The Common Ills: 2026-06-21

Saturday, June 27, 2026

Chump's 'deal' with Iran -- like his national fair -- falls apart

How's that Chump peace deal with Iran going? Not very well. THE NEW YORK TIMES reports, "U.S. forces carried out more airstrikes on Iran, calling them a retaliation for an attack on an oil tanker. Iran’s military later said it had attacked American targets in Bahrain and Kuwait." That was today. The 'memo,' 'deal,' 'treaty' or 'chain letter' fell apart on Friday. Kevin Reed (WSWS) reports:

The US launched a new round of strikes on Iran on Friday in the most explicit indication yet that the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has collapsed into an escalating and open conflict. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its aircraft struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations and coastal radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz.

A report by Al Jazeera said the US strikes were near the Iranian port of Sirik. Al Jazeera also reported that Iran said it had “succeeded in neutralizing” the attack and pledged to retaliate in a statement shared by the ISNA news agency. The statement said, “We emphasize that this aggression will not go unanswered, and our response will be swift and decisive at a time and place of our choosing.”

An Iranian parliamentary security official, Ebrahim Azizi, accused Washington of attacking “in the middle of negotiations once again” and said the US president had shown no commitment to negotiation or ceasefire principles.

According to other reports, the US strikes were carried out in response to Iran’s launching of at least four one-way attack drones at a commercial vessel on Thursday, with one drone striking the ship’s upper deck and damaging it before the vessel continued its course.

Tabby Wilson (BBC) notes each side is blaming the other:

Following the exchange of fire, the US and Iran accused each other of violating the ceasefire agreement.

Centcom said in a statement, "Iran was given a chance to honor the ceasefire agreement but elected not to when its forces launched a one-way attack drone that hit MT Kiku," a Panama-flagged tanker.

In response, it said, Centcom hit military equipment, communication systems, air defense sites and drone storage facilities.

In the IRGC's statement, it said the US had attacked five coastal posts in Iran under what it called "the pretext of the IRGC Navy confronting the offending ship".

In retaliation, the IRGC said it had launched ballistic missiles and drones at "eight key pieces of infrastructure" at the Ali al-Salem base in Kuwait and the Fifth Naval Fleet in Port Salman, Bahrain, "destroying them".

ALJAZEERA notes, "Saturday’s renewed attacks are the latest indication that a Middle East ceasefire, established as part of a June 17 memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran, might be at breaking point." Optimism. Aime Williams (FINANCIAL TIMES) notes the attacks " further imperilling the fragile ceasefire agreement struck between Washington and Tehran almost two weeks ago." While Benoit Faucon, Lara Selignman and Saleh al-Batati (THE WALL STREET JOURNAL) note today's attack was "the second wave of American attacks in as many days." Uwa Ede-Osifo (GUARDIAN) adds, "In a statement the IRGC vowed that any further aggression would be met with a 'crushing response' and warned that violating the ceasefire would result 'in the complete ⁠halt of all diplomatic processes'."

That's overseas. How's Chump fairing here at home? Well, he's crashed and burned with his attempts to hijack the country's 250th anniversary. Stephanie Kalo (THE WRAP) notes:

Donald Trump's Great American State Fair kicked off Friday on the National Mann in Washington, D.C. to bad weather, power outages, poor attendance, and, apparently, a Confederate flag problem. This prompted plenty of responses from both attendees and people watching from afar via social media. As one person put it, "This is pathetic."

The New York Times reported Saturday the fair is missing key traditional elements often present at similar events (like butter sculptures, naturally), but there are displays promoting Turning Point USA and a portrait of Donald Trump.

Footage from Saturday showed scarce attendance on the lawn.

Former Congressman Adam Kinzinger, who served in Illinois from 2011 to 2023, wrote on X, "Wow. Turns out people aren't very maga after all."

THE IRISH STAR notes:

Vanilla Ice's performance at Freedom 250's Great American State Fair was scrapped at the last minute on Friday, June 26, as storms swept through Washington, D. C. Heavy rain fell near the stage area before the 58-year-old was scheduled to perform, with very few people turning out for the show. It comes after critics came up with a wild reason for the show to be canceled.

Before the show was canceled, Vanilla Ice faced criticism from fans for participating in the Trump-backed event. A number of artists had pulled out of the event, including Martina McBride, Morris Day and the Time, and Young MC. It comes as Trump was accused of a "very unhealthy" relationship with his blonde 34-year-old aide.

A concession stand at the Great American State Fair listed beers for $12 and bottled water for $5, with additional taxes and processing fees, adding to complaints about high prices at the event. It comes after a chilling discovery was made at the bottom of the Washington DC Reflecting Pool that exposes Trump.

Tom Boggion (RAW STORY) observes, "The cancellation represents yet another failure for what has become a disaster for the administration. Three days into the 16-day celebration, Trump's fair has been wracked by artist boycotts, electrical failures, broken equipment, sparse attendance, and now a weather-canceled performance by a 1990s rap act that was supposed to salvage the event." Edith Olmsted (THE NEW REPUBLIC) notes the high prices:

President Donald Trump has made it clear he doesn’t care about high prices—even at his own Great American State Fair.

Attendees at the first day of the president’s festival were disappointed to discover that what few food options were actually open were far from cheap.

USA Today reported that the only food stall open on Thursday sold turkey legs for $23—almost twice the price of the same offering from a Disney theme park. The stall also offered smashburgers and giant western sausage sandwiches for $20, and lemonade for a whopping $9.

Kate Corliss (WASHINGTONIAN) notes:

The crowd beyond the gates is meager. Upon entry, the Ferris wheel smacks you in the face—it’s not very big, but the slow-moving line boasts the highest concentration of people anywhere on the Mall. One couple toward the back tells me they’ve been waiting for 20 minutes already and they haven’t even seen the ride run yet. (City Cast reported around 6 PM Thursday night that the wheel had broken down due to generator issues and was expected to be out of commission for an hour or two. We reached out to Freedom 250 for specifics and are waiting to hear back.) A few days ago, I might have been reluctant to hop on, given how the administration’s last construction project resulted in a potentially toxic algae bloom in the Reflecting Pool. But recent reporting confirmed the wheel was inspected both by DC safety officials and a third-party company, so I am tempted to join the queue. No single passengers are allowed, so I consider asking to join another group. A beaming woman swimming in American flag apparel saunters past, and she seems like she’d be a good time. I ask if she’s ridden yet. “No,” she says firmly, gesturing at the enclosed gondolas. “It looks like a hot box.” If she’s out, so am I.

[. . .]

An hour into my excursion, I have already been the subject of two exorcism attempts and my constitution is starting to falter. There can’t possibly be a better time for my lemonade. I step into the food hall, where I see a single vendor: Express Hibachi, which is an unusual name for a purveyor of personal pizzas and chicken Caesar salads. I skip the dining and head straight for the beverage stand. At this moment, I realize it’s all over: The only available lemonade is Minute Maid, sold by the plastic bottle. Feeling bamboozled and stupid for believing that I might find something beautiful at this garish perversion of an American tradition, I consider purchasing three $14 Cutwaters and passing out in the middle of the grass. But I already appear to be emanating a demonic energy to my fellow fairgoers, so I settle on a $5 water. In the meantime, another performer has taken the stage, a 14-year-old singer named Reagan Oliver who has traveled here from Arkansas and croons a sweetly timid rendition of “Delta Dawn.” Most of the attendees ignore her, and only a few clap when she’s done.

And Jennifer Bowers Bahney (MEDIAITE) notes:

A display at Washington, D.C.’s Great American State Fair has been taken down after an “unapproved image” drew criticism from some fairgoers.

CNN’s Gabe Cohen said the dustup occurred over an image of the Confederate flag at the booth representing North Carolina.

“People who were here attending the state fair were surprised yesterday when they walked into that booth, into the North Carolina pavilion, and found that there were images of a Confederate flag projected on multiple screens,” Cohen said, continuing:

I will tell you, North Carolina is one of the states that did not send official representatives. Their booth is actually being run by several companies from North Carolina. And I spoke to a spokesperson for the pavilion who told me that they became aware of an unapproved image in a video that was displayed inside the pavilion on Friday. And they said, quote, “As soon as we were made aware, we immediately removed the video and began reviewing how it occurred.” So we still don’t know how that image ended up there, but it certainly speaks to some of the concerns that people have over this event.

And again, we we still don’t know how that picture ended up in the North Carolina pavilion, but we were in there a little earlier…and it clearly has been taken down at this point, but even the governor’s office in North Carolina immediately put out a statement and said, “This is not the North Carolina that we love and we represent.” They had called Freedom 250, the organization that put this together, demanded that be taken off the screens. It seems, though, that the companies inside were already notified and they were working to get it taken down.

The Confederate flag was first reported by Spectrum News’s Reuben Jones, who wrote Friday, “I stopped by the North Carolina booth at the ‘Great American State Fair’ on the National Mall today. The state decided not to participate because of the high costs so the booth is sponsored by private orgs.”

In 1976, the US celebrated it's 250th anniversary and it id so with national events and national gatherings. Not partisan ones. Chump did not get 50% of the votes. He got 49%. And many Americans didn't vote. His speeches at these supposed events to celebrate the 250th anniversary are nothing but boasts from him about himself and attacks on Americans who aren't MAGA. It's disgusting and it's perverted. That's why people aren't turning out. Even some Republicans grasp that this not how a nation celebrates its birth.

He's not speaking of our 250 years, he's not speaking of anything but himself. He gets in front of people and lies that two years ago we were buried and that he's made us "hot" again and blah blah blah. He is not an hour in our country's 250th anniversary. His importance does not even register as one hour. But he continues to inflate himself and to try to make everything about him. To do that, he has to insult others because no one's praising him. Outside of the Cabinet meetings, he's not getting praised. Only around the suck ups does he get praised.

He's a failure. He's a Convicted Felon. He's someone who tried to overthrow the republic on January 6, 2021. And he can't recognize those who came before except to insult them because he is such a narcissist. No salutes to any who came before -- not Lincoln, not Benjamin Franklin, not Martin Luther King Jr., not Ida B. Wells -- no one.

Now he's old, he's 80, but he's not 250 years old. So, no, celebrating himself is not celebrating 250 years of our country's existence.

In other news, Jeffrey Epstein may be dead but his former roll dog Donald Chump can't shake free of him. Adam Lynch notes:

Salon reports the specter of Jeffrey Epstein appears to be looming over the Republican Party as the GOP struggles to maintain it’s delicate House and Senate majorities.

Republicans have seized on Epstein’s ties to Democratic figures like former President Bill Clinton, but it appears that Epstein lingers most heavily over the party with a president whose name peppers the Epstein files, and who worked so obviously to keep the files under wraps. Trump also labored to remove Republicans who favored exposing the Epstein files in Republican primaries.

This is giving Democrats an additional edge in a race that is already swinging heavily away from Republicans who have failed to reign in President Donald Trump’s various power grabs and his monetizing of the White House.

“The revelations from the files further fueled the widespread, bipartisan exasperation among voters with the wealthiest elites,” reports Salon. “The Epstein issue, two Democratic pollsters told The 19th, is rare for its high salience and far reach even among less politically engaged voters — and for the high levels of bipartisan agreement on the need for more action.”

Surveys from Navigator Research and progressive pollster Data for Progress buttress that argument, with both polls showing majorities of voters — including a majority of Republicans — believe “there hasn’t been enough accountability connected to Epstein’s crimes” and they want to see more arrests and prosecutions. The March Navigator poll, in particular, revealed the share of Americans who said they believed Trump administration officials should resign over the Epstein matter increased when they were informed about officials in other countries being arrested, fired or forced to resign over their Epstein connections.

Yesterday, Leon Black appeared before the House Oversight Committee. AP notes, "Billionaire investor Leon Black said Friday that Jeffrey Epstein deceived him during a yearslong relationship in which he paid the disgraced financier $158 million, but insisted he committed no criminal wrongdoing as he appeared before the House Oversight Committee." Sareen Habeshian (BBC NEWS) reports:

Billionaire investor Leon Black walked out of a closed-door hearing with the congressional committee investigating late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after refusing to answer questions on non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), say lawmakers.

Black, whose name comes up in the Epstein files released by the justice department, testified voluntarily. But he left after he was asked about NDAs he may have signed, the panel chairman said.

The House of Representatives Oversight Committee issued two subpoenas for Black to share NDAs and give an on-camera deposition under oath.

Black left Apollo Global Management, which he co-founded, in 2021 amid scrutiny over his Epstein ties. He denies wrongdoing.

Let's wind down with this from Senator Adam Schiff's office:

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla (both D-Calif.), joined Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.), and 17 other Senate Democrats, including every Ranking Member of committees overseeing agencies with election roles, in warning executive agency heads to comply with all preservation laws and agency policies after the Administration ramped up its threats against free and fair elections.

In a letter to Trump’s agency heads, including Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, the Senators demanded that the department heads not destroy records to cover up possible election tampering efforts.

Without a shred of evidence, President Trump and his Administration have alleged election fraud and on multiple occasions have attempted to undermine past election results. Citing debunked conspiracy theories, the FBI raided an election center in Fulton County, Georgia, where then-Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard seized voting machines. As Trump continues to spread unsupported claims about election fraud and has repeatedly threatened an illegal federal takeover of our elections, nonpartisan experts have warned about this Administration’s growing efforts to subvert the 2026 midterms, and Senate Democrats are taking formal action to preserve a paper trail from every department concerning all election-related matters.

“We are also deeply troubled by the fact that many of your agencies have failed to address election security altogether. You have shuttered offices tasked with tracking foreign malign influence on elections as well as cyber and physical threats to elections infrastructure, and you have cut funding and personnel for CISA and FBI election security efforts,” wrote the Senators. “The American public deserve to have confidence that their leaders are acting in good faith and in accordance with the law. We therefore direct you to preserve all existing and future records and materials on election-related activities and efforts, including any records regarding potential election-related misconduct, impropriety, irregularity, or interference.”

In addition to Schiff, Padilla, Schumer, and Warner, the letter was signed by Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.).

This demand builds on other efforts that Senate Democrats have undertaken to ensure that Trump and Republicans don’t interfere in free and fair elections. Earlier this year, Padilla, Schumer, and Senate Democrats unveiled the most expansive election protection effort the caucus has ever undertaken: the Election Protection Task Force. The Task Force recently launched the first-ever Senate Election Observer Program to protect the 2026 midterms and maintain election integrity nationwide, and Senate Democrats are working regularly with top election experts to identify and mitigate threats to upcoming U.S. elections. The Task Force will continue meeting over the coming months to ensure that every American has fair access to the ballot box this November.

The full text of the letter can be viewed here and below.

Dear all:

We write regarding alarming reports that your agencies have taken, or are at risk of taking actions under the guise of election security that are improper or illegal; to warn against such violations; and to ensure you adhere to your obligations, and those of all departments, agencies, and sub-agencies under your control, to comply with all applicable federal records preservation laws and agency policies.

President Trump and his Administration have engaged in multiple efforts to undermine past election results, despite all evidence the elections were free and fair. In just the last several months, for example, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted a search of a Fulton County, Georgia, election center, where agents seized ballots from the 2020 presidential election, even though numerous bipartisan and nonpartisan prior investigations at the state and federal level have revealed no suggestion of criminal conduct. The then-Director of National Intelligence participated in this raid despite no evidence or suggestion of foreign interference in that election, raising serious questions about potential improper coordination between the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and federal law enforcement agencies outside of ODNI’s statutory authorities. Similarly, ODNI seized voting machines and other election data from Puerto Rico, reportedly in support of the Administration’s amplification of baseless election conspiracy theories. Then-Director Gabbard also made unsubstantiated claims that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) was aware of, but did not disclose, election vulnerabilities.

There are also serious concerns about ongoing efforts by this Administration to undermine the integrity of and actively interfere with the 2026 elections. President Trump has threatened “[t]he federal government should get involved. These are agents of the federal government to count the vote.” Several of you have refused to rule out the possibility that you would direct your departments and agencies to send federal law enforcement agents or military service members under your jurisdiction to election sites during the election period – steps that are clearly illegal. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has repeatedly pursued unsupported claims of elections fraud.

Several of you are also involved in implementing President Trump’s unlawful Executive Orders interfering with state and local control over the administration of elections. For example, Secretary Lutnick is threatening to withhold the delivery of lawful ballots unless states comply with President Trump’s unconstitutional attempt to “take over the voting.” Further, individuals at the Social Security Administration (SSA) inappropriately entered into a secret agreement to share sensitive data with a partisan advocacy group for partisan political purposes – and SSA has to date refused to provide Congress with unredacted documentation of these activities. Chairman Carr has repeatedly used his position to chill disfavored speech, and continues to make threats to interfere with candidates’ ability to reach their audiences.

We are also deeply troubled by the fact that many of your agencies have failed to address election security altogether. You have shuttered offices tasked with tracking foreign malign influence on elections as well as cyber and physical threats to elections infrastructure, and you have cut funding and personnel for CISA and FBI election security efforts.

The American public deserve to have confidence that their leaders are acting in good faith and in accordance with the law. We therefore direct you to preserve all existing and future records and materials on election-related activities and efforts, including any records regarding potential election-related misconduct, impropriety, irregularity, or interference. Such records include, but are not limited to, all meeting agendas and rosters, associated notes, briefing memos, legal opinions, guidance, advice, communications, and correspondence. Additionally, any communications on personal messaging accounts, including Signal, social media accounts, and personal email accounts, that concern government business are subject to the Federal Records Act and must be preserved.

Safeguarding information critical to congressional oversight and preserving federal records is a legal obligation that you and all of your agency employees are required to meet. Please take all necessary steps to ensure that employees do not delete or destroy any official government records, including “information created, manipulated, or stored” electronically.

As you know, any employee who conceals, destroys, or attempts to conceal or destroy a federal record may be subject to fine and imprisonment.

###

The following sites updated:

Diana Ross - Heart Don't Change My Mind - Sanremo 1993 stereo live remaster

Diana Ross - God Bless The Child (Motown Records 1972)

Patti LaBelle - If You Asked Me To (Official Video)

Judge Luttig DROPS DEVASTATING Warning for Trump ahead of 4th of July

Until You Say You Love Me - Aretha Franklin

"Worse Than We Realized" — Heather Cox Richardson & Jim Acosta on Trump’s Hidden Authoritarian Plot

Alicia Keys - If I Was Your Woman (Original Funky Demo- Official Audio)

BREAKING: Trump Demands Americans INJECT Religion Into Their Lives, CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM!!

I Will Overcome. - Raye

Trump has ZERO CONTROL as IRAN STRIKES 2ND SHIP!!!!

Up Front - Diana Ross

🚨TOP Admiral WARNS US TROOPS on Trump’s ORDERS!!!

Tina Turner - Missing You (Live In Amsterdam, 1996)

All HELL BREAKS LOOSE as SNEAK ATTACK Hits RUSSIA!!!

Stevie Nicks - Secret Love (Official Music Video)

Trump CANCELS FAIR as NO ONE SHOWS UP!!

Lana Del Rey – Blue Like Goodbye (Official Lyrics Video)

REGIME CHANGE: Katie’s One-on-One with Maggie Haberman

Susanna Hoffs - Waiting For You (Demo)

Trump Campaign Chair FINDS OUT Barack Obama Slander Can't Save Her

PJ Harvey - Voyager (Official Video)

Trump gives DISASTER SPEECH to TINY CROWD…IN DC!!!

Cat Power - Lived In Bars (Live on Later)

Trump’s Brain Is COMPLETE Mush (And He Just Proved It AGAIN)

After You - Diana Ross

Breaking: Trump's Epstein problem returns with Blockbuster Testimony

Allison Russell - "Black Lavender" (ft. Brittney Spencer) [Official Music Video]

Capehart: A day that showed the ‘pinnacle of what America could be’

Carly Simon - Howl [Official Lyric Video]

BREAKING: Republicans FEAR IMPEACHMENT for Trump as He's CAUGHT Misappropriating Taxpayer Funds!

Lali & Kylie Minogue - Can't Get You Out Of My Head / Padam Padam (Live @ River) Buenos Aires 2026

Steve Schmidt and Katie Phang

Jill Scott - Gettin' in The Way (Later... with Jools Holland, November 18, 2000)

Supreme Court Makes SHOCK RULING in MAJOR SHIFT!!!

Dionne Warwick | I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself | Live | 1967

Rep. Walkinshaw: Billionaire Epstein associate needs to answer for NDAs he allegedly signed

Diana Ross and The Supremes Live at Berns Stockholm (1968) 'With A Song In My Heart,' 'Unchained Melody,' 'Stop In The Name of Love,' 'Come See About Me'

Was Epstein blackmailing powerful people using secret cameras?

Sonny & Cher! "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow"

What is Leon Black hiding about Epstein?

Did he disappear for a McDonald's original fried Apple Pie?

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX & THOMAS FRIEDMAN IS A GREAT MAN & ANN'S MEGA DUB & THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS & THE COMMON ILLS -- THE KOOL AID TABLE

THE HEAD OF FEMA'S OFFICE OF RESPONSE AND RECOVERY IS MISSING!

INSIDERS TELL THESE REPORTERS -- MUST CREDIT BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX & THOMAS FRIEDMAN IS A GREAT MAN & ANN'S MEGA DUB & THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS & THE COMMON ILLS -- THAT GREGG PHILLIPS HAS BEEN OUT FOR DAYS.

DHS IS TELLING REPORTERS THAT PHILLIPS IS ONLY "TAKING LEAVE FOR PERSONAL REASONS" WHILE OTHERS ARE SAYING HE WAS FIRED.

WE THINK THERE'S ANOTHER EXPLANATION: PHILLIPS NEEDED MCDONALD'S.

BEAR WITH US. PHILLIPS HAS A HUGE HANKERING FOR FRANCHISE EATINGS AND MCDONALD'S HAS JUST BROUGHT BACK THEIR ORIGINAL FRIED APPLE PIE. WHAT IF, HE WENT TO MCDONALD'S?

B-B-BUT TO BE GONE FOR DAYS, YOU ASK?

REMEMBER WHAT HE REVEALED:

I was with my boys one time and I was telling them I was gonna go to Waffle House and get Waffle House. And I ended up at a Waffle House – this was in Georgia and I end up at a Waffle House like 50 miles away from where I was. And they said, “where are you?” and I said, “A Waffle House.” And “a Waffle House where?” And I said, “Waffle House in Rome, Georgia.” And they said, “That’s not possible, you just left here a moment ago.” But it was possible. It was real…

Teleporting is no fun. It’s no fun because you don’t really know what you’re doing. You don’t really understand it, it’s scary, but yet – but so real.

THAT'S RIGHT. WHAT IF GREGG PHILLIPS -- GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE AND SELF-NOTED TELEPORTER -- TELEPORTED TO A MCDONALD'S TO GET A FRIED PIE AND NOW IS STUCK THERE BECAUSE HE IS UNABLE TO TELEPORT BACK HOME. AS HE ADMITTED HE "DOESN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT [I] AM DOING" AND HE DOESNT "REALLY UNDERSTAND IT."

THESE REPORTERS -- MUST CREDIT BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX & THOMAS FRIEDMAN IS A GREAT MAN & ANN'S MEGA DUB & THE WORLD TODAY JUST NUTS & THE COMMON ILLS -- ARE DEMANDING THAT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OPEN A NATION WIDE SEARCH OF MCDONALD'S TO LOCATE GREGG PHILLIPS. IT MUST TAKE PLACE IMMEDIATELY. WHAT IF, IN TRANSPORTING, HE ENDED UP LANDING RIGHT UNDER THE MCFLURRY MACHINE?

FROM THE TCI SNAPSHOT:

On Wednesday's embarrassing kick-off to Chump (Fading) Mania, Tommy Christopher (MEDIAITE) notes Jen Psaki's MS NOW commentary:

So who did Trump manage to book for his big event? Who was the big name they managed to lock in? Well, it’s Kash Patel’s 27-year-old girlfriend. Get excited everybody.

The FBI director’s 27-year-old girlfriend is a featured performer at Trump’s big celebration, which I’m sure was thrilling news for all of these 6,000 people who are following her budding country music career on Spotify. I’m sure they are absolutely delighted.

But it turns out well-known musicians are not the only ones dropping out of Trump’s big state fair. The website for the event says it will feature more than 150 exhibits from all 50 states and territories. Sounds good, right?

Only it turns out that some of America’s states and territories are just as reluctant to participate in this thing as Milli Vanilli or one half of Milli Vanilli, to be exact, because several states have now also announced that they are pulling out of this event, too. According to various news outlets, at least 10 states have dropped out and will not have exhibits at the event.

Trump couldn’t even get all 50 states of the United States of America to attend the Great American State Fair.

And he can’t even deliver on the food he promised for this event, it turns out, because yesterday “Axios” reported that a local D.C. sandwich shop that appeared on the event’s vendor list said they never agreed to participate in the fair at all. Again, this is — this is supposed to be the kind of thing that is easy for a president. It’s the kind of — kind of the presidential equivalent of a local politician showing up at a ribbon cutting ceremony, but Donald Trump can’t even pull this off.

And Jen was right. In fact, as Ben reported in the video at the top of the snapshot, thee food situation was much worse because some vendors did show up . . . only to have the power go out and food get ruined. And the Ferris wheel wouldn't work.

How much of our tax dollars were wasted on that garbage? And don't pretend you want the nation to come together and to unify when you've got Sean Duffy on stage cursing at liberals or Chump onstage insisting that two years ago the country was the laughing stock and blah blah blah. This was a partisan event. This was not about unity, it was not about America.

Glory was being sought. But not for this country. Not for its founding. Not for the hope of what it can be. Everyone on stage was present to glorify the Convicted Felon.

And, no, you're not going to get even half the country willing to go along with that as a celebration of 250 years of existence.

Last night, in "MAHA finally catches on to Chump," Elaine noted Chump was seeing members of Make America Healthy Again leaving his hate-filled tent. Tom Boggioni (RAW STORY) notes:

The Make America Healthy Again movement that helped sweep Donald Trump back into the White House is fracturing over his betrayal on pesticides — and MAHA activists are now threatening to stay away from Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections.

According to a report from MS NOW's Arielle Hixson, the Trump administration's decision to back Monsanto in the Supreme Court's Roundup pesticide liability case is turning into a pivot point for the administration. The company is fighting to shield itself from state lawsuits claiming the herbicide should have carried cancer warnings. By supporting Monsanto's legal team, Trump signaled whose side he's on—and it's not the health-conscious base that carried him to victory.

[. . .]

That threat of voter disengagement represents a catastrophic risk to Trump heading into 2026. MS NOW is reporting a Kaiser Family Foundation poll found 41% of American adults support MAHA — voters who skew Republican but whose loyalties are now visibly shaken.

Alexandra Muñoz, a toxicologist working with the MAHA movement, warned that a Monsanto victory would "strip accountability from a category of chemicals that includes known carcinogens and could clear the way for more hazardous pesticides to reach the market," according to the report.

Hannah Dunning, the "Clean Clothing Chick," articulated the movement's ultimatum, telling MS NOW, "If they want to be disrespectful to the point where they're going to side with Big Chemical in the Supreme Court, watch out for angry moms, because we're here; we're ready."

Sheryl Gay Stolberg (NEW YORK TIMES) reports:

President Trump, facing a backlash from supporters of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for allying himself with the chemical industry, issued an executive order on Thursday aimed at reducing pesticides in the food supply and studying the health risks they pose.

The order does not involve new federal funding, and does not call for new regulations or legislation. Critics contended that it did little to meaningfully address the consequences of pesticide use. Two White House officials, speaking anonymously to preview the order before it was announced, said it was timed to coincide with a dinner Mr. Trump was hosting for farmers.

And it's not just independents, swing voters, Republicans and MAGA that Chump's losing, Nicole Charky-Chami (RAW STORY) reports even the tin foil hatters of QAnon are leaving Chump Land:

QAnon believers have turned on President Donald Trump, and despite an attempt from the White House to win them back, it has backfired among the president's former allies, an analyst reported on Thursday.

Will Sommer, senior reporter at The Bulwark, described how the Trump administration dropped a "bizarre QAnon-themed social media campaign" this week. In posts on X, the White House used slogans associated with QAnon, including “trust the plan” with a mock Q design to try to promote Trump executive orders and references to "quantum computing."

"There are several reasons why QAnon believers are turning on Trump," Sommer wrote. "But the main thrust boils down to this: After trying to block the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files and failing to deliver deep-state arrests, some of the movement’s dissatisfied stars think it’s a bit gauche, if not insulting, that the president and his team are appropriating QAnon culture."

QAnon John, a former movement personality, described the backlash over Trump's second administration and the online group.

“Now, [sic] that Trump’s approval is in the toilet after endless broken promises to the American people and blatantly Israel first policies, they are using Q propaganda in a last ditch desperate attempt to reel the deceived loyalists back in," he wrote.

Chump's reflecting pool nightmare continues but it's not the only damage he's physically done to the area. Vic Verbalaitis (DAILY BEAST) notes:

Yet another of President Donald Trump’s vanity projects has left a nasty scar on an iconic Washington, D.C. landmark.

The White House South Lawn, the featured site of the president’s 80th birthday bash, housed the 600-ton metal behemoth dubbed “The Claw” for Trump’s birthday fight night, which ruined the historically pristine green lawn in the process.

As can be seen in aerial photos captured on Wednesday, workers have arrived to repair the grass damaged by the UFC Freedom 250 event held on June 14.

[. . .]

Trump’s other vanity projects, such as his botched Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation and his demolition of the White House East Wing to make way for his $600 million ballroom, have irrevocably changed the historic People’s House and its surrounding landmarks.

All that money wasted on Chump's personal birthday. Corruption, corruption, corruption. Chump can -- and does -- add to our national debt constantly. He's just not very good when it comes to generating income for the United States. Tristan Bove (FORTUNE) reports:

U.S. colleges are dealing with plummeting international student enrollment, and the consequences could go far beyond shrinking tuition revenue.

International students have become less likely to pursue education in the U.S. since President Donald Trump’s return to office. The administration has introduced more restrictive anti-immigration policies, including measures that explicitly target foreign-born students, and tightened rules about post-schooling employment for international graduates.

Last fall, schools reported international student enrollment had dipped 17%, according to NAFSA, an education nonprofit. Declining tuition spending translated to $1.1 billion in lost revenue for universities, and almost 23,000 fewer jobs.

Those figures might just be a drop in the bucket if international students end up permanently absconding from U.S. schools. International enrollees disproportionately pursue technical degrees, including in scientific, technology, engineering, and mathematics domains, otherwise known as STEM. The skills and the professions these lead to are cornerstones to U.S. innovation and technological breakthroughs, which in turn bolster all sorts of businesses and jobs. By cutting off those foreign-born grad students and PhDs at the source, the U.S. risks gutting its own economy years down the line.

That’s the finding of a paper published Tuesday by researchers at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. If the number of transplant STEM graduates trained in the U.S. were to fall by a third over the next decade, the blow to entrepreneurship, productivity, and business dynamism would claw anywhere between $240 billion and $481 billion from the country’s GDP, the paper found.

Whether it's the White House lawn or the influx of money to the country from foreign students, Chump destroys it all. He's a screw up, a loser, and always has been.

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