Never a Dull Moment, Is There?
Alaska Talks
We don’t know what took place or who said what, since Trump, breaking what had been a 100% precedent with all other presidents, talked with Putin with no note takers present and no transcripts published.
The fact that the meeting ran about half the allocated time and that there was no Q & A at the “press conference” at the end, indicates that at least Trump perhaps did not give away everything, but time will tell, especially from the meetings with the president of Ukraine and NATO leaders this week, and what comes from those exchanges. It seems he already gave up calls for a ceasefire, putting himself on the same side as Putin and opposite the position of everyone else, with nothing in return.
Everyone on all sides seem to agree Putin had a win just getting the talks. Now to see if Trump finds any courage and/or brains going forward and if Western Europe continues to stand its ground on Ukraine. I am not holding my breath.
A Reminder Of The Colonial Status Of DC
The declaration of “an emergency” in DC over crime by Trump and company illustrates once again the colonial status of DC, which really is shameful. The administration made zero effort to coordinate with the DC government on this latest show of force and has now imposed an “emergency police commissioner” (since the announcement, that appointment was cancelled, but who knows about tomorrow.
Trump is now tapping several Republican-led states for about 700 more National Guard troops to be in DC. The potential for this to end badly is rising. The capital is looking increasingly like an occupied city in some areas, and if, as rumored, more troops will be armed, the risks to all goes up for someone to make a deadly mistake.
DC certainly does have big city crime, but much less than many cities. Somehow this administration only sees crime in Democratically governed cities, even though the rates are much worse in many Red cities and states.
Administrations throughout history have alternately ignored or forced DC into policy matters, and Congress has been even worse over the years. Any Congressman who wishes to do so can slip in the most onerous and pointless legislation to burden DC and it becomes the law.
I have to admit I did not appreciate just how bad this was until I lived in the DC area for a few years and saw the abuse up close. It is appalling and capricious. DC should have state level representation, much more independence from the federal government, and a fair price paid by the federal government in lieu of property taxes.
Firing Of The Bureau of Labor Statistics Chief
This Is REALLY Bad News. It adds to the list of key information no longer reliable coming out of this administration. There are processes designed to protect data like jobs statistics, but the new official appointed by Trump has zero relevant background and has already indicated he intends to do what he can to make Trump happy. All this joins a growing list of agency web sites and other postings as suddenly missing data and increasing propaganda. Remember, one of the keys to undercutting government is to convince people that data sources not friendly to the government are untrustworthy.
Texas Gerrymandering
Gerrymandering is so wrong, so common, and yet so solvable. Both parties have a sordid history in this count, up to and including today, although one could certainly make the case that the Republicans have raised this to an almost criminal level.
Half a dozen states have largely solved the problem with independent, professionally qualified redistricting commissions and open primaries. Democrats introduced national legislation some time back to shut down gerrymandering nationwide but got zero Republican votes. Now we are likely to see a surge in Democratic gerrymandering to offset the theft in Texas. A necessary counterstrike, but voters everywhere loose in such a process. We deserve better than this.
Gaza Protests – Israel Loss Forever, New occupy Gaza Plan
My sensing is that the continued choices by Netanyahu has turned the corner for Israel’s standing in the world irreversibly. Never again will Israel be given the benefit of the doubt on issues and a near blank check on security. It is an historic and costly loss. Interestingly enough, it might have been possible to make the case for complete occupation of Gaza at the outset, but not at this point. Add to that the fact that the Israeli military argued against this move and is itself near a breaking point of overcommitment.
One hopes that someday soon Israel will get a decent government, but the damage is already done domestically and internationally. It did not have to be so.
Credit Where It Is Due On Two Counts
Regular readers know that there likely are not any two people I dislike more than Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Both are national disasters. Still, one has to acknowledge the rare moments either of them seem to get something right. That has happened with both of them in recent days.
Trump has raised the prospect of downgrading marijuana from the Class I drug category it has at the federal level, while many states have made it widely available for medical use and quite a few have done so for recreational use. Probably just loose talk on his part, but a welcome discussion to initiate. For Kennedy, one has to admit his call to get rid of artificial colors in food is a good one. Much of this stuff is already banned in other countries. A good call to start getting it out of our food.
Just to be clear, I would cheer both of these guys being fired and banished tomorrow. But give credit where it is due, even on small matters.
A Campaign Note
Trumps statements to the press and other remarks have gotten downright weird. Frequently I will listen to such an episode and ask myself what the heck he just said. Democrats need to start playing those recordings, completely unedited, to remind people what the situation is, and remind them that Republican legislators are giving this sadly incoherent guy a blank check. Expose him, hold them accountable.
See you next week.
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Bill, we need to look at the big picture. Every move being taken domestically now is towards securing the 2026 elections for the minority party, the Republicans. This is on track to implement Project 2025, which is the transformation of the US into an authoritarian state. Outlawing mail-in ballots, occupying Democratic led cities, extreme gerrymandering of the next election, and many other steps are all part of the plan. When do civic and religious organizations recognize the immediate threat to our Constitution and mobilize? The only effective counter at this point is sustained mass mobilization. We can’t stand by and “hope for the best” if we want to avoid decades of authoritarian rule. I spent many years in the Army and government analyzing other political systems. What is happening to us is the playbook. It’s up to us; only we can save the Republic.
✅ Key Insight: Authoritarianism advances when citizens feel powerless and withdraw. It is thwarted when broad-based, cross-partisan, nonviolent civic resistance becomes costly enough that leaders cannot consolidate control.
🛑 Authoritarian Risk Dashboard (U.S. 2025)
1. Civil Service & Bureaucracy
Already taken:
Reinstated “Schedule F” (renamed Schedule Policy/Career) to let agencies purge or replace tens of thousands of career officials with political loyalists.
Future risk:
OPM projects ~50,000 roles may be reclassified; additional orders likely to expand this authority.
2. Independent Oversight
Already taken:
EO directs OMB to control “independent” regulators (FTC, FCC, SEC), undercutting their statutory independence.
Reported political interference in FTC/media merger oversight.
Future risk:
Greater case-by-case pressure on agencies as OMB implements performance/budget levers.
3. Justice & Law Enforcement
Already taken:
DOJ “Weaponization Unit” set up to revisit Trump-related investigations.
FBI leadership politicized with non-career loyalist appointees.
FBI arrests filmed for White House PR.
Future risk:
Broader reshaping of DOJ/FBI priorities around loyalty and political opponents.
4. Political Violence & Accountability
Already taken:
Mass pardons of Jan. 6 participants, including violent offenders.
Future risk:
Precedent set—signals tolerance for future extralegal violence by political allies.
5. Executive Power & Security Forces
Already taken:
Declared border “national emergency”; expanded federal role in D.C. policing.
Tested federalization of National Guard (facing court challenges).
Future risk:
Further use of Insurrection Act or emergency powers to override states/localities.
6. Media & Information Space
Already taken:
AP banned from White House press pool.
Allegations of regulatory pressure tied to media ownership cases.
Future risk:
Expanded use of FCC/FTC levers to discipline or intimidate critical outlets.
7. Immigration & Minority Rights
Already taken:
Ordered Guantánamo migrant facility expansion.
DHS/DoD increasing surveillance of immigrants’ social media.
Tighter naturalization standards (vague “moral character” tests).
Future risk:
Even larger federal detention infrastructure.
Broader application of surveillance and exclusion policies.
⚠️ Overall Trend: The pattern matches global authoritarian playbooks—politicizing bureaucracy, weakening oversight, personalizing justice, rewarding violence, constraining press, and using security/immigration crises to justify exceptional powers.