The Speech Is Over. We’re Still Screwed.

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There was a lot not to like about Trump’s speech yesterday, but some folks are pointing to this post-speech moment as the absolute nadir:

“Thank you again. Thank you again. Won’t forget it,” Trump says while shaking the hand of Supreme Court Justice John Roberts after the State of the Union.

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— Anna Bower (@annabower.bsky.social) March 5, 2025 at 12:18 AM

Yes, it’s Trump deeply thanking Chief Justice John Roberts. For what? Keeping him out of jail?

Trump may be less grateful today. The Supreme Court sided with a lower court, 5 to 4, that at least some frozen foreign aid had to be unfrozen.

A sharply divided Supreme Court on Wednesday reinstated a lower-court order for the Trump administration to release frozen foreign aid, but it was not clear how quickly money would start flowing.

By a 5-4 vote, the court rejected an emergency appeal from the Republican administration, while also telling U.S. District Judge Amir Ali to clarify his earlier order that required the quick release of nearly $2 billion in aid for work that had already been done.

Although the outcome is a short-term loss for President Donald Trump’s administration, the nonprofit groups and businesses that sued are still waiting for the money they say they are owed. One of the organizations last week was forced to lay off 110 employees as a result, according to court papers.

Justice Samuel Alito led four conservative justices in dissent, saying Ali lacks the authority to order the payments. Alito wrote that he is stunned the court is rewarding “an act of judicial hubris and imposes a $2 billion penalty on American taxpayers.”

So Alito (and Thomas, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh) think it’s outrageous the government must pay for contracted work that has been completed? I know stiffing the vendors has long been central to Trump’s business plan, but I didn’t know it was okay for the government, too. Especially since the 14th Amendment says the public debt of the United States must not be questioned. Anyway, Roberts and Barrett sided with the three liberals and said the debt cannot be dismissed. Whether it’s paid any time during this decade is another matter.

Just to show how clear-headed and decisive the executive branch has become — yesterday the General Services Administration released a list of 443 office properties that were being put up for sale. The announcement said these spaces were “vacant or underutilized.” Reuters:

The list includes the headquarters for several major government agencies, including the Veterans Administration, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Energy, the Department of Labor, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Federal Aviation Administration.

GSA’s own headquarters were also on the list.
The list includes skyscrapers in Chicago, Atlanta and Cleveland, as well as several Internal Revenue Service hubs that process tax returns.

The list also includes the J. Edgar Hoover building that houses the FBI, although there have been plans to replace that building for a long time. But it hasn’t been replaced, yet.

That was the plan early yesterday, anyway. According to several reports, by yesterday evening all the D.C.-area properties had been removed from the list. And then this morning the entire list disappeared, to be replaced on the Web with a note that the list of properties would be “coming soon.”

Likewise the infamous tariffs may be off again, or not. I take it today the markets are bounding around like a yo-yo on word that Trump may be rethinking some of his tariffs. Or not. Most of these stories seem to be coming from Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who appears to be trying to mitigate some of the damage. Lutnick says Trump will make an announcement today, but he hasn’t yet. Maybe he’ll exclude some products. Maybe he’ll pause the tariffs another month. Maybe. But, yeah, real decisive. Real clear-headed.

Summing it all up: Do read Paul Krugman’s latest, America is trapped in a burning Tesla. Apparently some of our tycoons of industry and the stock-market players haven’t fully realized that Trump and Musk have no idea what they’re doing. Something major is going to break, and probably sooner rather than later. And Krugman thinks Social Security is the most likely candidate.

Oh, and DOGE plans to leave a massive nuclear waste site unattended.

The world has only one working deep geologic repository for nuclear waste — and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is trying to close down the 90,000-square-foot building in Carlsbad, New Mexico, where workers are tasked with directly managing the radioactive site.

Two sources confirmed to NOTUS that the General Services Administration is trying to end the government’s lease for the Skeen-Whitlock Building in Carlsbad, where at least 200 people work to supervise highly radioactive waste from the U.S.’s nuclear defense activities.

Maybe Elon thinks he can just sell it “as is.” Charming property! Needs some TLC and cleanup!

17 thoughts on “The Speech Is Over. We’re Still Screwed.”

  1. The crew at DOGE seems blissfully unaware of a thing called "consequences."  It does look like, "Let's do this and see what happens." Part of this comes from the underlying philosophy of attacking fast and in multiple directions. Add to that that they have a limited staff, compared to the 2.4 million federal employees they want to dominate. And I use the word "dominate" in a BDSM context. Everyone who does not leave federal service must abandon the concept of being a public servant and devote themselves to being bootlickers with no ethics. 

    There's a problem with the blitzkrieg strategy, It's based on massive destruction, which does not take talent. But all these agencies have a purpose. The media is looking for the victims of the demolition of USAID. I think there will be a lot of dead bodies, not just economic ruin. Various bootlickers are lying their asses off about restarting essential branches of USAID, like Ebola. It will catch up to them.

    The world's biggest garage sale of premium real estate got called off. I'm not sure who got to who in the Administration with a cease and desist. The liquidation of assets looks to me like Trump is trying to raise cash not appropriated by Congress that Trump can spend any way he wants. The problem is that those assets serve various essential functions. Tor example, Maha cited two facilities that are hubs for processing tax returns. The lost revenue would be enormous and combined with slashing the staff at IRS, it might be impossible to get back on track for years.

    Another example: 70 thousand jobs at the VA will be slashed. This will kill vets who can't get essential medical services. It will also turn every major veterans group against Trump. My guess is that VA cuts won't happen because of the HUGE ill will that Trump will bear the brunt of.

    Trump modified the tariffs today to exclude autos, bowing to pressure from the auto titans. But Trump wants the revenue from tariffs to be huge because they are part of budget gamesmanship that extends anticipated revenue from tariffs for ten years to offset making the tax cuts for billionaires. If u can't keep the tariffs up for thirty days straight, the Freedom Caucus isn't going to buy the fraud that they will be permanent. Farm states are pushing back – it Trump says that Ag tariffs are forever, Trump will lose the support of several red states. 

    So Project 2025 is the scheme of crackpots being executed by imbeciles colliding with the reality that the unanticipated damage will generate resistance from the people who elected Trump. I'm traumatized by the hits we're taking and certain of more blows to come. But this is not going well for the administration, and they're in too deep to moderate what they've started. 

     

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    • My business relies on a nationally peculiar, very traditional, Federal Government/private partnership that has been in place for about 150 years or so. With the proposed fire sale of the national property assets on the docket and the abandonment of government and governing, I am facing ruination. I will watch the local oligarchs and multinationals bid me out of my position and ruin three generations of work. 

      I have never been a Democrat, a Marxist or whatever bogeyman the pearl-clutching fascists ate frightened of, and am a lifelong small business owner, but the radical Republicans don't give one half of one shit about longstanding agreements and traditional ways of commerce. As I look into planning for the future of my business, in pursuit of their weird goals it looks they will betray everyone around them, give the dealsies to their cronies, then call average Joes like me collateral damage (there will be a "little hardship" or whatever the Mango Goblin in that speech said). I don't want to disclose too much because it is private matter, not for the social media harpies out there, and, in the end, just too depressing for me… so you have to take my word for leaving out the details. 

      Trauma? Well yes, the betrayal by the Washington Government looks like it will leave me with the choices of peonage, pauper, or the pistol. 

      3

      • Ultimately what Musk/Trump is doing, and what the GOP is supporting them in doing, is class warfare.  They don't give a rat's behind if their own voters are caught up in their purges.  If you rely on government services, legitimately receive some benefit, have a government job, have contracts with the government or legitimately receive payments of some kind, then YOU are the fraud, waste and abuse they've been talking about, that must be destroyed.  And as Musk and MAGA followers have demonstrated, they will gloat and take glee in your destruction, of course until it hits home for them.  Some of these people are so far gone Musk can leave them with homeless and in the gutter, without the proverbial pot to p**s in, and they will gladly take that as the price for having Trump in office, who these people have a sick, personal connection with.  

        3

  2. Breaking News: The upcoming economic "landing's" rating has been revised from soft to who in the hell knows.  We are experiencing severe turbulence due to violent temper tantrums and erratic behavior caused by voter error.  We are just going to have to make the best out of whatever happens. 

    Better updates later we hope.  

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  3. Meanwhile my computer says that transgender mice and mystery surrounding the death of Gene Hackman are the trending concerns of the country.  The best soup line in my area question is not even in the top ten yet.  So, Americas aren't grating enough just yet. 

    More and bigger grates are in the works.  Wait until the price of coffee goes parabolic.  That will get some people's attention.  

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  4. Trump is already openly engaging in massive corruption, with his meme coin and crypto schemes.  Imagine if Joe and Jill Biden started their presidency with meme coins and made millions off of them, at the expense of smaller investors?   And this time around there has been no mention of emoluments.  Trump successfully beat that back the first time, so its not even being brought up, even as he openly enriches himself.  And why wouldn't he think he could brush aside any challenges to his corruption, when he's a convicted felon who's been allowed back into the white house? He just signed and executive order to create a sovereign wealth fund, which is a huge "swamp" unto itself, and will soon be brimming with wealthy gators.  Here's what the Center for American Progress says about it:

    "Once an SWF has accumulated wealth, that wealth is invested in stocks, bonds, real estate, and other financial instruments to earn even more money. Without proper sideboards between politicians and investment decisions, the SWF would likely serve to enrich Trump and his allies—not the American public. For example, David Sacks, Trump’s White House crypto czar, suggested that the SWF could buy bitcoin, which would reward campaign donors by inflating asset values and exerting ever more control over the nation’s economy. The secretaries of the treasury and commerce departments have yet to demonstrate that they would constrain the president’s or their own political influence over the SWF by setting up independent fund managers, auditors, or appropriate firewalls between government and private interests."

    The corruption is open and in our faces. They're not even bothering to hide it.  

    Trump don't care who he hurts; if you are not wealthy you are a potential mark, regardless of you are democrat or republican.  And its the gullible MAGA rubes who make all this possible.

    I fear that by the time the mid terms come around there will be so much harm done to the working public by Musk/Trump with the support of the GOP, that republicans losing power in Congress will be a foregone conclusion, unless they find a way to suspend elections in 2026.

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    • Change "Trump don't care who he hurts; if you are not wealthy you are a potential mark, regardless of you are democrat or republican. "

      To:

      "Trump don't care who he hurts; if you are not wealthy, or wealthy and not paying him already, you are a potential mark, regardless of you are a democrat or republican.

      1

  5. I managed to endure the slightest amount of coverage of the "speech" with a few clips. I don't understand why we put so much weight on anything he says. It's always the same 3rd grade reading level d-list bullshit marketing techniques. Someone taught Stump this when he was young and he uses it over and over, he boasts, he brags, he tells people that admire him he loves them and he talks shit about everything and everybody else. It's always the same, it doesn't matter if it is one of his low grade magat rallies, an inaugural address, a speech to congress or his interaction with a world leader, it is always the same thing. He is only one thing, he is as Fareed Zakaria described him a Bullshit Artist. When I see the media analyze his speeches or actions I tend to think they are just killing time, they must know it's all bullshit? The only thing that really stood out in the clips I saw was the 100% fawning compliance over every single fucking word by the GQP in the audience. It was the most shameful display of lickspittle I have ever witnessed. I really think if Stump stood there and told them he was going to have them all shot they would stand up, applaud, and shout USA, USA, USA!

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    • Spot on!  Everything he says is BS.  His own very right wing and ostensibly loyal AG Barr said so himself about the election denial.
      Anyway, your last sentence was perfect: ("I really think if Stump stood there and told them he was going to have them all shot they would stand up, applaud, and shout USA, USA, USA!").  That made me laugh out loud, even though it's not the least bit funny.  Call it gallows humor. 

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  8. Random thoughts:  Q1: In the private sector, who benefits from "efficiency"?  Answer: Stockholders.
    Q2: In the public service sector, who benefits from "efficiency"? Answer: Taxpayers.
    Q3: How was "benefit" measured in both of these question/answer pairs?  Answer: Financial cost.
    Q4: What is the difference between the private sector and the public sector? Answer: The private sector is profit-driven and the public sector is mission-driven.
    Q5: In analysis of what is going on in this new administration, why is the administration not talking about the missions of the agencies they are knee-capping?
    Q6: Is the destruction of the government agencies a first step in a move to privatize them all?

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    • Excellent column you linked, BorderDenizen!  Wow, right in line with where my mind has been gravitating: privatization. They want to destroy the government which provides services without taking profits so that the wealthy can have more money-flow stuff that gives them profits.

      • Yeah, breaks my heart, I have seen it growing around my parts since the 70s but now they are coming in for the knockout blow. I do a face palm for Missouri because a rural life out there would be awesome, gorgeous.

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