, The Daily Beast; Trump Tries to Grab Solid Gold World Cup for Blinged-Up Oval Office
[Kip Currier: How many people think this is normal behavior?
Would you approve of or admire this kind of behavior in your family members, friends, colleagues, or employees?]
[Excerpt]
"Trump, 79, could not resist asking to keep the FIFA World Cup trophy after it was displayed in his office on Friday, but FIFA President Gianni Infantino politely informed him that it was not his to take."
Editorial; The Guardian view on the Alaska summit: there must be no more gifts to Vladimir Putin
"Ukraine must remain in control of the future of its own territory, and the use of force must not be rewarded by the summary redrawing of borders. With enormous bravery and skill, and at immense cost, Ukraine has resisted an illegal invasion for more than three years. There must be no sellout."
Joel Gunter, BBC ; Resignation and betrayal: What handing Donbas to Putin would mean for Ukraine
"For Ukrainians, polling shows security guarantees are an absolutely vital part of any potential agreement on territory or anything else.
"People in Ukraine will accept various forms of security guarantees," said Anton Grushchetsky, the director of Kyiv's International Institute for Sociology, "but they require them."
For Yevhen Tkachov, the emergency worker in Kramatorsk, exchange of territory could only be considered with "real guarantees, not just written promises".
"Only then, more or less, I am in favour of giving Donbas to Russia," he said. "If the British Royal Navy is stationed in the port of Odesa, then I agree."
As various paths to peace are floated and discussed, sometimes in the deal-making style preferred by President Trump, there is a risk of losing sight of the real people involved – people who have already lived through a decade of war and who may stand to lose even more now in exchange for peace.
Donbas was a place full of Ukrainians from all different walks of life, said Vitalii Dribnytsia, a Ukrainian historian. "We are not just talking about culture, about politics, about demographics, we are talking about people," he said.
Donetsk might not have the cultural reputation of somewhere like Odesa, Mr Drinytsia said. But it was Ukraine. "And any corner of Ukraine, regardless of whether it has some great cultural significance or not, is Ukraine," he said."
, The Daily Beast; Why Trump’s Latest Reality TV Show Is a Flop
"It is important to note that while Trump threatened to get tough on Russia if it did not go along with peace plans, what Trump really did was the opposite. He gave Putin a huge win by inviting him to the U.S. He literally rolled out the red carpet for a mass murderer, ending Putin’s well-deserved isolation from the U.S. and the international community. Trump spoke not of penalties for Russia but of future economic deals the two nations could celebrate. In other words, once again, Trump got fully played by Putin.
That is because Putin has realized all along that Trump was just a reality TV star playing at being president. The Russian thereby understands how to give Trump what he wants and therefore how to get what he seeks from Trump. He granted Trump just enough of a victory for the cameras while also sending an unmistakable message to those who really understand the game that is being played that Trump is weak, a stooge, a transitory character Putin will use and ultimately move on from.
There was a pathos to the whole event because if you watched closely, particularly during the closing press conference, it appeared Trump understood this as well. He was low-energy. He seemed defeated. He was going through the motions."
William Vaillancourt , The Daily Beast; Fox News Calls Out Trump for No-Question ‘Press Conference’
"Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich, who witnessed Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin ignore reporters’ questions after their summit Friday, said everyone in the room was “surprised” by the president’s silence.
Heinrich, the network’s senior White House correspondent—whom Trump has previously targeted—spoke about the summit’s conclusion with anchor Brian Kilmeade, who also said he hadn’t expected things to wrap up with the usually talkative Trump walking away without taking questions...
When reached for comment, the White House did not answer the Daily Beast’s question about why neither Trump nor Putin took reporters’ questions.
As for Heinrich’s report, a press aide directed the Daily Beast to White House Communications Director Steven Cheung’s brief post on X in reply to the tail end of her comments to Kilmeade.
“Total fake news,” was the response from Cheung, who just yesterday tried to criticize California Gov. Gavin Newsom for avoiding questions after a speech—except Newsom answered nine questions, nine more than Trump did Friday."
Michael Boyle , The Daily Beast; Stephen Colbert Latches Onto One Disturbing Word in Trump’s Epstein Defense
"Stephen Colbert was baffled by Donald Trump’s attempts to downplay his former friendship with Jeffrey Epstein—especially the claim that the president had “never had the privilege” of going to Epstein’s island.
Colbert played the clip of Trump saying this to his audience, who groaned at Trump’s choice of words. “I’m sorry,” Colbert said. “What? You never had the privilege of going to Epstein’s island?""
The Washington Post; Cartoon by Rob Rogers
[Kip Currier: I just chanced upon cartoonist Rob Rogers in The Washington Post and didn't know he was providing content for that newspaper now. Rogers was fired from The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on June 14, 2018 (coincidentally, or not, Donald Trump's birthday and Flag Day). The owners of the paper asserted that Rogers was overly critical of then-President Donald Trump.]
Erica L. Green, The New York Times; Trump Attacks ‘Past’ Supporters Upset Over Epstein Case
"In a blistering social media post Wednesday morning, President Trump took aim at his supporters who are upset with the administration’s handling of files related to the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender whose connections to wealthy figures have been a subject of intense interest among vocal portions of his base.
Mr. Trump distanced himself from those who have criticized him, calling them “PAST supporters” who had “bought into this ‘bullshit,’ hook, line, and sinker.”
Mr. Trump also claimed that outrage over the Justice Department’s decision to not release additional information and close the investigation was just the latest “scam” cooked up by Democrats.
“Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work,” he wrote, “don’t even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I don’t want their support anymore!”"
, The Daily Beast; White House Hangs Hegseth Out to Dry for Rogue Arms Move
[Kip Currier: Regarding Trump's statement (see below) "[Putin is] killing too many people", how many is "too many"? The callousness of this statement is striking but not surprising.]
[Excerpt]
"On Tuesday, Trump was asked about the U.S. resuming sending key weapons to Ukraine as it battles the ongoing invasion spearheaded by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Putin is not... he’s not treating human beings right,” Trump said. “He’s killing too many people. So we’re sending some defensive weapons to Ukraine, and I’ve approved that.”
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins then asked Trump who ordered the pause last week. He sidestepped a direct answer, instead asking, “I don’t know, why don’t you tell me?” Hegseth, who was seated next to the president, remained silent."
Richard Luscombe , The Guardian; Trump celebrates harsh conditions for detainees on visit to ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
"Trump made no effort to challenge that narrative as he spoke to reporters before leaving Washington DC to travel to Florida, laughing as he made zigzag motions with his hands while offering advice to anybody thinking of escaping.
“The snakes are fast, but alligators [are faster],” he said.
“We’re going to teach them how to run away from an alligator. Don’t run in a straight line, look, like this, and you know what? Your chances go up about 1%. Not a good thing.”
At a press conference following the tour, Trump was equally dismissive of concerns about conditions in the Everglades, where the daily heat index in July regularly exceeds 100F (37.8C).
“It might be as good as the real Alcatraz. A little controversial, but I couldn’t care less,” he said."
Thomas B. Edsall, The New York Times; Could the Third Time Be the Charm on Impeachment and Removal?
"It was clear from the first day of President Trump’s second term that Round 2 would be very different from Round 1.
Trump’s revocation of law firms’ security clearances and access to federal facilities, his cutoff of research grants to Harvard, his multimillion-dollar cryptocurrency deals, his decision to send 700 Marines to contain protests in a five-block section of Los Angeles, his usurpation of congressional power over federal spending — all of these acts have left millions of Americans aggravated and apprehensive, even as a substantial number of U.S. citizens remain untouched and largely unmoved.
We now have a president imposing an agenda far more dangerous than anything Richard Nixon dreamed of.
Here is one measure of Trump’s reign of corruption.
In the five months Trump has held office in his second term, the number of impeachable offenses legal scholars estimate that he has already committed ranges from three to eight or more...
I asked Michael Gerhardt, a law professor at the University of North Carolina who has often appeared as an expert witness at congressional hearings on impeachment, about Trump. Gerhardt replied by email: “It is nearly impossible to overstate the degree of Trump’s corruption. It is manifest every day, as if he is daring the American people and Congress to try to stop him.”
Overall, Gerhardt continued: “Trump has shown time and again his disdain for the rule of law, including for the Constitution of the United States. He has routinely violated his oath of office and even proclaimed himself as entitled to break the law to save the country.”
No other American president, Gerhardt went on, “has come anywhere close to Trump’s corruption, and the level of his corruption — on a daily basis — is unmatched in our history.”"
Chris Cameron, The New York Times ; Trump, Who Has Likened Himself to a King, Bristles at ‘No Kings’ Protests
"President Trump bristled on Thursday at the mention of a series of “No Kings” protests against his administration scheduled for the day of his planned military parade in Washington — coinciding with his 79th birthday...
And the military parade scheduled for Saturday is the latest example of Mr. Trump’s desire to flex military might in openly political displays and surround himself in the pageantry of the armed forces. On Tuesday, Mr. Trump said that any protesters who assembled during the parade would be met with “very big force,”making no distinction between violent confrontations and constitutionally protected peaceful demonstrations.
The organizers of the “No Kings” marches have said that they intentionally had not scheduled demonstrations in Washington, D.C., on Saturday to order to avoid the military parade, instead encouraging demonstrators in the area to join their flagship march in Philadelphia."
Adam Liptak , The New York Times; Trump Declares Dubious Emergencies to Amass Power, Scholars Say
"To hear President Trump tell it, the nation is facing a rebellion in Los Angeles, an invasion by a Venezuelan gang and extraordinary foreign threats to its economy.
Citing this series of crises, he has sought to draw on emergency powers that Congress has scattered throughout the United States Code over the centuries, summoning the National Guard to Los Angeles over the objections of California’s governor, sending scores of migrants to El Salvador without the barest hint of due process and upending the global economy with steep tariffs.
Legal scholars say the president’s actions are not authorized by the statutes he has cited and are, instead, animated by a different goal."
The Ink; The Musk-Trump breakup
"It might be tempting to sit back, break out the popcorn, and say, “Let them fight.” But what’s unfolding is more than a mutual tantrum. Two of the world’s most powerful and most self-interested men are making and rolling out on the fly immensely consequential decisions in a series of angry outbursts, decisions which have serious implications for millions of real people, none of whom are non-player characters.
And whatever happens next (maybe they’ll reconcile, maybe Musk will start a third party), Musk and his DOGE teams have already done — and continue to do — considerable damage to this country’s institutions and to human beings here and around the world. And with congressional Republicans and the White House fully onboard with the slash-and-burn approach, that’s not likely to stop just because of a spat between strongmen."
Tyler Pager and Theodore Schleifer , The New York Times; Trump and Musk’s Unlikely Alliance Breaks Down in Rapid and Public Fashion
[Kip Currier: In the words of fictional billionaire Logan Roy from TV's Succession, these "are not serious people." As George Dillard wrote in a 2024 "We Are Not Serious People" piece for Medium:
"There were a lot of memorable lines in Succession, but Logan’s line is the one I often find myself repeating in my head, because there are not a lot of serious people left in America anymore."
https://worldhistory.medium.com/we-are-not-serious-people-00ca768240e3
These are not individuals of good character or emotional intelligence whom reasonable, thinking, morally-grounded people with sound judgment would want leading them, working for them, or in a relationship with any family member they care about.
Even more, Trump and Musk et al are not people you want with access to the nuclear codes or in charge of spacecraft and satellites your country depends upon. They care nothing about the well-being of anyone other than themselves and perhaps a tiny handful of people in their immediate oligarchic circles. They are rich in assets and bankrupt in any semblance of decency or dignity.
And yet...here we are. Remember this at election time in 2026 and 2028.]
[Excerpt]
"The sparring swiftly devolved into threats on their respective social media platforms, as Mr. Trump threatened to cut the billions in dollars in federal government contracts with Mr. Musk’s companies. For his part, Mr. Musk unleashed a tirade of attacks on the man he had once lavishly praised. He suggested it might be time to create a new political party, claimed there were references to Mr. Trump in government documents about the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and indicated his support for a post calling for the president’s impeachment."
, Fstoppers; Mike Kelley vs. Trump: The Photo That Could Spark a Presidential Copyright War
"Your Thoughts?
What do you think will happen to this case when it is filed? Obviously something like this will take years to make its way through the courts, and perhaps Trump will not even be president by the time it makes it to the Federal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals where it will most likely reside. Do you think Mike has a strong enough case for Willful Infringement under statutory infringement or because this is a meme that perhaps originated somewhere else on the internet, could it be viewed as unwilling? Do you think Trump would ever succeed at claiming his posts on Truth Social fall under official acts of a sitting president?"
Andrea Shalal , Reuters; Trump posts AI-generated photo of himself as pope, drawing internet outrage
"President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated photo showing himself as the pope ahead of this week's gathering of cardinals to choose a new leader of the 1.4-billion-strong Catholic Church, and just days after he joked he would "like to be pope".
Trump, who is not a Catholic and does not attend church regularly, posted the image on his Truth Social platform late on Friday, less than a week after attending the funeral of Pope Francis, who died at 88 last month. The White House then reposted it on its official X account."
Tim Murphy, Mother Jones; Mistakes Were Made. And Made. And Made Again.
"What will you remember about Donald Trump’s second first 100 days? Probably the cruelty and arrogance of the people in charge, and the fecklessness of so many institutions that were supposed to fight back...
But personally, I’m going to remember all the mistakes.
I have never seen a government get so many things wrong, in so many different ways. It was like an Obamacare website every 18 hours. It was like the soft opening of Jurassic Park. And these were not the sort of run-of-the-mill snafus that are endemic to any large organization. They all had something in common: People who thought they knew better than everyone else took on work they didn’t understand, and sidelined the people who did. They were making mistakes, quite simply, because the people who didn’t make mistakes were gone, and because there was no one left to tell them not to, or to correct them when they did.
In 100 days the administration has, in no particular order:"
Bart Jansen , USA TODAY; Trump says he's made no mistakes despite falling economy and approval ratings
"Never mind the shrinking economy and dismal poll numbers.
President Donald Trump’s first 100 days have gone according to plan.
What would he do differently? Not a thing.
"I’ll tell you, that’s the toughest question I can have because I don’t really believe I’ve made mistakes,” Trump said in reply to a question at a NewsNation town hall on April 30."
Ashley Parker and Michael Scherer, The Atlantic; ‘I RUN THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD’
"We asked the president if his second term felt different from his first. He said it did. “The first time, I had two things to do—run the country and survive; I had all these crooked guys,” he said. “And the second time, I run the country and the world.”"
