8 Thoughts for a Dangerous Week

President Donald Trump leaves the podium after addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday in New York. Anthony Behar/Sipa via AP

Does it feel as if the authoritarianism and the absurdity of Trumpism have accelerated in recent days? The United Nations speech, the Tylenol press conference—Donald Trump was outright bonkers at each. (See Dumbass Comment of the Week below.) Why more Americans don’t consider him an embarrassment is a question for the ages. And in the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk murder, Trump’s threats to crack down on dissent and prosecute his critics and political foes intensified, and his vicious crusade of retribution hit a dangerous new height, as the wildly unqualified lackey he appointed as US attorney for the Eastern District of Viriginia indicted former FBI Director James Comey on what appeared to be flimsy charges. (See my report on the vague, flimsy, and misleading Comey indictment.)

It was quite a busy week for those of us who pay attention to the decline of democracy and the increase in idiocy. I was also caught up in a whirlwind of professional responsibilities and had little time to fix on a particular subject for this issue. So with your indulgence, let me throw out a few random thoughts before offering the regular features below in the premium version (including Dumbass Comment of the Week, Inspiration of the Week, the Mailbag, and MoxieCam™).

Exploiting the Kirk Assassination: With the fatal shooting of Kirk, Trump and his crew saw an opportunity to neutralize the charge that Trump is implementing authoritarian and fascist measures as he seeks to amass and consolidate power. Such criticism, they baselessly contend, is a cause of political violence and, thus, ought to cease. Here’s Vice President JD Vance: "If you want stop political violence, stop telling your supporters that everybody who disagrees with you is a Nazi."

This is all performative nonsense. Flashback: In 2016, Vance wrote to a friend, “I go back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical asshole like Nixon who wouldn’t be that bad (and might even prove useful) or that he’s America’s Hitler.” And then there’s this:

Make America Grift Again: The White House and MAGA moved expeditiously to smother the MSNBC scoop that revealed that during an undercover operation last year Tom Homan, who’s now Trump’s border czar, was recorded by the FBI accepting $50,000 in cash after telling undercover agents posing as business executives that he could get them government contracts in a second Trump administration. Remember when Trump and MAGA used to proclaim they would drain the swamp in DC? You don’t hear too much of that these days. And they showed little interest in Homan’s alleged influence peddling.

One MAGA luminary, Megyn Kelly, went so far as to exclaim, “We DO NOT CARE.” Strange attitude for a journalist to have. Oh, I forgot, she’s no longer a journalist. After all, she campaigned for Trump in 2024. Several commenters noted that Homan, if he is not guilty of any wrongdoing, as he insists, should call on the FBI to release the video of him taking the cash that was handed to him in a Cava bag. (Maybe he can do a TikTok.) My question is this: Did Homan declare the $50,000 on his income tax? He could easily prove he did by releasing that page of his returns.

Make America Grift Again, Celebrity Edition: Forbes reported this week that since Donald Trump won the White House again 10 months ago, his family’s worth has hit $10 billion:

Crypto is the big driver, but additional funds have come from advising right-wing companies in America and partnering with cash-rich firms overseas, especially in the Middle East. Family members who never had significant fortunes of their own—Eric, Don Jr., Barron and Melania—have accumulated tens, then hundreds of millions of dollars. All told, the family (including the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner) is now worth an estimated $10 billion, having nearly doubled its net worth since last year’s election.

This White House grifting has exceeded anything ever seen in US history. Remember when reporters and conservatives got their undies all knotted up over the Clintons replacing workers in the White House travel office allegedly so business could be steered to Clinton cronies? (Several investigations found no evidence of Clinton wrongdoing.) That supposed scandal, which some called Travelgate, nearly brought Washington to a standstill, though it ended up being a nothingburger. What Trump has done by turning the presidency into a side gig for his business ventures is a gazillion times more corrupt. Yet it barely generates a ripple of outrage, and his MAGA cult couldn’t be bothered. As with his lying, he’s learned a lesson about grifting: Go big, or go home. If you’re hugely outrageous, it’s easier to get away with it. 

Shoot First, Make Policy Later: During a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump was asked, “Do you think that NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircraft that enter their airspace?" He replied, "Yes I do." What was notable was that he thought about his answer for about three nanoseconds before blurting it out. But should a shoot-down happen in all instances? Should a NATO country perhaps issue a warning first? There’s been much jabbering in the past few days that Trump shifted his stance on the Russia-Ukraine war when he put up a social media post saying Ukraine is now “in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form.” Did that mean Crimea, too? Was he bailing on Vladimir Putin, whom he applauded (literally) at the half-baked summit in Alaksa five weeks ago?

Trump doesn’t care about Ukraine. He cares about getting rid of the war—How? It doesn’t matter—so he can cut deals with Putin and Russia. Remember when he threatened to pull support from Ukraine? When he gave Putin an ultimatum? Or when he said he was days away from brokering a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy to resolve the war? He really doesn’t know what he's doing, and there’s little reason to take his most recent pronouncement any more seriously that his previous bullshit.

Turning the Hate Up to 11: In the last issue, I tagged Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), who’s running for governor in South Carolina, as one of the most hate-driven politicians of this moment. The reason: She keeps sending out fundraising emails and texts calling Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) a “sick, twisted RADICAL” who “stands with 9/11 terrorists” and “supports Hamas’ war on Israel” and who “committed immigration fraud so she could lobby for her sh**hole country in Congress” and by demanding that Omar be deported. Mace’s allegations are false, and Omar, an American citizen, cannot be deported. Moreover, Omar has nothing to do with issues faced by South Carolina voters. But she is a Somali immigrant, and her skin is dark. No sooner had I written that item, Mace went even further and accused Omar of celebrating “the deaths of slain Americans and Jews.”

Of course, Mace did not provide any proof. After two Israeli embassy staffers were killed in Washington, DC, in May, the New York Post slammed Omar for not addressing the slayings, but Omar did soon put up a statement on X: “I am appalled by the deadly shooting at the Capital Jewish Museum last night. Holding the victims, their families, and loved ones in my thoughts and prayers. Violence should have no place in our country.” That doesn’t sound like celebrating murder. It looks as if Mace is counting on hate to fill her coffers. And it must be working, since she keeps sending out these virulent messages.

America First? Not Really: Talking to Fox Host Maria Bartiromo, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent acknowledged that the Trump White House will use gigantic US loans to bail out the cratering Argentine economy to help embattled right-wing President Javier Milei prevail in the coming legislative elections there.

Such a move runs contrary to the America First ethos. Assisting the faltering economy of an ally can be a reasonable policy. But Bessent was explicit in stating the goal here is to commit billions of US taxpayer dollars to aid Milei politically. What trumps the America First principle is Trump’s desire to rescue an archconservative ally.

We’re All Socialists Now? Speaking of trumping supposed MAGA principles...how many times has Trump claimed that the greatest evil facing the nation is socialism from those radical-left Democrats? During that same interview, Bartiromo asked Bessent about the Trump administration claiming an ownership stake in private companies, such as Intel and possibly a rare-earth minerals company. “What should we think about that?” she inquired. Bessent replied, “Maria, there are decisions that the US government makes that we believe is good for society.” In other words, partial nationalization of a private enterprise can be reasonable. So hooray for socialism? Though others have suggested another model for the Trump White House: the mob. Nice little restaurant you got here, be a pity if anything happened to it, right? And now 20 percent of it is…ours.

Kirk’s Fascist Pal? A telling moment occurred during the Charlie Kirk mega-memorial on Sunday when Jack Posobiec, a well-known alt-right agitator and conservative media personality who promoted the bonkers Pizzagate conspiracy theory, took the stage to praise Kirk. Posobiec compared him to Moses: “Charlie Kirk has brought us to the promised land.” Posobiec is one of the great demonizers in the MAGA world. In 2024, he co-wrote a book called Unhumans, a term he applied to communists, socialists, leftists, and progressives, whom he described as “people of anti-civilization” and “ugly liars who hate and kill.” He claimed, “They destroy the human rights of life, liberty, and property—and undo their own humanity in the process by fully embracing nihilism, cynicism, and envy.”

Posobiec also asserted that these “unhumans” don’t “believe what they say. They don’t care about winning debates. They don’t even want equality. They just want an excuse to destroy everything. They want an excuse to destroy you.” As examples of those who successfully fought against “unhumans,” he hailed Francisco Franco, Spain’s fascist tyrant, and Augusto Pinochet, Chile’s fascist despot. These two men each led a murderous and repressive regime that smothered democracy. A conspiracy theorist who fancies bloody tyrants, practically commends political violence, and vilifies his political foes was platformed at this event that celebrated Kirk as a supposed Christian leader and patriot. A bit of mixed messaging there. By the way, Vance, the guy who says the left causes violence by using harsh rhetoric, endorsed Posobiec’s book. 

Got anything to say about this item—or anything else? Email me at ourland.corn@gmail.com.

The judges broke down this week and tossed aside their informal rule of not honoring Trump with this not-so-coveted award. Without this mercy rule, he could win almost every week. But for this installment, they yielded to the obvious, the unavoidable, and the inevitable and named him the victor for a mélange of idiocy over the past seven days.

During his speech at the United Nations, Trump rambled and ranted and needlessly insulted his fellow heads of state. “It’s time to end the failed experiment of open borders. You have to end it now. It’s—I can tell you. I’m really good at this stuff. Your countries are going to hell.” Referring to climate change, he huffed, “It’s the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world, in my opinion. Climate change, no matter what happens, you’re involved in that. No more global warming, no more global cooling.”

Perhaps most outlandish was this remark: "I'm really good at predicting things. During the campaign they had a hat—a best-selling hat—'Trump was right about everything.' And I don't say that in a braggadocious way, but it's true. I've been right about everything."

Well, maybe not about that bronzer.

At a press conference with Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., in which Trump and the anti-vax activist both pushed the unproven claim that the use of acetaminophen (a.k.a. Tylenol) by pregnant women was linked to autism in children, Trump said:

See, Bobby wants to be very careful with what he says, and he should, but I'm not so careful with what I say, but you have certain groups, the Amish as an example. They have essentially no autism. First, effective immediately, the FDA will be notifying physicians that the use of a—well, let's see how we say that acetaminophen—is that okay? Which is basically commonly known as Tylenol during pregnancy, can be associated with a very increased risk of autism.

At least, Trump gets points for being honest—an unusual occurrence—when he said, “I’m not so careful with what I say.” But it was reckless, dumb, and dangerous for him to be uncareful with his utterances about Tylenol and pregnancy. And, naturally, what he said was wrong. First, Kennedy does not want to be “very careful.” He’s a reckless rogue who’s destroying the United States’ public health system with his crackpottery. And as ABC News noted, Trump misrepresented the Amish example:

This is a common anti-vaccine talking point. Studies have identified and diagnosed autism in Amish children along with other conditions, according to the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR). Also, not all Amish families decline regular childhood vaccinations, according to a study done by Science Direct. While Autism rates indeed appear lower among Amish communities, experts say this is likely due to factors like limited health care access and cultural attitude leading to underreporting, not because these conditions are absent in these communities, experts say.

Here's how Jimmy Kimmel (welcome back!) and his staff summed up Trump’s press conference:

Let’s give Arthur Caplan, a leading medical ethicist the last word on the terrible Trump-RFK Jr. presser

Trump’s other big gig this week was the Kirk memorial. When Erika Kirk, Kirk’s widow, spoke at the event, she told the crowd that she had forgiven the alleged shooter. Trump appeared later, and he said Kirk was “a missionary with a noble spirit and a great, great purpose. He did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them. That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent, and I don’t want the best for them. I’m sorry. I am sorry, Erika…I can’t stand my opponent.”

Not even at a memorial service could Trump summon up an iota of grace—not even to support a grieving widow. Nor could he try for a brief moment to mumble a few comforting words of unity and healing. On its own, this comment could have won Trump the trophy. His trifecta made this week a romp for Trump—and a sad and troubling stretch for America.

For his return, Jimmy Kimmel got it exactly right. If you haven’t seen his post-suspension monologue, here it is:

Kimmel smartly did not make this just about him. He used the moment to call attention to the Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s attempt to muzzle the Pentagon press by compelling them to pledge not to report information—including unclassified information—that is not officially released by the Defense Department. This is the type of important story that generally won’t get much attention. Kudos to Kimmel for helping to spread the word about this latest dollop of authoritarianism.

It was encouraging to see popular resistance—and opposition from hundreds of Hollywood celebrities—to the Disney/ABC decision to yank Kimmel off the air. If only there had been as much outrage about Trump shutting down USAID. In recent days, both CNN and Nicholas Kristof, the New York Times columnist, have reported on how this move has led to a huge wave of death and suffering overseas. The Impact Metrics Dashboard that calculates and tracks deaths resulting from the obliteration of USAID puts the total at 348,548 children and 167,591 adults—more than 516,000 in total.

Many readers were still engaged by the ongoing debate over political violence that was prompted by the Kirk assassination. Kenneth Arbogast wrote:

In our discussions about a political party that endorses violence, we should expand our timeframe. I grew up in Ohio. As war protests tapered off and students at Kent State returned to classes on a Monday, they were fired upon by Ohio National Guard troops sent to the campus by a GOP governor. Two of the four killed in 1970 didn't participate in the protests. During the Reagan years, right-wing militias formed across the country. Remember G. Gordon Liddy on his radio show describing the best way to shoot to kill "jack-booted thugs" as he referred to federal agents. (Imagine the reaction today if an MSNBC host suggested such a thing.) Just a few years later, the nation endured the single greatest domestic terrorism (and still the deadliest) prior to 1/6 when 168 people, including 19 children, died when the federal office building in Oklahoma City was blown up. I don't recall an equivalent left-wing attack. 

Then there were the unprecedented number of death threats against President Barack Obama—in large part because a New York draft dodger/tax cheat/adulterer spread a rumor that Obama was not born in the United States. That same jerk weaponized the first pandemic in 100 years against Democratic governors, leading to a militia plot to kidnap and kill the governor of Michigan. Of course, right-wingers have bombed a mosque and are responsible for mass shootings in El Paso, Dayton, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo. The GOP made a hero of an immature kid vigilante who killed two people. He received a visit to Mar-a-Lago and offers of jobs on congressional staffs. Kyle Rittenhouse even appeared at a Turning Point USA event. But the way the two sides are reacting to Rittenhouse and Robinson answers your question. One set up defense funds; the other is denouncing the murder.

Kathleen McGeorge emailed:

Regarding your article about Trump's impeachable acts, I wholeheartedly agree with everything except the following: "Trump, who, let’s face it, is better at politics than the frequently hapless Democratic Party..." I would say that he is just better at being a con artist and using mob boss style intimidation tactics on both friends and foes, things that the Democrats are fortunately not so good at.

Trump is better at conveying a message—even if it’s a big con. And he has a good instinct for what will stick. The Democrats need not imitate his underhanded methods, but they ought to find an honorable way to fight as hard. 

Daniel (no last name) shared this:

I’m sick of a Democratic Party that refuses to have a basic and oft-repeated narrative. Yet I’m a poor working man who gets five to ten fundraising texts at a time, day after day. Why/How do they deserve a response?

Good question. If it’s not obvious why a donor should give money to a political party, it’s not likely he or she will give.

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“What do you mean, Moxie?”
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