Today in Politics, Bulletin 83. 3/3/25.

Ron Filipkowski Mar 4 ∙

… Sen. Rick Scott said AOC “should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law” for posting videos on social media advising people what their rights are if ICE agents come to their door: “We took an oath - we’re supposed to uphold the constitution, not tell people how to evade the constitution. It sure seems like she’s violating the law.”

… Scott pled the 5th 75 different times when his hospitals were investigated for Medicaid fraud in 1997. The company was fined $1.7 billion.

… Border Czar Tom Homan has referred AOC to DOJ and AG Pam Bondi to be criminally investigated for obstruction of justice. Bondi has not commented on the progress of the investigation.

… Bloomberg reports that there has been 8,200 migrant detentions over the past two weeks, which is down from 10,000 for the two weeks prior to that. Homan has blamed AOC, other elected officials, and media for the much lower than expected numbers, alleging they are tipping people off about imminent ICE raids.

… Trump’s Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins told Fox that the solution to high egg prices is for people to raise chickens in their backyards: “The silver lining in all of this is how do all of us - we’ve got chickens in our back yard - how to we solve something like this? People are looking around and saying, ‘How can I get a chicken in my back yard?’ It’s awesome!”

… Problem solved.

… Trump reiterated today from the WH that his 25% tariffs against Canada and Mexico will be going into effect tomorrow. Investors on Wall Street, who had been in denial thinking that Trump would do another last minute “pause”, were probably jumping out of windows. Trump said there is no way he will change his mind and they will begin tomorrow. This is what happened:

… Bloomberg reported that the tariffs on Canada and Mexico are likely to make US car prices rise by as much as $12,000, since so many parts and pieces of vehicles are manufactured at plants in those countries. In his remarks today, Trump said the manufacturers are just going to have to move all their plants to the US.

… Auto industry analyst Anderson Economic Group said a large SUV with “significant” content from Mexico would see a nearly $9,000 increase, while a pickup would see an $8,000 increase: “Tariffs on the scale that President Trump has threatened would have a sharp negative effect on auto sales.”

… Popular vehicles who will rise dramatically from the tariff would be Ford Maverick truck, Bronco Sport, Mustang Mach, Chevrolet Silverado, and Ram pickups. Ford CEO Jim Farley: “It will blow a hole in the US industry that we have never seen. You’ll see some model and trim types just disappear.”

… A few days ago, Eric Trump started making strange posts on social media telling investors in crypto to hold onto what they had even though all of them are way down from previous highs. He even told people to put more money in: “Buy the dips!”

… We just learned why. His daddy posted on Truth Social: “My Executive Order on Digital Assets directed the Presidential Working Group to move forward on a Crypto Strategic Reserve that includes XRP, SOL, and ADA. I will make sure the US is the Crypto Capital of the World. And, obviously, BTC and ETH, as other valuable Cryptocurrencies, will be the heart of the Reserve. I also love Bitcoin and Ethereum!”

… Trump has no idea what any of that is. He just knows he’s potentially making billions off this scam.

… One crypto commentator on X: “In 20 years of investing, this is the most corrupt thing I've ever seen in financial markets. Eric Trump is not even trying to hide the fact that his Dad, the President, is deliberately pumping crypto coins, of which they own huge amounts. Well, now we know what Eric meant. His Dad gave him the insider trading information, and he was low-key passing it on to the public. I bet you Wall Street takes him a lot more seriously from now on. Whatever he says now will absolutely move markets.”

… Former Rep. Tom Malinowski: “Just so everyone is clear - this is using your taxpayer money to buy up crypto currency so that the price goes up for those holding it.”

… Which is the entire Trump family. Trump launched his own crypto coin shortly before taking office. Melania launched hers the day before the inauguration. Eric and Junior also have their own coins going. All of them are down big since their were first announced and surged, but Trump having the US govt go all-in on crypto might revive the market.

… One crypto analyst posted on X: “Trump’s ‘Crypto Czar’ David Sacks is up there among the biggest pieces of shit in the US. He literally cried for the government to save his bags when Silicon Valley Bank collapsed - now did it again with his crypto fund. He’s a shit stain on America. The day he finally ends up in jail should become a national holiday.”

… Ben Norton, Editor of Geopolitical Economy Report, on Sacks: “Jaw-dropping corruption in the US: Trump's billionaire crypto czar is heavily invested in a fund whose top 5 holdings are the 5 in the proposed US govt Crypto Strategic Reserve. Mere hours before Trump announced it, someone bought $200 million in Ethereum & Bitcoin on 50X LEVERAGE. I'll say it again: The blatant corruption and looting in the US today is like what was done to Russia in the 1990s - but this time, the USA is doing it to itself. The US govt was always run on behalf of oligarchs, but now the oligarchs are directly in charge. It's pillage!”

… A disillusioned MAGA influencer on X: “As an enthusiastic supporter of 2016 MAGA, I admit I was fooled by Trump's empty campaign promises. But at least we OGs didn’t support sex traffickers, crypto scams, and alienating all of our allies. MAGA 1.0 was naive. MAGA 2.0 is disgusting, corrupt and dangerous.”

… The (UK) Telegraph reported that SecDef Pete Hegseth ordered Cyber Command chief Gen. Timothy Haugh to halt all work to counter cyber threats from Russia, and focus instead on China and Iran. US officials said Russia launched a major ransomware effort right after Trump took office attempting to penetrate US hospitals, infrastructure and municipal networks.

… One official told CNN that this is “a major blow” to national security because it will make the US more vulnerable to cyberattacks from Russia, which has a formidable cadre of hackers capable of disrupting US critical infrastructure and collecting sensitive intelligence. The official said Russia and the US are in a constant battle in cyberspace, and the Kremlin sees that it has an asymmetric advantage in cyberspace to burrow into US critical infrastructure and try to influence US elections.

… Guardian reports that person familiar with the matter said analysts at the agency were verbally informed that they were not to follow or report on Russian threats, even though this had previously been a main focus for the agency: “Russia and China are our biggest adversaries. With all the cuts being made to different agencies, a lot of cybersecurity personnel have been fired. Our systems are not going to be protected and our adversaries know this. People are saying Russia is winning. Putin is on the inside now.”

… Another person who previously worked on US joint task forces tracking Russian cyber threats: “It’s truly shocking. There are thousands of US govt employees and military working daily on the massive threat Russia poses as possibly the most significant nation state threat actor. There are dozens of discrete Russia state-sponsored hacker teams dedicated to either producing damage to US govt infrastructure and commercial interests or conducting information theft with a key goal of maintaining persistent access to computer systems.”

… Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) seemed surprise to learn about Hegseth’s new cyber security directive on Fox: "I don't know why he's doing that, the Russians are attacking us every single day. I don’t think you signal to the Russians that we are going to unilaterally withdraw from this space. I really don’t understand where that’s coming from. This is a mistake.”

… Fox Business host Stuart Varney responded: “It looks like we are moving to Russia’s side.”

… Trump posted on Truth Social: “We should spend less time worrying about Putin.”

… Conan O’Brien at the Oscars last night: “You know, Anora is having a good night. That's great news. Two wins already. I guess Americans are excited to see somebody finally stand up to a powerful Russian.”

… Newsmax host Todd Starnes was outraged that the Dennis Quaid biopic ‘Reagan’ didn’t get any Oscar nominations. He says it was because of DEI. Starnes posted a quote from the screenwriter: “We didn’t seriously expect to be nominated for anything by Hollywood in this cultural climate."

… Sen. Chris Murphy to CNN: "Everyone who signs up to work for Trump is signing up for one single project, and that is the transition of American democracy to a kind of kleptocratic oligarchy in which the billionaires rule and get to steal from regular Americans. And if that's the domestic project, the way you normalize that kind of govt is to associate yourself with similar governments abroad, like the Kremlin."

Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

… Melania Trump was the guest of Ted Cruz today, where she was in the Senate advocating for Ted’s bill to make it a crime to create AI deepfake porn and nudes of people and post them online. She read this statement: “The widespread abusive behavior in the digital domain affects the daily lives of our children, families, and communities. My commitment to the Be Best initiative underscores the importance of online safety.”

… There are lots of nudes that have floated around the internet of Melania for many years. Some are real, some are obviously not, some it is hard to tell. The Trumps never do anything unless it affects them or they can find a way to make money off it.

… Ted Cruz: “Melania Trump is using her first public appearance to promote and support my legislation, the TAKE IT DOWN Act. No one should have to experience the pain, humiliation, and trauma that so many Americans have at the hands of AI deepfakes.” The bill would make it a crime to publish “non-consensual intimate imagery” and require websites and social media platforms to remove '“deepfake pornography.”

… Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ): “I had a EU leader ask me, if Russia were to attack a NATO country, would America fulfill it’s Art V obligations? The only time it’s ever been invoked was for the US after 9/11. I think the Oval Office meeting was an answer to that question. I don’t think the US would fulfill its requirements. Now we see Elon Musk and others talking about us pulling out of NATO.”

… Fox WH Correspondent and nepo baby Pete Doocy said Trump will now only agree to try and end the war if Zelensky apologizes: "I have been told by a senior official here that nothing is gonna happen with this minerals deal until Zelensky goes in front of cameras and makes an explicit public apology for the way he behaved in the Oval Office with that meeting."

… Trump’s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick: "You gotta say, 'We love America, We appreciate America’. Instead he said, 'I want $300 billion in reparations from Russia. I want them off my land. I want all the land.' Really?! All the land back? It's just way too far. That's not a peacemaker. That's a troublemaker."

… Zelensky wants the $300 billion in Russian assets that were seized by the EU and held in trust to help rebuild his country. He most likely really just wants to use it as a bargaining chip in negotiations with Putin, who wants that money back very badly. Instead, Trump has given away every bargaining chip in advance except this one - since it is controlled by the EU.

… The New Republic reports that DOGE canceled a MANA contract for nutritional peanut paste that has served as lifesaving assistance for starving kids abroad. It is grown by American farmers and manufactured by American workers, and huge amounts of it that was ready to ship has been sitting in Georgia warehouses rotting. Former USAID official Atul Gawande told them this will result in "a massive loss of life."

… The optics of the richest man in the world starving kids while food from American farmers rotted in warehouses was maybe a bit much for someone with a modicum of sense inside the Trump Admin, so Musk announced that the funding to ship the peanut paste and distribute it was reinstated. Except he reinstated funding for the wrong company.

… Harvard Medical School professor Sasha Gusev: “The beauty of DOGE is that it is self-correcting. For example, someone pointed out to Musk that he was letting food we had already paid for go to waste, Musk called that person an ‘imbecilic propagandist’, and then several hours later reinstated the wrong contract.”

… NYT reported that DOGE has deleted ANOTHER $4 billion more in savings from the "wall of receipts" on their website. Musk previously deleted 5 of 7 biggest savings that were posted when they launched the site. But DOGE still claims credit for saving $53 million by cancelling a Coast Guard contract that was actually completed 20 years ago.

… Politico reports that RFK Jr’s chief spokesman at HHS Thomas Corry has abruptly resigned after just two weeks on the job. Corry was reportedly upset with RFK Jr’s lack of response to the measles outbreak in Texas.

… The Financial Times Chief Kiev Correspondent Christopher Miller took apart DNI Tulsi Gabbard’s recent appearance on Fox: “She’s on national TV pushing proven falsehoods and talking points that could have come straight from the Kremlin:

• Elections were not ‘canceled,’ they are postponed under martial law, as set out in Ukraine's constitution. There are millions of Ukrainians living under Russian occupation, millions more who've been displaced, a million or so military – and all these people would need to be granted the chance to freely vote, which cannot happen under the Russian gun. Ukrainians overwhelmingly support Zelensky and none of them are questioning his legitimacy. There are 2 countries questioning his legitimacy: Russia and the US.

• Ukraine's political opposition is not silent; they criticize Zelensky even in wartime. There is still a healthy political discourse and competition in the country.

• Churches are not being shutdown as she mentions; the Moscow-run arm of the Orthodox church, which has a proven track record of operating as branch of the Russian Federal Security Branch, has been barred from practicing.

• She claims total government control of the media? Hardly. Independent news outlets are plentiful in Ukraine, and they report critically on the president and the military; many focus on exposing corruption.

• Gabbard also asks what Ukrainians are fighting for and whether they actually value freedom. Ukrainians are engaged in an existential fight. They are fighting and dying for freedom and independence – and they have done so since Russia first invaded in 2014. Ukrainians also led two revolutions – the Orange and Euromaidan/Revolution of Dignity – over corruption, state violence, political repression. The latter saw more than 100 pro-democracy protesters killed on Kyiv's main square, aptly named Independence Square. If there is anyone right now in the world who understands what freedom means and what it costs, its the Ukrainians.

… Punchbowl’s Andrew Desiderio: “Congress passed legislation in 2023 that prevents any president from unilaterally withdrawing from NATO without congressional approval. The lead GOP author? Marco Rubio.”

… The Department of Education has offered some employees a buyout offer of up to $25,000 to resign. CNN reports they have to accept the offer by midnight tonight, with everyone knowing they could be terminated in the near future since Trump has pledged to dismantle the agency and Musk has called for it to be abolished.

… Freshman Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) told Fox that he is introducing a bill to replace Ben Franklin on the $100 bill with a portrait of Donald Trump: "President Trump could be enjoying his golden years golfing and spending time with his family. Instead, he took a bullet for this country and is now working overtime to secure our border, fix our uneven trade relationship with the rest of the world, make America energy independent again and put America first by ending useless foreign aid."

… Gill is ‘2000 Mules’ producer Dinesh D’Souza’s son-in-law. Dinesh was pardoned by Trump after he was convicted of campaign finance fraud. He also forced to admit that his 2000 Mules movie, which claimed ballot drop boxes were stuffed by Democratic operatives in 2020, was a fraud and mostly lies based on fabricated evidence and wild speculation from discredited conspiracy theorist.

… Former NC congressman Madison Cawthorn, who lost his primary after he talked too much in a podcast and regaled the host with stories about GOP congressional cocaine orgies, moved to SW FL after his defeat in 2022. He moved into Byron Donalds district, who is now running for governor, and is signaling that he will begin his comeback by running for Donalds’ seat.

… After his last town hall where veterans in the audience and others expressed outrage over Trump’s policies and Musk’s firings, Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) cancelled his meeting at the last minute with the N. Lacrosse Business Assn at Pearl Street Brewery and moved it to a new location without notifying many of the people who signed up to attend.

… Local WXOW spoke to one of Van Orden’s constituents, Wayde Lawler: “It’s been over a year since we’ve had a town hall from him - only private, scripted events. A lot of citizens have questions, it’s not a Republican or Democrat thing, it’s an American citizen’s thing.”

… Projection King Donald Trump, who has used paid influencers for years holding signs and wearing tee shirts at his events, posted on Truth Social: “Paid ‘troublemakers’ are attending Republican Town Hall Meetings. It is all part of the game for the Democrats, but just like our big LANDSLIDE ELECTION, it’s not going to work for them!”

… GovExec reports that Musk is making his second attempt to force all government employees to send an email with 5 things they accomplished this week, but this time he is having agency heads send out the emails rather than Musk’s OPM. Many of the agencies just sent out the new emails with Musk’s demand, but technically under their authority.

… Independent journalist Kyle Tharp reports that Musk has been a great fundraiser for Democrats, with Sen. Chris Murphy leading the pack: “In the past month, Democrats have spent over $3 million on Facebook and Instagram ads mentioning Elon Musk. Everyone from Senate campaigns, to the DNC, to local races are getting in on the action - a sign that Musk is becoming a strong fundraising bogeyman for the party.”

… Michael Flynn associate Ivan Raiklin, who many have speculated was the J6 pipe bomber, says that it is time for Trump to fire AG Pam Bondi and replace her with former Trump “election fraud” lawyer Sidney Powell. He said that Bondi is “pathetic” after she lied about releasing all the Epstein files on Fox before handing a few binders of previously known info to MAGA social media influencers, and Powell is the perfect person to replace her.

… Lots of MAGA accounts have called on Trump to fire Bondi over the fiasco, a movement largely led on social media by provocateur Laura Loomer. One influencer with well over 100K followers: “Bondi: I saw the Epstein Files, they are on my desk. Also Bondi: Here are some grifters with bindergate props to appease the masses. Also Bondi: The FBI actually is withholding the files from me. Also Bondi: I will get the files tomorrow at 8am or else. Also Bondi: The files are coming. Complete and utter cluster f*ck! A clown show! A circus! A dog and pony show!”

… Sidney could use the work, and she is ready for action.

Invite your friends and earn rewards