power and a miscarriage of justice. House Republicans called it proof that Joe Biden couldn’t be trusted and that the Biden family was attempting to coverup criminal behavior. This is pure hypocrisy. In justifying his own questionable pardons while president, Trump stated that the presidential pardon power is complete and free of limitations. Trump has pardoned close friends and associates such as Rodger Stone, Steve Bannon, Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort for various crimes committed in his service. Let’s not forget that Trump pardoned his son-in-law’s father, Charles Kushner who was convicted of tax evasion, witness tampering, and making illegal campaign contributions. To add insult to injury Trump has selected Mr. Kushner to be the next U.S. ambassador to France.  House Republicans have been using their majority over the past two years to investigate Hunter Biden in order to damage President Biden. A since discredited star witness for the Republicans claimed that Joe Biden had financially benefitted from illegal overseas schemes involving Hunter. The House Republicans could never prove any wrongdoing by Hunter Biden, as I have written about in a previous blog .  Reactions From the Left: If you need any further proof that the Democratic Party is adrift, look no further than their response to the Hunter Biden pardon. Party leaders across the country were quick to jump all over Joe Biden for failing to keep his campaign promise not to pardon his son. The hand wringing and moralizing about the degradation of presidential norms and standards is astonishing and speaks volumes about the state of their party. Do they forget who the American people just elected to be the next president of the United States? They have given Trump a pass on every misstep and misdeed, so the bar has already been reset. If the Democrats have a problem with this, they need to have a serious conversation with the American people about standards and norms. Well, what about Joe Biden’s legacy? Biden’s legacy has already been diminished by his decision to run for reelection in 2024 and handing Donald Trump a 2nd term. Pardoning his son will be a mere footnote to the storm that the next Trump Administration will bring.  The Real Issues Raised by Hunter Biden’s Pardon: No one is really very surprised that Joe Biden pardoned his son, and on a personal level they understand it. The issues surrounding the pardon that have caused consternation among legal scholars and politicians are the scope of the pardon and the language used by the president to justify it. The pardon gives Hunter complete immunity for all federal offenses he may have committed back to January 1, 2014. This sets a new precedent and could possibly lead to abuses of the presidential pardon in the future. The pardon may not have caused much of a stir outside of MAGA world if not for the president’s attack on the integrity of the justice system in his statement announcing the pardon. The president’s statement made clear that he thought the prosecution of his son was politically motivated and that Hunter had been unfairly treated by the justice system because he was the president’s son. Democrats fear that Biden’s condemnation of the justice system will bolster Trump’s claims that the Department of Justice had been weaponized against him.  In Defense of Biden: On several occasions over the past year President Biden had pledged not to pardon his son for the tax and gun violations he was charged with. Biden should never have made that pledge, but it was in the middle of a presidential campaign, and he fully expected Donald Trump to lose the election. With a Democrat returning to the White House, Biden thought his son would be protected against further criminal investigations and prosecutions. That was upended when Trump won the election, and Republicans won majorities in the House and Senate.  Biden’s apprehension grew as the new president-elect began to nominate MAGA loyalists to key positions in his administration who are hell-bent on dismantling the “deep state” and seeking retribution against Trump’s enemies. The nomination of Kash Patel to head the FBI and Pam Bondi to be Attorney General, convinced Biden that his son’s legal problems would only intensify. Newly emboldened House Republicans have pledged to continue to investigate the “Biden Crime Family” and other foes of Donald Trump. Given these circumstances it is understandable that Hunter’s pardon was written to provide broad protection to cover the timetable outlined by the House investigation into his overseas business dealings. Hunter’s pardon frees up the FBI and House of Representatives to spend their time and taxpayer money on pursuits more aligned with the needs of the American people.  To the charge that Biden’s expansive pardon of his son clears the way for Trump to pardon January 6th defendants, I say nonsense. Trump has been stating for months that he considered the January 6th defendants to be “political prisoners”, and that he would most likely pardon them if reelected. I expect Trump to pardon some, if not all the January 6th defendants, and it will have nothing to do with Hunter’s pardon, despite his claims to the contrary.  The U.S. Constitution gives the president broad powers to grant pardons, so President Biden did nothing illegal in issuing his son a pardon. It was wrong for Biden to claim that the prosecutions of his son were political, impugning the integrity of the Justice Department. But there is no doubt that investigations into Hunter Biden’s overseas activities by House Republicans were politically motivated to damage President Biden. With the pardon of Hunter Biden by the president, Democrats fear that they have ceded the moral high ground. But to whom? Certainly not the Republicans! With the election of Donald Trump our national politics has entered a period when morality takes a back seat to expediency. The Democrats and the rest of the country need to get over the president’s pardon of his son and focus on the real threat to presidential norms and standards.  If you enjoy reading this type of commentary please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 American @gmail.com.
Thanks, Armchair American  It was not the result that I wanted, but the American people have given Donald Trump a decisive victory over Kamala Harris. He won both the popular and electoral votes. Harris graciously conceded to Trump, and the transition is underway for the 47th President of the United States of America. The silver lining is that the election results are not being litigated in courtrooms across the country, and there will be a peaceful transfer of power. In the history of the United States there has never been a more uniquely flawed candidate at the head of a major party’s presidential ticket than Donald Trump. That is why I thought that Kamala Harris would squeak out a victory. But I was wrong. The American people had been expressing their dissatisfaction with the direction of the country throughout the campaign, and the Democrats were mostly tone deaf to the things that mattered most, namely high prices and border security. Joe Biden was an unpopular president, and by the time he begrudgingly dropped out the race it was too late for any replacement candidate to mount an effective campaign against Trump. Joe Biden was an 800-pound albatross around Kamala Harris’ neck, and she could never effectively articulate how her administration would be meaningfully different than Biden’s. Republican wins in the House and the Senate sent a clear message that the country wanted change, even if that meant bringing back Donald Trump.  The Democratic Party was clearly out of step with the mood of the country. The progressive politics of the Biden Administration pushed the party left while the majority of the country shifted right. The Trump campaign effectively portrayed the Democrats as a party trying to impose a radical left-wing agenda highlighted by racial, gender and identity politics, while the needs of ordinary Americans were being ignored. As a result, Donald Trump and his party will soon control the executive branch and both Houses of Congress.  But What About Trump? Donald Trump was an unpopular president and unpopular presidential candidate. In recent days his favorability rating surpassed 50% for the first time. Voters were willing to overlook the criminal indictments and convictions, the xenophobia and misogyny, the name calling and petty antics, and the circus atmosphere surrounding Trump. None of Trump’s nonsense and misdeeds impacted voters personally, but high prices and the sense of insecurity resulting from a porous border did. It’s true that Trump’s base of MAGA supporters is strong. But Trump was pushed over the finish line by anti-incumbent voters who rejected Joe Biden’s policies, and by extension his political party.  Trump Gets a Clean Slate: The electorate did more than just forgive Trump’s boorish behavior, it gave permission to the Justice Department to dismiss the two federal criminal cases against him. Within the past few days, a court in Washington D.C. dismissed the case which alleged Trump had attempted to overturn the 2020 election. This week the federal documents case against Trump in Florida was also dismissed. In the court filings to dismiss these cases Special Counsel Jack Smith cited a Justice Department policy that sitting presidents may not be prosecuted. Prosecuting a sitting president would certainly impair his ability to perform his duties, but I doubt that the framers of the Constitution intended the president to be above the law.  The door remains open for the prosecutions to be renewed once Trump leaves office, but the chances of that happening are remote. The American people handed Trump a get out of jail free card when they elected him to be the next president of the United States. Trump still faces state charges in the Georgia election interference case, but odds are that case will die a quiet death. It now appears that Trump’s sentencing for his 34 criminal convictions in the New York hush money case will be delayed until after he leaves office.  Going Forward: Despite his claims to the contrary Trump was not given a mandate by the voters to go “full MAGA” on the country. He received just under 50% of the popular vote, which means that half of the country voted against him. Nonetheless, Trump is newly emboldened by his election victory, the Republican takeover of both Houses of Congress, and the dismissal of the criminal cases against him. There will be little to no restraint on his ambitions to become an all-powerful executive in the Oval Office. His cabinet and other key government positions will be packed with loyalists ready to do his bidding, and Project 2025 will be their roadmap.  For the next two years Trump will yield nearly unfettered control over the reins of government. It’s time for Mr. Trump to put up or shut up and “Make America Great Again”. Without those pesky Democrats to get in his way he has no one to blame but himself if he doesn’t execute on his agenda. The good news is that the mid-term elections are two short years away and the American people get cranky when politicians swing too far to their ideologic extremes, just ask the Democrats. The 2nd Trump term will be a test of the resiliency of the Constitution and the rule of law. It will remind voters of the importance of the separation of powers, the need for checks and balances within the federal government and determine whether the co-equal branches of government actually function as such.  Some Crazy and Not So Crazy Predictions:
To sum it up, Harris lost the election because paychecks went further under Trump. In the immortal words of Democratic strategist James Carvel, “It’s the economy stupid!”  If you enjoy reading this type of commentary, please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 American @gmail.com.
Thanks, Armchair American  As of this writing over 66 million Americans have already voted in the 2024 presidential election, and I was one of them. If you haven’t voted yet you have until the polls close on November 5, 2024. I can’t say it any better than that renowned statesman and gifted orator Donald J. Trump who is imploring his supporters to “Get your fat ass out of the couch” and vote. For me the decision on whom to vote for is clear. It is a decision between a candidate who attempted to overthrow the results of a free and fair election, the bedrock of our democracy, and one who didn’t. Rather than to rehash it all, I thought it would be interesting to revisit two of my blogs from the 2020 election cycle and present a few of their highlights.  Vote 2020 Here it is in the middle of July, and it is ramping up be the summer of our collective discontent. We are in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, the economy is in a shambles, protests against police injustice occur nightly, civil war era monuments are being toppled, and dozens of our citizens were killed by firearms over the 4th of July weekend. The citizenry of this country should be discontented, if not downright outraged. Contentment leads to complacency, and this is not a time to be complacent. Black Lives Matter was considered by some to be a fringe radical group when it started in 2013. Today it is an international movement with support from people of all races. It is an example of a group of people getting together in common cause and raising awareness of racial injustice right here in the United States. I think that their cause is catching fire and will finally lead to some positive changes. But what about the rest of us? How can we make a difference? The answer my friends is at the ballet box! The presidential general election will be held on November 3, 2020, and several state primaries are being held in the months leading up to November. Voting is a fundamental right of every U.S. citizen 18 years of age and older. The free exercise of this right is one of the most effective ways to let your voice be heard and to affect change. There are laws that make voting mandatory in approximately 22 countries, but not here in the United States. No one can force you to vote. But if citizens are complacent and don’t vote, how will change be affected? If you are not motivated to vote, I have listed a few things that you may want to consider. Reasons to Vote:
Voting During the Pandemic: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted just about every aspect of our lives. To top it off we are faced with a national election. How do we do it safely during a time of self-quarantines, social distancing, and enhanced sanitation procedures? We don’t know if the virus will still be with us in November. But we can’t sit idle and wait to find out. We do have some experience with voting during this pandemic, and it wasn’t pretty! During this primary season we have all read and seen news reports of people waiting in long lines, under extreme conditions, to vote. Voters in Wisconsin stood in lines for hours in the frigid cold, to exercise their right to vote this past April. More recently the good people of Georgia endured long waits, in scorching heat, to vote in their primary. Why did this happen? Election officials blame it mostly on the pandemic. Many of the poll workers are volunteers, who were frankly too frightened to work the polls. Those who did work were provided too little, or inadequate training, due to distancing and sanitation rules. Fewer poll workers lead to consolidation of polling places, compounding an already bad situation. Is this what we can expect in the November election? I hope not, and it doesn’t have to be. (Thank God the pandemic is over!)  Is the 2020 Presidential Election Finally Over? The 2020 presidential election is finally over. The Electoral College met on December 14th in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and cast their electoral votes. The Electoral College has spoken, and the winner of the 2020 presidential election is (drum roll please), Joe Biden! It was a very contentious election, and President Trump and his allies have tried every legal maneuver possible to have the election results overturned. But the numbers don’t lie. Here is the election scorecard, which even the most hardened partisan cannot overlook: 2020 Presidential Election Score Card Votes/Challenges Trump Biden Popular Vote 74,223,753 (46.9%) 81,283,495 (51.4%) Recounts in Wisconsin and Georgia * Lower Courts Lawsuits (50+) * Supreme Court Rulings (2) * Electoral College Votes 232 306 Victor * Even before all the votes from the November 3rd election were tallied, the President’s campaign, and members of the Republican Party, began filing over 50 lawsuits in various jurisdictions. The lawsuits contested the election outcome due to outright fraud or voting irregularities. Some of these lawsuits are still pending, but the majority were thrown out or decided in Joe Biden’s favor due to lack of evidence. The Supreme Court challenge, filed by the Texan Attorney General, was denied due to lack of standing (he didn’t have the legal right to sue other states over their election laws). The Supreme Court challenge against the state of Pennsylvania, for liberalizing absentee voting, was denied due to lack of merit. Much to the chagrin of President Trump, the separation of powers is still working. The partial recount in Wisconsin and the full hand recount in Georgia, both went in Joe Biden’s favor. On the floor of the Senate today, Leader Mitch McConnel acknowledged Joe Biden’s victory in the Electoral College. He went on to congratulate President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris on their victory. On January 6, 2021, Congress will meet in joint session to count the electoral votes and declare the winner of the presidential election. For the sake of the country, let’s hope that Donald Trump and his millions of admirers accept the outcome of the election so that we can work together on the challenges ahead. (Guess how that turned out!)  If you enjoy reading this type of commentary, please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: armchairamerican1776 American @gmail.com.
Thanks, Armchair American  In the past I have written that I have disqualified Donald Trump from consideration for the presidency due to his character flaws and lack of moral integrity. Nearly half of the American electorate, including many Christians disagree with me. Christianity is the most prevalent religion in the United States with over 63% of Americans identifying as such. In the latest national polls approximately 47% of registered voters support Donald Trump for president. Most of these voters are Christians who can separate Trump’s moral failings from his policies. I believe in the separation of church and state and have never voted for anyone because of their religious affiliation or beliefs. But the values I learned from my Christian upbringing are so opposed to Donald Trump’s lies and rhetoric that I would have to cast aside my foundational principles as a Christian to support him.  Trumpism: Volumes have already been written in the few short years that the MAGA movement and Trumpism have taken hold of the Republican Party. It has been equated to right-wing populism, Christian nationalism, national conservatism, authoritarianism, and even neo-fascism. Trump may indeed have certain tendencies which puts him into one or more of these political ideologies, but he really doesn’t have a political philosophy. Trumpism is simply a political movement that supports Donald Trump, and he will align himself with any group that supports him, and then coopt their views as his own. Rather than having a political philosophy, Trump has a moral philosophy which he learned from his friend and lawyer Roy Cohn. Trump learned from Cohn that in business and in life, in order to win you must “Attack, attack, attack. Admit nothing, deny everything. No matter what happens, you claim victory, and never admit defeat.” This philosophy of Trump’s is at the root of his conflict with Christian values.  Christianity: I am not a theologian, but I was born and raised a Catholic. I have come to believe that being a Christian doesn’t require affiliation with a particular church, but it requires a belief in and the practice of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Christianity in America encompasses a diverse group of people from many different backgrounds, beliefs and churches. One thing that binds most of these groups together is the teachings of Jesus Christ as written in the New Testament. The teachings that I remember are those found in “The Gospel According to Matthew”, particularly the teachings known as the “Sermon on the Mount”. Before examining how Trump’s campaign rhetoric has diverged from Christian values and norms it is important to review some of the teachings of Jesus, which are foundational to Christianity.  Christian Values: This is just a partial list of Jesus’ teachings. Many of these are familiar to Christians and non-Christians, and also appear in the writings of other religions.
 Jesus also taught about the importance of following the ten commandments. The most relevant commandment for our discussion of Trumpism is “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” To bear false witness against others is to lie about them, and the word “neighbor” as written in the English translations of the bible means an associate, brother, neighbor, companion, fellow, friend, husband, or anyone else. Jesus taught us to be good neighbors to others, to be kind and generous, to help those in need, to be forgiving, to be humble and honest. How do these teachings square with our understanding of Trumpism and the words and deeds of Donald Trump?  Can a Vote for Trump be Morally Justified: The Southern Baptist Convention is the largest Protestant, and second largest Christian organization in the United States. In 1998 it wrote about the candidacy of Bill Clinton in a resolution which stated that “۰۰۰moral character matters to God and should matter to all citizens, especially God’s people, when choosing public leaders.” The resolution further urged “۰۰۰all Americans to embrace and act on the conviction that character does count in public office, and to elect those officials and candidates who, although imperfect, demonstrate consistent honest, moral purity and the highest character.” Twenty-six years after many conservative Christian organizations spoke out against the moral failings of Bill Clinton, how is it that they can now support Donald Trump who falls much lower on the moral purity scale? I don’t consider myself a conservative Christian and will not attempt to justify something that I don’t understand. All I can do is assess the words and deeds of Donald Trump which speak to the character of the man who may very well be the next president of our country.  The Violation of Christian Values: In the final days of the 2024 presidential race, the violation of Christian values by Donald Trump are on full display. He tells lies and spreads false rumors to instill fear, divide the American people, and denigrate a large segment of our population. He calls immigrants rapists, murderers, and blood thirsty criminals “poisoning the blood of our country”. Trump uses rhetoric such as, “the Haitians are eating the pets” to promote hate and set people against one another. He portrays America as a country in decline, ravished by criminal gangs of illegal immigrants. Trump has a record of mistreating women, distaining the rule of law, and undermining public trust in government institutions. He lacks the humility to admit that he lost the 2020 election and continues to push the false claim that the election system is rigged against him. His false claims that the Biden/Harris administration withheld hurricane relief funds from predominately Republican areas, have led to threats of violence against FEMA employees and the closing of FEMA offices. Trump’s lies have led to violence and threats of violence against Capitol police officers, poll workers, elections officials, immigrants in this country legally, and public officials who have attempted to hold him accountable for his actions. Trump has promised retribution against those who have wronged him and to use the power of the presidency to punish those who disagree with him. He has vilified his political opponents by calling them the “enemy within” our country and has suggested that he will use the military if necessary to crush them. Are these examples of love for one’s neighbor, kindness and compassion towards others, forgiveness, humility, and not judging others? Well, the answer goes without saying.  Trump is Not Pro-Life: For decades many conservatives supported the Republican Party due to its pro-life stance. Trump was hailed as a hero in conservative circles for appointing three Supreme Court justices who supported the overturning of Roe v. Wade. But Trump is an unprincipled man who has changed his views on abortion several times to fit the prevailing political winds. Evangelicals and other conservative Christians have supported Trump over the years because he was the pro-life candidate. But it is difficult to reconcile that support with Trump’s shifting position in the aftermath of the overturning of Roe. Trump now claims to be the champion of women’s reproductive rights. He is against a national abortion ban and has called Florida’s six-week abortion ban “too harsh” and “a terrible mistake”. Will this cause conservative Christian voters to withhold their support for Trump? We will know in a few short weeks.  I have made my views on Donald Trump crystal clear during this election cycle. As I have expressed in a previous blog, character counts in the selection of any candidate for public office. My views on the character traits that I feel are important in a candidate were formed by my Catholic upbringing and the teachings of Jesus Christ. That is why I question the morality of supporting and putting into power a man who has hate in his heart, is vengeful, and lacks humility and integrity. Donald Trump has told conservative Christian groups that he “loves Christians” and will defend them against the radical-left. Even for Trump that is a wildly self-serving proposition. If he truly wants to align himself with Christians and their values, I suggest that he reads the Bible rather than hawking his own “God Bless the USA” Bible. One final piece of advice for Donald Trump, “Do unto others what you would have them do unto you”.   If you enjoy reading this type of commentary, please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: [email protected].
Thanks, Armchair American  When Donald Trump picked J.D. Vance as his running mate a lot of people were left scratching their heads. Anyone watching last week’s vice-presidential debate between J.D. Vance and Tim Walz now has a better understanding of Vance’s strengths. Vance was poised, polished, smart and an articulate defender of Donald Trump and his policies. He was clearly the best debater on stage that night, but more importantly he presented himself, and by extension Donald Trump, as reasoned, rational and well within the mainstream. He clearly did his job of “sanewashing” the Trump ticket, and that is what troubles me.  The term “sanewashing” has been around for a few years, but it entered the political lexicon this year in the craziness of the 2024 presidential election. It has come to mean the act of packaging or massaging radical and outrageous statements in a way that makes them sound normal. News outlines covering Trump have been accused of this. In some cases it is a purposeful attempt to present Trump in a more favorable light, and in other cases it is simply to help the intended audience make sense of his ramblings. In either case it creates a misleading picture of Trump to the public and sanitizes what can only be categorized as unhinged, delusional and the utterances of an unwell man.  In the hands of J.D. Vance, the concept of sanewashing has been taken to a new level. He has the ability to spin, distort, and deflect in such a way that overcomes any criticism of Trump, casting a favorable light on any of his discredited policies. The vice-presidential debate highlighted the dangers of an articulate Trump enabler like J.D. Vance. Vance’s performance attempted to rewrite the history of the first Trump administration and normalize a deeply flawed candidate who doesn’t have a coherent plan to lead the country forward in a dangerous world.  J.D. Vance may have won the debate on delivery, but he lost it on substance. Most of what he said sounded good, but it doesn’t hold up to close examination. If you are interested in a fact-check of the debate, I refer you to the CBS News’ analysis. I’m not claiming that everything that Walz said was 100% accurate. But the difference is that Walz’s inaccuracies pertained mostly to his own personal history, while those of Vance were misleading or false statements about Donald Trump and his policies.  Here are the most important inaccuracies uttered by Vance that all voters should consider: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Also know as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Obamacare, it was signed into law in 2010 and was the crowning achievement of the Obama Administration. This law represented the most significant overhaul and expansion of the U.S. health system since 1965, providing affordable healthcare coverage to tens of millions of Americans. It was opposed by all Congressional Republicans, who have vowed to repeal and replace it every year since its inception. In the debate Vance claimed that Trump had “salvaged” the ACA, saying that “۰۰۰when Obamacare was crushing under the weight of its own regulatory burden and healthcare costs, Donald Trump could have destroyed the program. Instead, he worked in a bipartisan way to ensure that Americans had access to affordable care.” This statement was blatantly false. Trump was no champion of the ACA; in fact, he was just the opposite. He did everything in his power to dismantle the program which millions of Americans depend on for affordable health care. During his 2016 presidential campaign Trump vowed to repeal and replace the ACA. On his first day in office, he signed an executive order which proclaimed: “It is the policy of my Administration to seek the prompt repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.” Throughout his term Trump pushed Congress to repeal the ACA, with little success. To undermine the law, Trump cut funding for advertising and outreach programs for the ACA and reduced subsidies to insurance companies for low-income enrollees. Trump still doesn’t have a healthcare plan that would replace the ACA and admitted as much in his September debate with Kamala Harris.  Peaceful Transfer of Power: The biggest takeaway from the debate for me was that Vance refused to acknowledge that Trump had lost the 2020 election. This came after Vance claimed that Trump had peacefully handed over the reins of presidential power to Joe Biden. Here is what Vance said, “It’s really rich for Democratic leaders to say that Donald Trump is a unique threat to democracy when he peacefully gave over power on January 20th.” This is a dangerous revision of what actually happened in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election.  The transfer of power from the Trump Administration to the Biden Administration took place in a city under siege. Thousands of troops lined the streets and miles of fences restricted access to the grounds of the Capitol. This all took place in the aftermath of Trump’s failed attempt to overturn the results of a free and fair election. It was not the peaceful transfer of power that Vance claimed.  After losing the 2020 presidential election, Trump convinced millions of his supporters that the election had been stolen. This led to hundreds of election workers and state officials being threatened with violence. The life of Vice President Mike Pence was threatened for refusing to assist Trump in overturning the results of the election. The Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, resulted in over 150 Capitol police officers being injured and the lives of at least seven people were lost. No Mr. Vance, the transfer of presidential power was not peaceful!  Vance did a great job during the debate of sanitizing Donald Trump’s record and sanewashing his often incoherent ramblings. But he doesn’t believe any of it, and neither should you. It was very self-serving. Vance is looking to his own political future and Trump is the most expedient way to move it forward. If you enjoy reading this type of commentary, please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: [email protected].
Thanks, Armchair American  I have not been affiliated with a political party for over twenty years. Officially I am known as a No Party Preference voter in the state where I live. I am dissatisfied with both major political parties and feel that they play a role in Congressional disfunction, and in the political polarization across the country. I have voted for Democratic, Republican, Independent, and write-in candidates. I don’t vote for a candidate based on party affiliation. I vote for a candidate’s strength of character and temperament, followed by the policies they champion. The character of the individual candidate says a lot about the type of leader they will be. If a candidate lacks a minimum level of standards and moral integrity, I deem them unfit for office and won’t even consider them when casting my vote. To me character trumps (no pun intended) all other things that a candidate brings to the table, including political affiliation, policy positions, and promised giveaways to voters.  Integrity: This is perhaps the most important aspect of a candidate’s character. Integrity implies a high level of honesty, morality and trustworthiness. In the context of a candidate for the presidency it also implies that they will respect the rule of law and preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.  President Harry Truman kept a sign on his desk which read “The Buck Stops Here!” This was a demonstration that he was personally responsible for his actions and those of his administration. Taking personal responsibility for your actions is another attribute which shows character in a leader. This point brings me to Donald Trump. His moral lapses are well documented, his shady business dealings are legendary, and his legal entanglements could fill a law library. But rather than owning up to his many shortcomings he has perfected the art of denial, deflected his failings onto others, and has draped himself in the cloak of victimhood.  In case you don’t follow Trump’s exploits as closely as I do, here are just of few of the legal entanglements he has faced in recent years which are reflective of his character:
 True to his character, Donald Trump has not taken any personal responsibility for any of his actions relating to the aforementioned criminal cases. Trump simply claims that he is the victim of election interference and political persecution. The prosecutors and judges in each one of these cases are “corrupt” according to Trump, and political lackeys of Joe Biden.  Character as a Guidepost to Leadership: This November we will not be electing a candidate for sainthood; we will be electing a president. No candidate for higher office is perfect, they are human after all. It is incumbent upon us to elect a candidate who has the character to rise above their inherent flaws and self-interest to do what’s right for the American people. Donald Trump’s leadership capabilities during his presidency and in the aftermath of his loss to Joe Biden were shaped by his character. Here are some of the things about Donald Trump that I have learned over the past nine years:
 There are several of my friends who readily acknowledge that Trump has flaws and cringe at some of his pronouncements, but are voting for him anyway. They agree with many of his policies and claim that they are voting for the Republican platform and not necessarily for Trump. But what they fail to realize is that Donald Trump has taken complete control of the Republican Party, and he is the platform. The world is a complicated and dangerous place, and the U.S. President commands an influential and very powerful position. The presidency is perhaps the most difficult leadership position of all, requiring physical and mental stamina, courage, resilience, intelligence, competency and the highest level of integrity. Unchecked power in the hands of an unethical and morally corrupt person, backed up by the enormous resources of the federal government and military establishment, could lead to injustice, cruelty, and much, much worse. After the Supreme Court’s inexplicable decision this summer to strip away the Constituent’s checks on presidential power, it is more important than ever to elect a president of the highest moral character. Donald Trump is not that person.  If you enjoy reading this type of commentary, please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: [email protected].
Thanks, Armchair American  The United States is in the throes of a contentious presidential race, and it is no surprise that political rhetoric has risen to a fever pitch. But there is a big difference between political rhetoric and blatant lies meant to hurt and deceive people for political gain. We are now witnessing in real time the purposeful spread of malicious lies by the Trump campaign, and real people are suffering. Haitian immigrants living in the city of Springfield, Ohio are the latest victims of Trump’s lies, vitriol and stupidity, and the entire city is suffering as a result. Most political rhetoric during a campaign is relatively harmless and generally recognized as pandering to prospective voters. But there comes a point when political rhetoric crosses the line and becomes dangerous. Donald Trump has crossed that line several times. The most prominent examples are his insistence that the 2020 election was stolen from him and today Haitian immigrants are eating pets in Springfield, Ohio.  The Big Lie: We are all familiar with the “Stop the Steal” movement created by Donald Trump in the aftermath of his loss to Joe Biden in 2020. The lie about the 2020 election being stolen did much more than massage the ego of a narcissistic man, it extorted hundreds of millions of dollars from gullible supporters and damaged the lives of thousands of Americans. The most visible example was the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.  It is important to remember that Trump summoned his supporters to Washington D.C. on January 6, 2021 to protest the certification of the 2020 presidential election. At his urging thousands of Trump’s supporters marched on the U.S. Capitol and a violent riot ensued. A bipartisan Senate report determined that at least seven people died in connection with the Capitol riot and about 150 law enforcement officers were injured and many more will carry the emotional scars for the rest of their lives.  Thousands of Trump’s supporters who were at the Capitol on January 6, 2021 had their lives upended by the events of that day. By August of this year over 1,100 people had been arrested in connection with the Capitol riot, approximately 900 have been convicted of crimes, and over 500 of the convictions have led to prison sentences. Ask these folks if their lives are any better for having believed Trump’s Big Lie.  The Big Lie did much more than impact the lives of the people involved in the January 6 Capitol riot, it upended the lives of hundreds of election workers and officials in over a dozen states. Many of these people and their families received threats of violence and death from Trump supporters inspired by his false claims that the election had been stolen. Reuters did extensive reporting on the full extent of the campaign of fear launched against election workers in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election. Here is a link to Reuter’s findings. The devastating impact to the lives and livelihoods of thousands of Americans as a direct result of Trump’s Big Lie should be condemned by all. When you factor in the tens of millions of dollars states across the country had to spend to defend against bogus claims of election fraud, it is a mystery to me how the electorate of this country has let Trump get away with his lies.  Trump’s New Big Lie: During the nationally televised presidential debate on September 10 Donald Trump went on a tirade about how the Biden/Harris Administration had allowed illegal immigrants to destroy this country. Referring to Haitian immigrants living in Springfield, Ohio Trump said, “In Springfield they’re eating the dogs. The people that came in, they’re eating the cats. They’re eating-they’re eating the pets of the people that live there.” This is of course not true, but the Trump campaign has been pushing this lie for over a week. Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance started the rumor by posting online that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio were abducting and eating pets. Vance also posted the lie that Aiden Cark, an 11-year-old boy who was killed when a mini-van driven by a Haitian immigrant crashed into a school bus, was, “murdered by a Haitian migrant who had no right to be here.” This is a racist lie intended to inflame hatred against immigrants and people of color. Young Aiden’s death was a tragic accident, not murder, and the Haitian immigrant involved in the accident was in this country legally.  Trump and Vance aren’t letting up on their deplorable hate speech against the Haitian immigrants in Springfield. Trump vowed during a press conference on Friday that he would conduct mass deportations of immigrants. “We’re going to have the largest deportation in the history of our country.” “And we’re going to start in Springfield”, Trump said. The rumors of immigrants eating cats and dogs in Springfield are false, and most Haitian immigrants living there are doing so legally. But this has no relevance in Trump world. The lies feed their narrative that illegal immigrants are destroying America, and Springfield, Ohio and the Haitians living there are collateral damage.  Last week city officials began to receive threatening phone calls, and bomb threats closed two elementary schools and caused the evacuation of Springfield City Hall and other state buildings. The lies spread by Trump and Vance have put Springfield, Ohio in the cross hairs of racists and conspiracy theorists who take Trump’s words as gospel. Trump is playing with fire and has proven once again that he will say and do anything to regain presidential power.  The New Trump Whisperer: There have been several influential advisors to Donald Trump since his improbable political rise nine years ago. The most notable of these was Steve Bannon who is currently serving a four-month prison term for defying a subpoena to appear before the House Select Committee that investigated January 6, 2021. The newest Trump whisperer is Laura Loomer, a far-right political activist, conspiracy theorist, and internet personality. She has made a name for herself in far-right wing circles for her frequent racist, sexist, homophobic and Islamophobic comments. Ms. Loomer has championed conspiracy theories, most notably that 9/11 was “an inside job”. She makes RFK Jr. seem like a reasonable guy. No one would much care about Ms. Loomer if not for the fact that she has been getting a lot of face time with Donald Trump in recent weeks. She has been traveling with Trump on his campaign jet, she attended last week’s debate and appeared with Trump in the spin room afterwards. Inexplicably Ms. Loomer attended the 9/11 memorials with Trump last week in Pennsylvania and New York. If a man is judged by the company he keeps, Laura Loomer does not reflect well on Donald Trump.  According to people close to Trump he is listening to Ms. Loomer’s advice. Trump has called Ms. Loomer a “free spirit” and “supporter”. Is she somehow behind Trump’s insistence that pets are being eaten by immigrants in Springfield, Ohio? We may never know. But what we do know is that throughout his political career Trump has listened to “advisors” who flatter him and play to his vanity. We also know that Trump is averse to reading policy statements, and gathers most of his information by watching television and through verbal communications with trusted advisors. This leaves Trump open to manipulation by people pushing a particular policy or agenda, knowing full well that he won’t fact check them or do his own due diligence.  It is frightening to think just how easily Trump can be manipulated by those he trusts. Repeating false claims and conspiracy theories as facts is disturbing and dangerous. But the real danger lies in Trump’s inability to recognize just how vulnerable he is to manipulation by sophisticated foreign adversaries such as Russia and China. Is it any wonder that the Russians would prefer Donald Trump in the White House over Kamala Harris?
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Thanks, Armchair American |
AuthorThe Armchair American. 
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