Newsletter 2: Trump 2.0 Week One Round Up
Executive Orders + Musk + Jesus | Culture Club: SNL Edition | Music Feed
Hello FAM family!
It’s been an eventful week as Trump Second Coming became a reality, as prophesied in Revelations in a much different false prophet, anti-Christ way than MAGA die-hards see it.
After his swearing in Trump (as expected) went on an Executive Order spree that was part horrendous (pardoning almost all J6 criminals) blatantly unconstitutional (birthright citizenship) and simply cruel and spiteful (killing DEI initiatives) that get his core followers all hot and bothered.
The White House website was scrubbed of anything Spanish language, anything about diversity, and most symbolically killed the page that had the full text of the United States Constitution. Maybe a little too on the nose?
Trump also started laying the groundwork for either blatantly politicizing FEMA aid to states he likes or doesn’t, or possibly getting rid of the whole federal program which might help save some cash for the inevitable tax cuts for big business and the 1%.
Let me go out on a limb and predict that killing FEMA is a terrible idea that will backfire, even among his supporters. It’s the Red States that need national disaster help the most. My guess is that Trump will keep FEMA but use funds as a means for revenge and to pick political fights that feed the Maga-media.
Trump also rescinded an LBJ executive order that stopped discrimination in hiring practices in government agencies and went on a tear to try and stop anything that could be construed as DEI — which has been turned into some monstrous idea that’s destroying our country in the Maga-verse. He also sent an email to every single person working for the federal government asking them to rat on anyone they work with who might work on something to do with DEI so they can be fired too.
Welcome back, McCarthyism!
The theory against anything DEI is that unqualified people (of the brown, black, or lady variety) are getting jobs they shouldn’t — I guess stopping white men from getting a fair shake.
Of course, MAGA folks didn’t see the inherent hypocrisy Friday night when Pete Hegseth was confirmed as our next Secretary of Defense with VP Vance breaking the tie vote.
Rape/abuse allegations and very dangerous drinking problem aside, Pete is completely unqualified for the job. I made an quasi-ass out of myself at a 2000 Christmas party and I still beat myself up about it.
I can’t think of any nominee more unqualified for a cabinet job in modern history. Yes, Pete served in the military, but he went on to totally mismanage two different vet charities. But he’s jacked and kissed Trump’s ass on Fox, so, there you go. Only the best people 2.0.
Speaking of quality people, late Friday night Trump fired/purged at least 17 Inspector Generals for cabinet departments like Defense, HUD, Interior, etc. IGs in these roles are the ones charged with fighting corruption and abuse within their departments. This is terrible (and likely illegal) on its face, but even worse since most of them were appointed by Trump in his first term. Obviously, they were qualified enough that Biden didn’t sack them — but still not deemed sufficiently loyal to Trump. This lays the groundwork for corruption of the federal government on a massive scale.
It’s hard to put it in any other light.
Of course, all this shit is in the Project 2025 playbook, the radical MAGA blueprint that the mainstream media quit talking about when Trump lied and said he didn’t know anything about it. Thanks, journalists!
In Trump is a Vindictive Monster News, the new POTUS removed security details from Dr. Fauci and his former SOS Mike Pomeo and UN Ambassador John Bolton. Of course Fauci makes perfect sense in the Upside Down of the Stranger Things cult. They’ve spent years turning the man who tried to save lives into some sort of monster.
Even more dangerous are the Pompeo and Bolton moves.
President Biden gave them security when our intelligence discovered real plans by the government of Iran to have both assassinated. Pompeo even endorsed Trump last year. But, he criticized him at some point (as has Bolton) so, they’re on their own. It never fails to shock at what a deeply callous and deranged human being Donald Trump is. I assume they can cover their own security, but that he might let someone get killed because he’s so fucking petty is beyond pathetic.
The most anticipated component of Trumps shock and awe week one actions on immigration didn’t materialize as planned. I’ve been working on an essay which maps out a brief history of the issue and some worse case scenarios once it takes off in full. I’m holding off on sharing that until we have a better picture of what exactly Trump is going to do.
ICE has been active, but not really in any way that is much different than normal — although word of a show of force raid in Newark, NJ is emerging. My guess is Trump is running into some institutional roadblocks that are slowing things down. I doubt it’s going away for long. Stay tuned.
Or maybe Trump just wanted the Maga-verse to bask in his week one achievements.
No need to peak too early!
This week in Poli•Rants
I posted a few other things related to some more specific issues you might want to read.
The first is primarily about billionaire man-child Elon Musk’s Nazi salute at the inauguration. You can read that here.
Second is Trumps disgusting attack on the D.C. Bishop who asked him to show mercy on those people in our country most fearful of his presidency. It’s an indication of the non-stop and exhausting public fights POTUS is going to pick — and another example of just how far MAGA (and Republicans writ large) have moved away from the teachings of one Jesus Christ. You can read that here.
Snoop Dogg decided to join the MAGA pack, playing a Crypto Concert in conjunction with the Inauguration. I hope he got paid in actual currency. That rant is here.
I wrote an essay overviewing Trumps bad to horrendous cabinet picks. You can get a refresher on what’s to come here.
Culture Club: SNL Edition
If you didn’t know it, Saturday Night Live turns 50 this year.
Back when it turned 40 I came up with a list of my all-time favorite Not Ready for Prime-Time Players. I wrote it for my old blog that I never shared with anybody, but I think it’s still pretty relevant. You can read that here.
Feel free vote in the poll below and/or share your thoughts in the comments. Especially who you think should be added to the list from the last 10 years, if any.
I also started a list of 50 great SNL sketches which I’ll add to every week. It’s a fun diversion from reality that you might like. It’s here.
Sunday Morning Feed #1
As promised, I came up with a Sunday morning playlist. When I think Sunday morning music I think of pretty mellow, NPR, Barnes & Noble, cup of coffee type stuff. There’s a bit of everything, some well-known stuff, and maybe some gems you haven’t heard. There’s a bit of a “covers” theme going on this week. I hope you enjoy!
Parting Words
I’d like to thank everyone again for signing up. I’ve got some longer political essays in the works that I’m holding off on until I get some more subscribers. If you don’t mind, hit the share button and/or let some friends know about this Substack who might be interested in the content.
I’m sorry, in common internet parlance I should say SMASH the SHARE button…
Thanks, and have a great week ahead!
— Mike