Gabbard and RFK Jr. Were Nominated to Destroy, Not to Lead
Plus: JD Vance Is Lying About the J6 Pardons
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MATT JOHNSON: Gabbard and RFK Jr. Were Nominated to Destroy, Not to Lead
DONALD TRUMP, IN HIS SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS, promised to make America “merit-based” again. This week, the Senate will hold hearings for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard—Trump’s nominations for secretary of health and human services and director of national intelligence, respectively. Kennedy is a professional conspiracy theorist whose top qualification (if it can be called that) to run America’s public health agencies is his chairmanship of an anti-vaccine advocacy group. Gabbard is a former House member and Army veteran with no intelligence experience. Of course, the nominees’ merits or lack thereof are irrelevant—they’re MAGA sycophants who are being considered for two of the most important jobs in the country because they’re loyal to Trump.
MONA CHAREN: Why America Needs Birthright Citizenship
DONALD TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDER theoretically ending birthright citizenship grandly proclaims its purpose as “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship.” As we’ve come to expect from this administration, the proposed change to American law would do the exact opposite. Also in keeping with the Trumpian model, the president’s comments accompanying the signing were false. “Birthright, that’s a big one,” Trump frowned. “It’s ridiculous. We are the only country in the world that does this with the birthright, as you know, and it’s just absolutely ridiculous.”
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Across the Movie Aisle: An Unsettling 'Presence'
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WILL SALETAN: JD Vance Is Lying About the J6 Pardons
DONALD TRUMP’S SECOND TERM, like his first, will focus on two projects. The first is destroying the rule of law. The second is lying. And in these pursuits, Trump has a new right-hand man: Vice President JD Vance.
Trump’s previous vice president, Mike Pence, tried to excuse Trump’s corruption. But on January 6, 2021, Pence failed his boss. He refused to overturn the 2020 election, and he denounced the attack on the Capitol.
🚨OVERTIME🚨
Happy Tuesday! Today’s Overtime will be shorter than usual today. Not only do we have a glut of wonderful new written and multimedia content, but I am sick! Whatever is going around, I do not recommend it.
Elon Musk Lackeys… Have Taken Over the Office of Personnel Management (WIRED)
Google reclassifies U.S. as ‘sensitive country’… alongside China, Russia after Trump’s ‘Gulf of America’ comments (CNBC). Awesome, huh? Maybe they should label our government “Snowflakes?”
Where are we going to get this money? NBC reports: “Trump administration will offer the roughly 2 million federal workers a buyout to resign” "If you wish to resign: Type the word 'Resign' into the body of this reply email. Hit 'Send'“ the email allegedly says.
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Editorial photos provided by Getty Images. For full credits, please consult the article.
