Closing the pot-luck tabs ...
President Trump announced Monday he would be dismissing members of the Boards of Visitors of four service academies to combat “woke leftist ideologues.”
“Our Service Academies have been infiltrated by Woke Leftist Ideologues over the last four years. I have ordered the immediate dismissal of the Board of Visitors for the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard,” Trump, 78, wrote on Truth Social.
“We will have the strongest Military in History, and that begins by appointing new individuals to these Boards. We must make the Military Academies GREAT AGAIN!”
Ed: Anyone griping about this should direct their complaints to Rehoboth Beach. Joe Biden fired a number of such Trump appointees to advisory boards in the first months of his presidency, setting the precedent that Trump uses here.
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The largest portion of USAID spending in FY 2023, the most recent year for which complete data are available, was $18 billion in "economic development"—which was almost entirely taken up by a $14.4 billion grant to Ukraine to keep its wartime economy afloat. Humanitarian assistance, meaning deliveries of food and other essentials, took up $9.4 billion, while $7.2 billion was allocated to health care. Another $3.7 billion went to administrative costs.
The most politicized categories—"Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance," "Education and Social Services," and "Peace and Security"—made up $3.3 billion in USAID spending that year. These are the types of programs that try to identify "change makers" in other countries, steer U.S.-style political reforms abroad, and export American cultural ideals.
And of course, a program can be relatively small and still be wasteful—and the damage they do can often exceed the price tag. There's a long history of USAID projects supporting bad actors, fostering anti-American resentment, building an unhealthy dependence on foreign money, and doing more harm than good.
Ed: That is why these spending decisions should come from Congress directly rather than from a slush fund with no accountability except to the chief executive -- if that. Click to read the top five spending scandals at USAID from Matthew Petti, and then see how no Democrats are stepping up to defend any of it.
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Ed: Why won't Klobuchar introduce funding authorizations for the spending she wants to preserve? What does Musk's financial status have to do with the issue at hand?
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There is certainly political risk in moving fast and breaking things, as Trump’s Elon-Musk-led assault on bureaucracy will inevitably do. But Donald Trump has always been fortunate in his opposition. In 2016 and now, he has functioned as an avatar of backlash to the progressive project that got way out over its political skis. But he is now more prepared to wield power than he was in 2016 and the progressive project has ticked off even more normies, hence Trump's highest-ever approval ratings.
Damon Linker noted this week, a way to understand the unconventional Trump coalition, which is testing the GOP with nominations like Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is as a "trans-ideological party of anyone who hates ‘the system.’" Democrats, on the other hand, have made it clear they will passionately defend the system, standing in the cold in solidarity with federal buildings, defending federal agencies, the status quo, and non-citizens against American taxpayers.
It’s a choice. But when it comes to 80-20 issues, "against the system" is a lot safer place to stand.
Ed: My friend Mary Katharine Ham is explaining what Ruy Teixeira tried to explain over at the Free Press. I doubt Democrats are listening much to either one. Their loss, probably literally in a couple of years. Have fun defending the ruling-elite castle, Democrats!
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JUST IN: President Trump is working to deputize IRS agents to help ICE deport illegal immigrants.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 10, 2025
I guess Trump wasn't kidding when he said he was going to send IRS agents to the border.
"It is DHS's understanding that the Department of the Treasury has qualified law… pic.twitter.com/65LAURoP3v
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In my view, Trump’s actions to expose the partisan corruption of the administrative state are in response to an existential threat is as grave, if less bloody, than the Civil War. The permanent bureaucracy that rules us has for decades been erecting and fortifying a nearly impenetrable edifice from which to preserve its privileges and power, stifle criticism, and export its globalist agenda. Donald Trump was elected to deconstruct that edifice. Elon Musk is one of his most potent aides in accomplishing that task. Of course, the left is hysterical. Their gravy train is being derailed before their eyes. The people who elected Trump are delighted.
I suspect that the squeals and tantrums of the ruling party and its minions will amount to no more than theater. I further suspect that Trump will resort not only to “nonacquiesence” but also to non-payment. In 2022, New York received $383 billion in federal spending. There are many ways in which Trump could stanch the flow of federal dollars to obstreperous states. I think he should consider them all. I am also happy to see some official pushback. Rep. Darrell Issa, for example, just announced that he is “immediately introducing legislation next week to stop these rogue judges and allow Trump and DOGE to tell you where government is spending your money.” Good for him.
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This is the first time the @NFL has ever posted about President Trump — despite this being his fifth year in office.
— Jake Schneider (@jacobkschneider) February 10, 2025
This is a different world. https://t.co/qh3DdxwneV
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