The Second Trump Presidency

All the Republicans on the Committee voted to keep the report secret.

That's what I would do if I planned on leaking it later, especially if I wanted to save other Republicans from the discomfort of voting against Trump.

I don't know how much actual concern Gaetz is experiencing about Ethics Committee report. Normal people would of course be very concerned, but if there is a single quality shared by most MAGA people it's no sense of remorse or shame.Hence, if DeSantis is so moved, he'll reappoint Gaetz to serve out the rest of his term in Congress.But we mustn't forget that Gaetz was reelected to the next Congress whose first session begins January 3, 2025. So even if he isn't reappointed by DeSantis, he'll be back in Congress in six weeks anyway. I saw some mumblings about some Congressional rules and how House officers might interpret them regarding the resignation during this term, so there's no guarantee they'll seat him, especially after all the "friends" he's made, especially Kevin McCarthy.If Gaetz no longer serves in Congress, what will he do? One speculation is that he might run for governor of Florida in 2026.Trump himself is responsible for losing (possibly) one of his staunchest supporters in Congress. By appointing Gaetz to be AG he forced Gaetz to resign in order to avoid the Ethic Committee report that would have hurt his chances. Had Trump not made the appointment I think Gaetz would have survived the Ethics Committee report. I think he might have been sanctioned and/or removed from committees, but little more. He wouldn't have lost his seat.--Percy

Just out of curiosity, who do you label as "MAGA" people? Republicans in general? Anyone who voted for Trump? Or anyone who does not share your shame and disdain for Trump.I saw that Gaetz was a bad pick from the get-go. That being said, I dont think Trump is an idiot for selecting him initially, knowing full well that he had to resign. For all we know, Trump was actually doing a favor for Kevin McCarthy and figured that Gaetz would self implode. Trump had to know the allegations against Gaetz and did not seriously believe that Gaetz would make a good Attorney General. Sure enough, the ethics committee turned up the heat and Gaetz resigned.I have never been a fan of Trump and still wonder offhandedly if he is the antichrist, but
I know that he is not as dumb as the elite would like him to be. Anyone who has survived the spotlight turned up on him and ending up winning a popular vote mandate has got to have some sort of power. It is my opinion that he loves to lure the media into rational speculation games which he then foreknows the outcome. While one side calls him simple-minded at best and evil at worst, the other side sees the hypocrisy of the liberal media and how they have a holier-than-thou attitude.Pam Bondi has a few skeletons in her closet also.

MAGA is just short for Trump follower.--Percy

Looks like Gaetz won't be returning to Congress per his own words.

I’m not surprised. My impression was that he was afraid of the Ethics Committee report, beyond what it might mean to his chances of Confirmation as Attorney General (which really depended on Trump strongarming the Senate anyway).

he wanted to spend more time with someone else's kids.

MAGA isn't Republican. It's something different, a mix of Democratic populism and isolationism. This is why you have seen so many traditional Republicans leave the party over the last 8 years. It's his loose grip on reality that worries me the most. He believes whatever people tell him, thinks reality changes to fit his beliefs, and doesn't care to learn new things. He's also easily manipulated by flattery.The one power he does have is being a salesman.

Joel Grey starred in both the Broadway and film versions of Cabaret, and he has a column in today's New York Times: I Starred in ‘Cabaret.’ We Need to Heed Its Warning.. These brief excerpts sum it up:

Joel Grey:

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This past week marked 58 years since the opening night for the Broadway premiere of “Cabaret” in 1966...The parallels between the rise of fascism in 1930s Berlin as depicted in the show and the mounting tensions of the 1960s in America were both obvious and ominous.
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Now, in 2024, we find ourselves in a different, far more precarious moment. The recent election of Donald Trump to a second term has left many Americans, particularly those who fought so hard against the forces of authoritarianism and hate, feeling drained and disillusioned. There’s a sense that we have seen this show before, that we know how it ends, and that we’re powerless to stop it. Or worse, a sense that even though we are facing dark times, they won’t really affect our own day-to-day lives — echoing the tragically shortsighted assessment of so many European Jews in the 1920s and ’30s.
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The democratic election of an authoritarian figure, the normalization of bigotry, the complicity of the frightened masses — none of these are new themes. We have indeed seen this show before, and I fear we do know how it ends. It’s understandable to want to retreat, to find solace where we can, but we cannot afford to look away.

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History is giving us another chance to confront the forces that “Cabaret” warned us about. The question is: Will we listen this time, or will we keep laughing until the music stops?

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--Percy

There can be no more hated contrivance in government than the debt ceiling. Year after year Republicans bludgeon Democrats with the threat of closing down government unless they agree to budget cuts. Now it is happening again as Trump has sabotaged his own party's efforts to pass legislation raising the debt ceiling that would keep the government open. There are many articles out there about this, here's one: 24 hours that exposed a schism between Trump and Johnson and sent the government hurtling toward a shutdownBut Trump has an idea. He wants to abolish the debt ceiling. Democrats should be dancing in the streets, not because they don't want to reduce the deficit and slow the growth of the national debt, but because it would bring this annual brinkmanship, the latest torturing the country at this very moment, to a welcome end. The focus would return to how to reduce the deficit rather than on what last minute financial machinations and ill thought out legislation could keep the government open.I used the word bludgeon earlier to describe how Republicans use the debt ceiling against the Democrats, and I think that's an accurate characterization. It makes no sense to me that Donald Trump wants to abolish the debt ceiling that has been so effective a weapon for Republicans for so long. Why is Musk letting this happen?Oh, that reminds me, after providing $277 million to Trump's election campaign, Musk is Trump's new bestie. Trump has appointed him (and Vivek Ramaswamy) to a head a new "Department of Government Efficiency." See, money can buy happiness. And access. And power.As an aside, I don't see how the Trump/Musk collaboration can continue long. They share a fondness for authoritarianism and impulsivity but little else.--Percy

The Republican bill that was voted down only suspended the debt ceiling for two years. I very much doubt that Republicans would back repealing it for good. Even two years was too much for some of them.

Trump's not even in office yet, and he's already trying to shut the government down. Preview of things to come. Musk has already floated requests for removing regulations that are inconvenient for his businesses. It's just straight up grift. This also tells us exactly what Musk will do with his position, benefit himself by going after government agencies that have caused his companies grief. Musk is a walking, talking government ethics violation.

I don't see why so many are getting themselves in a tizzy over Trump's recent actions, even though he *is* jumping the gun on running the government. For those who voted for Trump, presumably shaking things up through chaos and impulsivity is what they wanted. Or maybe they just wanted more episodes of "The Apprentice", but with Congressmen, judges and government workers as the contestants.For those who didn't vote for Trump, there's nothing we can do about him. If his previous presidency was characterized by Trump doing whatever he pleased, God only knows what "Trump unleashed" will be like. He's clearly demonstrated that impeachment is no longer the check on presidential power it was intended to be. He's already threatening our allies with tariffs if they don't buy more oil and gas from us. He's threatened to pardon the January 6th 1000. And we can call attention to the irrational contradiction of Trump's intention to cut taxes while significantly reducing the deficit, but again, there's nothing to be done about it. We can only watch and hope that our economy and our democratic institutions stand strong.I wouldn't pin too much hope on the recent refusal of a significant group of Republicans in the House to go along with Trump's debt ceiling demands and his threats to primary any Republican who opposed him. I consider that an outlier. For the next four years, assuming Republicans continue to control the House and Senate, we should call this the lapdog Congress.--Percy

Trump sabotaged the immigration bill in the same way before the election, so this is no real change.I don’t know that Congress is going to be completely supine, though. The rebels are signalling that they won’t give Trump a blank cheque - when Trump is planning spending increases and tax cuts. The same thing happened with Trump’s wall - the Republican-controlled congress wouldn’t approve the spending in 2017.So Trump may have to fight for his spending and tax plans, and may not win.