Today in Politics, Bulletin 64. 2/4/25 Ron Filipkowski Feb 5 ∙ … Trump insanely said the US is going to occupy Gaza at a joint press conference with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu tonight: “The US will take over the Gaza Strip - and we will do a good job with it too. We’ll own it. We’ll level the site.” He then said we are going to go in there and develop it with new properties - it is oceanfront property after all. … When asked by a reporter if he was talking about a permanent occupation of Gaza by the US: “I do see a long-term ownership position” for the US. He then said he would use military force if necessary. … Trump in the Oval Office earlier today: “The Gaza has not worked. It has never worked. I think they should get a good fresh piece of land. I don’t know how they could want to stay. It’s a demolition site. If we could find the right piece of land or numerous pieces of land and build them some nice places - could be Jordan, could be in Egypt.” … I’m sure this wont increase the threat of terrorist attacks against US citizens at home and abroad. If you had a European vacation planned for this summer, you might want to cancel it. I’m going to Quebec province in August, although at this rate that might not be very safe for Americans either. … Earlier today, demented Trump said if Iran assassinates him he “left instructions” to “obliterate” their country. He said this from the Oval Office while announcing new sanctions against Iran and warning them not to try and retaliate that way: "If they did that, they would be obliterated. I left instructions.” … Trump recently pulled the security details of Mike Pompeo, John Bolton and others. They had those details because they received numerous credible assassination threats from Iran. … But Trump’s new right-wing white nationalist conspiracy theorist State Department Spokesman Darren Beattie said last September that he really thinks our own intelligence agencies have been trying to have Trump killed, not Iran: “It's more likely that the intelligence officials telling Trump that Iran is behind assassination attempts are actually the ones behind the assassination attempts, than it is for Iran being behind the assassination attempts.” … Acting DC US Attorney Ed Martin issued a statement after Musk complained that his 6 DOGE employees were identified by name on social media: “Our initial review of the evidence indicates that certain individuals and/or groups have committed acts that appear to violate the law in targeting DOGE employees. We are in contact with FBI and other law-enforcement partners to proceed rapidly. We also have our prosecutors preparing.” … I guess that First Amendment stuff the ‘Free Speech Absolutist’ used to whine about is out the window now. … During the transition, Martin served as the Chief of Staff to Trump’s Budget Director Russ Vought. Vought was a Chief Architect of Project 2025. … Musk responded to Martin’s statement: “Don’t mess with DOGE.” … Axios reported that about 20,000 federal employees have accepted the buyout offered to them last week by Musk, which is only about 1% of the federal government workforce. That number is way lower than he expected, as Musk reportedly predicted that 5-10% would accept the offer. However, the offer is open until this Thursday so we will see if more people fall for this. … Trump nominated right-wing podcaster Sean Parnell to be Pete Hegseth’s Chief Pentagon Spokesperson and Asst. Sec Def. Trump endorsed Parnell for Senate in PA in 2022, but he dropped out of the race when he lost custody of his children after his wife testified in court that Parnell abused her and their children by choking her and pinning her down, and also struck one of their children in a fit of rage. … Great wingman for Hegseth at the Pentagon after-hours parties. … Hegseth announced that the first flights of migrants to Guantanamo Bay started today. Trump’s executive order allows for up to 30,000 to be housed their while their deportation cases are litigated. … 2025’s oddest couple has Bernie Sanders and Josh Hawley teaming up to co-sponsor a bill the cap credit card interest rates at 10%, which was one of Trump’s many campaign promises. Hawley: “Credit card interest rates are out of control. Rates have DOUBLED in recent years. In 2022 alone, credit cards charged Americans $105 billion in interest. Today Bernie Sanders and I are teaming up to introduce a 10% cap on interest rates.” … Sanders: “When large financial institutions charge over 25% interest on credit cards, they are not engaged in the business of making credit available. They are engaged in extortion and loan sharking.” … It will be interesting to see who in the Senate tries to block this from happening. … Trump said that he wants other countries to start housing our prison inmates, and President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador said he is willing to accept the offer: "We have offered the US the opportunity to outsource part of its prison system. We are willing to take in convicted criminals (including convicted US citizens) into our mega-prison (CECOT) in exchange for a fee. The fee would be relatively low for the US but significant for us, making our entire prison system sustainable." … It has been settled law in the US for a couple centuries that it is illegal for our inmates to be sent to a foreign prison. Human rights groups have also called for CECOT to be closed because of mistreatment of inmates. … Immigration Law expert Aaron Reichlin-Melnick: “Okay, but that's not a thing. I don't care what Bukele says, the US cannot legally banish Americans - such authorities died centuries ago and are the relic of a time of terra nullius. It just is not legal under any modern international laws either.” … China announced retaliatory measures against the US after Trump's 10% additional tariff took effect on all Chinese goods. They announced an additional 15% tax on coal and liquefied natural gas, and a 10% tariff on crude oil, agricultural machinery, large cars and pickup trucks exported by the US. China also announced new export controls on more than two dozen metal products exported by the US. … China also retaliated by announcing they have opened up an investigation into Google, Nvidia, and Intel for monopolistic practices by the companies. … Canadian MP Charlie Angus told Meidas Touch that Trump lost the tariff battle: “He blinked. He choked. Two days ago, he was telling us that if we didn’t give up our nationhood, the tariffs would stay on. Then we hit him with $125 billion in tariffs. We pulled KY booze off our shelves. Then we said, ‘You’re getting another $25 billion right after that.’ The market started to tank, and suddenly, he said, ‘Oh, didn’t you guys already have a plan to deal with the border back in December? I love that—I’ll take that.’ This is Mr. Art of the Deal.” … Even Laura Ingraham thought Trump declaring victory on this was BS: “I’m not too impressed with Canada’s response. A Fentanyl Czar? What’s that gonna do? Trump saw a huge negative reaction to this from Wall Street, from the market, from all the establishment types. Maybe some of his advisors said, ‘Whoa, we need to rethink this.’” … Canada’s Ambassador to the UN Bob Rae was asked on Fox if it is true that Canada made new concessions to Trump because of the tariff threat: “Not true. Many of those expenditures were already announced by the PM many weeks ago.” … WaPo columnist Catherine Rampell on CNN: “Trump is trying to repackage the status quo as a victory. That's what the leaders of these foreign countries are learning. You don't actually have to give Trump anything. You just have to let him announce victory on TV.” … Sen. Susan Collins says she saved Maine from Trump again: “I am pleased that the Trump Admin is pausing the tariffs on Canada to evaluate the economic impact on both our nations. In my many conversations with Admin officials over the weekend, I sought to make them aware of the potential costs of these tariffs. From home heating oil, gasoline, and petroleum products, to Maine’s paper mills, forest products businesses, and agricultural producers, the proposed tariffs on Canada would be detrimental to Maine families and our local economies. As the Admin assesses next steps, I’ll work to ensure Mainers have a seat at the table.” … What a relief that Mainers have a fighter like Susan on our side. … Rep. Warren Davidson was asked by CNN’s Kaitlyn Collins whether Canada gave up anything: “Is there a tangible concession in your view? Davidson: Yeah, absolutely. Collins: What’s new? Davidson: It’s a commitment from Trudeau that wasn't there to help with fentanyl. Collins: He announced that plan, though 6 weeks ago. Davidson: Well, at least he's reiterated it.” … He reiterated it. Art of the Deal, baby. MAGA! … CNBC reported that Trump suggested the US government could buy TikTok with the new ‘Sovereign Wealth Fund’ he said he is creating with taxpayer dollars. Trump also claimed he could raise the money to buy it with tariffs. He also said we would pay no income tax because of his tariffs. Tariffs will solve all our problems. … NYT reports that a DC judge just awarded the Proud Boys’ trademarks to the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church. Proud Boys can’t legally use the name and the church can seize the proceeds of any merchandise sold with that name or logo. The church sued the Proud Boys after they destroyed Black Lives Matter signs outside their building. They got a $1 million judgment which PBs refused to pay, so the judge ordered this as an alternative. … Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio said the decision was a “betrayal of justice.” He was recently pardoned by Trump. … Italian Green Party politician Andrea Zanoni filed a complaint with a court in Italy accusing Donald Trump Jr. of illegally killing an endangered Ruddy Shelduck bird near Venice, Italy during a recent hunting trip. Local environmentalists and Italian MPs have joined the formal complaint and called for an investigation. Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. … Junior was reportedly on a trip to Italy with his new girlfriend after ending his engagement with Kim Guilfoyle, and was seen in a video posted by Field Ethos, which he is part-owner of, dressed in camo posing with several dead ducks he just killed, which included one rare amber colored duck that just happened to be an endangered Ruddy Shelduck. Junior says on the video while pointing at it: “I'm not even sure what it is.' … It is illegal in Italy to kill a Ruddy Shelduck. … The FBI complied with Trump’s demand to hand over the names of every FBI agent who had any involvement whatsoever on the investigation or prosecution of any case related to the J6 insurrection. CNN reports that FBI employees fear everyone on the list will be fired. More than 5,000 names of career employees were submitted. … Deputy AG Emil Bove’s letter demanding the names included this language: “Upon receipt of the requested information, the Office of the Deputy Attorney General will commence a review process to determine whether any additional personnel actions are necessary.” … Nine FBI officials who worked on J6 cases filed a class action complaint in the DC Circuit against DOJ arguing that their names and information about them should not be released to the public. … DOJ has already fired every attorney who worked to prosecute any of the cases. … The lawsuit stated: “Donald Trump has made repeated public pronouncements of his intent to exact revenge upon persons he perceives to be disloyal to him by simply executing their duties in investigating acts incited by him and persons loyal to him.” … RFK Jr was voted out of committee today on a straight party-line vote. Senator and physician Bill Cassidy, who was subject to an intense pressure campaign because it was obvious to everyone he knew Kennedy was unfit, caved to MAGA mob: “Kennedy and the Admin reached out, seeking to reassure me regarding their commitment to protecting the public health benefit of vaccination. He assured me that he and I would have an unprecedentedly close, collaborative working relationship if he is confirmed. We will meet or speak multiple times a month. This collaboration will allow us to work well together and therefore to be more effective.” … Cassidy continued his lame excuses for cowering in fear: “Kennedy has asked for my input into hiring decisions at HHS, and this aspect of the collaboration will allow us to represent all sides of those folks who are contacted me over this past weekend. He has also committed that he would work within current vaccine approval and safety monitoring systems and not establish parallel systems.” … Sen. Raphael Warnock: "Donald Trump said he was going to allow Kennedy to 'go wild' on health. 'Go wild.' Of all the things that I can think of that I'd like to see an HHS Secretary do, 'go wild' is not on the list. He's unqualified, and I dare say everybody here knows it." … Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told Fox: “I hope he goes wild and actually finds a way to reduce the cost of health care.” … Tulsi Gabbard was also voted out of Committee on a straight 9-8 party line vote as Republicans who expressed “grave concerns” all caved to pressure. … Trump’s Deportation Czar Tom Homan said on Sean Hannity’s show that he might arrest NJ Governor Phil Murphy. Hannity: “The governor of NJ basically admitted that he knew someone that didn't have full documentation, that he was hiding over in his garage. Homan: We will look into it. If he knowingly is harboring and concealing an illegal alien, that's a violation, I will seek prosecution.” … Homan is also predicting a war on the southern border: "It's gonna become violent. You're gonna see violence on the border. It's unfortunate, but we know it's coming. Border Patrol is prepared. It's great to have the military on the southern border. They're prepared." … NBC reports that the Trump Admin has blocked access to secure communications for hundreds of USAID employees abroad — including many who are currently working in dangerous war zones. … Rep. Sarah McBride to CNN on Musk trying to shut down USAID: “If they can get away with this, with USAID, they can do it anywhere. And that means that no part of the federal government, including programs like Medicare and Social Security, will be safe from this admin. They lied during the course of the campaign when they said that they wouldn't be implementing Project 2025. Well, this is project 2025, so we cannot take them at their word when they say that Social Security and Medicare are protected.” … The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on FBI nominee Kash Patel on Thursday morning. … WaPo reports that Trump is about to sign an Executive Order to begin the process of abolishing the Department of Education. … Trump will attend the Super Bowl in New Orleans this weekend. He is the first sitting president to attend the Super Bowl, which is ironic since he boycotted the league for years because it has supposedly “gone woke,” and even said earlier this year that the league because had been “ruined” by rule changes. … Fox Digital reports that Republicans on the House Budget Committee could not agree with each other on spending cuts, so they have pushed back the timetable to write it up into legislation. Deficit hawks on the committee rejected Mike Johnson’s plan for $900 billion in spending cuts with about $300 billion in new spending. … President Zelensky told AP that the Trump Admin’s plan to begin peace talks with Russia while excluding Ukraine is a huge mistake: "If there will be direct talks between America and Russia without Ukraine, it is very dangerous, I think. They may have their own relations, but talking about Ukraine without us – it is dangerous for everyone." … Special Envoy Keith Kellogg told Fox that Trump "will lead" the negotiations: "I think most people should be very comfortable in the fact that he knows exactly what he’s doing. He knows where to apply pressure, where not to apply pressure. But more importantly, that he will create leverage, leverage both with Ukrainians and the Russians." … Elon Musk posted that White South Africans are being discriminated against in their country so they should be allowed to come here and get citizenship. He responded ‘Yes’ while posting this: “White South Africans are one of the few population groups that are fiscally positive when immigrating to Europe. We should allow more immigration of White South Africans.” … The only Africans that Musk wants to allow to come to the US are the White ones. What a surprise. … Ron DeSantis announced a “2nd Amendment Summer” where people will pay no sales tax for firearms and ammunition from Memorial Day to July 4 in Florida. People will still have to pay sales tax on everything else - just not guns because that’s what we want to encourage people to buy more of. … PBS says people who run Head Start programs in multiple states report that funding has been shut off for some programs. Joel Ryan with Washington State Head Start: “It feels like a rolling blackout A lot of programs are getting error messages or sorry messages," when trying to access their funding/accounts. He told PBS that Head Start programs will have to close for lack of funding for rent, payroll, etc. if this isn’t resolved quickly. … New State Dept Spokesman Darrin Beattie issued a statement to his co-workers at Revolver News saying goodbye: “We are, of course, best known for directly challenging the official narrative of January 6—and we are especially proud that President Trump, who recently and heroically pardoned the January 6 political prisoners, has himself cited our reporting on this issue frequently and favorably.” … Lovely. All the best people. … The NYT reports that the State Department has fired about 60 contractors who work for its democracy, human rights, and labor bureau. Those things are apparently not much of a priority anymore for our government. … Waffle House has announced they will be adding a $0.50 surcharge on every egg they sell in response to the soaring cost of eggs under the Trump administration. From their statement: "Consumers and restaurants are being forced to make difficult decisions. While we hope these price fluctuations will be short-lived, we cannot predict how long this shortage will last." … The Admin is focused on starting a new war in the Middle East. Complaining about egg prices is so 2024.