Congress can do that starting in ‘27.The next President needs to claw back every dollar Trump steals from the American taxpayer in these phony settlements. What a travesty.
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) May 15, 2026
Adventus
"I would like to say 'This book is written to the glory of God', but nowadays this would be the trick of a cheat, i.e., it would not be correctly understood."--Ludwig Wittgenstein
"Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards."--Soren Kierkegaard
Friday, May 15, 2026
Another Reason To Vote The Republicans Out
The DOJ Works For Trump, And Trump Alone
Sounds like a job for Congress, actually. Isn’t that what the $1 billion is for?THERE IT IS: Another Truth Social-style court filing by Justice Dept
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) May 15, 2026
Arguing for Trump Ballroom, feds claim plaintiffs have "Trump Derangement Syndrome"
They say ballroom needs "state-of-the-art hospital & medical facilities, Top Secret military installations, bomb shelters" pic.twitter.com/hd9sB64inS
Nothin’ But Good Times Ahead!
Our 5th warning:
— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) May 15, 2026
The bond market crisis is intensifying.
The US 10Y Note Yield is now officially above 4.55% for the first time since May 2025.
After weeks of euphoria, the market is beginning to react today.
As we have been stating for the last few weeks, the current… pic.twitter.com/p0dUrnH2o0
Our 5th warning:And then comes the rationing:
The bond market crisis is intensifying.
The US 10Y Note Yield is now officially above 4.55% for the first time since May 2025.
After weeks of euphoria, the market is beginning to react today.
As we have been stating for the last few weeks, the current situation in the bond market is unsustainable.
We are now above levels seen when President Trump implemented a "90-day tariff pause" in April 2025 due to a collapsing bond market.
Furthermore, the market now sees a 60%+ chance that the Fed's next move is an interest rate HIKE, with rate cuts entirely priced-out.
We expect to see 7%+ mortgages next, all as auto loan delinquencies have reached 32-year highs.
Inflation is back and higher rates are coming.
"Another automaker warning on motor oil availability?Another automaker warning on motor oil availability earlier due to base oils availability… allowing substitutions, credit to @CostaKapo pic.twitter.com/R5U6JgWesw
— Patrick De Haan (@GasBuddyGuy) May 15, 2026
And our President’s reality is a bubble in his own mind:
“Very elegantly referred to the United States as perhaps being a declining nation”
— Sarah Longwell (@SarahLongwell25) May 15, 2026
I wish Trump was smart enough to know when he’s being humiliated. pic.twitter.com/CYxxnblBK6
In the same "gaggle:"Trump to NYT's David Sanger: "I had a total military victory. But the fake news, guys like you, write incorrectly. You're a fake guy. We had a total military victory. I actually think it's sort of treasonous what you write. You should be ashamed of yourself. I actually think it's… pic.twitter.com/QK421YHKtq
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 15, 2026
What does "fake news” even mean anymore? πA “total military victory”
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 15, 2026
but also
“sort of finished militarily”
“pretty much”
“probably 70–75%”
“we didn’t finish every one of the things”
and
“we’ll go back and finish them off.” https://t.co/EIUcPYgnHz
Same energy. This is what happens when you play “Follow the Leader” for too damned long.COLLINS: “What about Trump’s promise to lower gas prices?”
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) May 15, 2026
JORDAN: “That’s life.”@kaitlancollins: “If someone’s paying more for⛽️, saying ‘that’s life’ might not make them feel better.”@Jim_Jordan: “Those are your words, not mine.”
COLLINS: “No you said that. Just now.”π¬ pic.twitter.com/Ry2ve9Dsy3
I’m Sure This Means….
... we don’t understand what the Sinister Six are doing.CARTOON OF THE DAY ππΊπΈ
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) May 15, 2026
(From @Nick_Anderson_) pic.twitter.com/mcwmaqr1Ci
Great Leaders Have Great Ballrooms πͺ©
That’s how you know they’re great leaders.President Trump’s first readout on the Xi summit as he leaves Beijing is…about the ballroom pic.twitter.com/CGe24MxBqX
— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) May 15, 2026
π₯π₯¦π₯
Q: Who are you going to endorse in the Texas Senate race?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 15, 2026
TRUMP: I'm looking at it. I think the Democrats have a weird, weird candidate. Six genders, a real hit on Jesus. This guy is bad news, with his mask from relatively recently. He was a vegan. pic.twitter.com/qsJ4T5Ubi0
Soon we’ll all be vegan. Out of necessity. And if we can afford the vegetables.Golden age. https://t.co/GhDr9lGncv
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) May 14, 2026
We Have Met The Enemy, And He Is Us
"We want the same thing. Iran closed it, but we want it open, so we closed their closure. Now we want it open. Them open. Something.”Trump: We did discuss Iran. We feel very similar. We want the straits open. We’re closing it now. They closed it and we closed it on top of them—but we want them open. pic.twitter.com/NiVZMu4zfP
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 15, 2026
The only reason he’s there is to pleasure himself.Trump: Nice place. I could get used to this. pic.twitter.com/1vHgYYLm9P
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 15, 2026
"Am I special? Am I really special? Am I his BFF? Tell him π©·π«Ά”Trump: Ask the president… other prime ministers and presidents—does he bring them here? pic.twitter.com/hD4my4xmyO
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 15, 2026
So this is the Chinese version of tacky?XI: I've chosen this place especially to reciprocate the hospitality extended to me in 2017 at Mar a Lago. pic.twitter.com/b1jqKFj0ea
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 15, 2026
Laser focused on what matters.There's something wrong with the President. https://t.co/vpdSxYtjdb
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) May 15, 2026
If that caused Stephen Miller to stroke out, it would almost be worth it.NOW - Trump says it's good to have 500,000 foreign Chinese students in the U.S. and for China to purchase U.S. farmland; otherwise, colleges and farm prices would collapse: "I frankly think that it's good that people come from other countries and they learn our culture." pic.twitter.com/3vQDXpjchz
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) May 15, 2026
Xi: You’re failing, we’re rising. So watch your ass.”Thucydides Trap?
— MeidasClips (@MeidasClips) May 15, 2026
While Donald Trump was distracted by pageantry and spectacle, Xi Jinping delivered some of the most ruthless statements a Chinese leader has ever made directly to a U.S. president.
"He didn't even know that he was being dissed." pic.twitter.com/DEZEyla3rM
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Goddamned Boomers
"The Gestapo tactics of this president will not stand here." pic.twitter.com/0dAeV5GPxX
— George Conway ⚖️πΊπΈ (@gtconway3d) May 15, 2026
Never Miss An Opportunity
A good response.This a disgusting abomination. Republicans are going to make hard-working, law abiding taxpayers pay off the thugs and criminals who beat cops on J6 and were convicted of various other crimes. Vote every Republican out of office this Nov. https://t.co/v41ngwWb4G pic.twitter.com/BPgLSbHBmO
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) May 14, 2026
Sell that hard.Republicans can now tell every voter that the leader of their party is going to make them pay $1.7 billion of their hard-earned money in taxes to Oathkeepers & Proud Boys convicted of crimes on J6 as well as others convicted of beating police. All of us have to pay J6 criminals.
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) May 14, 2026
It doesn’t quite fit on a bumper sticker, but the sentiment sells. Which brings us to this:Republicans make us pay more for gas, groceries, and a multitude of other things, make us pay for their wars and bombing campaigns, want us to pay for Trump’s ballroom, and now want us to pay $1.7 billion to “compensate” convicted J6 criminals he pardoned. Vote them all out.
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) May 14, 2026
The Parliamentarian ruled that major portions of the bill pending in the Senate violated reconciliation rules. Border Patrol funding is dead, but two other sections of the bill fell for violations of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, and/or the Flores Settlement. Significantly, the Parliamentarian pointed to the OBBBA and “she pointed directly to how the Trump administration has already applied OBBBA spending as evidence of what this new money would actually do.” The Parliamentarian meant that money had been used in violation of the TVPRA and/or the Flores Settlement. It’s a point beyond the usual scope of the Parliamentarian, and one that indicates concerns that others could use effectively:π¨BREAKING: Senate Parliamentarian Kills Core of Republicans' ICE Funding Package https://t.co/qUZVuH9dOS
— Pablo ManrΓquez (@PabloReports) May 15, 2026
It is a notable move for a parliamentarian whose office is careful to note that its advice “is not a judgement on the relative merits of a particular policy.” MacDonough’s ruling is procedural, not political — but the practical effect lands like a sledgehammer on a package that Senate Republicans had structured as a workaround to Democratic opposition.Relevant here for a few reasons. One, the $1 billion for the ballroom is supposed to be a part of this package. But many Senators don’t want to pass it, and it isn’t clear there are the votes in the House for it, either. So if it is stripped out, it likely dies. Now, about that $1.7 billion….
Senate Republicans opted to fund the bulk of DHS through the appropriations process while moving funding for immigration enforcement separately after talks with Democrats collapsed over reforms to ICE and CBP. That strategy required the reconciliation package to survive parliamentary review intact. It has not.
....
For immigration advocates and civil rights attorneys who have spent years defending the Flores Agreement and the TVPRA from executive branch erosion, the ruling is a rare procedural vindication. It is also a warning: the parliamentarian’s finding that the Trump administration’s OBBBA implementation itself constitutes evidence of intent is language that is likely to surface again in federal court.
The package now returns to the drawing board — with a Senate floor vote still on the calendar and a House that has yet to formally adopt the same budget resolution.
It’s A Theme
GILLIBRAND: What is your record?! I don't want to just hear about what you don't like about the Biden administration
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 14, 2026
SCOTT TURNER: During the Biden administra--
GILLIBRAND: Stop talking about Biden! Talk about your record
TURNER: During the Biden administration--
GILLIBRAND:… pic.twitter.com/E9XZM754nF
GILLIBRAND: What is your record?! I don't want to just hear about what you don't like about the Biden administration
SCOTT TURNER: During the Biden administra--
GILLIBRAND: Stop talking about Biden! Talk about your record
TURNER: During the Biden administration--
GILLIBRAND: Oh my God!
C-SPAN: Consumer prices in April rose 3.8% in April year over year. How long do you think the American public will be able to sustain this level of inflation and gas prices?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 14, 2026
REP. TIM MOORE: It's not just Americans who are bearing what's happening. Europe is probably bearing it… pic.twitter.com/O7WUprU1NX
C-SPAN: Consumer prices in April rose 3.8% in April year over year. How long do you think the American public will be able to sustain this level of inflation and gas prices?
REP. TIM MOORE: It's not just Americans who are bearing what's happening. Europe is probably bearing it even more. Asia is dealing with it.
PATTY MURRAY: Your budget cuts housing. Can you help more families with housing with $84b or $73.5b?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 14, 2026
SCOTT TURNER: Here's what I'll say. In the previous four years--
MURRAY: Ok. This is the go-to answer for every secretary is to go back to Biden. I'm asking you about your… pic.twitter.com/ZNIwToZnBS
PATTY MURRAY: Your budget cuts housing. Can you help more families with housing with $84b or $73.5b?And when it isn’t Biden’s fault:
SCOTT TURNER: Here's what I'll say. In the previous four years--
MURRAY: Ok. This is the go-to answer for every secretary is to go back to Biden. I'm asking you about your administration
TURNER: Inflation was up. Regulatory environment was crippling.
MURRAY: It's your go-to answer
CASAR: For the $1 billion we're being asked to spend on Trump's ballroom, we could fund 217 million free school lunches and 15,000 more teachers. As secretary of education, which do you think helps our nation more?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 14, 2026
McMAHON: I think those are incredibly weird comparisons pic.twitter.com/uEFex7jiSB
It’s coming from the White House.VANCE: THERE IS FRAUD ALL AROUND US pic.twitter.com/zyLfJURq1Q
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 14, 2026
While Vance is prattling on, the Times (to its credit) is reporting that a fraud case against an Indian businessman was dropped after he offered to invest $10 billion here that he claims will create 15,000 jobs (which will surely turn out to be bullshit) https://t.co/b2uAcQ57UH pic.twitter.com/QHPurGHo8p
— scary lawyerguy (@scarylawyerguy) May 14, 2026
Yeah, but, how many supporters?Trump supporters watch their guy run a fake charity, fake university, and fake election claims, then clap when JD Vance lectures America about fraud. Donald Trump was literally found liable for financial fraud https://t.co/39tgMIKubY
— Alex Cole (@acnewsitics) May 14, 2026
a look at the crowd JD Vance is speaking to today in Maine pic.twitter.com/z4sBAcgJeL
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 14, 2026
This is bad. He has the entire WH to build a crowd and no one wants to see him. https://t.co/MaViPfUajd
— Reed Galen (@reedgalen) May 14, 2026
Wasn’t that Trump’s defense in New York?JD Vance: "Fraud is the ultimate non-victimless crime" pic.twitter.com/9b3uEvyWr1
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 14, 2026
Well, okay, but I don’t think Trump is going to like it there.JD Vance on Gov. Janet Mills: "This guy just said, 'sent 'em to Gitmo!' No comment, sir, but I kinda like sending the fraudsters to Gitmo. We gotta get them out of this country and we gotta get them in prison." pic.twitter.com/mZWZSRM6SR
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 14, 2026
Stick A Fork In Him
He’s done.Just living his best life. pic.twitter.com/3Fn1KOLqtB
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) May 14, 2026
Snorkeling and diving at the Arizona are almost entirely off-limits to the public. The wreck has been a military cemetery since Japan bombed and sank it in 1941. The only people who regularly dive there are marine archaeologists, National Park Service crews surveying the wreck's condition, and the occasional ceremonial diver interring the remains of Arizona survivors who wanted to spend eternity alongside their shipmates.
Hack Albertson, a Marine veteran who dives the Arizona annually as part of a select group from the Paralyzed Veterans of America, didn't mince words.
"It's like having a bachelor party at a church. It's hallowed ground," he said. "It needs to be treated with the solemnity it deserves."
A former government diver, who spoke anonymously for fear of retaliation, told the AP that no FBI director since at least 1993 had ever gone snorkeling at the memorial. The diver called it unusual for anyone not connected to the memorial to have such access, citing physical risks and serious "security, safety, and logistical challenges."
What makes this worse: the FBI never disclosed any of it.
When Patel swung through Hawaii on his way to official visits in Australia and New Zealand, the bureau issued press releases touting his tour of the Honolulu field office and his meetings with local law enforcement. What those releases didn't mention was that Patel came back to Hawaii for two additional days after his initial stop — and spent one of those days snorkeling over the graves of nearly a thousand American servicemen.
Flight tracking data show the FBI's Gulfstream G550 lingered on the island for two nights before jetting off to Las Vegas — Patel's adopted hometown.
ππ§ͺ
“The greatest heist in πΊπΈ history… a direct transfer of billions of your taxpayer dollars directly into the bank account of Trump, dressed up as a ‘settlement’ of a lawsuit in which he is the plaintiff and also the defendant… could nearly triple his net worth…” pic.twitter.com/zKIAhY43Ub
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) May 14, 2026
So it seems this is what the NYT was talking about:
"According to Andrew Duehren and Alan Feuer of The New York Times, a settlement is in the works that would drop any IRS audits of Trump, his family, or his businesses," wrote Noah. "One advantage to this approach is that it would spare Trump having to pretend he’ll donate the proceeds to charity.Not an end run on the court to get $10 billion in Trump’s pocket (an amount that would still have to be authorized by Congress, bugger the emoluments clause),* but an agreement to not audit Trump and his companies.
"Since nobody knows what the penalties from such audits would be, nobody can pinpoint such a settlement’s monetary value." Indeed, Noah wrote, it's possible Trump's lawyers want "some sort of indemnification against future IRS action akin to the blanket immunity the Supreme Court gifted him in 2024."
There's also a chance that Judge Kathleen Williams could block a settlement from happening at all — but if she throws out the lawsuit altogether, as she seems to be considering, "it’s not clear anything can stop the IRS from settling with Trump at that point, except possibly another lawsuit brought on behalf of taxpayers arguing that Trump’s in violation of the Constitution’s emoluments clauses" — and in Trump's last term, the Supreme Court sat on emoluments litigation until it died.No, it’s very clear the IRS can’t just hand Trump $10 billion, and the emoluments clause has bugger all to do with it. Trump’s not the only blithering idiot in this conversation. (The Congress can, for example, authorize $1 billion for the ballroom. Are they likely to do so? Signs point to “No.” They can also block construction of the ballroom, despite the “donations” no one knows anything concrete about. Will they? It’s almost a certainty in 2027.)
It’s Because We Have A Drug…
... that no one’s ever heard of that brings them back to life.JD Vance on dead people: "They vote for Democrats, they don't vote for us, my friends" pic.twitter.com/1WeppQZa09
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 14, 2026
And for some reason they vote for Democrats.Trump: "We've taken people that were dead. We had a person given the last rites -- gone, the kids are crying and everything -- and started them on this drug. And the person became better. It works." pic.twitter.com/1QMzj8sDH8
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 11, 2026
Trump In China π¨π³
Left: @MarshaBlackburn saying Trump is “tough” on China
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) May 14, 2026
Right: Trump glazing China hours later pic.twitter.com/MEGqlZZhEG
Trump to Xi: You’re a great leader—I say it to everybody. Sometimes people don’t like me saying it. I say it anyway because it’s true. I always say the truth. pic.twitter.com/kxyC6QXSNj
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 14, 2026
Rep. Mark Alford: "Our partnership with Taiwan is important, but ... " pic.twitter.com/ZNfKtYt0GP
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 14, 2026
Reporter: How were the talks sir?
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 14, 2026
Trump: Great. China is beautiful.
Reporter: Did you talk about Taiwan?
Trump:
Reporter: Did you talk about Taiwan?
Trump: pic.twitter.com/1uL6nqwm5Y
Then why is the price of oil so high?Bessent: "Given what's going on in the Mideast, we think that not only China, but countries all around the world are gonna look to diversify away from the Middle East for a more stable source of energy, and what better place than the US?" pic.twitter.com/jYa2JKvi6e
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 14, 2026
Why?Bessent: "China has a much bigger interest in reopening the strait than the US does" pic.twitter.com/SyxZ8KVvhy
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 14, 2026
BERMAN: How much longer is it gonna cost you $100 to fill up your truck?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 14, 2026
REP. ALFORD: We have control over the Strait of Hormuz right now. Things have improved
BERMAN: If we have control, why aren't there vessels coming in and out of the strait right now?
ALFORD: Because there… pic.twitter.com/0IYYdKcuNw
BERMAN: How much longer is it gonna cost you $100 to fill up your truck?
REP. ALFORD: We have control over the Strait of Hormuz right now. Things have improved
BERMAN: If we have control, why aren't there vessels coming in and out of the strait right now?
ALFORD: Because there are still safety issues
Because Trump cares?Bessent: "I believe crude will come down quickly ... inflation will also come down very quickly" pic.twitter.com/HZ4HI1Q5PS
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 14, 2026
You gotta understand 4-dimensional chess. ♟️BERMAN: The president said 'I don't think about Americans' financial situation.' How much do you think about Americans' financial situation when it comes to Iran?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 14, 2026
REP. MARK ALFORD: He was saying, look, he does care about the American people pic.twitter.com/nzRnwLcFFK
Or to American agriculture and rural America.Sen. Roger Marshall: "We trust in Trump. He's over there making a great deal for us. Nobody has done more for American agriculture and rural America than President Trump and a Republican-only Congress." pic.twitter.com/dXjVqTX4k9
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 14, 2026
KERNEN: Will Xi ask Trump to change the longstanding strategic ambiguity policy or limit arms sales to Taiwan?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 14, 2026
BESSENT: I'm confident President Trump understands the issues around that and is very resolute in his answers
KERNEN: Would Trump give concessions to XI?
BESSENT: I'm… pic.twitter.com/ynrpPHJQsB
KERNEN: Will Xi ask Trump to change the longstanding strategic ambiguity policy or limit arms sales to Taiwan?Because he’s as predictable as the movements of a loose fire hose.
BESSENT: I'm confident President Trump understands the issues around that and is very resolute in his answers
KERNEN: Would Trump give concessions to XI?
BESSENT: I'm not gonna get ahead of the president
See?Trump: "Chinese restaurants in America today outnumber the five largest fast foods in the United States all combined. That's a pretty big statement." pic.twitter.com/iUTfalRu56
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 14, 2026
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
J. Edgar Hoover Did The Same Thing
The "Most Wanted" list was a PR stunt for Hoover. People the FBI was ready to arrest were on it, so Hoover could prove how effective his “G-men” were.These stats Kash throws around are as phony as he is. https://t.co/rIKmq3Uzv2
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) May 14, 2026
Cheer Up, It Could Be Worse
70% of farmers don't have enough fertilizer to plant their crops.
— Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (@RepMGS) May 13, 2026
70% of Americans say the economy is WORSE under Trump.
The real estate market is struggling. Vets are struggling. Hospitals are closing.
The war is costing BILLIONS per day.
The price of EVERYTHING is soaring… https://t.co/Nnc9hPWdF3
70% of farmers don't have enough fertilizer to plant their crops. 70% of Americans say the economy is WORSE under Trump. The real estate market is struggling. Vets are struggling. Hospitals are closing. The war is costing BILLIONS per day. The price of EVERYTHING is soaring out of control: gasoline, diesel, coffee, a plane ticket, summer travel, UTILITY BILLS. Donald Trump said out loud that he doesn't think about any of it.And just as reminders:
Latest inflation report just dropped, and it came in hot, and slightly hotter than most folks expected. pic.twitter.com/TTvmbXLQ8r
— Justin Wolfers (@JustinWolfers) May 12, 2026
Trump is stealing your money with his policies by making everything more expensive but he doesn’t care because his priorities are wars, ballrooms, reflecting pools, and self-enrichment. pic.twitter.com/vCfPyrUcyM
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) May 13, 2026
How?Mace: If we had Joe Biden as president, it would be a much worse situation. pic.twitter.com/jsoS5LyeUi
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 13, 2026
He didn’t say, “but it might be higher 16 months into my presidency because of Biden.” https://t.co/e02DrDqZgc
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) May 13, 2026
In Trump’s Dreams
"It is hard, dear viewer, to keep track of the very, very long list of shady deals and no-bid contracts and outright corrupt crypto schemes that have been the hallmark of the presidency of Donald Trump, particularly this second version of it," said Hayes. "But I ask you tonight to pay attention to the one that he appears to be about to pull off, because it's got to be the greatest heist in American history, a direct transfer of billions of your taxpayer dollars directly into the bank account, and the pockets of Donald Trump, all dressed up as a settlement of a lawsuit in which Donald Trump is both the plaintiff and also the defendant. It would be a maneuver that could nearly triple his net worth."Well, it would be a shakedown if Trump got the money. But as the old adage puts it, there’s many a slip between the cup and the lip.
"All of this happening as the Trump administration is literally making your life harder and more expensive with wars and tariffs," said Hayes. "None of that has stopped Trump from trying to get his hands on more of your money."
"The president, in effect, sued himself for more than $10 billion, or he sued the government he controls," said Hayes. "$10 billion, by the way, is nearly the entire annual IRS budget. And those dollars have paid out would come from the U.S. Treasury, which he also oversees. Now, this is so novel, I don't really know how you characterize it legally, like we're out past the frontier, whether legal or not. I am of the strong opinion, and I think many would be also that this is an attempt at the largest theft ever by an American politician, plainly, flagrantly. Blatantly, in plain daylight. It is a conflict of interest so enormous the term itself, conflict of interest hardly begins to capture what's happening."
"In fact, get this: last month, a federal judge in the case ... gave them until May 20th to come back and explain how the case isn't a scam to enrich Trump," said Hayes. "She's like, wait a second, wait a second. The constitution requires cases or controversies, but I don't see one here, she writes. 'Although President Trump avers he is bringing this lawsuit in his personal capacity, he is a sitting president and is named adversaries or entities whose decisions are subject to his direction,' she added ... What the judge is saying is, like, I don't think this is actually a real case. It can't be. You're on both sides." "So the lawyers have one more week to file briefs that would convince the judge to let Trump's $10 billion lawsuit continue," said Hayes. And this, he said, is why the Justice Department is considering settlement talks now, before that deadline: to "shovel tons of cash over to him in return for him dropping the suit. The mob has a word for that: shakedown."
“The infirm glory of the positive hour” — T.S. Eliot
…if Christ hadn’t delivered the Sermon on the Mount, with its message of mercy and pity, I wouldn’t want to be a human being.I’d just as soon be a rattlesnake.
With this bare word 'sin" our Lord brought to my mind the whole extent of all that is not good, and the shameful scorn and the utter humiliation that he bore for us in this life, and his dying, and all the pains and sufferings of his creatures, both in body and spirit--for we are all to some extent brought to nothing and shall be brought to nothing as our master Jesus was, until we are fully purged: that is to say until our mortal flesh is brought completely to nothing, and all those of our inward feelings which are not truly good. Have me insight into these things, along with all pains that ever were and ever shall be; and compared with these I realize that Christ's Passion was the greatest pain and went beyond them all. And all this was shown in a flash, an quickly changed into comfort; for our good Lord did not want the soul to be afraid at this ugly sight.and the martyrs of El Salvador and of Saint Oscar Romero, of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and St. Francis of Assisi, of the Beatitudes of Luke (Vonnegut champions the Beatitudes of Matthew, and in the RSV, but I stand on the even more radical Lukan version, in the Scholar’s Version translation). These Beatitudes:
....And because of the tender love which our Lord feels for all who shall be saved, he supports us willingly and sweetly, meaning this: 'It is true that sin is the cause of all this suffering, but all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.'
"Congratulations, you poor! God's domain belongs to you!Luke 6:20-26, SV (Interestingly, when I googled to get the scripture numbers, the first item for “Luke beatitudes” that came up directed me to only verses 20-23; the blessings, but not the curses. Jesus continues to make us uncomfortable, I guess.)
“Congratulations, you hungry! You will have a feast.
“Congratulations, you who weep now! You will laugh.”
“Damn you rich! You already have your consolation!
“Damn you who are well-fed now! You will know hunger.
“Damn you who laugh now! You will learn to weep and grieve.”
The JCPOA Did That
Per @JenniferJJacobs, according to U.S. Vice President JD Vance, he recently spoke with White House Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Envoy Jared Kushner on talks with Iran and said that talks are still progressing, but added that U.S. President Donald J. Trump… pic.twitter.com/75ch4I11L6
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) May 13, 2026
Per @JenniferJJacobs , according to U.S. Vice President JD Vance, he recently spoke with White House Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and Envoy Jared Kushner on talks with Iran and said that talks are still progressing, but added that U.S. President Donald J. Trump “needs to feel confident that we've put a number of protections in place such that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.”But Trump tore it up because:
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi landed in Delhi, India today for the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa+) foreign ministers meeting, amidst ongoing but stalled U.S. Iran negotiations. Per reports and assessments from a number of subject matter experts,… pic.twitter.com/Y3P1QI6Uqe
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) May 13, 2026
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi landed in Delhi, India today for the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa+) foreign ministers meeting, amidst ongoing but stalled U.S. Iran negotiations. Per reports and assessments from a number of subject matter experts, Iran is expected to push for a joint statement from the Chinese-led economic bloc in support of Iranian interests.I don’t think China will allow a very direct statement, with Trump in town (or just gone, depending on timing). But a very subtle one could be very interesting; and still not good for American interests.
Context
Q: Yesterday the president said 'I don't think about Americans' financial situation.' Is that the right message?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 13, 2026
MIKE JOHNSON: I don't know the context in which he made that comment. pic.twitter.com/2KhFA1ZHIc
.@MikeJohnson the context is you all made gas cost $4.50 a gallon. https://t.co/QqYE5wuUsm
— Congressman Greg Casar (@RepCasar) May 13, 2026
Trump is stealing your money with his policies by making everything more expensive but he doesn’t care because his priorities are wars, ballrooms, reflecting pools, and self-enrichment. pic.twitter.com/vCfPyrUcyM
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) May 13, 2026
Q: Gas prices are up. Inflation is up. Americans are having financial hardship. Is now the right time for Congress to be prioritizing a billion dollars for security at the White House and a ballroom Trump said would be paid for privately?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 13, 2026
MIKE JOHNSON: I think that's a gross… pic.twitter.com/73uCfllEbY
Q: Gas prices are up. Inflation is up. Americans are having financial hardship. Is now the right time for Congress to be prioritizing a billion dollars for security at the White House and a ballroom Trump said would be paid for privately?Yeah. Sell that between now and November.
MIKE JOHNSON: I think that's a gross misstatement of what's going on right now
Well, Since You Don’t Work….
Shapiro should volunteer to go out with a roofing crew in FL this July to help them out for a few days to get an introduction to reality. Or work the overnight shift in a hospital emergency room. Or teach 8th graders. pic.twitter.com/ZbJjT02NF1
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) May 13, 2026
Been there.Police in France are warning drivers in rural areas to be on the lookout for "drunk" deer exhibiting erratic behavior caused by the consumption of fermented fruits — or as police called it, a “forest aperitif.” https://t.co/uGT1Vy45cD pic.twitter.com/JVf2HS8QRR
— ABC News (@ABC) May 13, 2026
BURGUM: When the sun goes down, solar produces zero electricity
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 13, 2026
HUFFMAN: I want to enter into the record this amazing new technology that apparently the secretary is unaware of -- it's a battery pic.twitter.com/tPmRhmtnA9
NEGUSE: My understanding is a no bid contract is reserved for situations where delay would cause serious injury. What's the injury with the reflecting pool?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 13, 2026
BURGUM: We had 19 fountains across the city that didn't work
NEGUSE: That's the serious injury to the government?! And… pic.twitter.com/r4gZIunKkX
NEGUSE: My understanding is a no bid contract is reserved for situations where delay would cause serious injury. What's the injury with the reflecting pool?
BURGUM: We had 19 fountains across the city that didn't work
NEGUSE: That's the serious injury to the government?! And who picked this company? Trump said 'I have a guy who's unbelievable at doing swimming pools'
BURGUM: I'm thrilled Americans are paying about a buck less for gas than they did during the Biden administration. That's exciting
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 13, 2026
HUFFMAN: There's a real disconnect here. Americans are not celebrating this spike in gas prices, and your only answer is to harken back to the… pic.twitter.com/F1JbYUwz8x
HUFFMAN: Do you agree most Americans are struggling right now to afford basic necessities because of rising costs?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 13, 2026
BURGUM: This administration inherited the highest inflation in 40 years
HUFFMAN: Are families struggling with rising costs? Yes or no
BURGUM: During the first… pic.twitter.com/hKOKFbY7LB
HUFFMAN: Do you agree most Americans are struggling right now to afford basic necessities because of rising costs?Biden pretty much said that, too. He didn’t get re-elected, in case Burgum missed that, too.
[which is now higher. thanks for that.]
BURGUM: This administration inherited the highest inflation in 40 years
HUFFMAN: Are families struggling with rising costs? Yes or no
BURGUM: During the first yea--
HUFFMAN: You're deflecting to Biden
HUFFMAN: Who is this arch for?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 13, 2026
BURGUM: The American people. And there are 68 capitals that have arches
HUFFMAN: And we're gonna build one just a little taller than the one in Pyongyang, because someone in the White House insists ours be the biggest. And Trump said this arch is… pic.twitter.com/IPmirhb84f
HUFFMAN: Who is this arch for?
BURGUM: The American people. And there are 68 capitals that have arches
HUFFMAN: And we're gonna build one just a little taller than the one in Pyongyang, because someone in the White House insists ours be the biggest. And Trump said this arch is for him. We can enter that into the record if you like.
MIN: Do you know how much new energy China put online last year?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 13, 2026
BURGUM: Intermittent or base load?
MIN: All energy. 543 GW. How much was renewable? 434 GW.
BURGUM: But only when the wind is blowing and sun is shining
MIN: Meanwhile, the US put up 53 GW of new energy last… pic.twitter.com/pW9nKR6HZl
MIN: Do you know how much new energy China put online last year?
BURGUM: Intermittent or base load?
MIN: All energy. 543 GW. How much was renewable? 434 GW.
BURGUM: But only when the wind is blowing and sun is shining
MIN: Meanwhile, the US put up 53 GW of new energy last year -- less than 10% of China. You're clear bias against renewables is harming our national security.
DEXTER: Your budget cuts national parks by $1 billion. If you put this $1 billion towards our parks instead of Trump's ballroom, you could avoid that cut. That would benefit every single American. Did you ever object to this level of spending on the ballroom?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 13, 2026
BURGUM: There's a… pic.twitter.com/zKdvITfGFX
DEXTER: Your budget cuts national parks by $1 billion. If you put this $1 billion towards our parks instead of Trump's ballroom, you could avoid that cut. That would benefit every single American. Did you ever object to this level of spending on the ballroom?
BURGUM: There's a massive security complex--
DEXTER: It's clear to me you didn't do anything to stop it
RANDALL: Look at this safety hazard. There's a backlog of $300m in deferred repairs needed for Olympic National Park alone. Now look at this AI image Trump posted of draining the reflecting pool. You're actually in it. Of these images, which do you think should be the higher… pic.twitter.com/wplAHdt6lI
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 13, 2026
RANDALL: Look at this safety hazard. There's a backlog of $300m in deferred repairs needed for Olympic National Park alone. Now look at this AI image Trump posted of draining the reflecting pool. You're actually in it. Of these images, which do you think should be the higher priority?
BURGUM: We have deferred maintenance issues all over the country
RANDALL: Yes! And you find Trump's vanity projects more important
Oof Burgum walked right into this.
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 13, 2026
Burgum: Can you explain why the states that pursued the policies you’re describing have the highest power prices in the country?
Magaziner: Does North Dakota have one of the highest power prices in the country? You have one of the highest… pic.twitter.com/4fXQAEngGO
Oof Burgum walked right into this.Data is notorious for lying. Especially in this Administration.
Burgum: Can you explain why the states that pursued the policies you’re describing have the highest power prices in the country?
Magaziner: Does North Dakota have one of the highest power prices in the country? You have one of the highest percentage of renewables.
Burgum: False!
Magaziner: The data doesn’t lie.
Burgum: The data is lying.
Magaziner: President Trump said the noise from windmills causes cancer. Is that true of false?
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 13, 2026
Burgum: pic.twitter.com/w6oQpApPvx
Magaziner: Trump says wind and solar is the most expensive form of energy ever. Is that true or false?
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 13, 2026
Burgum: That’s true—
Magaziner: Not according to the Department of Energy under the Trump administration. pic.twitter.com/eCadr7zShn
Rep. Magaziner plays video of Doug Burgum boasting about wind energy production in North Dakota while he was governor.
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 13, 2026
Magaziner: Were you wrong as governor to expand wind energy? Why don’t other states around the country deserve the same? We do. We deserve access to these wind… pic.twitter.com/zsUiPaCKzE
Rep. Magaziner plays video of Doug Burgum boasting about wind energy production in North Dakota while he was governor.
Magaziner: Were you wrong as governor to expand wind energy? Why don’t other states around the country deserve the same? We do. We deserve access to these wind and solar projects that you are blocking.
North Dakota invested in renewables under Burgum and it lowered energy costs.
— Natural Resources Democrats (@NRDems) May 13, 2026
But now that he works for Trump, he won't let other states do the same — all so they can subsidize Big Oil. This is Trump's America Last agenda at work. https://t.co/wGrQCENaso
Trump With His China Experts
"There's Elon in the back there. You can see Eric Trump. There's Jensen Huang." pic.twitter.com/UjwQdmsX46
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 13, 2026
So Now It’s Pocket Watches
relatedly, i really dislike watch content that's like "here's what your watch says about you." "patek is old money, sub means you just got your first bonus, ap is blah blah blah." for better or worse, you are who you are and wearing a certain watch does not change that.
— derek guy (@dieworkwear) May 11, 2026
how it feels to take out my audemars piguet x swatch pocket watch https://t.co/GXns3kRl3K pic.twitter.com/3CLpNzidgm
— derek guy (@dieworkwear) May 12, 2026
I happen to be reading Lord Chesterfield's letters to his son, written in the 18th century. There are a ton of letters and, frankly, most of them are quite boring. But this passage from a letter he wrote in October 1748 stuck out to me. It feels pertinent to the discourse about… https://t.co/4WRRKJpIwY
— derek guy (@dieworkwear) May 12, 2026
I happen to be reading Lord Chesterfield's letters to his son, written in the 18th century. There are a ton of letters and, frankly, most of them are quite boring. But this passage from a letter he wrote in October 1748 stuck out to me. It feels pertinent to the discourse about the coming Swatch x Audemars Piguet collaboration, which has some people feeling a certain way.I have a pocket watch. It probably doesn’t surprise you. It’s a Bucherer, made in the ‘70’s (yes, 1970’s), which is when I bought it. It has a metal cover with a bas relief reproduction of “The Lion of Lucerne” on it, which is why I bought it. I carried it, on a chain, in my blue jeans watch pocket, for years. Worked a lot less well in chinos and suits without vests, so I traded for a wrist watch.
An excerpt from his letter:
"What the French justly call les maniΓ©res nobles are only to be acquired in the very best companies. They are the distinguishing characteristics of men of fashion; people of low education never wear them so close, but that some part or other of the original vulgarism appears. Les maniΓ©res nobles equally forbid insolent contempt, or low envy and jealousy. Low people in good circumstances, fine clothes, and equipages, will insolently show contempt for all those who cannot afford as fine clothes, as good an equipage, and who have not (as their term is) as much money in their pockets: on the other hand, they are gnawed with envy, and cannot help discovering it, of those who surpass them in any of these articles, which are far from being sure criterions of merit. They are likewise jealous of being slighted; and consequently suspicious and captious; they are eager and hot about trifles because trifles were, at first, their affairs of consequence. Les maniΓ©res nobles imply exactly the reverse of all this. Study them early; you cannot make them too habitual and familiar to you."
In plainer, more modern English, Chesterfield here says that people of truly high status exhibit emotional discipline and a generosity of spirit, so that they never sneer downward or seethe upward. They are not concerned with small rank signals, such as who is wearing what. Bristling at whether someone is wearing a cheaper version of your watch, and thus possibly diluting your status, is itself a mark of low character and thus status.
I should add that, when you read Chesterfield's letters, you find him to be often very self-serving. He's not concerned about morality for its own sake, but how the appearance of virtue frames him as a gentleman (and therefore a man of higher status). But I found the passage above to be nice, nonetheless.
when we're at the club, don't pull out your Swatch pocket watch thinking it's the same as my pocket watch
— derek guy (@dieworkwear) May 12, 2026
The Ground Beneath His Feet…
Trump April 23: I contacted people "that have worked for me in the past, doing swimming pools," and one gave me a great price on the Reflecting Pool project
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) May 12, 2026
Trump May 4: "I have some very good contractors," asked three of them to "do me a favor fellas" and go look at the…
Trump April 23: I contacted people "that have worked for me in the past, doing swimming pools," and one gave me a great price on the Reflecting Pool project
Trump May 4: "I have some very good contractors," asked three of them to "do me a favor fellas" and go look at the Reflecting Pool, and the best one gave me a great price
Trump today: The Reflecting Pool contract "went to a contractor I did not know, and have never used before"
... is getting smaller and smaller. And clearly Trump is using the long flight to prepare for his meetings with Xi:I asked @POTUS how the rising price of his ballroom (nearly x2 original estimate) and reflecting pool makeover (x7 original estimate) are any different than why he wanted to remove Fed Chair Jerome Powell for 30% cost overruns.
— Akayla Gardner (@gardnerakayla) May 12, 2026
Here’s his response: pic.twitter.com/Qpm1VrBK61
U.S. President Donald J. Trump confirming that Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, is accompanying him on Air Force One, along with a number of other industry and tech CEOs, to Beijing, China for his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. pic.twitter.com/PkIHfmn2km
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) May 13, 2026
You have no idea what you’re talking about you slope-brained, mouth breathing moron. Stop calling yourself an expert in anything, aside from sucking. Anyone that hires you (not many!) should get an immediate refund and payment for wasting their time. https://t.co/gVPr2EUjFM
— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) May 12, 2026
Trump don’t need no experts. Trump is a very stable genius.The president is now singling out congressional staffers, posting their photos, and demanding their firings pic.twitter.com/WwFpopBJFa
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 13, 2026
And yet:In a post on his Truth Social app, U.S. President Donald J. Trump said that news reporting negatively on the conflict with Iran is “virtual[y] treason[ous], adding that they are aiding and abetting the enemy through such reporting. pic.twitter.com/Y639g9ptgV
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) May 13, 2026
The UK and France chaired a meeting attended by 44 nations, including non-European nations, such as Bahrain, Australia, Japan, South Korea and others, on building out an international framework to provide security, through military means, for the Strait of Hormuz. However, Iran… pic.twitter.com/p2rsU3dsCm
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) May 13, 2026
The UK and France chaired a meeting attended by 44 nations, including non-European nations, such as Bahrain, Australia, Japan, South Korea and others, on building out an international framework to provide security, through military means, for the Strait of Hormuz. However, Iran has responded by saying that any military framework enacted by international state-actors will be treated as an escalation by Iranian decision-makers.Good to know the bombing of Iran, which Trump STILL has not resumed, was totally worth it.
New: Classified military intelligence assessments from early this month show Iran has regained access to most of its missile sites, launchers and underground facilities. Including: U.S. intel assesses Iran has restored operational access to 30 of the 33 missile sites it maintains…
— Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) May 12, 2026
New: Classified military intelligence assessments from early this month show Iran has regained access to most of its missile sites, launchers and underground facilities. Including: U.S. intel assesses Iran has restored operational access to 30 of the 33 missile sites it maintains along the Strait of Hormuz, and ~90% of Iran's underground missile sites are "partially or fully operational." w @Adamentous @maggieNYTWasn’t it? Or, with our munitions seriously depleted, is this why Trump keeps extending the ceasefire?
Tuesday, May 12, 2026
More Appropriately…
MacFarlane: Changing it to the title of a Peter Gabriel song is only going to win over so many people in Washington, DC. But I think there's a more fundamental dynamic we need to talk about. On its best day, some congressional hearings can have the maturity and tone of like a… pic.twitter.com/X8XNviRsX3
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 13, 2026
MacFarlane: Changing it to the title of a Peter Gabriel song is only going to win over so many people in Washington, DC. But I think there's a more fundamental dynamic we need to talk about. On its best day, some congressional hearings can have the maturity and tone of like a middle school on a Friday when there's a substitute teacher, not even a good substitute teacher. There were elements of that when Pete Hegseth testifies and when Kash Patel testified, and I don't think they're winning over people with this testimony, I don't think Pete Hegseth won new allies for the war...."Sledge Hammer” is the name of a TV comedy featuring the eponymous character as a thoroughly inept cop. Starring David Rasche. (His father was a UCC pastor in southern Illinois. I met him because his sister was a member of the church I pastored as a student. He said nice things about my Xmas Eve service so, like Trump, I like him. No, he would not remember me. It was 1 hour over 30 years ago. But he was a very nice guy. IIRC, I told him I was a fan of the show. Yeah, it was a sterling conversation, worthy of the fabled salons of Paris. Or, you know, not.)
The Only Other Way To Make Sure…
... people stay off that highway/interstate would be to make it a toll road.You will never guess who has a tough runoff election on May 26 in the Republican primary. pic.twitter.com/Nza9OwoWRQ
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) May 12, 2026