A National Security Disaster in the Oval Office
Plus: Stand With Trans Americans
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MARK HERTLING: A National Security Disaster in the Oval Office
ANYONE WHO EXPECTED DONALD TRUMPāS foreign policy in his second term to look essentially like his foreign policy in his first term must have been shocked over the past few days. First, on Friday, at what was supposed to be the prelude to a formal signing of an agreement exchanging privileged access to Ukraineās mineral resources for more American military support, President Trump and Vice President Vance suddenly turned on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, accusing him of ingratitude and intransigence in negotiations and dismissing him from the White House without any deal being signed. The same day, the New York Times reported that previously approved American military aid to Ukraine has āslowed to a trickleā and that new tranches of aid have not been approved. Then, on Monday, Axios reported that Trump is planning a White House meeting with Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and other unnamed senior officials on the future of U.S. aid to Ukraine, but before that meeting even happened, the White House announced the predetermined outcome Monday evening.
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MARK SOLOMON: Stand With Trans Americans
DONALD TRUMP AND HIS ADMINISTRATIONāS dehumanization of transgender peopleāliterally denying their existenceāis deeply harmful to a small group of Americans who face discrimination already. As someone who helped lead the fight to win marriage for same-sex couples, Iām familiar with the playbook of sowing fear, though I have never seen it carried out as viciously as the Trump administration is now doing. The question for all of us is whether we go along with it or, instead, question it, listen to the stories of transgender people and their families, and see if we can connect, empathize, welcome, and push back.
šØOVERTIMEšØ
Happy Tuesday! Overtime is off today as the Saint Louis Billikens are in the area. Iāve planned to go see my alma mater for before the address to a joint session was scheduled. Sorry to miss you all tonight on the livestream! Be nice in the comments!
Sarah Longwell in The Atlanticā¦ The Trump Voters Who Are Losing Patience. š
Jon Stewart on Trumpās Heel Turn on Zelenskyyā¦ In Favor of Putinās New World Order (Comedy Central)
HQs on the chopping blockā¦ āDOGEā x GSA added a whole host of federal agency HQs to the list of potential properties for sale.
Some DOGE Staffersā¦ Are Drawing Six-Figure Government Salaries (WIRED)
RFK Jrās Measles Op-Ed Plays The Same Old Anti-Vaxx Gamesā¦ But Fox News Threw Their Readers a Lifeline (Sarah Rumpf, Mediaite)
An American Funeral?ā¦ Matt Labash asks: Are our American ideals dead? Plus, the magical mystery of fishing superstitions.
Trump, Ukraineā¦ and the Meme-ing of Marco Rubio (Gabriel Sherman, Vanity Fair)
People Are Paying Millionsā¦ to Dine With Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago (WIRED)
How South Carolinaās execution of a condemned killerā¦ by firing squad will unfold (AP)
āOur Departmentās Final Mission.ā It sure sounds like Linda McMahon has some āfinalā plans for the DoE. Read her letter to staff. Will Republicans finally catch the car and shutter the agency theyāve promised to shutter since Reagan? Are they prepared for the backlash of parents of children with IEPs? Weāll see!
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