Thursday, September 3, 2026. Deranged and dishonest Chump claims the US doesn't need any trading partners, his efforts to change Lake Ontario's name are not well received by the American people, he continues his efforts to destroy The Kennedy Center, Hegseth continues blocking nominations and running off needed staff but, as Thom Hartmann points out, Hegseth is also breaking the law, and much more.
Chump announces oil plans and implies they're going to
result in lower gas prices. Then experts correct him noting it could be
years. Yes, we covered that story yesterday. But that was his lies
regarding Venezuelan oil. Haley Bull (SCRIPPS NEWS) reports on his Tuesday meet up with big oil and how Chump's claims of "energy dominance" are going to play out:
However, some note translating expanded refining capacity to cost savings for consumers could take time.
“Even
if they do announce any increase in capacity, it would take likely
months, if not years, depending on the scope of that work, to really
have a meaningful impact on what consumers are paying at the pump,” said
De Haan.
It comes as the national average for
gasoline remains above $4 a gallon, and as crude oil continued to climb
Tuesday. U.S. crude prices topped $90 a barrel as the U.S. renewed
military strikes against Iran amidst conflict over the Strait of Hormuz
and as Ukraine has struck deeper into Russian territory.
Chump
just doesn't appear to grasp the economy. His tariffs destroyed the
economy, his war on Iran destroyed the country and his war on immigrants
destroyed the economy. Dean Baker explains that and his need to lie are baked in flaws for Chump:
Donald
Trump is not very good at running the economy, but he does have a great
imagination about how he runs the economy. Trump continually boasts
about the incredible amount of foreign investment coming into the
country. It was $20 trillion last I heard, but it might be up to $30 or
$40 trillion the next time Trump decides to boast about it.
This
boast has absolutely nothing to do with reality. Contrary to what Trump
says, there is no boom in auto factories or any other factories coming
into the United States. Factory construction has actually plummeted
since Trump came into the White House, after booming under Biden.
The
looniness about the investment boom should be kept in mind when
considering Trump’s deal to take control of 65 billion barrels of
Venezuela’s oil. Trump is promising that this deal will both lower gas
prices and be used to refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserves that he
has largely drained as a result of his war on Iran.
If
Venezuela doesn’t honor this deal, what will a future administration
do, take them to court? Or will they send US soldiers to die for
Venezuela’s oil?
While people are naturally
offended by the blatant imperialism in this deal, that is precisely the
reason why there is not much cause to be concerned. The basic story is,
because the deal is so transparently an effort by the United States to
steal oil from a country that it controls militarily, it is virtually
guaranteed that as soon as the country is not run by a U.S.-installed
dictator, Trump’s deal will be dumped in the trash.
This point was well-made by Venezuelan economist and opposition leader Ricardo Haussman (also cited in a piece by Michael Tomasky in The New Republic). The deal is seen as a joke by pretty much everyone in Venezuela.
Well
it's good to know that people all over the world laugh at Chump. He
doesn't offer any intended joy so at least there's that.
Donald Trump has faced
online ridicule after declaring the US doesn't require trade with other
nations, before subsequently proposing that increased imports could
help lower costs for American consumers.
The
controversy arose following Trump's Friday announcement that his
administration would temporarily allow greater beef imports into the
country at reduced tariff rates. During an Oval Office discussion with
reporters about his tariff strategy, Trump remarked: "You take certain
countries. I don't want to mention any names but countries you consider
great. They're paying half a point. But they make $40bn a year with the
United States.
"We don't need their product. We
really don't need their product. So if we cut off trade with that
country, we just made $40 billion. We do a few countries like that, and
we become a big money machine."
Actually,
we do need trade with other countries. He's such an idiot that he
thinks we can exist in a world where we never need imports. But let's
say Chump's referring to Canada with his $40 billion a year claim, if we
aren't buying from that country this year, for example, that doesn't
mean we've saved $40 million. Whatever we were buying from Canada for
forty million we will now need to buy from someone else. Even if it can
be made in the US, it would take a minimum of 18 months to get a
manufacturing facility up and running to produce this item that we
wanted so badly we were previously spending $40 million a year on. He's
like the person with a coupon for purchase a dinner for $40 and get one
dinner free. He wants to claim that he saved forty dollars using that
coupon. No, he spent forty dollars using that coupon. Without that
coupon, he might have stayed home and eaten something for dinner already
in his home.
So, in
Chump's example, the only way $40 billion is being saved is if you are
no longer importing the item and it's not being stocked in the US.
Keeping a historic building in top shape costs serious money.
When that property is the most famous residence in America, even basic upkeep turns into a major spectacle.
Now, a new six-figure bill has dropped for a very specific basement recreation room.
Upgrading an iconic hangout at the executive mansion is expensive, and federal records reveal a massive bill.
According
to the Irish Star, the government handed a staggering $253,000 contract
to Charles Mann Enterprises in June, sending the funds straight toward
lighting upgrades for the historic Harry S. Truman Bowling Alley.
A White House official downplayed the cost, calling the project routine.
They explained, “These were standard modifications and repairs to the Bowling Alley, such as fixing broken light fixtures.”
President
Donald Trump has dropped another clunker in the laps of his fellow
Republicans in the run-up to the 2026 midterm elections.
His
new trade war with Canada and his related move to change the name of
Lake Ontario to “Lake America” are the latest in a series of unpopular
actions.
In fact, new polling suggests they’re even more unpopular than Trump’s previous tariffs and efforts to rename things.
A Reuters-Ipsos poll conducted in recent days is the first quality survey to test Trump’s renewed clash with Canada.
It
shows Americans oppose the president’s executive order to rename Lake
Ontario as “Lake America” 63% to 14%, with the rest undecided.
That
more than 4-to-1 margin is more lopsided than when Trump moved to
rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” last year. Back then,
polls showed more than 7 in 10 Americans opposed it. But support was
about twice as high, on average.
The new survey also shows strong opponents (52%) outnumber strong supporters (7%) about 7-to-1.
And even Trump’s fellow Republicans oppose renaming Lake Ontario, 43%-33%.
More Americans than ever now believe corruption is widespread across the U.S. government.
A
new Gallup poll found that nearly nine in 10 Americans now believe
corruption is prevalent across the government—a 10-point increase from
the same survey last year, in the first year of President Donald Trump’s
second term.
Those figures mean the United
States has the highest level of perceived government corruption among
countries with advanced economies, according to Gallup, which polled
1,000 Americans in May and June.
The increase has
been particularly pronounced among Democrats, whose views have shifted
sharply since Trump returned to the White House.
In
2024, during Joe Biden’s presidency, 57 percent of Democrats said
corruption was widespread. That figure increased to 76 percent in 2025,
Trump’s first year back in office, and reached 91 percent this year,
according to Gallup.
Republican views, by
contrast, have changed comparatively little over the same period. This
year, 83 percent of Republicans said corruption was widespread, compared
with 90 percent of independents.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Polls
point to a likely brutal midterms for Republicans, with perceptions of
corruption within the Trump administration likely a factor in the grim
GOP outlook. A recent Emerson College poll has Democrats leading
Republicans by eight points on the generic congressional ballot.
Chump's a nightmare and he's a vain nightmare. He was
not as popular as the late President John F. Kennedy and he never will
be. He is not admired the way JFK is to this day. Chump is seen as a
corrupt fish wife with no real taste. And that's why he is hell bent on
trying to co-opt The Kennedy Center. If he can't put his name on it,
he'll tear it down. Kathrine Frich (DAGENS) reports:
Cities are defined by their monuments, but the natural landscape around them often carries just as much historical weight.
When those green spaces suddenly disappear, the public tends to notice.
Now, a series of landscaping choices in the nation’s capital has sparked intense backlash.
The
Trump administration recently oversaw the removal of 40 weeping willow
trees outside the John F. Kennedy Performing Arts Center. Those specific
plants held deep meaning for the country.
They were originally placed there to represent national mourning after the president was assassinated in 1963.
A
crane removed the 24-foot (7-meter) sculpture "Blue" from the Kennedy
Center grounds on Wednesday in the latest move to redesign Washington's
public spaces under President Donald Trump.
The
sculpture, made of rectangular blue aluminum blocks, had sat near where
a tarp obscures the center's facade, as Trump allies continue court
battles to try to keep his name on the front of the complex, created by
an act of Congress to memorialize slain President John F. Kennedy.
Created
by artist Joel Shapiro, "Blue" resembles a soaring stick figure with
arms outstretched and one leg kicked up in the air. Since 2019, it was
located on a grassy area between the main Kennedy Center building and a
separate venue called "The Reach" used for arts education.
Mike Stunson (USA TODAY) notes, "The
removal has drawn criticism from artists and activists who view it as
another example of the Trump administration reshaping the Kennedy
Center's artistic identity. Hands Off the Arts, a group of artists,
former employees and patrons opposed to Trump's changes of the Kennedy
Center, condemned the removal and accused the administration of trying
to erase art it dislikes." Jesse Bedayn (AP) quotes Hands Off The Arts' Michael Sebastiani stating, "Art is what makes you think, and that’s its role in life." Odyssey Fields (DC NEWS NOW) quotes Hands Off The Arts' Chris Raleigh stating, "The
president should not be dictating what art should or shouldn't be out
in the public. Blue was our mascot. He was the symbol of the freedom of
expression. He was a symbol of the First Amendment of free speech, that
we could be a free people, spend our time dancing or watching art inside
of the building." Alex Woodward (INDEPENDENT) quotes the group's INSTAGRAM post
which includes, "Wednesday, September 2, 2026 will forever be known as
the day the United States government tore down a piece of public art at
the behest of a petulant crybaby."
As
Chump continues to disrespect the memory of JFK, he should grasp that
he is not and will never been seen as on the same level as JFK; however,
his constant attacks on JFK's memory may lead to him being seen as an
acolyte of Lee Harvey Oswald.
Army
Secretary Dan Driscoll's resignation follows a strained relationship
with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and repeated warnings to the White
House, including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, about what has been
described as Hegseth's widespread and seemingly indiscriminate firing of
senior military officers, according to sources familiar with the
matter.
Driscoll also warned the White House
about unprecedented efforts by Hegseth to block others from advancing
into the military's highest ranks after they had been thoroughly vetted,
the sources said.
Driscoll resigned Monday
last week at one of the busiest moments for the service since the height
of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, creating a potentially significant
leadership void as the Army takes on a growing list of demands.
In
the aftermath of the resignation of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll,
multiple sources told CNN they believe Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is
damaging the Army’s efforts to adapt to the modern battlefield as he
focuses on culture wars and prioritizing his own image of the “American
warfighter,” and pushes out leaders who don’t align with his vision.
In
submitting his resignation, a source familiar said Driscoll brought up
“concerns with the administration surrounding Army transformation and
readiness and Hegseth’s blocking those efforts specifically by firing
the generals who were responsible.”
Driscoll announced Tuesday evening that Wednesday would be his “last full day in the role.”
Multiple
sources agreed with the concerns Driscoll raised: that Hegseth is
damaging the Army’s efforts to modernize and adapt to the 21st century
battlefield environment – where drone warfare is becoming increasingly
important – by firing or pushing out leaders who were spearheading those
efforts.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has blocked the promotion of at least six more U.S Army officers, according to reports.
Sources
told The Hill the unnamed individuals had been set for the rank of
two-star general until Hegseth intervened, the latest in a series of
similar moves by the secretary this year as he seeks to reshape the
Department of Defense.
In August the same
outlet reported Hegseth had obstructed four other officers from
receiving one star promotions, and in March the secretary was said to
have blocked four other Army officers - two women and two Black men - in
similar fashion.
Analysis by The New York Times on Monday
found that he has now fired or blocked the promotions of more than 80
generals and admirals, amounting to a purge of around 10 per cent of the
military’s top officers.
All the above videos address so many things Hegseth is doing wrong. However, not one of them notes how he's breaking the law currently.
What
should we Americans do when it comes out that our Secretary of Defense
has been committing crimes in plain sight and nobody in the
administration seems concerned about it?
Back in 2008, New York Times reporter David Barstow revealed that the Pentagon under George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, starting in the fall of 2002, had recruited dozens of retired military officers to go on TV as if they were independent military analysts.
They
were paid to push the Bush administration’s propaganda about weapons of
mass destruction, mushroom clouds, and other lies to build support for
the two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that the president and vice
president had lied us into.
The hired guns got
their talking points from the Pentagon, and internal documents called
them “message force multipliers.” One participant later described it as “psyops on steroids.” Barstow disclosed how this was pure propaganda, noting:
“[M]embers
of this group have echoed administration talking points, sometimes even
when they suspected the information was false or inflated.”
Those
unnecessary and illegal wars cost America the lives of about 7,000
troops and 7,600 contractors, led more than 30,000 service members and
veterans of those conflicts to later commit suicide, 52,000+ wounded for
life, and added roughly $5 trillion to our national debt with an
estimated $2 trillion in veterans care and interest still to be paid.
Barstow
won a Pulitzer Prize for his work and Congress — responding to
widespread horror among the public that America would start targeting
the civilian and voting population with propaganda the same way Hitler
routinely did in the 1930s and Putin does daily in Russia — passed 10 U.S.C. 2241a, which says simply:
“Funds
available to the Department of Defense may not be obligated or expended
for publicity or propaganda purposes within the United States not
otherwise specifically authorized by law.”
Ever
since, every Pentagon appropriation has carried a similar restriction
known as Section 8001, following a similar prohibition passed 74 years
ago as the Federal Labor-Security Act of 1952, which says:
“No
part of any appropriation . . . shall be used for publicity or
propaganda purposes within the United States not heretofore authorized
by the Congress.”
Propagandizing the American
people has been a crime for more years than Hegseth has been alive:
there shouldn’t be any doubt that our government using our tax dollars
to target us with psyops is illegal. But don’t bother telling that to
Whiskey Pete. He apparently doesn’t care.
This past Sunday, Dan Lamothe and Tara Copp revealed in The Washington Post (Pentagon Secretly Installs Military Influencers in Civilian Roles)
that Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon has been quietly moving several
conservative military veterans with large online followings into
government roles, all while refusing to answer any questions about what
they actually do.
What we do know is that most
have been using their public personas to push stories favorable to Pete
and Trump and to trash-talk opponents of this administration’s policies.
Greg Bovino. Last week, he showed up
insisting members of the administration were attempting to get him
killed. He's back in the news this week and it concerns how he left
Border Patrol. Vic Verbalaitis (DAILY BEAST) reports:
Newly
released emails reveal that former Border Patrol bruiser Gregory Bovino
was under internal investigation by Customs and Border Protection at
the time of his retirement.
Bovino, 56, was
contacted by an internal government watchdog for an “official Inquiry
into allegations of misconduct” in early March, two weeks before he
announced his retirement, according to records released by CBP last week.
An
official whose name was redacted emailed Bovino on March 2 to announce
the investigation and asked him to acknowledge it and answer questions.
The
former Border Patrol “commander-at-large” emailed an agency official 16
days later on March 18 that he was planning to retire and relocate. He
officially retired from CBP at the end of that month.
The alleged misconduct under investigation involved Bovino’s testimony in federal court last year, in which he was accused of lying by a federal judge, as well as antisemitic comments he allegedly made about Minnesota federal prosecutor Daniel N. Rosen during a phone call.
U.S.
District Judge Sara Ellis said in November that Bovino repeatedly lied
to the court over his anti-immigrant sweep in Chicago. She then imposed a
preliminary injunction limiting federal officers’ use of tear gas and
other riot-control weapons against nonviolent protesters, as well as
requiring agents to wear body cameras.
Bovino denies any wrongdoing, telling the Tribune
both probes were "drummed up" after he left Minnesota and calling the
whole episode a "political hit job." He claims Customs and Border
Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott forced a second review after an
initial board cleared him, framing his ouster as retaliation.
"Open
a file. Strip the security detail. Investigate the security," Bovino
wrote in a recent social media post, describing what he called a
deliberate effort to push him out quietly.
Let's wind down with this from Senator Patty Murray's office:
Murray: “More fish—fewer tariffs and fewer wars.”
ICYMI:
Murray Introduces Bill to End Trump’s Trade War with Canada & Lower
Costs, Slams Trump’s Latest Tariffs as “Economic Arson”
Murray has been a longstanding
champion of the maritime industry, consistently securing key federal
funding increases under tough fiscal conditions; Murray also recently
established the first-ever seafood liaison at the U.S. Department of
Agriculture.
Thanks to Trump’s war with Iran,
national average diesel has climbed past $5 a gallon—up nearly $2 from a
year ago—and fuel can account for as much as 40 percent of the operating costs of a fishing trip
Bellingham, WA — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray
(D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, held a
maritime roundtable discussion in Bellingham with the Working Waterfront
Coalition of Whatcom County, commercial fishermen, shellfish growers,
maritime workforce leaders, and the Port of Bellingham to hear directly
about how President Trump’s chaotic trade war, his war in Iran, and his
deep cuts to federal agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service are raising costs
and threatening jobs across Washington state’s working waterfronts.
“Our maritime industry and our ports power the economy in
Washington state—our fish and shellfish travel far on their own, but our
fishermen and our ports are the reason they’re famous worldwide,” said Senator Murray. “And
this administration’s reckless and unpredictable tariffs have been
nothing short of a disaster for them—driving up costs and making it
impossible for any small business to plan. Let’s just acknowledge how
Trump’s decision to pursue an all-out trade war with Canada—Washington
state’s biggest trading partner and our country’s closest ally—is beyond
stupid and counterproductive, fraying partnerships north of the border
that have spanned lifetimes. Trump’s war in Iran has made fuel far more
expensive for fleets already running on razor-thin margins. And that’s
to say nothing of pushing federal workers out en masse and making severe
cuts to NOAA and the National Weather Service—clearly, Trump does not
understand that our fishermen rely on a top-notch National Weather
Service to do their work.”
“The most urgent thing we can do to bring costs down in a big
way is put an end to this trade war and to the actual war against
Iran—and Congress can do both,” continued Senator Murray.
“How about instead of funding bombs in the Middle East we invest in our
fisheries and habitat recovery here at home? Let me sum it up: more
fish—fewer tariffs and fewer wars.”
Washington state has one of the most trade-dependent economies of any state in the country, with 40 percent
of jobs in the state tied to international commerce—and no community
feels that more directly than Whatcom County, which sits at the Canadian
border. In just one year, Trump’s tariff tax has cost the average family nearly $2,000, with hardworking Americans bearing 96% of the cost
of the hundreds of billions of dollars in new tariffs. Still, Trump has
been undeterred by the chaos and pain his trade war has wrought and
continues to double down on the global stage.
Yesterday, Murray announced the End Trump’s Tariff Tax Act, legislation
that would revoke and refund Trump’s latest barrage of tariffs and
repeal the archaic authorities he has used to continue his trade war.
This legislation would apply to Trump’s newest global tariffs of 12.5%
and 50% tariffs on Canada.
At the same time, Trump’s war in Iran and the resulting disruption at
the Strait of Hormuz have sent fuel costs soaring for Washington
state’s fishing fleets and maritime businesses. National average diesel
has climbed past $5 a gallon—up nearly $2 from a year ago—and fuel can
account for as much as 40 percent
of the operating costs of a fishing trip, pushing captains up and down
the coast to cut days at sea or tie up their boats altogether.
Joining Senator Murray at the roundtable discussion were: Dan Tucker,
Executive Director of the Working Waterfront Coalition of Whatcom
County; Sierra Oliver, Program Director of the NW Maritime
Apprenticeship Program with the Working Waterfront Foundation; Steve
Seymour, Owner and CEO of Drayton Harbor Oyster Company; Ron Wille,
President and COO of All American Marine; Jamie Wurtz, commercial
fisherman and owner of Wurtz Fisheries; and Mike Hogan, Public Affairs
Administrator at the Port of Bellingham.
“Senator Murray is a tremendous champion for Washington’s working waterfronts,” said Port of Bellingham Public Affairs Administrator Mike Hogan. “Over
the past two years, Senator Murray has helped secure over $40 million
in federal grants to rebuild Whatcom County’s maritime infrastructure
and create new family-wage jobs.”
“Maritime sectors worldwide are underway with the largest shift in technology since the switch from sail to steam,” said Dan Tucker, Executive Director of the Working Waterfront Coalition of Whatcom County. “Whatcom
County and Washington state need steady regulation and policy,
protection for American shipbuilding and crews through the Jones Act,
federal investment in business and workforce development, and careful
consideration of our international partners in order to provide
career-track, retirement-potential opportunities to the next generation
that will build tomorrow’s blue economy.”
“First the price of fish is of greatest concern, if the
markets are not buying wild sustainable caught fish at a healthy price
our business is unsustainable and crew and captains alike cannot make a
living,” said Jamie Wurtz, commercial fisherman and owner of Wurtz Fisheries. “Fuel
costs have the second biggest impact on small fishing operations.
These can normally be the largest expense of any fishing season with
this last year’s price of agricultural- off road diesel fuel increasing
22%. For example, last year in WA state fuel rose from $3.59 a gallon to
$5.00 a gallon and in Alaska it was even higher, going from $4.68 a
gallon to $6.10. That translates to being the largest expense in our
operation after the cost of financing a boat. This increase impacts our
ability to be profitable. All fishermen need to see some stability in
the markets for the price of seafood as well as the price of fuel.”
“Whatcom County businesses are ready to grow, but need
investment in industrial waterfront infrastructure, clearer and more
predictable environmental regulations, and faster, more accessible
workforce-training incentives. These changes would unlock business
expansion, create good-paying jobs, and expand workforce development
opportunities. Limited infrastructure restricts our ability to create
the volume of work and training opportunities needed to bring more women
and other underrepresented workers into the marine trades,” said Patrick Schjelderup, co-owner and CEO of Top to Bottom Marine, Inc.
Senator Murray has consistently gone to bat for Washington state’s
fishermen and maritime workforce in the federal funding bills she helps
to write as Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, securing
important funding increases for programs at NOAA that support
aquaculture and fisheries. Murray also secured funding to create and
establish the first-ever seafood industry liaison at the U.S. Department
of Agriculture. President Trump’s FY27 budget request proposes serious
cuts that would hit the people in Whatcom County’s maritime community
directly—including completely eliminating funding for the Pacific
Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) and NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and
Atmospheric Research. Murray has made clear she plans to rip up
President Trump’s budget and write a new one.
Senator Murray has been a vocal opponent
of Trump’s chaotic trade war from the very start and has been lifting
up the voices of people in Washington state harmed by this
administration’s approach to trade, while calling on Republicans to end
Trump’s trade war and take back Congress’s constitutionally-granted
power to impose tariffs. Senator Murray has held events in every corner
of Washington state to hear directly from constituents, businesses, and
workers about how Trump’s tariffs are harming them—including in Tacoma,
Yakima, Vancouver, Seattle, Skagit County, and Blaine, just across the border from Canada. Last fall, she held a roundtable with small business owners in Vancouver and slammed Trump for the cost of his tariffs. Last December, she responded
to a Joint Economic Committee report showing Trump’s tariffs on Canada
have caused a steep decline in Canadian tourism that is harming border
communities in Washington state. She also grilled
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at a Senate Appropriations
subcommittee hearing over how the trade war with Canada is hurting
Washington state businesses and consumers. Murray has been outspoken in
her opposition to Trump’s pointless and counterproductive hostilities
toward Canada at every step.
Senator Murray has also repeatedly voted to end President Trump’s
unauthorized war in Iran, including voting for war powers resolutions to
terminate hostilities
absent a declaration of war or an authorization for the use of military
force from Congress, and has demanded answers from the administration
on behalf of Washington state constituents who do not want to be dragged
into another forever war.
