What The Fuck Just Happened Today? ([syndicated profile] wtfjht_feed) wrote2025-08-25 05:00 pm
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Day 1679: "I’m not a dictator. I’m a man with great common sense and a smart person."

Posted by Matt Kiser

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/08/25/day-1679/

Day 1679

Today in one sentence: Trump ordered the Pentagon to create "specialized units" in the National Guard to police “civil disturbances”; Trump threatened to send National Guard troops into Chicago; a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deporting Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda hours after immigration agents detained him at an ICE office in Baltimore; convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, who is seeking a pardon from Trump, told the Justice Department she never saw him “in any inappropriate setting” with girls introduced by Jeffrey Epstein; the House Oversight Committee subpoenaed Jeffrey Epstein’s estate for records; more than 180 FEMA employees warned Congress that Trump’s policies and unqualified leadership put the country at risk of “another national catastrophe like Hurricane Katrina”; Trump said the Justice Department will sue California over Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to redraw the state’s congressional map; FBI agents searched the Maryland home and Washington office of John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, as part of a probe into whether he “illegally shared or possessed classified information”; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency after its preliminary report contradicted Trump’s claim that U.S. strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program; and Trump said he’s considering renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War.

1/ Trump ordered the Pentagon to create “specialized units” in the National Guard to police “civil disturbances.” The executive order creates a national “quick reaction force” and a deputized Guard unit in Washington, D.C., that would enforce federal law under Trump’s control. Trump said troops are “ready to go anywhere” with less than 24 hours’ notice. Legal experts, however, said the plan “threatens fundamental liberties and public safety.” Meanwhile in Washington, more than 2,200 Guard troops are now armed with M17 pistols and M4 rifles while patrolling the streets. (CNN / New York Times / Axios / Wall Street Journal / ABC News / NBC News)

  • Trump signed an executive order directing the Justice Department to prosecute people for burning the American flag, despite a 1989 Supreme Court ruling that protects it as free speech. The order sets a one-year jail sentence and instructs Attorney General Pam Bondi to pursue litigation to challenge the ruling. (Associated Press / Axios)
  • Trump signed executive orders to end cashless bail in Washington, D.C., and threatened to pull federal funds from states and cities with similar policies. Cashless bail determines whether defendants await trial in jail or at home, and the cash system disproportionately hurts those without the financial means to quickly raise bail money. One order directed federal officials to hold more arrestees in D.C. under federal custody, while another told Attorney General Pam Bondi to identify other jurisdictions using cashless bail within 30 days. “They kill people and they get out,” Trump said, even though crime in D.C. hit a 30-year low last year and studies, including from the Brennan Center, found “no statistically significant relationship between bail reform and crime rates.” (Axios / The Guardian / Washington Post / Politico / New York Times / NBC News / Reuters / Associated Press)

2/ Trump threatened to send National Guard troops into Chicago, calling the city “a mess” and saying “When we’re ready, we’ll go in and we’ll straighten out Chicago just like we did D.C.” Trump added: “I’m not a dictator. I’m a man with great common sense and a smart person.” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, meanwhile, rejected Trump’s plan, saying “There is no emergency in Chicago that calls for armed military intervention. There is no insurrection.” Pritzker warned the deployment would be both “a dangerous power grab” and unconstitutional, and vowed that “the first thing we’re going to do is take him to court.” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said, “The guard is not needed. This is not the role of our military.” (NBC News / Axios / New York Times / CNN / Politico / NPR / Wall Street Journal)

3/ A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deporting Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Uganda hours after immigration agents detained him at an ICE office in Baltimore. On Friday, Abrego Garcia was freed from a Tennessee jail after months in custody, but immigration officials immediately notified him they planned to deport him. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said he was being processed “for deportation,” though Ugandan officials said they hadn’t received any U.S. request. His lawyers, meanwhile, said the government tried to force him into a guilty plea by offering deportation to Costa Rica instead, warning that otherwise he faced being sent “halfway across the world.” On Monday, Judge Paula Xinis stepped in and ruled that the government was “absolutely forbidden at this juncture to remove Mr. Abrego Garcia from the continental United States” while reviews whether his due process rights were violated. (Associated Press / New York Times / NPR / NBC News / Axios / Wall Street Journal / The Guardian / CNN / Washington Post / Bloomberg)

  • A federal judge ordered Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” to shut down within 60 days, citing the state’s failure to conduct an environmental review before construction. Judge Kathleen Williams said no new detainees can be sent there, and fencing, lighting, and generators must be removed. Gov. Ron DeSantis called Williams “an activist judge” and said the ruling “is not going to deter us.” Florida immediately appealed and is moving ahead with plans for a second facility near Jacksonville that could house up to 2,000 people.(Associated Press / Politico)

4/ Convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, who is seeking a pardon from Trump, told the Justice Department she never saw him “in any inappropriate setting” with girls introduced by Jeffrey Epstein. “I actually never saw the President in any type of massage setting,” Maxwell told Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump’s former defense lawyer. She added that Trump “was a gentleman in all respects,” denied the existence of an Epstein client list, claimed she never recruited underage girls despite her conviction, and dismissed reports tying Trump, Bill Clinton, or Prince Andrew to abuse. Prosecutors have long described Maxwell as a “serial liar,” but the Justice Department released her interview with Blanche in an effort to quiet Trump’s supporters after backtracking on promises to release all Epstein files. Days later, Maxwell was moved from a Florida facility to a lower-security prison in Texas. (Politico / New York Times / Axios / Washington Post / Associated Press / ABC News / CNBC / The Guardian / Wall Street Journal / Reuters / NBC News / Axios / Semafor)

5/ The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed Jeffrey Epstein’s estate for records, including his financial history, flight logs, nondisclosure agreements, and a leather-bound “birthday book,” which was compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell. Chairman James Comer said the estate “is in custody and control of documents that may further the Committee’s investigation,” and ordered delivery by Sept. 8. Comer also demanded “any document or record that could be reasonably construed to be a potential list of clients involved in sex, sex acts or sex trafficking” facilitated by Epstein. The panel will also question former U.S. attorney Alex Acosta on Sept. 19 about the 2008 non-prosecution deal he struck with Epstein. The subpoena follows Democrats’ complaint that the Justice Department’s release of 33,295 Epstein-related files were primarily “recycled content already made available to the public.” (Washington Post / New York Times / CNBC / Axios / Politico / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal)

The midterm elections are in 435 days.

✏️ Notables.

  1. More than 180 FEMA employees warned Congress that Trump’s policies and unqualified leadership put the country at risk of “another national catastrophe like Hurricane Katrina.” The letter cited canceled grants, stalled contracts, and staff diverted to immigration enforcement as evidence that FEMA’s disaster response has been gutted. DHS, meanwhile, dismissed the criticism, saying the administration was cutting “red tape” and that “change is always hard.” (Politico / Washington Post / New York Times)

  2. Trump said the Justice Department will sue California over Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to redraw the state’s congressional map, calling the effort illegal. At the same time, he praised Texas Republicans for approving a mid-decade redistricting plan that to give Republicans “five more seats” in Congress. Newsom responded to Trump’s threat on social media with a one-word post: “BRING IT.” (Washington Post / CNBC)

  3. The Trump administration ordered construction to stop on a $4 billion offshore wind farm that was nearly finished and set to power 350,000 homes. Federal officials cited unspecified “national security” concerns, though no details were provided. Connecticut’s attorney general warned Trump would “own the resulting cost increases for ratepayers.” (New York Times / NPR)

  4. FBI agents searched the Maryland home and Washington office of John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, as part of a probe into whether he “illegally shared or possessed classified information.” In 2019, Trump said he fired Bolton, who insisted that he resigned, over how Trump handled sensitive foreign policy matters involving North Korea, Afghanistan, and Iran. Bolton later wrote a book that painted a picture of an out-of-control president consumed by his own re-election. Trump denied knowing about the raid in advance, but called Bolton “a real sort of a low life,” while JD Vance insisted the investigation was “not politically motivated.” (Politico / NBC News / New York Times / NPR / Washington Post / Axios / NBC News / Associated Press / CNN / CNBC / USA Today / Politico)

  5. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency after its preliminary report contradicted Trump’s claim that U.S. strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program. The Pentagon attributed Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse’s removal to a vague “loss of confidence.” (Washington Post / New York Times / Associated Press / NBC News / Axios / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / ABC News)

  6. Trump said he’s considering renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War, reviving the title the Pentagon held until 1947. Trump argued the older name reflected a period of U.S. “victory” and said, “I don’t want to be defense only. We want offense too.” Any formal change would require congressional approval. (Politico / NBC News)

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What The Fuck Just Happened Today? ([syndicated profile] wtfjht_feed) wrote2025-08-21 03:12 pm
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Day 1675: "Can we forget about this?"

Posted by Matt Kiser

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/08/21/day-1675/

Day 1675

Today in one sentence: The Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to cut nearly $800 million in National Institutes of Health grants tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion policies; a New York appeals court threw out Trump’s $500 million civil fraud penalty but upheld the finding that he and his company committed fraud; an adviser and fundraiser for New York Mayor Eric Adams handed a reporter a bag of potato chips containing an envelope of cash following a campaign event; a federal judge ruled that Trump’s appointment of his former personal lawyer as U.S. attorney for New Jersey was “unlawful”; Texas House Republicans pushed through new congressional maps along party lines, redrawing districts to give Republicans five more seats in Congress; Trump demanded that Colorado release the former Mesa County clerk serving a nine-year prison sentence for allowing unauthorized access to election equipment; Trump promised to “go out tonight” with police and National Guard troops patrolling Washington, D.C.; the Trump administration subpoenaed hospitals for confidential records on transgender minors; the Trump administration is reviewing all 55 million valid U.S. visa holders for any violations that could lead to deportation; and Democrats lost 2.1 million registered voters between 2020 and 2024 while Republicans gained 2.4 million, a 4.5 million shift that erased Democratic advantages in battlegrounds like Pennsylvania, Nevada, and North Carolina.

1/ The Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to cut nearly $800 million in National Institutes of Health grants tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. The 5-4 ruling lifted a lower court order that had restored more than 1,700 canceled grants, including studies on HIV prevention, kidney disease, and vaccine hesitancy. Trump ordered the cuts after taking office in January, directing agencies to eliminate DEI programs and funding for “gender ideology.” U.S. District Judge William Young blocked the cancellations in June, calling them “arbitrary and capricious” and saying, “I’ve never seen government racial discrimination like this.” The plaintiffs, including 16 states and public-health groups, warned the midstream cancellations would cause “incalculable losses in public health and human life.” Justice Amy Coney Barrett said the suits were filed in the wrong court, allowing the funding cuts to move forward despite the legal challenges. (NBC News / Associated Press / Washington Post / Bloomberg)

2/ A New York appeals court threw out Trump’s $500 million civil fraud penalty but upheld the finding that he and his company committed fraud. The five-judge panel split, with two judges saying the fine was unconstitutional, two calling for a new trial, and one saying the case never should have been filed. The court left in place restrictions that bar Trump and his sons from serving as New York corporate officers. Judge Peter Moulton wrote, “while harm certainly occurred, it was not the cataclysmic harm that can justify a nearly half billion-dollar award to the State.” Trump nevertheless declared a “TOTAL VICTORY in the FAKE” case, while Attorney General Letitia James said “yet another court has ruled that the president violated the law” and vowed to appeal to reinstate the fine. (Associated Press / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / ABC News / Washington Post / Axios / CNBC / NBC News / CNN / Bloomberg / Politico)

3/ An adviser and fundraiser for New York Mayor Eric Adams handed a reporter a bag of potato chips containing an envelope of cash following a campaign event. Reporter Katie Honan said Winnie Greco insisted she take the bag, which contained at least one $100 bill. When The City asked Greco why she gave Honan cash, she replied, “I make a mistake. I’m so sorry. It’s a culture thing. I don’t know. I don’t understand.” When asked again, Greco responded: “Can we forget about this? […] Please don’t do in the news nothing about me. I just wanted to be her friend. […] It’s nothing.” Greco’s attorney later said, “This was no payoff […] money is often given to others in a gesture of friendship and gratitude.” Greco was suspended from Adams’ reelection campaign and federal prosecutors and the city Department of Investigation are reviewing the incident. Adams was indicted last year on bribery and campaign finance charges, but Trump’s Justice Department ordered the case dropped, claiming that Adams was needed to help carry out Trump’s mass deportation program. (The City / NBC News / New York Times / Washington Post / The Guardian / Bloomberg)

4/ A federal judge ruled that Trump’s appointment of his former personal lawyer as U.S. attorney for New Jersey was “unlawful.” Judge Matthew Brann said Alina Habba “is not currently qualified to exercise the functions and duties of the office” and barred her from handling cases, though he paused the order while the Justice Department appeals. The ruling came after challenges by two criminal defendants who said Habba’s authority expired after her 120-day interim term. District judges named her deputy as successor, but Attorney General Pam Bondi then fired that deputy and used a personnel maneuver to reinstall Habba as a “special attorney.” (CNN / Politico / Reuters / NBC News / New York Times / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal)

5/ Texas House Republicans pushed through new congressional maps along party lines, redrawing districts to give Republicans five more seats in Congress. The mid-decade redistricting was pushed by Trump, who said his goal was a “100 more seats” Republican majority, called mail-in voting “a total fraud,” and urged Republican states to follow Texas. In response, California lawmakers advanced a plan to add five Democratic-leaning seats, with Gov. Gavin Newsom saying, “We’re going to fight fire with fire.” (Texas Tribune / New York Times / Bloomberg / Axios / Associated Press / CNN / Washington Post / Reuters)

6/ Trump demanded that Colorado release the former Mesa County clerk serving a nine-year prison sentence for allowing unauthorized access to election equipment. Tina Peters was convicted in 2024 on seven counts, including conspiracy and impersonation, after sneaking an outside activist into secure election offices. Prosecutors said her actions cost the county over $1 million, and Judge Matthew Barrett told her at sentencing: “You are no hero, you abused your position, and you’re a charlatan.” Nevertheless, Trump wrote “FREE TINA PETERS, a brave and innocent Patriot who has been tortured by Crooked Colorado politicians,” and later warning, “If she is not released, I am going to take harsh measures!!!” (Washington Post / The Guardian / The Hill / Axios)

7/ Trump promised to “go out tonight” with police and National Guard troops patrolling Washington, D.C. The White House gave no details about when or where this would happen, but officials later said he would only visit a law enforcement site to greet agents. Nearly 80% of D.C. residents oppose his federal takeover of the police, which he claims has already reduced crime. “I’ve straightened out crime in four days in D.C., and all they do is say ‘he’s a dictator,’” Trump said, though city data shows violent crime was already at a 30-year low. (CNN / Reuters / Bloomberg / ABC News / Politico / New York Times / NBC News / Washington Post)

The midterm elections are in 439 days.

✏️ Notables.

  1. The Trump administration subpoenaed hospitals for confidential records on transgender minors, demanding Social Security numbers, addresses, and “every writing or record” from doctors. Attorney General Pam Bondi claimed providers “mutilated children in the service of a warped ideology,” and her deputy called gender care “one of the greatest frauds on the American public,” though neither identified specific crimes or evidence. Doctors and advocates called the demands “a breathtakingly invasive government overreach” that has already led hospitals to cut care.(Washington Post / New York Times)

  2. The Trump administration rescinded federal rules that required schools to provide services for students learning English, reversing decades of civil rights enforcement. The Education Department claimed the rules were “overly prescriptive,” while Attorney General Pam Bondi said the move would “promote assimilation over division.” Officials offered no replacement plan or enforcement standards. Advocates questioned whether the administration was abandoning civil rights law, warning, “There is nothing holding the school districts accountable in any meaningful way.” (Washington Post / New York Times)

  3. The U.S. and EU finalized a trade deal that locks in 15% tariffs on most European goods and keeps car duties at 27.5% until Europe lowers its own levies. Alcohol exports were left out of tariff relief, which France’s wine exporters called “immense disappointment.” Trump said Europe’s promised $600 billion in U.S. investment was “a gift” that gave him “$600 billion to invest in anything I want.” (ABC News / Bloomberg / Politico / NBC News / New York Times / Washington Post)

  4. Tulsi Gabbard will cut nearly half of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s staff and dissolve several intelligence centers, a move projected to save $700 million a year. Gabbard claimed the office had become “bloated and inefficient” and accused it of “politicized weaponization of intelligence.” The plan also shuts down the Foreign Malign Influence Center, which tracked foreign election interference. (ABC News / Associated Press)

  5. The Trump administration is reviewing all 55 million valid U.S. visa holders for any violations that could lead to deportation. The State Department confirmed “continuous vetting,” including social media searches, law enforcement records, and terrorism links, and said it has already revoked more than twice as many visas as last year. Officials said 6,000 student visas have been revoked since Trump’s return. (Associated Press)

  6. Democrats lost 2.1 million registered voters between 2020 and 2024 while Republicans gained 2.4 million, a 4.5 million shift that erased Democratic advantages in battlegrounds like Pennsylvania, Nevada, and North Carolina. (New York Times)

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https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/08/21/day-1675/

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What The Fuck Just Happened Today? ([syndicated profile] wtfjht_feed) wrote2025-08-20 03:41 pm
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Day 1674: "A diversion."

Posted by Matt Kiser

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/08/20/day-1674/

Day 1674

Today in one sentence: A federal judge refused to release the Jeffrey Epstein grand jury transcripts and accused the Trump administration of using the request as a “diversion”; Trump demanded that Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook resign after his housing regulator Bill Pulte accused her of mortgage fraud; Jeanine Pirro – then a Fox News host, now the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia – told RNC chair Ronna McDaniel in a 2020 text that she was working to help Trump and Republicans; more than 750 current and former Health and Human Services employees accused Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of spreading misinformation that led to the Aug. 8 mass shooting at the CDC in Atlanta; Elon Musk backed off plans to launch the “America Party,” telling allies he needed to protect his companies and his relationship with JD Vance; and Trump claimed he’s ended “six wars” – or “seven,” depending on the day – and called himself a “war hero.”

1/ A federal judge refused to release the Jeffrey Epstein grand jury transcripts and accused the Trump administration of using the request as a “diversion.” Judge Richard Berman said the Justice Department already holds a “trove” of 100,000 pages of Epstein records that “dwarf” the 70 pages of grand jury material. He noted the transcripts contain only “a hearsay snippet” from an FBI agent “who had no direct knowledge of the facts.” Berman is the third judge to deny Trump’s effort, which came after the Justice Department announced that no new charges or evidence would be released – directly contradicting Attorney General Pam Bondi’s earlier claim that a client list existed and was under review. (CNN / Associated Press / Wall Street Journal / CNBC / Axios / Washington Post / New York Times / NBC News)

2/ Trump demanded that Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook resign after his housing regulator Bill Pulte accused her of mortgage fraud. Pulte claimed Cook took out mortgages on two homes in 2021, each listed as her “primary residence” to fraudulently obtain better mortgage terms, but later rented one. He said this gave Trump “cause to fire” her, posting online that “Lisa Cooked is cooked.” Trump added on Truth Social that “Cook must resign, now!!!” Notably, a New York judge in 2024 ordered Trump and his company to pay $355 million for inflating property values to secure favorable loans. And, separately, a Manhattan jury convicted Trump on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to influence the 2016 election. (Associated Press / Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / NBC News / Politico / New York Times / CNBC / Washington Post / Axios)

3/ Jeanine Pirro – then a Fox News host, now the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia – told RNC chair Ronna McDaniel in a 2020 text that she was working to help Trump and Republicans, according to newly unredacted filings in Smartmatic’s $2.7 billion defamation case against Fox. “I work so hard for the party across the country […] I’m the #1 watched show on all news cable all weekend. I work so hard for the President and party,” Pirro wrote in September 2020. The filings also showed Pirro sought a pardon for her ex-husband, called Sean Hannity an “egomaniac” after an Oval Office meeting, and urged Sidney Powell to “Keep fighting.” Powell later pleaded guilty in Georgia for her efforts to overturn Trump’s loss. Smartmatic said Pirro and other Fox hosts pushed false fraud claims to stay aligned with Trump, even though Pirro later testified that the election was “fair and free” and that Biden was “legitimately elected.” (Washington Post / The Hill / New York Times)

4/ More than 750 current and former Health and Human Services employees accused Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of spreading misinformation that led to the Aug. 8 mass shooting at the CDC in Atlanta. Law enforcement said the gunman attacked the agency to protest the Covid vaccine. In a letter to Kennedy and Congress, the workers called him “complicit in dismantling America’s public health infrastructure and endangering the nation’s health by repeatedly spreading inaccurate health information” and accused him of fueling “the harassment and violence experienced by the CDC staff.” An HHS spokesperson, meanwhile, called linking Kennedy’s policies to the gunman was an effort “to politicize a tragedy.” Kennedy, however, has never acknowledged the shooter’s motive, saying instead that “public health agencies have not been honest” and that “trusting the experts is not a feature of science or democracy, it’s a feature of totalitarianism.” (Bloomberg / NPR / The Guardian / Axios / The Hill)

  • Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shut down federal autism research divisions and canceled more than $40 million in grants while launching his own $50 million initiative under a nontraditional review process. He told Tucker Carlson that “We need to stop trusting the experts,” and claimed prior studies were “trickery.” A coalition of scientists, meanwhile, said Kennedy “casually ignores decades of high quality research” and warned his actions could set progress back “probably decades.” (ProPublica)

5/ Elon Musk backed off plans to launch the “America Party,” telling allies he needed to protect his companies and his relationship with JD Vance, who is seen as a likely 2028 presidential candidate. His feud with Trump had already put his businesses at risk: Tesla has faced consumer backlash along with cuts to EV subsidies in Trump’s spending bill, while Trump threatened to cancel SpaceX’s federal contracts before a review found them essential to defense and NASA. Vance said his hope was that Musk would “come back into the fold” by the midterms. Musk spent nearly $300 million backing Trump and Republicans in 2024. (Wall Street Journal / New York Times)

6/ Trump claimed he’s ended “six wars” – or “seven,” depending on the day – and called himself a “war hero” for ordering U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites in June. He added that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was also “a war hero ’cause we worked together.” Trump never served in the military, avoiding Vietnam with five draft deferments, including a 1968 bone spur diagnosis that the doctor’s family later said was done as a favor to his father. Israel’s military, meanwhile, said it was calling up about 60,000 more reservists, nearly doubling its forces in Gaza, as Netanyahu approved an expanded ground campaign into Gaza City. Israel’s nearly two-year military campaign in Gaza, launched after the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 attacks that killed about 1,200 people and took 250 hostages, has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians – including thousands of children – displaced most of the enclave’s 2 million residents, left about 70% of buildings uninhabitable, and driven a famine that has killed at least 193 people, including 96 children. (New York Times / Politico / CNN / Bloomberg)

The midterm elections are in 440 days.

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What The Fuck Just Happened Today? ([syndicated profile] wtfjht_feed) wrote2025-08-19 02:56 pm
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Day 1673: "I think the president was serious."

Posted by Matt Kiser

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/08/19/day-1673/

Day 1673

Today in one sentence: The Justice Department opened a criminal investigation into whether D.C. police falsified crime data, even as city police data showed violent crime was down 27% this year and federal prosecutors had reported a 25% drop in Trump’s first 100 days; National Guard troops from Republican-led states began arriving in Washington to support Trump’s law enforcement takeover of the capital; Trump revoked the security clearances of 37 current and former national security officials; Trump said Tuesday he ordered lawyers to review Smithsonian museums for “woke” content; the Trump administration ordered U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to require immigrants seeking citizenship to prove “positive contributions” beyond avoiding crimes; Trump ruled out sending American troops to Ukraine; and Trump told “Fox & Friends” that his reason for trying to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is because “I want to try and get to heaven, if possible."

1/ The Justice Department opened a criminal investigation into whether D.C. police falsified crime data, even as city police data showed violent crime was down 27% this year and federal prosecutors had reported a 25% drop in Trump’s first 100 days. Trump, nevertheless, posted on social media that “D.C. gave Fake Crime numbers in order to create a false illusion of safety.” Trump’s tied the investigation to his deployment of hundreds of National Guard troops, claiming it was needed because of “Fake Crime numbers.” Mayor Muriel Bowser, meanwhile, said “We are not experiencing a spike in crime. In fact, we’re watching our crime numbers go down.” (New York Times / Associated Press / Washington Post / NBC News / CNN)

  • Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey was appointed co-deputy director of the FBI, joining Dan Bongino in the bureau’s second-highest role. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel following Bongino’s fallout with Bondi last month over the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein files. Bailey resigned from his Missouri post and said he was “forever grateful” for the opportunity to help “Make America Safe Again.” Patel said Bailey “will be an integral part” of Trump’s mission, and Bondi called him a “tremendous asset.” Bongino, who previously threatened to quit, posted simply: “Welcome. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸” (Axios / Semafor / CNN)

2/ National Guard troops from Republican-led states began arriving in Washington to support Trump’s law enforcement takeover of the capital. About 869 Guard members were already in the city, with governors pledging about 1,000 more. Most have been deployed to tourist sites and metro stations rather than high-crime areas, and while they remain unarmed, Guard members confirmed they are training to carry M-17 pistols. “Guard members may be armed consistent with their mission and training,” the Army said. At the same time, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro ordered prosecutors to “charge the highest crime that is supported by the law and the evidence” and move more cases into federal court, where sentences are stiffer. The White House said the operation was “working,” citing 52 arrests. DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said, “this is not about DC crime,” while a Brennan Center official called the deployment “a military occupation of the district.” (New York Times / CNN / The Handbasket / New York Times)

3/ Trump revoked the security clearances of 37 current and former national security officials. The list from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard targeted those tied to the 2016 Russia assessment, which concluded Russia interfered in the election to help Trump. It includes senior CIA, NSA, and NGA officials, as well as former aides to Obama-era intelligence leaders and members of Biden’s National Security Council. Gabbard claimed the officials “betray their oath to the Constitution” and accused them of “politicization or weaponization of intelligence,” though the memo cited no evidence of wrongdoing. (New York Post / New York Times / CNN)

4/ Trump said Tuesday he ordered lawyers to review Smithsonian museums for “woke” content. “The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been — Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future,” Trump posted on social media. Trump vowed to apply “the exact same process that has been done with Colleges and Universities,” where his administration has withheld federal funds to force changes. (CNBC / Axios / CNN)

5/ The Trump administration ordered U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to require immigrants seeking citizenship to prove “positive contributions” beyond avoiding crimes. Officers were told to weigh applicants’ “community involvement, achievements, and financial responsibility” and make decisions “on a case-by-case basis.” USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser said the goal was to offer citizenship only to “the world’s best of the best.” Critics said the rules are “so loose and discretionary that it is obviously susceptible to arbitrary enforcement.” (Washington Post / Axios)

6/ Trump ruled out sending American troops to Ukraine, saying: “You have my assurance, and I’m president.” He said Europe would “put people on the ground” while Washington might help “by air because there’s nobody that has the kind of stuff we have.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Trump “definitively” ruled out ground forces, but ordered his national security team to draft a framework for security guarantees. Russia, meanwhile, has rejected any plan involving NATO or international troops, warning such a move could cause “uncontrollable escalation.” (CNBC / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / New York Times / Politico / CNN / Bloomberg)

7/ Trump told “Fox & Friends” that his reason for trying to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is because “I want to try and get to heaven, if possible.” Trump added: “I’m hearing I’m not doing well. I am really at the bottom of the totem pole.” Meanwhile, Karoline Leavitt said: “I think the president was serious. I think the president wants to get to heaven.” (New York Times)

The midterm elections are in 441 days.

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What The Fuck Just Happened Today? ([syndicated profile] wtfjht_feed) wrote2025-08-18 04:02 pm
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Day 1672: "Done waiting."

Posted by Matt Kiser

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/08/18/day-1672/

Day 1672

Today in one sentence: Trump paused a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders to call Putin and “began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined” between the two leaders; Trump pledged to sign an executive order to “get rid of mail-in ballots" and voting machines before the 2026 midterm elections; Texas Democrats ended a two-week walkout, returning to the Capitol and giving Republicans the quorum needed to advance a rare mid-decade redistricting plan backed by Trump to add five House seats before the 2026 midterms; Republican governors pledged to send up to 750 National Guard troops to Washington, joining the 800 already deployed under Trump’s emergency order and takeover of the city’s police; the Justice Department said it would begin providing Jeffrey Epstein investigation records to the House Oversight Committee on Friday – three days after the panel’s Aug. 19 subpoena deadline; Newsmax agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems $67 million to settle a defamation lawsuit over false claims that Dominion rigged the 2020 election; the State Department stopped issuing all visitor visas for people from Gaza after far-right activist Laura Loomer posted misleading videos of wounded Palestinian children arriving in the U.S. for treatment and called them “Islamic invaders from an Islamic terror hot zone”; and Trump’s approval rating fell to 38% – down from 41% in June.

1/ Trump paused a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders to call Putin and “began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined” between the two leaders. The meeting would be followed by a trilateral with Trump. The Kremlin confirmed the roughly 40-minute call, describing it as “frank” and “very constructive,” but didn’t say whether Putin agreed to meet Zelenskyy. Earlier, Trump met Zelenskyy and top European leaders – including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Finnish President Alexander Stubb – and said the U.S. would support European-led security guarantees: “We will give them very good protection, very good security,” without ruling out American troops. Rutte called the U.S. pledge “a big step, a breakthrough,” while Merz said, “I would like to see a ceasefire from the next meeting.” Trump, however, countered: “I don’t think you need a ceasefire.” Russia’s Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, warned that NATO forces in Ukraine would be “categorically unacceptable” and could trigger “unpredictable consequences.” The White House talks came after Trump’s Alaska summit with Putin, which ended without a ceasefire and left Trump backing Moscow’s demand for a “full settlement” – a deal that would require Ukraine to surrender territory Russia occupies and abandon its NATO bid. While Zelenskyy signaled openness to a three-way meeting, he rejected ceding territory, as Russian strikes killed 10 civilians in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia during the talks. (Associated Press / Axios / NBC News / NPR / New York Times / Washington Post / Politico / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / NBC News / Axios / Politico / Wall Street Journal)

2/ Trump pledged to sign an executive order to “get rid of mail-in ballots” and voting machines before the 2026 midterm elections. “I am going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS,” Trump said, adding that states “must do what the Federal Government, as represented by the President of the United States, tells them.” Trump repeated his claim that mail-in voting is fraudulent, though no evidence supports it, and said even Putin told him U.S. elections were “rigged because you have mail-in voting.” Constitutional scholars, meanwhile, flatly rejected Trump’s idea, calling it legally impossible since states control elections. Judges has also already struck down parts of a March order on voting rules, making any new directive almost certain to be blocked in court. (Reuters / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / ABC News / New York Times / Politico / Salon / Axios)

3/ Texas Democrats ended a two-week walkout, returning to the Capitol and giving Republicans the quorum needed to advance a rare mid-decade redistricting plan backed by Trump to add five House seats before the 2026 midterms. House Speaker Dustin Burrows said Democrats who had been under arrest warrants would only be allowed to leave the chamber if placed in the custody of state police escorts, adding: “We are done waiting. We have a quorum. Now is the time for action.” Democratic caucus chair Gene Wu defended the walkout, saying, “We killed the corrupt special session and rallied Democrats nationwide,” and vowed to challenge the map in court. Meanwhile, California Democrats introduced legislation to create up to five new Democratic-leaning seats if Texas proceeds. The plan would go before voters in a November statewide referendum and temporarily override the state’s independent redistricting process, as other Republican-led states including Florida, Indiana, Missouri, and Ohio and Democratic-led states such as New York, Illinois, Maryland, and Oregon consider similar moves. (NBC News / ABC News / Washington Post / Associated Press / CNN / Wall Street Journal / New York Times)

4/ Republican governors pledged to send up to 750 National Guard troops to Washington, joining the 800 already deployed under Trump’s emergency order and takeover of the city’s police. Trump declared the “emergency” and said “The place is going to hell and we’ve got to stop it” even though Justice Department data show violent crime has fallen since 2023. More than 300 arrests have followed, many targeting undocumented immigrants and homeless residents, while Guard troops have patrolled federal sites, but not made arrests. A White House official said they “may be armed.” D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb sued, calling the takeover “brazenly unlawful,” and a federal judge forced the Justice Department to back off an attempt to replace the city’s police chief. Sen. Chris Van Hollen called it “a manufactured emergency” and “a total abuse of power.” (Washington Post / NPR / Axios / Politico / New York Times / NBC News / Washington Post / Politico / Democracy Docket / Axios)

5/ The Justice Department said it would begin providing Jeffrey Epstein investigation records to the House Oversight Committee on Friday – three days after the panel’s Aug. 19 subpoena deadline. Chair James Comer said “There are many records in DOJ’s custody, and it will take the Department time to produce all the records and ensure the identification of victims and any child sexual abuse material are redacted.” Democrats, meanwhile, demanded the “full, complete, and unredacted Epstein files” and any “client list,” warning that “if the committee does not receive the files, it will be clear the Trump Epstein Coverup continues.” The committee also began depositions with former Attorney General Bill Barr, who, according to Comer, testified that he “never had conversations with President Trump pertaining to a client list” and “had never seen anything that would implicate President Trump.” (Washington Post / Politico / Bloomberg / The Hill / Axios / Associated Press / New York Times)

6/ Newsmax agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems $67 million to settle a defamation lawsuit over false claims that Dominion rigged the 2020 election. An SEC filing said Newsmax paid $27 million on Aug. 15 and would pay the rest in two installments by Jan. 15, 2027. Nevertheless, Newsmax said its coverage was “fair, balanced, and conducted within professional standards of journalism.” In April, Delaware Judge Eric Davis ruled the challenged statements were “false and defamatory.” (NPR / CNN / Associated Press / New York Times)

7/ The State Department stopped issuing all visitor visas for people from Gaza after far-right activist Laura Loomer posted misleading videos of wounded Palestinian children arriving in the U.S. for treatment and called them “Islamic invaders from an Islamic terror hot zone.” Loomer celebrated the visa pause as “fantastic news” and urged Trump to expand his travel ban. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the move, saying “numerous” congressional offices had raised concerns that groups helping secure visas had “strong links to terrorist groups like Hamas,” though he provided no evidence or names. Hamas, meanwhile, announced it had accepted a ceasefire proposal from Egyptian and Qatari mediators. Israeli officials, however, said their positions “have not changed,” insisting the war will continue until all hostages are freed, Hamas is disarmed, and Israel retains security control over Gaza. (The Guardian / NPR / Bloomberg / Axios / Associated Press / The Hill / Associated Press)

poll/ Trump’s approval rating fell to 38% – down from 41% in June. Among his 2024 voters, approval fell from 95% at the start of his presidency to 85% today. Support among voters under 35 dropped to 69%, compared with nearly 90% earlier in his presidency. 37% said he “cares about the needs of ordinary people,” 36% called him “honest,” and 29% said he is “a good role model.” (Pew Research Center)

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What The Fuck Just Happened Today? ([syndicated profile] wtfjht_feed) wrote2025-08-07 03:57 pm
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Day 1661: "I regret nothing."

Posted by Matt Kiser

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/08/07/day-1661/

Day 1661

Today in one sentence: Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, first announced in April and delayed for months during talks on “90 deals in 90 days,” took effect, raising average rates from the usual 2–3% to 18.6% – the highest since 1933; Trump ordered the Commerce Department to begin work on a new census that would exclude immigrants living in the U.S. illegally; the FBI agreed to help Texas law enforcement find about 50 Democratic legislators who left to block a Trump-backed redistricting plan that would add five additional Republican House seats; a senior Trump Justice Department adviser was caught on Jan. 6 police bodycam footage urging rioters to attack officers defending the Capitol; the FBI fired several senior agents who had worked on investigations involving Trump or his allies; and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will move to occupy all of Gaza.

1/ Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, first announced in April and delayed for months during talks on “90 deals in 90 days,” took effect, raising average rates from the usual 2–3% to 18.6% – the highest since 1933 – with some imports from Brazil and India reaching 50%. Since April, the Trump administration has announced eight trade agreements, but only two – with the UK and China – are finalized, leaving most others, including with Japan, South Korea, the EU, Vietnam, and Indonesia, incomplete or without key details. The tariffs are collected from U.S. importers, who typically raise prices to cover the added costs. The White House claims the duties will bring in $50 billion a month, but that revenue comes directly from Americans, with the Yale Budget Lab projecting an extra $2,400 in costs per household this year. June inflation data already show price increases in tariff-affected categories such as clothing, appliances, and furniture. Economists have warned the impact will accelerate as pre-tariff inventories run out, forcing more businesses to pass on the full cost of the higher import taxes to consumers. Trump, meanwhile, celebrated the rollout of his tax on Americans, writing: “BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TARIFFS ARE NOW FLOWING INTO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!” (Bloomberg / CNN / NPR / Washington Post / ABC News / New York Times / Wall Street Journal)

  • Trump will nominate Stephen Miran, chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, to fill a temporary vacancy on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors created by Adriana Kugler’s early resignation. The term ends Jan. 31, 2026, though Miran could remain until a successor is confirmed. Miran has criticized the Fed under Jerome Powell for tolerating higher inflation and supports lower interest rates, saying there is “zero macroeconomically significant evidence of price pressures from tariffs.” At the same time, Fed governor Christopher Waller has emerged as a leading candidate among Trump’s advisers to succeed Powell when his term as chair ends in May. (Wall Street Journal / Bloomberg / Politico / CNN)

2/ Trump ordered the Commerce Department to begin work on a new census that would exclude immigrants living in the U.S. illegally, saying it would use “results and information gained from the Presidential Election of 2024.” The Constitution and federal law require counting the “whole number of persons in each state” every 10 years, and no census in U.S. history has excluded noncitizens from apportionment totals. Nevertheless, Trump wrote on social media that “People who are in our Country illegally WILL NOT BE COUNTED IN THE CENSUS.” The order comes as he claims Republicans are “entitled” to more House seats in Texas. The ACLU, meanwhile, said the plan would “defy the Constitution” and vowed to fight it in court. A 2019 Supreme Court ruling blocked his prior attempt to add a citizenship question as “contrived.” (Politico / New York Times / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / NPR / USA Today / NBC News / Axios / CBS News)

  • A federal judge ordered Florida to stop construction for 14 days at the “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration detention center in the Everglades while she considers claims it violates environmental laws. Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe sued in June, alleging the project skipped legally required federal environmental reviews and threatens wetlands and endangered species. (Associated Press / NBC News / Washington Post / ABC News / New York Times)

3/ The FBI agreed to help Texas law enforcement find about 50 Democratic legislators who left to block a Trump-backed redistricting plan that would add five additional Republican House seats. The lawmakers went to Illinois to deny Republicans the quorum needed for the vote. Sen. John Cornyn said FBI Director Kash Patel “approved my request” and assigned agents, though no criminal warrants have been issued and the bureau hasn’t acted. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, meanwhile, said there is “no federal law applicable to this situation” and lawmakers in Illinois “can’t be arrested.” (NBC News / New York Times / Axios)

4/ A senior Trump Justice Department adviser was caught on Jan. 6 police bodycam footage urging rioters to attack officers defending the Capitol. Jared Wise, a former FBI agent who was then working as a consultant, shouted “Kill ’em! Kill ’em!” and called police “Nazi” and “Gestapo” as the crowd attacked law enforcement. He was later indicted on charges including civil disorder and aiding an assault on officers, but Trump ordered his case dismissed along with all other Jan. 6 prosecutions on his first day in office. Wise is now a senior adviser in the deputy attorney general’s office, reviewing alleged “weaponization” of law enforcement. (NPR)

5/ The FBI fired several senior agents who had worked on investigations involving Trump or his allies, including former acting director Brian Driscoll and Washington field office chief Steven Jensen. Driscoll, who briefly led the bureau in early 2025, resisted Justice Department demands to name agents involved in the Jan. 6 investigations. “Last night I was informed that tomorrow will be my last day in the FBI […] No cause has been articulated at this time. I regret nothing,” Driscoll wrote to staff. In April, Trump-appointed FBI Director Kash Patel named Jensen to lead the Washington office, prompting criticism from Trump supporters because he had overseen the FBI’s domestic terrorism section that investigated the Jan. 6 attack. The FBI Agents Association, meanwhile, said it was “deeply concerned” about agents being “summarily fired without due process for doing their jobs.” (Washington Post / CNN / NBC News / New York Times / Associated Press / Reuters)

6/ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will move to occupy all of Gaza, vowing to “liberate ourselves and the people of Gaza from the awful terror of Hamas” despite warnings from his top general, hostage families, and foreign governments that the plan could kill more civilians and endanger the remaining hostages. Netanyahu’s plan calls for Israeli forces to seize all remaining parts of Gaza, displace up to a million civilians, establish a security perimeter, and eventually hand governance to unspecified Arab forces, beginning with the takeover of Gaza City in a months-long operation that analysts say could take years to fully implement. Hamas said the move “will not come without a heavy and costly price for the occupying forces,” while the UN warned it “would risk catastrophic consequences” for Gaza’s displaced and starving population. Trump, meanwhile, said he would not intervene in Israel’s decision to occupy Gaza, urging Hamas to “SURRENDER AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!!!” Israel’s nearly two-year military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, displaced most of the enclave’s over 2 million residents, left 70% of buildings uninhabitable, and driven a famine that has killed at least 193 people, including 96 children. (New York Times / NBC News / CNN / Wall Street Journal / Politico / Washington Post / Axios)

The midterm elections are in 453 days.

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What The Fuck Just Happened Today? ([syndicated profile] wtfjht_feed) wrote2025-08-06 04:31 pm
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Day 1660: "They don’t care."

Posted by Matt Kiser

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/08/06/day-1660/

Today in one sentence: Trump threatened to impose a 100% tariff on all semiconductor and chip imports unless companies shift production to the U.S. or have “committed to build” domestically; hours later, Apple announced an additional $100 billion U.S. investment; Trump raised tariffs on Indian goods to 50%, citing India’s continued purchases of Russian oil; Trump plans to meet with Putin as early as next week, followed by a separate meeting with Putin and Zelensky; Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. canceled $500 million in funding for 22 mRNA vaccine projects, including work on bird flu, COVID-19, and other viruses; JD Vance will host top Trump officials for dinner to discuss whether to release the transcript of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s interview with Ghislaine Maxwell; Stanford’s student newspaper sued the Trump administration, accusing officials of using federal immigration powers to intimidate noncitizen reporters into silence over Israel and Gaza; and key sections of the U.S. Constitution, including the ban on unlawful detention, disappeared from a government website run by the Library of Congress.

1/ Trump threatened to impose a 100% tariff on all semiconductor and chip imports unless companies shift production to the U.S. or have “committed to build” domestically. Trump, however didn’t say when the tariff would take effect or define what level of investment qualifies for exemption. “But the good news for companies like Apple is, if you’re building in the United States […] there will be no charge,” Trump said during a meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook. Hours later, Apple announced an additional $100 billion U.S. investment – on top of its earlier $500 billion pledge – and a new domestic manufacturing program that includes plans to produce over 19 billion chips in 24 factories across 12 states. The move followed Trump’s earlier threat to slap a 25% tariff on iPhones, which are still assembled abroad. In 2023, the U.S. imported $64 billion worth of semiconductors while producing only about 10–12% of the global supply. (CNBC / Associated Press / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / Reuters / New York Times / Axios / CNN / Washington Post / Wall Street Journal)

2/ Trump raised tariffs on Indian goods to 50%, citing India’s continued purchases of Russian oil. A new executive order adds a second 25% tariff on Aug. 27, on top of the 25% set to take effect this week. Trump said India was “fueling the war machine” and accused it of profiting from reselling Russian oil, adding that “they don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed.” India, meanwhile, called the move “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable,” saying its imports were based on “market factors” and needed for energy security. Trump also ordered officials to identify other countries importing Russian oil for possible trade penalties. (CNBC / Associated Press / Reuters / Wall Street Journal / Axios / NBC News / Washington Post / New York Times)

3/ Trump plans to meet with Putin as early as next week, followed by a separate meeting with Putin and Zelensky. Despite no agreement or commitment from either side, Trump disclosed the plan in a call with European leaders. “There’s a very good prospect that they will,” Trump said when asked if both leaders agreed to the talks. Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that the meetings depend on progress toward a short ceasefire and said “We now have some concrete examples of the kinds of things that Russia would ask for in order to end the war.” (New York Times / CNN / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / Axios / Associated Press / Politico / Washington Post)

4/ Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. canceled $500 million in funding for 22 mRNA vaccine projects, including work on bird flu, COVID-19, and other viruses. Kennedy claimed the technology “poses more risks than benefits” and said the vaccines “fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections.” The Department of Health and Human Services said future investments would go toward older vaccine methods that use weakened or inactivated viruses instead of mRNA. Scientists disputed Kennedy’s claims, noting that mRNA vaccines helped slow the COVID-19 pandemic, saved millions of lives, and remain effective at preventing severe illness and death. Vaccine experts called the move “a huge strategic failure” and warned it would weaken U.S. readiness for future pandemics. (Politico / New York Times / NBC News / BBC / Semafor / Associated Press / Axios / Reuters / NPR / Washington Post)

5/ JD Vance will host top Trump officials for dinner to discuss whether to release the transcript of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s interview with Ghislaine Maxwell. The meeting will include White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel and Blanche. Although the White House called the report “pure fiction,” Vance said, “We’re not meeting to talk about the Epstein situation.” Trump, meanwhile, defended Blanche’s interview, saying, “We’d like to release everything, but we don’t want people to get hurt that shouldn’t be hurt.” Maxwell, who is appealing her 2021 sex trafficking conviction, reportedly told Blanche that Trump “never did anything” concerning in her presence. The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed the Justice Department and several former officials Tuesday for Epstein-related files and testimony. (CNN / ABC News / The Guardian)

6/ Stanford’s student newspaper sued the Trump administration, accusing officials of using federal immigration powers to intimidate noncitizen reporters into silence over Israel and Gaza. The lawsuit, filed by the Stanford Daily and two international students, names Secretary of State Marco Rubio and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem as defendants and challenges policies that let them cancel visas if they decide someone’s views threaten U.S. foreign policy. The plaintiffs say reporters pulled articles, turned down assignments, and quit out of fear of retaliation. DHS called the lawsuit “baseless” and said it “doesn’t arrest people based on protected speech.” DHS, however, added: “There is no room in the United States for the rest of the world’s terrorist sympathizers.” (The Mercury News / USA Today / New York Times / Bloomberg)

7/ Key sections of the U.S. Constitution, including the ban on unlawful detention, disappeared from a government website run by the Library of Congress. The deleted text included all of Article I Sections 9 and 10, which limit congressional and state power, and the line, “The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended.” The Library blamed a “coding error” and said the issue had been fixed. Screenshots and archives confirmed the deletions, which also removed the foreign emoluments clause. The sections remained online through mid-July, weeks after Trump officials publicly pushed to suspend habeas corpus. (Axios / Washington Post / TechCrunch / 404 Media)

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What The Fuck Just Happened Today? ([syndicated profile] wtfjht_feed) wrote2025-08-19 02:56 pm
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Day 1673: "I think the president was serious."

Posted by Matt Kiser

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/08/19/day-1673/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=daily_update

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/08/19/day-1673

1/ The Justice Department opened a criminal investigation into whether D.C. police falsified crime data, even as city police data showed violent crime was down 27% this year and federal prosecutors had reported a 25% drop in Trump’s first 100 days. Trump, nevertheless, posted on social media that “D.C. gave Fake Crime numbers in order to create a false illusion of safety.” Trump’s tied the investigation to his deployment of hundreds of National Guard troops, claiming it was needed because of “Fake Crime numbers.” Mayor Muriel Bowser, meanwhile, said “We are not experiencing a spike in crime. In fact, we’re watching our crime numbers go down.” (New York Times / Associated Press / Washington Post / NBC News / CNN)

  • Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey was appointed co-deputy director of the FBI, joining Dan Bongino in the bureau’s second-highest role. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel following Bongino’s fallout with Bondi last month over the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein files. Bailey resigned from his Missouri post and said he was “forever grateful” for the opportunity to help “Make America Safe Again.” Patel said Bailey “will be an integral part” of Trump’s mission, and Bondi called him a “tremendous asset.” Bongino, who previously threatened to quit, posted simply: “Welcome. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸” (Axios / Semafor / CNN)

2/ National Guard troops from Republican-led states began arriving in Washington to support Trump’s law enforcement takeover of the capital. About 869 Guard members were already in the city, with governors pledging about 1,000 more. Most have been deployed to tourist sites and metro stations rather than high-crime areas, and while they remain unarmed, Guard members confirmed they are training to carry M-17 pistols. “Guard members may be armed consistent with their mission and training,” the Army said. At the same time, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro ordered prosecutors to “charge the highest crime that is supported by the law and the evidence” and move more cases into federal court, where sentences are stiffer. The White House said the operation was “working,” citing 52 arrests. DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said, “this is not about DC crime,” while a Brennan Center official called the deployment “a military occupation of the district.” (New York Times / CNN / The Handbasket / New York Times)

3/ Trump revoked the security clearances of 37 current and former national security officials. The list from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard targeted those tied to the 2016 Russia assessment, which concluded Russia interfered in the election to help Trump. It includes senior CIA, NSA, and NGA officials, as well as former aides to Obama-era intelligence leaders and members of Biden’s National Security Council. Gabbard claimed the officials “betray their oath to the Constitution” and accused them of “politicization or weaponization of intelligence,” though the memo cited no evidence of wrongdoing. (New York Post / New York Times / CNN)

4/ Trump said Tuesday he ordered lawyers to review Smithsonian museums for “woke” content. “The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been — Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future,” Trump posted on social media. Trump vowed to apply “the exact same process that has been done with Colleges and Universities,” where his administration has withheld federal funds to force changes. (CNBC / Axios / CNN)

5/ The Trump administration ordered U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to require immigrants seeking citizenship to prove “positive contributions” beyond avoiding crimes. Officers were told to weigh applicants’ “community involvement, achievements, and financial responsibility” and make decisions “on a case-by-case basis.” USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser said the goal was to offer citizenship only to “the world’s best of the best.” Critics said the rules are “so loose and discretionary that it is obviously susceptible to arbitrary enforcement.” (Washington Post / Axios)

6/ Trump ruled out sending American troops to Ukraine, saying: “You have my assurance, and I’m president.” He said Europe would “put people on the ground” while Washington might help “by air because there’s nobody that has the kind of stuff we have.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Trump “definitively” ruled out ground forces, but ordered his national security team to draft a framework for security guarantees. Russia, meanwhile, has rejected any plan involving NATO or international troops, warning such a move could cause “uncontrollable escalation.” (CNBC / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / New York Times / Politico / CNN / Bloomberg)

7/ Trump told “Fox & Friends” that his reason for trying to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is because “I want to try and get to heaven, if possible.” Trump added: “I’m hearing I’m not doing well. I am really at the bottom of the totem pole.” Meanwhile, Karoline Leavitt said: “I think the president was serious. I think the president wants to get to heaven.” (New York Times)

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What The Fuck Just Happened Today? ([syndicated profile] wtfjht_feed) wrote2025-08-18 04:02 pm
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Day 1672: "Done waiting."

Posted by Matt Kiser

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/08/18/day-1672/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=daily_update

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2025/08/18/day-1672

1/ Trump paused a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders to call Putin and “began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined” between the two leaders. The meeting would be followed by a trilateral with Trump. The Kremlin confirmed the roughly 40-minute call, describing it as “frank” and “very constructive,” but didn’t say whether Putin agreed to meet Zelenskyy. Earlier, Trump met Zelenskyy and top European leaders – including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Finnish President Alexander Stubb – and said the U.S. would support European-led security guarantees: “We will give them very good protection, very good security,” without ruling out American troops. Rutte called the U.S. pledge “a big step, a breakthrough,” while Merz said, “I would like to see a ceasefire from the next meeting.” Trump, however, countered: “I don’t think you need a ceasefire.” Russia’s Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, warned that NATO forces in Ukraine would be “categorically unacceptable” and could trigger “unpredictable consequences.” The White House talks came after Trump’s Alaska summit with Putin, which ended without a ceasefire and left Trump backing Moscow’s demand for a “full settlement” – a deal that would require Ukraine to surrender territory Russia occupies and abandon its NATO bid. While Zelenskyy signaled openness to a three-way meeting, he rejected ceding territory, as Russian strikes killed 10 civilians in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia during the talks. (Associated Press / Axios / NBC News / NPR / New York Times / Washington Post / Politico / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / NBC News / Axios / Politico / Wall Street Journal)

2/ Trump pledged to sign an executive order to “get rid of mail-in ballots” and voting machines before the 2026 midterm elections. “I am going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS,” Trump said, adding that states “must do what the Federal Government, as represented by the President of the United States, tells them.” Trump repeated his claim that mail-in voting is fraudulent, though no evidence supports it, and said even Putin told him U.S. elections were “rigged because you have mail-in voting.” Constitutional scholars, meanwhile, flatly rejected Trump’s idea, calling it legally impossible since states control elections. Judges has also already struck down parts of a March order on voting rules, making any new directive almost certain to be blocked in court. (Reuters / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post / ABC News / New York Times / Politico / Salon / Axios)

3/ Texas Democrats ended a two-week walkout, returning to the Capitol and giving Republicans the quorum needed to advance a rare mid-decade redistricting plan backed by Trump to add five House seats before the 2026 midterms. House Speaker Dustin Burrows said Democrats who had been under arrest warrants would only be allowed to leave the chamber if placed in the custody of state police escorts, adding: “We are done waiting. We have a quorum. Now is the time for action.” Democratic caucus chair Gene Wu defended the walkout, saying, “We killed the corrupt special session and rallied Democrats nationwide,” and vowed to challenge the map in court. Meanwhile, California Democrats introduced legislation to create up to five new Democratic-leaning seats if Texas proceeds. The plan would go before voters in a November statewide referendum and temporarily override the state’s independent redistricting process, as other Republican-led states including Florida, Indiana, Missouri, and Ohio and Democratic-led states such as New York, Illinois, Maryland, and Oregon consider similar moves. (NBC News / ABC News / Washington Post / Associated Press / CNN / Wall Street Journal / New York Times)

4/ Republican governors pledged to send up to 750 National Guard troops to Washington, joining the 800 already deployed under Trump’s emergency order and takeover of the city’s police. Trump declared the “emergency” and said “The place is going to hell and we’ve got to stop it” even though Justice Department data show violent crime has fallen since 2023. More than 300 arrests have followed, many targeting undocumented immigrants and homeless residents, while Guard troops have patrolled federal sites, but not made arrests. A White House official said they “may be armed.” D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb sued, calling the takeover “brazenly unlawful,” and a federal judge forced the Justice Department to back off an attempt to replace the city’s police chief. Sen. Chris Van Hollen called it “a manufactured emergency” and “a total abuse of power.” (Washington Post / NPR / Axios / Politico / New York Times / NBC News / Washington Post / Politico / Democracy Docket / Axios)

5/ The Justice Department said it would begin providing Jeffrey Epstein investigation records to the House Oversight Committee on Friday – three days after the panel’s Aug. 19 subpoena deadline. Chair James Comer said “There are many records in DOJ’s custody, and it will take the Department time to produce all the records and ensure the identification of victims and any child sexual abuse material are redacted.” Democrats, meanwhile, demanded the “full, complete, and unredacted Epstein files” and any “client list,” warning that “if the committee does not receive the files, it will be clear the Trump Epstein Coverup continues.” The committee also began depositions with former Attorney General Bill Barr, who, according to Comer, testified that he “never had conversations with President Trump pertaining to a client list” and “had never seen anything that would implicate President Trump.” (Washington Post / Politico / Bloomberg / The Hill / Axios / Associated Press / New York Times)

6/ Newsmax agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems $67 million to settle a defamation lawsuit over false claims that Dominion rigged the 2020 election. An SEC filing said Newsmax paid $27 million on Aug. 15 and would pay the rest in two installments by Jan. 15, 2027. Nevertheless, Newsmax said its coverage was “fair, balanced, and conducted within professional standards of journalism.” In April, Delaware Judge Eric Davis ruled the challenged statements were “false and defamatory.” (NPR / CNN / Associated Press / New York Times)

7/ The State Department stopped issuing all visitor visas for people from Gaza after far-right activist Laura Loomer posted misleading videos of wounded Palestinian children arriving in the U.S. for treatment and called them “Islamic invaders from an Islamic terror hot zone.” Loomer celebrated the visa pause as “fantastic news” and urged Trump to expand his travel ban. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the move, saying “numerous” congressional offices had raised concerns that groups helping secure visas had “strong links to terrorist groups like Hamas,” though he provided no evidence or names. Hamas, meanwhile, announced it had accepted a ceasefire proposal from Egyptian and Qatari mediators. Israeli officials, however, said their positions “have not changed,” insisting the war will continue until all hostages are freed, Hamas is disarmed, and Israel retains security control over Gaza. (The Guardian / NPR / Bloomberg / Axios / Associated Press / The Hill / Associated Press)

poll/ Trump’s approval rating fell to 38% – down from 41% in June. Among his 2024 voters, approval fell from 95% at the start of his presidency to 85% today. Support among voters under 35 dropped to 69%, compared with nearly 90% earlier in his presidency. 37% said he “cares about the needs of ordinary people,” 36% called him “honest,” and 29% said he is “a good role model.” (Pew Research Center)

The midterm elections are in 442 days.

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