JACK SMITH IS AN AMERICAN HERO.

 

We knew, of course, why Trump had to win a second term in office:

 

"Jack Smith testified that Trump committed serious crimes against the nation. 

Former Special Counsel Jack Smith testified under oath that the investigative evidence revealed that Donald Trump committed serious crimes against the nation."

(That's not hard to believe about a man who's a convicted felon and adjudicated SA/rapist who's cheated, lied, and committed fraud all through his miserable life.)

********************************

Barry Abrams:

First, from former Special Counsel, Jack Smith, dragged back in front of a wholly supine Senate committee once again to explain how he dared investigate obvious, outrageous criminality by the most unequivocally corrupt president in American history, Smith had none of it.

The high farce of the hearing was when Republicans Eric Schmitt of Missouri and John Kennedy of Louisiana (every reporter’s cornpone savant) tried to land a grand, “gotcha” moment that backfired spectacularly. It’s already playing in heavy rotation on news outlets intermittently banned from the White House.

The assertion by the two Senators, one of whom repeatedly called Smith “a dirtbag” — and considering who they regularly caucus with, Schmitt and Kennedy know a thing or two about dirtbags — was that Smith, then investigating Trump for — well, what do you want to start with? — met up with Atlanta DA Fani Willis while in Georgia for an Atlanta Hawks NBA game.

Their only problem? The team Smith went to see was the Iowa Hawk … eyes. A college team. And in a totally different place. In Maryland. Not Atlanta. Which is 650 miles south. And as a kicker, it was a women’s game … featuring Caitlin Clark specifically … not 10 great big (and scary) black men.

Like almost everything about the Republican party today, it was a farce. Or “La farsa delle farse” as the Italians would say. Maybe not a full on sick farce like so much else in the MAGA hollers, but as down home stupid as it gets outside Loooosiana and the ‘Zarks.

***********************************

During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Republican Senator Eric Schmitt of Missouri attempted to trap former special counsel Jack Smith in a perjury accusation, only to embarrassingly fail by confusing the professional NBA team the Atlanta Hawks with the women's college basketball team the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Who's the dirtbag now, Senator Schmitt???

"They were so arrogant. They thought they busted Jack Smith perjuring himself. 

Senator Eric Schmitt accused Jack of traveling to Atlanta in 2024 to collude with Fani Willis, and his "proof" that he held up for about three seconds showed text messages that he was in Atlanta at a Hawks game. It turns out, he was in Maryland watching Caitlin Clark play. She was on the Iowa Hawkeyes. 

Schmitt, who may actually be dumber than Tommy Tuberville, got the teams wrong! This is always how it plays out. 

This isn't Twitter, it's court. 

This is where evidence comes out. Notice that the GOP has targeted all of Trump's enemies and none of them have been prosecuted. All they have is accusations. They know these people aren't guilty and they go through all this for political theater. 

That's why Biden, Obama, the SLPC, Dr Fauci, Willis, Hillary, Leticia James, and Jack Smith are all still walking free. 

If you ever feel like a failure, just take a look at the GOP and you'll feel better about yourself."

This is an actual screenshot of Sen. Schmitt’s staff the moment they realized their massive mistake.

He did what?

 

President Trump has asked Xi Jinping, the leader of China, whether he would like to buy American weapons, David Perdue, the American ambassador to China, said in a television interview on Sunday.

“President Trump continues to say, ‘Hey, we sell arms to other people around the world,’” Mr. Perdue said on “Fox News Sunday” while discussing the state visit by Mr. Xi to Washington last week. “He actually asked President Xi would he like to buy some at one point.”

Mr. Perdue did not give further details and did not reveal Mr. Xi’s reply.

China’s support for Russia and Iran in their respective wars relies on a delicate balance of "pro-neutrality" diplomacy masking deep covert economic and material assistance. Officially, Beijing presents itself as a neutral mediator calling for peace and ceasefires, but Western intelligence and trade data show that China acts as a primary lifeline enabling both nations to continue fighting. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

China benefits from these drawn-out conflicts because they successfully divert U.S. and Western military assets, attention, and financial resources away from East Asia and the Indo-Pacific. By providing just enough covert assistance to prevent Russia and Iran from losing, Beijing keeps the conflicts bubbling along while positioning itself to look like the responsible, rule-abiding superpower advocating for global peace on the world stage

YOUR SUNDAY MOMENT OF ZEN

 

SATURDAY NIGHT FUNNIES

 

Trump reaches into the sewer to amuse his guest, the Chinese dictator.

 

"During Xi Jinping’s White House visit, President Donald Trump pointed out an 'autopen' image used in place of former President Joe Biden’s portrait and said, “This is the autopen,” using it to ridicule Biden in front of China’s authoritarian leader. 

Xi and members of his delegation laughed, and the White House’s official account amplified the moment online. Trump is ridiculing a former American President to gain favor with a Chinese Dictator while that former president is dying of cancer."        

In my lifetime I have never known a more unprincipled, unrepentant, and morally depraved person who is so utterly cruel and insensitive to the suffering of others.

Trump is dishonorable, cowardly, and completely lacking in even fundamental humanity. He is morally despicable and physically and spiritually repulsive.

Anyone still admiring and supporting this failed human being has, IMO, a questionable moral character themself.

Pay attention:

 

No matter what side of the aisle you’re on, this argument should be chilling. 

Trying to limit freedom of the press under the guise of national security is what tinpot dictators do. That’s not how a functioning democracy works. 

 CNN Breaking News:  

The Justice Department said that three major national media outlets can be shut out from areas of the White House at the president's will, and because their coverage could be a threat to national security.

************************

Authoritarian governments frequently limit media coverage under the explicit justification of "national security," though human rights groups and researchers note this is often a pretext for maintaining political control and silencing dissent. [1, 2, 3]

Why "National Security" is Used

Pretext for Control: According to reports by organizations like Reporters Without Borders (RSF), vague definitions of national security allow regimes to label critical reporting, investigative journalism, or political opposition as threats to the state. [1, 2]
Maintaining Power: Censorship helps authoritarian leaders suppress information that could destabilize their rule, expose corruption, or mobilize public protest. [1, 2]
Controlling Narratives: During conflicts or crises, restrictions are framed as necessary to preserve "national unity" or protect military operations, while actually serving to block independent verification. [1]

YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP:

 

The guy who never stops whining about wanting a Nobel Peace Prize just threatened to wipe out an entire country in front of the world.

Who would have thought that putting a stupid, corrupt, and incompetent person in the most powerful position on the planet would be a bad idea?

STATE-RUN TRUMP TV -- JUST LIKE AUTHORITARIAN AND COMMUNIST COUNTRIES.

 

Remember all the times Trump and MAGA claimed the Democrats were going to turn America "communist?"

Guess what:

Trump and the First Amendment

Many presidents have had a bad press – but Donald Trump’s decision to ban selected media from the White House is extreme

Who are the Americans who are OK with the president of the United States banning journalists because he doesn’t like what they write about him?

 I’m with Thomas Jefferson who said if we had to make a choice between a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, he would choose the latter rather than the former. 

What’s happened to Americans that make so many accept this assault on our Constitution and the First Amendment? I hate to admit it, but a lot of Americans have become cowardly, frightened little people.

 Do not accept this. Ever! From anyone, least of all a convicted felon President. 

From the NYTimes:  "...the founders were clear in emphasizing, 'That freedom of the press meant the freedom to say things that the government did not like.' As James Madison wrote, 'To the press alone, chequered as it is with abuses, the world is indebted for all the triumphs which have been gained by reason and humanity over error and oppression.' And as the Times reminds, 'The Bill of Rights devotes part of its first item — the First Amendment — to the idea, barring any laws that abridge ‘the freedom of speech or of the press.' "

Jim Wright:

Yesterday, Trump banned specific members of the Free Press from the White House. 

Today, the White House Press Pool walked out in solidarity with CNN, MS NOW, and Politico. The Press won't be traveling with the President to the UN. 

This morning, Vice President JD Vance argued before the Press that a "Republican White House" shouldn't have to give access to reporters who cover the Trump Administration unfavorably.

Trump says he imposed this ban because these reporters only report "fake news." In other words, Trump has declared himself the single authority of truth. HE decides what is true and what is false. It's his reality and you just live in it.

That's their argument. 

A President shouldn't have to give access to the Press if the Press doesn't report favorably on that President and his Administration. 

Think about that. 

No. No. REALLY think about that in terms of the rights enumerated in First Amendment. If Trump is the arbiter of Freedom of the Press, then by implication he also decides the rest of the Bill of Rights. YOUR rights. 

So, 

- a President shouldn't have to allow a citizen freedom of speech if that speech is unfavorable to the president

- a President shouldn't have to allow citizens to assemble if he thinks they'll be unfavorable to him

- a President shouldn't have to allow freedom of religion if that religion isn't favored by the President

- a President shouldn't have to allow a citizen to petition the government for redress of wrongs if the president doesn't think he himself is ever wrong.

Instead of "President," I should have said "King."

Because that's what Trump now is in all but name. 

And we are his subjects.

BREAKING:   Donald Trump was at a ribbon-cutting ceremony today, but there was no audio — because none of the press showed up to cover it due to his bans of CNN, MS NOW, and Politico. Watching a clip on Newsmax I came across online, they had to cut away and point out that they couldn't understand what Trump was saying because there was no press there to cover it. --Allen Clifton

***************************************

Major TV networks that rotate covering the president for wider media distribution say they will not do so moving forward after President Trump banned three media outlets from the White House last week. 

Fox News Media, ABC News, CBS News, NBC News and CNN responded to the ban in a rare joint statement, saying “the public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government.”

 

TO THE MAGAs WHO READ MY BLOG AND SOMETIMES COMMENT:

 

Tell us why you're all so upset with New York City Mayor Mamdani and Dr. El-Sayed, who is campaigning to be the U.S. Senator from Michigan,  but not this:

YOUR SUNDAY MOMENT OF ZEN

 

SATURDAY NIGHT MUSIC

 

 

Canada Welcomes EU Proposal to Become "Associate Member"

Canada is not going to become a full member of the European Union, as it is legally ineligible because it is not a European state. However, Canada and the EU are currently negotiating a historic "associate membership"—a newly proposed, unprecedented status that would stop just short of full membership.

Geopolitical Realignment:

Driven by escalating trade tensions and tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump, Canada is looking to diversify its economy away from its heavy dependence on the United States. [1, 2, 3]

Mobility: Ottawa is exploring an arrangement that would allow Canadian citizens to live and work in Europe visa-free. [1]

Sector Cooperation: Deeper Integration is planned across defense procurement, AI, cybersecurity, the Arctic, critical minerals, and clean energy. Canada has already paved the way by becoming the first non-European country to join the EU's €150-billion SAFE defense procurement program

 

Mark Carney just got a standing ovation from European Parliament after he took a stand against Trump. The world doesn’t respect us anymore. The world is partnering against us. 

America first means America alone.

Mark Carney: "We are not fair-weather allies. We do not pursue zero-sum deals. Our commitment to the rule of law and our unyielding defense of human dignity, individual freedom, and democracy share the same deep roots, the same unwavering dedication."

 

President of the European Union Ursula Von der Leyen described the proposed framework as an “Alliance for the Future,” designed to connect European and Canadian economic and security interests more closely. Prime Minister Mark Carney responded: “It will make Europe stronger, it will make Canada stronger. It will make, I’ll speak for Canada, Canada a better partner with the United States. And with respect to sovereignty …. we are looking for partnerships that are complimentary, that reinforce our sovereignty. And that’s what’s on offer here.”

 

Trump did that:

 

BREAKING: 

Judge says government must give 30 days’ notice before demolishing Kennedy Center after Trump seen with demolition plans.

We are close to seeing the John F. Kennedy Memorial Performing Arts Center demolished by a convicted criminal because he was stopped by a judge from putting his name on the building.

To Impeach or Not To Impeach: That is the question.

 

A commenter here on P.E. posted,  "The dems have stated that they are going prosecute trump and bring impeachment proceedings as their main objective so there will be fireworks and get nothing done which with the total incompetence of congress is not a bad thing."

Should we let Trump get away with what he's done in the first two years of his second term? And if so, why? 

Would the commenter -- who apparently thinks it's a waste of time to bring a president to accountability for high crimes and misdemeanors -- would that commenter feel the same way if a Democratic POTUS had done what Trump has done while president?

NOTE: By the standard in the Constitution, I don't believe Trump has committed treason: 

Under Article III, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, treason is strictly defined as levying war against the United States, or adhering to their enemies by giving them aid and comfort.

A "Letter to the Editor" in today's NYTimes:

To the Editor: 

 President Trump recently acknowledged that the monuments rising from his architectural ambitions in Washington are, at least in part, monuments to himself. 

When asked about it, he replied: “That’s true. Nobody will do it once I’m gone. When I leave here, nobody will.” 

Perhaps that is precisely the point. George Washington did not build the Washington Monument.

Abraham Lincoln did not commission the Lincoln Memorial. Thomas Jefferson did not erect the Jefferson Memorial. Those monuments were built after they were gone, by a grateful nation that had time to judge their accomplishments, their character and their place in history. Great leaders do not need to build monuments to themselves. They build a record and leave the judgment to generations that follow. 

 There is something profoundly revealing about a president who apparently fears that if he does not construct his own monuments while he possesses the power to do so, no one will build them after he is gone. 

Monuments are supposed to represent the gratitude of a nation, not the vanity of the person occupying its highest office. So when Mr. Trump says, “Nobody will do it once I’m gone,” maybe he should ask himself why. And perhaps the rest of us should remember: 

The greatest monument a president can leave behind is not made of marble, stone or gold. It is a country made better because he was there. 

Robert K. Finnell 

Rome, Ga.

A little insight into why Trump is the way he is:

 

From the liar, cheat, and fraudster who never takes responsibility for any of his mistakes or cockups*, here he is again blaming others for his failures:

*I have my favorite Englishman to thank for that expression.

"A person who never takes responsibility for their failures and mistakes is generally operating from a place of fragile self-esteem and deep-seated emotional insecurity, using blame-shifting as a psychological defense mechanism. In psychology, this chronic lack of accountability usually reveals a rigid pattern of self-protection rather than simple stubbornness or malice."

More from AI:

Psychological & Emotional Drivers

• An All-or-Nothing Identity: Their ego is often incredibly fragile. They perceive making a mistake not as a temporary action, but as a total indictment of their worth as a human being. To protect their identity from "shattering," their brain automatically rejects the truth. [1, 2, 3]
• Intense Fear of Shame: While they may project confidence, admitting a fault triggers an overwhelming, intolerable level of shame. Deflecting blame acts as an emotional survival tactic to avoid this painful feeling. [1, 2, 3]
• External Locus of Control: They genuinely believe that external forces—luck, timing, or other people—dictate their lives. Because they view themselves as perpetual passengers to circumstance, they see no reason to hold themselves accountable. [1, 2]
• Childhood Conditioning: This is often a learned habit. If they grew up in an environment where admitting a mistake led to harsh punishment, humiliation, or a loss of love, they learned that concealment and denial keep them safe

According to Mary Trump’s memoir, Too Much and Never Enough, Donald Trump’s father, Fred Trump Sr., severely criticized and mocked any child who admitted a mistake or apologized. [1, 2]

In her book, Mary Trump—who is a trained clinical psychologist—explains that Fred Trump Sr. ran the household with an authoritarian and unforgiving dynamic. He viewed admitting to an error or offering an apology as a sign of absolute weakness, and he would grow furious or mock his children if they did so. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Mary Trump recounts that Donald Trump’s older brother, Fred Jr. (Mary's father), was initially the primary target of this harsh treatment because he was naturally kind and often apologized when he fell short of his father's rigid expectations. According to the book, a young Donald Trump closely watched the "traumas inflicted on and suffered by his older brother" and intentionally adapted his own behavior to escape his father's scorn. [1, 2, 3, 4]

To survive his father's disapproval, Donald learned to never admit mistakes, never apologize, and instead project an image of aggressive confidence. Mary Trump argues that this childhood conditioning ultimately "destroyed" her uncle's ability to experience a normal spectrum of human emotions, locking him into a lifelong defense mechanism where admitting a mistake is completely out of the question. [1, 2, 3, 4]

The White House and Donald Trump himself have repeatedly rejected these claims, stating that his relationship with his father was warm, loving, and supportive. [1, 2]

The Roy Cohn Mentorship: In the 1970s, Trump was mentored by the ruthless New York lawyer Roy Cohn. Cohn famously operated under a strict set of personal rules: always attack, admit nothing, deny everything, and always claim victory. Biographers and historians frequently use the words "never admit a mistake, never apologize" as a shorthand summary of the tactics Trump adopted directly from Cohn

• Trump's Own Words on Apologizing: While Trump may not have used that specific quote, he has openly stated his aversion to apologizing. During a 2015 interview on The Tonight Show, Jimmy Fallon asked him if he ever apologized. Trump responded: "I think apologizing is a great thing, but you have to be wrong. I will absolutely apologize, sometime in the hopefully distant future, if I’m ever wrong."

2015 Anderson Cooper Interview: Clarifying his stance to CNN's Anderson Cooper, Trump questioned the need for repentance if he wasn't making major errors, saying, "Why do I have to repent or ask for forgiveness if you're not making mistakes? I work hard. I'm an honorable person." [1]

 Multiple petitions and public letters, including an open letter signed by over 200 health professionals, have argued that Trump exhibits symptoms consistent with malignant narcissism, antisocial personality disorder, and paranoia. They point to traits like extreme grandiosity, a lack of remorse, habitual misrepresentation, and a reckless disregard for the safety of others.

[1, 2, 3]