Today in Politics, Bulletin 56. 1/24/25 Ron Filipkowski Jan 25 ∙ … Obama Derangement Syndrome continues, as Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) introduced a bill to amend the 22nd Amendment to allow Trump to run for a 3rd term. The comical thing is that they fear Barack Obama so much that he worded it so it would not apply to him: “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than three times, nor be elected to any additional term after being elected to two consecutive terms.’’ … I guess Ogles doesn’t think Trump can beat Obama. Kind of insulting to his cult leader. MAYBE THIS IS WHY FOX NEWS = FAKE NEWS LIARS SETTLED WITH DOMINION FOR THEIR LIES FOR $757 MILLION! … Fox addressed the soaring cost of eggs today. After blaming Biden for the last four years for the cost of everything, Fox now says the problem is avian flu. Which, of course, has been a problem (along with price gouging) for a few years now. But last week prices were high because of Biden. This week it is suddenly avian flu. Amazing how that happens. … Trump took trips to visit the disaster sites in NC and CA, and reiterated his intent to abolish FEMA: “I'll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA or maybe getting rid of FEMA. I think, frankly, FEMA is not good. I think when you have a problem like this, I think you want to use your state to fix it and not waste time calling FEMA. I think we're gonna recommend that FEMA go away." … What Trump really wants to do is to be able to dole out funds himself, rather than have FEMA do it. That way, he can decide who gets aid depending on: 1. Whether the state or community is Republican or Democrat; 2. Whether the elected officials in the area supported him; 3. How much officials in the area compliment him and kiss his ass; 4. How much money have they funneled into his various businesses. … He proved this by adding that he would rather see federal relief funds go to private groups like Samaritan’s Purse and have them decide how best to spend the money to help disaster victims. Samaritan’s Purse is Franklin Graham’s organization. … Trump was asked if he was going to put any conditions on aid to NC. He said he would not, but he will not agree to aid for CA unless they adopted mandatory voter ID, which would essentially end mail-in voting for that state. … He also continued to repeat the lie that CA could have put out the fires but they don’t have any water because they are protecting the smelt fish: "It could've been put out if they let the water flow, but they didn't let the water flow. And they still haven't for whatever reason." … Trump then flew to CA tonight to visit the wildfires. Apparently, he did not invite Gavin Newsom to be there, but Newsom decided to show up anyway. I thought Jesse Watters’ face was priceless when the news of that broke: … Newsom met Trump on the tarmac, and things did not seem friendly ****NOTICE TRUMP'S LEANING POSTURE**** … Punchbowl reports that House Republicans have supposedly come up with $2-3 trillion in spending cuts to justify Trump’s massive tax cuts, which they intend to pair up in their massive reconciliation bill. I have two thoughts: 1. There is no way you can do this without cutting Social Security and Medicare; 2. If they have already identified these massive cuts then what is Musk doing in the WH when that is what DOGE was supposed to do? … WaPo reports that Trump Budget Director Ross Vought intends to challenge the Impound Control Act of 1974, asserting that it is unconstitutional. The act prevents a president “impounding” or refusing to release funds approved by Congress to any program or person he chooses. Repealing this would allow, for example, Trump to seize any funds to be spent by the Department of Education - even if Congress authorized it - as long as he returns the money to the Treasury. … The law was passed because Richard Nixon did this with funding for certain programs that a Democratic Congress passed which he did not agree with. Essentially, this would create a line-item veto for a president on spending bills, which no president has ever tried to exercise before besides Nixon on a very limited scale. … Trump on was asked whether the US would continue to support other NATO countries: "We're protecting them. They're not protecting us. We're protecting them, so I don't think we should be spending - I'm not sure we should be spending anything." … Scottish comic Steve Blair: “Trump’s furious, because as a Bishop, Budde can move as far as she wants diagonally, but as a Russian pawn he can only move one square at a time.” … House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries addressed the Republican war on DEI: “Diversity, equity and inclusion are American values. The motto of the US is E Pluribus Unum. Out of many, one. That’s diversity. The 14th Amendment provides equal protection under the law. That’s equity. We pledge allegiance to the flag. In that pledge, we promise, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. A-L-L. That’s inclusion. Not complicated. Diversity, equity and inclusion are American values. It’s about economic opportunity. It’s about merit for everyone, based on what you know, not who you know.” … Elon Musk amplified another account to his 220+ million followers which posts a lot of pro-Russian content - Visegrad24. This post suggested that racial discrimination laws are worse today in South Africa than they were during apartheid, and white people are now allegedly being discriminated against the most. … A new AP poll shows Musk’s popularity with the American public continues to drop since October. Just 36% of Americans have a favorable opinion of Musk with 52% saying they have an unfavorable opinion. Only 29% said they agreed that a DOGE committee should be formed with him leading it. … Musk’s popularity in Europe is even lower. It seems like a bad time to be a Tesla owner in Europe these days. … While Trump claimed that the first phase of his massive deportation effort was going to focus on rounding up migrants who committed crimes, his racial profiling operation instead ended up arresting a U.S. citizen who served in the military. .. A dozen ICE agents raided a Newark, NJ, seafood wholesaler and restaurant on Thursday and arrested three people, including the Puerto Rican warehouse manager. Ocean Food Depot owner Luis Janota told PIX11 News. I asked them what documentation they were looking for, and they said it was a license or a passport. I thought, who walks around with a passport?” … Janota: “One of the employees was a military veteran, and the way it looked to me (they targeted him) because he was Hispanic. He is Puerto Rican and the manager of our warehouse. It looked to me like they were specifically going after certain kinds of people—not every kind, because they did not ask me for documentation for my white workers.” … Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who is also running for governor of NJ: “One of the detainees is a U.S. military veteran who suffered the indignity of having the legitimacy of his military documentation questioned. Newark will not stand by idly while people are being unlawfully terrorized.” … NBC is reporting that Mexico refused permission prior to takeoff to a request by a US military flight with deported migrants to land in their country yesterday, which resulted in the flight being canceled. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she opposes Trump’s attempt to take “unilateral actions” to deport migrants, and will not give consent for any US flights to land in her country unless the deportations have been coordinated with her government. … Stephen Miller was asked by Fox to respond to reports that ICE entered a Chicago elementary school looking for migrant children. It was later learned that it was Secret Service at the school, but Miller didn’t know that at the time this was asked: Fox Host: “ICE Agents were denied entry to an elementary school in Chicago. Is that something that is acceptable? We've heard talk about schools and churches as sanctuary spots.” Miller: “There is no sanctuary for criminal aliens in this country.” … MS State Rep. Rep. Justin Keen (R) introduced a bill to create an Illegal Alien Certified Bounty Hunter Program, which would provide a $1,000 reward to registered bounty hunters for each successful deportation they help facilitate: “When Trump took office this week, he immediately recognized the emergency at our borders, rolling out executive orders to combat illegal immigration and cartels. This legislation builds upon that foundation, empowering local leaders and communities to support federal efforts in protecting our citizens.” THANK YOU SENATOR WARREN! … Sen. Elizabeth Warren: “Number of words in Trump’s inaugural address about renaming the Gulf of Mexico, renaming Denali mountain, and retaking the Panama Canal: 213. Number of words about making housing, health care, or child care more affordable: Zero.” … The first month of this column averaged 100,000 readers a day. Month two was 150,000. This is the third month and we are now averaging 200,000 a day. Thank you for making this the fastest growing political column in America! Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. … JFK’s grandson Jack Schlossberg implored his family members to speak up about RFK Jr: “Why won’t they say what they know about him? Why aren’t they talking about all the stories they have? The guy’s about to be in charge of public health in the US. How come I’m the only one who’s speaking out? Wake up - this is not a fucking drill! If they don’t want to talk, then you know what side they’re on.” … Patrick Kennedy told Semafor that while he opposed RFK Jr’s run for president, that is not necessary the case for HHS Secretary under Trump: “That was then. This is now. We lost.” … Talking Points Memo is reporting that even if RFK Jr. comes up short with Republican support, Dem Senator Sheldon Whitehouse might vote for him to get him over the top. Whitehouse and RFK Jr. were very close friends in law school together remained friends for many years. Politico asked Whitehouse about the report: “I’m not going to reveal how I’m voting on any nominee.” … RFK Jr. has changed a lot in the last 4 years though, so I’m not sure if that old friendship will hold in this situation. … Sen. Bernie Sanders responded to a rumor that CBS might be about to settle the bogus lawsuit Trump brought against them, just like ABC did with George Stephanopolous: “CBS may be reaching a legal settlement with Trump because he didn't like how a campaign interview with Kamala was edited. Really? If CBS caves, the belief that we have an independent media protected by the First Amendment is undermined. CBS: stand tall. Support the Constitution.” Amen. … Mike Johnson was out at the ‘March for Life’ event on the Mall in DC. The white nationalist group Patriot Front also made an appearance. … After the Antioch school shooter’s manifesto said that the person who influenced him the most was right-wing provocateur and talk show host Candace Owens, Owens responded: “I have received information that the Antioch shooting was 100% a domestic violence situation in which the student committed a targeted murder/suicide The other student was allegedly just in the way. If this proves true and people intentionally painted this tragedy as a ‘mass shooting with a manifesto’ to score political points, there is going to be hell to pay.” … Trump promised during his campaign to satisfy the many conspiracy theorists who populate the Republican Party by releasing all the classified records on the JFK assassination. This is something his pal Roger Stone has been obsessed with for many years. But he took that one step further and included records pertaining to RFK and MLK Jr’s assassinations in his order. … MLK Jr’s daughter Bernice had no advance notice of this, and issued the following statement: “Today, our family has learned that President Trump has ordered the declassification of the remaining records pertaining to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy, and our father, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. For us, the assassination of our father is a deeply personal family loss that we have endured over the last 56 years. We hope to be provided the opportunity to review the files as a family prior to its public release.” … Trump also made another pitch to Canadians today to persuade them to become our 51st state: “I would love to see Canada be the 51st state. The Canadian citizens, if that happened, they'd have much better health coverage.” Next he will promise them gun violence will go down too. … Sen. Bernie Sanders responded: “Better health coverage? If Canadians became U.S. citizens they would lose their free health care, pay nearly three times more for their prescription drugs, and many of them wouldn’t be able to get coverage at all. Something tells me they won’t be interested.” … Podcaster Krystal Ball: “Yes, I’m sure Canadians would love to give up universal coverage for the highest prices and worst results in the developed world.” … Dr. Fauci had his security detail pulled by Trump last night. Trump was asked if he would feel responsible if something bad happened to Dr. Fauci or John Bolton after he took away their details: “No. They all made a lot of money. They can hire their own security. I would not take responsibility.” Fauci immediately hired his own security. The government has provided security in the past for officials who face credible threats because of their public service. … Marge Greene’s boyfriend Brian Glenn, with Real America’s Voice, asked Trump this today during the press gaggle: “American people think this trip is symbolic of what your campaign was all about - America First. You’re putting the American people first. Your thoughts on that?” Trump looked around at the other reporters and said: “I like that question. I want more questions like that. A very professional reporter.” … “Christian Conservative” talk show host Steve Deace had this to say about Dr. Deborah Birx: “She should be marched before a tribunal and put on trial for crimes against humanity, with the ultimate penalty if she’s found guilty to be hung by her bedazzled scarf Nuremberg-style.” … Nancy Mace continues to suggest she is running for Governor of SC in 2026. She posted a video today standing outside the state Capitol building and said: “I see that big, beautiful dome, Capitol of SC - I could get used to that.” … AOC said no member of Congress should be able to buy and sell stock (she doesn’t) and supports a bipartisan bill to ban stock trades: “We’re supposed to act like money only corrupts Republicans? Give me a fucking break!” … Trump reversed Biden’s ban on menthol cigarettes. Biden cited data showing their popularity with young people - with 46% of high school and 42% of middle school students saying the first cigarette they tried was menthol. MAGA said the ban was racist because most people who smoke menthols are Black. … Trump was asked about Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins voting against Pete Hegseth: "I was very surprised that Collins and Murkowski would do that.” … Don Jr. responded to a report that Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination is in trouble with several Republican Senators leaning ‘no’ by issuing more threats: “Any Republican Senator who votes against Tulsi Gabbard deserves a primary. No more Deep State bullshit!!!!” … These threats and intimidation tactics worked to flip Sen. Joni Ernst and others’ votes on Hegseth, so I guess they are going to continue using the same playbook with Gabbard. … WaPo is reporting that the Trump Admin is looking to abolish the Civilian Protection Center of Excellence. This is an agency inside the Dept of the Army that makes recommendations designed to limit civilian casualties during US military operations. Pete Hegseth has spent his entire Fox career complaining about this agency’s policies, while lobbying Trump during his first term to pardon convicted war criminals. … It is now open season on clinics who provide abortion, as JD Vance makes it clear that the Trump Administration will not enforce the FACE Act to protect patients and providers entering and leaving doctor’s offices: “No longer will our government throw pro-life protesters and activists in prison. It stopped on Monday and we're not going to let it come back to this country.” They aggressively enforce the laws they like - roping in innocent people, and just ignore the laws they don’t like as if they don’t exist. … Update on GA Republican State Senator Colton Moore, who was arrested trying to enter the House Chamber for Gov. Brian Kemp’s State of the State Address after being banned by the Speaker because of past misconduct: “One week has passed, I still have unconstitutional criminal charges and Jon Burns is still Speaker.” And Fani Willis is still Moore’s prosecutor. … After Trump attacked Bank of America yesterday for allegedly refusing service to “conservatives”, they issued this statement: “Bank of America serves more than 70 million clients and we welcome conservatives. We would never close accounts for political reasons and don’t have a political litmus test.” … But MAGA influencer Catturd says B of A is lying: “Bank of America canceled our bank account for our podcast. When my co-host Jewels asked why, they rudely said they didn’t need a reason. Bank of America are commie POS losers. Beware!” … Marco Rubio issued a memo to all US Diplomatic and Consulate Posts that rainbow flags are banned: “Only the US flag is authorized to be flown or publicly displayed at US facilities. The US flag is a powerful symbol of pride and it is fitting and respectful that only the US flag be flown or displayed. The only exceptions include the POW/MIA flag and the Hostages & Wrongful Detainees flag.” … Rubio also issued an order that passport applications which fail to specify a male or female gender will be rejected, as well as any applications seeking to change their gender designation on their passport: “The policy of the United States is that an individual’s sex is not changeable.” … After actor Hugh Grant criticized Rupert Murdoch recently, Piers Morgan called him a hypocrite: “Hugh Grant took many millions of pounds from Rupert Murdoch to make movies for him.” Grant responded: “Bullshit. The last time I worked for a Murdoch owned company was in 1994. Which was long before I knew anything about his papers’ methods. Since then I have turned down every single job offer emanating from a Murdoch owned company.” Piers then responded by posting Grant’s mugshot from 1995 where he solicited a prostitute in LA. … Rep. Addison McDowell (R-NC) introduced a bill to rename Washington Dulles Airport as ‘Donald J. Trump International Airport. … Day 3 update from Catturd, who went into the hospital with a bowel blockage: “Update: Good news - my blockage has cleared and I won’t require surgery. Starting on eating broth here soon. Bad News - My blood pressure has been extremely high and keeps getting worse no matter what they try. I believe it’s just from the stress of all this and needing to get home to Florida. It’s really bad. Nothing’s helping.” … Turd’s roadtrip from the swamps of northwest Florida to inaugural events started with his truck getting wrecked when he hit a deer and ended with a multi-day hospital visit for a bowel blockage with high blood pressure sipping broth. This is what happens when you try to own the libs by becoming an ivermectin addict.