GET THE APP
Tuesday, September 9, 2025

Tag: Donald Trump
November 18, 2024
Corruption
Election 2024

Trump Is Right, Ann Selzer Should be Investigated.

President-elect Donald J. Trump has called for an investigation into Iowa pollster Ann Selzer, whose pre-election survey predicted a loss for him in Iowa, a state he actually won by a significant margin. The Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll, conducted by Selzer & Company, placed Vice President Kamala Harris three percentage points ahead of Trump in the Hawkeye State. After his decisive victory, 56 percent to 42.7 percent, he expressed distrust in the Selzer poll on his Truth Social platform, suggesting election fraud.

“A totally Fake poll that caused great distrust and uncertainty at a very critical time,” Trump said, alleging: “She knew exactly what she was doing.”

He continued: “Thank you to the GREAT PEOPLE OF IOWA for giving me such a record breaking vote, despite possible ELECTION FRAUD by Ann Selzer and the now discredited ‘newspaper’ for which she works. An investigation is fully called for!”

Ann Selzer, described as “the best pollster in politics” as recently as 2016, announced her retirement from the polling industry the Sunday following the election. However, she claims that her methodology in Iowa was consistent with previous successful predictions.

The pollster claims her Iowa survey was accurate, suggesting its publication increased conservative turnout. “I told more than one news outlet that the findings from this last poll could actually energize and activate Republican voters who thought they would likely coast to victory. Maybe that’s what happened,” she argued.

If Selzer’s poll was fraudulent, as Trump argues, it could have diverted key campaign resources in what was expected to be a close race, making an investigation into possible attempted election interference fully warranted.

Image by John Pemble.

show less
President-elect Donald J. Trump has called for an investigation into Iowa pollster Ann Selzer, whose pre-election survey predicted a loss for him in Iowa, a state he actually won by a significant margin. The Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll, conducted by Selzer & Company, placed Vice President Kamala Harris three percentage points ahead of Trump in the Hawkeye State. After his decisive victory, 56 percent to 42.7 percent, he expressed distrust in the Selzer poll on his Truth Social platform, suggesting election fraud. show more
November 18, 2024
TRUMP TRANSITION 2024/5

Yes, Recess Appointments Are Constitutional & Can Be Further Extended Under the FVRA.

President-elect Donald J. Trump has proposed using recess appointments to expedite the establishment of his new administration, after delays in Senate confirmations during his first term. This approach raises the question of whether history and the law allow the President to quickly assemble a Cabinet using recess appointments. The U.S. Constitution grants the President the power to make appointments, with Senate confirmation required in most cases, but it also provides an alternative via the Recess Appointments Clause.

CONSTITUTIONALITY. 

This clause allows the President to fill vacancies without Senate approval during the Senate’s recess. Historically, this practice has facilitated the prompt filling of roles, ensuring that executive functions are not interrupted by lengthy confirmation processes. The Constitution’s Article II, through its Appointments and Recess Appointments Clauses, empowers the President to make temporary appointments when the Senate is not in session.

The Framers of the Constitution intended recess appointments to serve as a mechanism for maintaining governance continuity. This power is not considered secondary; it is equally valid alongside Senate-confirmed appointments. However, officials placed in office through recess appointments must be confirmed by the Senate by the end of the next session of Congress—essentially the end of the next calendar year. This means their term in office does have an expiration date.

EXTENDING AN APPOINTMENT.

However, the time in office of a Cabinet member named through a recess appointment can be extended through the Federal Vacancies Reform Act (FVRA). As a presidential appointee, the officer—prior to the expiration of their recess appointment—can be moved to the Acting agency head and serve an additional 210 calendar days. All in all, this would result in a recess appointee being able to hold office for around two years of the President’s term in office. This was done in 2002 regarding Eugene Scalia’s appointment as Solicitor of Labor and is backed by a ruling from the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) of the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Additionally, the President can—under certain conditions—adjourn Congress if the House and Senate cannot agree on recess timing. This maneuver would allow President-elect Trump to utilize recess appointments more effectively, even if Senate Republicans oppose them to some degree.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

show less
President-elect Donald J. Trump has proposed using recess appointments to expedite the establishment of his new administration, after delays in Senate confirmations during his first term. This approach raises the question of whether history and the law allow the President to quickly assemble a Cabinet using recess appointments. The U.S. Constitution grants the President the power to make appointments, with Senate confirmation required in most cases, but it also provides an alternative via the Recess Appointments Clause. show more
November 18, 2024
Jack Montgomery
TRUMP TRANSITION 2024/5

Why Trump’s FCC Pick, Brendan Carr, is Rankling the Establishment.

Brendan Carr, designated by President-elect Donald J. Trump to lead the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has announced plans to terminate the agency’s focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. “We must dismantle the censorship cartel and restore free speech rights for everyday Americans,” Carr stated on Elon Musk’s X platform.

Carr highlighted that the FCC’s recent budget proposal identified promoting DEI as the agency’s second-highest strategic priority. He committed to removing DEI promotion from the FCC’s agenda starting next year, indicating a shift in the communications regulatory body’s policy direction.

Announcing Carr’s promotion to the FCC chairmanship, President-elect Trump said, “Commissioner Carr is a warrior for Free Speech, and has fought against the regulatory Lawfare that has stifled America’s Freedoms, and held back our Economy.”

Before the November 5 election, The National Pulse reported on Carr’s criticism of Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook for censoring accurate information about the Biden-Harris government’s failures. So-called fact-checkers censored content highlighting a Harris-led, $42 billion initiative to expand rural Internal access, failing to get even a single household online. “Zuckerberg promised Congress that it had stopped censoring posts at the behest of the Biden-Harris Administration,” Carr observed.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

show less
Brendan Carr, designated by President-elect Donald J. Trump to lead the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has announced plans to terminate the agency's focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. "We must dismantle the censorship cartel and restore free speech rights for everyday Americans," Carr stated on Elon Musk's X platform. show more
November 18, 2024
TRUMP TRANSITION 2024/5

Who Are Trump’s New Contenders for Treasury Secretary?

President-elect Donald J. Trump is considering two additional names for Treasury Secretary amidst ongoing infighting between the camps supporting current transition chair Howard Lutnick and Scott Bessent. Lutnick, backed by Elon Musk, has allegedly fallen out of favor due to concerns over possible manipulation of the presidential transition process.

The new names under consideration are former Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh and Marc Rowan, CEO of Apollo Global Management. Warsh has deep ties to Wall Street, acting as the central bank’s liaison to investors and major financial firms in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. The former Fed governor also has extensive experience with Asian economies, meaning he could prove a valuable asset if the U.S. pushes further with decoupling from China.

In addition to Warsh, Trump is considering Marc Rowan, a major market investor and donor to Trump’s presidential campaign. Rowan currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Advisors of the Wharton School of Business and led the campaign to have then-President of the University of Pennsylvania, Liz Magill, and then-chairman of the Board of Trustees, Scott Bok, fired over their lack of response to antisemitism on campus following Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attacks against Israel.

Billionaire Trump backer Elon Musk publicly supports Lutnick, calling him a change agent and contrasting him with Bessen, whom he labeled a “business-as-usual choice.” Lutnick is also backed by Secretary of Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Notably, candidates such as Larry Kudlow and John Paulson have withdrawn from consideration.

Image by Mike.

show less
President-elect Donald J. Trump is considering two additional names for Treasury Secretary amidst ongoing infighting between the camps supporting current transition chair Howard Lutnick and Scott Bessent. Lutnick, backed by Elon Musk, has allegedly fallen out of favor due to concerns over possible manipulation of the presidential transition process. show more
November 16, 2024
Politics
World

Zelensky Says Trump’s Election Will Hasten the End of the Ukraine-Russia War.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky says the election of Donald J. Trump in the United States will likely hasten the end of the war in his country. The Ukranian leader’s remarks were published in an interview with the Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine (Suspilne) on Friday.

“The war will end, but there is no exact date,” Zelenesky states, admitting: “Certainly, with the policies of this team that will now lead the White House, the war will end faster. This is their approach, their promise to their society, and it is also very important to them.”

However, Zelensky did signal his government would remain somewhat defiant should Trump attempt to bring them to the table for peace talks with Russia. He emphasized that Ukraine “is an independent country” and that the “sit and listen” approach won’t work with his people.

On the 2024 campaign trail, President-elect Trump repeatedly stated the need for a cessation of hostilities between Ukraine and Russia and a peace deal. For his part, Zelensky traveled to the U.S. in the closing days of the American presidential election and essentially campaigned on behalf of the Democratic Party’s nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.

Numerous Western leaders have attempted to pressure Trump into continuing U.S. financial and military support for Ukraine—despite the country’s deteriorating defense capabilities and concerning casualty rate. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson is one of the loudest voices on this front.

Meanwhile, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a close ally of Trump, has stated he believes the President-elect will stop the flow of weapons and money to Ukraine, explaining, “…the war will end, because it is obvious that Ukraine can not stand on its own feet.”

show less
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says the election of Donald J. Trump in the United States will likely hasten the end of the war in his country. The Ukranian leader's remarks were published in an interview with the Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine (Suspilne) on Friday. show more
November 16, 2024
William Upton
Election 2024
Lawfare

Top Democrat Litigator: Cases Against Trump Should Be Dropped.

A top Democratic Party election lawyer and Supreme Court litigator who served as counsel to Vice President Al Gore during the 2000 presidential election recount in Florida argues that his colleagues should end the legal cases against President-elect Donald J. Trump. Thomas Goldstein, who now publishes the legal commentary website SCOTUSblog, echoes an argument made last week by former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr, contending that the 2024 Election serves as its own verdict on the prosecutions.

“Democracy’s ultimate verdict on these prosecutions was rendered by voters on Election Day,” Goldstein writes in an essay for the New York Times. The long-time Democrat litigator continues: “The charges were front and center in the campaign. The president-elect made a central feature of his candidacy that the cases were political and calculated to stop him from being re-elected.”

He adds: “Despite the prosecutions, more than 75 million people, a majority of the popular vote counted so far, decided to send him back to the White House.”

DUBIOUS LEGAL THEORIES.

Goldstein contends that the two federal cases against Trump “are history” as Biden-Harris Department of Justice (DOJ) special counsel Jack Smith has indicated that he intends to resign from his constitutionally questionable appointment. Interestingly, Goldstein contends that the two state-level prosecutions against the President-elect in New York and Georgia “invoke legal strategies that had never been used to criminalize the behavior that prosecutors charge.” He notes both cases “…carry the stench of politics and, if pursued, could lay the groundwork for political prosecutions of future presidents.”

A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY. 

The SCOTUSblog publisher also agrees with Trump’s legal team’s contention that the “prosecutors’ legal theories were and are unusual” and that they “are fundamentally federal, not state, concerns.” Additionally, Goldstein argues that the continued pursuit of the charges would threaten the U.S. Constitution and American democracy.

“Inviting prosecutors of the opposing political party to pursue these kinds of charges in the wake of a presidential election can only make things worse,” he states.

show less
A top Democratic Party election lawyer and Supreme Court litigator who served as counsel to Vice President Al Gore during the 2000 presidential election recount in Florida argues that his colleagues should end the legal cases against President-elect Donald J. Trump. Thomas Goldstein, who now publishes the legal commentary website SCOTUSblog, echoes an argument made last week by former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr, contending that the 2024 Election serves as its own verdict on the prosecutions. show more
November 15, 2024
Jack Montgomery
TRUMP TRANSITION 2024/5
War

FLASHBACK: Rubio Worked with Hillary’s Running Mate to ‘Trump-Proof’ NATO.

President-elect Donald J. Trump’s efforts to recalibrate America’s one-sided relationship with NATO face hurdles because of Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) efforts to “Trump-proof” U.S. foreign policy. The Florida neoconservative worked with Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), Hillary Clinton‘s 2016 running mate, to pass legislation banning the U.S. President from exiting NATO without a two-thirds majority vote in the Senate or an authorizing Act of Congress.

Rubio, controversially nominated as Secretary of State despite his anti-Trump history, co-authored the law with Kaine to hamstring any moves by a restored Trump administration to pull out of NATO, a military alliance that requires members to wage defensive wars on each other’s behalf, but depends overwhelmingly on U.S. forces.

Trump strengthened NATO during his first term, largely by threatening to withhold U.S. protection if “delinquent” members did not begin paying their fair share of military spending, rather than relying on American taxpayers—who enjoy substantially fewer social and healthcare benefits than their Canadian and European counterparts—to shoulder the burden.

ALL CARROT, NO STICK. 

Vice President-elect J.D. Vance has also emphasized that U.S. protection should come with “strings,” warning European NATO members that they will lose American support if they pass anti-free speech regulations targeting U.S. social media firms, for instance.

However, Rubio’s legislation will make it much harder for Trump to extract maximum value from NATO by giving America’s notional allies the sense that they can safely ignore any administration threats to withdraw from the alliance—however much they abuse U.S. generosity—because Democrats and Republican war hawks will block it.

The Floridian has past form in terms of undermining Trump on foreign policy. He claimed in 2016 that the America First leader could not be trusted with the nuclear codes, and he also gave cover to Robert Mueller’s hoax Russiagate investigation into the non-existent links between Trump and the Kremlin.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

show less
President-elect Donald J. Trump’s efforts to recalibrate America's one-sided relationship with NATO face hurdles because of Senator Marco Rubio's (R-FL) efforts to "Trump-proof" U.S. foreign policy. The Florida neoconservative worked with Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), Hillary Clinton's 2016 running mate, to pass legislation banning the U.S. President from exiting NATO without a two-thirds majority vote in the Senate or an authorizing Act of Congress. show more
November 15, 2024
Jack Montgomery
TRUMP TRANSITION 2024/5

New Majority Leader John Thune Signals Senate RINOs Will Block Trump’s Cabinet Picks.

Incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is signaling that Republican-in-name-only (RINO) lawmakers in the upper house will likely seek to block the confirmation of impactful Cabinet nominees such as Matt Gaetz and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Speaking to Bret Baier on Thursday, Thune—who pushed for Trump to drop out of the 2016 election in favor of Mike Pence—said: “None of this is gonna be easy.”

While claiming “President Trump had a huge mandate from the American people” and “I always believe that you defer to a president when it comes to the people they want in their Cabinet,” Thune stressed that “obviously there is a process whereby we get down and scrub all these nominees and figure out whether or not, one, are they qualified and are they people fit to hold these offices.” He said an ethics report on Gaetz, nominated for Attorney General, will likely end up “out there” at some point.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) has expressed shock at Trump’s nomination of Gaetz, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) has said the Senate must provide “advice and consent” on the President-elect’s nominees.

RECESS.

Before Thune was selected to replace Sen. Mitch McConnell as Senate Majority leader, Trump warned, “Any Republican Senator seeking the coveted LEADERSHIP position in the United States Senate must agree to Recess Appointments… without which we will not be able to get people confirmed in a timely manner,” noting that his nominees were often held up for years in his first term.

While a recess could allow Trump to bypass the Senate confirmation process, Thune is signaling that Senate Republicans intent on blocking certain picks may also prevent a recess: “You have to have all Republicans vote to recess, as well. So the same Republicans… that might have a problem voting for somebody under regular order probably also has a problem voting to put the Senate in the recess,” he said.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

show less
Incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is signaling that Republican-in-name-only (RINO) lawmakers in the upper house will likely seek to block the confirmation of impactful Cabinet nominees such as Matt Gaetz and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Speaking to Bret Baier on Thursday, Thune—who pushed for Trump to drop out of the 2016 election in favor of Mike Pence—said: "None of this is gonna be easy." show more
November 15, 2024
William Upton
TRUMP TRANSITION 2024/5

FLASHBACK: Media Hyped Obama’s Potential RFK Pick in 2008.

The corporate media supported Robert F. Kennedy Jr. before they opposed him. In 2008, then-President-elect Barack Obama considered the scion of the Kennedy clan to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a policy brief where Kennedy Jr. inarguably holds far-left views. The potential appointment received almost effusive praise from the media, with POLITICO calling it “a shrewd early move.”

“Obama advisers said the nomination would please both Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.),” Mike Allen, a reporter for the corporate media outlet now owned by the German company Axel Springer SE. He added: “It also would raise the profile of the EPA, which would help endear Obama to liberals who may be disappointed on other issues important to the Democratic left because of budget restrictions.”

Allen notes, “Kennedy, an environmental lawyer and son of the late senator and attorney general Robert F. Kennedy, has long championed a cleaner water supply for New York City.” Continuing with the praise, the story mentions that RFK Jr. fought against corporate and government polluters who had been dumping waste in the Hudson River, adding that the future independent presidential candidate is also an avid falconer and white-water rafter.

For POLITICO in 2008, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was a “star.”  However, today, Kennedy Jr.—tapped by President-elect Donald J. Trump to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—has lost that star status in the eyes of the corporate press. While Kennedy himself has changed little since 2008, it appears the urging of special interests in Big Pharma and the fact that Trump is appointing him are the primary drivers of the cascade of negative media coverage.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

show less
The corporate media supported Robert F. Kennedy Jr. before they opposed him. In 2008, then-President-elect Barack Obama considered the scion of the Kennedy clan to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a policy brief where Kennedy Jr. inarguably holds far-left views. The potential appointment received almost effusive praise from the media, with POLITICO calling it "a shrewd early move." show more
November 15, 2024
Election 2024
Media

Anti-Trump Editor of Historic Magazine Faces Reckoning.

Laura Helmuth has stepped down from her role as editor-in-chief of Scientific American. The magazine, recognized as the oldest continuously published periodical in the United States since its inception in 1845, announced her departure on Thursday. Helmuth’s exit follows a series of foul-mouthed posts she made online attacking supporters of President-elect Donald J. Trump.

The remarks on X alternative Bluesky, which were later deleted, included attacks on notable Trump allies, such as Vice President-elect J.D. Vance. “As a stepparent, stepchild, half-sib and half-aunt I just cannot WAIT for whoever Kamala Harris’s VP pick is,” she said following Vance’s selection as Trump’s running mate, adding: “Kick J.D. Vance’s bigoted, misogynistic, white supremacist carcass to the f***ing MOON.”

As Trump’s election win was unfolding, she posted, “I apologize to younger voters that my Gen X is so full of f***ing fascists,” adding: “Solidarity to everybody whose meanest, dumbest, most bigoted high-school classmates are celebrating early results because f**k them to the moon and back.”

She also described the State of Indiana as “racist and sexist” and branded vaccine skeptics “f***ing ghouls.”

Helmuth apologized for her posts and described them as an inappropriate reaction to the election results, asserting that her comments did not represent the views of Scientific American or its staff. She claimed to be committed to impartiality and respectful dialogue in media.

Previously, Scientific American stirred controversy with its first presidential endorsement in 2020, supporting Joe Biden, and continued endorsement of Democratic candidates, including Kamala Harris, in September. In addition to this political activism, readers have questioned the magazine’s increasing focus on social issues like race and gender.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

show less
Laura Helmuth has stepped down from her role as editor-in-chief of Scientific American. The magazine, recognized as the oldest continuously published periodical in the United States since its inception in 1845, announced her departure on Thursday. Helmuth's exit follows a series of foul-mouthed posts she made online attacking supporters of President-elect Donald J. Trump. show more